Image source: Studio Wildcard
Like any survival experience, ARK: Survival Ascended is arguably best played in multiplayer. That said, sometimes you just want to play on your own. The game isn’t optimized for this, though, which means you’ll want to tweak the server settings accordingly. Here, we’ve compiled the optimal settings for single player mode in ARK Survival Ascended, ensuring you reap the full benefits of your solo adventure in ARK. This has been recently updated with new information.
Best ARK Survival Ascended Single Player Server Settings
As mentioned above, while the default settings of ARK: Survival Ascended cater to server-based gameplay, they may not be ideal for single players. In multiplayer mode, the in-game time continues to run even when you’re offline. However, in single-player mode, time freezes when you’re not playing — which can lead to gameplay being more demanding for solo players. For that reason, you’ll want to make some adjustments.
Remember that every player has unique preferences, so consider the following settings a starting point for your customizations.
The Ideal Player Settings
In ARK: Survival Ascended, the ‘Player’ tab houses some essential parameters that you can modify to enhance your gaming experience. Here are the recommended settings:
- Damage: 1
- Resistance: 1
- Water Drain: 0.7
- Food Drain: 0.7
- Stamina Drain: 0.7
- Health Recovery: 1
- Harvesting Damage: 2
Creature Settings for Balanced Gameplay
Next, let’s modify the settings under the ‘Creature’ tab. These settings impact the behavior and attributes of the creatures inhabiting your ARK world. Here are the suggested settings:
- Max Count: 1
- Damage: 1
- Resistance: 1
- Food Drain: 0.7
- Stamina Drain: 1
- Health Recovery: 1
- Harvesting Damage: 2
- Turret Damage: 1
- Disable Taming: Off
- Disable Riding: Off
Breeding and Maturation: Adjust settings like BabyMatureSpeedMultiplier to 20 and BabyCuddleIntervalMultiplier to 0.015. These settings fine-tune the breeding process to be enjoyable and manageable.
World Settings to Enhance Your ARK Experience
The ‘World’ tab settings impact the overall gameplay dynamics, including the difficulty level, experience multiplier, and more. Here are the recommended settings:
- XP Multiplier: 1
- Taming Speed Multiplier: 3
- Harvest Yield Multiplier: 3
- Allow Speed Leveling: On
- Allow Flyer Speed Leveling: On
- Maximum Difficulty: On
- Difficulty Level: 1
- PVE Mode: On
- Hardcore Mode: Off
- Allow Unlimited Respecs: On
Resource and Environmental Management: Modify resource respawn rates, crop growth speeds, and day-night cycles for a personalized ARK environment that matches your survival strategy.
Note: Some players might prefer higher XP multipliers and harvest yields for a more relaxed gameplay. Feel free to adjust these settings as per your tastes.
Game Rules to Follow
The ‘Game Rules’ tab provides you with the flexibility to adjust various gameplay parameters. Here are the suggested settings:
- No Survivor Downloads: Off
- No Dino Downloads: Off
- No Item Downloads: Off
- No Tribute Downloads: Off
- Non-Dedicated Tethering Distance: 1
- Enable PVP Gamma: On
- Show Creative Mode: Off
- Disable Loot Crates: Off
- Disable Friendly Fire: Off
- Use Single Player Settings: On
Optimal Structure Settings
The ‘Structure’ settings can significantly impact the ease of base building and maintenance in the game. Here are the suggested structure settings:
- Damage: 1
- Resistance: 1
- Damage Repair Cooldown: 179
- Disable Structure Placement Collision: On
Advanced World Settings for Performance Improvement
In some cases, you might experience performance issues due to high graphics settings. To improve your single player ARK experience, consider adjusting the following settings under the ‘Advanced’ tab:
- Footstep Particles: Off
- Light-Shafts: Off
- Light Bloom: Off
- Motion Blur: Off
You can also lower the quality of specific elements, like foliage, shadows, and effects for a smoother gameplay experience. If you’re an Nvidia user, the GeForce Experience app can automatically fine-tune game settings for the best balance between graphics quality and performance.
Clouds can add to the graphical load and might contribute to performance issues. To disable clouds, you’ll need to use the command console. Open the console by pressing ‘~’, then type or paste the following command:
- r.VolumetricCloud 0
This command will remove clouds, potentially providing a slight performance boost. Note that this command won’t impact the weather – it will still rain even after clouds are turned off. To re-enable clouds, use the same command and replace ‘0’ with ‘1’.
Remember that these settings are just a starting point. As you delve deeper into Survival Ascended, it’s worth circling back to refine these parameters according to your gameplay style and preferences. Check out our starter guide if you’ve just begun your adventure.
