ARK: Survival Evolved - Server Settings

In ARK: Survival Evolved, customising a server relies on two main configuration files: GameUserSettings.ini and Game.ini. This professional and accessible guide details the most frequently modified settings in these files, explains their impact on gameplay, and provides examples of commonly used values. Whether you want to adjust experience rates, speed up egg hatching, or set up a relaxed PvE server, you’ll find the necessary information here.

These files are located in your server folders under: /ShooterGame/Saved/Config/LinuxServer

Note: By default, most of these options don’t appear in the files—you need to add them manually if you want to modify them. Place GameUserSettings.ini parameters under the [ServerSettings] section (unless otherwise stated), and Game.ini parameters under the [/script/shootergame.shootergamemode] section. Always restart the server after making changes for them to take effect.

1. General Server Settings (GameUserSettings.ini)

The following parameters control game mode (PvP/PvE), accessibility, and other global server settings. They are found in GameUserSettings.ini.

1. serverPVE (boolean) – Enables PvE by disabling PvP. Example: serverPVE=True makes your server non-violent between players.
2. serverHardcore (boolean) – Enables Hardcore mode where survivors respawn at level 1 after death.
3. ServerPassword and ServerAdminPassword (text) – Protect access to the server and admin commands. Empty = no restriction.
4. MaxPlayers (integer) – Maximum number of simultaneous players. Default 70.
5. AllowThirdPersonPlayer (boolean) – Allows players to switch to third-person view.
6. ServerCrosshair (boolean) – Displays a crosshair in the center of the screen. Default False.
7. ShowMapPlayerLocation (boolean) – Shows player location on the in-game map.
8. alwaysNotifyPlayerJoined / alwaysNotifyPlayerLeft (booleans) – Broadcasts messages when a player joins/leaves.
9. Voice & text chat:
10. globalVoiceChat (boolean) – Makes voice chat global instead of local.
11. proximityChat (boolean) – Restricts text chat to nearby players.
12. DifficultyOffset (float) – Defines difficulty of wild creatures. Default 0.2 (~max level 30). For an official-like difficulty (max 150), use DifficultyOffset=1.0 and OverrideOfficialDifficulty=5.0.
13. PvPStructureDecay and DisableStructureDecayPvE (booleans) – Control structure auto-decay.
14. DisableDinoDecayPvE (boolean) – Prevents tamed dinos from being claimable after inactivity.
15. AllowFlyerCarryPvE (boolean) – Allows flyers to carry players/dinos in PvE.
16. PreventOfflinePvP (boolean) – Protects tribes when all members are offline. Delay controlled by PreventOfflinePvPInterval (default 900 seconds).
17. Other global settings:
18. Gamma: EnablePvPGamma=True or DisablePvEGamma=True
19. Hibernation: PreventHibernation=True
20. RCON: RCONEnabled=True (requires RCONPort and ServerAdminPassword to be set)

2. Day/Night Cycle & Time (GameUserSettings.ini)

All values are multipliers (default 1.0):

1. DayCycleSpeedScale – Controls the overall day/night cycle speed.
2. DayTimeSpeedScale and NightTimeSpeedScale – Control day vs night length ratio.
3. AutoSavePeriodMinutes – Time between auto-saves in minutes (default 15).

3. Difficulty & Progression (GameUserSettings.ini)

1. Wild creature levels – Controlled with DifficultyOffset and OverrideOfficialDifficulty.
2. XPMultiplier (float) – Global XP rate. Example: XPMultiplier=2.0 doubles XP gain.
3. Engram unlocks:
4. bAutoUnlockAllEngrams=True – Unlocks all engrams automatically at the required level.
5. OverridePlayerLevelEngramPoints (in Game.ini) – Assigns custom points per level.

4. Combat Settings (GameUserSettings.ini)

1. PlayerDamageMultiplier / DinoDamageMultiplier / StructureDamageMultiplier – Modify outgoing damage.
2. PlayerResistanceMultiplier / DinoResistanceMultiplier / StructureResistanceMultiplier – Modify damage resistance.
3. DinoCountMultiplier (float) – Controls wild creature density.
4. ClampResourceHarvestDamage (boolean) – Limits resource harvest efficiency of powerful dinos.

