2.1.7 wont start - Error Util.cpp:81: Key "evolution_group_size_factor" not found in property tree at ROOT.enemy_expansion

[egofelix]

Im using the latest 2.1.7-rootless (also tried without rootless) container.

The stable runs fine, its just 2.1.7.

even with empty volume i get this error:

"""
2026-06-23T18:50:23.812106331Z +++ readlink -f /docker-entrypoint.sh
2026-06-23T18:50:23.812598132Z ++ dirname /docker-entrypoint.sh
2026-06-23T18:50:23.813041012Z + INSTALLED_DIRECTORY=/
2026-06-23T18:50:23.813046462Z + FACTORIO_VOL=/factorio
2026-06-23T18:50:23.813049428Z + LOAD_LATEST_SAVE=true
2026-06-23T18:50:23.813051542Z + GENERATE_NEW_SAVE=false
2026-06-23T18:50:23.813061971Z + PRESET=
2026-06-23T18:50:23.813067121Z + SAVE_NAME=
2026-06-23T18:50:23.813070427Z + BIND=
2026-06-23T18:50:23.813073042Z + CONSOLE_LOG_LOCATION=
2026-06-23T18:50:23.813076499Z + mkdir -p /factorio
2026-06-23T18:50:23.813998186Z + mkdir -p /factorio/saves
2026-06-23T18:50:23.814778775Z + mkdir -p /factorio/config
2026-06-23T18:50:23.815619077Z + mkdir -p /factorio/mods
2026-06-23T18:50:23.816335705Z + mkdir -p /factorio/scenarios
2026-06-23T18:50:23.817051632Z + mkdir -p /factorio/script-output
2026-06-23T18:50:23.817777968Z + [[ ! -f /factorio/config/rconpw ]]
2026-06-23T18:50:23.817784651Z + [[ ! -f /factorio/config/server-settings.json ]]
2026-06-23T18:50:23.817792766Z + [[ ! -f /factorio/config/map-gen-settings.json ]]
2026-06-23T18:50:23.817800531Z + [[ ! -f /factorio/config/map-settings.json ]]
2026-06-23T18:50:23.818216028Z ++ find -L /factorio/saves -iname '.tmp.zip' -mindepth 1
2026-06-23T18:50:23.818315727Z ++ wc -l
2026-06-23T18:50:23.819287479Z + NRTMPSAVES=0
2026-06-23T18:50:23.819292498Z + [[ 0 -gt 0 ]]
2026-06-23T18:50:23.819300483Z + [[ '' == \t\r\u\e ]]
2026-06-23T18:50:23.819307567Z + //docker-dlc.sh
2026-06-23T18:50:23.820271052Z Enable mod elevated-rails for DLC
2026-06-23T18:50:23.823293440Z Enable mod quality for DLC
2026-06-23T18:50:23.826462165Z Enable mod space-age for DLC
2026-06-23T18:50:23.829842430Z + EXEC=
2026-06-23T18:50:23.829852930Z + source //setup-exec.sh
2026-06-23T18:50:23.829879120Z ++ [[ -z '' ]]
2026-06-23T18:50:23.829882947Z ++ EXEC=
2026-06-23T18:50:23.829885662Z ++ [[ -f /bin/box64 ]]
2026-06-23T18:50:23.829893607Z ++ export EXEC
2026-06-23T18:50:23.829903155Z + sed -i '/write-data=/c\write-data=/factorio/' /opt/factorio/config/config.ini
2026-06-23T18:50:23.831451700Z ++ find -L /factorio/saves -iname '.zip' -mindepth 1
2026-06-23T18:50:23.831526361Z ++ wc -l
2026-06-23T18:50:23.832549861Z + NRSAVES=0
2026-06-23T18:50:23.832576040Z + [[ false != true ]]
2026-06-23T18:50:23.832583334Z + [[ 0 == 0 ]]
2026-06-23T18:50:23.832585889Z + GENERATE_NEW_SAVE=true
2026-06-23T18:50:23.832587893Z + SAVE_NAME=_autosave1
2026-06-23T18:50:23.832591109Z + [[ true == true ]]
2026-06-23T18:50:23.832593083Z + [[ -z _autosave1 ]]
2026-06-23T18:50:23.832594956Z + [[ -f /factorio/saves/_autosave1.zip ]]
2026-06-23T18:50:23.832603913Z + [[ -n '' ]]
2026-06-23T18:50:23.832613391Z + /opt/factorio/bin/x64/factorio --create /factorio/saves/_autosave1.zip --map-gen-settings /factorio/config/map-gen-settings.json --map-settings /factorio/config/map-settings.json
2026-06-23T18:50:23.841187489Z 0.000 2026-06-23 18:50:23; Factorio 2.1.7 (build 86685, linux64, headless, space-age)
2026-06-23T18:50:23.841199662Z 0.000 Operating system: Linux
2026-06-23T18:50:23.841203218Z 0.000 Program arguments: "/opt/factorio/bin/x64/factorio" "--create" "/factorio/saves/_autosave1.zip" "--map-gen-settings" "/factorio/config/map-gen-settings.json" "--map-settings" "/factorio/config/map-settings.json"
2026-06-23T18:50:23.841206625Z 0.000 Config path: /opt/factorio/config/config.ini
2026-06-23T18:50:23.841209631Z 0.000 Read data path: /opt/factorio/data
2026-06-23T18:50:23.841212426Z 0.000 Write data path: /factorio [103843/256000MB]
