How to Configure Your ARK: Survival Ascended Server Settings from the Panel

ARK: Survival Ascended gives you a huge range of options to tweak how your server plays. You can adjust things like taming speed, experience rates, difficulty, and player limits without ever touching a config file manually. The RiverHosting panel includes a built-in Server Config page that puts all of these options in one place.

This guide walks you through finding and using the Server Config page to get your ARK server set up exactly the way you want it.

Before you start

• You need an active ARK: Survival Ascended server on RiverHosting. If you do not have one yet, visit riverhosting.com to get started.
• Log in to the RiverHosting panel and open your ARK server.
• Some setting changes require a server restart to take effect. Let your players know before applying changes during an active session.

1. How to open the Server Config page

The Server Config page is the easiest way to change your ARK server settings. You do not need to edit any files directly.

1. Log in to the RiverHosting panel.
2. Click on your ARK: Survival Ascended server to open its management page.
3. In the left-hand menu, click Server Config.
4. The Server Config page will load with all available settings grouped by category.

2. How to change common server settings

Here are some of the most popular settings players adjust and where to find them on the Server Config page.

Server name and password

You can set a display name for your server so players can find it in the in-game browser. You can also set a join password to keep the server private.

1. On the Server Config page, look for the field labelled Server Name (sometimes shown as session name).
2. Type the name you want players to see.
3. To add a password, find the Server Password field and enter your chosen password.
4. Leave the password field empty if you want the server to be open to anyone.

Difficulty and experience rates

Difficulty affects creature levels and loot quality. Experience and harvesting multipliers control how fast players and tames progress.

1. On the Server Config page, find the Difficulty Offset setting.
2. A higher value increases the maximum level of wild creatures and improves loot.
3. Find the XP Multiplier and Harvest Amount Multiplier fields.
4. Set these to a value above 1.0 to make progression faster, or below 1.0 to slow it down.

Taming speed

1. Find the Taming Speed Multiplier field on the Server Config page.
2. Set it to a value above 1.0 to speed up taming. A value of 5.0 is a popular choice for casual servers.
3. Set it to 1.0 to keep vanilla taming speed.

Player and tribe limits

1. Find the Max Players field and set the maximum number of players allowed on your server at once.
2. If you want to limit tribe sizes, look for the Max Tribe Size option and enter your preferred cap.

3. How to save and apply your changes

1. Once you have made all your changes on the Server Config page, scroll to the bottom and click Save.
2. Go to the Console page from the left-hand menu.
3. Click Restart to restart your server and apply the new settings.

4. How to change the map your server runs on

ARK: Survival Ascended supports multiple maps, such as The Island, Scorched Earth, and others. You can switch maps from the dedicated Map page.

1. In the left-hand menu, click Map.
2. Choose the map you want to load from the available options.
3. Save your selection, then restart the server from the Console page.

5. How to install mods on your ARK server

The RiverHosting panel includes a built-in Mods page for ARK: Survival Ascended, so you can add mods without editing files manually.

1. In the left-hand menu, click Mods.
2. Browse or search for the mod you want to install.
3. Select the mod and follow the on-screen steps to add it to your server.
4. Restart the server from the Console page after installing mods.

Troubleshooting

• Changes are not taking effect after saving. Make sure you restarted the server after saving. Settings in the Server Config page only apply on the next server start.
• The server is not appearing in the in-game browser. Check that your server name is saved correctly in Server Config. Also confirm your server is running by checking the Console page.
• Players cannot join with the password. Double-check the password in Server Config for extra spaces or typos. Passwords are case-sensitive.
• The map did not change after switching. Confirm you saved the Map selection and restarted the server. If the old map still loads, check for a cached world file by visiting the Saves page.
• Mods are not loading. Make sure the server restarted after installing mods. Check the Console page for any error messages that mention specific mod IDs.

Need help?

If you run into anything unexpected or a setting is not behaving the way you expect, the RiverHosting support team is happy to help.