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In ARK: Survival Evolved (ASE), configure engrams in Game.ini under [/script/shootergame.shootergamemode]. Use OverridePlayerLevelEngramPoints to control points awarded at each level, OverrideNamedEngramEntries to change or hide individual engrams, and bAutoUnlockAllEngrams=True in GameUserSettings.ini only when you want every engram unlocked automatically. Stop the server before editing, keep the engram override block at the end of Game.ini, then restart and verify in-game.

Which ARK server file controls engrams?

Most engram progression changes belong in Game.ini, not GameUserSettings.ini. Add the settings beneath this header:

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[/script/shootergame.shootergamemode]

The engram override list should be the last content in Game.ini. This placement is the format reported by the commonly referenced ASE server guides and forum examples. A hosting control panel may display the same file through an editor instead of exposing a filesystem path, but the file name and section are still the important checks.

Goal File Setting Effect
Give a selected number of points at each level Game.ini OverridePlayerLevelEngramPoints Replaces the points awarded on each level-up. The first entry is for level 2.
Change one engram’s cost, level, visibility or prerequisites Game.ini OverrideNamedEngramEntries Applies a separate override to each named engram.
Unlock every engram automatically GameUserSettings.ini bAutoUnlockAllEngrams=True Unlocks all engrams rather than building a selective progression.

Make a copy of both files before changing them. Stop the server first, edit the stopped instance, save the file as plain text, and restart it after every configuration change. Editing while the process is running can be overwritten when the server shuts down.

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ARK engram points per level Game.ini

OverridePlayerLevelEngramPoints controls the number of engram points awarded on each level-up. Add one line for every level, beginning with level 2. The first line does not represent level 1.

Example point schedule

[/script/shootergame.shootergamemode]
OverridePlayerLevelEngramPoints=0
OverridePlayerLevelEngramPoints=8
OverridePlayerLevelEngramPoints=8
OverridePlayerLevelEngramPoints=10

In this example, the first value is the award at level 2, the second is the award at level 3, the third is the award at level 4, and the fourth is the award at level 5. A zero is therefore a deliberate level-2 award of no points; it is not a placeholder for an omitted line.

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How to build a complete schedule

  1. Decide the highest player level your server permits.
  2. Write down the desired award for every level from 2 through that maximum level.
  3. Place the values in order, repeating the setting name on every line.
  4. Count the lines and compare that count with the number of level-ups represented. An insertion or deletion shifts every later value to a different level.
  5. Save the file, restart the server, create or use a test character, and check the next level-up before deploying the schedule to players.

The values are per-level awards, not a single pool automatically distributed across all levels. Community forum examples also show a single value such as OverridePlayerLevelEngramPoints=10000, described as a different use. Do not mix that example into a line-by-line schedule unless you have confirmed how your current ASE build interprets it.

Planning points around your engram list

  • Estimate the total cost of the engrams you expect a normal character to learn.
  • Give early levels enough points for the basic tools and structures you want available.
  • Use later entries for advanced equipment instead of making every level identical unless that is intentional.
  • If you lower selected engram costs with named overrides, recalculate the progression; otherwise players may accumulate a large surplus.
  • If you hide or remove prerequisites, document the new progression for players so the altered tree is not mistaken for a bug.

OverrideNamedEngramEntries example

OverrideNamedEngramEntries changes one engram at a time. Add one complete, parenthesized line per engram beneath the same game-mode header.

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[/script/shootergame.shootergamemode]
OverrideNamedEngramEntries=(EngramClassName="EngramEntry_WoodChair_C",EngramHidden=false,EngramPointsCost=8,EngramLevelRequirement=10,RemoveEngramPreReq=false)

This reported example makes the wood chair visible, sets its cost to 8 points, requires player level 10, and keeps its prerequisites. Values in the syntax are separated by commas, and the class name is enclosed in quotation marks.

Meaning of each field

Field What it controls Typical value format
EngramClassName The engram’s class identifier. "EngramEntry_WoodChair_C"
EngramIndex An alternative numeric identifier used in some examples. 529
EngramHidden Whether the engram is shown in the engram list. True or False
EngramPointsCost How many engram points learning it costs. Whole number such as 8
EngramLevelRequirement The player level required to learn it. Whole number such as 10
RemoveEngramPreReq Whether prerequisites are removed for that engram. True or False

Numeric-index form

Some ASE forum examples identify an engram by index instead of class name:

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OverrideNamedEngramEntries=(EngramIndex=529,EngramHidden=False,EngramPointsCost=38,EngramLevelRequirement=91,RemoveEngramPreReq=True)

Use either the identifier your build and hosting environment accepts; do not put both identifiers in the same entry unless current documentation for that build explicitly supports it. Indexes and class names can change when the game or a mod changes, so treat old examples as starting points rather than permanent identifiers.

Hide engrams ARK server settings

Set EngramHidden=True in the override for an engram you do not want listed. The full entry still needs the other fields:

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[/script/shootergame.shootergamemode]
OverrideNamedEngramEntries=(EngramClassName="EngramEntry_WoodChair_C",EngramHidden=True,EngramPointsCost=8,EngramLevelRequirement=10,RemoveEngramPreReq=False)

Hiding is a visibility change; it is not the same as changing the cost, changing the level requirement, or automatically unlocking the item. If a hidden engram is already known by a character, hiding it does not necessarily remove that learned state. Test with a new character or a controlled test profile when you need to distinguish a display change from a progression change.

