How to Set Up an ARK Survival Ascended Cluster (Cross ARK)

Q: Can I add a map to an existing cluster later?

Yes. Start a new server for the map with the same -clusterid and the same cluster folder, on its own ports. Players can then download into it like any other map.

An ARK: Survival Ascended cluster is two or more servers, one per map, that all start with the same -clusterid= and read and write the same cluster folder set with -ClusterDirOverride=. Players upload characters, dinos and items at an obelisk, terminal or transmitter on one map and download them on another. The shared folder is the part that decides everything: every server in the cluster must be able to reach the same files.

That last point is also the honest answer for hosted servers. On GamezServers each server runs on its own and does not share a folder with your other servers, so clusters are not available on GamezServers right now. Characters and dinos cannot transfer between two of our servers. The rest of this guide explains exactly how a cluster works, so you can set one up on your own hardware or know what to ask any host.

How does an ARK cluster work?

There is no "cluster server" in the middle. Each map is a normal, separate server process. Transfers work like this:

A player uploads a survivor, dino or item at a transfer point on map A.
Map A writes that data to a file in the cluster folder, under the cluster ID.
The player leaves and joins map B.
Map B, started with the same cluster ID and pointing at the same folder, finds the file and offers it in the download list.

So two things must line up: the cluster ID (which tells the servers they belong together) and the cluster folder (where the files actually live).

The launch flags

Add both flags to every server in the cluster:

ArkAscendedServer.exe TheIsland_WP?listen?SessionName="Tribe Island"?Port=7777 -clusterid=MyTribeCluster -ClusterDirOverride="C:\ark\cluster" -NoTransferFromFiltering
ArkAscendedServer.exe ScorchedEarth_WP?listen?SessionName="Tribe Scorched"?Port=7779 -clusterid=MyTribeCluster -ClusterDirOverride="C:\ark\cluster" -NoTransferFromFiltering

Flag	What it does
`-clusterid=<name>`	The shared cluster name. Pick something unique, letters and numbers only
`-ClusterDirOverride=<path>`	Where transfer files are stored. Must be the same folder for every server
`-NoTransferFromFiltering`	Stops data coming in from servers that are not in your cluster

Without -ClusterDirOverride, each server keeps cluster data inside its own Saved folder, and two servers in different install folders never see each other's uploads. Always set it.

What has to match between cluster servers?

Must match	Why
`-clusterid`	Different IDs means separate clusters
The cluster folder	Both servers must read and write the same files
Game version	A server on an older build cannot load data from a newer one
Mods that add items or dinos	A modded dino uploaded from map A turns into nothing on a map B without the mod

What should differ:

Must be different	Why
Game port	Two servers cannot listen on the same port on one machine
RCON port	Same reason
Session name	Players need to tell the maps apart in the list
Save folder	Each map keeps its own world

Rates do not have to match, but very different breeding or stat settings between maps lead to players farming on the generous map and moving everything to the other. Most clusters run the same GameUserSettings.ini and Game.ini on every map.

Transfer settings

These go in GameUserSettings.ini under [ServerSettings], on each server:

Key	Default	Effect
`PreventDownloadSurvivors`	False	Players cannot bring characters onto this map
`PreventDownloadDinos`	False	No dinos can be downloaded here
`PreventDownloadItems`	False	No items can be downloaded here
`PreventUploadSurvivors`	False	Characters cannot leave this map
`PreventUploadDinos`	False	Dinos cannot leave this map
`PreventUploadItems`	False	Items cannot leave this map

A common setup is a "hub" map that allows everything and a hard mode map with PreventDownloadDinos=True, so players have to tame locally.

What a cluster needs from the hardware

Every map in a cluster is a full ARK server. Survival Ascended idles around 8 to 10 GB of memory on The Island before players build anything, so a three map cluster needs the memory of three servers, not one. Add CPU for each map, and disk for every save.

The shared folder is the tricky part:

All maps on one machine: easiest. Point every server at the same local folder.
Maps on different machines: the folder must be a network share every server can write to, with low latency and no file locking problems. This is where most home clusters run into trouble.

Can I run a cluster on GamezServers?

Not today. Each GamezServers ARK server is a single map running in its own isolated space, and servers do not share a cluster folder, even when they are on the same account. Setting -clusterid through Extra launch flags on one server does not link it to another one.

What you can do:

Play every map on one server. Change Map in Settings and restart. Each map keeps its own save, so you can move between The Island, Scorched Earth and the rest without losing either world. Characters and dinos stay on their own map.
Run separate servers per map. Your group can play two maps at once on two servers, they just do not transfer between each other.

If a cluster is the one thing standing between your tribe and a hosted server, tell us at support@gamezservers.com. It helps us decide what to build next.

Before you commit to a cluster

Clusters are fun but they multiply the work. Every game patch, mod update and config change happens once per map. A small group often has more fun on one map at a time, moving on when they are ready, than spreading thin across three maps where nobody is ever on the same one.

FAQ

Can ARK Survival Ascended transfer between servers?

Yes, when the servers share a cluster ID and a cluster folder. Servers that do not share both cannot transfer anything.

Can PC and console players use the same cluster?

Survival Ascended servers are cross platform, so a cluster works for both as long as every mod on every map supports console.

Do I need a separate server for each map?

Yes. One server process runs one map, so a cluster of four maps is four servers running at the same time.

What happens to transferred dinos if the cluster folder is deleted?

Anything uploaded but not yet downloaded is lost. Back up the cluster folder along with each map's save.

Can I add a map to an existing cluster later?

Yes. Start a new server for the map with the same -clusterid and the same cluster folder, on its own ports. Players can then download into it like any other map.

One map, done properly

If one map at a time suits your tribe, a hosted ARK server is online in about 60 seconds with map switching in the panel. See ARK: Survival Ascended hosting and our best ARK server settings.