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Dingiu Liao
Dingiu Liao

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I Compiled the Best Palworld Server Settings — 4 Presets for PvE, PvP & Co-Op

I Compiled the Best Palworld Server Settings — 4 Presets for PvE, PvP & Co-Op

After managing Palworld servers across SteamCMD, GPortal, and self-hosted setups, I got tired of guessing which settings actually matter. So I put together battle-tested presets based on real server data and community feedback.

Each preset is a complete PalWorldSettings.ini configuration — copy the values and you're done.


Preset 1: Casual Friends Server

For 2–8 players who play weekly and don't want to grind.

Setting Value
ExpRate 2.0
PalCaptureRate 1.5
GatherRate 2.0
PalEggDefaultHatchingTime 2.0
DeathPenalty None
StaminaRate 1.5
HungerRate 0.8
bEnableInvaderEnemy False
StructureDamageRate 0

Double XP and gather speed. No death penalty. No raids.


Preset 2: Official+ Experience

For 4–16 players who want vanilla difficulty with less grinding.

Setting Value
ExpRate 1.5
PalCaptureRate 1.2
GatherRate 1.5
PalEggDefaultHatchingTime 6.0
DeathPenalty Item
StaminaRate 1.2
HungerRate 1.0
bEnableInvaderEnemy True
StructureDamageRate 1.0

Slightly boosted rates. Raids stay on. Feels like official servers with QoL tweaks.


Preset 3: Hardcore Survival

For 2–12 players who want a long-term challenge or PvP.

Setting Value
ExpRate 0.8
PalCaptureRate 0.8
GatherRate 0.8
PalEggDefaultHatchingTime 24.0
DeathPenalty ItemAndEquipment
DamagePlayerMultiplier 0.7
StaminaRate 0.8
HungerRate 1.2
bEnableInvaderEnemy True

Everything is harder. Resources matter. Death has real stakes.


Preset 4: Breeding Focus Server

For Pal collectors and perfect passive breeders.

Setting Value
ExpRate 2.0
PalCaptureRate 1.5
GatherRate 2.0
PalEggDefaultHatchingTime 1.0
DeathPenalty None
StaminaRate 1.5
HungerRate 0.5
bEnableInvaderEnemy False
StructureDamageRate 0

1-hour egg hatch time (down from default 72!). No raids means your breeding stock is safe.


How to Apply These Settings

  1. Navigate to Pal/Saved/Config/WindowsServer/ (or LinuxServer/)
  2. Open PalWorldSettings.ini
  3. Replace the values
  4. Restart the server — settings don't apply live

If settings don't apply after restart, delete WorldOptions.sav. It caches old values and overrides your INI.


5 Settings That Matter Most

  1. PalEggDefaultHatchingTime — Default 72h is brutal. Set to 2–6h.
  2. PalCaptureRate — 1.2–1.5x makes endgame legendaries achievable.
  3. ExpRate — Multiplayer shares XP. 1.5–2.0x keeps groups at solo pace.
  4. DeathPenalty — In multiplayer, corpse-running wastes everyone's time.
  5. GatherRate — On 6+ player servers, resources deplete fast. 1.5–2.0x fixes it.

FAQ

Settings not applying? You didn't restart the server. If you did, delete WorldOptions.sav.

Can I change settings later? Yes. Edit, restart. World data is preserved.

Performance impact? Three CPU-heavy settings: raids (disable on weak hardware), spawn density (lower to 0.8), base workers (cap at 10). Also schedule restarts every 6–12h — the server has a memory leak.


For a complete settings table with 27+ parameters, INI editing walkthrough, and 10 more FAQ:

👉 Palworld Server Settings Guide

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