How to Move a TerraTech Worlds Save to a Dedicated Server

To move a TerraTech Worlds save to a dedicated server, copy your world's Autosave_<guid>.tera file (and the .png beside it) from %LOCALAPPDATA%\TT2\<SteamID>\WorldSaves\ on your PC. Rename both to Autosave_Server_<guid>, keeping the guid, and upload them into the server's TT2/Saved/WorldSaves/ folder after removing the server's own saves. Start the server and it continues your world. The server and every player must be on the same game build.

What you can and cannot move

What goes where

The <SteamID> folder is your 17 digit Steam ID. If you have played several worlds, there will be several guids: sort by date and pick the newest, or match the .png thumbnail to the world you want.

Before you start

• Quit to the main menu and close the game on the PC that hosted the world, so the autosave is written.
• Back up the whole WorldSaves folder.
• Match the build. TerraTech Worlds is in Early Access, and players on a newer build cannot join an older server. Keep auto update on and restart the server before you upload.
• Back up the server too, if it already has a world you might want.

Step 1: Start the server once and stop it

Let the server start until the console shows Waiting Players..., then stop it. That creates TT2/Saved/WorldSaves/ with the server's own Autosave_Server_ files, which shows you the exact naming the server uses.

Step 2: Clear the server's saves

Download or back up the files in TT2/Saved/WorldSaves/, then delete them. If the server's own world stays in the folder, it can load that one instead of yours.

Step 3: Rename your save files

Rename both files from your PC, adding Server_ after Autosave_ and leaving the guid untouched:

Autosave_3f2b9c1e-...-a7d4.tera   becomes   Autosave_Server_3f2b9c1e-...-a7d4.tera
Autosave_3f2b9c1e-...-a7d4.png    becomes   Autosave_Server_3f2b9c1e-...-a7d4.png

Step 4: Upload and start

Upload both renamed files into TT2/Saved/WorldSaves/. Start the server, wait for Waiting Players..., then join from the multiplayer menu with Join Dedicated Server, typing the address into Host Address and pressing Launch.

The gotcha: the file name tells the server it is a server world

The dedicated server does not load just any .tera file. It looks for saves named as server saves, Autosave_Server_<guid>, and your PC names single player and hosted worlds Autosave_<guid>. Upload the file as it is and the server skips it and carries on with its own world, or builds a fresh one. A Payload Studios developer described the process on Steam as "a little fiddly", and the renaming is the fiddly part.

Two details matter: keep the guid exactly as it was, because it identifies the world, and rename the .png too so the pair stays together. Leftover server saves in the folder are the other half of the problem, which is why Step 2 clears them.

Settings the panel controls

dedicated_server_config.json only holds three settings, the port, the password and the slot count, and on GamezServers all three come from the panel. The panel writes Server Password and Max Players into the file every time the server starts, so change them in the panel rather than in the file. The password can only use letters, numbers, dashes and underscores. Max players goes up to 6, the number the developers recommend for dedicated servers.

Common problems

• Server loads its own world, not yours: the files still start with Autosave_ instead of Autosave_Server_, or the server's old saves are still in the folder.
• Server builds a fresh world: the guid was changed while renaming, or the files went into the wrong folder. They belong in TT2/Saved/WorldSaves/.
• Cannot join after a patch: the server is on an older build. Restart it with auto update on.
• Password not accepted: it contains spaces or symbols. Use only letters, numbers, dashes and underscores.
• Late game slowdowns: big automated bases use more memory. Move up a plan in the panel; your save stays.

Moving it to GamezServers

On a TerraTech Worlds server from GamezServers, you can rename and upload the save right in the file manager, which also does zips, extract and downloading a file from a link straight to the server, or use SFTP (login in Settings). Click Backup before replacing anything, especially before big Early Access patches. Your bases then keep existing without anyone's PC on. For panel settings and joining, see how to host a TerraTech Worlds server.

FAQ

Where are TerraTech Worlds saves stored?

In %LOCALAPPDATA%\TT2\<SteamID>\WorldSaves\ on Windows, as .tera files with a .png thumbnail each.

What do I rename my TerraTech Worlds save to for a server?

Add Server_ after Autosave_, so Autosave_<guid>.tera becomes Autosave_Server_<guid>.tera. Do the same for the .png.

Will my bases and vehicles come across?

Yes. Terrain, bases, factories and vehicles are all stored in the world's .tera file, so they arrive with it.

Why does my server ignore my uploaded save?

The file is not named as a server save, or the server's own saves are still in the folder. Rename it and clear the old files.