Setting up an ARK: Survival Evolved server

ARK is one of the heavier games to host, but once it is set up your tribe can tame, build and breed whenever they like. Your ARK server is created with the game installed. This guide covers sizing, the settings files, admin access, mods and getting players in.

This guide is for ARK: Survival Evolved, the original game. ARK: Survival Ascended is a separate game with its own server.

How much RAM does an ARK server need?

ARK needs far more memory than most games, even before anyone joins, because the whole map is loaded when the server starts. As a guide:

• 8 GB: our smallest ARK size, fine for a few friends on one map with no mods.
• 12 GB: our recommended size, with headroom for a growing tribe and a few mods.
• 16 to 24 GB: bigger groups, larger maps and modded servers.
• 32 GB and above: heavily modded servers and large communities.

ARK can take several minutes to start, especially the first time and after updates. That is normal, so watch the console and give it time before assuming something is wrong.

1. Basic settings in the Startup tab

The settings ARK reads at launch, such as your server name, map, passwords and player count, are in the Startup tab of our game panel. Change them while the server is stopped.

• Server name: how your server appears in the list.
• Map: TheIsland by default. Free maps such as Ragnarok, The Center and Valguero can be played by everyone, while paid expansion maps need each player to own that expansion.
• Server password: leave it empty for a public server, or set one to keep it private.
• Admin password: unlocks admin commands in game. Make it long and keep it private.
• Max players: how many people can be online at once.

2. Fine-tune with GameUserSettings.ini and Game.ini

Everything else lives in two files in ShooterGame/Saved/Config/LinuxServer. GameUserSettings.ini holds most server options and rates, and Game.ini holds advanced settings such as custom level caps. Stop the server before editing, because ARK writes to these files when it shuts down and can overwrite your changes.

Popular settings in the [ServerSettings] section of GameUserSettings.ini include:

• XPMultiplier: how fast players and dinos level up.
• TamingSpeedMultiplier: how quickly dinos tame. 1.0 is normal, and 3.0 is three times faster.
• HarvestAmountMultiplier: how many resources you get from gathering.
• OverrideOfficialDifficulty: sets the level of wild dinos. A value of 5.0 gives the familiar maximum wild level of 150.
• ServerPVE: set to True for a PvE server, where players cannot damage each other or each other's bases.
• AllowThirdPersonPlayer: lets players use third-person view.

If a setting is in both the Startup tab and the ini file, the startup value usually wins, so check both if a change does not seem to apply.

3. Become an admin

1. 1Join your server.
2. 2Press Tab to open the console.
3. 3Type enablecheats, a space and your admin password, then press Enter.
4. 4Use admin commands with admincheat in front, for example admincheat SaveWorld.

Never share your admin password. Anyone who has it has full control of your server.

4. Adding mods

ARK mods come from the Steam Workshop. Each mod has a numeric ID, shown at the end of its Workshop page address.

1. 1Stop the server and take a backup.
2. 2Add the mod IDs to the ActiveMods line in the [ServerSettings] section of GameUserSettings.ini, separated by commas with no spaces. Order matters: mods earlier in the list take priority.
3. 3Start the server and watch the console. Big mods take a while to download the first time.
4. 4Players download the mods when they join, so the first join can be slow.

If a mod does not load, ask us and we will check your setup with you.

Inviting players

In ARK, players choose Join ARK, switch the filter to Unofficial servers and search for your server name. If you set a password, they need to tick Show Password Protected Servers. If your server still does not appear, they can add it as a favourite in Steam under View, then Game Servers, using your server's IP and query port. Ask us if you are not sure which port that is.

Saving, backups and updates

ARK saves every so often on its own. Before you stop or restart, run admincheat SaveWorld so nothing is lost, then stop the server from the panel. Daily backups are included, and it is worth taking your own before game updates and before adding or removing mods. Removing a mod can delete the dinos and structures that used it.

Troubleshooting

• Server takes ages to start: normal for ARK, especially with mods. Watch the console and give it several minutes.
• Server not in the list: unofficial servers can take a while to appear. Check the password filter, or use Steam favourites.
• Settings keep resetting: the ini files were edited while the server was running. Stop it first, then edit.
• Players cannot join after an update: the server must be on the same version as players. Restart it so it can update, or ask us to check.

Still stuck? Ask us on live chat or Discord.