[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":421},["ShallowReactive",2],{"\u002Fguides\u002Fpaper-view-distance-vs-simulation-distance\u002F":3,"guides:en":348,"published-guide-paths":409},{"id":4,"title":5,"author":6,"body":7,"category":310,"date":311,"description":312,"excerpt":313,"extension":314,"faq":315,"featured":325,"featuredOrder":313,"localeGroup":326,"meta":327,"navigation":328,"path":329,"published":328,"related":330,"seo":334,"slug":335,"sources":336,"stem":346,"updated":311,"__hash__":347},"guides\u002Fguides\u002F12.paper-view-distance-vs-simulation-distance.md","View Distance vs Simulation Distance: Safe Starting Values for Paper","setupmc.com Team",{"type":8,"value":9,"toc":291},"minimark",[10,15,19,29,41,45,48,60,69,73,76,125,128,132,135,149,152,162,165,169,175,186,189,195,199,202,205,225,228,232,237,240,244,247,251,255,258,262,265,269],[11,12,14],"h2",{"id":13},"why-these-two-settings-matter","Why these two settings matter",[16,17,18],"p",{},"Paper separates two concerns that many admins mix together:",[20,21,22,26],"ul",{},[23,24,25],"li",{},"what the client can receive from the server",[23,27,28],{},"what the server actively simulates and ticks",[16,30,31,32,36,37,40],{},"That is why ",[33,34,35],"code",{},"view-distance"," and ",[33,38,39],{},"simulation-distance"," are not the same knob.",[11,42,44],{"id":43},"what-paper-says","What Paper says",[16,46,47],{},"Paper documents:",[20,49,50,55],{},[23,51,52,54],{},[33,53,35],{}," as the amount of world data the server sends the client",[23,56,57,59],{},[33,58,39],{}," as the maximum distance where living entities are updated by the server",[16,61,62,63,65,66,68],{},"That distinction is operationally important.\nIf your problem is heavy entity ticking or active game logic, ",[33,64,39],{}," usually matters more than ",[33,67,35],{},".",[11,70,72],{"id":71},"safe-starting-values","Safe starting values",[16,74,75],{},"For many small servers, these are reasonable starting points:",[77,78,79,92],"table",{},[80,81,82],"thead",{},[83,84,85,89],"tr",{},[86,87,88],"th",{},"Setting",[86,90,91],{},"Conservative baseline",[93,94,95,111],"tbody",{},[83,96,97,102],{},[98,99,100],"td",{},[33,101,35],{},[98,103,104,107,108],{},[33,105,106],{},"8"," to ",[33,109,110],{},"10",[83,112,113,117],{},[98,114,115],{},[33,116,39],{},[98,118,119,107,122],{},[33,120,121],{},"4",[33,123,124],{},"6",[16,126,127],{},"This is not a universal recipe.\nIt is a safe baseline that keeps gameplay acceptable while avoiding very aggressive simulation on modest hardware.",[11,129,131],{"id":130},"when-to-lower-simulation-distance-first","When to lower simulation-distance first",[16,133,134],{},"Start here if:",[20,136,137,140,143,146],{},[23,138,139],{},"villagers or mobs dominate tick time",[23,141,142],{},"farms are heavy",[23,144,145],{},"bases with many entities cause lag",[23,147,148],{},"Spark points to server-side activity rather than pure network or chunk send cost",[16,150,151],{},"Example:",[153,154,160],"pre",{"className":155,"code":157,"language":158,"meta":159},[156],"language-properties","view-distance=10\nsimulation-distance=5\n","properties","",[33,161,157],{"__ignoreMap":159},[16,163,164],{},"This often preserves the feel of the world better than cutting both values harshly.",[11,166,168],{"id":167},"when-to-lower-view-distance-as-well","When to lower view-distance as well",[16,170,171,172,174],{},"Lower ",[33,173,35],{}," if:",[20,176,177,180,183],{},[23,178,179],{},"exploration or wide terrain visibility is expensive",[23,181,182],{},"player count is rising",[23,184,185],{},"the server is spending