ARK: Survival Evolved is a captivating open-world survival game that immerses players in a prehistoric world teeming with dinosaurs, mythical creatures, and breathtaking landscapes. Whether you’re venturing alone or forming tribes with friends, the game’s rich and challenging environment provides endless adventures. While playing on public servers or in single-player mode is exciting, dedicated servers in ARK offer an entirely different level of gameplay. In this comprehensive guide, we will explore what a dedicated server in ARK: Survival Evolved is, its advantages, and how you can set one up to elevate your ARK gaming experience.
Understanding ARK: Survival Evolved
Before delving into dedicated servers, let’s briefly recap what ARK: Survival Evolved is all about. Developed by Studio Wildcard and released in 2015, ARK is an action-adventure game set on a vast island filled with prehistoric creatures. Players are challenged to survive, tame wild creatures, construct bases, and explore the diverse ecosystem. ARK’s expansive open world, resource gathering, crafting, and epic battles make it a truly unique and immersive gaming experience.
What is a Dedicated Server in ARK: Survival Evolved?
In ARK, a dedicated server refers to a separate machine or computer that is exclusively designated for hosting an ARK game world. Unlike playing ARK in single-player mode or joining public servers, dedicated servers offer a higher degree of control, customization, and, frequently, a better overall gaming experience. Here are the key features and advantages of dedicated servers in ARK:
1. Full Control: When you run a dedicated server, you have complete control over the game world, encompassing settings, mods, and admin privileges. This level of control allows you to modify the game to suit your preferences and enforce your own rules.
2. Customization: Dedicated servers enable you to customize the gameplay experience by adjusting a multitude of settings. You can tweak player and dino stats, resource harvesting rates, day-night cycles, and more, creating a unique environment that caters to your specific tastes.
3. Community Building: Many players utilize dedicated servers to establish communities of like-minded players. You can invite friends, colleagues, or even open your server to the public, fostering a community of ARK enthusiasts.
4. Improved Stability: Dedicated servers often provide better stability and performance compared to playing on public servers. This is because the server’s resources are dedicated solely to hosting the game, resulting in a smoother gaming experience.
5. Enhanced Security: You have greater control over who can join your server, reducing the likelihood of griefers and undesirable players. This contributes to a more secure and enjoyable gaming environment.
6. Mod Support: Dedicated servers are fully compatible with mods, which can significantly expand the gameplay experience. You can install and manage mods to introduce new creatures, items, mechanics, and even entirely new maps, providing endless possibilities for your ARK adventures.
How to Set Up a Dedicated Server in ARK: Survival Evolved
Creating a dedicated server in ARK involves some technical know-how and access to server hardware or a reliable hosting provider. The following steps provide a simplified guide to help you get started:
1. Hardware or Hosting Provider
Before you can set up a dedicated server, you need the necessary hardware or a hosting provider. You can either use a spare computer as your server or rent server hosting from providers like Nitrado, G-Portal, or even host your own dedicated server on a cloud infrastructure service such as Amazon Web Services (AWS) or Microsoft Azure.
2. Installing the ARK Server Software
After securing the necessary hardware or hosting, the next step is to install the ARK server software on your server machine or cloud instance. You can obtain the official ARK server software via the Steam client by navigating to Library > Tools > ARK: Survival Evolved Dedicated Server.
Open your Steam client.
Proceed to the “Tools” section in your library.
Locate “ARK: Survival Evolved Dedicated Server” and install it.
Once the installation is complete, run the server software to generate the required configuration files.
3. Server Configuration
Once the server software is running, you will need to configure your dedicated server by editing the GameUserSettings.ini and Game.ini files found in the ShooterGame/Saved/Config/WindowsServer directory. These configuration files allow you to set various game parameters, such as the server name, password, rates (XP, resource gathering, taming), and other gameplay settings.
4. Port Forwarding
If you are hosting your dedicated server on your own hardware. You will need to configure your router to allow external connections to the server. This process, known as port forwarding. Involves specifying which ports (usually 27015 for ARK) should be forwarded to your server’s internal IP address.
5. Mod Support
If you wish to enable mods on your dedicated server. You will need to create a “Mods” folder in your server directory and download. The desired mods from the Steam Workshop. You can then specify the mod IDs in the server configuration files.
6. Starting the Server
After completing the necessary configurations, launch the server software. Your dedicated ARK server should now be operational. Allowing players to connect to it using the server’s public IP address or domain name, along with the designated port.
Why Choose a Dedicated Server in ARK: Survival Evolved?
Dedicated servers in ARK have become a popular choice among players for several compelling reasons:
1. Full Control: As the server owner, you have complete control over the game environment, from settings and mods to administration, enabling you to tailor the experience to your liking.
2. Customization: You can customize the game to suit your preferences, adjusting resource rates, dino levels, and even the map, thereby creating a unique and engaging gaming environment.
3. Community Building: Dedicated servers offer the opportunity to establish communities of like-minded players who share your love for ARK, allowing for a more social and collaborative gaming experience.
4. Enhanced Performance: Dedicated servers often provide improved stability and performance compared to public servers, as they are not shared with numerous other players, resulting in a smoother gaming experience.
5. Security: You have the ability to enforce rules and security measures, creating a pleasant and secure gaming environment where undesirable players and griefers are less likely to disrupt the experience.
