Palworld: Performance Guide

Introduction

Palworld server performance can decrease over time, especially on active servers with many bases, workers, dropped items, and wild Pals. In this guide, you will learn how to optimize the PalWorldSettings.ini file in the ZAP-Hosting web interface to reduce server load and improve overall performance.

Preparation

Before you begin, you need access to your Palworld game server administration and permission to edit configuration files.

Required Access

You need access to your Palworld server in the ZAP-Hosting game server administration panel. The required configuration file is available under Configs.

Create a Backup First

Performance tuning can change gameplay behavior significantly. Before editing your configuration, it is recommended to create a backup so you can restore your previous settings if needed.

Open the Palworld Configuration File

To optimize your server, you need to edit the main Palworld server configuration file.

1. Log in to your ZAP-Hosting web interface.
2. Open your Palworld game server administration.
3. Navigate to Configs.
4. Open the file PalWorldSettings.ini.

Where to Make Changes

The performance-related settings are stored in PalWorldSettings.ini. You need to edit the existing option values manually in this file.

Understand the Relevant Settings

Several Palworld settings directly affect server performance. Some values reduce CPU, memory, and world simulation load, while others help limit buildup from inactive players or excessive world entities.

Main Performance Settings

The following settings are the most relevant if you want to reduce performance drops on a busy server.

Setting	Default	Recommended Change	Effect
BuildObjectDeteriorationDamageRate	1.0	Keep at 0.1 or higher	Higher deterioration helps remove abandoned structures faster
bAutoResetGuildNoOnlinePlayers	False	Set to True if appropriate	Removes inactive guild bases after the configured grace period
AutoResetGuildTimeNoOnlinePlayers	72.0	Adjust as needed	Defines the inactivity time in hours before guild reset
PalSpawnNumRate	1.0	Decrease	Spawns fewer wild Pals and reduces simulation load
DropItemMaxNum	3000	Decrease	Limits dropped items in the world
DropItemAliveMaxHours	1.0	Decrease	Removes dropped items faster
BaseCampMaxNumInGuild	4	Decrease	Reduces the number of guild bases
ServerReplicatePawnCullDistance	15000.0	Decrease	Lowers Pal synchronization distance and reduces network/server load
BaseCampWorkerMaxNum	15	Decrease	Limits worker Pals per base
MaxBuildingLimitNum	0	Set a value	Limits total buildings per player
bEnableInvaderEnemy	True	Set to False	Disables raid-style invader enemies and reduces load
bEnableFastTravel	True	Set to False if needed	Can reduce freezes caused by fast travel events
bIsPvP	False	Keep False unless required	PvP can increase server load in active environments

Secondary Performance Settings

These settings can also help, especially on larger public servers.

Setting	Default	Recommended Change	Effect
BaseCampMaxNum	128	Decrease	Lowers the total number of bases allowed on the server
AutoSaveSpan	240	Increase	Reduces how often the server performs automatic saves

Choose Conservative Changes First

It is best to change only a few values at a time, then test server behavior. This makes it easier to identify which setting improved performance and which setting affected gameplay too much.

Edit the Configuration

Palworld stores server options in the OptionSettings section inside PalWorldSettings.ini. You need to adjust the relevant entries manually.

Example Optimized Configuration

The following example shows a conservative performance-focused configuration. Replace only the values you actually want to use for your server.

