Hytale Advanced Server Configuration

This guide covers advanced Hytale server configuration including complete configuration file references, world pre-generation, and server mesh architecture.

Important: Always back up your server files before making configuration changes. Stop your server before editing any configuration files.

Configuration File Locations

File	Location	Purpose
config.json	Server root folder	Main server settings
permissions.json	Server root folder	Player roles and permissions
bans.json	Server root folder	Banned player list
whitelist.json	Server root folder	Allowed players list
config.json	universe/worlds/[WorldName]/	Per-world settings

Editing Configuration Files

For Survival Servers Customers

1. Log into your control panel
2. Click Stop to shut down your server
3. Click Server Config button (easy editor) or use File Manager
4. Edit the desired file and save
5. Click Start to restart your server

For Self-Hosted Servers

1. Stop your server (type stop or press Ctrl+C)
2. Open the config file in a text editor
3. Make your changes and save
4. Start your server

Main Server Configuration (config.json)

{
  "ServerName": "My Hytale Server",
  "MOTD": "Welcome to my server!",
  "MaxPlayers": 20,
  "ViewDistance": 12,
  "SimulationDistance": 10,
  "WhitelistEnabled": false,
  "Difficulty": "Normal",
  "DefaultGameMode": "Survival",
  "AllowFlight": false,
  "SpawnProtection": 16,
  "EnableCommandBlock": false,
  "MaxWorldSize": 29999984,
  "NetworkCompressionThreshold": 256,
  "PlayerIdleTimeout": 0,
  "PreventProxyConnections": false,
  "EnableQuery": false,
  "QueryPort": 5521,
  "RCON": {
    "Enabled": false,
    "Port": 5522,
    "Password": ""
  },
  "Backups": {
    "Enabled": true,
    "FrequencyMinutes": 60,
    "MaxBackups": 24,
    "Directory": "./backups"
  }
}

Setting	Description
ServerName	Name displayed to players
MOTD	Message of the day shown on connection
MaxPlayers	Maximum concurrent players
ViewDistance	How far players can see (chunks)
SimulationDistance	How far entities are active
WhitelistEnabled	Restrict to approved players
Difficulty	Peaceful, Easy, Normal, Hard
DefaultGameMode	Survival, Creative, Adventure
SpawnProtection	Protected radius around spawn (blocks)
PlayerIdleTimeout	Kick idle players after X minutes (0 = disabled)
NetworkCompressionThreshold	Packet compression threshold

World Configuration (universe/worlds/[WorldName]/config.json)

{
  "Version": 4,
  "UUID": {
    "$binary": "j2x/idwTQpen24CDfH1+OQ==",
    "$type": "04"
  },
  "Seed": 1767292261384,
  "WorldGen": {
    "Type": "Hytale",
    "Name": "Default"
  },
  "WorldMap": {
    "Type": "WorldGen"
  },
  "ChunkStorage": {
    "Type": "Hytale"
  },
  "ChunkConfig": {},
  "IsTicking": true,
  "IsBlockTicking": true,
  "IsPvpEnabled": false,
  "IsFallDamageEnabled": true,
  "IsGameTimePaused": false,
  "GameTime": "0001-01-01T08:26:59.761606129Z",
  "RequiredPlugins": {},
  "IsSpawningNPC": true,
  "IsSpawnMarkersEnabled": true,
  "IsAllNPCFrozen": false,
  "GameplayConfig": "Default",
  "IsCompassUpdating": true,
  "IsSavingPlayers": true,
  "IsSavingChunks": true,
  "IsUnloadingChunks": true,
  "IsObjectiveMarkersEnabled": true,
  "DeleteOnUniverseStart": false,
  "DeleteOnRemove": false,
  "ResourceStorage": {
    "Type": "Hytale"
  },
  "Plugin": {}
}

Setting	Description
Seed	World generation seed
IsPvpEnabled	Allow player vs player combat
IsFallDamageEnabled	Players take fall damage
IsGameTimePaused	Freeze day/night cycle
IsSpawningNPC	Enable mob spawning
IsAllNPCFrozen	Freeze all NPCs in place
IsTicking	World simulation runs
IsBlockTicking	Block updates (crops, liquids)
IsSavingPlayers	Save player data
IsSavingChunks	Save world changes
IsUnloadingChunks	Unload empty chunks
DeleteOnUniverseStart	Delete world on server start
DeleteOnRemove	Delete world files when removed

Permissions Configuration (permissions.json)

