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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsThere is no universal “best” multiplier for ARK: Survival Ascended. A reliable starting point is 2× XP, 2.5× harvesting and 3× taming for a casual small-group PvE server; busy adults can move to 2.5×/3×/4×, while lightly boosted PvP is better served by 1.5–2× XP, 2× harvesting and 2–3× taming. Breeding and imprinting must be tuned separately because changing one category does not automatically adjust the others.
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This guide shows which INI file to edit, gives copyable presets, explains the trade-offs, and provides a safe test-and-rollback workflow for Windows and Linux dedicated servers.
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What “boosted rates” change in ASA
ASA exposes independent multipliers for progression, resources, taming and breeding. A multiplier is normally expressed as a decimal: 1.0 is the documented default for XPMultiplier, 2.0 is twice the baseline, and 0.5 is half. The value changes the amount or speed of the activity it controls; it does not create a global “everything faster” mode.
- XP:
XPMultiplierscales XP awarded to players, tribes and tames. - Harvesting:
HarvestAmountMultiplierchanges how much material a successful harvest yields. It is separate from the health or effort required to break a node. - Taming:
TamingSpeedMultiplierchanges the time investment for taming creatures. - Breeding: mating cooldown, egg incubation, maturation and imprint intervals are separate controls. A faster maturation setting can make an imprint window arrive sooner, so the settings have to be tested together.
These controls are documented in the ARK Official Community Wiki’s server-configuration references and in configuration guides such as Arkobat’s default ASA settings list. The numbers in the presets below are practical recommendations, not official optimums or laboratory measurements.
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- ARK: Survival Ascended has completely recreated and redesigned the artwork and worlds of ARK to take advantage of the latest in videogame technology, Unreal Engine 5, using high-end graphics features such as fully dynamic Global Illumination (“Lumen”), so that light bounces realistically of off surfaces and provides realistic reflections, and advanced mesh streaming (“Nanite”) of hundreds of millions of triangles for extreme detail.
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- Thorough Quality of Life revamps in every area: redesigned User Interfaces, dynamic navigation for intelligent creature pathfinding, Wild Babies, Photo Mode, new Camera systems, new Map system, Tracking System, new Structures and Items, new Creatures, and much more.
- Cross-Platform Modding: Download & play new custom content created by players, including new maps, creatures, items, and game modes, through a dedicated new Mod-bowser directly within the game! Enjoy an endless stream of new ARK content as the creativity and talent of the community is fully unleashed for the first time ever across gaming platforms!
Recommended ASA starting presets
Choose the closest audience first, then adjust one category at a time after observing an entire play session. “Breeding/maturation” is deliberately described as an approach rather than a single number: the right value depends on creature species, imprint frequency and how often an administrator can be online.
| Audience | XP | Harvest | Taming | Breeding and maturation approach | Best fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Casual small-group PvE | 2× | 2.5× | 3× | Increase maturation until a normal play session can complete meaningful care; verify imprint timing with the first few babies. | Reduces repetitive downtime while keeping gathering and tame choices relevant. |
| Busy-adult PvE | 2.5× | 3× | 4× | Use faster maturation to reduce offline waiting, then check every imprint interval because missed windows are more likely. | Players with limited evening or weekend hours. |
| Lightly boosted PvP | 1.5–2× | 2× | 2–3× | Keep breeding and maturation conservative so preparation, scarcity and counterplay remain meaningful. | Communities that want less grind without erasing raid preparation. |
Compare a preset by six questions: how many hours of active play it saves per week; whether resources still feel scarce; whether gathering creatures retain value; how much supervision taming and raising require; whether it remains fair in PvP; and how easily you can roll it back after a patch or mod change.
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GameUserSettings.ini for ordinary server settings
Most server, difficulty and basic/intermediate gameplay options belong in GameUserSettings.ini. On a Windows dedicated server, the usual location is:
ShooterGameSavedConfigWindowsServerGameUserSettings.ini
On a Linux dedicated server, use:
ShooterGame/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/GameUserSettings.ini
Common rate multipliers such as XP, harvesting and taming are normally placed in the [ServerSettings] section. Keep the spelling, capitalization and section header exactly as expected by the server build.
