For a small private ARK group, the most reliable setup is a deliberately modest two-file configuration: put server identity, difficulty, passwords, networking and ordinary rate controls in GameUserSettings.ini; reserve Game.ini for breeding, imprinting, per-level stat scaling, tribe limits, loot and other deeper gameplay changes. Begin with the documented level-150 wild-dinosaur setup (DifficultyOffset=1.0 and OverrideOfficialDifficulty=5.0), use a coordinated 2x rate preset instead of unrelated multipliers, and leave bUseSingleplayerSettings=False unless the group explicitly wants its very large bundled boosts. Stop the server before editing, restart it afterward, and verify that every setting matches your edition, ASA or ASE.
Which ARK configuration file should I edit?
Use GameUserSettings.ini for the settings most groups change together, and Game.ini for detailed gameplay rules. Keeping those roles separate makes the server easier to troubleshoot and lets players review major breeding or stat changes without searching through identity and network options.
| File | Typical section | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
GameUserSettings.ini |
[ServerSettings] |
Difficulty, wild-level ceiling, XP, taming, harvesting, basic rules, passwords and convenience options. |
GameUserSettings.ini |
[SessionSettings] |
Advertised server identity and network values such as SessionName, Port and (for ASE) QueryPort. |
Game.ini |
[/script/shootergame.shootergamemode] |
Breeding and imprinting overrides, per-level stat scaling, tribe limits, loot, crafting and other deeper game-mode changes. |
The dedicated-server directories are ShooterGame/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/ on Linux and ShooterGame/Saved/Config/WindowsServer/ on Windows. If a key is absent, ARK uses its built-in default; an omitted line is therefore safer than a guessed or misspelled key.
Why keep breeding in Game.ini?
Breeding and imprinting often need several related values and more discussion than a simple rate change. Keeping those overrides in Game.ini gives the group a visible, reviewable place for long-term changes while GameUserSettings.ini remains focused on how the server is found and how quickly ordinary play progresses.
How do I edit ARK server settings without losing changes?
Editing while the process is running is the most common way to have a correct change disappear. Use this sequence for a dedicated server:
- Stop the server cleanly. Wait until the hosting panel or service reports that the process has stopped. Do not edit a file that the running server can still rewrite.
- Open the edition’s configuration directory. Choose the LinuxServer or WindowsServer path under
ShooterGame/Saved/Config/, then open the appropriate INI file. - Find or create the documented section. Put server-wide basics under
[ServerSettings], identity and network entries under[SessionSettings], and game-mode overrides in the section documented forGame.ini. - Change only the keys you intend to change. Preserve the exact spelling, capitalization, equals sign and numeric format shown by the current reference for your edition. Remove an experimental line rather than leaving a value you no longer understand.
- Save a copy of the previous file. A dated backup makes it possible to identify which change caused a problem and restore a known-good state.
- Start the server and test one change at a time. Confirm the server appears under the expected name, then check a rate or rule in-game before adding another batch of overrides.
Many hosting control panels expose the same values as form fields. The panel still writes the INI files, so the stop, save and restart discipline remains important. If a panel supplies a preset, record which values it changes before adding manual exceptions.
What is a good baseline for a small private group?
The following baseline is an editorial starting point, not a universal official “best.” Agree on it together, then change one category at a time so the group can tell whether the world still feels challenging.
| Goal | File and section | Starting choice | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| Familiar wild-dinosaur ceiling | GameUserSettings.ini → [ServerSettings] |
DifficultyOffset=1.0OverrideOfficialDifficulty=5.0 |
The documented override is the level-150 setup for common wild creatures. |
| Faster but readable progression | GameUserSettings.ini → [ServerSettings] |
Start with a coordinated 2x preset for XP, taming, harvesting and breeding. | Moving the related systems together prevents one activity from racing far ahead of the others. The 2x choice is a group preference, not a developer-mandated standard. |
| Breeding and imprint detail | Game.ini → [/script/shootergame.shootergamemode] |
Add only the documented breeding or imprinting keys the group has approved. | Complex overrides stay separate from identity and basic rates. |
| Identity and networking | GameUserSettings.ini → [SessionSettings] |
Set a clear SessionName; verify Port=7777 and, for ASE, QueryPort=27015 unless the host requires different values. |
Players can identify the server, and the listed defaults provide a known starting point for connection troubleshooting. |
| Small-group convenience | As documented for the relevant option | Leave bUseSingleplayerSettings=False. |
The bundled boosts are much larger than a mild quality-of-life adjustment. |
What difficulty gives level-150 wild dinosaurs?
Set DifficultyOffset=1.0 and OverrideOfficialDifficulty=5.0 in GameUserSettings.ini under [ServerSettings]. This is the documented combination for common wild creatures to spawn up to level 150.
