Conan Exiles is a survival game set in the brutal world of Conan the Barbarian. Your own server lets you tweak the Purge system, adjust thrall limits and control building decay for your community. A HostValues VPS with 8 GB of RAM runs a server for up to 40 players.
Installation
- Install SteamCMD on your VPS.
- Download the server:
steamcmd +force_install_dir /home/conan/server +login anonymous +app_update 443030 validate +quit - Edit
Engine.iniandServerSettings.iniin theConanSandbox/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/directory. In Engine.ini, set the server name and ports. In ServerSettings.ini, configure PvP/PvE mode, harvest rates, XP multipliers and the Purge. - Open UDP port 7777 (game), UDP port 7778 (raw sockets) and TCP port 27015 (Steam query).
- Start the server:
./ConanSandboxServer.sh -log
The Purge system
The Purge sends waves of NPCs to attack player bases. In the server settings you control when the Purge is active (restrict it to certain hours), the minimum number of online players required to trigger it, the difficulty level and how quickly the Purge meter fills. A well-configured Purge adds excitement without overwhelming small clans.
Thralls and followers
Thralls are captured NPCs that guard your base or craft items. The server setting MaxFollowersPerPlayer limits how many active followers each player can have. The ThrallDecayTime setting controls how long unattended thralls remain before despawning. Keeping these values reasonable prevents server lag from abandoned bases filled with NPCs.
Building decay
Buildings decay over time when the owner does not log in. The decay timer depends on building material: sandstone decays fastest, reinforced stone lasts longest. You can adjust the global decay multiplier or disable decay entirely on private servers. Clan members refresh the timer by simply being near their structures.
What is the difference between PvP and PvE-Conflict?
In PvP, players can damage both other players and their buildings during raid hours. PvE-Conflict allows player combat but protects buildings from damage at all times, giving a middle ground for communities that want PvP fights without base raiding.
How many players can a Conan Exiles server handle?
The official cap is 40 players. With 8 GB of RAM and a quad-core CPU, most servers run smoothly at that limit. Heavily built-up servers with many thralls may need more resources.
Do mods work on dedicated servers?
Yes. Place mod files in the server's Mods folder and list them in modlist.txt. Players are prompted to download matching mods when they connect through the Steam Workshop integration.