Managing Terraria Worlds & Backups

Overview

Terraria worlds are the heart of your server experience. This guide covers everything you need to know about managing worlds, creating backups, uploading custom worlds, and restoring your server data.

Understanding Terraria World Files

Terraria worlds consist of two main file types:

• .wld files - The main world data file containing terrain, buildings, and NPCs
• .twld files - World metadata (optional, created by TerrariaServer)

World File Locations

On your OCN Panel server, Terraria worlds are stored in:

/home/container/worlds/

Accessing Your World Files

Using the File Manager

1. Log into your OCN Panel
2. Select your Terraria server
3. Click Files in the left sidebar
4. Navigate to the worlds folder
5. You'll see your world files listed (e.g., MyWorld.wld)

Using SFTP (Advanced)

For bulk file management, use SFTP:

1. Click Settings in the panel sidebar
2. Find your SFTP connection details
3. Use an SFTP client like FileZilla or WinSCP
4. Navigate to /worlds/ directory

Creating Manual Backups

Method 1: Using the Panel File Manager

1. Stop your server (important to prevent corruption)
2. Navigate to Files > worlds
3. Right-click your world file (e.g., MyWorld.wld)
4. Select Download
5. Save the file to your local computer with a date stamp (e.g., MyWorld_2025-11-14.wld)

Method 2: Using the Backup Feature

1. Go to Backups in the panel sidebar
2. Click Create Backup
3. Enter a descriptive name (e.g., "Before Boss Battle")
4. Click Start Backup
5. Wait for the backup to complete

Uploading Custom Worlds

You can upload worlds from your local Terraria installation or downloaded from community sites.

Step 1: Stop Your Server

Always stop the server before uploading world files to prevent corruption.

Step 2: Upload the World File

1. Navigate to Files > worlds
2. Click Upload (top right)
3. Select your .wld file from your computer
4. Wait for the upload to complete

Step 3: Configure Server to Use New World

1. Go to Startup in the sidebar
2. Find the WORLD_NAME variable
3. Set it to your world filename without the .wld extension
4. Example: If your file is CustomWorld.wld, enter CustomWorld

Step 4: Start and Test

1. Click Start to boot your server
2. Check the console for world loading messages
3. Connect and verify the world loaded correctly

Restoring from Backups

Restoring Panel Backups

1. Stop your server
2. Navigate to Backups
3. Find the backup you want to restore
4. Click the three dots menu
5. Select Restore
6. Confirm the restoration
7. Wait for the process to complete (may take a few minutes)

Restoring Local World Backups

1. Stop your server
2. Navigate to Files > worlds
3. Delete or rename the current world file
4. Upload your backup .wld file
5. Ensure the filename matches your WORLD_NAME setting
6. Start the server

Managing Multiple Worlds

You can keep multiple worlds on your server and switch between them.

Switching Worlds

1. Stop your server
2. Go to Startup
3. Change the WORLD_NAME variable to your desired world
4. Optionally adjust WORLD_SIZE to match (Small=1, Medium=2, Large=3)
5. Start the server

Organizing Multiple Worlds

Keep your worlds organized with clear naming:

• MainWorld.wld - Your primary world
• EventWorld.wld - For special events
• BuildWorld.wld - Creative building
• TestWorld.wld - Testing new content

Automated Backup Schedule

The OCN Panel can create automatic backups on a schedule:

1. Go to Schedules in the sidebar
2. Click Create Schedule
3. Set your desired frequency (e.g., daily at 4 AM)
4. Add a task: Create Backup
5. Enable the schedule

World Corruption and Recovery

Signs of World Corruption

• Server crashes on world load
• Missing chunks or terrain glitches
• Items or buildings disappearing
• Console errors mentioning world files

Recovery Steps

1. Try the most recent backup first - Restore your latest backup
2. Use TEdit (PC Tool) - Download your world and try repairing it with TEdit
3. Contact Support - If backups fail, contact OCN support immediately
4. Start Fresh - As a last resort, create a new world

Troubleshooting

World Not Loading

• Check that WORLD_NAME matches your .wld filename (without extension)
• Verify the world file exists in the /worlds/ folder
• Check file permissions (should be readable by the server)
• Look for error messages in the console

Upload Fails

• Ensure the server is stopped
• Check your server storage isn't full (Files > Settings)
• Try uploading via SFTP if the web upload fails
• Verify the file isn't corrupted (try opening in Terraria locally)

Backup Fails

• Check if you've reached your backup limit (usually 5)
• Delete old backups to make room
• Ensure you have sufficient storage space
• Contact support if backups consistently fail

Best Practices Summary

• ✅ Create backups before major changes
• ✅ Keep backups locally for critical worlds
• ✅ Name files descriptively with dates
• ✅ Test backups periodically
• ✅ Stop the server before file operations
• ✅ Set up automated backup schedules
• ✅ Monitor storage space regularly
• ❌ Don't modify world files while server is running
• ❌ Don't delete all backups without a local copy
• ❌ Don't ignore console errors about world files

Need Help?

If you're experiencing issues with world management or backups, our support team is here to help:

• 📧 Email: support@ocnetworks.co.uk
• 💬 Live Chat: Available on our website
• 🎫 Support Ticket: Open a ticket through your panel