Most problems with an Insurgency: Sandstorm server come down to a few causes. Start with the one that matches what you see.
The server starts on the wrong map or falls back to another one
Why: The Scenario Name does not exist on the Default Map, or a name is misspelled.
Fix: Set Default Map and Scenario Name together so they match, for example the Farmhouse map with a Scenario_Farmhouse scenario, and check the spelling exactly. Restart afterwards.
Only 8 players can join even though your plan has more slots
Why: Checkpoint (co-op) scenarios normally allow 8 human players. The default Scenario Name is a Checkpoint scenario.
Fix: Change Scenario Name to a Versus scenario and restart.
Mods are listed but nothing downloads
Why: mod.io will not serve a download without an access token, or the token has no read access.
Fix: Create a new token with read access in your mod.io account settings, paste it into mod.io access token, check the mod ids are numbers separated by commas, then restart. The first download can take a long time.
A new admin cannot open the admin menu
Why: The Admins.txt list is only read at server start or on a level change, or the Steam ID is not the 64-bit steamID64 on its own line.
Fix: Check Insurgency, then Config, then Server, then Admins.txt has one steamID64 per line, then restart the server or change level.
The console repeatedly says the stats login was rejected
Why: A Game Stats Token was entered that is not valid.
Fix: Paste a valid token from gamestats.sandstorm.game, or empty the Game Stats Token field and restart. Stats are simply off without one.
The server does not keep its Steam identity between restarts
Why: Without a Steam Game Server Login Token the server uses an anonymous identity that changes each start.
Fix: Create a free token on your own Steam account for App ID 581320 and enter it in Steam Game Server Login Token, then restart.
Changes you made in Game.ini are ignored
Why: The game ignores settings that are not directly under their section header, for example when blank lines sit between them.
Fix: Put each setting directly under its section header with no blank lines, save, and restart.
Still stuck?
Open a ticket in the category that fits and include the last 50 to 100 lines of the console. See How to open a support ticket and How to fix a server that will not start.