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Game.ini for advanced progression changes
Game.ini is intended for advanced rebalancing, including custom progression and XP-per-level changes. It uses the same platform folders shown above. Do not put a custom level curve into GameUserSettings.ini; the server may ignore it or overwrite it when configuration is regenerated.
Hosted panels and generated files
A hosting control panel may display the same settings as form fields, while a settings generator can export INI text. Treat the exported file as a draft: select only ASA-compatible options, inspect the section and key names, and compare it with your backup before deployment. A generator cannot detect every conflict created by a mod, event configuration or a later game update.
Core multipliers and what each one does
XP: XPMultiplier
The documented default is 1.0. Higher values increase XP awarded to players, tribes and tames. XP boosts shorten the time to unlock engrams and levels, but they also make a new character or tame reach milestones sooner; a value that feels generous during a fresh wipe can make progression trivial later.
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Set XP independently from harvesting. A server can use 2× XP and 1× harvesting if you want faster engram access without a larger resource economy, or the reverse if building is the main activity.
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This controls the quantity obtained from harvesting. It does not automatically reduce node health, tool durability costs or travel time. Pair it with harvesting-health or optimization options only when you understand the separate effect: lowering node health can make a high yield multiplier feel dramatically stronger than the number alone suggests.
At 2.5–3×, ordinary gathering becomes less repetitive while metal, polymer and other bottleneck materials can still require planning. At very high values, storage, weight and crafting queues—not gathering—become the limiting factors.
Taming: TamingSpeedMultiplier
This changes the time required to tame a creature. It does not automatically alter food consumption, narcotic demand, effectiveness bonuses or breeding. Test a representative slow tame and a fast tame before publishing the rate to players; a setting that feels fine on a small herbivore can make a high-level carnivore finish before administrators can react to a problem.
Breeding, eggs and imprinting
Use separate controls for the complete breeding loop:
- Mating interval: how long a creature must wait before mating again.
- Egg hatch or incubation: how quickly an egg or gestation progresses.
- Baby maturation: how quickly a baby reaches adulthood.
- Imprint interval and amount: when care becomes available and how much each successful care contributes.
Because these timers interact, change them as a group and raise a test baby. A maturation boost that looks reasonable on paper can leave no time for the required number of imprints, producing a lower imprint percentage even though the baby reaches adulthood sooner. Check the interval at the actual server rate rather than extrapolating from a calculator.
How to choose a preset for your community
Match the multiplier to active play hours
Start with the weekly schedule, not with a favorite number. A small group that plays several evenings can usually supervise a 3× tame and moderate maturation without removing all commitment. A busy-adult group may need 4× taming and faster maturation simply to finish a project before the next workday. If no administrator can check a baby between sessions, the faster preset is not automatically better; an unattended imprint window can erase the benefit of shorter growth time.
Protect the resource economy
Harvest boosts save active gathering time, but they also change what is valuable. At 2.5–3×, players still have reasons to use gathering tames, plan metal runs and manage weight. Much higher values can make a single trip fill storage, shifting the bottleneck to hauling, crafting queues and available building space. If players say resources feel meaningless while taming still feels slow, reduce or leave harvest alone and adjust taming rather than lowering every rate.
Preserve PvP preparation and counterplay
In PvP, compare how quickly a group can replace a lost tame, rebuild armor and assemble raid materials. High values in all three categories compress preparation so far that defenders have less warning and attackers can recover immediately. The lightly boosted preset keeps XP near 1.5–2× and harvest near 2×, leaving scarcity and preparation as meaningful decisions while trimming the longest waits.
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Account for events and mods
Permanent server values are only one part of the effective rate. Event multipliers and mod settings may stack with, override or reinterpret them. Record whether each value is permanent, event-only or supplied by a mod. When an event ends, repeat the same XP, harvest and tame checks; do not assume that a value shown in a panel still describes the live result.
Prefer changes that are easy to reverse
Small, isolated edits make feedback clear. Keep the previous file and a dated change log, then change one category at a time. A move from 1× to 2× may remove repetitive work while preserving decisions; a move from 4× to 8× can remove the decisions themselves. Roll back to the known-good file instead of trying to calculate an inverse multiplier from player impressions.