2026-06-23T18:50:23.841215051Z 0.000 Binaries path: /opt/factorio/bin
2026-06-23T18:50:23.846873083Z 0.005 System info: [CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 7900X 12-Core Processor, 24 cores, RAM: 63360 MB]
2026-06-23T18:50:23.846882861Z 0.005 Environment: DISPLAY= WAYLAND_DISPLAY= DESKTOP_SESSION= XDG_SESSION_DESKTOP= XDG_CURRENT_DESKTOP= SDL_VIDEODRIVER= __GL_FSAA_MODE= __GL_LOG_MAX_ANISO= __GL_SYNC_TO_VBLANK= __GL_SORT_FBCONFIGS= __GL_YIELD=
2026-06-23T18:50:23.851679781Z 0.010 Running in headless mode
2026-06-23T18:50:23.851711451Z 0.010 Audio is disabled
2026-06-23T18:50:23.852262576Z 0.011 Info ModManager.cpp:450: FeatureFlag expansion = true
2026-06-23T18:50:23.852272124Z 0.011 Info ModManager.cpp:450: FeatureFlag expansion-shaders = true
2026-06-23T18:50:23.852275119Z 0.011 Info ModManager.cpp:450: FeatureFlag freezing = true
2026-06-23T18:50:23.852277354Z 0.011 Info ModManager.cpp:450: FeatureFlag quality = true
2026-06-23T18:50:23.852279167Z 0.011 Info ModManager.cpp:450: FeatureFlag rail-bridges = true
2026-06-23T18:50:23.852281151Z 0.011 Info ModManager.cpp:450: FeatureFlag segmented-units = true
2026-06-23T18:50:23.852284086Z 0.011 Info ModManager.cpp:450: FeatureFlag space-travel = true
2026-06-23T18:50:23.852286090Z 0.011 Info ModManager.cpp:450: FeatureFlag spoiling = true
2026-06-23T18:50:23.854387322Z 0.013 Loading mod core 0.0.0 (data.lua)
2026-06-23T18:50:23.863866415Z 0.022 Loading mod base 2.1.7 (data.lua)
2026-06-23T18:50:23.983022272Z 0.142 Loading mod elevated-rails 2.1.7 (data.lua)
2026-06-23T18:50:23.994496175Z 0.153 Loading mod recycler 2.1.7 (data.lua)
2026-06-23T18:50:24.000998647Z 0.160 Loading mod quality 2.1.7 (data.lua)
2026-06-23T18:50:24.005912990Z 0.164 Loading mod space-age 2.1.7 (data.lua)
2026-06-23T18:50:24.143580686Z 0.302 Loading mod base 2.1.7 (data-updates.lua)
2026-06-23T18:50:24.150765692Z 0.309 Loading mod recycler 2.1.7 (data-updates.lua)
2026-06-23T18:50:24.162153411Z 0.321 Loading mod space-age 2.1.7 (data-updates.lua)
2026-06-23T18:50:24.229810630Z 0.388 Checksum for core: 66224441
2026-06-23T18:50:24.229832952Z 0.388 Checksum of base: 1474689679
2026-06-23T18:50:24.229835748Z 0.388 Checksum of elevated-rails: 1071712039
2026-06-23T18:50:24.229837792Z 0.388 Checksum of recycler: 3153370985
2026-06-23T18:50:24.229839475Z 0.388 Checksum of quality: 909741783
2026-06-23T18:50:24.229841108Z 0.388 Checksum of space-age: 1940305997
2026-06-23T18:50:24.549564626Z 0.708 Prototype list checksum: 382047733
2026-06-23T18:50:24.592346757Z 0.751 Info PlayerData.cpp:580: Local player-data.json available
2026-06-23T18:50:24.593192199Z 0.752 Factorio initialised
2026-06-23T18:50:24.633896433Z 0.792 Goodbye
2026-06-23T18:50:24.633926269Z 0.000 Error Util.cpp:81: Key "evolution_group_size_factor" not found in property tree at ROOT.enemy_expansion
"""

[itsmarsl]

https://forums.factorio.com/viewtopic.php?p=695254#p695254

Already addressed by devs

[myrcutio]

I was able to work around this by editing config/map-settings.json and adding two keys to the enemy_expansion block:

"enemy_expansion":
  {
# added keys
    "evolution_group_size_factor": 4,
    "min_expansion_distance": 3,

# existing keys from a prior save
    "enabled": true,    
    "max_expansion_distance": 5,
    "friendly_base_influence_radius": 2,
    "enemy_building_influence_radius": 2,
    "building_coefficient": 0.1,
    "other_base_coefficient": 2.0,
    "neighbouring_chunk_coefficient": 0.5,
    "neighbouring_base_chunk_coefficient": 0.4,
    "max_colliding_tiles_coefficient": 0.9,
    "settler_group_min_size": 5,
    "settler_group_max_size": 20,
    "min_expansion_cooldown": 14400,
    "max_expansion_cooldown": 216000
  },

I'm sure a proper fix will be out soon but I for one am too impatient for that.