too much effort sending chunk data",[16,187,188],{},"A practical second step:",[153,190,193],{"className":191,"code":192,"language":158,"meta":159},[156],"view-distance=8\nsimulation-distance=5\n",[33,194,192],{"__ignoreMap":159},[11,196,198],{"id":197},"how-to-test-changes-correctly","How to test changes correctly",[16,200,201],{},"Do not tune these settings on an empty server and call it done.",[16,203,204],{},"Use this sequence:",[206,207,208,216,219,222],"ol",{},[23,209,210,211],{},"capture a baseline with ",[212,213,215],"a",{"href":214},"\u002Fguides\u002Fspark-profiler-paper-docker\u002F","Spark",[23,217,218],{},"change one setting",[23,220,221],{},"reproduce the same load",[23,223,224],{},"compare the result",[16,226,227],{},"This is what prevents placebo tuning.",[11,229,231],{"id":230},"what-not-to-do","What not to do",[233,234,236],"h3",{"id":235},"do-not-slash-both-to-the-minimum-immediately","Do not slash both to the minimum immediately",[16,238,239],{},"Yes, that may reduce lag.\nIt may also create a worse player experience than necessary and hide the real bottleneck.",[233,241,243],{"id":242},"do-not-use-them-as-a-substitute-for-profiling","Do not use them as a substitute for profiling",[16,245,246],{},"These settings are safe first levers, not a substitute for understanding your workload.",[11,248,250],{"id":249},"faq","FAQ",[233,252,254],{"id":253},"can-i-keep-a-higher-view-distance-and-a-lower-simulation-distance","Can I keep a higher view-distance and a lower simulation-distance?",[16,256,257],{},"Yes, and that is often the more balanced choice for survival servers where visibility matters more than fully active distant entities.",[233,259,261],{"id":260},"what-if-changing-these-values-barely-helps","What if changing these values barely helps?",[16,263,264],{},"Then your bottleneck is probably elsewhere: plugins, chunk generation, hardware limits, or another active subsystem.",[11,266,268],{"id":267},"next-steps","Next steps",[20,270,271,278,284],{},[23,272,273,274,68],{},"If you need the measurement basics first, read ",[212,275,277],{"href":276},"\u002Fguides\u002Fminecraft-server-lag-tps-mspt-cant-keep-up\u002F","Minecraft Server Lag Explained: TPS, MSPT, and Can’t Keep Up",[23,279,280,281,68],{},"If you need evidence before tuning, capture ",[212,282,283],{"href":214},"a Spark profile",[23,285,286,287,68],{},"If you are still deciding which server software to run, compare ",[212,288,290],{"href":289},"\u002Fguides\u002Fpaper-vs-vanilla-vs-fabric-vs-forge\u002F","Paper vs Vanilla vs Fabric vs Forge",{"title":159,"searchDepth":292,"depth":292,"links":293},2,[294,295,296,297,298,299,300,305,309],{"id":13,"depth":292,"text":14},{"id":43,"depth":292,"text":44},{"id":71,"depth":292,"text":72},{"id":130,"depth":292,"text":131},{"id":167,"depth":292,"text":168},{"id":197,"depth":292,"text":198},{"id":230,"depth":292,"text":231,"children":301},[302,304],{"id":235,"depth":303,"text":236},3,{"id":242,"depth":303,"text":243},{"id":249,"depth":292,"text":250,"children":306},[307,308],{"id":253,"depth":303,"text":254},{"id":260,"depth":303,"text":261},{"id":267,"depth":292,"text":268},"performance","2026-04-02","Paper exposes view-distance and simulation-distance separately, which makes them one of the safest first levers for performance tuning. This guide explains what each setting changes and which starting values are sensible.",null,"md",[316,319,322],{"question":317,"answer":318},"What does simulation-distance control?","Paper documents simulation-distance as the maximum distance in chunks where living entities are still updated by the