You can bring a Factorio world you already have, from your own computer or another host, to your PlayNHost server.
Back up first. Uploading a world with the same name as the one on the server replaces it. Create a backup of the current world (see How to create, download and restore backups), stop the server, and keep your own original files until the server loads the new world.
Upload and load your world
- Stop the server.
- Before you upload, download the server's current save (saves/
<your Save Name>.zip, gamesave.zip by default) or take a backup. An uploaded file with the same name replaces it, and the old world is then lost. - Open Files and go to the saves folder.
- Upload your save .zip file there. Give it a name different from your current save unless you want to replace that world.
- Under Settings, then Game Settings, set Save Name to the file name without .zip. For example, a file called mybase.zip needs Save Name mybase.
- Clear the Scenario field. While Scenario is filled in, Save Name is ignored and your uploaded save is not loaded.
- If the save uses mods, upload the same mod .zip files into the mods folder.
- Start the server and check the console to confirm the save loaded. The save must come from the same Factorio version as the server or an older one.
Large files are best uploaded with SFTP. See How to connect to your server files with SFTP and How to upload, edit and manage your server files.
Start a fresh world
Starting fresh can permanently remove the current world. Back it up first.
- Warning: a fresh world means the server stops using your current world. If you delete the save file, that world is gone for good, so download saves/
<your Save Name>.zip first. This is not optional if you might ever want it back. - Stop the server.
- Safest: set Save Name to a new name. The old save file stays in the saves folder and you can switch back to it later. Or, to remove the old world, delete saves/
<your Save Name>.zip. - Make sure Scenario is empty, because a filled-in Scenario overrides Save Name.
- Start the server. When no save with that name exists, a new map is generated and saved under it.
