Conan Exiles Best Server Settings 2026: PvP, PvE, PvE-C, RP
Conan Exiles (including the recent Conan Exiles Enhanced relaunch) ships with default server settings tuned for solo play, which means most multiplayer groups spend their first session frustrated. Days are too short. Hunger drains too fast. Thrall taming takes hours. Everyone is convinced something is broken. Nothing is broken. The defaults are just wrong for groups. This is the 2026 reference for picking the right server settings depending on what kind of server you’re running: PvP, PvE, PvE-Conflict, or roleplay.
Pick a server type before you pick the multipliers
The single biggest setting is the server type, which dictates how players interact with each other. Conan supports three modes plus the unofficial “RP” convention.
- PvP: players can damage and loot each other anytime. Bases get raided during raid windows (configurable). The most intense mode; commit to it for the wipe-cycle drama.
- PvE: players cannot damage each other or each other’s bases. Focused on world content, dungeons, bosses. Friendlier for casual groups and mixed-skill clans.
- PvE-Conflict (PvE-C): PvP enabled during scheduled raid windows only (typically a few hours per evening), PvE outside those windows. Combines social safety with regular combat tension.
- Roleplay (RP): usually PvE with house rules. Settings tuned for slow, immersive progression. Often paired with custom mods for character backstory tools and clan banners.
Pick one before you start tuning multipliers. Settings that work great for PvP-wipe-cycle servers will frustrate roleplayers, and vice versa.
Universal multipliers (start here regardless of type)
These multipliers are the most-changed across all server types. The defaults are tuned for solo play; multiplayer servers want them adjusted up.
- XP Multiplier: default 1.0. Multiplayer recommendation 1.5x to 2x. New characters joining mid-wipe need to catch up to existing players faster.
- Harvest Amount Multiplier: default 1.0. Multiplayer recommendation 1.5x to 3x. The default makes resource gathering feel like a second job.
- Stamina Cost Multiplier: default 1.0. Many groups drop to 0.5-0.7x to make traversal less punishing on a 24/7 server.
- Day/Night Cycle Speed: default 1.0. Set to 0.5x to make days last longer, since players want time to do things during day cycles.
- Player Crafting Time Multiplier: default 1.0. Reduce to 0.5x for quality-of-life, especially on PvP servers where you need to re-craft armor regularly.
- Player Thirst & Hunger Multiplier: default 1.0. Reduce to 0.5x. Vanilla hunger drains too fast for active multiplayer sessions.
PvP server settings (raid-ready)
PvP servers want fast progression and clear raid windows. Players shouldn’t be on rails for weeks before they can defend themselves; bases shouldn’t be raidable 24/7 because no one can sleep.
| Setting | PvP recommendation |
|---|---|
| XP Multiplier | 2.0x to 3.0x |
| Harvest Multiplier | 2.0x to 3.0x |
| Crafting Time Multiplier | 0.5x |
| Building Damage Multiplier | 1.0x (default: explosives + orbs work as designed) |
| Avatar Decay Time | Lowered (e.g., 30 minutes) |
| Avatars Disabled | Yes on most modern PvP servers (god avatars trivialize raids) |
| Raid Window | 3-5 hours per evening (e.g., 18:00-23:00 server time) |
| Land Claim Decay Time | Lowered to 4-7 days (forces active play) |
| Allow Building Damage from Players | True (otherwise it’s not really PvP) |
| Friendly Fire | True (clan members can damage each other; usually intentional for raid intensity) |
Why disable avatars on PvP: god avatars instantly destroy entire bases regardless of wall tier. They were balanced for vanilla PvE solo play, not for clans on dedicated servers. Modern PvP communities almost universally disable them.
Raid window strategy: a 3-hour window ensures defenders can be online when raiders attack. A 24/7 raid window (default) means whoever sleeps loses. The window time should match your server’s primary timezone.
PvE server settings (cooperative)
PvE servers prioritize world content and cooperation. Settings should let players explore dungeons, fight bosses together, and build aesthetic bases without constantly grinding resources.
| Setting | PvE recommendation |
|---|---|
| XP Multiplier | 1.5x to 2.0x |
| Harvest Multiplier | 2.0x to 4.0x (PvE players want to focus on building, not farming) |
| Crafting Time Multiplier | 0.5x |
| Stamina Cost | 0.5x |
| Day/Night Cycle Speed | 0.5x |
| Building Damage from Players | False (PvE = no player griefing) |
| Land Claim Decay | 14-30 days (let players go on vacation without losing builds) |
| Boss Damage Multiplier | 1.0x (default: bosses should still feel threatening) |
| Thrall Damage Multiplier | 1.5x (compensates for not having player allies in fights) |
| Purge Difficulty | Medium-High (purges are the main PvE world threat) |
The high harvest + low decay combination signals “live here, build big” to your players. PvE servers see far more aesthetic megabuilds than PvP servers because players know their work won’t be raided.
