Scale up for big servers¶

Part of Start here. Run your first match before this.

Small servers can skip this page: the defaults just work. Past a dozen regulars, two things matter: preloading map cells ahead of time so matches start instantly, and sizing the cell buffer to your disk and player count. The full guide is Buffering for Performance.

1. Know the pieces¶

Each match plays on a fresh cell (a slice of world). The engine fetches cells, preloads their chunks (Chunky helps here), and cleans up after matches. The buffer is how many ready cells wait ahead.

2. Size it once¶

Follow Buffering for Performance: size the buffer, gate heavy work to intermissions, and fill the buffer once. Two surprises to know upfront: each buffered cell costs roughly 15-30MB on disk, and the first fill takes 30 minutes to 2 hours. After that the buffer tops itself up.

3. Verify¶

Start a match and confirm it teleports straight in with no waiting on terrain, then check the buffer refills before the next match.

Want more?¶

• The full tuning guide? Buffering for Performance.
• How cells work? World Engine.
• Matches at once? Concurrent Matches.