Copyable configuration examples
Place each key in the correct section, one option=value per line. The following snippets illustrate the three starting presets; they are recommendations, not official defaults.
Casual small-group PvE
[ServerSettings]
XPMultiplier=2.0
HarvestAmountMultiplier=2.5
TamingSpeedMultiplier=3.0Leave breeding timers at your current values initially. After confirming XP, harvesting and taming, increase maturation in a small step and test imprint windows before changing the live server again.
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Busy-adult PvE
[ServerSettings]
XPMultiplier=2.5
HarvestAmountMultiplier=3.0
TamingSpeedMultiplier=4.0This preset prioritizes less waiting. Schedule a supervised breeding test because the faster loop increases the chance that an imprint request appears while nobody is online.
Lightly boosted PvP
[ServerSettings]
XPMultiplier=1.5
HarvestAmountMultiplier=2.0
TamingSpeedMultiplier=2.0You can raise XP to 2.0 or taming to 3.0 after community feedback, but keep resource and breeding advantages modest enough that defenders and attackers still need preparation.
Safe editing workflow
- Stop first. Shut down the dedicated server, or exit the game before editing a local configuration. The official configuration guidance warns that edits made while the game is running can be removed.
- Back up both files. Copy
GameUserSettings.iniandGame.inito a dated folder. Keep the last known-good copy outside the live configuration directory. - Open the right file. Use
GameUserSettings.inifor ordinary rates. UseGame.inionly for advanced progression or custom XP-per-level changes. - Find the section. Add ordinary multipliers under
[ServerSettings]. If the section is missing, create the header once; do not duplicate it several times. - Enter one setting per line. Use plain
option=valuesyntax, without quotes, commas or comments on the same line. For example:XPMultiplier=2.0. - Save and restart. A server restart is required for the process to read the edited file. A panel may also need a stop/start cycle rather than a soft reload.
- Test one category. Verify an XP event, a small harvest and a tame with known baseline behavior. Change only one multiplier when diagnosing a result.
- Record the live values. Keep a short change log with the date, key, old value, new value, game version and active mods. This makes a rollback after a patch much faster.
How to verify that a rate actually applied
XP check
Use the same character action before and after the change, such as harvesting one known resource or defeating a comparable creature. Confirm that the award changes in the expected direction; do not infer success merely because the server restarted.
Harvest check
Harvest the same node type with the same tool and comparable player or tame stats. Count the returned items over several attempts. A single node can vary, so use a small sample rather than one swing.
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Start a low-risk tame and note its estimated completion time. Do not use an already-started tame as the only test: its timer may have been calculated under the previous value.
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Breeding check
Observe mating availability, egg or gestation progress, maturation percentage and the next imprint prompt. Record the real-world interval between prompts. If an imprint is due while the server is offline, the setting is too aggressive for that community even if maturation speed looks attractive.
Hosted panels, generators and deployment checks
Control panels often expose friendly labels instead of raw keys. Confirm that the panel is editing the ASA instance and not a different map, profile or backup copy. After saving a form, download or view the resulting INI and verify that XPMultiplier, HarvestAmountMultiplier and TamingSpeedMultiplier appear once under [ServerSettings].
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If you use a settings generator, export only the options you intend to change. Review every generated section before uploading it, remove unsupported or unrelated settings, and retain your original files. A generator is useful for syntax, but it cannot identify every mod conflict or guarantee that an option survives a game update. On a hosted service, use a full stop/start when possible; a soft reload may leave the running process with old values.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.PvE and PvP trade-offs
Why PvE can tolerate stronger boosts
Cooperative PvE groups usually fight repetition and offline waiting. Moderate XP and harvest increases let a small tribe build and explore in a limited schedule, while 3–4× taming reduces the time a player must guard a creature. The cost is a faster economy: rare resources lose some of their scarcity, and large storage or crafting queues can become the new bottleneck.
Why PvP usually needs restraint
PvP balance depends on preparation, vulnerability and the ability to counter an opponent. High harvest, taming or breeding values can let a group replace losses rapidly, mass-produce defensive creatures or assemble raid materials before defenders can respond. Keeping the lightly boosted preset near 1.5–2× XP and 2× harvest preserves more of that preparation game.
