Voyagers of Nera Server Gameplay Settings (Gathering, Damage, Death)

Change gathering rate, enemy damage, durability and keep inventory on death on a Voyagers of Nera server with CustomGameUserSettings.ini. Every key and what works.

Updated Oct 7, 2026 · 5 min read

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Voyagers of Nera dedicated server gameplay rules live in CustomGameUserSettings.ini, in BoatGame/Saved/PersistedData/CustomConfig/ next to the file that holds the server name and password. It has multipliers for gathering, enemy damage and player damage, and switches to turn off construction costs, equipment durability and dropping items on death. Stop the server, edit the values, save and start it again. Three of the keys in the file (XPGainRateModifier, AttritionRateModifier and ResourceSpawnRateModifier) do nothing according to the developers, so leave those alone.

Two files, two jobs

The CustomConfig folder holds two settings files:

File What it controls
CustomHostServerUserSettings.ini Display name, password, max players, autosave timer
CustomGameUserSettings.ini How the game plays: gathering, damage, durability, death

The first one is covered in our Voyagers of Nera hosting guide. This article is about the second. If you do not see it yet, start the server once, let the world load, and stop it.

Every key in CustomGameUserSettings.ini

The file starts with a section header line in square brackets. Leave that line as it is and edit the values under it.

Key Default What it does Works?
GatheringRateMultiplier 1.0 Resources you get per gather. 2.0 doubles the yield Yes
EnemyDamageMultiplier 1.0 How hard enemies hit players Yes
PlayerDamageMultiplier 1.0 How hard players hit enemies Yes
DisableConstructionRequirements False True lets you build without materials Yes
DisableEquipmentDurability False True means tools and gear never wear out Yes
DisableDropItemsOnDeath False True keeps your inventory when you die Yes
MaxConcurrentAttackers 0 Not documented by the developers Unknown
XPGainRateModifier 0.0 Meant for XP rate No, per the developers
AttritionRateModifier 0.0 Meant for wear rate No, per the developers
ResourceSpawnRateModifier 0.0 Meant for resource respawn No, per the developers

The note on the last three comes from a Treehouse Games reply on the Steam forums in September 2025, which said those three settings "are actually not functional currently" and that settings not listed in their documentation should be ignored. That can change with a patch, so check the patch notes if you need them.

Use True and False with a capital first letter, and decimals with a dot (1.5, not 1,5).

How to change the settings

  1. Stop the server. It reads the file on start, so an edit made while it runs does nothing until a restart and can be overwritten.
  2. Take a backup of PersistedData. The save folder sits next to CustomConfig, and a typo in the wrong file is easier to undo with a copy.
  3. Open BoatGame/Saved/PersistedData/CustomConfig/CustomGameUserSettings.ini.
  4. Change the values and save the file as plain text.
  5. Start the server and check the log (BoatGame/Saved/Logs/BoatGame.log) for errors.
  6. Join and test: gather a few resources or take a hit from something.

The values apply to the whole server, so every player gets the same rules.

A scene from the ocean survival game Voyagers of Nera

Ready made setups

A relaxed crew that plays a couple of evenings a week:

GatheringRateMultiplier=2.0
EnemyDamageMultiplier=0.75
PlayerDamageMultiplier=1.0
DisableEquipmentDurability=True
DisableDropItemsOnDeath=True
DisableConstructionRequirements=False

Double the resources and no durability takes most of the grind out of sailing between islands, while keeping building costs intact so the sanctuary still feels earned.

A builder's server for designing a big sanctuary:

GatheringRateMultiplier=1.0
EnemyDamageMultiplier=0.5
PlayerDamageMultiplier=1.5
DisableEquipmentDurability=True
DisableDropItemsOnDeath=True
DisableConstructionRequirements=True

With construction requirements off, nothing costs materials. It is great for laying out a base, and it removes most of the reason to explore, so many groups switch it back to False once the layout is done.

A harder run for a crew that has finished the content:

GatheringRateMultiplier=1.0
EnemyDamageMultiplier=1.5
PlayerDamageMultiplier=0.85
DisableEquipmentDurability=False
DisableDropItemsOnDeath=False
DisableConstructionRequirements=False

Losing items on death makes diving into ruins and fighting Elder Spirits feel risky again.

Which settings to be careful with

  • DisableConstructionRequirements affects the whole server and every player. Talk to the crew before turning it on in a shared world.
  • Very high GatheringRateMultiplier values (5 and up) fill storage fast. Large piles of items and many storage containers add to the world the server has to keep track of.
  • EnemyDamageMultiplier near 0 makes fights trivial, which is fine for builders, but the boss encounters lose their point.
  • Changing settings mid world is safe in the sense that the save keeps working. Items already gathered stay gathered, so lowering a rate later does not take anything away.

When a setting does not apply

Problem Fix
Value back to the old one after restart You edited while the server was running. Stop, edit, start
No change at all You edited a key the developers say does not work yet
Server will not start after the edit A typo: a missing =, a comma decimal, or a deleted header line. Restore your copy
Players see different rules Not possible on one server. Check they joined the right server
Settings gone after moving a world A CustomConfig folder came along inside the save folder. It must sit next to the save folder, not inside it

The last one comes up when you move a local world to a server. Treehouse's transfer steps say to move any CustomConfig folder found inside the save up one level. The server not showing or can't connect guide covers the other things that can go wrong after a move or a patch.

Doing it on a GamezServers server

On a Voyagers of Nera server from GamezServers, the display name, password, max players and autosave timer are fields in the panel. The gameplay file is in the file manager at BoatGame/Saved/PersistedData/CustomConfig/CustomGameUserSettings.ini: stop the server from the panel, edit, save, start, and watch the live console for errors. A one click backup before you experiment means a bad edit is a quick restore, and Auto Update keeps the server on the same build as the crew. If the crew wants to share the cost, see splitting the bill.

FAQ

How do I increase the gathering rate on a Voyagers of Nera server?

Set GatheringRateMultiplier in CustomGameUserSettings.ini, for example 2.0 for double, with the server stopped. Start it again to apply.

Can I keep my inventory when I die?

Yes. Set DisableDropItemsOnDeath=True and restart. It applies to every player on the server.

How do I turn off durability?

Set DisableEquipmentDurability=True. Tools and gear then never wear out.

Why does XPGainRateModifier do nothing?

The developers said it and two other modifiers are not functional yet. Leave them at their defaults until a patch says otherwise.

Is there creative mode on a Voyagers of Nera server?

The closest is DisableConstructionRequirements=True, which lets everyone build without materials.

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