Creative Build Lot Creative building together in multiplayer, without switching the game mode. A guide for content creators and modders - no code involved, everything is set in playfield.yaml and BlocksConfig.ecf. State: 2026-09-24. In short: What An instance playfield with CreativeMode: true in its playfield.yaml. Inside it players get the creative build functions; everything else still follows the game mode. Goods Nothing comes in and nothing goes out: players enter with an empty inventory and no armor, and leave the same way. Logout and lost connection are covered too. Sharing With InstancePerFaction: true all members of a faction build in the same lot; a player without a faction gets their own. 1. Setting up a lot Add these lines to the Instance: block of the playfield's playfield.yaml: Code: Instance: CreativeMode: true # creative build functions Time: 0 # never ends InstancePerFaction: true # one lot per faction EnterWithNoInventoryNoArmor: true # nothing comes in, no armor either LeaveWithEmptyInventory: true # nothing goes out (incl. armor) DropInventory: true # logout / respawn outside: the backpack stays inside RestrictToOrigin: 255 # optional, 255 = everybody Mandatory: EnterWithNoInventoryNoArmor and LeaveWithEmptyInventory. Together they keep items and armor from the creative menu inside the lot. The game writes a warning to the log when a CreativeMode playfield lacks one of them. EnterWithEmptyInventory is not needed next to them (it is the weaker check). Also needed: a portal outside that targets the lot and a portal inside that leads back. Worth offering next to the outside portal: a locker, so players can empty their inventory first. Pick a friendly playfield: O2, food, temperature and fall damage still follow the game mode. 2. Instance flags All flags work for every instance, not only for a lot. CreativeMode => Makes the instance a creative build lot (see section 3). Time: 0 => The instance never ends (minutes otherwise). Portal and ticket list show "Unlimited runtime". InstancePerFaction => One instance per faction; a player without a faction gets their own. PortalOpen, Cooldown, MaxPlayers and LockOnFaction do not apply. EnterWithEmptyInventory => Entry only with empty toolbar, bag and hand. Armor is allowed (unchanged behavior, safe for dangerous missions). EnterWithNoInventoryNoArmor => Like EnterWithEmptyInventory, and no armor either. LeaveWithEmptyInventory => The portal inside lets players out only with empty toolbar, bag and hand; a logout or lost connection does not carry the inventory out either. The armor counts only together with EnterWithNoInventoryNoArmor; otherwise it is the player's own and stays. DropInventory => Existing flag. On logout or respawn outside, toolbar and bag stay as backpack in the instance. The entry checks also apply when a player re-enters their own running instance (before, leaving, filling the bag and walking back in skipped the check). 3. What changes inside a lot Available: H item menu; any blueprint (also oversized ones and ones with count-limited blocks); copy/paste/undo; blueprint parts; extended texture/colour mode; unlimited jetpack without fuel; no structural integrity collapse; freshly spawned ships get fuel and O2. Blocked or hidden: PDA progress, XP, reputation and achievements are not counted; dialogues do not start; the suit constructor tab is hidden; structures cannot leave the lot (warping or teleporting out while seated is refused); blocks with UsableInCreativeInstance: false cannot be activated. 4. Block property UsableInCreativeInstance UsableInCreativeInstance: false in BlocksConfig.ecf stops a block from being used in a lot (F key, control panel, logistics, context menu). Placing it, spawning a blueprint with it and pasting it stay allowed - the lot limits using, not building. Set by default on ATM, TradingStation, NPCTrader, NPCDialogue and Teleporter blocks. The property is inherited along Ref. POI blocks that are already part of the playfield are covered as well. 5. Dialogue API for instance tickets Every player has at most 5 instance tickets; an unlimited instance takes one like any other. A dialogue can list them and give one up: Code: int GetInstanceTicketCount() // running instances the player has a ticket for string GetInstanceTicketName(index) // playfield name, "(Unlimited runtime instance)" appended bool ClearInstanceTicket(index) // frees the slot for this player only; the instance // keeps running. False for the instance the player is in After ClearInstanceTicket the next entry into a normal instance creates a new, empty one. With InstancePerFaction the player gets the faction's instance again. 6. Good to know Armor from a lot is deleted on logout or lost connection, not dropped. Nobody can bring their own in, so only armor from the creative menu is lost. Joining or leaving a faction switches to another lot; the old one stays on disk. Personal containers keep their content per structure and position - what is stored in the lot stays there. - InstancePerFaction with Time > 0: after the end the faction gets the old instance back, not a fresh one. Teleporter blocks in a normal instance bypass LeaveWithEmptyInventory (only the portal checks it). In a lot teleporters cannot be used.
