How to Add a Custom Scenario to an Empyrion Server

To add a custom scenario to an Empyrion server, subscribe to it on the Workshop, copy its numbered folder from steamapps/workshop/content/383120/<WorkshopID>/, rename it to a plain name like ReforgedEden2, and upload it to the server's Content/Scenarios/ folder. In dedicated.yaml, set CustomScenario: ReforgedEden2 under GameConfig, and change GameName so the server starts a new save. A scenario only applies to a new save, never an existing galaxy.

What you can and cannot do

What goes where

The Workshop folder lives in your Steam library: on Windows usually C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\workshop\content\383120\. 383120 is Empyrion's app ID. Reforged Eden 2 is Workshop item 3143225812, so its folder is 383120/3143225812.

On GamezServers, the game sits in the empyrion folder in the Files tab, so the paths are empyrion/Content/Scenarios/ and empyrion/dedicated.yaml.

The gotcha: rename the folder, and start a new save

Two things trip almost everyone:

1. The numbered folder name. Workshop scenarios download into a folder named after their ID. The Reforged Eden 2 Workshop page says plainly that if you leave the folder as the string of numbers it will not work correctly. Rename it before you upload. Avoid spaces and odd characters, then use that exact name in dedicated.yaml.
2. The existing save. The server reads CustomScenario only when it creates a save. If GameName still points at a save that already exists, the server loads that save with its original scenario, and it looks like your change was ignored. Change GameName to something new, or delete the old save after backing it up.

Step 1: Before you start

• Back up the server's Saves folder, or press Backup in the panel.
• Match the branch. If the scenario needs the experimental branch, set the server's Version to experimental, and players switch branch in Steam too.
• Check the size. Big scenarios use much more memory than the default galaxy. A full Reforged Eden 2 server is a lot heavier than vanilla.

Step 2: Copy and rename the scenario

1. Subscribe to the scenario on the Steam Workshop and start Empyrion once so it downloads.
2. Open steamapps/workshop/content/383120/ and find the numbered folder.
3. Copy it somewhere else and rename the copy, for example 3143225812 to ReforgedEden2.
4. Zip it. Scenarios contain thousands of files, and one zip uploads far more reliably.

Step 3: Upload to Content/Scenarios

Stop the server. Upload the zip into Content/Scenarios/ and extract it there, so you end up with Content/Scenarios/ReforgedEden2/ and the scenario's files directly inside, not one folder deeper. Over SFTP, FileZilla or WinSCP handle the size better than a browser.

Step 4: Edit dedicated.yaml

Open dedicated.yaml and find the GameConfig section. Set the scenario and a new save name:

GameConfig:
  GameName: RE2World
  Mode: Survival
  Seed: 1011345
  CustomScenario: ReforgedEden2

YAML is strict about indentation: two spaces, no tabs, and the keys lined up exactly as in the rest of the file. The default file uses GameName: DediGame and CustomScenario: Default Multiplayer.

Many scenarios also have a gameoptions.yaml inside their folder with the starting options for new multiplayer games. The Reforged Eden configuration guide explains the options for that scenario.

Step 5: Start and check

Start the server and watch the console and logs folder. The first start of a big scenario takes a while as the new galaxy is generated. Then join and confirm you see the scenario's starting planets and blocks rather than the default ones.

Do players need the scenario?

According to the Reforged Eden 2 Workshop page, players joining a server running it do not need to do anything, because the game downloads the needed files from the server when they connect. Expect the first join to take longer while that happens. Players do need the same game branch as the server.

Common problems

• Server still runs the default galaxy: GameName points at an old save, or CustomScenario does not match the folder name exactly. Change GameName and check spelling and capitals.
• Scenario folder not found in the log: the folder is still the Workshop number, or it is nested one level too deep inside Content/Scenarios.
• Server will not start after editing: a YAML mistake, usually a tab or misaligned key. Compare with the original lines.
• Warping between playfields times out: big scenarios load slowly. Raising TimeoutBootingPfServer in dedicated.yaml helps.
• Players cannot connect after a scenario update: the server has an older or newer version than the Workshop. Replace the folder with the current version, keeping the same name.

Scenarios on GamezServers

On an Empyrion server from GamezServers, you upload the scenario through SFTP (the login is in Settings) or the Files tab, which can extract the zip on the server, and edit dedicated.yaml in the browser. The server name, password, player limit and seed come from the panel, so set those there rather than in the file. Press Backup before switching scenario, and the galaxy stays online without anyone's PC. Bringing an existing world over? See how to move an Empyrion save to a dedicated server.

FAQ

How do I install Reforged Eden 2 on a dedicated server?

Copy Workshop folder 3143225812, rename it, upload it to Content/Scenarios, set CustomScenario in dedicated.yaml to the new name and start a new save.

Can I change the scenario of an existing save?

No. A scenario only applies when a save is created, so start a new save with a new GameName.

Where are Empyrion Workshop scenarios stored?

In steamapps/workshop/content/383120/ in your Steam library, one numbered folder per Workshop item.

Do players need to subscribe to the scenario?

Not for Reforged Eden 2, whose page says the game downloads the needed files from the server on join. They need the same game branch as the server.