SharedData to Cloud Setup

The Official Guide for setting up the SharedData to Cloud Feature for Empyrion Multiplayer & Local Co-op.
Please use of the sidebar shortcuts "Guide index" on the right.

SharedData to Cloud Setup MP

We highly recommend that MP Server owners switch to the new method for downloading the ShardData folder for any scenario that is adding content with this folder. This will dramatically increase the speed it takes to download this folder for each client.
This is done in the dedicated.yaml file beneath the GameConfig tag.

1.Locate SharedData Folder:

• Server root installation: Content/Scenarios/<Scenario Name>.
2.Compress SharedData Folder:
• Right-click on the SharedData folder > Send To > Compressed (zipped) folder.
• Note: Only zip formats from Windows or 7zip are supported.
WinRAR is not supported and will not work.!

2.Upload the Zip File:

• Upload the zipped SharedData folder to a cloud service (Dropbox, OneDrive, Google Drive).
• Note: Google Drive can sometimes stop working for this feature when a server with a large population (50+ players) is starting a new save or updating the SharedData folder & has lots of players join at the same time.
If you run a Dedicated MP server with a large player population you may want to look in to hosting the SharedData folder via a service like this (NX11):
https://www.hetzner.com/storage/storage-share/#pricing

3.Create Download URL:

• Select to share the zip file you uploaded and ensure it’s a public link.

4.Update dedicated.yaml:

• Open dedicated.yaml.
• Under GameConfig > CustomScenario, add:
SharedDataURL: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/xxxxxxxxxx/FileName.zip?xxxxxxxxxx=0
• Replace with your own link do not use this example link. Example:

GameConfig:
	GameName: DediGame                   	# Determines name of the save game
	Mode: Survival                       	# Survival or Creative
	Seed: 1011345                        	# The seed determines how the world is procedurally generated - the same seed means the same world
	CustomScenario: Default Multiplayer  	# Enable custom scenario. Name of custom scenario from folder Content\Scenarios
	SharedDataURL: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/xxxxxxxxxx/FileName.zip?xxxxxxxxxx=0

!ATTENTION! Any time a custom scenario's SharedData folder is updated, you should upload a new version to your file host, create a new share link, and update the dedicated.yaml file with the new link.

The SharedDataURL information will be at the bottom of the stock dedicated.yaml that comes with the standalone dedicated server download.

Instructions for Co-op Mode

1. Preparing the SharedData Folder:

• Steam: Right-click "Empyrion" in Steam library > Properties > Installed Files > Browse > Content > Scenarios
• Epic: Right-click "Empyrion" in Epic library > Manage > Open Install Location > Content > Scenarios
• Navigate to the custom scenario folder, right-click on SharedData folder > zip/compress it.
• Upload the compressed folder to a cloud service (Dropbox, OneDrive (Personal), Google Drive).

2. Custom Scenarios from the Steam Workshop:

• Navigate to: SteamLibrary\steamapps\workshop\content\383120 > find the correct folder by ID number.
• Once you find the correct folder for the workshop scenarios create a shortcut to it on your desktop or somewhere else for easier finding in the future
• Zip/compress the SharedData folder and upload it to a cloud service.

3. Enable sharing and create a share link:

• Enable sharing for the uploaded folder.
• Create and copy a public share link.

4. Add the share link in the Co-op menu setup:

• In the Co-op setup menu, find “SharedDataURL”.
From the Main menu > Co-op > Start Game > Survival >Start (after setting up the "Difficulty Settings" if you want to change anything) > Then in the Local Co-op setup GUI it's the second element from the top.
• Paste the copied share link.
• Start the co-op server. The link will be added to the dedicated.yaml file.

5. Monitor for Updates:

• Check for updates from the scenario's author.
• If an update to the scenarios SharedData folder has been done delete the old zip, create a new one, upload it, and generate a new share link.
• Update the dedicated.yaml file with the new link.

Active Co-op Saves

1. Identify the Save Game:

• Main menu > Single player or Local Co-op > Load Game
• Navigate to save game folder:
• Steam: Right-click "Empyrion" in Steam library > Properties > Installed Files > Browse > Saves > Games
• Epic: Right-click "Empyrion" in Epic library > Manage > Open Install Location > Saves > Games
• Open "dedicated.yaml" in Notepad++ and note the CustomScenario line. Keep the file open.

