How to Improve Rust Server Performance
Last modified on Feb 13, 2023 in rust
Overview
Managing a Rust server with players on it can be a difficult task, especially if there are on-going performance issues. These situations can arise due to an overwhelming amount of entities, a large map, too many plugins, or simply low memory. When this happens, it can ruin gameplay for others and even cause them to leave, creating frustration for many owners. Fortunately, there are some tips and tricks you can implement across the server to increase its performance so players can have fun in your community. These can range from executing simple commands to installing useful plugins to erase unwanted entities. With this in mind, we’ve created this Apex Hosting guide to showcase the different possibilities to help improve your Rust server performance.
Brief Summary
There’s lots of information and possible configurations to implement in your Rust server to improve its performance. Due to this, we’ve summarized the most important details in the table below for your reference. If you’re wanting to learn more about any of them, then review their respective section(s) in this guide. Keep in mind that combining most of these tips is best for in-game and general server performance.
| Solution | Description |
|---|---|
| Decrease Animals | Lowering an animal’s population will help reduce resources used on the server. |
| Limit Server FPS | Limiting the server’s FPS increases the resources for other activities, if needed. |
| Routine Restarts | Regularly restarting the server (no resets) helps manage the performance by cleaning itself up. |
| Smaller Map Size | Having a small map instead of a large one allows for more dedicated server resources. |
| Performance Plugins | Installing useful plugins to remove unwanted entities or other aspects improves gameplay performance. |
| Upgrading the Server | Increasing the server’s dedicated memory (RAM) provides more resources to use. |
Decrease Animals
Changing the amount of animals and creatures can greatly improve in-game performance, as it’s saving server resources. For example, if you disable chickens from spawning, then it allows more power for other activities. This can be accomplished by using the chicken.population “0” command in the Console.
It can also be used in-game if you’re an administrator or in the server’s startup configuration file. Essentially, the command’s format is [animal].population “[value]”, which can be used on almost any creature to entirely disable or lower their spawn rate.
Limit Server FPS
The frames per second (FPS) determines how smooth the game runs, but can be predetermined by the server. This is achieved by using the fps.limit “value” command, which can be high or low numbers depending on your goals. It’s suggested to set this limit between 30-60 FPS, as this will help lower the stress on the server. Once you’ve selected one, simply replace “value” with it and execute the command in your console. Players will only notice problems if these numbers are anywhere from 10-20 frames.
Routine Restarts
Similarly to other game servers, restarting them ever so often keeps everything under control. In other words, doing this on a daily basis can greatly reduce stress and improve performance. By default, our panel does this for you every day in the Scheduled Tasks area. If you want the server to restart every 12 hours or another interval, then editing its respective task is required. Otherwise, you can do this manually in the main panel to ensure everything gets rebooted. An important aspect of this to note is that restarting doesn’t mean progress gets reset, as it simply shuts down and starts up again. Alternatively, you can reset the world on a regular basis to help with your server’s performance.
Smaller Map Size
This may be common knowledge, but having too large of a map requires more server resources. If you have a 5k world, then consider shrinking that to 2-3k instead. Doing this will lower the amount of stress on the server, as it doesn’t need too many resources to handle. However, this depends on the amount of users you have actively playing on the map. Small groups don’t need a large world, but sometimes exceptions are made for substantial communities. Keeping this in mind, it may take some time to determine the best suitable size for your server. Alternatively, you can find and upload a world that’s ideal for your performance.
Performance Plugins
Another wonderful way to increase your Rust server’s performance is using plugins. These can range from cleaning up unwanted entities to monitoring any problems. We’ve created a list of popular plugins to try out down below, but feel free to research on your own if these aren’t what you need. However, you may have to manually edit some of them to get everything working properly. Additionally, refrain from installing too many plugins since that can cause other issues.
Performance Monitor – This is a useful tool to keep track of server memory, plugin hook times, and other valuable information. Once installed, you may customize the amount of reports in seconds, which get saved in the server’s FTP database. The speed of this process is determined by the FPS you’ve set, with low values making it longer.
Performance UI – Similarly to the above plugin, this one displays server information. However, it uses a friendly user interface that shows tickrates, latencies, framerates and frametimes. In other words, everything is stored in a GUI that is easily accessible and visible to admins. If there are any on-going problems with the server, it’ll display icons to notify you.
Entity Cleanup – Unlike the others, this plugin allows you to clean up building blocks, deployables, and other entities. Whether you configure a predetermined interval for each removal or manually do it with commands, this is an extremely helpful tool. There’s even a whitelist for entities to be ignored during its clean up process.
Auto Purge – An alternative to the above plugin, this purges a specific amount of entities created by inactive players. This can greatly improve performance, as idle resources take away from other activities. The setup is fairly simple and straightforward, with minor configuration tweaks.
Remover Tool – By far the most popular plugin to use, the Remover Tool allows admins and normal players to delete unwanted entities. These can be structures, items, and other types that take up resources. Choose what specifically gets removed from the server via its configuration. There are many different types of commands to use and files to tweak, which can improve overall performance for everyone.
Upgrading the Server
If you’ve done everything above and there are still problems in-game, then it could mean you need more dedicated memory on the server. For example, 4GB is the bare minimum for Rust and cannot support too many players on a large map. Allowing the server to have additional resources is a wonderful way to reduce stress and improve performance. However, this option isn’t for everyone since it requires payment. Although, it’ll be worth the money if you have a large and successful playerbase actively enjoying your server. Visit our pricing area for more information about each plan if you’re interested.
Common Issues
In some cases, the server will continue lagging or encountering performance issues regardless if you’ve tried optimizing it. This is likely due to an underlying problem with your map and its entities. Try installing some of the suggested plugins and run their cleanup processes to help reduce the amount of resources being used. However, it could be that your game itself is lagging and not the server. In this case, try optimizing your client settings to better suit your computer’s performance. Otherwise, contact our Support to get additional assistance in resolving any issues.
After trying to use default commands and they fail, double-check their format. You’ll have to enter them correctly without any errors to get it working. Once this checks out, try again and see if using the server’s console helps. Otherwise, become an admin and use them in-game. However, sometimes you’ll have to make sure the plugins are installed correctly if you’re trying to use their commands instead.
Useful Links
How to Make a Rust Server
How to Use Rust Admin Commands
Becoming a Rust Server Administrator
How to Add Plugins to a Rust Server
