How to Set Up CrossARK for ARK: Survival Evolved Servers and Survival Ascended

CrossARK – ARK Server Cluster Guide – Introduction

Prepare for an epic adventure with ARK Survival Ascended, jam-packed full of exploration and survival. In some of the wildest gaming adventures, ARK players can encounter frozen mountains, blisteringly hot deserts, and even deep ocean worlds. When experiencing so many unique worlds, sharing those experiences with others and easily changing between maps enhances your ARK journey.

To create that shared adventure and to quickly change between maps, CrossARK brings that and many other benefits to your server. What exactly is CrossARK? The CrossARK feature of ARK servers allows you to combine multiple servers into a cluster. Every server on the cluster is linked together and players can teleport between them, sharing data such as their character, tamed dinosaurs, and even items. ARK servers can also have different maps, hosting multiple adventures at the same time for players to enjoy.

Now that you understand what CrossARK is, it’s time to create your cluster. Follow us into the webinterface of your ARK servers as we cover each step to setting up CrossARK to make your own ARK server cluster!

Getting Started with CrossARK for ARK

Before starting your adventure into creating your ARK server network, there are a few important steps you’ll need to take to prepare your ARK game servers. Once you have ensured these steps have been followed on your ARK servers, you’ll be ready to create your gaming network!

• Since CrossARK involves combining multiple servers into an ARK network, this will require at least two or more ARK servers all in the same location.
• Each ARK server on your network will need to have a different name.
  • Due to ARK server name length restrictions, we recommend naming your servers in a format similar to “ABOUT – SERVERNAME” to avoid the game removing characters and identifying both of your servers as the same name. For example, “Island Survival – NitraARK” and “Deadly Island – NitraARK”.

   

• If some of your ARK servers on your network require a password while others do not, this can result in your servers displaying on separate ARK server lists for password-protected and non-password-protected servers.

Setting up an ARK Server Cluster for ARK: Survival Ascended

To set up your CrossARK ARK: Survival Ascended game server cluster, you’ll need to enable CrossARK on your main server and then link your other servers to that CrossARK cluster. We’ll show you how to enable CrossARK and then guide you through linking your servers together. In no time, you’ll have your own ARK cluster network!

Enabling CrossARK on your Main ASA Server

1. To begin, stop each of your ARK servers.
2. Next, on the left under “Settings”, click “CrossARK”.
   
3. In your CrossARK settings, tick the “CrossARK” setting and then click “Generate new cluster id”.
   
4. Afterward, press “Save changes” to enable CrossARK and set the new cluster Id.
   
5. Lastly, copy the Cluster Id that was generated and save it for the next steps.

Linking your other ARK: Survival Ascended Servers to CrossARK

1. With CrossARK enabled on your main server, open the webinterface of each of your other ARK servers.
2. On each ARK server, open the CrossARK settings.
3. In the ARK server CrossARK settings, enable “CrossARK” for every server and then add the “Cluster Id” that you copied in the previous section. The cluster Id must be the same Id from your main server in the ARK cluster.
   
4. Finally, press “Save changes” on each of your servers and then start all of the servers on your ARK server cluster. Once every server is online, you’ll be ready to join your ARK network!

Setting up an ARK Server Cluster for ARK: Survival Evolved

To set up your CrossARK ARK game server cluster, you’ll need to enable CrossARK on your main server and then link your other servers to that CrossARK cluster. We’ll show you how to enable CrossARK and then guide you through linking your servers together.

Enabling CrossARK on your Main ARK: SE Server

1. To begin, stop each of your ARK servers.
2. Next, on the left under “Settings”, click “CrossARK”.
3. In your CrossARK settings, tick the “CrossARK” setting and then click “Generate new cluster id”.
   
4. Afterward, press “Save changes” to enable CrossARK and set the new cluster Id.
   
5. Lastly, copy the Cluster Id that was generated and save it for the next steps.

Linking your other ARK: Survival Evolved Servers to CrossARK

1. With CrossARK enabled on your main server, open the webinterface of each of your other ARK servers.
2. On each ARK server, open the CrossARK settings.
3. In the ARK server CrossARK settings, enable “CrossARK” for every server and then add the “Cluster Id” that you copied in the previous section. The cluster Id must be the same Id from your main server in the ARK cluster.
   
4. Finally, press “Save changes” on each of your servers and then start all of the servers on your ARK server cluster. Once every server is online, you’ll be ready to join your ARK network!

CrossARK Server Restrictions

While you are adjusting your ARK CrossARK cluster, several restrictions can be activated before players join. If you’re unsure about these cluster restrictions or would like an unrestricted ARK game server network, you can ignore these options. These ARK cluster restrictions include:

• Prevent Survivor-Download | If enabled, this setting will prevent character downloads.
• Prevent Item-Download | When enabled, this setting will prevent item downloads.
• Prevent Dino-Download | When active, this option will prevent dinosaur downloads.
• Prevent Survivor-Upload | If enabled, this option will stop survivor uploads.
• Disable downloading player information | Disable downloading player information of remote servers.
• Prevent Item-Upload | When enabled, this setting will prevent item uploads.
• Prevent Dino-Upload | If active, this option will prevent dinosaur uploads.

Additionally, if you want to enable downloads within the cluster, adjust “NoTributeDownloads” parameter in the GameUserSettings.ini file within your expert settings / config files.

To activate downloads, set the value to NoTributeDownloads=false through the expert settings or directly in the server’s config files.

Traveling to ARKs in your CrossARK Cluster

ARK: Survival Ascended

1. Join any of the ARK servers on your ARK cluster.
2. Once in your ARK server, travel to a terminal or beacon in-game.
   
3. Access the inventory of that terminal. Inside the terminal inventory, you’ll see “Transmitter” with the option to “Travel to Another Server”.
   
4. This will open a “Sessions on Cluster” menu. You can use the server menu to find and join the other ARK servers on your server cluster.
5. Once you have found that server, select it and press “Join with Survivor” to begin connecting. If the server requires a password, you’ll need to enter that ARK server’s password to join.
6. Finally, you’ll load in and you can begin another ARK adventure on the other servers in your server cluster!

ARK: Survival Evolved

1. Join any of the ARK servers on your ARK cluster.
2. Once in your ARK server, travel to a terminal or beacon in-game.
   
3. Access the inventory of that terminal. Inside the terminal inventory, you’ll see “Transmitter” with the option to “Travel to Another Server”.
   
4. This will open a “Sessions on Cluster” menu. You can use the server menu to find and join the other ARK servers on your server cluster. In our example, we are looking for our other ARK Fjordur DLC server to join.
   
5. Once you have found that server, select it and press “Join with Survivor” to begin connecting. If the server requires a password, you’ll need to enter that ARK server’s password to join.
6. Finally, you’ll load in and you can begin another ARK adventure on the other servers in your server cluster!

Since every server can have a different map, try having different maps on each ARK: SE server in your cluster to experience different stories and lots of roaring fun!

Build Your ARK Server Cluster with Friends

With an ARK server cluster created, the journey ahead is only just beginning. Once your ARK servers are linked, you can also customize them to better fit your cluster. Whether that’s adding a message of the day, installing server mods, adding additional player levels, or even increasing the server difficulty level. Once your servers are ready, open them to fellow ARK players and you’ll be ready for the ultimate ARK server cluster adventure!

Rent ARK servers and create a cluster