server. Outside that radius they are not ticked.",{"question":320,"answer":321},"What does view-distance control?","Paper documents view-distance as the amount of world data the server sends to the client. It affects what the player can receive and see from the server side.",{"question":323,"answer":324},"Which should I lower first for performance?","Usually simulation-distance, because it reduces active ticking more directly. Lower view-distance only when the profile or player experience suggests that chunk visibility itself is part of the problem.",false,"paper-view-distance-simulation-distance",{},true,"\u002Fguides\u002Fpaper-view-distance-vs-simulation-distance",[331,332,333],"minecraft-lag-tps-mspt","spark-profiler-paper-docker","minecraft-server-software-choice",{"title":5,"description":312},"paper-view-distance-vs-simulation-distance",[337,340,343],{"title":338,"url":339},"Paper server.properties reference","https:\u002F\u002Fdocs.papermc.io\u002Fpaper\u002Freference\u002Fserver-properties\u002F",{"title":341,"url":342},"Paper profiling docs","https:\u002F\u002Fdocs.papermc.io\u002Fpaper\u002Fprofiling\u002F",{"title":344,"url":345},"Paper software overview","https:\u002F\u002Fpapermc.io\u002Fsoftware\u002Fpaper\u002F","guides\u002F12.paper-view-distance-vs-simulation-distance","3MVRoagIRMtir2LCaZUJLnMNWWvlPji6BSfVv5p4Hss",[349,356,362,363,368,373,379,385,391,397,403],{"path":350,"title":351,"description":352,"excerpt":313,"author":6,"date":353,"category":354,"localeGroup":355},"\u002Fguides\u002Fminecraft-crossplay-geyser-floodgate","Set Up Java and Bedrock Crossplay with Geyser and Floodgate","Want Bedrock players on phones or consoles to join your Java server? This guide shows a direct Paper-based Geyser and Floodgate setup without introducing a separate proxy layer.","2026-04-04","networking","geyser-floodgate-crossplay",{"path":357,"title":358,"description":359,"excerpt":313,"author":6,"date":360,"category":361,"localeGroup":333},"\u002Fguides\u002Fpaper-vs-vanilla-vs-fabric-vs-forge","Paper vs Vanilla vs Fabric vs Forge: Which Minecraft Server Software Should You Choose?","Choosing the wrong server software creates avoidable pain later. This guide compares Vanilla, Paper, Fabric, Quilt, Forge, and NeoForge based on plugins, mods, performance, and operational complexity.","2026-04-03","docker-operations",{"path":329,"title":5,"description":312,"excerpt":313,"author":6,"date":311,"category":310,"localeGroup":326},{"path":364,"title":365,"description":366,"excerpt":313,"author":6,"date":367,"category":310,"localeGroup":332},"\u002Fguides\u002Fspark-profiler-paper-docker","Use Spark Profiler to Find Minecraft Lag in Paper and Docker","Paper bundles Spark starting with 1.21, which makes it the preferred profiler for diagnosing lag. This guide shows how to capture a useful report and how to read the first findings without guesswork.","2026-04-01",{"path":369,"title":370,"description":371,"excerpt":313,"author":6,"date":372,"category":310,"localeGroup":331},"\u002Fguides\u002Fminecraft-server-lag-tps-mspt-cant-keep-up","Minecraft Server Lag Explained: TPS, MSPT, and 'Can’t Keep Up'","This guide explains what TPS and MSPT actually mean, why “Can’t keep up” appears in the console, and which checks help you separate CPU, chunk, entity, and plugin problems quickly.","2026-03-31",{"path":374,"title":375,"description":376,"excerpt":313,"author":6,"date":377,"category":361,"localeGroup":378},"\u002Fguides\u002Ffix-permission-denied-itzg-docker-minecraft-server","Fix Permission Denied in itzg\u002Fminecraft-server with UID\u002FGID and Bind Mounts","Seeing permission