r/ARK • u/Cahvenea • 53m ago
r/ARK • u/Apollo_Syx • Mar 17 '26
Moderator Post Server Mega-Thread. Vol. 3
Good day everyone,
The previous thread(s) got old and archived, and needed a refresh anyway, so here's the newest one. The previous directories can be found at : https://www.reddit.com/r/ARK/comments/1ik9ox7/megathread_server_directory/
and https://www.reddit.com/r/ARK/comments/1muzllg/megathread_server_directory_pt_2/
so you can still browse it if needed.
Reminder of the rules: One post here per server, open advertising is still restricted to Sunday's only. Posting outside of that will still result in a ban. This will also start included unsolicited adverts as replies to random threads; i.e. the answer to "Can my level 1000 rex beat gamma broodmother?" is not "Join my server and see".
Please adhere to these guidelines for this thread:
- Only one post per server, if something changes in your listing just edit the original. (Spamming your server, or having multiple people do it for you, will result in bans the same as spamming the regular sub.)
- If you need to ask a question, reply to the servers post. That way the general thread stays clear.
- No posts looking for a server.
- Non-server related posts will be removed from main thread.
- For best results, include the following information in your advert:
- Server Name
- ASA or ASE
- Platform(s) if not fully crossplay.
- PvE/PvP with max tribe size.
- Average Population
- Wipe Schedule
- Is it a cluster? If so what maps?
- Mod List
- Rates and Max Wild Level.
- Are there admins/moderators active?
- Discord link
- Short description and any other info you wish to provide.
r/ARK • u/PeddledP • Apr 09 '25
Tutorial The Ultimate Noob's Guide to Hosting a Free Cluster
Hey guys, I've seen lots of questions online about how to self-host clusters, and I've noticed that many guides out there are very daunting and technical. So, I've taken it upon myself to write a very simple guide that can help anyone host their own cluster, even those who know nothing about hosting servers. This guide is for Ark Survival Ascended (ASA) only.
Prerequisites
Before we begin, there's a few things you'll need:
- A Windows PC. The server will run on this computer. Players will be able to join your cluster while the server program is running. This means that if you want people to be able to join 24/7, this computer will need to be on 24/7. The only way around this is to pay for hosting.
- Don't worry too much about your PC specs, even relatively weak computers can host servers. The most important thing here will be how much RAM you have. But if you ask, "Can I run this on my PC?", my answer will usually be "The only way to find out is by giving it a try".
- Access to your router's settings, and the ability to port forward. There is more information about this in the section about port forwarding, but here's a general rule of thumb:
- If you have physical access to your router, you can usually get access to its settings
- A majority of people with access to the router's settings will be able to port forward. The few exceptions would be for people who have double NAT setups in apartments or condos, but those don't seem too common.
- If you live in a dorm, or some other similar communal situation, you almost certainly won't be able to get access to the router.
- These Amazon certificates: r2m02 and CA1. If you have Epic Games installed, you might already have these certificates installed. If you don't have Epic Games, or if the server isn't showing up in the browser after following all the steps below, install these certificates. Once the certificates are downloaded, right click them and click "Install CRL".
- Keep the Ark Wiki on standby. The Dedicated Server Setup and Server Configuration pages are especially useful. Many of your issues can be fixed by reading through those pages.
Downloading the Server
I've created a set of scripts that you can download that will make setting up & configuring the server extremely simple.

