The Front Dedicated Server Config: ServerConfig_.ini Explained
The Front's dedicated server reads its settings from ServerConfig_.ini, in the TheFrontManager folder of the server install, under a single [BaseServerConfig] section. Server name, join password, admin accounts, PvP or PvE, autosave interval and the long list of rate multipliers all live there. A handful of them (name, admins, ports, queue size) can also be passed on the launch line.
The developers have not published a dedicated-server manual that we could find, so everything below is cross-checked between several host and community references and the Steam database. Where those sources disagree, this page says so instead of picking a winner. Checked against sources current as of November 2026.
- Settings file:
TheFrontManager/ServerConfig_.ini, section[BaseServerConfig]. The file and folder names must be exact. - Core keys:
ServerName,ServerPassword,ServerAdminAccounts(Steam64 IDs separated by semicolons),QueueThresholdandServerFightModeType(0 = PvP, 1 = PvE). - The server uses four ports (game, beacon, query, shutdown service). Defaults differ between references, so set all four yourself and keep them unique per server.
- Edit with the server stopped and restart afterwards. The server does not hot-reload the file.
On this page
Where the settings file lives
On a Windows install the file is TheFrontManager\ServerConfig_.ini, next to the server folders (ProjectWar, Engine, EasyAntiCheat). The trailing underscore in the name is real. Community setup guides stress that the folder name and the file name both have to match exactly or the config is silently ignored.
The file does not exist straight after a SteamCMD install. Guides that start from a clean install either create it by hand or copy it from the TheFrontManager folder of a game client install. A minimal hand-written file looks like this:
[BaseServerConfig]
IsCanMail=1.000000
ServerName="Your server name"
ServerPassword=
ServerTitle="A short description of your server"
ServerAdminAccounts=76561198000000000;76561198000000001
PlayerAddExpRate=1You can run several profiles. Launching with -ConfigServerName=name makes the server use a per-profile file (ServerConfig_name.ini), and -UserDir= points it at a separate data directory. Pterodactyl's community egg for The Front uses both. Original community guides also state that values in the file take priority over the same setting on the launch line, so if a launch flag seems ignored, look in the file first.
ServerConfig_.ini keys most admins change
The full file has well over a hundred multipliers (gathering, NPC health and damage, building, survival rates). These are the ones that decide what kind of server you are running. Value ranges are from host references; treat them as the practical limits rather than hard engine limits.
| Key | What it does | Notes |
|---|---|---|
ServerName | Name shown in the server list | Can also be set with -ServerName= on the launch line |
ServerTitle | Short description shown in the list | Free text |
ServerPassword | Join password | Blank means a public server |
ServerAdminAccounts | Admin Steam64 IDs | 17-digit IDs separated by semicolons; admins default to the highest GM level |
QueueThreshold | Player cap before players are queued | Treated as the maximum player count by host references; the launch line also takes ?MaxPlayers= |
ServerFightModeType | PvP or PvE | 0 = PvP, 1 = PvE |
IsCanSelfDamage / IsCanFriendDamage | Self-damage and squad friendly fire | 0 blocks it, 1 allows it |
SaveWorldInterval | Autosave interval in seconds | Reference range 150 to 600; one reference lists 300 as the default |
IsCanChat | In-game chat on or off | 0 or 1 |
UseACE | Anti-Cheat Expert | One reference lists true as the default and advises leaving it on |
PlayerAddExpRate | XP multiplier | Companions: PlayerKillAddExpRate, PlayerFarmAddExpRate, PlayerCraftAddExpRate |
ClearSeverTime | Date used by the wipe scheduler | Spelled exactly like that in the file; format YYYY-MM-DD, or -- to disable |
Multiplier keys such as GMTreeGainRate, GMOreGainRate and GMCraftTimeRate take decimals. Several keys carry the developer's original typos (GMBagInitGirdNum, PlayerDeatShortcutItemDurableRate), so copy names rather than retyping them.
