Ark Server Settings Guide: Advanced Options

This guide explains the advanced server settings in Ark: Survival Ascended and Ark: Survival Evolved, covering what each option does, how to configure them, and how to avoid common mistakes. You’ll learn which settings control taming, breeding, difficulty, and quality of life, and how to choose values that fit your preferred playstyle.

Background: Why Advanced Settings Matter

Ark’s default server settings are tuned for a challenging, time-consuming experience. Taming a high-level creature can take hours, breeding and raising babies requires constant attention, and resource gathering is slow. Advanced settings let you adjust these mechanics to create a server that is more casual, more hardcore, or somewhere in between. For single-player games, these options are available in the “General” and “Advanced” tabs of the world settings. For dedicated servers, they are set in the Game.ini and GameUserSettings.ini files. Understanding these options is essential for anyone who wants to tailor the game to their group’s preferences.

How the Settings Work

Most advanced settings are multipliers that directly affect game mechanics. For example, TamingSpeedMultiplier is a direct multiplier on how fast a creature’s taming bar fills. A value of 1.0 is the default; 2.0 makes taming twice as fast; 0.5 makes it half as fast. The same logic applies to experience gain (XPMultiplier), harvest amount (HarvestAmountMultiplier), and egg laying (EggHatchSpeedMultiplier). Some settings, like DifficultyOffset, control the level range of wild creatures. Others, like AllowFlyerSpeedLeveling, are simple on/off toggles. In the game’s UI, these are often shown as sliders or checkboxes, but the underlying values are what matter. On a dedicated server, you need to edit the configuration files and restart the server for changes to take effect.

Key Advanced Options and Their Effects

Here are the most impactful advanced settings you’ll likely want to adjust:

• TamingSpeedMultiplier: Multiplies taming effectiveness and speed. Higher values make taming faster but can lower the final taming effectiveness if the creature is knocked out with too much damage.
• HarvestAmountMultiplier: Affects how many resources you get from trees, rocks, and corpses. A value of 2.0 means double the resources.
• XPMultiplier: Controls how fast you and your tames gain experience. Useful for speeding up early game progression.
• DifficultyOffset: Sets the base level of wild dinos. A value of 1.0 usually makes max level 150 (on official rates), while 0.2 makes it around level 30. This is often paired with OverrideOfficialDifficulty to set a specific max level like 300.
• MatingIntervalMultiplier and EggHatchSpeedMultiplier: These control breeding. Lower mating interval means creatures can breed more often; higher egg hatch speed makes eggs hatch faster.
• BabyMatureSpeedMultiplier: Speeds up how fast babies grow to adulthood. A value of 10.0 makes them mature 10 times faster than default.
• AllowFlyerSpeedLeveling: When enabled, allows flyers to increase speed with levels. On official servers this is often disabled for balance.
• ShowMapPlayerLocation: Toggles whether your position shows on the map. Useful for navigation but makes the game easier.
• ServerPVE: Enables Player vs Environment mode, preventing other players from damaging you or your structures.

How to Choose the Right Settings

Choosing settings depends on your goals. For a solo player who wants to experience the game without the grind, a common setup is:

• TamingSpeedMultiplier: 5.0 to 10.0
• HarvestAmountMultiplier: 2.0 to 3.0
• XPMultiplier: 2.0 to 5.0
• BabyMatureSpeedMultiplier: 5.0 to 10.0

For a small group that wants a challenge but not the full official grind, you might use:

• TamingSpeedMultiplier: 2.0 to 3.0
• HarvestAmountMultiplier: 1.5 to 2.0
• XPMultiplier: 1.5 to 2.0
• DifficultyOffset: 1.0 (max level 150)

Remember that changing DifficultyOffset only affects newly spawned creatures. To see higher-level dinos, you may need to do a wild dino wipe (using the command admincheat DestroyWildDinos) after changing the setting.