2. Prepare the SharedData folder:

• Steam: Right-click "Empyrion" in Steam library > Properties > Installed Files > Browse > Content > Scenarios
• Epic: Right-click "Empyrion" in Epic library > Manage > Open Install Location > Content > Scenarios

• Custom Scenarios: Navigate to SteamLibrary\steamapps\workshop\content\383120 > correct folder by ID number. Create a shortcut if needed.
• Zip/compress the SharedData folder and upload it to a cloud service (Dropbox, OneDrive (Personal), Google Drive).

3. Enable sharing and create a share link:

• Enable sharing for the uploaded folder.
• Create and copy a public share link.

4. Editing the dedicated.yaml:

• In Notepad++, add a new line after the last line.
• Add "SharedDataURL:" followed by the share link. Example:
SharedDataURL: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/xxxxxxxxxx/FileName.zip?xxxxxxxxxx=0

• Save and close the file.
• Start the game and load in to Co-op mode with your save game.

Updating the SharedData Folder:

• When updating, delete the old zip, create a new one, upload it, and generate a new share link.
• Replace the old link in "dedicated.yaml" with the new one and save.
• Start Local Co-op with the save. Delete the old upload if desired.

Notes

Support

If you have questions you can reach us by the following ways

Forum: https://empyriononline.com
Discord: https://discord.gg/empyrion
Email: [e-mail]

Or leave a comment in the guide section at the bottom.

You can also start a discussion post on Steam but since we get no notifications then it might be missed by Eleon Game Studios

[Taelyn]

We might be able to see something in your logs or with your url. But then you have to provide this information to us

[Taelyn]

I just checked our test server with with all 4 option and they function fine

[Zathabar]

Consider this your first report then.

Also: once downloaded the files are on the players machine and so he issue only occurs at set up so if your server owners have had no problems is that because they set up prior to this?

But no need for this to go further. As I said; glad you have thought of this. It does not work for me, though I shall be trying other providers and if I get one that works will post that here for completeness.

[Taelyn]

We have nothing to do with how cloud providers operate. At the time when we added it all 4 solutions worked fine.

How the cloud providers work, if they make changes to there systems thats outside our hands and not within our control.

Neither we have a single report from server owners that it doesnt function anymore and I know several who use google drive for there server

[Zathabar]

I shall. So you just admitted you posted an untested or researched fix? Puzzling. Its the official fix and yet you don't know how good it is in practice?

Lest you mistake me I am glad you tried for a work around. I just find the "We strongly urge you to do this!" line to be misplaced.

A simple "try this if you have issues" would be better and not look so ill thought out is all I am suggesting here.

[Taelyn]

We do not know the ratelimits cloud providers have. So we cant write anything down on this either.
You have to ask them what there limits are

[Zathabar]

I have a few websites under differing hosts I shall try that.

None the less why does this not appear in the documentation? All we have is the one cryptic note that Google Drive may play up under high amount of log ons. The three people we had log in at approximately the same time should not have raised even a blip on the might Google.

But it doesn't matter one person or three neither Google drive or Drop box (two of your recommended solutions) could do it.

Yet the humble little black box I have for a Emp server managed it with five simultaneous log ons the other day with nobody needing more than a minute to get on?

My server is on my home broadband in my back office. Are you seriously saying I have better bandwidth than Google or Drop box?!

I strongly urge everyone self hosting to ignore this sharing solution until somebody updates it to work.

[Taelyn]

On busy servers the solution will not function well due to the ratelimits
You could host your own solution and use that instead

[Zathabar]

This no longer appears to be working.

Tried with G-Drive and Drop box, no data is getting through to the players resulting in missing icons and other minor Bugs. going back o the normal "supposedly server intensive" [No evidence of that from observed play] fixed all issues.

[Taelyn]

It stopped working a couple of weeks ago and suddenly it worked again.
This is done by google when they make changes to how there drive works not by us.

If it doesnt work again, try again in a couple of days maybe it works again
or use one of the other options