As with many other games, you can theoretically host a server for the game Ark: Survival Evolved yourself. For this you either need a strong computer, which is loaded and has to run all the time, or you rent a root server, where you install the game on your own.

Both require a certain amount of experience, so we focus on renting an Ark server directly. The advantage of this is that the settings are already finished and it is easy to make minor changes. The costs are of course higher and you can’t adjust every detail by yourself.

Ark: Survival Evolved is an action-adventure survival computer game from Studio Wildcard and is in early access since June 2015. The release is planned for June 2016 and will be available for PC, Playstation 4 and Xbox One. The goal of the game is to survive and you have several options to do so. You only start with a loincloth equipped into a world full of dangers in the form of dinosaurs for example and you have to try to build weapons, campfires and buildings to not get killed early in the game. You have to hunt for your own food on a playing card of about 48 square kilometers. The construction of buildings is gradually learned by the character, in which for example floors, doors and other things are researched and manufactured. As you are used to in survival games, you can ally with other players, but you can also stab them in the back.

The constant danger, also from the avoidable friends, is particularly attractive for many players. Should you die, you can come back to life in a previously built sleeping bag or bed, but you have lost your entire inventory. Alternatively you can create a new character and dive into the game world again. The special thing about ARK: Survival Evolved is the Dinosaur theme. While other games mostly play in a world shaped by the apocalypse of zombies, here you interact with the huge primeval reptiles. A special highlight is of course the taming of such a dinosaur. In total there are 60 different types of dinosaurs in the game.

The question you should ask yourself from the beginning is: Do we really need our own server? Most players play with friends from time to time, often alone, and could play on the official servers. An own server is worthwhile if you want to play regularly in a larger group, or with a few friends – as long as you don’t want to be disturbed by others. Especially for larger communities, where you can be sure that the server is used daily, such a purchase is recommended.

You maintain control yourself, can remove troublemakers and thus create a pleasant and, if desired, intriguing climate. But if you just want to play against random opponents at the end of the day, you don’t need your own server, but can use the official servers of the game or servers of other communities.

Basically you can influence some things directly when you buy, but not other things. Depending on what you rent for a server and from which provider, the offer varies. You have the most influence on the number of slots, i.e. the number of players who can enter the server. This value can of course be set by you. In a small round you need much less space than a larger community. Most of the time there is also an option for additional memory, where you can already pack cards, so that the loading times are completed faster. Often there is also the option to allow advertising, which can save you a few Euros, if you don’t mind the advertising. You should make sure that CPUs are used for the respective server.

Usually one cannot influence this, but one can ask the provider in advance or discover this on the website. The servers at Intel should run on the latest I5/I7 or Xeon Cpu’s. For a good ping, the servers should also be located in Germany, otherwise there may be delays in the game. It is also important to look at the small print: The servers should always be up to date, so that you don’t fall behind the original patch in the end. Especially in early access, this can be very restrictive, as often major changes find their way into the game. From time to time, direct packages are also offered together with TeamSpeak servers. Make sure that you don’t invest more in the servers than you would with another provider for voice programs only. Check out our article on TeamSpeak servers.