How to Add a Savegame to Your The Lord of the Rings Return to Moria Server

A world in Return to Moria is a single file with the prefix MW_ and the extension .sav, for example MW_BAD1ED294904FE2C24A8ED8BC98145AB.sav. You upload this file to your server and then define in the configuration which world should be loaded.

Tip

Create a backup of your current server savegame before uploading, in case you want to switch back later.

Find your local savegame

1. Open the savegame folder
   Press Windows key + R, enter the following path and confirm with Enter:

   %localappdata%\Moria\Saved

2. Choose the folder of your platform
   Open the folder for your platform: SaveGamesSteam on Steam, SaveGamesEpic for the Epic Games Store.

3. Select the world file
   Your worlds are stored there as individual MW_*.sav files. Choose the file of the world you want to move to the server.

Note

Only worlds from PC (Steam or Epic Games Store) can be transferred. There is no documented way to move savegames from PlayStation 5 or Xbox to a server.

Upload the savegame

1. Stop the server
   Stop your server via the dashboard. The server saves while stopping and shuts down cleanly – as long as it runs it keeps writing to the world file.

2. Connect via SFTP
   Connect to your server via SFTP.

3. Open the directory
   Change to the following directory:

   /Moria/Saved/SaveGamesDedicated/

   Note

   If the folder does not exist yet, start the server once completely so the folder structure and the configuration files are created. Stop it again before uploading the file.

4. Upload the world file
   Upload your MW_*.sav file into this directory. Keep the file name unchanged – if a file with the same name already exists there, rename one of the two beforehand.

5. Set the world in the configuration
   Open the file MoriaServerConfig.ini in the main directory of your server and define in the [World] section which world should be loaded:

   [World]
   OptionalWorldFilename=MW_BAD1ED294904FE2C24A8ED8BC98145AB.sav

   This makes the server load exactly that file – including the .sav extension.

   Note

   If the line OptionalWorldFilename is missing from your configuration, simply add it below [World].

6. Start the server
   Save the change and start your server. Your uploaded world is now loaded on startup.

Why you should not use the world name

The [World] section also contains a Name entry. A world can be selected through it as well, but for your server that is not the right approach.

Caution

The Name entry is applied automatically from your server settings on every start. Changing it directly in MoriaServerConfig.ini therefore does not persist. Always use OptionalWorldFilename to load an uploaded savegame.

Important

If the server does not find a world with the configured world name, it automatically creates a new world using the values from the [World.Create] section – with the game mode, seed and difficulty configured there. Your uploaded savegame stays on the disk but is not loaded.

Tip

OptionalWorldFilename is also the right choice if you have several worlds with the same name in the folder. Always enter the exact file name including .sav.

Important notes

Caution

Changes to MoriaServerConfig.ini are only read on the next start. Always edit the file while the server is stopped and restart it afterwards.

Caution

Only stop your server through the dashboard. This is the only way the current state is saved and the server shuts down cleanly. A forced shutdown can cost progress and leave the online session hanging, which makes the next start take several minutes.

Note

There is no automatic synchronization between the world on your PC and the world on the server. Changes made on the server do not end up in your local savegame and vice versa – you have to transfer the file manually every time.