- Download the setup files here.
- Extract the contents into a new folder, this is where the server program will live, and you will access this folder whenever you want to start up or configure the cluster
- Run Update.cmd by double-clicking it. This will take a while to finish since it will download the entire ASA server.
- Now we can move on to configuring your cluster.
Configuring the Cluster
The Config.cmd file will hold some basic settings for your cluster. The file is annotated to explain what each setting does.
- Right click on Config.cmd and edit the file.
- On Windows 11, click "Edit with Notepad"
- On Windows 10, just click "Edit"
- If you want to add mods to your cluster, add the mod's ID to the modlist variable, separated by commas and no spaces.
- To find a mod's ID, you must first find the mod on the CurseForge website.
- Under the download button, there is an "About Project" section.
- In that section, there is a "Project ID" label.
- Copy that ID- that is the mod's ID.
- I recommend not adding mod maps here- there is another place later where you'll be able to add mod maps.
- At the bottom of the Config file, you can edit "args" to add/remove arguments. By default, we are disabling BattlEye and enabling crossplay but feel free to change those if you don't want that. The full list of possible arguments can be found in the Ark Wiki.
- When you're done updating the settings here, you can just save & close. There is no need to run this script yourself, it is run automatically when launching a map.
Configuring Your Maps
StartTheIsland.cmd is a script that can be edited like the Config script, and which can be copied & renamed to let you set up multiple maps. Each copy of this script will configure one map and is what you run to start running that map on your cluster.
Here are the steps for setting up each map:
- Edit the map-specific script (by default, it's called StartTheIsland.cmd, but you can rename it)
- Set the 'map' variable to the map that you want this script to run. The official list of map names can be found here on the wiki. Mod maps will usually list the map name on the mod page.
- If you are using a mod map, set the 'mapModID' variable to the mod map's ID. If you are using a vanilla map, you can leave this blank (Club Ark counts as a mod map though).
- Set the 'name' variable to the name you want to show up in the server list in-game.
- Set the 'port' variable to a unique number. No two maps can have the same port.
- I recommend setting all your map's ports to subsequent numbers.
- For example, your first map is on port 7777, your second map on 7778, your third on 7779, and so on.
- Keep track of the ports that are written down here. You will need to forward the port for every map later on.
Now if you want to set up another map:
- Make a copy of StartTheIsland.cmd (or whatever you changed its name to).
- Give the file a unique name, it can be whatever you want.
- Edit the file and set a different map and port.
- Repeat as many times as you want
The Server Program
Your maps are ready to run now. You still won't be able to join them, but we should do a test run now to make sure you haven't missed anything and to populate some files for later.

- Run one of your map's scripts (StartTheIsland.cmd or whatever you renamed it to).
- If you get a Windows Firewall popup, make sure to allow the program through the firewall.
- This will download whatever mods you have configured so it might take a bit if you have many of them.
- Once this is done loading (the status light on the bottom left will turn green), you can close out of this.
Some important things to know about the server:
- Every map on your cluster is its own server. So, if you have 4 maps, you'll also have 4 of these programs open.
- Each map's script launches its own server.
- People will be able to join a map while its server is open (once we finish the port forwarding setup later on).
- You do not need to have all maps open at once. Most PCs probably won't be able to handle having every map running at once, but you can get away with having 1-3 open at a time, and open & close other maps as you want to travel to them. Test your own PC's limits to see how many you can get away with having open at once.
Configuring In-Game Settings
You should see a new folder called "config". This is a shortcut that will take you to where the server stores Game.ini and GameUserSettings.ini. These files control the in-game settings, such as taming, harvesting and levelling speeds. You can also set a server password & admin password in these config files.
There are too many settings for me to cover, but they generally cover the same things you can modify when configuring a singleplayer game.
The wiki explains the possible options for Game.ini and GameUserSettings.ini. If you need help setting these up, send me a message or leave a comment and I can help you out.
Port Forwarding
This is the hardest part, and it's what turns most people away, but don't be scared. It's often easier than people expect. Ask me for help if you can't figure something out, don't just give up.
This is going to be different for everyone. The steps to port forward depend entirely on what router you own. I will write generic instructions, but you are probably going to need to look up a tutorial for your specific router brand.
First, you must find your local IPv4 address & default gateway:
- In windows search, type cmd and open the command prompt.
- In the command prompt, type 'ipconfig'
- Look for the section that has the default gateway filled out and take note of your ipv4 address & your default gateway.
Now, log in to your router:
- In your browser, type in your default gateway (In my case, I would go to 192.168.1.254).
- If you need to login, try using the default login. If you google "[router brand] default login", you will find the credentials you can try.
- If that login doesn't work, that means that somebody in your home has changed the login. Ask a parent or roommate who may have set up the router for the login.
- Sometimes the router will ask for a code instead. This can usually be found on the back or bottom of the router.
Now, forward the ports.

