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ARK Host Settings Explained: Ultimate Guide for Custom Se…

Posted on by William Zheng

Ever wondered how to tweak your ARK game to fit your perfect adventure? Adjusting Ark host settings unlocks a world of customization, whether you want an easier start or an extreme survival challenge. But with so many options, knowing what each setting does is vital for creating the experience you want.

In this guide, we’ll break down Ark host settings, explain their impact, and share practical tips to help you set up your ideal ARK world with confidence.

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ARK: Survival Evolved Host Settings—A Complete Guide

Hosting your own ARK: Survival Evolved game unlocks a world of custom gameplay and community building. Understanding ARK host settings is essential whether you’re planning a private session with friends or running a dedicated server for a community. This guide breaks down what host settings are, explains each major option, and helps you get the most out of your ARK world.

What Do ARK Host Settings Control?

Host settings in ARK: Survival Evolved are the building blocks of your game world. These options allow you to tailor gameplay, including:

  • The difficulty of creatures
  • Day and night cycle speed
  • Resource gathering rates
  • Taming speeds
  • Player stats and progression speed
  • PvE or PvP game modes

You can adjust these settings before creating a world or while running a dedicated server. The right configuration ensures you and your players enjoy ARK just the way you want.

Main Types of ARK Host Settings

Let’s break down the core settings categories you’ll find when hosting or setting up a server:

1. Basic Game Settings

These are the fundamental controls for your ARK experience.

  • Difficulty Level: Governs dinosaur levels and loot quality. Higher values mean tougher, rarer creatures.
  • Player Damage/Resistance: Adjusts how much damage players inflict and receive.
  • Dino Damage/Resistance: Similar adjustments for wild and tamed creatures.
  • Resource Gathering Rate: Changes how quickly players gather materials like wood, stone, and berries.
  • Day/Night Cycle Speed: Modify how long each day or night phase lasts.
  • Taming Speed: Shortens or lengthens the time to tame dinos.
  • Harvest Amount: Increases or reduces the yield from harvesting nodes.

2. Player and Dino Progression

Fine-tuning how characters and creatures advance makes a big difference:

  • Experience Multiplier (XP Multiplier): Controls how much experience points are earned.
  • Mating, Hatching, and Maturation Rates: Speeds up or slows down breeding and growing times for dinos.
  • Character Stats Per Level: Change how much a given stat increases on level up.

3. Gameplay & World Settings

Adjust how your server plays at a macro level:

  • PvP vs. PvE: Choose between player-vs-player combat or a cooperative environment.
  • Friendly Fire: Decide if tribe members can hurt each other.
  • Structure Damage: Control how much damage can be done to player-built structures.
  • Admin Logging: Tracks admin commands and activities.

4. Advanced Customization

Servers can offer even deeper configuration:

  • Custom Engrams: Enable or disable specific blueprints (recipes) for crafting.
  • Mod Integration: Support for community-created mods to add content or quality-of-life changes.
  • Event Controls: Toggle in-game events or seasonal content.

Step-By-Step: How to Adjust Host Settings in ARK

If you’re new to hosting ARK, here’s an easy path to setting things up.

1. Hosting Locally

For playing with a few friends:

  1. Launch ARK: Survival Evolved.
  2. Choose “Host/Local” from the main menu.
  3. Adjust the sliders and checkboxes for each setting as desired.
  4. Press “Play” to launch your session—friends can join via your game session.

2. Dedicated Server Hosting

Better for larger groups or communities:

  1. Install the ARK Dedicated Server tools on your PC or rent a game server from a hosting company.
  2. Edit configuration files, often named GameUserSettings.ini and Game.ini, to set specific values.
  3. Launch the server software—players can connect via the server browser or address.

3. Using Hosting Services

Hosted providers often add easy controls:

  • Use web dashboards to toggle and adjust options.
  • Restart the server to apply changes.

Key Host Settings Explained, One by One

Let’s explore what the most impactful settings mean for your actual gameplay.

Difficulty Level

  • Value Range: Generally from 0.2 (easy) to 1.0 or higher (challenging).
  • Impact: Higher difficulty raises dinosaur max levels and improves loot finds. For balanced, exciting gameplay, many recommend setting this to 1.0.

XP Multiplier

  • Default: 1.0 (standard progression).
  • Adjustment: Increasing this speeds up leveling for players and tames. Set higher for quick fun, or keep low for a slower, classic grind.

