By default, most S&Box servers are completely identical blank slates. Configuring your server is the first step to making it a unique experience that stands out in the crowd. From setting a recognizable server name to adjusting player permissions, proper configuration ensures your server runs smoothly and reflects your intended style. Whether you’re building a casual sandbox, a competitive mode, or a fully customized community hub, these settings lay the foundation for everything that follows.
In this guide, you’ll learn:
- How to configure your Physgun server panel.
- How to change your startup batch file.
- How to change your server’s map and gamemode.
- How to set up basic user permissions.
Configuring your Server in your Physgun Panel
As a Physgun client, you get access to our server panel! We provide an easy-to-understand options section where you can quickly change and apply settings without getting too technical.
Configuring your Server’s Map and Gamemode
S&Box allows you to change the map and gamemode of your server by taking them straight from the Workshop, where you can find official and community content alike!
To change your map and gamemode:
- Visit your Physgun game server panel.
- Select the Server Options tab and find the box labeled “Game”.
- This option contains both your gamemode and map in that order.
- To find the ID for your gamemode, as well as your map, you’ll have to look at their link on the workshop page. For this guide, we will be using Sandbox and RP Downtown as our examples.
- Sandbox’s link looks like this: https://sbox.game/facepunch/sandbox
- RP Downtown’s link looks like this: https://sbox.game/thieves/rpdowntown3t
- Using the links for your map and gamemode, you want to copy everything after “sbox.game/” and replace the slashes with periods.
- Put these IDs into your “Game” option in. Make sure the gamemode comes first!
Example:
facepunch.sandbox thieves.rpdowntown3tConfiguring your users.json File
The next thing you can configure is the users.json file located in the config folder of your server’s location. This file will allow you to allocate permissions, or “Claims”, to specific SteamIDs.
To edit the users.json file:
- Open the file located in your config folder.
- Change the “SteamId” option to the SteamID64 of the player you want to grant permissions.
- You can have them give it to you or find it using a tool like SteamID.io
- Next, assign the kick, ban, or restart permissions as desired to the “Claims” option.
- Lastly, you can assign a name to the permission-set so it’s easy to differentiate between permissions.
If you want to assign more specific permissions, you may have to download an admin tool addon or create one yourself, but as of now, that’s all S&Box has to offer in terms of permissions.
Configuring your Server in your Batch File
If you’re not a Physgun client, you can easily configure your server using the batch file.
Configuring your Server’s Map and Gamemode
In your batch file there are a few options you can play with, including the map and gamemode.
To change your map and gamemode:
- Open your batch file.
- Find the “+game” option.
- Use the same method mentioned above to obtain the ID for your gamemode and map.
- Enter the ID of your gamemode and map, in that order, immediately after the “+game” option.
Example:
+game facepunch.sandbox thieves.rpdowntown3tConfiguring your users.json File
Configuring your users.json with a dedicated server is the exact same process used with a Physgun server. Just open up your MyServerLocation/config directory and edit the file to your liking!
Conclusion
Configuring your S&Box server is a straightforward process once you understand where to make changes and how each setting works. Whether you’re using the Physgun panel for quick adjustments or editing your batch file for more direct control, both methods give you the flexibility to shape your server exactly how you want it. From selecting the right map and gamemode to assigning permissions through your users.json file, these core configurations define the foundation of your server.
Once everything is set up, your server is ready to provide a smooth and tailored experience for your players. As you grow more comfortable with configuration, you can continue refining your setup with addons, custom systems, and more advanced tools to further enhance your community.