Anyone know of some guides with more in depth info on dedicated servers?

[Nethelus]

Does anyone know of some good guides that go a little more in depth about the file structure for setting up dedicated servers?  Like where you need to place files for it to work properly and where you can't place files.  I had started looking into running a dedicated server on my own computer when I ran into a bug in single player where resources sometimes don't respawn.  I had it all set up and running about 10 or so months ago, but I recently started playing again and things aren't working right.  My issue right now is that the client version is 331.7, but my server version is at 329.26.  I could be wrong, but I think because of the version mismatch, the server doesn't show up in the list of servers for me to join.  I'm the only one playing on it so I didn't set anything as far as port forwarding.  My networking knowledge is lacking anyway so perhaps it's a good thing I don't mess around with ports.  🙂

I had tried using ASM, but I found that when I updated the server files, it would corrupt the main files and I'd have to run the verification through Steam to fix the main game files.  I never could figure out why that was happening.  I also couldn't get ASM to update the dedicated server past 329.26.  I got rid of ASM and went back to the way I had been doing it before.  The only problem is, in trying to refresh my memory on this stuff, I've been unable to find the guides that helped me get things going in the first place.  I don't recall having to use SteamCMD when I had originally set things up 10 or so months ago.  Is that a required thing now?  I couldn't find an answer to that question.  The other thing I was looking for but couldn't find was more info about the file structure of the game.  When I had set things up 10 or so months ago, I remember reading that I didn't have to create new folders for servers.  Everything I needed for running the dedicated server was already located in Steam\steamapps\common\ARK\ShooterGame\Binaries\Win64.  I just needed to create a .bat file.  Below is how my .bat file is set.

                                           @ECHO OFF
                                           ECHO Do NOT close this window! It will close automatically after you close the ARK server window by pressing CTRL + C in it.
                                           ECHO Launching ARK server...
                                           start ShooterGameServer.exe "TheIsland?listen" -NoBattlEye -automanagemods -useallavailablecores -usecache -PreventHibernation
                                           PAUSE

I was trying to save disk space so I didn't want to create new folders to download files that were already present elsewhere.

[Nethelus]

Well I just did search on a couple of lines from the .bat file and sure enough I found the original guide I had found when i was setting things up.  https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=833890869.  I'm still at the problem with my dedicated server only being at 329.26 though and it not showing up in the list of servers for me to join.

[IanHighlander]

You won't be able to see it in the server list while it's a major version out.

You need to update it, I've always used ASM for this, but in theory it's just a standard steamcmd command like this (obviously change the username and password and the path to your installation):

@echo off
start "" steamcmd.exe +login USERNAME PASSWORD +force_install_dir "C:\Path_to_Ark" +app_update 376030 validate +quit

Actually, looking at the way ASM does it you can just use anonymous instead of your own username and password.

[EndlessDuck]

I recommend to make and update dedicated server with SteamCMD.

Works fine for me with latest server version etc. Thta server file in Ark folder has been 329.26 for ages. I think developers abandoned updating this file for good.
With CMD server you won't have this problem.
You will need to update your server manually via SteamCMD (which is really easy), and also mods (These will update inside the game and all you need to do is copy mod files to your dedicated server folder)

Follow the instructions here https://ark.fandom.com/wiki/Dedicated_server_setup

[Larkfields]

SteamCMD's anonymous login works well...
steamcmd +login anonymous +force_install_dir <install_dir> +app_update 376030 +quit

https://ark.fandom.com/wiki/Dedicated_server_setup

[LHammonds]

I'm working on a detailed server setup but it is for Linux operating system.

How to Install Ark: Survival Evolved on Ubuntu Server 20.04 LTS

 

[Nethelus]

On 6/25/2021 at 4:27 AM, Larkfields said:

SteamCMD's anonymous login works well...
steamcmd +login anonymous +force_install_dir <install_dir> +app_update 376030 +quit

https://ark.fandom.com/wiki/Dedicated_server_setup

I decided to give the SteamCMD method a try.  After I  ran the above command, I checked out the file structure where it was installed and it does basically copy a download of the entire game and slaps it in the install directory that we input.  Seems like a waste of space to me since all of the files needed to run the server are already put on your computer when you install the game (Steam\steamapps\common\ARK\ShooterGame\Binaries\Win64).  It would be interesting to see if I drop the steamcmd.exe file in the Steam\steamapps\common\ARK\ShooterGame\Binaries\Win64 folder and run the command without +force_install_dir to see if it would update my original files that I had been using.

