Return to Moria Custom Difficulty Settings on a Dedicated Server

To use custom difficulty on a Return to Moria dedicated server, set Difficulty.Preset=custom in the [World.Create] section of MoriaServerConfig.ini, then set the eight Difficulty.Custom. keys (combat, aggression, survival, mining drops, world drops, hordes, sieges and patrols) to the levels you want. You can also change them on a running world with the setcustomdifficulty console command, no restart needed. The rest of this guide explains what each setting does and which combinations work for common groups.

Why bother with Custom

The four presets (Story, Solo, Normal and Hard) move everything up or down together. Real groups rarely want that. A typical company of friends likes fighting orcs but hates starving in the middle of a mining run, or enjoys the survival pressure but finds noise hordes in every new hall tiring. Custom lets you split those apart: tough fights with relaxed hunger, or generous ore with frequent sieges to make your base defenses matter.

Where the settings live

All of it sits in MoriaServerConfig.ini in the server's root folder, in the [World.Create] section. The preset line picks the mode:

[World.Create]
Difficulty.Preset=custom

Valid presets are story, solo, normal, hard and custom. The custom keys below are only read when the preset is custom. With any other preset they are ignored, which catches a lot of people who edit the custom values and see no change.

On a GamezServers server, the World difficulty field in the panel writes Difficulty.Preset into this file at every start. So set the panel field to custom first, otherwise the panel puts your old preset back the next time the server starts. The custom keys themselves are not in the panel: edit them in the file manager or over SFTP, with the server stopped.

The eight custom settings

Each key takes a word, not a number. default is the Normal preset's value for that setting.

Note the ranges are not all the same. SurvivalDifficulty, MiningDrops and WorldDrops stop at high, and EnemyAggression starts at low. A value outside the list is not accepted, so copy them exactly in lower case.

Step by step: switching an existing server to Custom

1. In the panel, stop the server and take a backup. Backups are one click and give you a way back if a change goes wrong.
2. Set World difficulty to custom in the panel's settings.
3. Open MoriaServerConfig.ini in the file manager and find [World.Create].
4. Set each Difficulty.Custom. key you want to change. Leave the others on default.
5. Save and start the server. Watch the live console until the world has loaded.
6. Type difficulty in the console. It prints the current difficulty settings so you can confirm the server read them.

If you self host, it is the same file next to MoriaServer.exe, and you can edit it in any text editor. Our Return to Moria hosting guide covers the rest of the file and the first start.

Changing difficulty on a live world

The official dedicated server guide is clear that you do not need a restart to change difficulty: the server console accepts it directly.

setcustomdifficulty combatdifficulty low
setcustomdifficulty survivaldifficulty verylow
difficulty

The command takes the setting name in lower case (combatdifficulty, enemyaggression, survivaldifficulty, miningdrops, worlddrops, hordefrequency, siegefrequency, patrolfrequency) and a value from the table above. The last line prints the result.

On our servers you type these into the live console in the panel. This is handy mid session: if a deep push keeps wiping the group, drop combat a level, finish the area, and raise it again.

A console change applies to the world that is running now. To make it stick across restarts and updates, put the same values into MoriaServerConfig.ini as well, since the file is what the server reads on the next start.

Ready made combinations

These are starting points, not official presets. Adjust one setting at a time and give it a session before changing it again.

Builders who want to relax. Most of the game's appeal for some groups is the base building.

Difficulty.Preset=custom
Difficulty.Custom.CombatDifficulty=low
Difficulty.Custom.EnemyAggression=low
Difficulty.Custom.SurvivalDifficulty=low
Difficulty.Custom.MiningDrops=high
Difficulty.Custom.WorldDrops=default
Difficulty.Custom.HordeFrequency=verylow
Difficulty.Custom.SiegeFrequency=low
Difficulty.Custom.PatrolFrequency=low

Fighters who hate the food grind. Normal or harder combat, but nobody has to drop everything to cook.

Difficulty.Custom.CombatDifficulty=high
Difficulty.Custom.EnemyAggression=default
Difficulty.Custom.SurvivalDifficulty=verylow
Difficulty.Custom.HordeFrequency=default

A big company of eight. More players means more noise and more mouths. Slightly higher drops keep everyone geared, and more sieges give the base defenders something to do.

Difficulty.Custom.MiningDrops=high
Difficulty.Custom.WorldDrops=high
Difficulty.Custom.SiegeFrequency=high
Difficulty.Custom.HordeFrequency=default

Things that trip people up

A note on the other presets

If your group just wants one knob, the presets are still fine. Story is the gentlest, built for players who mostly want to explore and build. Solo is tuned for someone playing alone. Normal is the intended experience for a company, and Hard raises everything. Pick in the panel and restart. For moving a world you already started on your PC to the server, with its difficulty, see how to move a Return to Moria world to a dedicated server.

Running it without the fuss

A Return to Moria server on GamezServers gives you the difficulty preset, server name and password in the panel, a file manager and SFTP for the custom keys, a live console for setcustomdifficulty, and one click backups before you experiment. PS5, Xbox and PC players can all join, and the company can split the bill so each dwarf pays a share.

FAQ

Can I change difficulty on an existing Return to Moria world?

Yes. Use setcustomdifficulty in the server console for a live change, and write the same values into MoriaServerConfig.ini so they survive restarts.

Why are my custom difficulty settings ignored?

The custom keys only apply when Difficulty.Preset=custom. On a hosted server, also set the panel's difficulty field to custom, since it rewrites the preset at every start.

What does SurvivalDifficulty change?

How quickly hunger, energy and stamina drain, how strong food and rest buffs are, and how fast a dwarf falls into despair in the dark.

Can I change ore drop rates?

Yes, with Difficulty.Custom.MiningDrops, from verylow to high. Enemy and container loot is the separate WorldDrops setting.

How do I check which difficulty the server is using?

Type difficulty in the server console. It prints the current settings.