How to change map settings and generate a new Factorio map Print

This article explains how to change map settings and generate a new Factorio map on your PlayNHost server.

1. Back up your current save

• Before generating a new map, create a backup of your existing Factorio save:
  • Use the backup steps from our “How to backup and restore your server” article.
  • Download the save file (.zip) if you want to keep it locally.
• This lets you restore your old world if you don’t like the new one.

2. Log in to the Game Panel and stop the server

1. Go to https://panel.playnhost.com and log in.
2. Select your Factorio server from the list.
3. On the server dashboard, click Stop and wait for the server to shut down completely.

3. Find the Factorio map settings

Factorio servers normally use JSON files for map settings. Exact file names can vary, but commonly you will see:

• server-settings.json – general server options (name, description, visibility, etc.).
• map-gen-settings.json – generation options for a new map (terrain, resource richness, etc.).
• map-settings.json – gameplay options (enemy evolution, pollution, etc.).

To access them:

• Open the File Manager in the Game Panel.
• Browse to the Factorio data/config folder where these JSON files are stored (often the root or a config / data directory).
• Click a file to open the editor.

4. Adjust map generation and gameplay settings

• Edit map-gen-settings to control:
  • Starting area size.
  • Resource richness and frequency.
  • Terrain type and water level.
• Edit map-settings to control:
  • Enemy evolution and expansion.
  • Pollution behaviour.
  • Other gameplay factors.
• Edit server-settings to control:
  • Server name and description.
  • Visibility (LAN, public, etc.).
  • Password and player limits.
• Be careful to keep JSON formatting valid:
  • Use true/false, numbers or quoted strings exactly as shown.
  • Do not remove required commas, braces {} or brackets [].
• Click Save after editing each file.

5. Generate a new Factorio map

There are two main ways to generate a new map on a dedicated server:

• Via the panel / startup parameters – some panels expose a setting like “Generate new map on start”.
• Via the Factorio server command line – by using the --create option with map-gen settings.

On PlayNHost:

• Check your server’s Startup or Configuration page for an option related to creating a new map or specifying a save file name.
• If there is a field for the initial save (for example, save.zip), changing its value may cause a new map to be generated on next start.

If you are not sure which option generates a new map in our panel, you can:

• Open a support ticket asking us to generate a new map with your current settings, or
• Ask which startup variable or button to use for your specific Factorio egg/template.

6. Start the server with the new map

1. Once you have adjusted your settings and configured the server to create a new map, go back to the server dashboard.
2. Click Start.
3. Watch the console:
   • On first start after changing settings, Factorio will generate the new map.
   • This can take some time depending on your settings and hardware.
4. When the server is ready, join using your usual IP and port to explore the new world.

7. Restoring your previous map

• If you prefer your old world:
  • Stop the server.
  • Use the backup you made earlier and restore the save file using our backup/restore instructions.
  • Ensure the server is configured to load that save, then start it again.

If you are unsure which JSON files or startup options your Factorio server is using in our panel, please open a ticket from Support → Submit a Ticket and include your server name and what kind of map you want to generate.