ARK: Survival Evolved
ARK: Survival Evolved
25 ArticlesHow to Add Admins to your ARK Server
ARK: Survival Evolved administrators have access to a wide range of permissions and admin commands that they can choose from to help manage their server. This includes the ability to kick, ban, fly and use cheat commands. All available ARK console commands can be found on this Wiki page. ::ProseNote{title="Note" description="In order to add a player as an admin, you will need to know the player's SteamID64." appearance="default"} :: Adding an Admin You can add an admin by creating the file in your folder using your server's control panel. 1. Access your Control Panel and Stop your server. 2. Navigate to Files. 3. Navigate to . 4. Click New file. 5. Locate the New file name field and enter 6. Enter your desired admin's SteamID64 per line. 7. Save and Start your server. To learn more about ARK: Survival Evolved server hosting, you can browse our library of Knowledgebase articles here.
GameUserSettings.ini Resetting on Server Restart
The GameUserSettings.ini is one of the primary files for making configuration changes to an ARK: Survival Evolved server. If your GameUserSettings.ini file is resetting on server restart, this usually means there is an error in the file. This is often due to either a syntax error or required settings missing from the file. Before making any modifications to this file, please create a backup of it so you can restore it in case the file is reset again. ::ProseNote{title="Note" description="The GameUserSettings.ini file should not be used to set your mods as it will be overwritten by your server's file. More information on installing mods can be found here." appearance="default"} :: Verify GameUserSettings.ini Formatting 1. Settings are sorted into sections, which are indicated by the header at the start of each section. Check that your file contains the following headers: If any of these sections are missing, they will be regenerated with default settings. 2. Each setting should be on a new line and should look exactly like without a space before or after the equals sign. 3. Check that each setting is correctly spelled and has a correct value type assigned to it. A list of settings can be found on the ARK Wiki here. If you have identified any issues, you can compare your file to the default file to see what changes to your file are necessary. If you used an ARK INI Generator to generate the entire file, some required settings are likely missing. --- Configuring GameUserSettings.ini from Defaults If your file continues to reset after checking that it is valid and making any necessary changes, it is recommended to revert to the default file and make your desired changes one by one. 1. Ensure you have a copy of the file you wish to use so you can see which settings to change. 2. Restart your server. This will generate a working copy of the file. 3. Stop the server so that you can make changes to the new file. 4. Open the copy of the settings you wish to use and do the following for each setting: "Key" will refer to the part of each line before the equals sign. "Value" will refer to the part of each line after the equals sign. (i.e. ) Check if the key is already somewhere in the newly-generated GameUserSettings.ini on your server. If it is, change the value if necessary. Ensure that the value type does not change (e.g. you should not be changing a to ) If you cannot find the key, create a new line for your setting. Ensure it is in the correct section. Check the ARK Wiki to see if the key name and value type are correct. 5. Create a copy of this new file in case it is reset again, so that you do not lose it. 6. Start your server and connect to ensure the changes have taken effect. To learn more about ARK: Survival Evolved server hosting, you can browse our library of Knowledgebase articles here.
Enabling Primitive+ Total Conversion Mod for ARK
Our ARK servers support Primitive+, the free, official total conversion DLC. Primitive+ enhances gameplay through new game mechanics and loads of custom primitive items. ::ProseNote{title="Note" description="Before enabling Primitive+, we recommend that you backup your server." appearance="default"} :: Modifying the Configs 1. Ensure your server is stopped before proceeding. 2. Edit your GameUserSettings.ini, set to , and press save. 3. Access your server’s FTP (Files FTP File Access) and edit your ark.properties file. On the last line, add the following and press save. 4. Start your server. Upon starting, your server will install and activate Primitive+ as an active mod. If you would like to add more mods to your ARK server, check out our guide on How to Add Mods to your ARK Server. Not sure what mods to add? Take a look at our article listing the Best ARK Mods.
How to Join Your ARK Server
Finding your Server's IP Depending on the platform you are joining through, you may need to use another IP Address to connect to your server. --- Steam 1. Access your Control Panel. 2. Note down the IP of your server. Epic Games 1. Access your Control Panel. 2. Note down the IP of your server. 3. Navigate to ports, and note down the port. 4. Navigate to Config. 5. Open and enable Epic Only to allow Epic players to join. Save the changes. 6. Restart the server for changes to apply. 7. Take the IP of your server, and replace the port with the Query port. In this case, becomes . --- Connecting With Steam You can join your ARK server in-game through the following steps: 1. In the Steam client under View \ Game Servers, click the Favorites tab. 2. Add your server by clicking the + icon, then entering your Server Address into the pop-up box and clicking OK. 3. Open the game ARK and click Join ARK. 4. In the bottom left corner under the filter options, change the Session Filter to Favorites. 5. Press refresh, and then you should see your server and be able to join. ::ProseNote{title="Note" description="You can also directly connect to your server once by pressing the \ button on the control panel's server page. Doing this will not save it under Favorites." appearance="default"} :: Connecting With Epic Games Launcher When connecting to your ARK Server through Epic Games Launcher, there are some slightly different instructions you will need to follow: 1. Open ARK and select the HOST / LOCAL option in the menu. ::ProseNote{title="Note" description="If you have set a password for your server, you will be unable to join the server using the Epic Games version of ARK." appearance="default"} :: 2. Click Play Single Player - there is no need to edit settings or change the map, as this doesn't affect you connecting to the server. 3. When loaded in, press TAB to open the game's Console. 4. In the Console, type . This will then begin connecting you to your server. Note that the main page of the panel may show another port as required by Steam, but for Epic Games, you will need to use the IP found by the section Finding your Server's IP to allow for direct connection to your server. At this stage, there isn't a way to connect from the server list from Epic Games' version, but this may come in a future update when they allow mods to be used on the client.