How to Change the Difficulty on Your Rust Server

Rust does not have a single difficulty slider like some other games, but it gives server owners a range of settings that together control how challenging survival is. You can adjust things like how fast hunger and thirst drain, how much damage players and NPCs deal, and how many resources players gather. All of these settings live in your server's configuration, and you can change them directly from the RiverHosting panel without editing any files by hand.

Before you start

• Make sure your Rust server is set up and has started at least once. This ensures all default configuration values are in place.
• You will need access to your server through the RiverHosting panel.
• Some changes require a server restart to take effect. Warn your players before restarting.

1. Open the Server Config page

The fastest way to change difficulty-related settings on your Rust server is through the built-in Server Config page in the panel.

1. Log in to the RiverHosting panel.
2. Click on your Rust server from the server list.
3. In the left-hand menu, click Server Config.
4. The Server Config page will load with all the available settings for your server.

2. Adjust resource gather rates

One of the most noticeable ways to change difficulty in Rust is by adjusting how many resources players collect when they hit nodes, cut trees, or skin animals.

1. On the Server Config page, look for gather rate or resource multiplier settings.
2. A value of 1 is the default (vanilla) rate. Setting it lower, such as 0.5, makes resources scarcer and survival harder. Setting it higher, such as 2, makes resources more plentiful and the experience more casual.
3. Adjust the value to match the experience you want for your players.
4. Click Save or the equivalent save button on the page to apply your changes.

3. Adjust component and scrap rates

Components are used to craft weapons and equipment, and scrap is the main research and crafting currency in Rust. Adjusting these rates alongside gather rates gives you finer control over progression speed.

1. Still on the Server Config page, look for component rate or scrap rate settings.
2. Lower values slow down player progression, while higher values let players gear up faster.
3. Set these to values that suit your server's theme, whether that is a long-form survival experience or a fast-paced PvP server where players want to gear up quickly.
4. Save your changes.

4. Adjust NPC and animal settings

Rust's world is full of NPCs such as scientists and armed tunnel NPCs, as well as animals like bears and wolves. You can influence how threatening these are.

1. On the Server Config page, look for NPC or animal-related settings such as spawn multipliers or damage values if your server version or plugins expose them.
2. Reducing NPC count or damage makes the world safer for newer players. Increasing it raises the challenge significantly.
3. Save any changes you make.

5. Restart the server to apply changes

Most Server Config changes in Rust require a restart to take effect.

1. Go back to the main page of your server in the panel.
2. Click the Restart button at the top of the page.
3. Wait for the server to come back online. This usually takes about a minute.
4. Once the server is running, join it and confirm that your changes are working as expected.

Troubleshooting

• Settings did not change after restart. Make sure you clicked Save on the Server Config page before restarting. If changes were not saved, the old values will still be in place after the restart.
• Players are not seeing any difference. Some settings only apply to freshly spawned resources and nodes. Players may need to move to a new area of the map or wait for the world to refresh before noticing a change in gather rates.
• I cannot find a specific setting on the Server Config page. Some advanced difficulty options are controlled by plugins rather than the base server config. Check the Plugins section in your panel to see if a relevant plugin is available for your server.
• The server is crashing after changes. Restore your configuration from a backup using the Backups tab and try again with smaller adjustments. If the problem continues, reach out to support.

Need help?

If you are unsure which settings to change, or if something is not working as expected after adjusting your difficulty options, the RiverHosting support team is happy to help.