{
  "Groups": {
    "default": {
      "DisplayName": "Player",
      "Prefix": "",
      "Permissions": [
        "hytale.chat",
        "hytale.build",
        "hytale.break",
        "hytale.interact",
        "hytale.command.help",
        "hytale.command.spawn",
        "hytale.command.home"
      ],
      "Inheritance": []
    },
    "vip": {
      "DisplayName": "VIP",
      "Prefix": "[VIP] ",
      "Permissions": [
        "hytale.command.fly",
        "hytale.command.nick",
        "hytale.bypass.afk"
      ],
      "Inheritance": ["default"]
    },
    "moderator": {
      "DisplayName": "Moderator",
      "Prefix": "[MOD] ",
      "Permissions": [
        "hytale.command.kick",
        "hytale.command.mute",
        "hytale.command.warn",
        "hytale.command.tp",
        "hytale.command.tphere",
        "hytale.command.vanish",
        "hytale.bypass.spam"
      ],
      "Inheritance": ["vip"]
    },
    "admin": {
      "DisplayName": "Admin",
      "Prefix": "[ADMIN] ",
      "Permissions": [
        "hytale.command.ban",
        "hytale.command.unban",
        "hytale.command.give",
        "hytale.command.gamemode",
        "hytale.command.time",
        "hytale.command.weather",
        "hytale.command.whitelist"
      ],
      "Inheritance": ["moderator"]
    },
    "owner": {
      "DisplayName": "Owner",
      "Prefix": "[OWNER] ",
      "Permissions": [
        "*"
      ],
      "Inheritance": []
    }
  },
  "Players": {
    "your-uuid-here": {
      "Group": "owner",
      "AdditionalPermissions": []
    },
    "friend-uuid-here": {
      "Group": "admin",
      "AdditionalPermissions": [
        "hytale.command.stop"
      ]
    }
  }
}

• * grants all permissions
• Inheritance lets groups build on each other
• AdditionalPermissions adds extra permissions to specific players beyond their group
• Changes require a server restart

World Pre-Generation

Pre-generating creates terrain ahead of time, reducing lag when players explore.

Method 1: In-Game Exploration

1. Start your server and log in as admin
2. Fly around the map to generate chunks
3. The server saves chunks as you explore

Method 2: Pre-Generation Mods

1. Add a pre-gen mod to your mods/ folder
2. Configure the area size and center point
3. Run the pre-generation command

Method 3: Command-Line

java -jar HytaleServer.jar --help

Check for built-in pre-generation options.

Server Mesh Architecture (Multi-Server Networks)

Hytale has built-in support for connecting multiple servers together without third-party proxies.

{
  "Network": {
    "Mode": "mesh",
    "ServerId": "lobby-1",
    "SharedSecret": "your-secure-secret-key-here"
  },
  "Referrals": {
    "Enabled": true,
    "Targets": {
      "survival": {
        "Host": "survival.myserver.com",
        "Port": 5520,
        "DisplayName": "Survival World"
      },
      "creative": {
        "Host": "creative.myserver.com",
        "Port": 5520,
        "DisplayName": "Creative World"
      },
      "minigames": {
        "Host": "games.myserver.com",
        "Port": 5520,
        "DisplayName": "Minigames"
      }
    }
  },
  "Redirect": {
    "Enabled": true,
    "DefaultTarget": "lobby",
    "Rules": [
      {
        "Condition": "ServerFull",
        "Target": "lobby-2"
      },
      {
        "Condition": "Maintenance",
        "Target": "maintenance"
      }
    ]
  },
  "Fallback": {
    "Enabled": true,
    "Server": {
      "Host": "lobby.myserver.com",
      "Port": 5520
    }
  }
}

Feature	Description
Player Referral	Transfer players between servers seamlessly
Connection Redirect	Redirect during handshake before full connection
Disconnect Fallback	Auto-reconnect to fallback if server crashes

Security: Referral payloads pass through the client. Use SharedSecret to cryptographically sign payloads so receiving servers can verify authenticity.

Custom Proxies: Build proxy servers using Netty QUIC. Packet definitions available in HytaleServer.jar at com.hypixel.hytale.protocol.packets.

Command-Line Arguments

java [JVM options] -jar HytaleServer.jar [server options]

JVM Options

Option	Description	Example
-Xms	Initial memory allocation	-Xms4G
-Xmx	Maximum memory allocation	-Xmx4G
-XX:+UseG1GC	Use G1 garbage collector	Recommended for 8GB+
-XX:AOTCache	Use AOT cache for faster startup	-XX:AOTCache=HytaleServer.aot

Server Options

Option	Description	Default
--assets <path>	Path to Assets.zip (required)	None
--bind <ip:port>	Address and port to listen on	0.0.0.0:5520
--auth-mode <mode>	authenticated or offline	authenticated
--backup	Enable automatic backups	Disabled
--backup-dir <path>	Backup storage location	./backups
--backup-frequency <mins>	Backup interval	60
--disable-sentry	Disable crash reporting	Enabled
--allow-op	Allow operator commands	Disabled
--accept-early-plugins	Load experimental plugins	Disabled

Example Launch Scripts

Production server (Windows - start.bat):

@echo off
java -Xms6G -Xmx6G -XX:+UseG1GC -XX:AOTCache=HytaleServer.aot -jar HytaleServer.jar --assets Assets.zip --backup --backup-frequency 60
pause

Production server (Linux - start.sh):

#!/bin/bash
java -Xms6G -Xmx6G -XX:+UseG1GC -XX:AOTCache=HytaleServer.aot -jar HytaleServer.jar --assets Assets.zip --backup --backup-frequency 60

Development server:

java -Xms4G -Xmx4G -jar HytaleServer.jar --assets Assets.zip --auth-mode offline --disable-sentry

See Also

• How to Create a Hytale Server Guide
• How to Join a Hytale Server
• How to Install Mods on a Hytale Server
• Official Hytale Website
• Hytale Support & Documentation
• Rent a Hytale Server from Survival Servers