- Navigate to the port forwarding section. This can be under Firewall, Gaming, NAT, Advanced, or Port Forwarding. I recommend searching online for where to find it for your router specifically.
- Set your port range to include all the map's ports that you set up earlier. You can always update this later to add more maps.
- Set the protocol to UDP.
- If it asks for an IP, write the IPv4 address from earlier. Other routers will ask for a device. Find your computer's name or IP from the list of devices.
- Most routers nowadays will assign your computer a static ip once you port forward. If you find that you can't join your server after restarting your computer, you'll probably need to assign yourself a static IP manually.
And You're Done!
Just a few last things to know:
- Whenever there is a game update, run Update.cmd to update the server.
- Run the map-specific scripts to launch the server for that map.
- If you ever get a Windows Firewall popup, make sure to allow the program through the firewall.
- While the server is running, you can search for it in the in-game browser. It will show up as an unofficial server with the name that you configured for it.
If you have questions, feel free to leave a comment, or message me here or on disc (my username there is dankmeister). I'm very willing to guide people through the setup, and I will update this post with common questions or issues that come up.
Edits:
Since people have been having trouble with setting up the Game.ini and GameUserSettings.ini files, I've uploaded my own examples. These are the files I use on my own server, they do not have every possible setting, but they can give you a good starting point.
r/ARK • u/Full_Position_7984 • 8h ago
Ark Moments Welcome to Redwoods
I think ark gods are contented to keep me from progressing. Look at them.
r/ARK • u/Cr1tikal89 • 14h ago
MEME I made a Ark sever promotion without AI (not actually promoting a real server btw)
Every sever promotion post I’ve seen heavily uses Ai and it’s so lazy in my opinion
r/ARK • u/shockaLocKer • 1d ago
Arts & Craft Extra Life, Extra TLC's
Have fun donating, everyone
r/ARK • u/MortgageEuphoric6527 • 21h ago
Discussion Carno TLC Idea
Here is my idea for a possible Carno TLC.
MODEL: A newer model and textures, matching the new graphics. Even small changes to the model result in significant pattern changes.
WILD: It now appears in groups of two animals. It is a very territorial animal. Everything up to its own size is its target.
ABILITIES: A typical bite attack, a headbutt attack that produces high knockback and strong bleeding. A 180-degree turn (which can be used to perform quick evasion maneuvers). Similar to the Therizinosaurus, it can be leveled individually. Its horns change depending on what you level (more raw damage or more bleed damage).
So what do you think of it?
r/ARK • u/OkLiterature8867 • 1d ago
Showcase Finished another build. This one is a bit more complicated than my last but u like it!
Mods used: CKF and Astraeos skin set (also used the vanilla bob’s tall tales skin set.)
Help Need advice with Argy saddle on challenge run
I'm doing a no engram run of Scorched Earth, only allowing myself to have one (only after I found a normal spy glass did I craft one awesome spy glass).
I'm having a blast with this one. By far the most punishing early game (understatement). Hopping around on the kangaroo feels amazing. Getting a moth felt like I won the game.
I had been loot drop hunting for an argy saddle for almost 10 in game days, so many drops.
Did a little research and it seems that the argy saddle isn't even in the loot table. There are literally hundreds of them on the map. This seems like an oversight.
Unless there's something I'm missing, I don't see a way of getting to ride one of these in the challenge run. Spawning one in seems like it would break the rules of my challenge. I know cave drops might have different loot, but haven't seen many. I can't get the dragon chests as I can't craft a shovel, and none will spawn in dops.
Any advice?
(screen shot of my failures learning experience so far)
Solved! Thanks for the help Classick
r/ARK • u/EvilKage360 • 21h ago
Showcase The Latest TLC Standings October 18th 2026 (Rules and Links in my Comment)
r/ARK • u/DJGaming2005 • 20h ago
ASE Just flying, and then I see beauty
I still prefer ASE over ASA. Evolved can definetly look amazing without high oversaturated visauls. My computer can't handle ASA's optimizations.
r/ARK • u/Silent_Jicama2771 • 1d ago
Discussion How would YOU do the carnotaurus TLC
I couldn't think of anything that isn't just...[ceratosarus 2]...sense let's be honest the ceratosarus is what we all imagined the carno TLC being so i ask YOU how would you make the carno TLC that isn't just cerato but again?
r/ARK • u/Dazzling_Pie_4708 • 4h ago
Discussion When i enter in redwood or forest area I see rainbow strips on my screen is this lag ?? I play on poco f5 ark ultimate mobile... Any body have solution plz help 😞😞
r/ARK • u/Fun_Hyena_6824 • 16h ago
Discussion How to kill Dodorex?!?
My cluster is having an event with random dodorex spawns. Our host says that there is one creature that can 1v1 it but none of us have figured it out. Please give any opinions
r/ARK • u/Abyssal-Ark • 1d ago
Ark Moments Just came back to play this game after 3 years
r/ARK • u/AssociationSecret280 • 11h ago
Help A conexão expirou
Baixei o Ark: Survival Evolved pela epic pra jogar com uns amigos e não conseguimos entrar em nenhum servidos, nem quando criamos um server não dedicado direto pelo jogo nem em nenhum outro servidor de outras pessoas já criados, e gostaria de saber se teria como, ou se existe alguma outra forma de conseguir jogar.
baixamos o jogo agora, nenhum mod nem nada.
r/ARK • u/Wojtek1250XD • 15h ago
Help "Attack THIS target" [.] whistle not working on some targets (especially bosses).
I'm playing ASA The Island and have beaten almost all bosses, I only have Megapithecus on alpha left before tackling the Tek Cave. Alpha Dragon went worse than I expected, but well-enough. I had to dance around the Dragon because it wouldn't deaggro from me and my Yuty ran out of stamina lmao. I've had 19 42 base attack Theris, with 40 mutations into melee and another 50 points into melee on top. For anyone reading this, do NOT attempt it this way, use at least 2 deinotheriums to grab Dragon's aggro. I was lucky to not have any loses.
I just finished fighting alpha Broodmother and it went terribly. I lost 8 out of 18 Megatheriums, despite ~130 saddles, ~23k health, full imprint, mate boost and constant yuty roar. During the fight I noticed that some of them just wouldn't attack, generally I have a problem of creatures being unable to aggro on the boss, I've had the same problem on the Dragon (on the Megapithecus it just didn't matter because even if 2 didn't aggro, every single deinosuchus dealt a few thousand damager per bite lmao), tames just don't attack which ends up losing me a fuckton of dps. I saw the quick attack doing around 950 damage, that means that every megatherium should have had to hit the spider a little under 60 times, that's nothing, the fight should have ended with every megatherium having at least 5k health to spare... I saw numerous occasions where the green damage numbers almost stopped.
What can I do to ensure my tames properly attack the boss? No running in place and no just standing next to the boss not attacking. Megatheriums weren't in a separate whistle group, weren't on ignore group whistles. Putting dinos on aggressive has mixed effects for me, they don't seem to aggro on the boss well when one gets hit while on Attack MY Target stance... This will matter a lot against the Manticore and Rockwell. I remember well from my ASE playthrough the Manticore is a hell to get your tames to aggro it fast enough, and Rockwell's tentacles pretty much have almost no hitbox to hit with the whistle.
r/ARK • u/Big-Quality-8528 • 18h ago
Help Can someone help me with the drawing of my creature?
Hey guys, I'm here to ask for your help in making my creature for the next Ark Creature Vote over at Crystal Isles. I already have the entire dossier written and ready, but I'm really bad at drawing, so I wanted to ask if someone here could draw it for the dossier. For whoever actually does it, we can share the credits for its creation together, as partners!
I'll write about it here so you can know what it's like and what its abilities are:

