How to start your Space Station 14 server for the first time

To start a Space Station 14 server on PlayNHost, click Start on the server's Overview page and wait for the badge to say Online. The Console then shows a line that begins Server Version and ends -> Ready, which means the server accepts players. In PlayNHost's tests this took about 20 seconds.

How do I start it?

1. Open your server in the panel. The badge near the name says Offline.
2. Click Start. The badge changes to Starting.
3. Click the Console tab to watch the server start.
4. Wait for the line that starts with Server Version and ends with -> Ready. The badge then says Online and players can join.

What does the Console show on a Space Station 14 start?

Space Station 14 servers run on the Robust engine. A start prints Server -> Starting, then the server's settings as it reads them: Name: with your Server name, TickRate: and Max players:. The last line you wait for is Server Version <version> -> Ready. These lines come from the engine itself (RobustToolbox source), so they look the same on every Space Station 14 server.

Before every start, the panel writes six lines into server_config.toml: the port, the server name, the tick rate, the player limit (as both max_connections and soft_max_players) and the authentication mode. That is why the values in the Console match your Settings page.

How long does the first start take?

When you order, PlayNHost downloads the newest official Space Station 14 server build from the Space Wizards build page and unpacks it. In PlayNHost's own test the server was running about 20 seconds after Start. As long as new lines keep appearing in the Console, the server is still working: do not use Kill.

What does a new Space Station 14 server already have?

• Server name: MyServer, the name players see in the launcher and the lobby. Change it before you invite people: How to change your Space Station 14 server name and description.
• Authentication: 1 (required), so every player needs a Space Station 14 account: How to control who can join your Space Station 14 server.
• Slots on the Overview page: the player limit of your plan.
• Server tickrate: 60.
• The official default config file, server_config.toml, in the main folder under Files. A data folder appears there after the first start: it holds the server's database with characters, playtime and admin settings.
• An Automatic backup schedule under Quick Tasks when your plan has backup slots.
• Nobody is admin yet: How to become admin on your Space Station 14 server.
• The server is not on the public server list. Only people who have the address can join: How to list your Space Station 14 server on the public hub.

How many players can join?

As many as Slots on the Overview page, which starts at your plan's cap. The panel writes that number into both max_connections and soft_max_players, the game's limit for players who are not admins, so there is no second limit to raise: How to change the player limit on your Space Station 14 server.

What should I do next?

1. Join your server.
2. Make yourself admin.
3. Invite your friends.

If the badge never reaches Online, see Space Station 14 server problems and fixes and How to fix a server that will not start.