ASA setup helper

ARK: Survival Ascended Startup Generator

Generate a basic update/start script and the INI entries needed to get an ASA server running. This page runs entirely in your browser.

Password fields are generated blank on purpose. Add your own passwords after you create the files.

Settings with an INI home stay in the INI unless GameWarden testing shows ASA only honors them from startup.

Folders

SteamCMD folder Server files base folder

The generated script adds the selected map folder under this base folder.

Script

Script format

Server basics

Map choice

Pick one of the known maps, or choose Custom map and enter the exact launch value.

Server name

Game port Max players RCON port

PvE server Enable RCON Add blank admin password line Add blank server join password line BattlEye enabled

Optional settings

Active mods Passive mods Cluster ID Cluster directory

Advanced startup flags

Allow cave flyers Disable wild dino spawning Disable wild babies Enable birthday event

Birthday event support is user-reported for current ASA. Other event names, MULTIHOME, ServerPlatform, query port, and positive BattlEye flags stay out until they are researched or tested.

Prerequisites

Download SteamCMD from Valve's official SteamCMD page.
Install Microsoft Visual C++ 2013 Redistributable x64.
Install DirectX End-User Runtimes, June 2010.
On Windows Server, follow current ASA guidance for the Amazon trust certificate if Steam or ASA requires it.

How to set up a basic server

Pick a place for server files, such as C:\ArkAscended, and create the folder.
Pick a place for SteamCMD, such as C:\ArkAscended\steamcmd, and create the folder.
Download SteamCMD, copy steamcmd.exe from the zip into your SteamCMD folder, then run it once so SteamCMD installs there.
Optional: install the extra prerequisites above if this computer does not already have them.
Create your basic startup script and GameUserSettings.ini from this web page.
Download the generated files, or copy and paste the text into files you create yourself.
To create a file by hand, right-click empty space in a folder and choose New > Text Document, then paste the generated text into Notepad.
In File Explorer, choose View and turn on File name extensions if extensions are hidden.
Rename the script from .txt to .bat or .ps1, depending on the script format you picked.
Run the script once so SteamCMD installs or updates the ASA server files.
Stop the server by typing exit in the console window. If the command bar is hidden, click the ^ near the upper-right corner of the console window.
Only continue after the server has fully stopped and the console window has closed, or ASA may overwrite what you change.
Create ShooterGame\Saved\Config\WindowsServer inside the map-specific server install folder if it does not exist.
Save GameUserSettings.ini in that WindowsServer folder. This can overwrite the first-run file if you have not added custom settings yet.
Fill in any blank password values you chose to include.
Restart the server with the start script.