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Explore some articles written by our team & fellow gamers!
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So you've got your dedicated ARK server running, and now you're staring at a wall of configuration options wondering what the heck GameUserSettings.ini actually does. Don't worry—we've all been there. Server configuration is the difference between a thriving community and players jumping ship after an hour. Let's break down how to change ARK server settings and dial in the perfect configuration for your specific game mode.
Before we jump into specific settings, you need to understand the foundation: ARK uses two primary configuration files that control virtually everything about your server experience.
GameUserSettings.ini is where the magic happens. This file contains all the game rule modifications—taming speed, breeding multipliers, harvest amounts, XP rates, and more. Think of it as the control panel for how your world actually plays.
Game.ini is the advanced settings file. It controls more granular options like specific engram availability, creature spawn rates, and admin-level configurations.
Both files are located in your server's configuration directory. When you modify these settings, you're essentially creating custom game rules that override the default ARK experience. The beauty here is flexibility—you can fine-tune every aspect to match your community's preferred playstyle.
Let's start with the most impactful settings that players notice immediately:
This multiplier controls how quickly dinosaurs reach 100% taming completion. The default is 1.0 (100% of normal speed). A setting of 2.0 makes taming twice as fast, while 0.5 makes it half-speed.
TamingSpeedMultiplier=1.0
Why it matters: Taming is one of the biggest time investments in ARK. Get this wrong, and new players quit before experiencing the game's best features.
Controls how quickly players level up. Default is 1.0. Higher values mean faster progression.
XPMultiplier=1.0
How much raw resources you get from gathering—wood from trees, stone from rocks, thatch from bushes, etc. Default is 1.0.
HarvestAmountMultiplier=1.0
This is actually a combination of settings that control egg hatching time and maturation speed. This setting has the biggest impact on quality-of-life for tribes managing breeding operations.
BabyMatureSpeedMultiplier=1.0
EggHatchSpeedMultiplier=1.0
CuddleIntervalMultiplier=1.0
Controls how many items you can stack in your inventory. Default values vary by item, but you can increase these multipliers to reduce inventory micromanagement.
ItemStackSizeMultiplier=1.0
How many skill points players earn per level. Affects how quickly they can unlock crafting recipes.
OverridePlayerLevelEngramPoints=0
Controls the length of in-game day and night cycles. Default is 1.0 (realistic day length).
DayTimeSpeedScale=1.0
NightTimeSpeedScale=1.0
Here's where things get practical. These configurations are battle-tested by thousands of players and represent solid starting points for different playstyles.
PvP servers thrive on quick progression, intense combat, and accessible high-tier gear. Players want action, not grinding for three weeks to tame their first raptor.
| Setting | Value | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| TamingSpeedMultiplier | 3.0-5.0 | Faster progression keeps engagement high |
| XPMultiplier | 2.0-3.0 | Quick leveling to unlock combat engrams |
| HarvestAmountMultiplier | 2.0-3.0 | Reduces harvesting tedium |
| BabyMatureSpeedMultiplier | 5.0-10.0 | Breeding doesn't require 24/7 attention |
| EggHatchSpeedMultiplier | 5.0-10.0 | Encourages breeding for stat manipulation |
| ItemStackSizeMultiplier | 3.0-4.0 | More inventory space = more looting |
| DayTimeSpeedScale | 1.0 | Normal day/night for timing |
| NightTimeSpeedScale | 0.5 | Shorter nights (optional) |
Pro tip: PvP players love raiding at specific times. Consider slightly shorter night cycles so everyone can participate regardless of timezone.
PvE emphasizes cooperation, exploration, and relaxed progression. These settings reduce grind while maintaining challenge.
| Setting | Value | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| TamingSpeedMultiplier | 2.0-3.0 | Accessible but not trivial |
| XPMultiplier | 1.5-2.0 | Moderate progression |
| HarvestAmountMultiplier | 1.5-2.0 | Less grinding for resources |
| BabyMatureSpeedMultiplier | 3.0-5.0 | Breeding is a side activity, not main focus |
| EggHatchSpeedMultiplier | 3.0-5.0 | Reasonable breeding cycles |
| ItemStackSizeMultiplier | 2.0-3.0 | Balanced inventory management |
| DayTimeSpeedScale | 1.0 | Normal cycle |
| NightTimeSpeedScale | 1.0 | Full cycle, adds exploration strategy |
| DinoCountMultiplier | 1.5-2.0 | More dinos for varied encounters |
Pro tip: PvE communities appreciate balanced challenge. Slightly increasing dino counts creates more dynamic gameplay than just multiplying taming/XP.
RP servers prioritize immersion and community storytelling. Settings should support long-term commitment without excessive grind.
| Setting | Value | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| TamingSpeedMultiplier | 1.5-2.0 | Meaningful taming as character progression |
| XPMultiplier | 1.0-1.5 | Slower progression = longer story arcs |
| HarvestAmountMultiplier | 1.0-1.5 | Resource scarcity encourages cooperation |
| BabyMatureSpeedMultiplier | 2.0-3.0 | Breeding is time-intensive roleplay element |
| EggHatchSpeedMultiplier | 2.0-3.0 | Realistic breeding timescales |
| ItemStackSizeMultiplier | 1.0-1.5 | Limited inventory = more trading/bartering |
| DayTimeSpeedScale | 1.0 | Full realism |
| NightTimeSpeedScale | 1.0 | Full realism |
Pro tip: RP thrives on scarcity and interdependence. Don't multiply settings too aggressively—slight increases keep the grind manageable while preserving immersion.
