Use the Community Upgrade Project (CUP), not copied Arma 2 files. Install CUP Terrains Core and the CUP terrain package that contains your map, load those packages with the Arma 3 dedicated server’s -mod parameter, install the same required packages for every player, and run a mission built for that CUP terrain. The map package only makes terrain assets available; the mission rotation still has to target the map’s actual terrain identity.
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What you are actually adding
An Arma 3 server cannot use an Arma 2 terrain simply by pointing at the old game’s files. Arma 2 assets must be converted and exposed to Arma 3 through a compatible content project. CUP’s stated purpose is to bring content from Arma, Arma 2 Combined Operations, Arma 2 ACR and Take on Helicopters into Arma 3, upgraded for the Arma 3 feature set.
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For legacy terrain, that means two separate jobs:
- Asset availability: the dedicated server and clients load CUP’s terrain addons.
- Mission selection: the server runs a mission whose world is the CUP terrain you installed.
Installing the addons without a matching mission does not move the server to Chernarus, Takistan or another map. Conversely, placing a CUP mission in rotation without loading its required terrain addons produces missing-addon or mission-loading errors.
Choose the right CUP terrain package
The official CUP download page lists a standard CUP Terrains Maps package and a separate Maps 2.0 release line. Select the package expected by the mission or mod collection you intend to run rather than mixing files from different release lines at random.
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| Choice | Use it when | Dependency | What to verify |
|---|---|---|---|
| CUP Terrains Maps | You need the broad, established CUP legacy-terrain set and your mission specifies the standard Maps package. | CUP Terrains Core | Confirm that the mission was authored for the standard terrain release and that the map is included in the current package. |
| CUP Terrains Maps 2.0 | The mission or collection specifically expects the Maps 2.0 release. | Install the Core package required by that release, following the current CUP package listing. | Check the exact package name, version and terrain identity expected by the mission. |
CUP identifies Terrains Maps as depending on Terrains Core. Treat Core as mandatory even when the map appears to be a single downloadable archive. Package contents, Workshop metadata and terrain names can change, so use the current CUP listing for the release you are deploying.
Prepare the server and players
Dedicated-server prerequisites
- Have a working Arma 3 dedicated-server installation with its normal profile, port and
server.cfgsettings. - Stop the server before adding or replacing terrain files. This prevents locked files and makes the first restart a clean test.
- Use one dedicated mod location for the server and keep each CUP package in its own directory.
- Obtain the terrain package and its dependency from the current CUP distribution, then verify that extraction created the package’s normal addon structure rather than an extra nested folder.
Client prerequisites
Every player must have the same required CUP terrain packages enabled on the client. A server command line cannot supply a missing client dependency. Players can obtain and activate the packages through the game launcher, Workshop collection or another distribution method used by your community; the enabled files must match the server’s required terrain content.
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Do not rename package directories casually. Bohemia Interactive’s dedicated-server documentation warns that some mods, including CUP Terrains, may fail when capital letters appear in their file names. Keep the names supplied by the package and avoid introducing uppercase characters into renamed folders or addon paths. If you must reorganize files, make the change on both the server and the documented client deployment and test after each change.
Install CUP Terrains on the dedicated server
- Choose the map and release line. Decide which legacy terrain the mission requires, then determine whether it expects standard CUP Terrains Maps or Maps 2.0.
- Install Terrains Core first. Extract or install CUP Terrains Core into the server’s mod directory. Do not place its files inside the Maps directory; Core is a separate package.
- Install the terrain package. Add CUP Terrains Maps or the relevant Maps 2.0 package alongside Core. Preserve the package’s internal addon folders and supplied directory names.
- Check the resulting layout. The server’s mod location should contain separate CUP package directories, each with the addon content expected by Arma 3. If extraction created a duplicate nesting level, correct it before starting the server.
- Record the exact directory names. The strings used in the launch line must match the directories on disk, including spaces, punctuation and underscores. Do not substitute a Workshop display name for the actual server directory name.
Load the packages with the server command line
Arma 3 enables server-side mods with the executable’s -mod parameter. Keep the normal executable, profile, port and configuration arguments you already use, then append the CUP directories to the mod list. A conventional example is:
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arma3server_x64.exe -port=2302 -profiles=serverProfiles -config=server.cfg -mod=@CUP_Terrains_Core;@CUP_Terrains_MapsThe names in this example are illustrative directory names. Replace them with the exact names present in your installation; do not rename the folders merely to make the example fit. On a startup script that already contains other required mods, preserve those entries and add Core plus the selected Maps package to the same semicolon-separated -mod value.
Keep the server’s ordinary configuration arguments intact. CUP terrain installation does not require a special executable, a replacement profile system or a different network port. The relevant change is loading the required terrain packages and then running a mission that uses them.
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- Terrains Core: always include it when the selected CUP Maps package depends on it.
- The selected terrain package: include standard Maps or the Maps 2.0 package required by the mission.
