How To Split Overworld and Caves on Your Don't Starve Together Server

As a default here at Nodecraft, you are able to have both an Overworld and Caves server setup on one instance. If you're interested in how we do this, more information is explained in our other article here: https://nodecraft.com/support/games/dont-starve-together/caves-on-nodecraft-dont-starve-together-servers

There are benefits to your server's resources by having your Overworld be on one server, and your Caves be on another. It will require two bots, but allows the resources (the RAM and CPU) be split across the two servers, optimizing performance by reducing the amount of load that both Overworld and Caves put onto a single server.

This guide will walk you through the process of splitting your server to be hosted on two different bots, and to link them together.

Preparing the Files and Instances

The first step that is very important: stop your main server and create a backup in the Backups section of your NodePanel.

While your server is creating the backup, take the time to create another Instance for your Caves on your Dashboard.

To make things a bit easier, you might use two browser tabs; one for your Overworld and the other for your Caves. Delete all the files on the newly created Caves instance in the File Manager.

Download the backup from your Overworld Instance, then upload it to the new Caves Instance in the empty File Manager. Lastly, unzip the backup. If your backup is quite large, or you have a poor internet connection, we highly recommend using an FTP tool.

Configuring the Settings

For both Instances go to the Game Settings section, then Advanced tab of your Panel and change the Server Mode to just Overworld or Caves, one for each of the Instances.

For the Overworld Instance

1. Go to the cluster.ini file located in /.klei/DoNotStarveTogether/MyDediServer folder in your File Manager.

2. Edit bind_ip to 0.0.0.0.

3. Be sure to Save your edit.

For the Caves Instance

1. Go to the cluster.ini file located in /.klei/DoNotStarveTogether/MyDediServer folder in your File Manager.

2. Edit master_ip to be the IP Address from the Overworld Instance. This is found on the Overview section on the Panel.

3. Be sure to Save your edit.

Testing the servers

Start up both of your Instances. Confirm the shard connection in the server's Console of each Instance. It should look like the following screenshots.

Overworld Instance

Caves Instance

Troubleshooting

Each instance can have the same cluster token as they are considered to be a part of the same shard.

Both instances need to be on the same Gamemode, found in the Game Settings section.

On your Caves Instance, the Caves folder needs the worldgenoverride.lua file, in order for the caves entrances to be accessible, even if they're correctly linked.