ASKA does not currently have a documented native list of chat or console administrator commands. Dedicated-server administration is handled through your hosting panel and the file named server properties.txt. Use the panel to start, stop, or restart the server; edit startup and gameplay values in the properties file; then restart so ASKA reads the changes.
If you need kick, ban, player-listing, healing, or item-management tools, those functions come from the optional AskaAdminMenu BepInEx IL2CPP mod rather than the unmodded server. Do not copy command syntax from ARK, Minecraft, Arma, or another game: the available ASKA documentation does not confirm that those commands work.
Does ASKA have native admin commands?
Not in a published, authoritative command reference. The documented administration surface is the managed hosting panel plus server properties.txt, so ASKA server settings are changed as configuration rather than by typing commands in game chat.
This distinction matters when you search for “ASKA admin commands.” A page listing commands for another survival game may use familiar words such as /ban, /teleport, or cheat, but there is no ASKA-specific source in the available documentation that validates those commands. The absence of a reference does not prove that a future build can never add a console; it means you should verify the current build before relying on one.
ThunderfulPaige’s pinned developer update on November 26, 2024, described “2 main ways in which you can safely host an ASKA dedicated server on a different machine.” That guidance is consistent with a panel-based or file-based workflow, not a published in-game command catalog.
How do I start, stop, or restart an ASKA dedicated server?
Use the power controls in your managed host’s control panel. A GPanel-style interface normally exposes separate actions for starting, stopping, and restarting the instance.
- Open the server instance. Select the ASKA service in your host panel and open its console or management page.
- Stop it before editing files. A stopped process is less likely to overwrite a change while the server is running.
- Save your configuration changes. Edit the startup variables or
server properties.txtdescribed below. - Start or restart the instance. ASKA reads these values during startup; changing a field without restarting will not reliably apply it.
- Confirm the result. Watch the panel’s startup output and test joining with the same address and port configured for the server.
The panel route is useful when you do not control the operating system. A self-hosted machine follows the same order, but you replace the panel buttons with the service manager or launch method you use for that machine. The ASKA-specific part is still the configuration file and a restart.
Which startup variables can I change in the host panel?
The Legion Hosting guide identifies startup variables for the server’s identity, access, relay region, world persistence, and Steam authentication. Labels can vary slightly between hosts, but these variable names are the important values to recognize.
| Variable | What it controls | When to restart |
|---|---|---|
DISPLAY_NAME |
The name shown for the server in listings or the panel’s server identity. | After saving a new name. |
SERVER_NAME |
The server name used by the dedicated-server configuration. | After saving a new name. |
SERVER_PASSWORD |
Password protection for players joining the server. | After adding, removing, or replacing the password. |
SERVER_REGION |
The relay or server region selected for connections. | After changing the region. |
KEEP_SERVER_WORLD_ALIVE |
Whether the world continues while no players are present. | After changing the persistence choice. |
STEAM_GSLT |
The Steam Game Server Login Token used to identify the server. | After adding or replacing the token. |
Do not assume that a panel field is a live console command. These are startup settings. Enter the value in the panel’s documented field, save it, and restart the service.
Where is server properties.txt, and how do I edit it?
The file is named exactly server properties.txt, including the space. On a managed server, open the host’s file manager or configuration editor and locate that file in the ASKA server files. On a self-hosted installation, use the directory supplied by your dedicated-server launch setup. The exact folder path is host- and installation-dependent, so do not substitute a similarly named file from another game.
- Stop the server. This avoids a running process replacing your edits.
- Make a backup copy. Save the original file with a date in the filename before changing multiple values.
- Open the file as plain text. Preserve the existing key names, separators, capitalization, and one-setting-per-line format.
- Change only the value you intend to change. Keep unrelated settings untouched until you have confirmed the server starts normally.
- Save without renaming the file. The server expects
server properties.txt; an extension such as.txt.txtcan make the intended file invisible to the server. - Start or restart the server. Check the startup output and join to verify the new value.
These edits are configuration, not chat commands. Typing a key such as SERVER_REGION into game chat will not change the server; it belongs in the panel or properties file.
What gameplay settings can I change in server properties.txt?