Difficulty is separate from XP, taming and harvesting speed. Raising the wild-level ceiling does not automatically make a group level faster or tame faster; decide those systems independently. After changing difficulty, restart the server and inspect newly spawned creatures. Existing creatures in the world do not necessarily change simply because the configuration value changed, so use the edition’s documented creature-refresh procedure if your group wants the new distribution applied immediately.
How should I set XP, taming, harvesting and breeding rates?
Coordinate these four systems rather than maximizing each one independently. A group that doubles XP but leaves taming and breeding at default can reach unlocks long before it can use the creatures and equipment those unlocks imply.
| Preset idea | Time commitment | Progression feel | Maintenance | Best fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2x | Noticeably shorter sessions, while retaining a reason to gather and prepare. | Closest to a “faster official” rhythm when all four systems move together. | Low; few exceptions are needed. | Most small private groups. |
| 3x | Short sessions become productive, and routine tames require less scheduling. | More forgiving, but resource bottlenecks can disappear quickly. | Low to medium if breeding is adjusted separately. | Groups that play several evenings a week but cannot leave a server running constantly. |
| 5x | Most ordinary tasks fit into one sitting. | Fast progression can make early-game unlocks and resource locations feel temporary. | Medium; the group may need caps or exceptions to preserve challenge. | Casual groups prioritizing building and exploration over survival pacing. |
| 10x | Very short cycles and rapid advancement. | Many systems become convenience features rather than time gates. | High if players still want meaningful scarcity or breeding decisions. | Event-style or highly time-limited worlds. |
Hosting documentation commonly presents 2x, 3x, 5x and 10x as coordinated presets. Those labels describe a convenient pattern, not a universal recommendation from the game developer. Pick one target, tell every player what it means, and avoid layering a preset with a collection of undocumented exceptions.
How do I decide whether the preset is too fast?
- Ask how long a normal tame, craft or breeding cycle should take during an ordinary play session, not during a holiday marathon.
- Check whether XP, taming, harvesting and breeding still move together. If one system is the new bottleneck, adjust that system deliberately instead of doubling everything again.
- Consider admin maintenance. Every special case in
Game.iniis another value to verify after an update or migration. - Revisit the decision when the group’s schedule changes. A rate that suits a two-evening-per-week group may trivialize a summer server with daily play.
How do I configure breeding and imprinting?
Put breeding and imprinting overrides in Game.ini under the documented game-mode section, and add only the keys the group has agreed to use. Treat breeding as its own design problem: maturation, hatching, mating intervals and imprint opportunities affect one another, so changing one value can make the intended schedule impossible.
Start by writing the desired outcome in plain language—for example, “a normal baby should mature during one evening, with enough imprint opportunities for the owner to participate.” Then translate that goal using the current ASA or ASE reference, test a single breeding cycle, and record the result. Do not copy a setting block between editions until the edition-specific documentation confirms that every key is supported and interpreted the same way.
Keep a short comment or change log outside the live file describing who approved the override, what cycle it targets and when it was tested. That record prevents a later administrator from “fixing” a deliberate value back to a default that no longer fits the group.
Should I enable bUseSingleplayerSettings for a private server?
Usually no. Leave bUseSingleplayerSettings=False unless everyone intentionally wants the bundled single-player boosts. Enabling it is not a small convenience toggle: the documented bundle includes 35x baby maturation, 9x egg hatching, 2.5x taming, 4x crop growth and a 0.15x mating interval, along with additional changes to progression and stats.
| Choice | What it means | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
False |
Use the server’s explicit difficulty, rate and gameplay settings. | More configuration work, but each system remains understandable and adjustable. |
True |
Apply the bundled single-player multipliers in addition to the server’s normal behavior. | Breeding, taming, crops and other activities can become dramatically faster than a 2x group preset, making the world feel inconsistent if players expected only a modest boost. |
If the group wants faster taming or breeding but not the rest of the bundle, keep the option disabled and configure the individual, documented overrides instead.
How do I set the server name and network ports?
Use GameUserSettings.ini under [SessionSettings]. Set a distinctive SessionName that tells players the map, mode or group identity. The reference lists Port=7777 and, for ASE, QueryPort=27015; retain those values unless your host or network design requires different ports.
When a server cannot be found, test identity and networking separately from gameplay settings:
- Confirm the server process is running after the restart.
- Check that the advertised name exactly matches the value you expect, including spaces and punctuation.
- Verify the configured port values against the hosting panel, firewall and any required router forwarding.
- Confirm you are searching in the correct ARK edition and using the correct map.
A port change made in the INI but not reflected in the host’s service configuration can produce a server that appears to start normally while remaining unreachable. Conversely, changing a host field without checking the file can be overwritten the next time the panel regenerates its configuration.