Ready to get hands-on? Here's the process:
Common mistake: Adding spaces around the equals sign. Stick to Setting=Value with no spaces.
Want to fine-tune which dinosaurs appear and how often? Game.ini handles spawn point customization.
[/Script/ShooterGame.ShooterGameMode]
CustomItemClasses=BlueprintGeneratedClass'/Game/Mods/MyMod/Items/MyCustomItem.MyCustomItem_C'
Dino spawn multiplier adjusts overall creature population density:
DinoCountMultiplier=1.0
Values explained:
For specific creature adjustments, modify individual spawn entries in Game.ini. This requires identifying the creature's blueprint path—check community wikis for complete spawn configurations.
Official servers run specific configurations designed for maximum balance and longevity. Here's how they compare to typical unofficial settings:
Official Server Rates (roughly):
Standard Unofficial Rates (what most communities prefer):
The difference? Official servers prioritize long-term progression as a feature—they're designed for hardcore commitment. Unofficial servers prioritize accessibility—you can actually experience all the game's content without dedicating your life to it.
More intense settings = higher server load. Balance your configurations with these performance considerations:
Harvest Multiplier Impact: Each point increase uses roughly 5% more server resources. Keep it under 3.0 for smooth performance.
Dino Count Impact: This is your biggest performance multiplier. Each 0.5 increase can impact FPS significantly. Test your server's limits.
Structure Decay: Set reasonable timers or disable entirely to prevent database bloat:
DestroyTributesTimeToDecriveFromOfflineRaidersOnly=0
Player and Structure Limits: Cap structures per tribe and players per server:
MaxNumberOfPlayersInTribe=30
MaxStructuresInRange=3000
Breeding settings confuse everyone because there are actually three separate multipliers working together:
BabyMatureSpeedMultiplier = How fast the baby grows after hatching (or being born for live birth creatures). 1.0 = ~10 days to adulthood. 5.0 = ~2 days.
EggHatchSpeedMultiplier = How fast eggs incubate. 1.0 = ~30 hours. 5.0 = ~6 hours.
CuddleIntervalMultiplier = How often babies need attention. 1.0 = Every 8 hours. 5.0 = Every ~1.5 hours. Higher multipliers mean more frequent cuddles needed (more attention required).
Example scenario: You set all three to 5.0. A baby rex now hatches in 6 hours instead of 30, matures in 2 days instead of 10, but needs constant attention. That's actually MORE work in some ways. Consider 5.0 for maturity, 5.0 for hatching, but 1.0 or 2.0 for cuddle interval if you want them to mature fast without constant management.
Enable RCON (Remote Console) for admin control:
RCONEnabled=True
RCONPort=27020
Force enable specific engrams for admin spawn or testing:
[/Script/ShooterGame.ShooterGameMode]
AllowCrateOverrides=True
Commands you'll need constantly:
SetTimeOfDay [hour] - Adjust game timeGiveEngrams - Force unlock crafting recipesBroadcast [message] - Server-wide announcementSaveWorld - Force save server stateQ: What happens if I set taming speed to 0? A: The server will crash or taming will break entirely. Never use 0 for multipliers—use the minimum safe value of 0.1 if you want something effectively disabled.
Q: Can I change settings without restarting? A: Most changes require a server restart to take effect. Some UI settings (like day/night speed) might apply dynamically, but it's safer to always restart.
Q: Why are my dinosaurs not spawning after I changed settings? A: You might have accidentally set DinoCountMultiplier to 0, or the dino spawns have a 10-15 minute respawn timer. Give it time, then check your Game.ini entries are correct.
Q: How do I know what values official servers use? A: Check the ARK wiki's official server information page, or join an official server, sleep for a cycle, and test how long taming takes.
Q: Can custom multipliers exceed 10.0? A: Technically yes, but values above 10.0 cause serious balance issues and server performance problems. Stay in the 1.0-10.0 range.
Q: What's the difference between GameUserSettings.ini and Game.ini? A: GameUserSettings.ini controls core game rules (breeding, taming, XP). Game.ini controls creature spawns, engram unlocks, and advanced mechanics. Most adjustments happen in GameUserSettings.ini.
Q: Do mods affect these settings? A: Some mods override specific settings. Always check mod documentation. Generally, place your custom settings AFTER mod-related entries in the files.
Q: How often should I restart my server? A: At least weekly for stability. Daily is better if you have 30+ active players. Prevents memory leaks and database corruption.
Before launching your configured server:
Getting the configuration right is only half the battle. You need reliable hosting that gives you full access to these configuration files and lets you restart whenever you need to apply changes.
At EZ Game Host, we provide complete server file access through an intuitive control panel. Need to customize your GameUserSettings.ini? Upload and restart in seconds. Want to experiment with dino spawns? Edit Game.ini and see results immediately. Our infrastructure handles the performance, so you can focus on creating the ARK experience your community deserves.
Whether you're launching your first server or managing an established community, having a hosting provider that supports full configuration customization is essential. Check out our guides on How to Set Up a Dedicated ARK Server for step-by-step installation, or explore ARK Cluster Server Setup if you're planning to expand across multiple maps.
ARK server settings might seem intimidating at first, but once you understand the core multipliers, configuration becomes straightforward. Start with our recommended settings for your game mode, gather feedback from your players, and adjust incrementally. The best server configuration is one your community loves—and that takes a little experimentation.
Your dinosaur paradise awaits. Now go make it legendary.
Ready to launch your configured server? Start with ARK Server Hosting and get full access to all the configuration tools you need.