SCP:SL Server Optimization

This guide provides comprehensive optimization strategies for your SCP: Secret Laboratory server to ensure smooth gameplay and optimal performance.

Performance Baseline

Before optimizing, establish performance baselines:

Key Performance Metrics

Metric	Good	Acceptable	Poor
Tick Rate	60 TPS	50-59 TPS	Below 50 TPS
Server FPS	60+ FPS	45-60 FPS	Below 45 FPS
RAM Usage	Under 2GB	2-3GB	Over 3GB
CPU Usage	Under 40%	40-70%	Over 70%
Network Latency	Under 50ms	50-100ms	Over 100ms

Monitor these metrics through your Wasabi Hosting Gamepanel dashboard or server console.

Configuration Optimization

Gameplay Configuration

Optimize config_gameplay.txt for better performance:

# Optimized Gameplay Settings

# Reduce item spawn rates for better performance
item_spawn_multiplier: 0.9

# Faster item cleanup
dropped_item_despawn_time: 120
item_despawn_time: 240

# Ragdoll cleanup
ragdoll_cleanup_time: 8
max_ragdolls: 20

# Efficient respawn timing
respawn_time_minimum: 15
respawn_time_maximum: 20

# Decontamination (reduces entity count in LCZ)
decontamination_time: 690

# Warhead timing (ends rounds before performance degrades)
warhead_auto_detonate_time: 900

Lower item_spawn_multiplier and faster despawn times significantly reduce entity count, improving server performance.

Network Optimization

Configure network settings in config.txt:

# Network Performance Settings
tick_rate: 60
send_rate: 60
max_snapshot_entities: 128

# Connection Settings
timeout_time: 60
max_ping: 500
kick_on_timeout: true

# Bandwidth Management
network_compression: true
max_packet_size: 1024
interpolation: 0.1

Server Process Optimization

Optimize startup parameters:

# Recommended Startup Parameters
-port 7777 \
-maxplayers 20 \
-nographics \
-batchmode \
-nodedicateddelete \
-logFile logs/server.log \
-high

Parameter Explanations

Parameter	Purpose	Performance Impact
`-nographics`	Disables graphics rendering	High - Essential for dedicated servers
`-batchmode`	Runs without user interaction	Medium - Reduces overhead
`-high`	Sets process priority to high	Medium - Better CPU allocation
`-logFile`	Custom log location	Low - Better log management
`-maxplayers 20`	Limits player count	Variable - Scale based on hardware

System-Level Optimization

Memory Management

# Memory Optimization Settings

# Garbage Collection
gc_mode: incremental
gc_interval: 300

# Memory Limits
max_memory: 2048  # MB
memory_cleanup_threshold: 1536  # MB

# Object Pool Settings
enable_object_pooling: true
pool_size_weapons: 50
pool_size_items: 100
pool_size_projectiles: 200

Setting memory limits too low can cause crashes. Ensure at least 2GB is allocated for optimal performance.

CPU Optimization

Distribute load across CPU cores:

# Multi-threading Settings
enable_multithreading: true
worker_threads: 4
physics_thread_count: 2

# CPU Priority
process_priority: high
affinity_mask: auto  # Let the OS handle core allocation

Plugin Optimization

EXILED Plugin Framework

Optimize EXILED configuration:

# EXILED Optimization (~/.config/EXILED/Configs/exiled.yml)
debug: false
environment: production

# Performance Settings
max_event_handlers: 100
event_handler_timeout: 5000

# Logging (reduce for better performance)
log_level: Info
log_events: false
detailed_errors: false

Plugin Best Practices

Choosing Efficient Plugins

Performance-Friendly Plugins:

Well-maintained and regularly updated
Minimal event subscriptions
Efficient database queries
Proper error handling
Asynchronous operations where possible

Avoid:

Abandoned or outdated plugins
Plugins that hook into every game event
Poorly coded plugins with memory leaks
Redundant plugins providing similar features

Database Optimization

If using plugins with database functionality:

# MySQL Optimization
database:
  # Connection Pooling
  min_pool_size: 2
  max_pool_size: 10
  connection_timeout: 15

  # Query Optimization
  use_prepared_statements: true
  enable_query_cache: true
  cache_size: 256  # MB

  # Performance
  batch_size: 100
  async_operations: true

Use connection pooling to reuse database connections and reduce overhead.

