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

1.6.51

• Fast Leave Cleanup finds its game method safely on every game build. Hexium's store check showed a false "expected to be broken" warning for 1.6.50; nothing was broken, and this version clears it. (fixes)

1.6.50

• Fixed: new areas could generate with no trees, rocks or plants in single-player or when hosting from the game (FGN 1.6.9 - 1.6.27). "Spread Terrain Rebuilds" delayed the ground of a brand-new area, and the game placed its trees before the ground existed. New areas now build their ground at once. Areas that already generated bare stay bare in that world. Dedicated servers were not affected. (fixes)
• Companion keep-alive and homestead settings move to FiresCompanions; they arrive with its next update. Until then, server keep-alive of companion trip areas is off. (network)
• Water and terrain at portal arrivals and teleports line up again (no seams). (fixes)
• Fermenters, cooking stations and shield generators: refunds and requests reach a headless server and name the right item. (fixes)
• Cleaner logs: normal play shows one-time events and warnings; test lines need Log Level Debug. (logs)
• "Remote Motion (experimental)" is off by default again, and updates no longer switch it on. If other players looked jittery when walking, this was why. (network)
• "Fast Leave Cleanup" is on: a player leaving no longer stalls the server (about 75-95 ms saved per leave on a big world). (performance)
• Faster object creation when arriving in an area, and smoother play while moving. (performance)
• Fewer warnings with WackysDatabase broken item clones (handled, nothing lost). (logs)

If you can't update yet: set "Spread Terrain Rebuilds = false" under [02 - Client Performance] in BepInEx\config\com.Fire.FiresGhettoNetworkMod.cfg, with the game closed.

1.6.27

• Feasts redraw correctly when the whole stack arrives from another player ("Redraw Feasts When Their Stack Arrives", on). (fixes)
• The server takes control of wild creatures back from players so they behave the same for everyone. Tamed creatures stay with their players. (network)
• New "Server Simulates Tamed Creatures Too" (off by default): following tames stay with their player, idle tames and NPCs move to the server. (network)
• "Kinematic sync sweep" now lives in FGN's [Performance] section, on by default, with your old value from FiresCompanions or Core carried over. (performance)
• Creature and ship ownership now also covers prefabs that other mods register late. (network)
• Performance fixes for idle creatures, ships and random events. (performance)

1.6.9

• New "Spread Dungeon Room Spawns": dungeon rooms spawn over several frames.
• Time-Slice is now on by default (also for local hosts), with heavy objects created first and alone.
• "Spread Terrain Rebuilds" is on by default and covers every rebuild.
• Carts stay put on wall hangers, in buildings and on ramps.
• Dedicated servers run smoother; quieter logs.

1.5.78

• Bug fixes and improvements.

1.5.72

• Fires companions are never taken over by the server or moved between players any more, so a wild companion no longer T-poses or floats.
• With "Server ZDO Ownership" on, picking up items and editing terrain work again.
• "Balance Creature Ownership" no longer moves a creature in the middle of a fight, so group fights stay in sync.
• Players joining a big or brand-new world are no longer dropped while it downloads or builds.
• "Refuse Mismatched FGN Clients" only kicks players on a different FGN version, never a player who is still loading.
• Smelters, kilns, fires and other stations no longer lose or duplicate items when players don't have FGN.
• Cleaner settings screen: the basics show first, the rest is under Show Advanced (your saved values are kept).

1.5.65

• Lower CPU use, especially when playing alone.
• Fewer hitches near terrain changes, and a fix for an error when joining.
• Picking up items works in Server-Side Simulation areas.
• With Fires Unified Core installed, FGN shows players, upload, download and ping on the hub's Stats tab.

1.5.53

• Fixes and improvements.

1.5.51

• Works on Game Pass and the Microsoft Store version of Valheim (no Steam needed).

1.5.49

• Steam-only features are skipped where Steam isn't available.

1.5.41

• Server tuning suggestions are no longer written to the log by default.
• Fixed crossplay join codes stalling, a false version warning when rejoining, and an error with AzuAntiCheat.

1.5.36

• Fixed shield generator error spam on Server-Side Simulation servers.
• Fixed world data wipes with Expand World Prefabs, and players snapping back after teleporting.

1.5.28

• Saddles and taming work on Server-Side Simulation servers.
• Clearer setting descriptions.

1.5.19

• Fixed broken objects when used with ValheimCommunityPatch.
• Server-Side Simulation stays off when Valheim Performance Optimizations is installed.

1.5.17

• Better crossplay connections; crossplay servers can be joined by IP again.
• Fewer hitches, and joining a server is about half a second faster.
• Smarter auto-tune that measures one player at a time and remembers each server.
• Whoever takes the helm gets the ship, so steering answers right away.
• Update the server and every client to the same version.

1.4.31

• Updated for Valheim 1.0.
• Monsters go to the player with the best connection, so they stop rubber-banding.
• Chat, effects and damage numbers only go to players who can see them.
• Boats no longer sink or take damage on calm water or with players aboard.
• Tamed creatures stay in their pens, and crops and building wear work normally.
• Sleeping and waking on a busy server is quick again.

1.3.10

• Fixed an error flood on dedicated servers while pre-generating a world.
• Raids and random events no longer run forever on dedicated servers.
• Fixed crossplay servers failing to connect after installing FGN.
• Fewer "Disconnected" drops on busy servers.