Where can I change the difficulty and blood moon settings?

Edit them directly in serverconfig.xml, for example, GameDifficulty (0 to 5) and BloodMoonFrequency. Your server won't overwrite these values when it starts.

Can I use my own mods as well?

Yes. Upload them to the Mods folder. They must be compatible with Darkness Falls V6 and 7 Days to Die 1.4. All players must also install mods that include their own models, textures, or icons.

7 Days to Die Darkness Falls: Server Configuration

Q: How is Darkness Falls updated on my server?

Updates are automatic. When a server update includes a new version of Darkness Falls, your server replaces the Darkness Falls folders the next time it starts. Your players will also need to install the new version.

Learn how to configure your 7 Days to Die Darkness Falls gameserver's name, password, world, difficulty, and custom mods → Find out more

10 November 20265 min read1 Views0 helpful

Introduction

With the right configuration, you can turn your 7 Days to Die: Darkness Falls gameserver into exactly the apocalypse you have in mind: choose your own name, password, world, player count, and difficulty. In this guide, we'll show you which settings are available, where to find them in ZapX, which worlds Darkness Falls includes, and what to keep in mind when using your own mods.

7 Days to Die Darkness Falls: Server Configuration

How the configuration works

Your server reads its settings from the serverconfig.xml file in your server's main directory. However, you don't have to change the most important values manually: you can find them in ZapX under Configuration in the Startup Parameters tab.

Each time your server starts, it writes the values from the startup parameters to the corresponding lines in serverconfig.xml. All other settings, such as difficulty or blood moon, remain as you configured them in the file. You can open the file in the Configuration tab by clicking Edit Directly, or in the Files tab.

Important

Always change values that are available as startup parameters in the Startup Parameters tab, not directly in serverconfig.xml. Any changes made in the file will be overwritten with the values from the startup parameters the next time the server starts.

After you save, ZapX will offer to restart the server. Your changes won't take effect until the server has restarted.

7 Days to Die: Darkness Falls configuration

Startup parameters at a glance

Startup parameter	Description
Server Name	Your server's name in the server list. Default: `ZAP Darkness Falls Server`
Server Description	A short description in the server list
Server Password	Password required to join. Leave blank for an open server.
Max. Players	The number of players who can play at the same time. Default: `8`
Server Visibility	`2` = public in the server list (default), `1` = visible to friends only, `0` = unlisted
Game World	The world your server runs on. Default: `DFalls-Navezgane`, see below
World Gen Seed	Seed for a randomly generated world (only for `RWG`). Default: `ZAPX`
World Gen Size	Size of a randomly generated world (only for `RWG`). Default: `6144`
Save Game Name	Name of your world's save folder. Default: `ZapXWorld`
Region / Language	Region and language displayed in the server list. Default: `Europe` / `English`
Eac Enabled	Easy Anti-Cheat. Must remain set to `false` for Darkness Falls (default).
Disable Steam Networking	`true` disables the Steam networking protocol for connections. Default: `false`
Telnet Enabled / Telnet Password	Remote access to the server console via Telnet
Control Panel Enabled	Enables the game's web dashboard. Default: `false`

Warning

Do not set Eac Enabled to true. Darkness Falls is not compatible with Easy Anti-Cheat: with EAC enabled, your server won't load the Darkness Falls files, and your players won't be able to join with the mod installed.

Info

The Control Panel Password field is not copied to serverconfig.xml. So leave the web dashboard disabled unless you really need it. According to the game, Telnet without a Telnet Password can only be accessed locally on the server.

Worlds in Darkness Falls

Darkness Falls includes its own worlds, which are designed for the mod. Enter the world name in the Game World field:

DFalls-Navezgane – the Darkness Falls version of the familiar Navezgane map (default)
DFalls-VSmall1-PEP, DFalls-Small1-PEP, DFalls-Medium1-PEP, DFalls-Large1-PEP, as well as the same worlds in -NoPEP variants, such as DFalls-Medium1-NoPEP
Other included maps such as Astoria8K_Grimlok, Galeria_8k, Europe 12K, and SuperCityV1-DFPEP
RWG – your server generates a random world using World Gen Seed and World Gen Size

Important

Darkness Falls won't load the standard 7 Days to Die worlds, such as Navezgane. Always use one of the worlds listed above or RWG.

For RWG, use World Gen Size to set the length of each side of the world. Supported sizes range from 6144 to 10240 in increments of 2048. Generating a new random world takes a few minutes the first time the server starts; larger worlds take longer.

What happens when you switch

If you change Game World, World Gen Seed, or World Gen Size, your server will start with a new map the next time it starts. ZapX will notify you in the form when you change the seed or size. Your previous world won't be deleted.
Save Game Name is the name of the save folder. Using a different name starts a new save; your previous save remains under its original name. You can switch back to it at any time by using the old name.
Your save games are located in the Saves folder in the Files tab.

Tip

Create a backup before switching worlds. That way, you can always go back to your previous save.

More settings in serverconfig.xml

You can change any settings that aren't available as startup parameters directly in serverconfig.xml. Commonly used settings include:

Entry	Description
`GameDifficulty`	Difficulty from `0` (easiest) to `5` (hardest)
`DayNightLength`	Real-time minutes per in-game day. Default: `60`
`BloodMoonFrequency`	How often a blood moon occurs, in days. `0` disables it.
`BloodMoonEnemyCount`	How many zombies can be active per player at the same time during a blood moon
`EnemyDifficulty`	`0` = normal, `1` = feral

An entry looks like this in the file:

xml

<property name="GameDifficulty" value="3"/>

You can assign admin privileges through serveradmin.xml, just as you would for standard 7 Days to Die. Our guide How to become an admin in 7 Days to Die explains how. Find an overview of important commands in 7 Days to Die: Commands.

Darkness Falls and custom mods

The Darkness Falls files are in the Mods folder in the Files tab, for example 0-DarknessFallsCore. ZapX keeps them up to date automatically: when a server update includes a new version of Darkness Falls, your server replaces the Darkness Falls folders with the new version the next time it starts. Your players will also need to install the new version.

Important

Don't make any changes inside the Darkness Falls folders. These folders are completely replaced during an update, and your changes will be lost.

You can also upload your own mods (Modlets) to the Mods folder. They will remain there when Darkness Falls is updated. Make sure each mod is explicitly compatible with Darkness Falls V6 and 7 Days to Die 1.4. If a mod includes its own files, such as models, textures, or icons, all players must install it on their PCs as well. Restart your server after uploading the mod.

Conclusion

Your Darkness Falls server is now configured just the way you want it. If something isn't working as expected, see our guide to Common Issues. If you have any other questions, our support team is available every day! 🙂

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Darkness Falls includes its own worlds, such as DFalls-Navezgane (the default) and DFalls-Medium1-PEP. You can also use RWG to generate a random world. Darkness Falls won't load standard 7 Days to Die worlds such as Navezgane.

Darkness Falls is not compatible with Easy Anti-Cheat. With EAC enabled, your server won't load the Darkness Falls files, and your players won't be able to join with the mod installed.

No. Your server will start with a new map, but your previous world will remain in the Saves folder. We still recommend creating a backup before switching.

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7 Days to Die Darkness Falls: Server Configuration

Introduction

How the configuration works

Startup parameters at a glance

Worlds in Darkness Falls

What happens when you switch

More settings in serverconfig.xml

Darkness Falls and custom mods

Conclusion

Frequently asked questions