March 8
We’ve released the 1.7 patch to our stable branch on Steam. You can find our patch notes below. This a massive game change. Our biggest yet hands down when it comes to the way you can play. As some of you might know, 1.7 was meant to be our design update but when the UK went into lockdown we had to switch gears and change things up. Server hosting and solo gameplay have likely been the most requested game feature.
1.7 changes a lot of the core mechanics behind the scenes to allow for solo locally hosted play and the ability to host servers directly from in game. Our experimental testing group isn't massive and we've gathered and fixed a few issues. That being said what you find here might not be 100% perfect as this is an alpha project and it's being developed by a small team. Please report issues in game using the F1 menu, if you should have an issue doing that feel free to DM on discord and leave issues found in the feedback room.
*A quick disclaimer from the team: Running a server requires an additional 2-3gigs of ram on a good day. Please keep that in mind while checking out our solo and hosting features. Solo gameplay requires a background local server to function, keep in mind Survive the Nights has been developed as multiplayer game.
Changelog
Due to the switch up we've not made a solid public changelog below are the major points and we'll expand on this before hitting default servers.
Patch Notes - Alpha 1.7 (Solo Play | Server Hosting++)
Settings presets now work on solo play.
Time persistence set to false by default on solo play so that it's always morning on joining.
Updated default perms so that owner rank doesn't have all permissions.
Time persistence option now working correctly.
Solo game presets now affect machine starting components.
Player nutrition config option now working correctly.
Starting shotgun now has better condition so that it doesn't jam so badly.
Time persistence option now working.
Added Solo gameplay feature that runs local server and uses local host to connect.
Added Hosted gameplay feature that runs a server on the local machine. With network setup this server can be connected to by friends.
Released full linux server files that can be downloaded via steamcmd.
Hordes can now be disabled and have 3 difficulty levels
Solo Tab
Survive the Nights is and always will be a multiplayer game. It's what we set out to make and it's what we're still making. We always saw this game as a co-op friend fueled experience, the more the merrier. That being said, a lot of players don't seem very interested in playing with others. One feature (if not the most requested one) is single player and while time and design doesn't really allow for a true single player, we've done our best to replicate this experience.
To get right down to it Survive the Nights requires a server and currently there's no way around that. This doesn't mean we can't replicate a single player experience though. In the 1.7 build you will find a "Solo" tab. Opening this will display all solo options and allow you to start what is essentially a solo server using your local host. You will be able to adjust basic settings and play by yourself without the worry of other players possibly ruining your good time. The solo process works by creating a locally hosted server doing so should require no extra input from the player. This should work for the majority of people. All you need to do is simply click the solo tab, select your setting and click the play button. The game will take care of the rest.
This process will not be cheap. You will need a decent amount of ram to run a solo server smoothly. We will be working on optimizations across the board in the coming updates.
Solo Play Options
Solo tab settings
*Disclaimer: Solo play requires running a local server but should not require any ports opening. Additional RAM is required for solo play.
Game Difficulty - Easy, Medium, Hard (Default), Hardcore.
Easy - No hordes | Fewer zombies | High loot | Starting items
Medium - Easier hordes | Fewer zombies | Starting items
Hard - Matches Official Servers (Default)
Hardcore - Harder Hordes | More zombies | Start with nothing (This is the one you want)
Time Persistence - When true time progresses based on the 'Day Cycle Length' option. False results in time staying the same as launch time or the '/time' the server admin sets the server to.
Day Cycle Length - The in game time cycle length based on minutes 15m, 30m, 45m (Default), 1h, 1h 30m, 2h, 3h, 4h, 5h and lastly 24h (for the maniacs).
Starting Weather - The weather when the server is started. Sunny (Default), Light Rain, Heavy Rain, Storm, Light Snow, Heavy Snow, Snow Storm.
Random Weather - Should server have random weather events. If false then server remains in starting weather state.
Player Nutrition - Do players need to consume food and drinks?
Stamina Drain - Should the player have stamina drain and how fast should it drain?.
You will notice a Database tab as well. This tab will allow you to backup your solo match. You can use it to save and restore old server states or delete your current state.
Browse - This will open the directory location of your database save file and backups that you have taken.
Backup - Quickly backs up the server database.
The browse button will allow you to access the current server database .stn-server this is the file that controls your current servers state. It stores all the relevant information when it comes to the server 'world'. As an example, if the player were to spawn into a solo match, place a plank on a window then quit and delete .stn-server, the plank would no longer be there on the next join. Everything has a save state and it's all controlled by .stn-server.
The window that opens upon clicking the "Browse" button
After the browse button opens Solo directory, it will allow you to access the "Backups" folder. This folder will contain all of the backups generated by pressing the "Backup" button in game. These backups will be all be sorted and dated allowing you to easily store and restore older server saves.