Entity Management

Item and Ragdoll Cleanup

# Entity Cleanup Configuration

# Automatic Cleanup
enable_auto_cleanup: true
cleanup_interval: 60  # seconds

# Item Management
max_items_per_room: 30
item_despawn_time: 180
dropped_item_despawn_time: 120

# Ragdoll Management
ragdoll_cleanup_time: 10
max_ragdolls: 20
cleanup_ragdolls_on_round_end: true

# Projectile Management
projectile_lifetime: 30
max_active_projectiles: 50

Door and Elevator Optimization

# Door Settings
door_update_rate: 10  # Updates per second
door_close_time: 5

# Elevator Settings
elevator_movement_speed: 5.0
elevator_wait_time: 3

Round Optimization

Efficient Round Settings

# Round Configuration for Performance

# Quick Round Start
lobby_waiting_time: 20
round_start_countdown: 10

# Auto-Restart
auto_round_restart: true
auto_round_restart_time: 5

# Round Duration
warhead_auto_detonate_time: 900  # 15 minutes
max_round_time: 1200  # 20 minutes

# Respawn Optimization
respawn_time_minimum: 15
respawn_time_maximum: 20
max_respawn_amount: 15

Shorter rounds prevent performance degradation from entity buildup and keep the server fresh.

Network and Bandwidth Optimization

Connection Settings

# Network Optimization

# Rate Settings
tick_rate: 60
send_rate: 60
receive_rate: 60

# Bandwidth
max_rate: 100000
min_rate: 10000

# Compression
enable_compression: true
compression_level: 6  # Balance between CPU and bandwidth

# Anti-DDoS
rate_limit_enabled: true
max_connections_per_ip: 2
connection_throttle: 1000  # ms between connections

Port Configuration

# Efficient Port Setup
server_port: 7777
query_port: 7777
max_simultaneous_queries: 50

Performance Monitoring

Logging Configuration

Balance between information and performance:

# Optimized Logging

# Log Levels
log_level: Warning  # Only log warnings and errors
debug_logging: false

# Log Rotation
log_rotation: daily
max_log_files: 7
compress_old_logs: true

# Specific Logging
log_player_connections: true
log_admin_commands: true
log_performance_warnings: true
log_every_action: false  # Disable verbose logging

Performance Alerts

Configure alerts for performance issues:

# Performance Monitoring

# Thresholds
cpu_usage_alert: 80
memory_usage_alert: 85
tick_rate_alert: 45
lag_spike_threshold: 100  # ms

# Alert Actions
alert_admins: true
auto_cleanup_on_lag: true
emergency_restart_threshold: 90  # % CPU

Player Count Optimization

Scaling by Player Count

Small (8-12 players)
Medium (12-20 players)
Large (20-30 players)

# Optimized for 8-12 players
max_players: 12
max_items_spawn: 80
max_ragdolls: 15
item_spawn_multiplier: 0.8

# Can afford higher quality
tick_rate: 60
send_rate: 60

# Optimized for 12-20 players
max_players: 20
max_items_spawn: 96
max_ragdolls: 20
item_spawn_multiplier: 0.9

# Balanced settings
tick_rate: 60
send_rate: 60

# Optimized for 20-30 players
max_players: 30
max_items_spawn: 120
max_ragdolls: 25
item_spawn_multiplier: 1.0

# May need to reduce quality
tick_rate: 50
send_rate: 50

# More aggressive cleanup
dropped_item_despawn_time: 90
ragdoll_cleanup_time: 8

Anti-Cheat Optimization

Balance security and performance:

# Anti-Cheat Settings

# Enable Essential Checks
enable_anticheat: true
check_player_speed: true
check_noclip: true
check_item_spawn: true

# Reduce Check Frequency (better performance)
anticheat_check_interval: 5  # seconds
anticheat_tolerance: 0.7

# Disable Expensive Checks (if low on resources)
check_every_packet: false
deep_packet_inspection: false

Advanced Optimization Techniques

Object Pooling

# Object Pooling Configuration

# Enable Pooling
enable_object_pooling: true

# Pool Sizes
pool_bullets: 500
pool_grenades: 50
pool_items: 200
pool_effects: 100

# Pool Behavior
prewarm_pools: true
dynamic_pool_sizing: true
max_pool_growth: 2.0

Async Operations

# Asynchronous Processing

# Enable Async
enable_async_physics: true
enable_async_pathfinding: true
enable_async_loading: true

# Threading
max_background_threads: 4
background_thread_priority: low

Caching

# Caching Configuration

# Enable Caches
enable_player_cache: true
enable_room_cache: true
enable_spawn_cache: true

# Cache Settings
cache_lifetime: 300  # seconds
max_cache_size: 512  # MB
cache_cleanup_interval: 60

Hardware Recommendations

Recommended Specifications by Player Count

Player Count	CPU	RAM	Network
8-12	2 cores @ 3.0GHz+	2GB	10 Mbps
12-20	4 cores @ 3.5GHz+	4GB	25 Mbps
20-30	6 cores @ 4.0GHz+	6GB	50 Mbps

These are minimum recommendations. More resources will always improve performance.

