Holdfast Config Overrides Explained

Override commands let server administrators craft custom scenarios for line battles, regiment events, and roleplay sessions. They control class limits at spawn points, starting weapons and ammo, ship loadouts, artillery placement, capture point behavior, and more.

This guide explains how overrides work and how to add them to your AleForge Holdfast server. For the complete command reference, see the Holdfast Server Configuration wiki.

What Are Overrides?

Overrides are special config commands that change default gameplay behavior for a specific map rotation or across your entire server. Unlike basic settings like server_name or game_mode, overrides are designed for fine-tuned event hosting:

• Restrict which classes can spawn at each spawn point
• Set custom weapon loadouts and ammo counts per faction
• Configure custom naval fleets with specific ship types and crew limits
• Adjust capture point respawn timers and capture speeds
• Place custom map objects for structured scenarios

Global vs Per-Rotation Overrides

Where you place an override in your config file determines its scope:

Placement	Scope
Above map rotations (global section)	Applies to every map rotation on the server
Inside a map rotation block	Applies only to that specific rotation

A typical config layout:

// Global server settings
server_name My Event Server
server_port 20100
steam_query_port 27000

// Global override (applies to all rotations)
friendly_fire false

// Map rotation 1
map_name KF-BattleofWaterloo
game_mode ArmyBattlefield
spawn_override A Rifleman 200
spawn_override B Carpenter 200

// Map rotation 2
map_name KF-PortRoyal
game_mode NavalBattlefield
ships_spawn_detail_override Frigate50gun British Rifleman 200

Land Overrides

Land overrides are used for infantry-focused events and line battles.

Class Limits at Spawn Points

Limit which class and how many players can spawn at each point. Spawn points are labeled A, B, C, etc. in the spawn menu.

spawn_override A Carpenter 200
spawn_override B Rifleman 200

This example creates a scenario with 200 Carpenters at spawn A and 200 Riflemen at spawn B.

Starting Weapons

Control which weapons each faction and class spawns with:

starting_weapons_selection_override British Grenadier 4 2 Rifle
starting_weapons_selection_override French Grenadier 4 3 Rifle Pike,Spontoon,Sword Pistol

Parameters: faction, class, max firearms, max melee weapons, then weapon class slots (comma-separated for multiple options in one slot).

Weapon Bayonet and Ammo

starting_weapons_bayonet_enabled British LightInfantry true
firearm_ammo_override British LightInfantry Musket_NewLandPatternBrownBess 2 0 2
weapon_class_ammo_override French LightInfantry Musket 1 1 3

Sapper Limits and Materials

sappers_buildlimit ExplosiveBarrel defending 0
sappers_attacking_starting_materials 50
sappers_defending_starting_materials 200

Custom Map Objects

Place objects on the map for structured scenarios:

objects_override spawnsection <Position> <Rotation> <ID>,<Spawn_Name>,<Category>,<Attacking|Defending|Neutral>,<SizeX>,<SizeY>

Categories include BaseSpawn, FortifiedPosition, OpenPlains, Farm, Field, Village, Camp, Lodge, Church, Ruins, Port, and Ship.

Naval Overrides

Naval overrides configure ship crews, fleets, and ship health for naval events.

Class Limits on Ships

ships_spawn_detail_override Frigate50gun British Rifleman 200
ships_spawn_detail_override Frigate50gun French Rifleman 200

Custom Ship Fleets

Set a ship preset first, then define which ships spawn:

ships_preset 37
ships_spawn Frigate50gun 1 British 0
ships_spawn Rocketboat 10 French 4

Ship Health

ships_health_detail_override Frigate50gun British 20000
ships_health_detail_override Frigate50gun French 70

Default health values: Frigate 5500, 12GunBrigg 3000, 8GunSchooner 2000, 2GunSchooner 1250, Gunboat 500, Rocketboat 500.

Naval Spawn Sections

objects_override shipspawnsection <Position> <Rotation>

Other Useful Overrides

Artillery Spawn Override

Replace or disable artillery at specific map slots. Obtain slot IDs from the server log when the map loads (section IDs start from 0):

artillery_spawn_override 0 FieldGun
artillery_spawn_override 1 None

Types: FieldGun, Howitzer, RocketLauncher, Mortar, None, Random, RandomSymmetric.

Capture Point Override

Adjust respawn tickets and capture timing for Conquest and Frontlines modes:

capture_point_override A 150 30 1
capture_point_override B 175 30 1
capture_point_override C 350 60 2
capture_point_override D -1 90 3

Parameters: objective letter, respawn tickets, time for one person to capture, max players affecting capture time.

Map Name Override

Set a custom display name for a rotation (useful for mod maps or renamed official maps):

map_name_override My Custom Line Battle

Applying Overrides on AleForge

Override commands are added to your config file, they are not available on the Startup page.

1. Open the AleForge Holdfast Config Generator to set up your base config (map rotations, game modes, admins)
2. Download the generated config, then add your override commands manually in a text editor
3. Upload the finished file to holdfastnaw-dedicated/configs via the Blacksmith’s Portal Files tab
4. Go to Startup and set the Config File variable to your uploaded filename
5. Restart your server and verify overrides in-game

Tip: Use a custom config filename (for example, line-battle-event.txt) so your overrides survive game updates. See Protect Your Config on Update.

Note: Incorrect override syntax can prevent a map rotation from loading. If your server fails to start after adding overrides, check Console for errors and verify each command against the official wiki.

Common Use Cases

Event type	Overrides to use
Line battle (200v200 riflemen)	spawn_override per spawn point
Custom weapon event	starting_weapons_selection_override, firearm_ammo_override
Naval fleet battle	ships_preset, ships_spawn, ships_spawn_detail_override
Siege with no explosive barrels	sappers_buildlimit ExplosiveBarrel defending 0
Artillery-free map	artillery_spawn_override <slot> None