The two settings files
- GameUserSettings.ini, section [ServerSettings]: the rates and rules most owners change. XP, taming, harvesting, difficulty, day length, PvE, structure decay, autosave and more.
- Game.ini: the finer controls. Breeding and maturation speed, imprinting, XP by source, tribe size, per-level stat gains, engram and creature overrides. The game does not create it: it exists once something writes it.
On Flux the Server Settings tab edits both, as forms: rates and rules in GameUserSettings.ini, breeding, XP by source, crops and tribes in Game.ini. Lines the forms do not show, such as per-level stats, are kept as they are and can be edited in Advanced Edit.
Both sit in ShooterGame/Saved/Config/WindowsServer. On Flux that is Config/WindowsServer in the file browser, because the volume is the Saved folder.
What the launch line overrides
Anything passed on the server's launch line wins over the files. On Flux the launch line is built from Deployment Settings, so these are changed there and not in the ini:
| Setting | Where to change it on Flux |
|---|---|
| Server name | Server Name in Deployment Settings |
| Map | Map in Deployment Settings |
| Join password | Join Password in Deployment Settings |
| Admin and RCON password | Admin & RCON Password in Deployment Settings |
| Max players | Max Players in Deployment Settings |
| Crossplay | Who can join in Deployment Settings |
| Mods | The Mods tab: CurseForge search, load order and platforms |
Common changes
| What | Key in [ServerSettings] | Normal |
|---|---|---|
| Experience | XPMultiplier | 1 |
| Taming speed | TamingSpeedMultiplier | 1 |
| Resources per hit | HarvestAmountMultiplier | 1 |
| Highest wild level | OverrideOfficialDifficulty (5 gives level 150) | Not set |
| PvE instead of PvP | ServerPVE | False |
| Day length | DayCycleSpeedScale | 1 |
| Autosave interval | AutoSavePeriodMinutes | 15 |
Becoming an admin
Open the in-game console and type enablecheats followed by the server's admin password. From then on that session can run admin commands. The same password connects RCON, which on Flux is the dashboard's RCON tab: kick and ban by EOS ID, broadcast, save the world, or run any admin command.
Frequently asked questions
Where are ARK: Survival Ascended server settings stored?
In GameUserSettings.ini and Game.ini, in ShooterGame/Saved/Config/WindowsServer.
Why did my ARK setting change back?
Either the server was running when the file was edited (ARK rewrites GameUserSettings.ini on shutdown), or the setting is on the launch line, which wins over the file. On Flux, change launch-line settings in Deployment Settings.
How do I make an ARK: Survival Ascended server PvE?
Set ServerPVE=True in [ServerSettings] of GameUserSettings.ini with the server stopped, then start it. On Flux, it is the PvE switch in the Server Settings tab.
How do I set the max wild dino level to 150?
Set OverrideOfficialDifficulty=5.0 in [ServerSettings] of GameUserSettings.ini.