Optimization Checklist

Use this checklist to optimize your server:

Troubleshooting Performance Issues

High CPU Usage

Common Causes:

Too many plugins running intensive operations
Large player count exceeding server capacity
Memory leaks in plugins
Inefficient event handlers

Solutions:

Reduce max player count
Disable non-essential plugins
Lower tick rate to 50 or 45
Enable more aggressive cleanup
Update or remove problematic plugins

Memory Leaks

Common Causes:

Poorly coded plugins not releasing objects
Excessive ragdoll/item accumulation
Large log files

Solutions:

Enable automatic cleanup
Reduce entity spawn rates
Restart server regularly (daily recommended)
Update plugins to latest versions
Enable log rotation and compression

Network Lag

Common Causes:

Insufficient bandwidth
DDoS attacks
Too many simultaneous connections
Large packet sizes

Solutions:

Enable network compression
Implement rate limiting
Configure anti-DDoS protection (use Firewall Manager)
Reduce send/receive rates if needed
Limit connections per IP

Low Tick Rate

Common Causes:

Server overloaded
Blocking operations in game thread
Insufficient CPU resources
Too many entities

Solutions:

Reduce player count
Enable async operations
Increase cleanup frequency
Remove CPU-intensive plugins
Lower visual quality settings

Maintenance Schedule

Regular maintenance ensures optimal performance: Daily:

Monitor performance metrics
Check error logs
Verify tick rate stability

Weekly:

Review plugin performance
Clean up old logs
Update critical plugins
Analyze player feedback

Monthly:

Full server restart
Plugin audit (remove unused)
Configuration review
Performance benchmark tests
Server and plugin updates

Schedule restarts during off-peak hours to minimize player disruption.

Performance Testing

Test optimization changes:

Establish baseline

Record current performance metrics before changes

Apply single change

Make one optimization change at a time

Monitor for 24 hours

Observe performance over a full day cycle

Compare metrics

Compare new metrics to baseline

Keep or revert

Keep change if improved, revert if worse

By following these optimization guidelines, your SCP: Secret Laboratory server on Wasabi Hosting will deliver excellent performance and a smooth gameplay experience for your players.

Get your own SCP: Secret Laboratory server

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​SCP:SL Server Optimization

​Performance Baseline

​Configuration Optimization

​Gameplay Configuration

​Network Optimization

​Server Process Optimization

​System-Level Optimization

​Memory Management

​CPU Optimization

​Plugin Optimization

​EXILED Plugin Framework

​Plugin Best Practices

​Database Optimization

​Entity Management

​Item and Ragdoll Cleanup

​Door and Elevator Optimization

​Round Optimization

​Efficient Round Settings

​Network and Bandwidth Optimization

​Connection Settings

​Port Configuration

​Performance Monitoring

​Logging Configuration

​Performance Alerts

​Player Count Optimization

​Scaling by Player Count

​Anti-Cheat Optimization

​Advanced Optimization Techniques

​Object Pooling

​Async Operations

​Caching

​Hardware Recommendations

​Optimization Checklist

​Troubleshooting Performance Issues

​Maintenance Schedule

​Performance Testing

Get your own SCP: Secret Laboratory server

SCP:SL Server Optimization

Performance Baseline

Configuration Optimization

Gameplay Configuration

Network Optimization

Server Process Optimization

System-Level Optimization

Memory Management

CPU Optimization

Plugin Optimization

EXILED Plugin Framework

Plugin Best Practices

Database Optimization

Entity Management

Item and Ragdoll Cleanup

Door and Elevator Optimization

Round Optimization

Efficient Round Settings

Network and Bandwidth Optimization

Connection Settings

Port Configuration

Performance Monitoring

Logging Configuration

Performance Alerts

Player Count Optimization

Scaling by Player Count

Anti-Cheat Optimization

Advanced Optimization Techniques

Object Pooling

Async Operations

Caching

Hardware Recommendations

Optimization Checklist

Troubleshooting Performance Issues

Maintenance Schedule

Performance Testing