Nightingale Base Building & Optimization
Building grand Victorian estates is a core draw of Nightingale, but on dedicated servers, high-complexity structures can impact performance. This guide covers how to build efficiently, manage server-side limits, and optimize your "Abeyance" realm for a smooth experience.
๐๏ธ Building Dynamics
- Structure Limit: Total number of individual pieces (floors, walls, etc.) per realm.
- Complexity Score: A hidden value based on the detail and "interactivity" of placed items.
- Cairn Radius: The protected area around your Estate Cairn where you can build.
- Server Tick Rate: How often the server updates physics and logic for your structures.
Understanding Server Limits
Dedicatd servers have default caps to prevent "lag-bombs" created by massive, unoptimized bases. These can be adjusted in the ServerConfig.ini but should be handled with care.
| Setting | Default | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
MaxStructuresPerRealm | 5000 | 3000 - 8000 |
ComplexityThreshold | 1000 | 1200 (for high-end servers) |
StructureDecayRate | 0.1 | 0.0 (Disable for private servers) |
Performance Optimization Tips
1. Modular vs. Physics-Heavy Building
Nightingale uses a physics-based stability system. Large cantilevered structures (hanging out without support) require the server to perform more calculations.
Optimization: Use foundations and support Pillars directly beneath heavy sections to reduce "structural stress" calculations.
2. Lighting and Shadows
Victorian gaslamps are beautiful but expensive for the client and server (if synced).
Optimization: Avoid placing dozens of lamps in a single room. Use larger windows to leverage natural "Gaslamp Bloom" during the day and keep your light count localized.
3. Crafting Station Density
Each crafting station (Sawbench, Tanning Rack, etc.) has its own "Active Radius" for nearby chests. Overlapping these radii in a small space can cause micro-stutter when opening inventories.
Optimization: Space out your crafting "wings" to keep the logic scripts from clashing.
โ Do: Build "Vertical"
Tall, supported towers are more efficient for the server to render and track than wide, sprawling single-story cities that force the server to load more "chunks."
โ Don't: Stack Interactors
Avoid placing many interactive furniture pieces (chairs, beds, musical instruments) in one small "hub." Each one adds to the network overhead.
The Estate Cairn Strategy
Your **Estate Cairn** is the heart of your base. On a dedicated server, you can have multiple players with Cairns in one realm, but this "Shared Abeyance" model divides the total structure limit between all players.
Professional Tip: If your group plans on building a massive city, consider splitting players into separate "Abeyance" realms and connecting them via permanent Portals. This offloads the rendering and physics load onto separate realm instances.
Advanced Admin Commands
Use these commands to monitor building health on your server:
/build report # Generates a structure count for the current realm
/build cleanup # Removes "unsupported" or floating pieces
/show complexity # Overlays a complexity heat-map on your screen
Next Steps
- Learn how character-to-realm binding works
- Customize your realm's difficulty and resources
- Back to Nightingale Wiki Home
High-Performance Building: Supercraft's Nightingale servers are tuned for builders. With high clock-speed CPUs, we can handle significantly higher complexity thresholds than standard hosting, giving you the freedom to build your Victorian dream.