The documented examples include day length, invasion difficulty, precipitation, and population or density. Use the values ASKA accepts rather than inventing numeric values.
| Setting category | Documented values or examples | Important qualification |
|---|---|---|
| Day length | minimum, reduced, default, extended, maximum |
Use the named preset value shown by the server configuration. |
| Invasion difficulty | off, easy, normal, hard |
This changes the configured difficulty, not an in-game command state. |
| Precipitation | Values exposed by the ASKA properties file | Use the value already documented in your build or template; no universal numeric range is established here. |
| Population or density | low, medium, high |
These are configuration levels, not player-spawn commands. |
Some world-customization settings are consumed only when a world is generated. If you change a setting and an existing world appears unchanged, that may be expected rather than a failed edit. Back up the world before changing a setting whose description says it applies to new generation, then test the change on a new world or a disposable copy.
How do I add the Steam login token and check the ports?
Put the Steam Game Server Login Token in the authentication field in server properties.txt. The documented form is Authentication token=YOUR_GSLT_TOKEN_HERE; replace the placeholder with your token and keep the key name intact.
- Create or obtain the Steam login token using the Steam account and app information required by Steam.
- Stop the ASKA server and open
server properties.txt. - Find the
Authentication tokenentry and replace only the placeholder value. - Save the file, protect the token from public logs or screenshots, and restart the server.
- Check the startup output for authentication errors before troubleshooting player connections.
Commonly documented default ports are 7777 for the game connection and 27015 for the query connection. Those are defaults, not guarantees: the values in your properties file and host panel take precedence. Open or forward the configured ports in the correct protocol for your network, and make sure a firewall or host security group is not blocking them.
A query port helps the server appear to server browsers and tools; it is not a substitute for the game connection port. If you changed either value, give players the actual configured port rather than assuming the defaults.
How do I apply a custom world preset?
Custom presets are prepared in the ASKA client, uploaded to the server, enabled in server properties.txt, and then selected by name. The process is different from changing a live chat command because the preset is a file-based world configuration.
- Create the preset locally. In ASKA, open Multiplayer, choose New, select Custom, and configure the world options.
- Save it in Game Settings. Use the game’s save control so the preset is written to the local
WorldCustomizationPresetscontent. - Upload the preset files. Copy the local
WorldCustomizationPresetscontent to the server’s corresponding presets folder using the panel file manager or your self-hosting transfer method. - Enable presets in the properties file. Open
server properties.txt, turn on the preset option provided by the file, and select the uploaded preset by its expected name. - Save and start the server. Restart after the file change so ASKA loads the preset.
- Check whether the world must be regenerated. If the options are generation-time settings, create a new world or use a backup rather than expecting the current world to rebuild itself.
Keep a copy of both the preset and the world save before testing. A missing upload, spelling mismatch, or selecting a preset that is not present on the server can leave the server using its previous configuration.
How do I select an existing ASKA world save?
ASKA selects an existing world through the save ID in server properties.txt. The ID must correspond to the uploaded save folder after removing the savegame_ prefix.
- Stop the server and list the save folders in the host file manager.
- Identify the folder for the world you want to use, such as a folder beginning with
savegame_. - Remove only the literal
savegame_prefix when determining the ID to enter; do not rename the folder unless the hosting instructions require it. - Set that ID in the save-ID field in
server properties.txt. - Save and restart, then verify that the expected world loads.
If the ID does not match, the server can create a new savegame_ folder instead of opening your uploaded world. Stop immediately if you see a fresh world, restore the backup, and correct the ID before making further gameplay changes.
How can I kick or ban a player on an ASKA server?
The available native documentation does not show a kick, ban, teleport, spawn, heal, or weather command. If moderation is essential, the documented option is the separate AskaAdminMenu mod, which runs through BepInEx IL2CPP and adds an administration menu.
What AskaAdminMenu adds
- Player listing.
- Kick and ban actions.
- Item spawning.
- Healing.
- Deleting the item you are aiming at.
Those are mod functions, not hidden vanilla commands. Every player or server installation that needs to interact with the menu must meet the mod’s BepInEx IL2CPP requirements, and the mod must match the ASKA build and server setup you are running. Follow the mod’s own installation and compatibility notes rather than placing arbitrary files in the server directory.
Licensing and redistribution
The listing describes AskaAdminMenu as free and prohibits repacking, selling, or commercial distribution. Do not present it as a paid hosting feature, bundle it into a commercial download, or redistribute a modified copy. Check the current listing for any later version or license changes before deploying it to a public server.
When a mod is not appropriate
For a lightly moderated private server, panel access, a password, and careful player selection may be sufficient. A mod adds another compatibility and maintenance dependency; remove it from your decision if you cannot keep the server and client environments aligned.