5. Survival & Harvesting (GameUserSettings.ini)

1. PlayerCharacterFoodDrainMultiplier / PlayerCharacterWaterDrainMultiplier – Control hunger and thirst speed.
2. PlayerCharacterStaminaDrainMultiplier – Controls stamina drain speed.
3. PlayerCharacterHealthRecoveryMultiplier – Health regeneration rate.
4. Equivalent dino parameters: DinoCharacterFoodDrainMultiplier, DinoCharacterStaminaDrainMultiplier, DinoCharacterHealthRecoveryMultiplier.
5. HarvestAmountMultiplier – Multiplies harvested resources.
6. HarvestHealthMultiplier – Controls resource node durability and yield.
7. ResourcesRespawnPeriodMultiplier – Controls respawn speed of resources.
8. ResourceNoReplenishRadiusPlayers / ResourceNoReplenishRadiusStructures – Respawn exclusion zones.
9. ItemStackSizeMultiplier – Multiplies item stack sizes.

6. Taming Settings (GameUserSettings.ini & Game.ini)

1. TamingSpeedMultiplier – Main taming speed setting.
2. DinoCharacterFoodDrainMultiplier – Affects hunger speed of wild dinos (indirect taming effect).
3. PassiveTameIntervalMultiplier (Game.ini) – Controls passive taming feed delay.
4. WildDinoTorporDrainMultiplier (Game.ini) – Torpor drain rate of unconscious wild dinos.
5. AllowAnyoneBabyImprintCuddle (boolean) – Any tribe member can imprint.

7. Breeding Settings (Game.ini)

1. MatingIntervalMultiplier – Interval between possible matings.
2. MatingSpeedMultiplier – Speed of mating process.
3. EggHatchSpeedMultiplier – Egg incubation speed.
4. BabyMatureSpeedMultiplier – Baby maturation speed.
5. BabyFoodConsumptionSpeedMultiplier – Baby food consumption rate.

Imprinting:

6. BabyCuddleIntervalMultiplier – Frequency of cuddle requests.

7. BabyImprintAmountMultiplier – Amount of imprint per interaction.

8. BabyImprintingStatScaleMultiplier – Effect of imprinting on final stats.

9. Advanced imprint settings: BabyCuddleGracePeriodMultiplier, BabyCuddleLoseImprintQualitySpeedMultiplier.

Example: Rex Maturation Times

Here’s how BabyMatureSpeedMultiplier affects the maturation of a Rex (official default = ~4 days real time):

1. 1 (official)~4 days
2. 5 ~19 hours
3. 10 ~9.5 hours
4. 20 ~4.5 hours
5. 50 ~1.9 hours

8. Advanced Settings (Game.ini)

1. PerLevelStatsMultiplier_Player[], PerLevelStatsMultiplier_DinoTamed[], PerLevelStatsMultiplier_DinoWild[] – Control per-level stat gains.
2. LevelExperienceRampOverrides – Custom XP/level tables.
3. OverrideEngramEntries / OverrideNamedEngramEntries – Disable or modify engrams.
4. ConfigOverrideItemCraftingCosts – Custom crafting costs.
5. SupplyCrateLootQualityMultiplier – Adjust loot quality (default 1.0).
6. ConfigOverrideSupplyCrateItems – Fully customize supply drops.
7. MaxTamedDinos – Max total tamed dinos on the server.
8. PreventDiseases=True – Removes swamp fever and similar diseases.

9. Map & DLC-Specific Settings

1. Ragnarok – Controls unicorn spawns and volcano activity.
2. Aberration – CrossARKAllowForeignDinoDownloads=True allows imported creatures.
3. Genesis: Part 1 – Enable Tek suit powers with AllowTekSuitPowersInGenesis=True. Flyers can be forced via bForceCanRideFliers=True.
4. Genesis: Part 2 – Disable missions with bDisableGenesisMissions=True. Remove starting Tek suit with bDisableDefaultMapItemSets=True.
5. Homestead Update (S+) – AlwaysAllowStructurePickup=True allows infinite structure pickup.
6. Other maps (The Island, Scorched Earth, The Center, Valguero, Crystal Isles, Lost Island, Fjordur) – Follow general settings. Fjordur adds world buffs (runes), not configurable.

Conclusion

Fine-tuning an ARK server involves many parameters. This guide covered the most commonly modified options in GameUserSettings.ini and Game.ini.

In summary:

1. Use multipliers (XP, harvesting, taming, breeding) to adjust progression.
2. Enable/disable PvP/PvE features for the desired server atmosphere.
3. Adjust breeding settings to keep the feature fun without excessive grind.

With a clear file structure and the examples above, you can now customize your ARK server to deliver the ideal gameplay experience for your community.

Happy surviving on ARK!