Taming Speed

  • Setting: Higher values tame dinos faster.
  • Example: 2.0 = twice as fast as default. Popular for server hosts wanting less grind.

Harvest Rate

  • Setting: How much resource you get per hit.
  • Usage: Raising this value (e.g., 2.0 or 3.0) helps smaller groups gather supplies efficiently.

Structure Damage Settings

  • Structure Resistance: How tough structures are to attacks—critical in PvP.
  • No Structure Damage: Can protect bases in PvE or from griefers.

Mating, Hatching, and Imprinting Multipliers

  • Purpose: Speeds up breeding and raising of baby dinos.
  • Usefulness: Lets players engage more in advanced breeding without huge real-time commitments.

Maximum Number of Players

  • Control: Prevents servers from being overloaded.
  • Practical Limit: Set based on hardware or server host plan—typical values range from 10 up to 100+.

Benefits of Customizing Host Settings

Why bother with all these options? Here’s what tweaking settings can unlock for your ARK experience:

  • Tailored Challenge: Make your world easier for casual fun or harder for serious survival.
  • Time Management: Adjust grinds like taming and gathering to fit your group’s playtime.
  • Community Harmony: Shape the environment to your group’s playstyle—cooperative, competitive, or creative.
  • Event Hosting: Organize in-game competitions, hunts, or events with special settings.

Challenges and Things to Watch Out For

While customizing is fun, it’s important to be aware of potential issues:

  • Balance: Too high rates (like XP or harvest) can make progression trivial and the game less rewarding.
  • Server Performance: Running many players or mods, or very fast cycles, may affect stability.
  • Griefing: In open or PvP environments, watch for settings that might encourage bad behavior.

Best Practices and Pro Tips

To help you get the most out of hosting ARK, keep these tips in mind:

  • Back Up Often: Especially before big setting changes or updates.
  • Start Simple: Begin with near-default settings, then tweak based on player feedback.
  • Encourage Feedback: If you have a community, involve them in changes for better engagement.
  • Test Changes: Make incremental changes and check for bugs or unintended effects.
  • Document Settings: Keep a list handy—especially useful if moving hosts or restoring.

Optimizing for Fun and Fair Play

Depending on your group’s playstyle, tweak settings for:

  • Casual groups: Faster taming, higher harvest, lowered dino difficulty.
  • Hardcore survivors: Lower harvest, slower XP, increased dino and environmental dangers.
  • Roleplay/Creative: Adjust building limits, enable admin codes for creative play.

Cost Considerations for Server Hosting

While adjusting settings within the game itself (local solos or small sessions) is free, running a larger, persistent server does come with expenses:

  • Renting a Server: Hosts charge monthly—prices depend on max players, RAM, and mod support.
  • DIY Hosting: Your own hardware = no monthly cost, but electricity and internet impact.
  • Backups and Upgrades: Extra storage or add-ons can increase your costs over time.

Cost-saving tips:

  • Scale down max players if group is small.
  • Disable unnecessary mods or features to keep resource use (and bills) lower.
  • Share costs among friends/clan members.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the best difficulty setting for ARK hosts?

For most players, setting the difficulty to 1.0 offers a good balance—higher-level and more interesting dinos without overwhelming absolute beginners. Hardcore groups might go even higher, but 1.0 is a great, popular baseline.

How do I make my ARK server private for friends only?

Set a server password in your host settings. Share the password only with friends. For added privacy, consider running a non-listed (non-public) session so strangers can’t see your game on the server list.

Can I change host settings after starting a world?

Yes! Local hosts can adjust many settings in the menu, but some changes require a restart to take effect. Dedicated server hosts often edit configuration files and restart the server to apply new settings.

What happens if I set XP or taming very high?

Your group will level up and tame creatures rapidly, which can remove much of the game’s challenge and progression. It’s fun for experimenting, but for long-term play, consider moderate increases to keep achievement satisfying.

Are mods allowed on ARK servers, and how do they affect settings?

Yes, ARK supports Steam Workshop mods on PC. Mods can add new features, items, and even custom settings. Just be aware that many mods increase memory and CPU use, and all players need to have the same mods installed to join successfully.

In Summary

ARK host settings let you take the reins, shaping your world for unforgettable adventures. Whether you want a tough-as-nails survival server or a relaxed builder’s paradise, learning to master host settings is the key to a great experience. Remember to adjust thoughtfully, evolve with your community’s needs, and enjoy the endless possibilities ARK offers!

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