Server backups will be dated for convenience
Browse
Below the database buttons you'll find a little out of the way button titled 'Browse'. This will allow you direct access to many of the servers configuration files. For the most part and for most players the above options will be enough. The team strongly suggest you do not alter any of the configuration options at first. Use the basic settings above and have a few good play throughs. These config files will allow you to adjust all of the server options (same as a hosted server) including settings like teleport pre-sets and user permissions. Most of these files are .json based and simple to understand. As always, feel free to reach out on Discord if you have any questions.
Configuration files
Host Tab
In game server hosting is a nice simple solution for those that want to play online with friends. The host option will allow a player to start a public or privately hosted server. It can be placed on our public server list for all to see or you can simply share your IP with a friend and allow them to join discreetly. This option does require quite a bit more knowhow than the solo option. Ports need to be opened and forwarded to allow for outside connections. This is not recommended for players new to networking and multiplayer games. This host option is more of a co-op experience. The server is only running when you're playing so friends wont be able to join without you. We can't offer you 1v1 help getting a server up and running, there are a lot of tutorials out there showcasing how to open or forward ports. Check to see if you're router and provider on on the list here at portforward.
This option isn't our dedicated server option. You will see that shortly as we have a bit more to work on. The dedicated servers will run linux and be available via a Steam depot.
Host tab settings
Progress Time - This option is the same as the solo setting. When true time progresses based on the ‘Day Length’ option. False results in time staying the same as launch time or the ’/time’ the server admin sets the server to.
Day Cycle Length - The in game time cycle length based on minutes 15m, 30m, 45m (Default), 1h, 1h 30m, 2h, 3h, 4h, 5h and lastly 24h.
Time Persistence - When true time progresses based on the 'Day Cycle Length' option. False results in time staying the same as launch time or the '/time' the server admin sets the server too.
Starting Weather - The weather when the server is started. Sunny (Default), Light Rain, Heavy Rain, Storm, Light Snow, Heavy Snow, Snow Storm.
Random Weather - Should server have random weather events. If false then server remains in starting weather state.
Name Tag Distance - The distance that name tags are visible from. No name tags, Near, Medium (Default), Far.
Announce Logins - Should players be notified when other players join the server? (True | False) e.g. “JB has joined the server”
Announce Deaths - Should other players be notified when another player dies. (True | False) e.g. “JB has been killed by a Zombie”
Player Nutrition - Do players need to consume food and drinks?
Stamina Drain - Should the player have stamina drain and how fast should it drain?.
Loot Spawn - The rate at which loot spawns. Also controls the quantity of loot. 0 (No loot) - 9 (Overload).
Hordes - The horde difficulty in game. Can be used to turn hordes off completely.
Zombie Amount - The amount of zombies on the server. Off, Low, Medium (Default), High.
Vehicles Amount - The amount and spawn frequency of vehicles on the server. Off, Low, Medium (Default), High.
Starting Components - The amount of items machines like fires and generators spawn with. None,Low, Medium (Default), High. e.g. A campfire should have firewood and tinder already in it when server starts.
PvP Disabled - If true players cannot hurt each other.
Player Starting Items - The item ID numbers to items you want the player to start with. Item ID numbers must be separated with a. comma. The last ID doesn’t need a comma e.g. 1000, 525, 3004 > You can find an Item ID list HERE and in a spoiler below.
Server Name - The server name as displayed in the server list.
Server Password - The server password.
First Join Message - The message that players receive when they first join your server.
Return Join Message - The message players receive when they return to your server.
IP Address - The IP of your server. This should be set to the public IP address of your current network.
Connection Port - The port that other players should use to connect to your server. Note that this port needs opening and forwarding via your router.
Show in Public Servers - When true your server will show in the public list of servers. When false players must join using the direct connect text field and your servers IP and Port.
Steam Query Port - The port that Steam uses to query your server. Used for showing in the public server list. Only required if 'Show in Public Servers' is set to true. Note: Should not be the same as connection port.
You will notice a Database tab as well. This tab will allow you to backup your solo match. You can use it to save and restore old server states or delete your current state. This functions exactly the same as the Solo setting does.
Server Configuration Files and More
The in game server host tab gives you a lot of options to get started with. If you feel you'd like to venture a little further there are a few more adjustments that can be made in the serverconfig.txt. You will be able to better tailor your experience if you'd like although we do suggest you check out some presets first to get a good feel for things.
There's quite a bit more to go over and we will do so on the WIKI. We'll expand this page as we work through alpha. Feel free to add to the wiki as you see fit it's mostly community driven.
Hosting Ain't Easy
You may find the server hosting isn't your thing. It can be difficult to figure out especially when you're new to servers and pc games. We will be making some videos in the coming weeks to help you along the process but remember there are other options.
With the release of our Linux server build in the near future, it's more than likely that other providers will pick up STN servers. You're free to choose as you please but the team will always recommend Allgamer first and foremost. You will not find better customer service anywhere.
Weeklong Deal Sale Reminder - 40% Off
Survive the Nights is now 40% off for the entire week until March 15th. If you have any questions before purchasing, please join our discord and speak with the developers or players within our friendly community.