PvE-Conflict server settings (the hybrid)
PvE-C tries to give players both worlds: peaceful building and exploration most of the time, scheduled PvP combat windows for the players who want it.
| Setting | PvE-C recommendation |
|---|---|
| XP Multiplier | 1.5x to 2.0x |
| Harvest Multiplier | 2.0x to 3.0x |
| Crafting Time Multiplier | 0.5x |
| Building Damage from Players | False (bases stay safe even during raid windows) |
| PvP Window | 3-4 hours per evening |
| Avatar Decay | Default or lowered |
| Land Claim Decay | 14 days (mid-tolerance) |
| Friendly Fire | False during PvE windows, True during PvP windows (Conan handles this automatically) |
The key PvE-C tuning detail: building damage stays disabled. Players can fight each other in the open, but bases remain safe. This gives the PvP players their combat fix without burning the casual builders’ work.
Roleplay server settings (slow and immersive)
Roleplay servers slow everything down to make character development meaningful. Defaults are too fast for RP; players are level 60 in two play sessions. Slow XP and resource curves let storytelling drive the play.
| Setting | RP recommendation |
|---|---|
| XP Multiplier | 0.5x to 1.0x |
| Harvest Multiplier | 1.0x to 1.5x |
| Stamina Cost | 1.0x (more grounded feel) |
| Day/Night Cycle Speed | 0.4x (long nights for atmosphere) |
| Building Damage from Players | False |
| Land Claim Decay | 30+ days (RP groups commit to long story arcs) |
| Custom mods | Often: Pippi, Less Building Placement Restrictions, Emote Wheel, Custom Music Player |
RP servers usually run heavy mod loadouts. Pippi is the universal admin mod for RP servers (custom commands, NPCs, scenarios). Build placement mods make architectural creativity easier. Emote wheels give players quick access to RP-friendly animations.
Settings to leave alone
A few settings are tempting to tweak but shouldn’t be touched without good reason:
Online Status Visible to Other Players: leave on. PvP players need to know who’s online to plan raids. Hiding it creates more problems than it solves.
Chat Local/Global Splits: leave default. Custom chat configs break common addons.
Server Region Setting: matches your hosting region. Don’t change after wipe; existing characters get errors.
Container Ignore Owner: tempting for PvE servers (so clanmates can grab from each other’s chests), but it creates clan-grief incidents. Better to use clan-only chests.
Server hardware sizing for these configs
Most of the settings above don’t directly affect server load. The exceptions:
- High harvest multipliers mean more entities (resource piles, harvested logs) on the server, which slowly increase memory.
- Heavy mod loadouts (RP servers, big PvE communities) push RAM usage 2-4x vs vanilla.
- Avatar enabled + frequent purges spike CPU during the events.
For sizing: 8 GB RAM is the floor for vanilla 10-player servers. Modded servers need 12-16 GB. Heavy RP communities with full Pippi loadout and 32+ players push to 16-20 GB.
Our managed Conan Exiles hosting (Conan Exiles Enhanced compatible) exposes all the settings above through the panel: pick PvP, PvE, PvE-C, or RP, set multipliers, and the server applies them on next restart. Mod auto-install, scheduled wipes for PvP servers, and mod version pinning are included.
For more Conan setup
If you’re brand new to Conan dedicated servers, our Conan Exiles dedicated server setup guide walks through the initial install. For mod recommendations, see the 2026 mods list. For admin command reference, the admin commands wiki covers in-game commands and rcon. And for the most-asked Conan question of 2026, see the crossplay guide.
Bottom line
Default Conan Exiles (and Conan Exiles Enhanced) settings are tuned for solo play. Multiplayer groups want adjusted multipliers (XP 2x, harvest 2x, crafting time 0.5x) regardless of server type. PvP servers add raid windows and avatar settings. PvE servers raise multipliers further and disable building damage. PvE-C bridges them with raid windows and protected buildings. RP slows everything down. Pick one, stick with it, and your group will stop blaming the game.