Anyway, I was able to get the server running, and instead of it being 329.26, the Ark server version was listed as 331.19 and then I opened the client version and was able to see it in my list of joinable Arks.  I played for a while and then shut down the server because I was gone all day yesterday.  I got home late last night and was checking things out, but noticed that Steam was updating ARK again.  I think it may have only been a Mod update though.  I fired up my dedicated server again today, but when I started up the client, it didn't show up in my list of joinable Arks again.  I shut it down then ran that Steam command and it said that it was up to date (first screenshot below).  Then I fired up the dedicated server again (second screenshot below).  I opened the game client again, but the server doesn't show up in my list of joinable arks again even though I had favorited it when I joined it on Friday night.  Is there still something I'm doing wrong?  I can't seem to figure it out

[Larkfields]

Ark's Favourites list remembers the IP address of the servers.  If your server's IP address changes, then it will disappear from your favourites.

If you're running the server on the same PC that you're playing on, then you might have to change the server's port numbers. 
https://ark.fandom.com/wiki/Dedicated_server_setup

Note that some port numbers should be avoided as Steam "reserves" them for its own use.
https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=8571-GLVN-8711

Also try adding   -NoSteamClient   to your server's command line.

 

 

 

[Nethelus]

11 hours ago, Larkfields said:

Ark's Favourites list remembers the IP address of the servers.  If your server's IP address changes, then it will disappear from your favourites.

If you're running the server on the same PC that you're playing on, then you might have to change the server's port numbers. 
https://ark.fandom.com/wiki/Dedicated_server_setup

Note that some port numbers should be avoided as Steam "reserves" them for its own use.
https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=8571-GLVN-8711

Also try adding   -NoSteamClient   to your server's command line.

 

 

 

I forgot to mention that it also didn't show up under LAN either.  Sorry about that.  I added the port and queryport to my start up script as well as -NoSteamClient.  So now the startup script looks like this:

"TheIsland?listen"?port=7777?QueryPort=27015 -NoBattlEye -automanagemods -useallavailablecores -usecache -NoSteamClient -PreventHibernation

Adding that in drastically reduce the load time.  Primal game data went from 240+ seconds down to 33.  Full startup went from 480+ down to 82.  I hadn't noticed it before, but the RCON port was already listed in my GameUserSettings.ini file and was set to 27020 which I believe is the default.  I checked on my Firewall rules and the inbound ports allowed were 7777, 7778, and 27015.  Since the RCON port wasn't listed there I added it for both the TCP and UDP rules.

The thing I'm confused by now is that I just went online to check and see if those ports were open, and they all reported as closed, but I was able to get the server up and running, see it in my LAN list, and and play on it Friday night.  Then on Sunday I'm able to get it running, but it doesn't show up in my LAN list.

*EDIT  I moved the quotation marks on the startup command and the load time went back to normal.  Not sure why it was so fast that one time.  But yeah, still not showing up.  Wish there was some type of config checker or something like that.  The ports throw a lot of people for a loop.

[Larkfields]

Your second quotation mark was in the wrong place.  I've no idea why that would change the startup time by so much.

"TheIsland?listen?port=7777?QueryPort=27015" -NoBattlEye -automanagemods -useallavailablecores -usecache -NoSteamClient -PreventHibernation

It's normal for port checkers to see Ark's ports as closed because Ark has it's own way of responding (or not) across the network.  Port checkers are looking for "standard" responses.

 

[Nethelus]

2 hours ago, Larkfields said:

Your second quotation mark was in the wrong place.  I've no idea why that would change the startup time by so much.

"TheIsland?listen?port=7777?QueryPort=27015" -NoBattlEye -automanagemods -useallavailablecores -usecache -NoSteamClient -PreventHibernation

It's normal for port checkers to see Ark's ports as closed because Ark has it's own way of responding (or not) across the network.  Port checkers are looking for "standard" responses.

 

Yeah, what you have there is what I changed it to after the "quick" startup.    I'm just at a loss now as to why my server doesn't show up.