How To Move An Existing Vintage Story World To A Hosted Server

by CreeperHost Team a month ago 3 min read

Your chiselled workshop can come with you. To move your Vintage Story world, close it cleanly, back it up, then upload and select its .vcdbs save file on the hosted server. Match the game version and required mods before starting it, then check your progress before inviting your friends.

1. Close the source world

Note the Vintage Story release and mod versions you’re using, then save and exit normally. If you’re moving from another server, shut it down using its normal stop control.

Wait until the game or server has fully stopped before copying files. Copying a save database while it’s changing can corrupt the backup.

2. Find and back up your save

Your world’s main save is a .vcdbs file, such as RiverCamp.vcdbs. The official data-folder guide lists the usual locations; open the Saves folder inside:

Windows: %APPDATA%\VintagestoryData\Saves
Linux, usual native install: ~/.config/VintagestoryData/Saves
Linux Flatpak: ~/.var/app/at.vintagestory.VintageStory/config/VintagestoryData/Saves
macOS, Vintage Story 1.21.0 onwards: ~/Library/Application Support/VintagestoryData/Saves

Older macOS installations may use ~/.config/VintagestoryData/Saves. If you chose a custom data directory, use its Saves folder instead.

Copy the source data directory to a separate backup location, keeping its saves, mod settings and player-access files together. Leave that backup untouched and use another copy of your chosen save for the upload.

Note: leftover journal files

If matching .vcdbs-wal or .vcdbs-shm files remain after shutdown, preserve them with the database in your backup. A WAL journal can contain newer changes, so don’t discard it or upload the main file alone. Ask our support team to check the set before continuing with a single-file import.

3. Prepare the hosted server

Stop the hosted server and back up any existing save and configuration before replacing files.

For the first test, use the source world’s game release on both the server and your client, with compatible mod versions. Leave upgrades until the move is working.

Install the same releases of the mods required on the server; keep client-only extras on your computer. In CreeperPanel, open Mods, search for each required mod, choose its release and install it. Our mod installation guide shows the controls.

Bring over the relevant ModConfig files separately, following each mod’s guidance for any other data it needs. Review your whitelist, password and operator access on the destination; don’t overwrite its entire serverconfig.json with the old machine’s settings.

4. Upload and select your world

On CreeperHost

Use CreeperPanel’s Worlds area to upload and select your save:

Open your Vintage Story server, then Worlds.
Upload the clean copy of your chosen .vcdbs file.
Select the uploaded save as the active world.

With file access instead

On setups without a world importer, use the file manager or SFTP to upload the .vcdbs file into the server’s Saves directory.

Open serverconfig.json and find SaveFileLocation inside WorldConfig. Point it at the uploaded file, using the destination server’s directory path.

For example, if the existing value is ./data/Saves/default.vcdbs, change it to ./data/Saves/RiverCamp.vcdbs. That directory is an example, not a universal hosting path. Match your actual filename exactly and save the configuration.

5. Check your progress before inviting everyone

Start the server and check its startup log for load errors. Join with your usual game account through Multiplayer → Add New Server, using the hosted connection details.

Visit a familiar build and check your storage contents.
Check your inventory, location and important world settings.
Test modded blocks or features you rely on.
Ask a friend without admin permissions to join and interact.

Keep the original backup until you’ve confirmed the hosted copy is right.

If something looks wrong

A fresh world appears: stop the server and recheck the active save selection and exact file path.
The world won’t load: stop the server and check the log, upload and mod versions. Before restoring a clean backup, move the failed save and any matching journal files aside together. Don’t mix files from different copies.
A friend can’t join: check the password and whitelist, the list of players allowed onto your server.