Vintage Story Big Worlds: Complete Guide to Large World Generation and Settings
# Vintage Story Big Worlds: Complete Guide to Large World Generation and Settings
Vintage Story offers players the ability to create massive worlds that dwarf most other survival games, with world sizes reaching up to 500,000 blocks and beyond. Understanding how to configure and optimize these big worlds is crucial for players seeking expansive exploration experiences without compromising performance.
**TL;DR:**
– Vintage Story supports world sizes up to 25,000 x 25,000 blocks (625 million blocks total)
– Large worlds can consume 200-500+ GB of storage when fully explored
– World height can be increased to 1,024 blocks for massive vertical builds
– Proper world generation settings are essential for realistic large-scale terrain
– Server performance and file size management become critical considerations
## Table of Contents
1. [Understanding Vintage Story World Sizes](#world-sizes)
2. [Maximum World Dimensions and Limits](#maximum-dimensions)
3. [World Generation Settings for Big Worlds](#generation-settings)
4. [Performance and Storage Considerations](#performance-storage)
5. [Optimal Settings for Large Realistic Worlds](#optimal-settings)
6. [Server Configuration for Big Worlds](#server-configuration)
7. [File Size Management](#file-size-management)
8. [FAQ](#faq)
9. [Conclusion](#conclusion)
## Understanding Vintage Story World Sizes {#world-sizes}
Vintage Story’s world generation system allows for unprecedented scale in survival gaming. Unlike many games where world size is fixed, Vintage Story provides extensive customization options for both horizontal and vertical world dimensions.
### Default World Parameters
**Standard World Sizes:**
– Small: 10,000 x 10,000 blocks (100 million blocks)
– Medium: 50,000 x 50,000 blocks (2.5 billion blocks)
– Large: 100,000 x 100,000 blocks (10 billion blocks)
– Custom: Up to 25,000 x 25,000 blocks per axis
**World Height Options:**
– Default: 256 blocks (standard gameplay)
– Extended: 512 blocks (tall mountains and deep valleys)
– Maximum: 1,024 blocks (skyscraper-scale builds)
The world size setting primarily affects the placement of world borders rather than the actual terrain generation algorithms, meaning larger worlds maintain the same terrain quality and detail as smaller ones.
### Climate and Geography Scale
Vintage Story’s climate system scales with world size, creating realistic temperature gradients:
– **Polar Distance**: Controls climate zones (typically 5,000 blocks from equator to pole)
– **Temperature Variation**: Creates realistic biome transitions across large distances
– **Seasonal Changes**: Affect larger areas more gradually in big worlds
## Maximum World Dimensions and Limits {#maximum-dimensions}
The theoretical and practical limits of Vintage Story worlds depend on several factors:
### Theoretical Maximums
**Horizontal Dimensions:**
– Maximum configurable: 25,000 x 25,000 blocks
– Total area: 625 million blocks
– Equivalent to: 625 square kilometers of explorable terrain
**Vertical Dimensions:**
– Maximum height: 1,024 blocks
– Total volume: 640 billion blocks (at maximum dimensions)
– Vertical range: From bedrock to sky limit
### Practical Limitations
**Storage Requirements:**
– 10,000 x 10,000 world (fully explored): ~4 GB
– 20,000 x 20,000 world (fully explored): ~15 GB
– 25,000 x 25,000 world (fully explored): 200-500+ GB
**Performance Constraints:**
– RAM usage increases with active chunk count
– CPU load scales with world generation complexity
– Network bandwidth requirements for multiplayer servers
## World Generation Settings for Big Worlds {#generation-settings}
Creating realistic and playable large worlds requires careful configuration of generation parameters:
### Essential Generation Settings
**Land Coverage:**
– Default: 100% (all land, no oceans)
– Recommended for big worlds: 70-80% (creates realistic continents)
– Ocean percentage: 20-30% for realistic geography
**Terrain Complexity:**
– Mountain frequency: Reduced for large worlds to avoid overcrowding
– Valley depth: Moderate settings prevent extreme terrain
– Noise scale: Adjusted for smoother large-scale features
**Climate Configuration:**
– Polar distance: 5,000-10,000 blocks for realistic temperature zones
– Temperature variation: Gradual changes across large distances
– Precipitation patterns: Regional weather systems
### Advanced Generation Parameters
**Geological Features:**
– Ore distribution: Scaled appropriately for larger exploration areas
– Cave systems: Extended networks for underground exploration
– Resource density: Balanced to maintain gameplay progression
**Biome Distribution:**
– Biome size: Larger patches for realistic ecosystems
– Transition zones: Gradual changes between different biomes
– Rare biome frequency: Adjusted for larger world scales
## Performance and Storage Considerations {#performance-storage}
Large Vintage Story worlds present unique technical challenges that require careful planning:
### Storage Management
**File Size Progression:**
– Unexplored chunks: Minimal storage impact
– Partially explored: Moderate file size increase
– Fully explored large worlds: Massive storage requirements
**Storage Optimization Strategies:**
– Regular world backups with compression
– Selective exploration to limit file growth
– Periodic cleanup of unused world regions
### Performance Optimization
**Server Hardware Requirements:**
– RAM: 8-16+ GB for large world servers
– CPU: Multi-core processors for chunk generation
– Storage: SSD recommended for faster world loading
**Client Performance:**
– Render distance: Reduced for better frame rates
– Chunk loading: Optimized for large world navigation
– Memory allocation: Increased for large world caching
## Optimal Settings for Large Realistic Worlds {#optimal-settings}
Based on community testing and developer recommendations, these settings provide the best balance for large worlds:
