Windrose Dedicated Server Guide

Who Should Run a Dedicated Server?

If you only play with one or two friends in the same evening, hosting from inside the game client is enough. A dedicated server makes sense once you want the world to stay online while you are offline, you have three or more players in different time zones, or you want to control backups and patch timing yourself. The trade-off is a Windows machine left running, a few firewall and router exceptions, and the occasional app_update after a Steam patch lands.

Hardware & OS Requirements

Windrose is not especially heavy as a server, but it does want a stable connection and a CPU that can handle several simulated entities per player. The values below are practical, real-world numbers for a small co-op crew, not the absolute minimums.

SteamCMD Install Commands

SteamCMD is the recommended path for a headless install. Download SteamCMD from Valve's developer wiki, unzip it to a stable location like C:\steamcmd, then run steamcmd.exe. From the prompt, run the four commands below in order. The first run will be a full download (a few gigabytes); later runs only fetch what changed.

force_install_dir "C:\Game_Servers\Windrose_Server"
login anonymous
app_update 4129620 validate
quit

After the script exits, the binaries land in C:\Game_Servers\Windrose_Server. Open that folder and confirm WindroseServer.exe exists before doing anything else. Steam writes a small steamapps manifest next to it; do not delete it.

Updating after a patch

Whenever Windrose ships a client patch, restart SteamCMD and rerun app_update 4129620 validate. The validate flag rechecks file hashes, which fixes most "server starts but clients can't join" problems caused by a half-finished update. Keep the dedicated server version matched to the current game client; clients on a newer build will be rejected.

server.cfg Field Reference

Most server settings live in a single config file written to the server's save folder on first launch. The fields below are the ones players actually change. Edit while the server is shut down, then restart so values reload from disk.

Port Mapping & NAT

Windrose dedicated servers use NAT punch-through by default, so most home routers work without any port forwarding as long as UPnP is enabled. If your router does not support UPnP, or you are running the server behind a corporate firewall, you will need to forward the ports below manually. Disable proxy and VPN software during the first connection test; both will break NAT punch-through even when ports are open.

Firewall & Antivirus Rules

Windows Defender Firewall blocks unsigned game servers by default. The first time you launch WindroseServer.exe, Windows will prompt you to allow it on private and public networks; click "Allow access" for both. If you missed that prompt or are running unattended, add the rule manually:

1. Open Windows Security → Firewall & network protection → Allow an app through firewall.
2. Click Change settings, then Allow another app… and browse to WindroseServer.exe.
3. Tick both Private and Public network checkboxes and click OK.
4. If you use a third-party antivirus, add the entire C:\Game_Servers\Windrose_Server folder to its exclusion list — some AV engines flag dedicated game servers as suspicious because they listen on UDP ports.
5. On the router side, enable UPnP, or forward UDP 7777 and 27015 to the server's LAN IP if UPnP is unavailable.

Basic Setup Flow

1. Install the dedicated server package through SteamCMD or Steam tools.
2. Configure server name, password, region, player count, and save behavior while the server is shut down.
3. Make sure UPnP is available for NAT punch-through, then disable proxy or VPN during first connection tests.
4. Add firewall and antivirus exceptions for WindroseServer.exe.
5. Start the server, test connection from a separate client, and back up saves before major patches.

Common Connection Problems

Most player-reported issues fall into the same five categories. Work through them in order; the first three solve roughly 80% of failed connections.

• "Connection failed" / "Connection timed out" — First confirm the server process is actually running and the console shows Server started. Then check that the player is using the same client build as the server — a mismatched app_update on either side produces this error. Re-run app_update 4129620 validate on the server, restart Steam on the client.
• Server doesn't appear in the in-game browser — This is almost always a Steam query port issue. Make sure UDP 27015 is open inbound on the server, that no other Steam game is already bound to 27015 on the same machine, and that the player is searching the same region the server's Region field is set to.
• Friends connect, strangers don't — Friends use Steam relay; strangers go through NAT punch-through. If only friends can join, your router is blocking incoming UDP on 7777. Enable UPnP or add a manual port-forward rule, and disable any VPN running on the server host.
• World save is empty or rolled back after restart — Check AutoSaveOnExit is true and that the server has write permission on its save directory. If you run the server from Program Files, Windows UAC can silently redirect writes to a virtual store; move the install to C:\Game_Servers\ as shown in the SteamCMD section.
• Server slows down after a few hours — Usually memory pressure when MaxPlayers is set higher than the host can sustain. Drop the value, or schedule a nightly restart through Task Scheduler. Back up the save folder before changing player count, since some world settings only re-evaluate on a fresh load.

Official Source

For exact launch arguments, config fields, and troubleshooting, use the official Windrose Dedicated Server Guide. This page is a player-friendly checklist and should be updated whenever the official guide changes.

Frequently Asked Questions