Events, mods and wipes
Event multipliers and mod settings can stack with server values or override them. Document whether a value is permanent, event-only or supplied by a mod. Recheck the live behavior after an update and after installing or removing a mod; do not assume the same effective rate survives a configuration migration.
Troubleshooting incorrect or missing rates
The server ignores the setting
- Confirm the edit was made while the server was stopped.
- Check that the key is in
GameUserSettings.iniunder[ServerSettings]. - Remove duplicate keys and duplicate section headers; the last or first value may win unpredictably depending on the parser.
- Check for typographical errors such as
HarvestAmountMultiplierversus a similarly named option. - Restart fully and test in-game rather than trusting a control-panel display.
Rates changed after an update
Restore the dated backup, compare the live files with the previous version and reapply only the intended keys. A patch or generator may rewrite formatting or remove unsupported options. Test on a private instance before returning the change to a populated server.
Breeding finishes before imprinting
Lower maturation, lengthen the imprint interval or increase the imprint contribution only if you have verified that the combination is supported by your current build. The practical fix is to make the care schedule fit the players’ real availability, not simply to increase every breeding value.
Players report “everything is too fast”
Do not lower all multipliers at once. Identify whether the complaint concerns progression, material supply, taming downtime or breeding supervision, then adjust that category alone. This preserves the parts of the server economy that players still enjoy.
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Choosing and maintaining a long-term rate set
Publish the active values and the reason for each one in your server rules. Review them after the first week, after a major content update and after any event. Ask players about four measurable experiences: time spent gathering, time spent waiting on tames, missed imprint opportunities and whether unlocking levels still feels earned.
When a change is unpopular, revert to the last backup rather than guessing at inverse math. A multiplier is not always perceived linearly: moving from 1× to 2× removes one kind of grind, while moving from 4× to 8× can remove the decisions that made the activity meaningful. Small, isolated changes produce clearer feedback and easier rollback.
Practical first-week review
Run the chosen preset for a complete week before making a broad judgment. Compare the same activities across several sessions: one resource trip, one ordinary tame, one XP milestone and one supervised breeding cycle. Record active hours saved, whether key materials remain scarce, how often players had to guard a tame, and whether anyone missed an imprint request. These observations are more useful than changing values after a single lucky harvest or unusually fast tame.
At the review, publish both the current values and the next proposed change. If only taming feels tedious, raise TamingSpeedMultiplier without changing XP or harvest. If players finish building instantly but still enjoy taming, reduce harvest rather than progression. Keeping the categories separate preserves a recognizable server identity and makes later rollback straightforward.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I change XP, harvest and taming with one multiplier?
No. ASA treats them as independent controls: use XPMultiplier, HarvestAmountMultiplier and TamingSpeedMultiplier separately.
Where do custom XP-per-level settings go?
Use Game.ini for advanced progression and custom XP-per-level changes; ordinary rate multipliers belong in GameUserSettings.ini.
Why did an INI edit disappear?
The server may have been running during the edit, or a panel, generator or update rewrote the file. Stop the server, restore a backup, reapply the key in the correct section and restart.
What should I test after changing breeding rates?
Check mating availability, egg or gestation progress, maturation and the real interval between imprint prompts with a supervised test baby.
Which file path should I use on Linux?
Use ShooterGame/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/GameUserSettings.ini for ordinary rates and the matching Game.ini in that directory for advanced progression.
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No. It can help produce INI syntax, but you must review ASA compatibility, sections, duplicate keys, mod interactions and the live in-game result.
Why did high harvest make storage the bottleneck?
HarvestAmountMultiplier increases material returned, but it does not automatically expand weight, storage or crafting capacity. At high values those limits can replace gathering as the main delay.
The Bottom Line
For most small PvE groups, begin at 2× XP, 2.5× harvest and 3× taming, then tune breeding only after a supervised imprint test. Use the correct INI file, stop before editing, restart fully and verify each category in-game. Keep PvP rates more conservative and retain dated backups so every change is reversible.
Quick Recap
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