### Recommended Configuration
**World Dimensions:**
– Size: 50,000 x 50,000 blocks (manageable yet expansive)
– Height: 384 blocks (good vertical range without performance issues)
– Polar distance: 7,500 blocks (realistic climate zones)
**Generation Parameters:**
– Land coverage: 75% (creates realistic continents and oceans)
– Mountain frequency: 0.7 (reduces excessive mountainous terrain)
– Temperature variation: Standard (maintains realistic climate)
**Advanced Settings:**
– Ore frequency: 1.2x (compensates for larger exploration areas)
– Cave density: Standard (maintains underground exploration)
– Structure frequency: 0.8x (prevents overcrowding of ruins/villages)
### Climate and Biome Settings
**Temperature Zones:**
– Equatorial: Tropical and temperate biomes
– Mid-latitude: Temperate and boreal regions
– Polar: Tundra and ice-covered areas
**Precipitation Patterns:**
– Coastal areas: Higher rainfall for lush vegetation
– Continental interiors: Drier conditions creating varied landscapes
– Mountain regions: Orographic effects on local climate
## Server Configuration for Big Worlds {#server-configuration}
Running large Vintage Story worlds on servers requires specific configuration adjustments:
### Server.json Configuration
**Memory Allocation:**
“`json
{
“MaxChunkRadius”: 12,
“MaxClients”: 16,
“WorldConfig”: {
“WorldSizeX”: 50000,
“WorldSizeZ”: 50000,
“WorldHeight”: 384
}
}
“`
**Performance Settings:**
– Chunk generation threads: Match CPU core count
– Autosave interval: Extended for large worlds
– Player timeout: Adjusted for slower chunk loading
### Network Optimization
**Bandwidth Management:**
– Chunk compression: Enabled for faster transfers
– Update frequency: Optimized for large world navigation
– Player synchronization: Efficient for distributed exploration
**Connection Settings:**
– Timeout values: Increased for large world loading
– Packet size: Optimized for chunk data transmission
– Compression algorithms: Balanced for speed and efficiency
## File Size Management {#file-size-management}
Managing the storage footprint of large Vintage Story worlds requires proactive strategies:
### Growth Patterns
**Exploration Impact:**
– Linear exploration: Moderate file size growth
– Scattered exploration: Rapid file size increase
– Concentrated exploration: Manageable growth patterns
**Long-term Projections:**
– 500×500 km world: 200-500 GB when fully explored
– 1000×1000 km world: 500 GB – 1 TB when fully explored
– Partial exploration: Significantly smaller file sizes
### Management Strategies
**Backup Solutions:**
– Incremental backups: Only save changed regions
– Compressed archives: Reduce storage requirements
– Cloud storage: Offsite backup for large worlds
**Cleanup Procedures:**
– Unused chunk removal: Eliminate rarely visited areas
– World trimming: Remove distant unexplored regions
– Archive old worlds: Preserve completed projects separately
## FAQ {#faq}
**Q: What’s the largest practical world size for single-player?**
A: For single-player, 50,000 x 50,000 blocks offers excellent exploration without excessive storage requirements (under 50 GB when moderately explored).
**Q: How much RAM do I need for large Vintage Story worlds?**
A: 8-16 GB system RAM is recommended, with the game allocated 4-6 GB for optimal performance with large worlds.
**Q: Can I change world size after creation?**
A: World size can be modified in server configurations, but this only affects the world border placement, not existing terrain.
**Q: Do large worlds affect gameplay mechanics?**
A: Core mechanics remain unchanged, but travel times increase significantly, making transportation planning more important.
**Q: What’s the difference between world size and world height?**
A: World size affects horizontal dimensions (X/Z axes), while world height affects vertical building space (Y axis) up to 1,024 blocks.
**Q: How do large worlds impact multiplayer servers?**
A: Large worlds require more server resources and can accommodate more players spread across greater distances, reducing resource competition.
**Q: Can I run multiple large worlds on one server?**
A: Multiple large worlds require substantial storage and memory resources; most servers run one large world at a time.
**Q: How long does it take to generate a large world?**
A: Initial world creation is fast, but chunk generation occurs during exploration, with larger worlds taking longer to fully generate.
## Conclusion {#conclusion}
Vintage Story’s big world capabilities offer unparalleled opportunities for expansive survival gameplay, realistic geography simulation, and massive construction projects. With proper configuration and resource management, players can create worlds that provide hundreds of hours of exploration and building opportunities.
The key to successful large world creation lies in balancing ambition with practicality. While 25,000 x 25,000 block worlds are technically possible, most players will find 50,000 x 50,000 block worlds provide the optimal balance of scale, performance, and storage requirements.
Whether you’re planning a solo adventure across vast continents or setting up a multiplayer server for a large community, understanding these big world mechanics will help you create the perfect Vintage Story experience. Remember to plan for storage growth, optimize your settings for your hardware capabilities, and consider the long-term implications of your world size choices.
For server administrators and modpack creators, large Vintage Story worlds represent an opportunity to create truly immersive experiences that can support diverse player communities across realistic geographic scales. With proper planning and configuration, these big worlds can provide the foundation for epic survival adventures that span virtual continents.
