How to Change the Map Generation Settings on Your Factorio Server

Factorio's map generation settings control everything about how your world is built when you start a new game. You can adjust resource richness, enemy strength, terrain shape, starting area size, and more. The RiverHosting panel gives you a dedicated Map Generation page so you can make these changes without editing files by hand.

This guide walks you through changing your Factorio server's map generation settings and explains what to expect when those changes take effect.

Before you start

• You need an active Factorio server on RiverHosting. If you do not have one yet, visit riverhosting.com to get started.
• Map generation settings only apply when a new map is created. If your server already has a world, you will need to start a fresh save for the new settings to take effect.
• Make sure you have a backup of your current world before making changes. Go to the Backups tab and create a manual backup so nothing is lost.

1. How to open the Map Generation page

1. Log in to the RiverHosting panel at panel.riverhosting.com.
2. Select your Factorio server from the server list.
3. In the left-hand menu, click Map Generation.

The Map Generation page loads with a set of options that control how your next world is built. You can adjust these settings to suit the experience you want for yourself and your players.

2. How to adjust your map generation settings

The Map Generation page includes options across several areas. Here is what you can expect to find and change:

• Map seed: A number that determines the exact layout of your world. Leave it blank or set it to a random value for a unique map each time, or enter a specific seed to recreate a known layout.
• Starting area size: Controls how large the peaceful starting zone is before enemies appear nearby. A larger starting area gives new players more room to get set up.
• Resource richness and frequency: Adjusts how much ore, oil, and other resources appear on the map, and how often resource patches appear. Higher values mean more resources and easier progression.
• Enemy settings: Controls how many enemy bases spawn, how large they are, and how aggressively they expand over time.
• Terrain settings: Adjusts water coverage and cliff density, which shapes how the map looks and how easy it is to build.

Make your changes on the page, then save them before moving on.

3. How to apply your settings by generating a new map

Once you have saved your map generation settings, you need to create a new save for them to take effect. You can do this from the Saves page.

1. In the left-hand menu, click Saves.
2. Use the option to generate a new save. The panel will use the map generation settings you just saved to build the new world.
3. Once the new save is ready, make sure it is set as the active save your server loads.
4. Restart your server from the Console or by using the restart button so it loads the new world.

4. How to confirm the new map loaded correctly

1. Open the Console tab from the left-hand menu.
2. Watch the startup log as the server starts. You should see it loading your new map.
3. Once the server shows as online, connect with your Factorio client and verify the new world matches your expected settings.

Troubleshooting

• The world looks the same as before: The server may still be loading the old save. Go to the Saves page and confirm the new save is set as active, then restart the server.
• The server fails to start after generating a new map: Check the Console tab for error messages. If the map generation failed, try regenerating the save from the Saves page.
• Settings were not saved before generating: Go back to the Map Generation page, re-enter your settings, save them, and then generate a new save again.
• You want to go back to your old world: Go to the Saves page and switch back to your previous save, then restart the server. Your old world should load as normal.
• Resource or enemy settings feel wrong in game: Stop the server, return to Map Generation, adjust the settings, generate a new save, and try again. You can repeat this until the map feels right.

Need help?

If you run into any issues changing your Factorio map generation settings, the RiverHosting support team is happy to help.