Conan Exiles Age of War: Server Configuration Guide

The Age of War update series transformed Conan Exiles with a revamped purge system, new building mechanics, and overhauled combat. These changes also introduced new server settings and shifted the balance of existing ones. This guide covers the most important configuration options for running a well-tuned Conan Exiles server in the Age of War era.

Server configuration files

Conan Exiles uses two primary configuration files in the ConanSandbox/Saved/Config/WindowsServer (or LinuxServer) directory:

• ServerSettings.ini: Contains gameplay, combat, and building settings.
• Engine.ini: Contains performance and network settings.

Many settings can also be changed through the in-game admin panel (press Escape, then Settings, then Server Settings while logged in as admin). Changes made in-game are written to ServerSettings.ini automatically.

The new purge system

Age of War completely redesigned the purge mechanic. Instead of random NPC attacks based on a hidden purge meter, purges are now triggered manually from the purge menu and scale in difficulty. Key settings:

• PurgeEnabled: Toggle the entire purge system on or off.
• PurgeDifficulty: Controls the baseline difficulty of purge waves. Higher values spawn tougher enemies and more waves.
• PurgePreparationTime: How long players have to prepare after triggering a purge before waves begin. Default gives enough time to repair walls and position thralls.

The new system is more engaging because players choose when to face a purge rather than having one hit at random while offline. For PvP servers, this adds a strategic layer: triggering a purge during a raid window can create chaos.

Building and decay settings

• BuildingDecayEnabled: When enabled, structures that are not visited by their owner within the decay timer crumble. Essential on public servers to prevent the map from filling with abandoned bases. Typical decay time: 7 to 14 days.
• MaxBuildingSize: Limits the number of building pieces per clan. Prevents mega-structures that tank server performance. A value of 5000 to 8000 pieces per clan is reasonable for most servers.
• BuildingDamageMultiplier: Affects how easily buildings are destroyed. For PvP servers during raid hours, a multiplier of 1.0 is standard. For PvE, set it to 0 to prevent any building damage.

Combat settings

Age of War refined combat mechanics. These settings shape the PvP and PvE experience:

• PlayerDamageMultiplier: Scales damage dealt by players. 1.0 is default. For a more lethal PvP server, try 1.5. For a more forgiving PvE experience, 0.8 or 1.0 works well.
• NPCDamageMultiplier: Scales damage dealt by NPCs and creatures. Raise it for a harder PvE challenge. Lower it if your players are struggling with world bosses.
• DurabilityMultiplier: How fast equipment degrades. Lower values mean less time repairing and more time playing. 0.5 halves repair frequency.
• ThrallDamageMultiplier: Controls how much damage follower thralls deal. Since Age of War buffed thralls significantly, you may want to lower this to 0.7 or 0.8 to prevent thralls from trivializing content.

Harvesting and progression

• HarvestAmountMultiplier: Scales resource gathering. Default 1.0. For a boosted server, 2.0 to 3.0 lets players build faster. For a hardcore experience, keep it at 1.0 or even lower.
• ExperienceMultiplier: Speeds up or slows down leveling. Default 1.0. Boosted servers often use 2.0 to 5.0 to get players to the endgame faster, especially on PvP servers with frequent wipes.
• ItemSpoilRateScale: How fast food and perishables decay. Lower values slow spoilage. Useful for more casual servers where players do not log in daily.

Performance optimization

• MaxPlayers: Set this to a realistic number. Conan Exiles servers perform well with 20 to 40 players. Above 40, expect increased load, especially during purges and PvP.
• Server tick rate: In Engine.ini, the NetServerMaxTickRate controls how many times per second the server processes the game state. Default 30 is adequate. Do not set it higher unless your hardware can sustain it, as a server that cannot maintain its tick rate becomes laggy for everyone.
• Automated restarts: Schedule a daily restart during off-peak hours. Conan Exiles servers accumulate memory usage from decayed buildings, dead NPCs, and entity state over time.

Recommended PvE configuration

A solid starting point for cooperative play:

• HarvestAmountMultiplier: 2.0
• ExperienceMultiplier: 2.0
• PlayerDamageMultiplier: 1.0
• NPCDamageMultiplier: 1.2
• PurgeEnabled: true
• BuildingDecayEnabled: true (14 day timer)
• DurabilityMultiplier: 0.5