ARK: Survival Ascended loads mods from CurseForge using their numeric mod IDs, while ARK: Survival Evolved uses Steam Workshop IDs, and on GuavaHost you add either kind by listing those IDs in the mods field on the Startup tab.
ARK: Survival Ascended uses CurseForge
ASA moved all modding to CurseForge, so Steam Workshop IDs do not apply here.
- Find the mod on curseforge.com and copy its numeric Project ID, shown on the mod's page.
- On the Startup tab, find the mods field (it feeds the server's -mods= list).
- Enter your IDs separated by commas, for example 928470,930488.
- Restart the server. It downloads the mods automatically on boot, so watch the Console tab as they install.
Players do not install anything by hand. ASA downloads the required mods for them when they join.
ARK: Survival Evolved uses Steam Workshop
ASE mods come from the Steam Workshop.
- Open the mod's Workshop page and copy the ID from the end of the URL, the number after ?id=.
- On the Startup tab, enter the IDs in the mods field. This maps to ActiveMods= in GameUserSettings.ini.
- Restart. The server downloads the mods through SteamCMD. Larger mods take a while, so watch the Console tab.
Players will download the same mods automatically when they join a modded ASE server, as long as they own the game on Steam.
Load order matters
The server loads mods in the order you list them. Put large overhaul or core mods first, then smaller tweaks after, so nothing gets overridden the wrong way.
Mod maps are a bit different
A custom map is not just a mod in the list. Set it as your map on the Startup tab (the map name, or ServerMap value) and still include the map's mod ID so the files download. The server then loads that world instead of the default.
Troubleshooting
- Stuck on download: give it time on first boot, since mods can be large. Keep watching the Console tab.
- Version mismatch after a game update: update your mods and restart.
- Removing a mod: clear its ID, but pulling out a core or map mod can break an existing save, so take a Backups snapshot first.
- Cannot join a modded server: make sure your client finished downloading the same mods.
Still stuck? Jump into our Discord at discord.gg/GuavaHost and the team will help you out.