SCUM Easy AdminMaximum number of puppets
Island-wide cap on how many puppets exist at the same time.
scum.MaxAllowedPuppets=-1
What does this setting do?
This caps how many puppets may exist across the whole map at once. -1 means the game decides — the built-in per-area distribution applies, which is tuned for variety. Set a fixed number and it applies island-wide: once the budget is used up, nothing respawns anywhere, not even in the town you are standing in. The setting controls quantity only, never placement.
Which value suits my server?
Leave at -1 and steer through the encounter settings instead.
-1. If you must save load, try 700 to 900.
-1. A cap does not make a server harder, only emptier.
What to watch out for
If players on the far side of the map consume the budget, your town stays empty. To reduce load, the encounter settings are the better tool because they work per area.
At 0 the free-roaming puppets disappear. Enemies from bunkers, cargo drops and other events remain — those have their own settings.