server.properties: the settings that change performance, and the ones that do nothing
view-distance and simulation-distance are not the same lever, and one of them is where your TPS goes. What each setting actually costs, with sensible values.
Most server.properties tuning advice is copied between forums without anyone saying what each line costs. Here is what actually moves the needle.
view-distance vs simulation-distance
These are the two most misunderstood settings, and separating them is the single biggest win available.
view-distance— how many chunks are sent to the client. Costs bandwidth and
memory. Players see further.
simulation-distance— how many chunks are ticked: mobs, redstone, crops,
hoppers. Costs CPU. This is where TPS goes.
They used to be one setting, which is why old guides say "lower view-distance for performance". The modern answer is:
view-distance=10
simulation-distance=6Players still see 10 chunks out, but the server only simulates 6. Farms outside the simulation radius stop, which is a feature for lag and a problem for AFK farms — pick knowingly.
Settings that cost real CPU
| Setting | Default | Note |
|---|---|---|
simulation-distance | 10 | the main lever; 6–8 on a busy server |
entity-broadcast-range-percentage | 100 | drop to 50 to halve entity packet volume |
max-tick-time | 60000 | the watchdog; never disable it to hide lag |
sync-chunk-writes | true | false is much faster on spinning disks, slightly riskier |
network-compression-threshold | 256 | set -1 on a LAN, raise to 512 for a busy public server |
Settings that do nothing for performance
max-players— reserving fewer slots does not make the server faster. Load comes
from players actually online.
spawn-protection— a permissions radius, not a performance setting.view-distancealone — lowering it without touching simulation-distance mostly
saves bandwidth, not TPS.
The security-relevant ones
online-mode=true— verifies accounts against Mojang. Setting itfalseon a
public server means anyone can connect as any username. Only ever false behind a proxy that does the verification itself.
enforce-secure-profile— controls signed chat. Turning it off is common on
modded servers and is not itself a security hole.
white-list+enforce-whitelist— the second one is what kicks non-listed
players already connected. Setting only the first is the usual mistake.
MOTD
motd accepts section-sign colour codes, and the modern approach for a Paper server is MiniMessage formatting rather than raw § codes. Two lines are allowed — the split point is a literal \n in the properties file.
Keep it short. The server list truncates aggressively, and a long MOTD reads as spam.
Generate a valid properties file for your player count and hardware, and design the MOTD with a live preview, in the Server Setup Tools.