Amazonsaurus, The Herald of Tides
Wild
The Amazonsaurus is a medium-sized sauropod perfectly adapted to a semi-aquatic lifestyle. Unlike its giant and slow cousins, it has a lightweight skeleton and muscular legs, allowing it to run fast enough to escape packs of Allosaurus on land and swim with impressive agility, being capable of taking down a Megalodon in the water.
This species displays one of the most fascinating cases of sexual dimorphism in the ecosystem:
• Males possess an enormous, flexible throat pouch, very similar to that of a pelican. They pump water from rivers and lakes and use this pouch to hold it at the bottom, filtering the water to retain valuable sediments, such as Silica Pearls. When threatened, they fire a powerful, highly accurate jet of concentrated water mixed with mud stored in their throat pouch. The impact causes enormous knockback and extreme slowing effects on enemies.
• Females have a different mouth structure, featuring a wide keratinous beak. They feed on the rich mud along riverbanks, swallowing large quantities of soil. Their highly specialized digestive system processes this material, separating impurities to synthesize pure Natural Cement in their stomachs. As a defense mechanism, they spit out the excess in a sort of vomit, a scattered, short-range jet of acidic mud that deals high damage over time and shreds the durability of enemy armor.
Tamed
• Once tamed, they gain a passive ability called Amphibious Confidence, which activates when they are near any body of water. In this state, they gain an extreme biological confidence that grants them and everyone riding on their saddle complete immunity to stuns, knockback, and forced dismount effects, such as those caused by Purlovia or Baryonyx.
• The Amazonsaurus performs a violent 360-degree spin using its long tail with a flattened, thin tip. This attack deals moderate area damage and has unique disarming properties: it instantly knocks small flying creatures (such as Pterosaurs) to the ground and forces enemy survivors hit while on foot to temporarily put away the weapons or tools they are holding.
• In addition, it is possible to use its filtering abilities after taming it, with different abilities depending on its sex and how you choose to use them.

