How to Change the Difficulty on Your Squad Server

Squad is a team-based tactical shooter where the intensity of each match depends heavily on how your server is configured. Whether you want to fine-tune the experience for new players or push veteran squads to their limits, the RiverHosting panel gives you a straightforward way to adjust your server settings without touching any files manually.

This guide walks you through finding and changing the relevant difficulty-related settings on your Squad server using the Server Config page in the panel.

Before you start

• You need an active Squad server with RiverHosting. If you do not have one yet, visit riverhosting.com to get started.
• Log in to the RiverHosting panel at panel.riverhosting.com.
• You will need owner or admin access to the server to make changes.
• Your server will need to be restarted after saving any changes for them to take effect.

1. Open your Squad server in the panel

1. Go to panel.riverhosting.com and log in.
2. Click on your Squad server from the server list to open its management page.

2. Navigate to Server Config

1. In the left-hand menu, click Server Config.
2. This page contains the main configuration options for your Squad server, including settings that affect gameplay challenge and behavior.

3. Adjust the difficulty-related settings

Squad does not use a single difficulty slider like some other games. Instead, the overall challenge of your server is shaped by a combination of settings that control things like friendly fire, ticket counts, and respawn behavior. Look through the Server Config page for options such as:

• Friendly fire: Enabling friendly fire makes the game much more demanding, as players must communicate carefully to avoid hitting teammates.
• Ticket values: Adjusting ticket counts changes how long a match lasts and how much pressure teams feel when losing players or vehicles.
• Respawn time: Longer respawn delays increase tension and punish mistakes more heavily.
• Vehicle claim time: This affects how quickly teams can redeploy vehicles, which can change the pacing of a match.

Change the values for the settings you want to adjust. Take your time and consider how each change will affect your community's experience.

4. Save your changes

1. Once you have made your adjustments, scroll to the bottom of the Server Config page.
2. Click the Save button to apply your changes.

5. Restart your server

Configuration changes in Squad do not take effect until the server restarts. To restart your server:

1. Click Console in the left-hand menu.
2. Use the power controls at the top of the Console page to restart your server.
3. Wait for the server to come back online before joining to test your changes.

Troubleshooting

• Changes are not showing in-game after restart: Double-check that you clicked Save before restarting. Go back to Server Config and confirm your values are still set correctly.
• The server is not starting after a config change: An invalid value in a config field can sometimes prevent the server from starting. Go to the Console page and look for any error messages that hint at what went wrong. If needed, revert the change you made and try again.
• Settings reset after a server update: Some server updates can overwrite configuration files. If this happens, return to the Server Config page and re-enter your preferred values, then save and restart.
• Players are not noticing the change: Make sure you restarted the server fully rather than just reloading the map. A full restart is required for config changes to take effect.

Need help?

If you run into any issues adjusting your Squad server settings or something is not behaving as expected, the RiverHosting support team is here to help.