The launch line
Besides the file, the server is started with a command line. This is the Windows template that most community guides share. Replace the placeholders; the first start can take up to about ten minutes while the world initialises.
TheFrontServer.exe ProjectWar ProjectWar_Start ?Listen?MaxPlayers=8 -server -game -QueueThreshold=8 -ServerName="Your server name" -ServerAdminAccounts=STEAM64ID;STEAM64ID -log log=log.log -locallogtimes -OutIPAddress=YOUR_PUBLIC_IP -ServerID=ANY_VALUE -port=PORT -BeaconPort=PORT+1 -QueryPort=PORT+2 -ShutDownServicePort=PORT+3The same community template adds performance flags (-Game.MaxFrameRate=35, -ansimalloc, -UseDynamicPhysicsScene, -Game.PhysicsVehicle=false and two -EnableParallel...TickFunction flags). Treat those as tuning copied between guides, not as required settings, and change one at a time if you test them. Pterodactyl's Linux egg uses a different map token, ProjectWar_Start?DedicatedServer, and LOW.MS warns against ?OfficialServer, which it says makes NPCs spawn but not move.
Ports: get all four right
The server listens on a game port, a beacon (lobby) port, a query port and a shutdown-service port. The query port is what lets the server appear in the in-game list, and the shutdown-service port is used for clean stops.
| Setting | Role | What references say |
|---|---|---|
Port | Game traffic | Defaults quoted by hosts range from 7900 to 7777 to 27015; no single official default found |
BeaconPort | Join handshake / lobby | Launch template uses game port + 1 |
QueryPort | Server list queries | Template uses game port + 2; one reference gives a range of 27015 to 27050 |
ShutDownServicePort | Clean shutdown | Template uses game port + 3; must differ from the game port |
Because the defaults disagree, set the four values explicitly and make sure the firewall rules, router forwarding and launch line all agree. When you run two servers on one machine, give each its own block of four. One host leaves a gap of five between servers (7900 to 7903, then 7905 to 7908). One reference lists these as UDP; if you are unsure, mirror what your host's panel or your own launch line uses.
Installing and updating the server files
The Front Dedicated Server is a free tool on Steam. According to SteamDB it is app ID 2612550 for Windows and 2334200 for the Linux build, both children of the game (2285150). Install with SteamCMD, for example +force_install_dir "C:\TheFrontServer" +login anonymous +app_update 2612550 validate +quit. Some guides log in with a Steam account that owns the game instead of anonymous, and a Steam forum thread reports a "No subscription" error from anonymous installs, so if one fails try the other.
Re-run the same command after game updates to pull the new server files. The Windows server is the documented path. The Linux app exists, but community notes on running it vary, so check the current state before committing to it.
Setting this up on a hosted server
Running The Front yourself means managing SteamCMD, Windows firewall rules and port forwarding. Hosting with ChicagoServers? The The Front server hosting page lists what is included, such as free server backups and SFTP file access. If your server runs the standard layout, the file is in TheFrontManager as described here.
After any edit: stop the server, save the file, start it again, watch the console for errors, then search for the server by name in the game's Dedicated Server list.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the ServerConfig_.ini file for The Front?
In the TheFrontManager folder of the server install, as ServerConfig_.ini, with settings under [BaseServerConfig]. Both the folder and file names must match exactly.
How do I set a password on a The Front server?
Put the password after ServerPassword= in ServerConfig_.ini (leave it blank for a public server) and restart. Some launchers also accept -ServerPassword= on the command line.
How do I make someone an admin on The Front?
Add their 17-digit Steam64 ID to ServerAdminAccounts, separating several IDs with semicolons, then restart the server. Admins default to the highest GM level.
Does The Front have an official dedicated server guide?
We could not find a developer-written manual. Hosts and community members document the file and launch options, which is why this page notes where references disagree.