Saddle System
The Amazonsaurus's greatest advantage is its adaptive versatility. Depending on its sex and the saddle equipped, it completely changes its role in the game, breaking the stereotype that sauropods are only slow meat tanks:
• Travel Saddle (Level 43): A utility saddle like a Howdah with a moderate cost. It allows the rider and 4 additional passengers to travel simultaneously. Ideal for safely moving tribe members across the map and for casual use.

• Aquatic Exploration Saddle (Level 64): Transforms the dinosaur into a living submarine. The rider and 2 additional passengers travel in fully sealed, pressurized cabins (granting infinite oxygen). In addition, the saddle is equipped with two gasoline-powered thrusters on its sides, providing an absurd speed boost in the water for transportation and quick escapes.

• Armored War Saddle (Level 64): Focused on PvP and sieges. Grants +20% damage resistance but reduces the dinosaur's speed by 15%. The rider is protected inside an armored cabin. On both sides of its back, there are two extra bulletproof cabins where two gunners can operate 57mm anti-tank cannons, functioning like an authentic classic war bomber.

Taming
Trying to knock out an Amazonsaurus by force will ruin its taming efficiency. Survivors must adopt a stealthy approach called "Accidental Feeding":
Approach while crouching from behind or from the sides, using a Ghillie Suit.
Throw Narcotics (Narcotics or Bio Toxin) directly onto the banks or into the water where it is dredging the ground.
Attracted by the movement, the Amazonsaurus will accidentally swallow the narcotics along with the mud or water without noticing.
Repeat the process until it falls unconscious due to continuous ingestion, then start feeding it its favorite food: vegetables or Superior Kibble, to complete the taming process.
Habitat
The Amazonsaurus can be found wandering mainly across three major biomes of Crystal Isles:
• The Great Valley & Central Rivers: Along the banks of the major central rivers, filtering sediments from the calm waters.
• Apotheosis (Floating Islands): In the ponds and waterfalls of the floating islands, taking advantage of the area's elevation and humidity.
• The Swamp (Southwestern Swamp): Where females gather in large numbers to consume dense, toxic mud, while males pump tons of muddy water far away from larger land predators.
Suggestions

That's it!
What do you guys think of the Amazonsaurus?
It took me a long time to write all of this, so I hope you like it.
And just to provide some information about its appearance for the drawing, the female's beak is similar to that of a Nigersaurus, a wide, keratinous beak, and the male's throat pouch is large. I ask that you draw both of them together. I suggest showing them from the side, one facing left and the other facing right, keeping in mind that the drawing should highlight their characteristics and sexual dimorphism.
And its size is similar to that of a Diplodocus, except that it is taller than one but not as long.
Thank you very much for your attention!
(Just a reminder, this is a provisional dossier, so it will probably change a bit until the final version).
r/ARK • u/Un_usuariopresente • 13h ago
Help Any recomendation for places to build on the island?
r/ARK • u/uriel851 • 13h ago
Tutorial Alguien sabe dónde puedo hacer mi base en Chris Island, PVP
r/ARK • u/Ham_and_Co • 1d ago
Discussion Regarding the tlc vote. Might I suggest these 2 atleast in the top4
Titanosaurus and liopleurodon. Because who wants temp tames nowadays, make them great
r/ARK • u/hunchbackorangutan • 19h ago
Help What does this glitch mean
My rex got a black weight when it harvested a ovis now when it harvests it gets nothing
r/ARK • u/mrcarroot • 2d ago
Discussion Megalania deserves a TLC!!
Megalania is genuinely terrible right now which is sad because it could be such an awesome tame. The path of titans megalania is a really good example of how good this creature could be. Ark's megalania has a terrible model, bad mobility outside of its climbing, and even then there are better options, and it is pretty much useless in combat. Path of titan's megalania has an amazing model, animations and mobility, it is a fun all terrain creature that can climb, run and swim which i think would be a great place for the ark megalania, not really good at anything specific but able to traverse all terrains. I'm not saying that ark should copy the path megalania but it is a good example for how amazing this creature could be