RUST Staging Branch: Everything You Need to Know
If you’ve ever followed RUST news, you’ve likely heard about the RUST staging branch. You might even have a rough idea of what it is, but you aren’t sure if you should check it out.
In this post, we’ll layout precisely what the RUST staging branch is, how to access it, and examine whether or not it’s the right environment for you to play RUST.
Release vs. Staging: How RUST Development Works
RUST servers, without mods, exist in two primary forms to the player populous: release and staging. The release RUST build is a copy of the game that the developers publish as a finished product.
Game elements that make it into the release build are complete, as the primary development team has mostly finished them and is now moving on to developing new features.
Publishing to release doesn’t mean the new features aren’t prone to change; they are, by and large, working as intended. Future changes are likely to come in the form of adjustment values rather than total reworks.
On the other end are the RUST staging branch servers. These servers host a ‘development copy’ of the game. But it’s better phrased as a developing copy of the game.
Whenever a new feature needs testing in a live server environment, it is pushed to the staging branch. The changes can take the form of large content patches, adjustments to existing content, and bug fixes.
Depending on the size and scale of the new features, the developers may push content to staging some weeks before going live. Facepunch does this to gather information on how the new features affect server stability and let players get their hands on the content.
Giving players early access in a relatively sterile environment also lets them see any glaring exploits or faults in the proposed features and allows the developers to make necessary adjustments before the features go live.
This kind of server may sound appealing as you can get your hands on content early and play with new features before other players, such as the RUST weather system 2.0 (pictured above). One downside of playing on a staging server is its instability and the frequent patches and updates.
Because a staging server receives frequent code pushes from the developer, it often goes ‘out of date,’ sometimes more than once a day.
If your client updates and a staging server doesn’t, you are unlikely to be able to connect back to that server until the host resets and updates it.
Staging resets sometimes require wiping the entire map and player blueprints, making progression through standard RUST content nearly impossible.
If you know that all you want is to experience the new content as quickly as possible, then staging might be for you. But if you’re keen to play RUST for more long-term purposes, then stay away from staging servers. Use them for what they’re intended for, and there’s no issue!
How to Download and Join the RUST Staging Branch
If you’re keen to give the RUST staging branch a chance, it’s a simple process to connect. So long as you own a copy of RUST, you can also access the RUST staging branch.
As it is a different version of the game than the standard live build, you will need to download a new copy of the RUST client from Steam.
In your Steam library, either find the RUST staging branch client or type staging into the search bar while on your games tab.
Once you’ve downloaded and installed the client as you would any other Steam title, you can launch the staging branch.
Note that while on the staging branch, you can’t connect to standard live servers. You will either need to host your own or, much more simply, connect to a staging branch server.
Use the server search function as you would usually find a server that suits your needs. Keep in mind that the server’s reset frequency is at the server owner’s discretion, and they may update daily or as often as Facepunch releases patches.
Why Server Owners Should Use the Staging Branch
While the staging branch is a playground for players, it is a critical tool for server owners and administrators. If you manage a RUST community, you should utilize a staging environment for a few critical areas before the force wipe occurs. This includes:
1. Plugin and Mod Compatibility Testing
If you run oxide/uMod plugins, you want to ensure they don’t break when the forced wipe hits. Having a staging branch server setup lets you test your core plugins against new game changes. It helps you ensure your wipe day won’t be chaotic for preventable reasons.
2. Previewing Map Changes and Seeds
RUST updates can change the layout of monuments or how the underlying procedural generation works altogether. For this reason, you may need to hop onto a server to verify monument changes and features, terrain changes, or to check out and pre-generate a new map seed.
3. Performance Benchmarking
When new features are released, such as the weather, industrial, or modular car systems, there’s a high probability that performance can tax your server’s hardware differently. Just because it’s new doesn’t mean it’s optimized.
Final Thoughts: Stay Ahead of the Next Wipe
And that’s all there is to it. If you can’t connect to a server, a new code push has likely taken place, and you either need to close your RUST client so that Steam can update it, or the server host must update and reset the server.
You can only connect if your Steam client and server have matching copies of the staging branch.
As we stated, it’s a great environment to get familiar with upcoming content, but due to how often the branch updates and Steam frequently updates your client automatically, don’t be surprised when you can’t access a server you were playing on.
So when a new feature like RUST’s electricity or a farming patch looms on the horizon, and you can’t help yourself, jump onto a staging branch and give it a go. Impress your friends with your first-hand knowledge when content drops, but most importantly, have fun.
