How to Host a Medieval Horizons (Distant Horizons) Server

Start from a 6 GB RAM floor. Medieval Horizons' own recommended minimum is 6 GB on Fabric 1.21.1 — Distant Horizons' extended render distance is handled mostly client-side, but the server still needs that headroom for the Fabric mod loader, the medieval structure and aesthetic mods, and normal world simulation. Going lower risks slow chunk generation and stutter as players explore.

Import the modpack cleanly from its Modrinth/CurseForge listing instead of zipping up a client install. Medieval Horizons ships a specific Fabric loader build alongside Distant Horizons and its performance/shader companions — a clean catalog import guarantees the server gets the exact same mod set and versions as players' clients, instead of a guessed reconstruction that's missing a dependency.

Watch the logs through first boot. Let Fabric finish loading the full mod list with no missing-dependency errors, then wait for the world to complete its initial chunk generation and for medieval structures/villages to finish placing before calling it ready.

Only invite players once that first boot has completed cleanly end to end. Letting people connect mid-generation is how you get players falling into half-loaded terrain or landing in a village that hasn't finished placing its buildings.

Take a backup before importing an existing world, updating the Fabric loader, or changing Distant Horizons' render-distance settings. Medieval Horizons worlds accumulate hand-built castles and hilltop keeps that take real hours to place — a bad loader update or config change shouldn't be the thing that costs a group its settlement.