Set Valheim world modifiers without changing the world
Use world modifiers to change the rules of your existing Valheim world without choosing a new world name. You need access to the server’s startup settings and a planned restart. This guide covers the options in Iron Gate’s dedicated-server manual; check that your installed build and CloudExa startup template expose them before editing anything.
Record the current rules
Open the game panel and record the world identifier, game version, existing startup arguments and any preset or modifier fields. Save a copy of the current startup configuration outside the panel. Keep the existing world name and save location unchanged throughout this procedure.
Tell players which rule you intend to change. A resource multiplier can affect the economy of a long-running community, even when you preserve the buildings. Agree a short test window and decide whether progress made during that window will count.
Apply one deliberate configuration
- Ask players to leave, stop the server through the panel and wait for the stopped state. Take a completed backup before editing startup settings.
- Use the panel’s modifier fields if your template provides them. If it exposes an additional-arguments field, confirm with support that the field accepts these dedicated-server options.
- For a defined baseline, choose a supported preset such as
-preset Normal. A preset overwrites earlier modifier choices, so record any existing custom rules first. - Place individual modifiers after the preset. For example,
-preset Normal -modifier raids noneselects the normal baseline and then disables raids. This is an illustrative policy, not a recommendation for every community. - Save the configuration and start the server. Read the startup log before inviting players back.
Check the result in the right place
Connect to the existing world and check familiar terrain and structures. Confirm the intended world rules through the game’s available world information or an administrator’s supported inspection method. Do not wait for a random raid as your only check: an absence of raids over a few minutes proves little.
If the panel appears to ignore a setting, compare the saved field with the effective startup configuration. A template can insert another preset later in the command. Send support the modifier arguments and a redacted startup excerpt if you cannot see the final command. Keep server passwords out of screenshots.
Revert rules without restoring the whole world
If players dislike the change, stop the server and restore the previous startup arguments. Restart and check the rules again. Restoring arguments keeps the progress made during the test; restoring a world backup also rewinds that progress. Choose between those outcomes with the group before performing a restore.
Do not invent a value because a similarly named option exists in a mod. Use Iron Gate’s supported modifier names and values for the installed build. Test mod-provided rules separately so you can identify which component changed the behaviour.
Related CloudExa help
- Back up game files before making changes
- Preserve a Valheim world during a transfer
- Open a support ticket