Space Station 14 Game Modes and Round Settings for Your Server

Q: How do I change the game mode on my SS14 server?

Set defaultpreset under [game] in serverconfig.toml and restart, or use forcepreset followed by the preset name in the lobby for the next round only.

Q: How do I unlock all jobs on my private server?

Set roletimers = false under [game] in serverconfig.toml and restart. Playtime requirements are then ignored.

Q: How do I make SS14 rounds shorter?

Lower shuttle.autocalltime, the minutes until the evacuation shuttle is called automatically. The default is 90.

The default game mode on a Space Station 14 server is set with defaultpreset under [game] in server_config.toml, and it starts as secret, which picks a mode at random each round. Most modes need a minimum crew: Traitor needs 5 players, Revolutionary 15, Nuclear Operatives and Zombies 20. With fewer players, the server falls back to Traitor and then Extended, which is why small servers often get rounds with no antagonists. For a one off change, an admin types forcepreset traitor in the lobby.

The crew of a Space Station 14 station gathered in a hallway

Which game modes can I run?

Each mode is a "preset". These are the main ones in the official build, with the names you type in config or commands:

Preset	Type it as	What happens
Secret	`secret`	A random mode each round, weighted toward Traitor
Traitor	`traitor`	A few crew members are secret traitors with objectives
Nuclear Operatives	`nukeops`	A team of operatives arrives to blow up the station
Revolutionary	`revs`	Head revolutionaries convert crew and try to overthrow command
Zombie	`zombie`	An infection spreads through the crew
Survival	`survival`	Station events ramp up, with meteors and more
Extended	`extended`	No antagonist roles, only station events
Greenshift	`greenshift`	A calm shift with no antagonists, good for roleplay and learning
Sandbox	`sandbox`	Everyone can spawn things. Not for public servers
Deathmatch	`deathmatch`	Free for all combat

Some modes have more names: nukeops is the only one for operatives, while tator also means Traitor and zz14 also means Zombie. The admin command forcepreset tab completes the full list on your build, which can change between releases.

How many players does each mode need?

Antagonist modes check the player count when the round starts. If there are not enough players ready, the mode cannot run.

Mode	Minimum players
Traitor	5
Wizard	10
Revolutionary	15
Nuclear Operatives	20
Zombie	20
Xenoborgs	30

On a server with 8 players, Secret might roll Nuclear Operatives, fail the minimum and fall back. That brings us to the most common complaint on small servers.

Why does my server keep starting Extended?

Two settings decide what happens when the chosen mode cannot start:

[game]
defaultpreset = "secret"
fallbackenabled = true
fallbackpreset = "Traitor,Extended"

With these defaults, a failed mode tries Traitor, and if Traitor also fails (fewer than 5 players) it runs Extended. On a friends server with three or four people, every round ends up as Extended, with no traitors at all.

Your options for a small group:

Accept it. Extended and Greenshift are good for learning jobs and roleplay.
Wait for 5. Traitor is the smallest antagonist mode.
Use sandbox or deathmatch for messing around with fewer people.

Secret's weights live in the game's own prototype files: Traitor is the most likely, then Nuclear Operatives, Survival, Revolutionary and Zombie. Changing the weights or the minimums means changing game content, which needs your own server build, just like a fork.

How do I change the game mode?

For every round: set defaultpreset in server_config.toml and restart.

[game]
defaultpreset = "traitor"

For the next round only: in the lobby, an admin with the ROUND flag types:

forcepreset nukeops

forcepreset only works before the round starts. During a round, endround or restartround gets you back to the lobby first.

For several rounds: setgamepreset takes a preset and a number of rounds, for example setgamepreset traitor 3, then the server returns to the default.

By vote: players can vote on the preset from the lobby when vote.preset_enabled is true, which it is by default.

Engineering and life support systems aboard a Space Station 14 station

Why can nobody play captain or security on my new server?

Space Station 14 locks many jobs behind playtime. role_timers under [game] is on by default, and playtime is tracked by your server's database. On a brand new server everyone has zero hours, so command and security jobs are locked for everyone, including you.

On a private server for friends, turn it off:

[game]
role_timers = false

On a public server, leave it on. Timers keep brand new players out of the jobs that can ruin a round for everyone, and an admin can add time to a trusted player with the playtime commands if needed.

Which round settings are worth changing?

Setting	Default	What it does
`game.lobbyenabled`	true	A lobby before each round, where players set up characters and ready up
`game.lobbyduration`	150	Lobby countdown in seconds
`game.disallowlatejoins`	false	Stops players joining after the round has started
`game.round_restart_time`	120	Seconds after the round ends before the next one
`game.role_timers`	true	Playtime requirements for jobs
`game.soft_max_players`	30	Player cap for regular players
`game.map`	empty	Forces one map, otherwise maps rotate
`game.map_rotation`	true	Rotates maps between rounds
`shuttle.auto_call_time`	90	Minutes until the evacuation shuttle is called automatically
`shuttle.auto_call_extension_time`	45	Minutes added if the automatic call is recalled
`vote.preset_enabled`	true	Players can vote on the mode
`vote.map_enabled`	false	Players can vote on the map
`vote.restart_enabled`	true	Players can vote to restart

shuttle.auto_call_time is effectively your round length. 90 minutes suits a full public server. For a friends group playing an evening, 45 or 60 minutes fits two or three rounds into a session.

Shorten lobbyduration on a small server. Two and a half minutes of waiting feels long when four people are already ready. Admins can also skip it with startround.

soft_max_players is the one that quietly caps your server at 30 players. Our hosting guide explains it alongside the other limits.

How do settings in server_config.toml work?

A setting written game.lobbyduration means the key lobbyduration under the [game] section. Keep each section header once and put all its keys underneath it. Restart the server after editing, because not every setting changes live. Admins with the HOST flag can change some values live with the cvar command for testing, but the file is what survives a restart.

Changing modes on a hosted server

On a Space Station 14 server from GamezServers, server_config.toml opens in the browser file manager, the restart is a button, and the panel's live console accepts server commands. The panel writes the server name, tickrate, max connections and authentication into the file on each start, so set those in Settings and everything in this article in the file. Backups include the data folder with playtime and admin records, which matters once role timers are on. For setting up your staff before you start forcing presets, see Space Station 14 admin commands.

FAQ

How do I change the game mode on my SS14 server?

Set defaultpreset under [game] in server_config.toml and restart, or use forcepreset followed by the preset name in the lobby for the next round only.

Why are there no traitors on my small SS14 server?

Traitor needs at least 5 players. Below that, the round falls back to Extended, which has no antagonists.

How do I unlock all jobs on my private server?

Set role_timers = false under [game] in server_config.toml and restart. Playtime requirements are then ignored.

How do I make SS14 rounds shorter?

Lower shuttle.auto_call_time, the minutes until the evacuation shuttle is called automatically. The default is 90.

Can I change how often Secret picks each mode?

Not with the packaged server. The weights are part of the game's content files, so changing them needs your own server build.