server.pve (Rust server ConVar)

server.pve switches the server to PvE mode. The server's help text, which Facepunch marks as generated: "Enables PvE mode - players cannot damage other players; they can still be killed by NPCs and the environment".

What changes

By that help text, players cannot damage other players, while NPCs and the environment can still kill them. We have not tested in game what else the switch changes, so check anything beyond player damage, such as raiding, on your own server before you promise it to players.

A ConVar with a similar name, server.pvebulletdamagemultiplier, is not the switch. Its generated help text describes an "Additional bullet damage multiplier applied only when players shoot NPCs or animals, stacks with bulletdamage".

The server browser tag

Facepunch's tag reference says server.pve adds the PvE tag automatically. You do not need pve in server.tags as well; spend the tag slots on wipe schedule, difficulty or region instead.

Setting it

It can be set without a restart, over RCON, in the console, or from server.cfg with server.readcfg:

server.pve true

Reading it back prints True or False with a capital letter, while server.cfg usually has lowercase true or false. If a script compares the running value with your config, compare without case, as Panelra does.

server.writecfg does not save it; our test server's serverauto.cfg had no server.pve line. Keep it in server.cfg, otherwise a restart puts the server back to whatever the file says.

In Panelra

PvE mode is a toggle under Settings. Panelra writes server.pve true or server.pve false to server.cfg and runs server.readcfg, so it takes effect without a restart.