Question 1

How many players can a Starbound dedicated server host comfortably?

Accepted Answer

Starbound's server scales reasonably well for small groups - 8 to 16 players on a single server is typical for community hosting, with performance depending on how many players are simultaneously active in different sectors loading new world data. Each active player loading a new planet or dungeon triggers server-side sector generation and asset streaming, which is the primary CPU and I/O workload. Our AMD Ryzen 9 7950X handles Starbound's single-threaded sector management efficiently, while NVMe Gen4 storage at 3,500 MB/s means planet and dungeon data loads without the I/O stalls that cause loading screen timeouts on slower storage. For servers above 20 players with simultaneous exploration across many sectors, 4–8 GB RAM provides adequate headroom for concurrent sector data caching.

Question 2

Does UK hosting improve Starbound multiplayer for British players?

Accepted Answer

Starbound uses server-authoritative state for NPC behaviour, loot drops, and world modifications - at high latency, building and mining interactions have a perceptible delay before the server confirms changes, and NPC combat desynchronises in ways that make combat feel unresponsive. UK players connecting to non-UK servers typically experience 40–80ms additional round-trip latency that is particularly noticeable during co-operative dungeon exploration where timing matters. Glitch Servers routes through AS212868 with direct LINX and LONAP peering, keeping British players under 10ms round-trip for immediate interaction confirmation. Synchronised exploration across multiple players staying in the same sector feels noticeably smoother at sub-10ms latency than at the 40–60ms typical for EU-hosted alternatives.

Question 3

Can I install mods from the Steam Workshop on a hosted Starbound server?

Accepted Answer

Yes - Starbound dedicated servers support Steam Workshop mods through the steamcmd Workshop downloader, with Workshop content IDs listed in the server's starbound_server.config file. Mods are downloaded automatically on server startup when Workshop IDs are present in the configuration, and clients receive the mod list on connection - players need the same mods installed on their client to join. Full SSH and SFTP access means you can edit starbound_server.config directly to add or remove Workshop IDs, restart the server to trigger fresh downloads, and manage the mods directory manually for mods distributed outside Workshop. Popular mods like Frackin' Universe significantly expand the game but also increase RAM requirements, typically adding 1–2 GB to baseline memory usage.

Starbound Server Hosting in the UK