How to Move an Astro Colony Save to a Dedicated Server

To move an Astro Colony save to a dedicated server, copy your .sav file from %LOCALAPPDATA%\AstroColony\Saved\SaveGames\ on your PC and upload it into the server's AstroColony/Saved/SaveGames/DedicatedServer/ folder, after deleting the other .sav files there. Keep ShouldLoadLatestSavegame=True in ServerSettings.ini (Should Load Latest Savegame in a panel) and restart. The server loads the newest save it finds. Admins can also send a save to the server from inside the game. The server and players must be on the same build.

What you can and cannot move

What goes where

Press Windows + R, paste %LOCALAPPDATA%\AstroColony\Saved\SaveGames and press Enter. The in game save screen also shows saves by name, which helps you pick the right file.

Before you start

• Save and quit to the main menu on the PC that hosted the colony, then close the game.
• Back up the SaveGames folder.
• Match the build. Players on an older build cannot join after a patch, and the other way round. Keep auto update on and restart the server first.
• Note the mode. If the save is a Sandbox or Free Construction playthrough, write that down.

Method 1: Send the save from the game

Astro Colony has an ownership system built for this. Players whose SteamID64 is in the server's AdminList are authenticated as admins when they join, and Terad Games' dedicated server documentation lists sending a savegame file to the server among the admin powers, along with saving and loading.

1. Add your SteamID64 to Admin List in the panel (several IDs are separated by commas) and restart.
2. Join the server, open the save and load screen from the menu, and pick your single player save to send.
3. Load it on the server. Large colonies take a while to send.

Method 2: Upload the file

1. Stop the server and back it up

Stop the server and download the .sav files in AstroColony/Saved/SaveGames/DedicatedServer/ if you might want that colony later.

2. Clear the folder and upload

Delete every .sav in that folder, then upload yours. You do not need to rename it, and you do not need to set the map name to match.

3. Check the settings

Make sure these are set in ServerSettings.ini under [/Script/ACFeature.EHServerSubsystem], or in the panel:

[/Script/ACFeature.EHServerSubsystem]
ShouldLoadLatestSavegame=True
AdminList=76561198000000000
FreeConstruction=False
Sandbox=False

Start the server, wait for server create success in the console, and join from the in game server list.

The gotcha: the server picks the newest save, not yours

There is no setting for which save to load. With Should Load Latest Savegame on, the server simply opens the most recent .sav in its folder. If the server's own autosaves are still there, they are often newer than your upload, so the server cheerfully continues its fresh colony and your save sits ignored right beside it. Some SFTP apps also keep a file's original date when uploading, which makes an old save look older still. Clearing the folder before uploading removes the guesswork.

The same setting has a second trap. If Should Load Latest Savegame is off, the server ignores every save and generates a new map from the seed at each start. And on GamezServers the panel writes it into ServerSettings.ini every time the server starts, together with the seed, map name, password, max players, admin list, shared technologies, oxygen, free construction and autosave values, so change those in the panel. Sandbox is not a panel field: add Sandbox=True to the file yourself for a Sandbox save, and it stays.

What happens to players

Player data from a single player save is copied over when the save moves, and the developer fixed several bugs around exactly that, so the astronaut who played the save usually finds their position and inventory. Friends who join for the first time start fresh in the existing colony. Turn on Shared Technologies so everything already researched is unlocked for the whole crew.

Common problems

• Server loads its old colony: the server's own .sav files are still in the folder and are newer than yours. Delete them and restart.
• Server makes a new map every restart: Should Load Latest Savegame is off. Turn it on in the panel.
• Cannot join after a patch: the server is on an older build. Restart with auto update on.
• Cannot send a save from the game: your SteamID64 is not in Admin List, or the server was not restarted after adding it.
• Sandbox save plays like a normal run: add Sandbox=True to ServerSettings.ini and restart.

Moving it to GamezServers

On an Astro Colony server from GamezServers, you upload the save over SFTP (login in Settings) or in the file manager, which also does zips, extract and downloading a file from a link straight to the server. Set Admin List for in game uploads and click Backup before replacing anything. The colony is then always there for whoever logs in next. For panel settings, see how to host an Astro Colony server.

FAQ

Where are Astro Colony saves stored?

In %LOCALAPPDATA%\AstroColony\Saved\SaveGames\ on Windows, as .sav files.

Do I need to rename my Astro Colony save for the server?

No. The server loads the newest .sav in SaveGames/DedicatedServer/, whatever its name, so clear out the other saves instead.

Can I upload a save from inside the game?

Yes. Players listed in the server's admin list can send a savegame to the server and load it from the save screen.

Will my friends keep their progress?

The colony and its research move with the save. Turn on Shared Technologies so everyone has the unlocked research.