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Ark: Survival Ascendedcan be played alone, but the game truly shines when you are playing with others. There are different server types, but if you are looking to play with a group of friends, then your best bet is to set up a non-dedicated server.
If you’ve never set up a non-dedicated server, don’t worry! The process is fairly simple, but we are here to go over the basics, allowing you to quickly get a server up and running for you and your friends. First, let’s take a look at each type of server, so you can choose appropriately.
Server Types
There are a few different server types, which you’re able to check out below.
Non-Dedicated
Player-made, hosting up to 8 people
This server is not active if the host (player) is not online
Unofficial/Dedicated
Privately owned, with the server running 24/7, allowing people to play whenever
These may require you to pay for the subscription to keep the server active (if you are the server owner)
If you run the server yourself, you don’t need to pay for server space, but to do this, your computer will need to be quite strong.
Official
These are managed by Studio Wildcard (the developers of Ark) and don’t have any mods
When Should You Play On A Non-Dedicated Server?
If you just want toplay with a small group of people, non-dedicated servers are the way to go. These servers have amaximum of eight people and can be password-protected.From the Join Game menu, you can join other non-dedicated servers that don’t have a password, but using a password is agreat way to prevent strangers from entering.
Overall, these servers are great if you have a group of friends spread throughout different states or countries, asthere are no physical constraints.
How To Start A Non-Dedicated Server
To set up a non-dedicated server, head to theCreate Or Resume Game menu.From here, you can immediately start a single-player or non-dedicated server, but it’s best tolook at the settings.The default settings are great for single-player servers,but if you plan to set up a server with others, then it’s worth checking out.
There are a lot of settings that you may tweak, but some of the most multi-player settings are found in the ‘Rules’ and ‘World’ tabs of the Game Rules menu. These allow you totweak notifications and PvP status.From ‘World’, turning PvE mode on will create a server that, for the most part, isfriendly. When off though, you canengage in combat with others.
In the Advanced menu under PvP and PvE, you can further change the settings for these game modes. If you aren’t sure what to do,just decide if you want PvP or PvE, and you are good to go.There are a lot of things that can be changed, but you don’t have to change anything if you don’t want to.
It’s best todecide with your friendswhat the server rules should be!
Are Non-Dedicated Servers Free?
Yes!Non-dedicated servers are completely freeand don’t require you to purchase server space anywhere. This is different from unofficial servers, whichrequire a subscription through Nitrado.
Should You Set A Password?
Just to be safe,we suggest setting a password for your server.This will prevent strangers from joining; only people who know the password will be able to join. If you are interested in potential new players though, you don’t have to use a password.
