Best ARK Server Settings for an Optimal Experience

Getting your ARK server settings right makes the difference between a server people love and one they abandon after an hour. Rates that are too low frustrate casual players. Rates that are too high remove all sense of progression. This guide provides tested, community-proven settings for ARK: Survival Ascended and Survival Evolved across every major category.

Understanding the Configuration Files

ARK uses two primary configuration files:

• GameUserSettings.ini: Contains most server settings including rates, player options, and administrative toggles. Settings go under the [ServerSettings] section.
• Game.ini: Handles deeper mechanics like breeding multipliers, per-level stat scaling, and engram overrides. Settings go under [/script/shootergame.shootergamemode].

Always stop your server before editing these files. ARK overwrites configuration files with its in-memory values on shutdown, so edits made while the server is running will be lost.

Experience and Leveling

Recommended XP Settings

Setting	Vanilla	Casual	Boosted
XPMultiplier	1.0	2.0	5.0
OverrideOfficialDifficulty	5.0	5.0	5.0
DifficultyOffset	1.0	1.0	1.0

Setting OverrideOfficialDifficulty to 5.0 ensures wild creatures spawn up to level 150, which is the standard for most unofficial servers. Lower values reduce the max wild level, which shortens the endgame significantly.

An XP multiplier of 2x works well for most communities. It respects the leveling journey while not forcing players to grind excessively. Competitive PvP servers often push to 5x or higher so players can reach combat-ready levels quickly.

Harvesting

Recommended Harvest Settings

Setting	Vanilla	Casual	Boosted
HarvestAmountMultiplier	1.0	3.0	10.0
HarvestHealthMultiplier	1.0	2.0	3.0

HarvestAmountMultiplier controls how many resources you get per swing. HarvestHealthMultiplier increases the total resources a node contains before it is depleted. Using both together creates a smoother gathering experience.

For a balanced unofficial server, 3x harvest with 2x health is a popular combination. It cuts grind without making resources feel meaningless.

Taming

Taming in ARK is notoriously time-consuming on vanilla settings. A high-level Rex can take over two hours with kibble on official rates.

Recommended Taming Settings

Setting	Vanilla	Casual	Boosted
TamingSpeedMultiplier	1.0	5.0	15.0

A 5x taming multiplier is the sweet spot for most communities. It turns a two-hour tame into roughly 25 minutes, which is long enough to feel meaningful without being tedious. Heavily boosted PvP servers often run 10-15x to keep the focus on combat rather than taming logistics.

Note that TamingSpeedMultiplier affects passive taming differently than knockout taming. Test your rates with both methods to ensure the experience feels right.

Breeding and Imprinting

Breeding is where configuration gets complex. Multiple settings interact, and getting the balance wrong results in either impossibly long raise times or babies that mature before you can imprint them.

Recommended Breeding Settings (Game.ini)

Setting	Vanilla	Casual	Boosted
MatingIntervalMultiplier	1.0	0.2	0.05
EggHatchSpeedMultiplier	1.0	15.0	30.0
BabyMatureSpeedMultiplier	1.0	20.0	42.0
BabyCuddleIntervalMultiplier	1.0	0.1	0.02
BabyFoodConsumptionSpeedMultiplier	1.0	2.0	3.0

The critical relationship is between BabyMatureSpeedMultiplier and BabyCuddleIntervalMultiplier. If babies mature too fast relative to the cuddle interval, players cannot achieve full imprinting. A general rule: as you increase mature speed, decrease the cuddle interval proportionally.

With the casual settings above, most creatures mature in 30-60 minutes with achievable 100% imprint. The boosted settings compress this to 15-20 minutes, suitable for servers that want breeding to be quick but still require some attention.

Day and Night Cycle

Long nights frustrate most players. The default settings create uncomfortably dark periods that slow down gameplay.

Recommended Cycle Settings

Setting	Vanilla	Recommended
DayTimeSpeedScale	1.0	1.0
NightTimeSpeedScale	1.0	2.0
DayCycleSpeedScale	1.0	1.0

Doubling the night speed is the most common adjustment. Night still exists for atmosphere and creature spawns, but it passes quickly enough that players do not feel stuck waiting for daylight.

Player and Creature Stats

Recommended Player Settings

Setting	Purpose	Suggested Value
PlayerCharacterWaterDrainMultiplier	Water consumption rate	0.5
PlayerCharacterFoodDrainMultiplier	Food consumption rate	0.5
PlayerCharacterStaminaDrainMultiplier	Stamina usage	0.7
PlayerCharacterHealthRecoveryMultiplier	Health regeneration	2.0

Reducing food and water drain by half removes tedious maintenance without eliminating survival mechanics entirely. Slightly reduced stamina drain makes exploration less punishing, especially on foot.

PvP-Specific Settings

If you run a PvP server, these additional settings shape the raiding and combat meta.

Recommended PvP Settings

[ServerSettings]
PreventTribeAlliances=True
AllowRaidDinoFeeding=False
EnablePvPGamma=True
PreventOfflinePvP=True
PreventOfflinePvPInterval=900

PreventOfflinePvP is particularly important for maintaining a healthy player base. Without it, offline raiding drives players away. The interval setting (in seconds) determines how long after the last tribe member logs off before offline protection activates.

PvE-Specific Settings

[ServerSettings]
ServerPVE=True
PvEStructureDecayPeriodMultiplier=2.0
DisableDinoDecayPvE=True
AllowFlyerCarryPvE=True
PvEAllowStructuresAtSupplyDrops=False

On PvE servers, structure decay management is critical. Without it, abandoned bases litter the map permanently. A 2x decay multiplier gives players more breathing room while still cleaning up inactive structures over time.

Quality of Life Toggles

These boolean settings significantly improve the player experience on almost any server type:

[ServerSettings]
AllowThirdPersonPlayer=True
ShowMapPlayerLocation=True
ServerCrosshair=True
AllowHitMarkers=True
EnableExtraStructurePreventionVolumes=True

Showing map player location and enabling crosshairs are expected on virtually all unofficial servers. Disabling them only makes sense for hardcore survival-focused communities.

Applying Your Settings

After editing your configuration files:

1. Save the files
2. Start the server
3. Verify settings loaded correctly using RCON command GetGameLog or by checking in-game behavior
4. Fine-tune based on player feedback over the first few days

If certain settings do not appear to take effect, verify they are in the correct file and under the correct section header. Some breeding settings only work in Game.ini despite seeming like they belong in GameUserSettings.ini.