Fires Ghetto Networking

Updated for Valheim 1.0.

Smoother multiplayer for Valheim servers. Vanilla networking is built for a handful of friends and starts to strain around 8 players. This mod fixes the bottlenecks in one drop-in plugin, and tunes itself so you don't have to.

What you get

• Less lag in busy fights and big bases: compressed traffic, higher send rates, and the closest things sent first when a connection backs up.
• Auto-Tune: on first join it checks your PC and connection and picks the right settings. The server tunes itself too.
• Less wasted traffic: damage numbers, health bars and effects only go to players near the action.
• Smoother other players: other players' movement and arrows are drawn where they really are (when they have the mod too).
• Boat fixes: no more random boat damage or sinking on calm water, and whoever takes the helm steers without delay.
• Station fix: smelters, kilns, fires and other stations no longer lose or duplicate items, even for players without the mod.
• Join fixes: slow PCs loading a big world aren't dropped, and big config syncs no longer stall joins.
• Optional Server-Side Simulation: the dedicated server runs the world around every player (spawns, raids, zones).

Install

• Server only, clients only, or both. Server-only works, and players without the mod can still join.
• Installing on both sides adds compression, smoother player movement and the boat fix.
• Keep the server and every client on the same version.
• Put VAGhettoNetworking.dll in BepInEx/plugins/. The mod detects whether it is running on a server or a client.

Requires

• BepInExPack for Valheim. Nothing else.

Settings

Most people should not touch the config. Auto-Tune handles it. The settings you see by default:

• [01 - General] Log Level
• [04 - Networking] Enable Compression
• [06 - Auto-Tune] Enable Client Auto-Tune, Enable Server Auto-Tune
• [09 - Dedicated Server] Force Crossplay, Player Limit, Advertised Player Limit
• [10 - Server Authority] Enable Server-Side Simulation (off by default)
• [13 - Compatibility] Refuse Mismatched FGN Clients (off by default)
• [03 - Player Sync] Remote Motion (experimental) (on by default)

Everything else is under Show Advanced in the config manager.

Players: the only section meant for you is Player Sync. Everything else is server-driven or auto-tuned, and server-only settings are ignored on a client.

Server-Side Simulation

Off by default. Turn on Enable Server-Side Simulation and the server loads the world around every player, decides when and where creatures and raids spawn, and handles zones. Monsters are still run by the nearby players' games.

Server ZDO Ownership goes further and moves creatures onto the server. We don't recommend it: it is the least-tested option and can cause trouble with boats and carts. If you try it, use Selective. Tamed creatures always stay with the players.

Steam vs crossplay

Players on crossplay (Xbox, Game Pass, PlayStation, or anyone who joined with a crossplay code) don't get compression or the Steam send-rate tuning; those only exist on Steam connections. Everything that cuts how much is sent still works for them. A server started with -crossplay can put even Steam players on crossplay. fgn_links in the console shows who is on what.

Admin commands

• fgn_links - each player's connection.
• fgn_rtt - times a round trip to the server.
• fgn_netsim - adds fake lag to your own connection for testing.
• fgn_sss_areas N - simulates N extra busy areas to see what Server-Side Simulation would cost (0 clears it).

Compatibility

• Tested on a server with 60+ other mods. Pairs well with Better ZLog and timeout-limit mods.
• ValheimCommunityPatch: compatible. Server-Side Simulation stays off while it is installed.
• Valheim Performance Optimizations: not compatible on a server. Server-Side Simulation and ZDO ownership stay off with it.
• TooManyLags - FiresGhettoNetworking Addon: a third-party add-on we have not tested. It overrides your FGN settings while it runs. If anything breaks, remove it and test with FGN alone before reporting.
• Don't stack other networking or "optimization" mods; they patch the same parts of the game and can undo each other.

Credits

Built on the shoulders of BetterNetworking and Serverside Simulations, with ideas from Comfy Valheim's BetterZeeRouter. The auto-tuner and server self-tune are original to this mod.

Issues / questions

https://discord.gg/zQRgHbqms4

Screenshots