Common Vintage Story problems

Quick fixes for the problems we see most often. For general crashes and startup failures, also see My server won't start or keeps crashing.

"I can't join my server"

Is the server running? The Console should show Running, and the log should end with "Dedicated Server now running on Port …".
Right address? Copy it from the Console (e.g. ny6.suhosting.net:42449), including the port. If you made a subdomain, use that.
Whitelisted? Since 1.20, servers only let in whitelisted players. Add yourself in VS Tools → Whitelist while the server is running, or set Whitelist Mode to Off. See VS Tools.
Same game version? Your game and the server must be on the same version. The console shows the server's Game Version. Update one or the other. See How to update your server.
Password? If you set one in VS Tools → Server Config, players need it.
Mods? If the server uses a mod whitelist, players' client-side mods must be on it. See VS Tools → Mod Filters.

"My server isn't in the public server list"

Since 1.20 servers aren't advertised by default. Turn on Server Advertising in VS Tools → Server Config (with the server stopped), or type /serverconfig advertise on in the console.

The server won't start after a game update

".NET Version Mismatch" window on the console: click Switch Image & Restart. The new game version needs a newer .NET runtime.
A mod fails to load: the console names it. Update or remove it in the Mod Browser. The Mod Browser also shows which mods have updates for your new version.
Missing mod dependencies banner: click Install next to each missing mod.

Settings changes don't stick

Vintage Story rewrites serverconfig.json when it shuts down. Stop the server first, then change settings (in VS Tools or the file editor), then start it.

Lag or "Over 400ms tick" warnings

A few warnings while the world first generates are normal. If it keeps happening, use Server metrics to find the cause: too many entities, fast exploring, or a heavy mod. Reducing Max Clients, removing heavy mods, or upgrading your plan helps.

"The world won't load" / corrupted save

Don't keep restarting. Each attempt can make it worse.
Restore a backup from before the problem. See Backups. On ZFS nodes you can Browse a backup and copy out just the save file.
Check data/Backups/ in the Files tab for backups the game made itself (e.g. from /genbackup).
Still stuck? Open a ticket with your server's Debug Information (Settings tab).

To avoid this, back up safely. See Backing Up Vintage Story Safely.

Players lost items or progress after a crash

The world is saved every few minutes, so anything since the last autosave is lost in a crash. Before planned restarts, use /autosavenow, or a schedule that warns players and restarts cleanly.