What changes between ARK: Survival Ascended and ARK: Survival Evolved?
Do not assume that a configuration copied from one edition is valid in the other. ASA uses the executable ArkAscendedServer.exe and map names such as TheIsland_WP. ASE uses ShooterGameServer.exe and map names such as TheIsland.
Command-line support also differs by option and version. Before copying a launch argument or an INI entry, check the reference for the exact edition and version you are running. A setting can be valid in one edition, renamed in the other or accepted but ignored if it belongs to a different executable’s configuration model.
| Check | ASA | ASE |
|---|---|---|
| Dedicated-server executable | ArkAscendedServer.exe |
ShooterGameServer.exe |
| Example Island map name | TheIsland_WP |
TheIsland |
| Query-port value listed in the reference | Edition-specific; verify current documentation. | QueryPort=27015 unless the host requires another value. |
| Command-line compatibility | Verify each option for the current ASA version. | Verify each option for the current ASE version. |
Which settings matter for PvE and PvP groups?
The best rate preset is still wrong if the server’s protection and damage rules do not match the group’s mode. Decide PvE or PvP before tuning convenience values, then review structure decay, offline protection and damage behavior as a separate checklist. These rules affect the risk of leaving a base unattended and therefore change how much time a “normal” tame or build should require.
- PvE groups: prioritize predictable progression, base upkeep and cooperation. A moderate preset usually preserves more of the exploration and resource-planning loop.
- PvP groups: account for the time needed to replace losses and the hours when nobody is online. Faster harvesting or breeding may be a deliberate recovery tool rather than a progression shortcut.
- Mixed expectations: write the rules in the group’s server description. Players should know whether offline protection, structure decay and damage rules favor long-term building or active conflict.
Why do my ARK settings reset after a restart?
A reset usually means the wrong file, section or server instance was edited, or that a control panel regenerated the file. Work through these checks in order:
- Confirm the path. Dedicated servers read the LinuxServer or WindowsServer directory, not a similarly named local single-player folder.
- Confirm the file and section. A server setting placed in
Game.iniwhen the reference expectsGameUserSettings.ini, or placed outside its required section, may be ignored. - Check the edition. ASA and ASE use different executables, map names and, in some cases, different command-line support.
- Stop before editing. If the process was still running, it may have written its previous values back over your changes.
- Inspect panel overrides. A host form or preset can rewrite manual entries at startup. Apply the value in the panel or disable the conflicting automation, then restart.
- Remove unsupported lines. An entry copied from another version can be ignored or cause a section to be rewritten. Restore the last known-good file and add one documented key at a time.
After each restart, verify the actual result in-game rather than trusting that the file still contains the text. A successful save proves only that the text was written; it does not prove that this edition recognized the key.
How can a group keep its configuration maintainable?
Use a small change process rather than a giant “perfect” INI. Keep the baseline in the live files, store dated backups separately, and maintain a change log that records the player vote, the intended effect and the edition tested.
- Change one family of settings at a time: difficulty, rates, breeding, identity or PvE/PvP rules.
- Use the documented default when the group has no reason to override a value.
- Prefer a coordinated preset over unrelated multipliers that create hidden bottlenecks.
- Review every copied setting for ASA-versus-ASE compatibility before applying it.
- After updates or migrations, test server discovery, a representative tame or harvest action, and one breeding cycle before inviting the whole group back.
- Tell players when a change affects time commitment, creature levels, death recovery or base security.
For most small groups, that process leads to a clear practical configuration: level-150 wild creatures, a coordinated 2x starting preset, explicitly reviewed breeding overrides, a descriptive session name, verified ports and no single-player bundle unless the entire group asks for it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I change rates without starting a new ARK world?
The configuration files are separate from the world save, so rate and rule edits are normally made to the server configuration rather than by creating a new map. Stop the server, change the documented entries, restart it and test the result; edition-specific behavior should still be confirmed before applying a large change.
What happens if I delete a setting from the INI?
When a key is omitted, ARK falls back to its built-in default. Removing an experimental line is therefore a useful rollback method, provided the key is not being reintroduced automatically by a hosting-panel preset.
Why can players see the server but fail to join it?
Discovery and gameplay configuration are different checks. Verify the advertised name and the configured game and query ports against the host service, firewall and router, then confirm that players are searching in the same edition and map family as the running executable.
Is a 2x preset officially endorsed as the correct rate?
No. Hosting documentation describes coordinated 2x, 3x, 5x and 10x patterns, but the choice is an editorial starting point for a group’s schedule. The right preset is the one that keeps XP, taming, harvesting and breeding in proportion to the time your players actually have.