Which ASKA administration route should I use?
Choose the route based on the control you need, who can access the files, and whether a change affects an existing world.
| Route | Best for | Provides | Limitations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Managed hosting panel | Owners who want buttons and a file manager instead of operating-system access. | Start, stop, restart, startup variables, and usually file editing. | Panel labels and available fields vary by host; a restart is still required. |
Self-hosted server properties.txt |
Administrators who control the machine and its files. | Direct control of startup, authentication, ports, gameplay values, presets, and save selection. | You are responsible for backups, firewall rules, permissions, and keeping the process running. |
| Unmodded ASKA | Servers that need configuration but no extra moderation menu. | Documented panel and file-based administration. | No published native kick, ban, spawn, heal, teleport, or weather command reference. |
| AskaAdminMenu | Servers that specifically need player and item administration. | Player list, kick/ban, item spawning, healing, and aimed-item deletion. | Requires BepInEx IL2CPP compatibility and is free software that cannot be commercially redistributed. |
Changing a setting in the panel or file is normally a restart operation. Changing a generation-time world option is a world-lifecycle operation as well: it may require a newly generated world, so preserve the existing save first.
What should I check when a configuration change does not work?
Work through the failure in the order the server reads its configuration. This avoids treating a file-format error as a network problem.
The new value is ignored
- Confirm that you edited the exact file named
server properties.txt, not a similarly named local copy. - Check capitalization, spacing, separators, and the accepted spelling of the value.
- Save the file while the server is stopped, then restart it.
- Remember that some world settings affect only a newly generated world.
The server starts a different or empty world
- Compare the save ID in the properties file with the uploaded folder after removing
savegame_from the folder name. - Stop the server before deleting or replacing any newly created folder.
- Restore the backup if the wrong world has been opened and correct the ID.
Players cannot connect
- Verify the game and query ports against the values actually configured, rather than relying on defaults.
- Check firewall, router, and host security-group rules for those ports.
- Confirm that the Steam authentication token is in the
Authentication tokenfield and has no extra spaces. - Read the startup log for token, binding, or port errors before changing unrelated settings.
The custom preset is missing
- Confirm that the local
WorldCustomizationPresetscontent was uploaded to the server’s matching presets folder. - Check that the selected preset name exactly matches the uploaded file or entry.
- Ensure presets are enabled in
server properties.txt. - Restart the server and test with a new world if the options are generation-only.
The moderation menu does not appear
- Verify that the BepInEx IL2CPP installation and the AskaAdminMenu version support your ASKA build.
- Check the mod’s installation path and startup output for load errors.
- Do not expect the menu’s functions to work on a completely unmodded server.
How should I maintain an ASKA server safely?
Use a repeatable change process so a typo or experimental preset does not destroy a working world.
- Record the current state. Note the server name, ports, save ID, enabled preset, and whether the world is kept alive while empty.
- Back up before structural changes. Copy the save folder and
server properties.txtbefore changing generation settings, save selection, or authentication. - Change one group at a time. Test startup variables separately from gameplay and preset changes so you can identify the cause of a failure.
- Restart deliberately. Schedule the restart for players, then verify the startup output before announcing that the change is live.
- Protect credentials. Treat the Steam login token like a password; do not paste it into public chat, screenshots, or issue reports.
- Keep mod boundaries clear. Document which functions are native configuration and which depend on AskaAdminMenu, so a future update does not leave administrators assuming a mod command is built in.
This workflow is more reliable than collecting unverified command lists. It also gives you a recovery path when a new ASKA build changes a setting name, a preset format, or mod compatibility.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use ARK or Minecraft admin commands in ASKA?
No compatible command set is established by the available ASKA documentation. Treat syntax copied from another game as unverified and use the panel or server properties.txt unless an ASKA build-specific source confirms a native console.
Does ASKA support RCON administration?
The documented material does not confirm an RCON interface, port, or command protocol. Do not expose or forward an RCON port based on assumptions; verify that feature in the documentation for the exact server build you are running.
Why did my server create a second save folder after I uploaded my world?
The save ID in server properties.txt probably does not match the uploaded folder’s identifier. Compare the value after removing the savegame_ prefix, then stop the server and correct the ID before loading the world again.
Can I sell or repackage AskaAdminMenu with my server tools?
No. Its listing describes it as free and prohibits repacking, selling, or commercial distribution. Install the original mod according to its current terms instead of bundling a modified copy.