How to Set Up Map Rotation on an AssaultCube Server (maprot.cfg)

AssaultCube's map rotation lives in config/maprot.cfg, one map per line in the form map:mode:time:allowVote, with three optional fields for minimum players, maximum players and skiplines. For example, ac_mines:5:15:1 plays Capture the Flag on ac_mines for 15 minutes and lets players vote to change it. Save the file, restart the server, and it cycles through the lines from top to bottom. Custom maps go in packages/maps/servermaps/ and can be used in the rotation like any stock map.

This guide covers the full line format, the mode numbers, the player count tricks that make a rotation feel alive on a quiet night, and the rules that keep a public server on the master list.

The line format

Each line follows this scheme from the official server documentation:

map:mode:time:allowVote[:minplayer[:maxplayer[:skiplines]]]

Lines starting with // are comments, which is handy for switching blocks of maps on and off.

Game mode numbers

The flag modes (5, 13, 14, 15) need a map with flags placed in it. Most stock team maps have them, but a small deathmatch map will not. If a flag mode loads on a map without flags, nobody can score, so test new combinations before a match night.

A simple rotation for friends

A clean, varied rotation for a group of 6 to 12:

// Team modes
ac_complex:0:15:1
ac_mines:5:15:1
ac_depot:0:15:1
ac_shine:5:15:1
// A quick free for all palate cleanser
ac_desert:2:10:1

That gives you Team Deathmatch and CTF on alternating maps, then a 10 minute deathmatch before it loops.

Using player counts so small nights still work

The minplayer and maxplayer fields let one file serve both a quiet Tuesday and a full Friday. The server checks how many people are connected when it picks the next map and skips lines that do not fit.

// 2 to 5 players: small maps, free for all
ac_desert:2:10:1:0:5
ac_arctic:9:8:1:0:5
// 6 or more: team modes on bigger maps
ac_complex:0:15:1:6:16
ac_mines:5:15:1:6:16

With three people online, the server plays only the first two lines. Once six join, it moves to the team maps. Use 0 in minplayer to mean "no minimum".

What skiplines is for

skiplines is easy to ignore and very useful. It tells the server: if this line was played, skip the next N lines. Pair it with player counts to build alternatives:

ac_snow:10:6:1:0:1:1
ac_snow:2:10:1

If one player or fewer is online, the first line plays One Shot One Kill on ac_snow for 6 minutes and then skips the second line. With more players the first line is skipped by the player count, so the second line runs a normal deathmatch instead. The official example uses the same trick.

Rules for public servers

If your server is listed on the master server, the rotation has to look like a real public server. The documentation says servers whose rotation contains fewer than two different maps, or fewer than three if they all use the same mode, may be removed from the public list. A one line maprot.cfg that forces the same map forever is the classic way to vanish. If that has already happened, our AssaultCube server list fix guide covers the other causes too.

Private servers that stay off the list can rotate however they like.

Adding custom maps

AssaultCube maps are .cgz files. To use one:

1. Upload the .cgz (and its .cfg, if the map came with one) to packages/maps/servermaps/ on the server.
2. Add a line for it in maprot.cfg using the file name without the extension.
3. Restart the server.

The docs say to only use standard maps and maps from your servermaps folder in the rotation. A name the server cannot find will break that line. Players who do not have the map receive it from the server when it loads, so nobody has to install anything by hand. Keep custom maps to a sensible size, since everyone downloads them over the game connection.

Changing maps between rotations

You do not have to wait for the rotation. Claim admin in game with /setadmin 1 followed by your admin password, then pick a map and mode from the vote menu. Admin votes pass immediately. Setting allowVote to 0 on a line stops everyone else from voting it away, which is useful during a scheduled clan match.

Doing this on a hosted server

On a GamezServers AssaultCube server, config/maprot.cfg and packages/maps/servermaps/ are right there in the file manager, or you can upload a batch of maps over SFTP. Edit, save, restart from the panel, and the live console shows the first map loading. The admin password, max players and master server settings are fields in the panel. If you are not hosted yet, our AssaultCube setup guide covers running it at home.

FAQ

Where is maprot.cfg?

In the config folder of the AssaultCube installation, next to servercmdline.txt. You can point the server at a different file with the -r switch.

Why does my server skip some maps?

The minplayer or maxplayer fields on those lines do not match the current player count, or a previous line's skiplines jumped over them.

What is mode 5 in AssaultCube?

Capture the Flag. Mode 0 is Team Deathmatch and mode 2 is Deathmatch.

Do players need to download custom maps?

No manual download is needed. Players without the map receive it from the server when the map loads.

Do I need to restart after editing maprot.cfg?

Yes. Restart the server so it reads the new rotation.