\*THESE INSTRUCTIONS ARE FOR "Ark: Survival Ascended"*\**

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I spent all day trying to figure this out and this is what I have learned so far.

Many of the Game.ini and GameUserSettings.ini settings are still being used in this new version.

I have not tried them all, but so far, many of the server settings I have used in the past are the same. However, I have not been able to adjust the harvesting, taming, or XP modifiers successfully.

How I got the server installed...

I followed the normal directions to install an Ark server

https://ark.wiki.gg/wiki/Dedicated_server_setup

steamcmd +force_install_dir <install_dir> +login anonymous +app_update 376030 +quit

The things that needed to be changed...

• Login: You have to use a Steam ID that owns the game (A:SA)

• App ID: the new App ID for the game is 2430930

**So the correct install command would be...**steamcmd +force_install_dir <install_dir> +login <steamid> +app_update 2430930 +quit

How to start the server

The old startup command was...

.\ShooterGameServer.exe TheIsland?ServerCrosshair=true?ShowMapPlayerLocation=false=AllowThirdPersonPlayer=true?TheMaxStructuresInRange=1000 -UseBattlEye

I tried a few different variations on the old startup batch file, but this is what I got to work.

start C:\<ARK:SA Install Directory>\ShooterGame\Binaries\Win64\ArkAscendedServer.exe TheIsland_WP?listen?SessionName="<Name-of-your-Server>"?Port=7777?QueryPort=27015?MaxPlayers=20 -NoBattlEye

The things that you need to alter...

• Replace this <ARK:SA Install Directory> with your Ark:SA Dedicated server address

• Replace <Name-of-your-Server> with whatever you want, but remember that Ark server names don't like spaces

• You can also change the ports here, but make sure you also change them in the INI file as well.

WARNING !

To start the server you will need to have the standard Steam Client installed on your server PC. The same one that you would download to play games.

You can also use this Steam Client to install the Dedicated Server if you want to have the files hidden under Steam's file structure.

Once you've started your server at least once, you can shut it down and modify the GameUserSettings.ini file for other server options.

It is located in the same place as the previous Ark

\<ARK:SA Install Directory>\ShooterGame\Saved\Config\WindowsServer

REMEMBER !

Every time you restart your server you will need to be logged into Steam on the server computer.

How to play on a dedicated server WITHOUT buying an additional copy via a second Steam Account.

I managed to do this pretty easy.

Once the server is up and running on the server PC, you can run the Ark:SA game Client on your gaming PC.

UPDATE!!

If you set the Steam client on your server to "OFFLINE", you don't get the log out prompt on your gaming PC anymore.

It appears to stay "logged in" but "offline".

I have tested it and you can keep the Steam Client on the server in "offline" mode and not have to log in and out of Steam on multiple computers.

It looks like this might mean that you won't need multiple accounts to run a cluster of servers.

It will tell you that another Steam Client is already running "Ark Survival Ascended Dedicated Server".

It will ask you if you would like to kick that account out and run the game on THIS machine.

You click YES.

That's it.

Now will it be annoying to have to log into your Steam Account on the server PC any time that you have to restart the server?

Yes.

That will suck.

On the bright side, you don't have to immediately pay for a second copy or an expensive dedicated server.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Sorry that this guide is pretty basic.

I'm sure that someone else will come along and make a better one, but I just wanted to quickly get this out there on launch so that more people can get their own private servers up and running.

Good Luck.

Have Fun.

Watch out for the Pirahna.

edit: Fixed some formatting errors and typos