errors in \u002Fdata or files that Docker cannot write? This guide explains why itzg\u002Fminecraft-server defaults to UID 1000:GID 1000 and how to fix ownership safely.","2026-03-09","itzg-permission-denied",{"path":380,"title":381,"description":382,"excerpt":313,"author":6,"date":383,"category":361,"localeGroup":384},"\u002Fguides\u002Fadminister-docker-minecraft-server-rcon-console","Administer a Docker Minecraft Server Safely with RCON and Console Access","Need to op a player, manage the whitelist, or stop the server cleanly? This guide shows how to use RCON and interactive console access with itzg\u002Fminecraft-server without exposing extra risk.","2026-03-08","docker-minecraft-rcon-console",{"path":386,"title":387,"description":388,"excerpt":313,"author":6,"date":389,"category":354,"localeGroup":390},"\u002Fguides\u002Fminecraft-domain-without-port-srv-record","Minecraft Domain Without a Port: How to Set Up an SRV Record","Want players to join via example.com instead of an IP and port? This guide shows how SRV records work for Minecraft Java Edition and how to configure them correctly.","2026-03-07","minecraft-srv-record-domain",{"path":392,"title":393,"description":394,"excerpt":313,"author":6,"date":395,"category":354,"localeGroup":396},"\u002Fguides\u002Fopen-port-25565-minecraft-server-hetzner-linux","How to Open Port 25565 for a Minecraft Server on Hetzner and Linux","Players cannot join even though the container is running? This guide shows how to open port 25565 correctly across Docker, UFW, and the Hetzner Cloud Firewall.","2026-03-05","open-port-25565-hetzner-linux",{"path":398,"title":399,"description":400,"excerpt":313,"author":6,"date":401,"category":361,"localeGroup":402},"\u002Fguides\u002Fdetermining-correct-java-version-for-operating-minecraft-server","Determining the Correct Java Version for Operating a Minecraft Server","If you want to set up a Minecraft server, you may encounter an error message related to the Java version when starting the server. In this article, you will learn how to determine the correct Java version for your Minecraft server.","2025-01-31","java-version-minecraft-server",{"path":404,"title":405,"description":406,"excerpt":313,"author":6,"date":407,"category":361,"localeGroup":408},"\u002Fguides\u002Fminecraft-server-with-docker-on-hetzner-cloud","Setting up a Minecraft Server on a Hetzner Cloud Server with Docker Compose","In this article, we will show you how to set up a server for Minecraft: Java Edition on a Hetzner Cloud server. We will go through the steps of creating the cloud server, installing Debian, setting up an SSH key, and configuring Docker Compose for easy server management.","2025-01-28","hetzner-docker-setup",[410,411,412,413,414,415,416,417,418,419,420,404,369,364,329,357,350,398,392,386,380,374],"\u002Fde\u002Fguides\u002Fminecraft-server-with-docker-on-hetzner-cloud","\u002Fde\u002Fguides\u002Fminecraft-server-lag-tps-mspt-cant-keep-up","\u002Fde\u002Fguides\u002Fspark-profiler-paper-docker","\u002Fde\u002Fguides\u002Fpaper-view-distance-vs-simulation-distance","\u002Fde\u002Fguides\u002Fpaper-vs-vanilla-vs-fabric-vs-forge","\u002Fde\u002Fguides\u002Fminecraft-crossplay-geyser-floodgate","\u002Fde\u002Fguides\u002Fdetermining-correct-java-version-for-operating-minecraft-server","\u002Fde\u002Fguides\u002Fopen-port-25565-minecraft-server-hetzner-linux","\u002Fde\u002Fguides\u002Fminecraft-domain-without-port-srv-record","\u002Fde\u002Fguides\u002Fadminister-docker-minecraft-server-rcon-console","\u002Fde\u002Fguides\u002Ffix-permission-denied-itzg-docker-minecraft-server",1775292570349]