- Other mission dependencies: retain any additional addons required by the mission or collection.
Do not treat a client-only cosmetic mod as a substitute for a terrain dependency. If a mission declares a required addon, the dedicated server must be able to load it and clients must be able to load the matching content.
Make clients match the server
Distribute a precise mod list to players rather than telling them to search for “CUP maps” and choose arbitrary results. State the Core package, the selected Maps release, the expected package versions or collection revision, and any other mission dependencies. Have players enable the same packages before joining.
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Matching means more than having a similarly named folder. A player with Core but without the Maps package cannot load a mission that references a CUP world. A player with a different release line may have different terrain classes or addon dependencies. When a player receives a missing-addon message, compare the enabled package list with the server’s list before changing server settings.
Put a mission for the terrain into rotation
A terrain package does not select a map by itself. The mission in the server rotation must be built for the CUP world. Obtain a mission whose author explicitly lists the terrain and CUP package line you installed, then place that mission in the server’s mission directory or deployment method.
Use the mission’s terrain identity, not just its folder name
Arma’s server configuration identifies a mission through its mission and terrain identity/class. The folder name shown on disk is not a reliable substitute for the world class expected by the mission. Before editing the rotation, inspect the mission’s supplied configuration or documentation for the exact terrain identity and use that value where the server configuration requires it.
This distinction matters when a mission folder has a friendly name, a version suffix or a custom campaign label. The server may start, yet reject the mission if the configured terrain does not match the world the mission was authored for.
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Check the mission before publishing it
- Confirm the mission names the CUP terrain you installed.
- Confirm whether it expects standard Maps or Maps 2.0.
- Confirm every additional required addon, not only the terrain package.
- Confirm that the mission’s terrain identity/class is the one used in the server rotation.
Restart, read the log and test in a controlled order
- Stop the server and verify the Core and Maps directories and their exact names.
- Start the server with the updated
-modline. - Read the startup log before asking a player to connect. Look for addon-loading errors, malformed paths and missing dependencies.
- Confirm that the intended mission appears in the rotation and that its terrain identity matches the CUP world.
- Join with one client that has the identical required packages enabled.
- Only after a successful test, distribute the final mod list and mission instructions to the rest of the community.
Testing in this order separates server installation errors from client synchronization errors. If the server cannot load the addon, client troubleshooting will not fix it. If the server loads successfully but a player is rejected, compare that player’s enabled packages and versions with the server’s list.
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Fix the common failure modes
“Missing CUP_* addon” on startup
- Check that CUP Terrains Core is installed; Maps depends on it.
- Check that the selected Maps package is present and included in
-mod. - Verify that the command-line names exactly match the directories on disk.
- Check for an extra extraction layer, such as a package directory containing another identically named package directory.
- Remove capital letters introduced by renamed folders, then restart and inspect the log again.
The server starts, but the mission is rejected
The mission may target a different terrain release or a different world identity. Recheck the mission documentation and its configuration for the expected terrain class, then compare that requirement with the CUP package you installed. Do not infer the class from the mission folder name alone.
A player cannot join while the server appears healthy
Have the player enable Core and the exact Maps package required by the mission, then verify any other declared dependencies. A server cannot make missing client-side terrain files available during connection.
The map loads but objects or scripts are missing
Terrain and mission content are separate. Recheck the mission’s complete dependency list; the CUP terrain package may be present while another required addon is absent. Keep the terrain packages unchanged until the log identifies the missing dependency, then add only the package the mission actually requires.
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An update breaks an established mission
Package contents, Workshop metadata and terrain identities can change. Record the package release used by a working server, review the current CUP listing before updating, and test the mission on a separate server instance. Update the server and client package set together rather than replacing only one side.
Choosing between standard Maps and Maps 2.0
Use four decision points instead of choosing by version number alone:
- Terrain coverage: confirm that the desired legacy world is included in the package line.
- Revision level: use Maps 2.0 when the mission specifically expects that upgraded release; otherwise use the standard Maps package named by the mission.
- Dependencies: install the Core package required by the selected release.
- Mission compatibility: match the mission’s terrain identity and declared addon list to the package line on the server.
The current CUP download page is the authority for package contents and dependency relationships. When a mission author’s instructions and an old server guide disagree, follow the package and mission metadata for the release you are actually deploying, then verify the result in the startup log.
Quick Recap
Maintenance checklist
- Keep a written record of the exact Core and Maps directories loaded by the server.
- Keep the client distribution list synchronized with the server’s required packages.
- Do not rename CUP directories or introduce capital letters into their file names.
- When changing from standard Maps to Maps 2.0, update the mission and the client package set at the same time.
- After every package or mission update, restart the server and inspect the log before opening it to players.
- When reporting a problem, include the selected package line, exact directory names, launch arguments, mission name and the first missing-addon message; these details identify dependency and path errors far faster than changing unrelated
server.cfgvalues.
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