# How to Customize World Generation in Don't Starve Together (worldgenoverride.lua) (/docs/dont-starve-together/world-generation) import { Step, Steps } from 'fumadocs-ui/components/steps'; Don't Starve Together's `worldgenoverride.lua` lets you customize **everything** about your world before generation: season lengths, world size, resource frequency, starting season, day/night ratios, mob spawns. Each shard (Master and Caves) has its own file. This page is the complete reference. File Location [#file-location] ``` DoNotStarveTogether/Cluster_1/Master/worldgenoverride.lua DoNotStarveTogether/Cluster_1/Caves/worldgenoverride.lua ``` If the file doesn't exist, create it. Settings only apply when the world is **first generated** — to apply changes to an existing world, you must regenerate that shard's `save/` folder. File Format [#file-format] ```lua return { override_enabled = true, preset = "SURVIVAL_TOGETHER", overrides = { season_start = "summer", world_size = "huge", season = "shortboth", } } ``` | Field | Required | Description | | ------------------ | -------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------- | | `override_enabled` | Yes | Must be `true` for any of your overrides to apply | | `preset` | Yes | The base preset to start from — overrides modify this preset | | `overrides` | Yes | Table of `setting = "value"` pairs to apply on top of the preset | Available Presets [#available-presets] | Preset | Description | | --------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------- | | `SURVIVAL_TOGETHER` | Standard DST surface world (default for Master shard) | | `SURVIVAL_TOGETHER_CLASSIC` | Classic Don't Starve world layout | | `SURVIVAL_DEFAULT_PLUS` | Survival mode with more resources | | `COMPLETE_DARKNESS` | Always-night extreme survival | | `DST_CAVE` | Standard cave world (default for Caves shard) | | `DST_CAVE_PLUS` | Caves with more resources | Season Settings [#season-settings] | Setting | Values | Description | | -------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------- | | `season_start` | `default`, `autumn`, `winter`, `spring`, `summer`, `random` | Which season the world starts in | | `season` | `noseason`, `veryshortseason`, `shortseason`, `default`, `longseason`, `verylongseason`, `random` | Length of all seasons | | `autumn` | same as `season` | Length of autumn specifically | | `winter` | same as `season` | Length of winter specifically | | `spring` | same as `season` | Length of spring specifically | | `summer` | same as `season` | Length of summer specifically | World Size & Layout [#world-size--layout] | Setting | Values | Description | | ------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------- | | `world_size` | `small`, `medium`, `default`, `huge` | Total map size | | `branching` | `never`, `least`, `default`, `most` | How branchy the map setpiece layout is | | `loop` | `never`, `default`, `always` | Whether the map loops back on itself | | `task_set` | `default`, `cave_default`, `classic`, `lavaarena`, `quagmire` | Set of regions to use | Day/Night Cycle [#daynight-cycle] | Setting | Values | Description | | ------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------- | | `day` | `default`, `longday`, `longdusk`, `longnight`, `noday`, `nonight`, `nodusk`, `onlyday`, `onlydusk`, `onlynight` | Day phase ratio | Resources (set per resource type) [#resources-set-per-resource-type] These all use the same value scale: `never`, `rare`, `default`, `often`, `mostly`, `always`. Examples: | Setting | What | | ------------ | ----------------- | | `flint` | Flint nodes | | `grass` | Grass tufts | | `sapling` | Saplings | | `trees` | Tree density | | `rock` | Boulders | | `gold_depth` | Gold ore in caves | | `flowers` | Flowers | | `berrybush` | Berry bushes | | `carrot` | Wild carrots | Mobs (creatures) [#mobs-creatures] Same scale as resources: `never`, `rare`, `default`, `often`, `mostly`, `always`. | Setting | What | | ----------- | ---------------------- | | `spiders` | Spider dens | | `pigs` | Pig houses | | `bunnymen` | Bunnymen (caves) | | `tallbirds` | Tallbird nests | | `hounds` | Hound attack frequency | | `rabbits` | Rabbit holes | | `beefalo` | Beefalo herds | | `frogs` | Frog ponds | | `bees` | Bee hives | Special Settings [#special-settings] | Setting | Values | Description | | --------------- | ------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------- | | `petrification` | `none`, `few`, `default`, `many`, `max` | Petrified trees | | `boons` | `never`, `rare`, `default`, `often`, `mostly`, `always` | Special set-piece structures | | `cavelight` | `veryslow`, `slow`, `default`, `fast`, `veryfast` | (Caves) light cycle speed | Recipes [#recipes] Boosted Resource Server [#boosted-resource-server] ```lua return { override_enabled = true, preset = "SURVIVAL_TOGETHER", overrides = { flint = "often", grass = "often", sapling = "often", trees = "often", rock = "often", berrybush = "often", flowers = "often", season = "longseason", season_start = "autumn", } } ``` Hardcore Survival [#hardcore-survival] ```lua return { override_enabled = true, preset = "SURVIVAL_TOGETHER", overrides = { flint = "rare", grass = "rare", trees = "rare", season = "veryshortseason", season_start = "winter", hounds = "often", spiders = "often", day = "longnight", } } ``` Endless Summer [#endless-summer] ```lua return { override_enabled = true, preset = "SURVIVAL_TOGETHER", overrides = { season_start = "summer", autumn = "noseason", winter = "noseason", spring = "noseason", summer = "verylongseason", } } ``` Apply Your Changes [#apply-your-changes] Stop your server from **Console**. Edit `Master/worldgenoverride.lua` (and/or `Caves/worldgenoverride.lua`) with your overrides. **Crucial:** worldgenoverride only applies on **first world generation**. To force regeneration, delete the existing `save/` folder inside that shard's directory: ``` DoNotStarveTogether/Cluster_1/Master/save/ DoNotStarveTogether/Cluster_1/Caves/save/ ``` This wipes the existing world for that shard. Back up first if you want to preserve it. Start the server. The new world generates with your overrides applied. Why Aren't My Changes Applying? [#why-arent-my-changes-applying] | Cause | Fix | | -------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | `override_enabled = false` | Set to `true` | | Edited only Master, expected caves to change | Each shard has its own file — edit both | | Lua syntax error | The file must be valid Lua. A trailing comma after the last entry is fine, but missing commas or quotes break it. Use a Lua linter if unsure. | | World already generated | Overrides only apply on first gen — delete the `save/` folder to regenerate | | Wrong preset name | Preset names are case-sensitive | Related Guides [#related-guides] * [Configure Your Server](/docs/dont-starve-together/configure-your-server) * [Caves Shard Setup](/docs/dont-starve-together/caves-shard-setup) * [Reset Your Server](/docs/dont-starve-together/reset-server)