Common Problems and Misconceptions

One common misconception is that TamingSpeedMultiplier also increases taming effectiveness. It does not. Taming effectiveness is determined by how much damage the creature takes during the knockout and how well you manage its food. Another issue is that setting BabyMatureSpeedMultiplier too high can cause babies to starve because they mature before you can fill their inventory with food. A value of 10 or 20 is usually safe, but 50+ can be problematic. Also, many players think that HarvestAmountMultiplier affects the amount of meat from a corpse, which it does, but it also affects the amount of hide, chitin, and other resources. Finally, changing DifficultyOffset to a high value without also increasing OverrideOfficialDifficulty may not give you the max level you expect. Use both together for consistent results.

Comparing Survival Ascended and Evolved

Ark: Survival Ascended is a remaster of Survival Evolved using Unreal Engine 5. The core settings are nearly identical, but there are a few differences. Survival Ascended includes a new “Custom Options” menu that allows you to tweak settings like player weight, water speed, and structure limits without editing files. It also has a “Single Player Settings” toggle that automatically applies a set of boosted rates designed for solo play. In Survival Evolved, these options are not present, and you must adjust the multipliers manually. Also, Survival Ascended has a built-in admin command to change settings in-game, while Evolved often requires file editing. For most advanced settings, the names and functions are the same, so a guide for one applies to the other.

Costs and Alternatives

Running a dedicated server can be done on your own hardware (free aside from electricity and internet) or through a hosting provider, which typically charges a monthly fee. If you don’t want to manage a server, you can play single-player or on a non-dedicated session, but these have limitations like a tether distance that prevents players from wandering too far from the host. An alternative to adjusting dozens of settings is to use a server manager tool like Ark Server Manager (for Evolved) or the built-in web interface in Survival Ascended. These tools provide a graphical interface for editing settings, making it easier to avoid typos. Another alternative is to join an existing server that already has the settings you want. Many community servers advertise their rates (e.g., 5x taming, 10x breeding) so you can find one that matches your preferred pace.

Safety and Best Practices

When editing server settings, always back up your Game.ini and GameUserSettings.ini files before making changes. A simple typo can prevent the server from starting. Test changes on a local single-player game first to see how they feel. Be cautious with extreme values: setting HarvestAmountMultiplier to 100 can cause the game to lag due to too many resource nodes dropping items. Also, be aware that some settings, like AllowFlyerSpeedLeveling, are disabled on official servers for balance reasons. If you are running a public server, it’s good practice to announce your rates clearly so players know what to expect. Finally, remember that changing settings mid-game can sometimes cause issues with existing structures or tames, so it’s best to make major changes before players join or after a server restart.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is the best taming speed multiplier for a solo player?
A: A value between 5 and 10 is common for solo play. It reduces the time for a high-level Rex from hours to about 15-30 minutes, which is manageable. Start with 5 and adjust if it feels too slow.

Q: How do I set a max wild dino level of 300?
A: Set DifficultyOffset to 1.0 and OverrideOfficialDifficulty to 300. Then run admincheat DestroyWildDinos to respawn creatures at the new level range. Note that the max level is 300, but you’ll see a range up to that.

Q: Does increasing harvest amount affect the amount of meat from a kill?
A: Yes, it multiplies all resource yields, including meat, hide, and chitin. It also affects the amount of wood and stone from trees and rocks. Be aware it can also increase the amount of thatch, which may be unwanted.

Q: Why are my babies starving even with a high mature speed?
A: If the mature speed is too high, babies grow so fast that they consume food faster than you can provide. Try lowering the multiplier to 5-10 and make sure to fill the baby’s inventory with food before it hatches or is born. Also, check that the baby has access to the correct food type (meat or berries).

Q: Can I change settings without restarting the server?
A: In Survival Ascended, some settings can be changed via the in-game admin command cheat SetServerSetting, but most require a restart to take effect. In Survival Evolved, you must edit the .ini files and restart the server. Always restart after changes.

Q: What does the “Single Player Settings” toggle do?
A: It automatically applies a set of boosted rates (like taming, XP, and harvest) that are designed to make solo play more enjoyable. It also reduces some of the grind. It’s a good starting point, but you can still manually adjust individual settings afterward.

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