[/Script/Pal.PalGameWorldSettings]
OptionSettings=(Difficulty=None,DayTimeSpeedRate=1.000000,NightTimeSpeedRate=1.000000,ExpRate=1.000000,PalCaptureRate=1.000000,PalSpawnNumRate=0.800000,PalDamageRateAttack=1.000000,PalDamageRateDefense=1.000000,PlayerDamageRateAttack=1.000000,PlayerDamageRateDefense=1.000000,PlayerStomachDecreaceRate=1.000000,PlayerStaminaDecreaceRate=1.000000,PlayerAutoHPRegeneRate=1.000000,PlayerAutoHpRegeneRateInSleep=1.000000,PalStomachDecreaceRate=1.000000,PalStaminaDecreaceRate=1.000000,PalAutoHPRegeneRate=1.000000,PalAutoHpRegeneRateInSleep=1.000000,BuildObjectDamageRate=1.000000,BuildObjectDeteriorationDamageRate=1.000000,CollectionDropRate=1.000000,CollectionObjectHpRate=1.000000,CollectionObjectRespawnSpeedRate=1.000000,EnemyDropItemRate=1.000000,DeathPenalty=All,bEnablePlayerToPlayerDamage=False,bEnableFriendlyFire=False,bEnableInvaderEnemy=False,bActiveUNKO=False,bEnableAimAssistPad=True,bEnableAimAssistKeyboard=False,DropItemMaxNum=2000,DropItemMaxNum_UNKO=100,BaseCampMaxNum=64,BaseCampWorkerMaxNum=10,DropItemAliveMaxHours=0.500000,bAutoResetGuildNoOnlinePlayers=True,AutoResetGuildTimeNoOnlinePlayers=72.000000,GuildPlayerMaxNum=20,PalEggDefaultHatchingTime=72.000000,WorkSpeedRate=1.000000,bIsMultiplay=True,bIsPvP=False,bCanPickupOtherGuildDeathPenaltyDrop=False,bEnableNonLoginPenalty=True,bEnableFastTravel=False,bIsStartLocationSelectByMap=True,bExistPlayerAfterLogout=False,bEnableDefenseOtherGuildPlayer=False,bInvisibleOtherGuildBaseCampAreaFX=False,bBuildAreaLimit=False,ItemWeightRate=1.000000,ServerReplicatePawnCullDistance=10000.000000,bEnableGuildPlayerSelect=False,BanListURL="https://api.palworldgame.com/api/banlist.txt",bAutoResetGuildNoOnlinePlayers=True,BaseCampMaxNumInGuild=3)

Verify Existing Entries

Palworld configuration formats can change between updates. Before saving, make sure you are editing the existing OptionSettings line already present in your file instead of creating duplicate or conflicting entries.

Recommended Value Adjustments

If you do not want to replace the full line, you can edit only the relevant values in your existing configuration.

Entry	Example Value	Why to Change It
PalSpawnNumRate	0.8	Reduces wild Pal spawns
DropItemMaxNum	2000	Decreases item clutter
DropItemAliveMaxHours	0.5	Removes dropped items faster
BaseCampMaxNum	64	Reduces total base count
BaseCampMaxNumInGuild	3	Limits guild base expansion
BaseCampWorkerMaxNum	10	Reduces AI worker load
ServerReplicatePawnCullDistance	10000.0	Decreases replication distance
bEnableInvaderEnemy	False	Disables raid-related load
bEnableFastTravel	False	Avoids fast travel related freezes
bAutoResetGuildNoOnlinePlayers	True	Cleans up inactive guild bases
AutoResetGuildTimeNoOnlinePlayers	72.0	Sets inactivity grace period
MaxBuildingLimitNum	[your_limit]	Restricts excessive building
bIsPvP	False	Prevents additional PvP overhead
AutoSaveSpan	[your_value]	Reduces save frequency if supported in your current config format

Inactive Guild Reset Deletes Bases

If you enable bAutoResetGuildNoOnlinePlayers=True, inactive guilds can be disbanded automatically after the time set in AutoResetGuildTimeNoOnlinePlayers. This can permanently delete bases and structures belonging to inactive players.

Save and Apply the Changes

After editing the file, you need to save the configuration and restart the server so the new settings are loaded.

1. Save the changes in PalWorldSettings.ini.
2. Return to your game server administration.
3. Restart the Palworld server.

Restart Required

A restart is required after changing PalWorldSettings.ini. Without a restart, the server will continue using the previous settings.

Best Practices for Long-Term Performance

Manual configuration changes help, but they are only part of overall server optimization.

Use Automatic Daily Restarts

A daily restart is a common best practice for Palworld servers because resource usage can build up over time.

• Create an automatic restart schedule in your ZAP-Hosting server administration
• Choose a time with low player activity
• Inform your players in advance if your community is active

Limit World Growth

The biggest cause of performance decrease on long-running Palworld servers is usually world complexity.

To reduce this:

• lower base limits
• lower worker counts
• reduce dropped item accumulation
• reduce wild Pal spawns
• clean up inactive guilds carefully
• consider setting a building limit with MaxBuildingLimitNum

Test Changes Gradually

Do not apply extreme reductions immediately unless your server is already unstable.

A good process is:

1. Lower spawn and item values first
2. Reduce base and worker limits next
3. Disable optional high-load features if needed
4. Restart and monitor performance after each round of changes

Balance Performance and Gameplay

The best settings depend on your server type. A small private server can usually keep higher values, while a large public community server often needs stricter limits to prevent performance drops.

Conclusion

Congratulations, you have successfully optimized your Palworld server performance. For further questions or assistance, please don't hesitate to contact our support team, which is available daily to assist you!