Soulmask PvE vs PvP Server: Differences and How to Set the Mode
On a Soulmask dedicated server you choose PvE or PvP with a startup flag: -pve or -pvp. That is separate from the game's three play styles (Survival, Tribe and Warrior). CampFire Studio's developers disabled mode-switching on private servers, so every private server runs Survival Mode today.
Below: what each flag does, the GameXishu.json settings that matter once you pick one, and how to choose for your community. Checked against developer statements and host references current as of November 2026.
- Set the mode at launch with
-pveor-pvp. Engine.ini stores it aspvpunder[Dedicated.Settings](defaultFalse). - There is no
-GameModeflag. Survival is the only game mode on private servers; Tribe and Warrior are single-player and co-op only for now. - PvP damage is tuned in
GameXishu.jsonwith thePVP_ShangHaiRatio_*keys and a few on/off switches. - Raids and building decay are separate from PvE and PvP, so you can run a PvE server with or without raids.
On this page
PvE vs PvP: what the flag does
The wiki's private-server notes list -pvp and -pve as the two mode startup parameters, and the stock Engine.ini ships with pvp=False. XGamingServer describes -pve as no player damage, and describes -pvp as PvP mode. In practice that gives you two kinds of server:
PvE (-pve) | PvP (-pvp) | |
|---|---|---|
| Player vs player damage | None | Allowed, tuned by the PvP damage keys below |
| Engine.ini equivalent | pvp=False (the stock default) | pvp set to true |
| Everything else | Wild animals, NPC camps, raids and tribesmen work the same way | Same, with other tribes as a threat |
Survival, Tribe and Warrior: why only one is on the table
Soulmask has three game modes: Survival (traditional survival), Tribe (tribesman recruitment and automated production) and Warrior (combat-focused). A developer account on Steam wrote that Tribe and Warrior mode "present significant and complex issues on private servers", so mode switching was temporarily disabled. Tribe and Warrior are promised for private servers in a future update; until then they are limited to single-player and co-op, and official servers also default to Survival.
Host write-ups from April to June 2026 repeat that only Survival Mode is available on dedicated servers. Check the current patch notes before planning around either mode, because this is the kind of thing that changes in a single update.
How to set the mode
- Pick the flag
Add
-pveor-pvpto your startup parameters. Use one, not both. - Or set Engine.ini
Under
[Dedicated.Settings]the key ispvp. The default ispvp=False. Startup parameters take priority over Engine.ini, so if you pass a flag, it wins. - Restart
Startup parameters apply only at launch. Stop the server cleanly, change the flag, and start it again.
- Back up first
Copy
WS/Savedbefore you switch an existing world. We could not find documentation of how a world behaves when you flip the mode, so test on a copy.
-pve
-pvpTuning PvP in GameXishu.json
With -pvp on, these keys in WS/Saved/GameplaySettings/GameXishu.json control how hard players hit each other. Remember to stop the server before editing and to change every occurrence of a key.
| Key | Controls |
|---|---|
PVP_ShangHaiRatio_JinZhan | PvP melee damage multiplier |
PVP_ShangHaiRatio_YuanCheng | PvP ranged damage multiplier |
PVP_GAPVPDamageRatio | Global PvP damage multiplier |
HuXIangShangHaiKaiGuan | Mutual (player-vs-player) damage switch |
PlayerYouFangShangHaiKaiGuan | Friendly-fire switch (LOW.MS label) |
GongJiJianZhuDamageRatio | Damage to structures |
Host tables disagree on the stock defaults of the two melee and ranged PvP damage keys (0.4 in one, 1.0 in another), so read the value in your own generated file instead of trusting a guide, and change it in small steps.
Example launch lines
Level01_Main -server -log -forcepassthrough -SteamServerName="My PvE Server" -MaxPlayers=30 -PSW="joinpassword" -adminpsw="adminpassword" -pve
Level01_Main -server -log -forcepassthrough -SteamServerName="My PvP Server" -MaxPlayers=30 -PSW="joinpassword" -adminpsw="adminpassword" -pvpFor the Shifting Sands DLC map use DLC_Level01_Main as the first argument. A developer reply on Steam says a private server for that map is a new dedicated server, not an add-on to your existing one, and you can link the two as a cluster. Engine.ini defaults to 20 players and hosts state a ceiling of 70.
Raids, decay and tribesmen apply to both
The sources do not describe the mode flags as affecting raids or decay; those have their own switches. RuQinKaiGuan enables NPC raids, SuiJiRuQinKaiGuan enables random raids, and JianZhuFuLanKaiGuan controls building decay, all on by default per 4Netplayers. Raid size is tuned with RuQinGuaiCountMin and RuQinGuaiCountMax. A PvE server that wants a calmer pace can lower those or switch raids off.
Population matters too. Tribesman AI is the heaviest load on a Soulmask server, and the tribesman caps (GeRenMaxZhaoMuCount, GongHuiMaxZhaoMuCount) let you trade depth for player count. Hosts report that servers need roughly 11 to 12 GB of RAM just to start, growing as the world develops.
How to choose
- Pick PvE for a friends-and-family server, a roleplay community, or any group that wants to build and recruit without worrying about other tribes.
- Pick PvP when competition is the point. Decide your rules for offline raiding and spawn camping before you open the server, and lower the PvP damage keys if fights end too quickly.
- Whichever you choose, set an admin password, keep backups on, and tell players the mode in your server name or description.
Hosting with ChicagoServers? The Soulmask server hosting page lists what is included, such as free server backups and SFTP file access. If you are unsure where your server's startup parameters, including -pve or -pvp, are set, live support can point you to the right place.
Frequently asked questions
How do I make a Soulmask server PvE?
Add -pve to the startup parameters (or leave pvp=False in Engine.ini) and restart. Use -pvp instead for PvP.
Can I run Warrior mode on a Soulmask dedicated server?
Not currently. A developer wrote that Tribe and Warrior mode would come to private servers in a future update, and mode switching is disabled for now.
Is there a -GameMode parameter for Soulmask?
Not that any official or host source documents. Dedicated servers run Survival Mode, and PvE or PvP is chosen with -pve or -pvp.
Can I change a Soulmask server from PvE to PvP later?
You can change the flag and restart, but we found no documentation on what that does to an existing world. Back up the WS/Saved folder first and test on a copy.