What is a blueprint wipe in RUST?
There are a few different types of wipes that occur fairly often in RUST, such as Map Wipes, Blueprint Wipes, and Server Wipes. This post covers Blueprint Wipes in particular.
A RUST blueprint wipe is when player data is deleted from the server, such as:
- Blueprints
- Player entries
- Player positions
- Player inventories
Blueprint wipes in RUST are often used as a reset method for starting a server over from scratch. This helps give the player base a fair advantage to start all over again, putting everyone on the same level as far as blueprint knowledge is concerned. Many RUST server administrators will modify their RUST server names and descriptions with a message similar to “Wiped <date>.”
When RUST blueprints are wiped from a RUST server, this does not change or remove the existing map or even modify the map seed in use. In order to wipe the map, you will need to remove and modify different information.
Why do blueprint wipes happen?
Blueprint wipes can be used to help reset the player base after weeks or months of build-up. A blueprint wipe is a fresh start for all players who connect to the server and often occurs in sync with a map wipe but is not required to, as it really depends on the circumstance and the intent of the admin.
Blueprint wipes can be a great way to promote a server in the server listings, as it signals a new starting point. This can also help existing players who haven’t been able to keep up with other players who are more established.
Another common reason for blueprint wipes to occur is due to major milestone game updates. These can affect certain portions of code that require a full blueprint wipe and are mandated by the game’s development team. As RUST is in continual development, wide ranges of the code base may be touched and require updates from time to time, though it has become rarer as development moves forward.
When do blueprint wipes happen?
A Blueprint wipe in RUST occurs generally in two instances:
| Server Wipe | In this circumstance, the game server’s admin is either choosing to effectively remove all of the existing data on the server or is being forced to due to a game-breaking update. This generally involves:
This can vary, depending on the action being taken by the admin or the scope of the game update being released. |
| Blueprint Wipe | In this case, the game server’s admin is specifically targeting all player-specific data, such as blueprints, user entries, positions, and inventories. It’s extremely rare for a blueprint wipe to occur without a map wipe also taking place, but in the face of custom maps, this may differ. |
Who can wipe blueprints in RUST?
Currently, the server administrator role has the ability to perform a Blueprint Wipe. Presently there is not an option in the base game for the general player base to perform a blueprint wipe. There may be mods in development or in private that allow such features, for example, via players voting on a date and time in which they want to wipe blueprints or the server entirely.
One other instance can cause blueprint wipes when server updates are released and there is a “forced wipe”. These are not admin or player-controlled. Although, an admin could refuse to update the server. This may happen if they’re playing on a specific branch of development, typically though this is done to assist in testing a release and isn’t intended for your typical RUST server.
How to wipe blueprints (BPs) in RUST
Performing a blueprint wipe requires having some form of access to your game server’s administrative section, direct FTP, or file system. The actual process varies depending on your specific host if you’re using the administrative section. Some hosts can set this up to be a GUI-driven process.
If you have FTP or file system access and are looking to manually perform a blueprint wipe, there are just a few steps to follow:
- Login to your game server control panel, FTP, or file system
- Stop the RUST server process
- Locate and open the folder:
/server/<server_identity>/
- Delete the following file:
- player.blueprints#.db
- Restart the game server
Conclusion
Once the above steps have been completed, the server will automatically regenerate an empty blueprint database file, allowing you to continue playing normally once the server’s restart is complete.
