Local server save location

[Causa Davion]

So, I spent most of yesterday trying to get my GF and I playing ARK together. Tried running a server on my desktop and playing on it....playing through steam and running the server with a .bat file outside of steam.

Then I tried the reverse (hosting server through steam and running shootergame.exe manually).

So finally I pulled out my laptop and hosted the server through steam, and now I am playing the game through steam on my desktop...you have to wait a few minutes for steam to let you launch the client after launching the server, or else you get an "Already running" message.

My question is: is there a way to access the same server with the same settings that Steam is launching via a local file somewhere? Where do the save files go to? I don't want to make us start over again, and the server seems to be persisting through each launch through steam. I would like the ability to launch the same server with the same settings but without having to launch steam, tick the boxes for 3rd person, PVE mode, etc etc, and set up the proper name and passwords with every single launch.

I don't mind launching the client through steam.

Also related: I would like to put in some more options like player numbers and save interival... I would like to set those options up in a bat file but the last time it did that, nothing worked, so I woud like to modify the bat file that Steam is already running the server from.

[ShaZZa]

Ok I'll take a shot at this for you.

The settings for your sever are found here -
E:\Steam\steamapps\common\ARK\ShooterGame\Saved\Config\WindowsServer

Then the file named "GameUserSettings" is the file with the configured server settings (these can be changed to what you desire)

The save files for the server (inc map/tribe/players) are found here -
E:\Steam\steamapps\common\ARK\ShooterGame\Saved\SavedArks

NOTE - You may or may not have an E drive, that's just where I have steam installed.

[Causa Davion]

thank you! this should give me everything I need, i can go in and add extra settings /options then. I can probably also build a .bat file to launch a server off of that GameUserSettings file.

Thanks!

[margalus]

if you want to run a dedicated server for the 2 of you, I highly recommend downloading "ARK Server Manager". Makes it so simple.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=468312476

[Causa Davion]

Thanks, looking into this now. Going to get it set up so that I can test it after work.

I am currently on the laptop that is hosting our server, but I am at work without unlimited internet (tethered through phone).

Is there a way to play the same ARK server that we've been playing, but as offline mode? Trying to play Single Player launches an entirely new, empty world.

[Fiend Of Chaos]

you can create a server using steam cmd.
"ark_server_download.bat" file for windows

@echo off
steamcmd +runscript "ARK server".txt
echo ----------------------------------------
echo Download Completed
echo ----------------------------------------
pause

script the .bat file calls for

@ShutdownOnFailedCommand 0
@NoPromptForPassword 1
login anonymous 
force_install_dir C:\ARK
app_update 376030 validate

this way it doesnt use steam to launch the server.