Combining several individual overrides

Keep every override on its own line. For example:

[/script/shootergame.shootergamemode]
OverrideNamedEngramEntries=(EngramClassName="EngramEntry_WoodChair_C",EngramHidden=True,EngramPointsCost=8,EngramLevelRequirement=10,RemoveEngramPreReq=False)
OverrideNamedEngramEntries=(EngramClassName="EngramEntry_SomeOtherItem_C",EngramHidden=False,EngramPointsCost=2,EngramLevelRequirement=3,RemoveEngramPreReq=True)

Do not combine two parenthesized entries onto one line, remove commas, or replace the quoted class name with an item display name. The class identifier is the value the server uses to match the engram.

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ARK unlock all engrams server setting

For a server where every character should know every engram automatically, add this setting to GameUserSettings.ini:

bAutoUnlockAllEngrams=True

This is a different approach from editing individual costs and level requirements. It belongs in the user-settings file, not under the game-mode header in Game.ini. A server using automatic unlocks generally does not need a long per-level schedule merely to make engrams available.

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Choose this approach When it fits What you give up
Automatic unlock Creative, building, testing or unrestricted servers where every character should have the complete catalog. Level-gated progression and engram-point decisions.
Per-level points Servers that want players to choose which engrams to learn as they level. More balancing work and more opportunities for an off-by-one error.
Named overrides Servers that need exceptions: hide an engram, alter one cost, change one level gate or remove one prerequisite. Each engram needs a correctly identified, correctly formatted line.

Decide whether automatic unlock is intentional before enabling it. If players report that the engram tree is suddenly fully available, check GameUserSettings.ini before changing the individual overrides.

How to configure engrams ARK server: a safe procedure

  1. Identify the game. Confirm that the server is running ASE. ARK: Survival Ascended (ASA) uses similar-looking syntax but is a separate game and should not be configured from an ASE example without checking ASA-specific documentation.
  2. Stop the server. Use the host’s stop control and wait until the process is fully offline.
  3. Back up the configuration. Copy Game.ini and GameUserSettings.ini with a date in the backup name.
  4. Open the correct file. Use Game.ini for point schedules and named overrides. Use GameUserSettings.ini only for the automatic-unlock setting.
  5. Find or add the game-mode header. Use the exact header [/script/shootergame.shootergamemode]. If the header already exists, append the settings to that section rather than creating a conflicting spelling.
  6. Add point lines in order. Start at level 2 and include one OverridePlayerLevelEngramPoints line for every subsequent level you intend to configure.
  7. Add named overrides. Put one complete OverrideNamedEngramEntries line per engram. Check every comma, quotation mark, field name and Boolean value.
  8. Keep the engram block last. Do not place unrelated settings after the override list in Game.ini.
  9. Save as plain text. Avoid smart quotes or rich-text formatting introduced by a word processor.
  10. Restart and test. Join with a test character, inspect the engram list, check a changed cost or level gate, and gain a level if you changed the point schedule.
  11. Record the working version. Keep the tested file and a short note identifying the game build, map and any mods. This makes rollback possible after an update.
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Balancing per-level points and per-engram overrides

Use point schedules for the broad progression

A schedule is the right tool when you want the whole server to earn a predictable number of points as levels rise. It changes the supply of points, while the normal engram catalog continues to determine what those points can buy.

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Use named overrides for exceptions

A named entry is better when only a few engrams need adjustment. Lowering a cost affects that engram; it does not increase the points awarded at every level. Likewise, raising an engram’s level requirement does not alter the cost unless you change both fields.

Remove prerequisites deliberately

RemoveEngramPreReq=True removes the prerequisite relationship for that entry. It can make a late or specialized engram available without its normal chain, so pair it with an explicit level and point cost if you want a controlled unlock rather than an unrestricted shortcut.

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Keep an audit list

  • Record the intended class identifier or index.
  • Record the desired visibility, cost, level and prerequisite values.
  • Record whether the change is for ASE or ASA.
  • Record the map and mods used during testing.

engram override not working ARK: troubleshooting

When a change has no visible effect, check one variable at a time. The most common failures are file placement, section placement, syntax, stale server state and mismatched identifiers.

The server starts, but nothing changes

  • Confirm the line is in Game.ini, not only in GameUserSettings.ini.
  • Confirm the exact header is present and spelled correctly.
  • Confirm the server was stopped before the edit and restarted afterward.
  • Check that the host panel did not save the text into a different profile, cluster or instance.
  • Move the engram override lines to the end of Game.ini.

Only later levels award the wrong number of points

Count the OverridePlayerLevelEngramPoints lines from the first entry. The first line maps to level 2, so adding a line at the beginning or omitting one shifts every later award. Rebuild the sequence from a numbered list rather than editing it freehand.

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An individual engram remains visible or has its old cost

  • Check that the class name is an engram class identifier, not the item’s display name.
  • Check capitalization, quotation marks, commas and field names.
  • Try the identifier format supported by your build: class name or numeric index.
  • Confirm the entry is complete; a missing field can prevent the override from being parsed.
  • Test with a fresh character if the original character already learned the engram.

The configuration works on one map but not another

Community reports conflict about overrides on alternate maps. Map-dependent behavior has not been established as universal, so test the exact map and mod set your players use. Do not assume that success on the default map proves that the same entry will apply everywhere.

An update or mod broke a formerly valid entry

Game updates can rename engram class names or alter behavior, and mods can add or replace entries. Compare the current engram identifier with current documentation for the running build, then test the smallest possible override before restoring the entire custom list.

The server uses ASA instead of ASE

Stop using an ASE checklist as proof that an ASA configuration is valid. ASA guides report a similar OverrideNamedEngramEntries structure, but ASA is a different game with its own build behavior. Verify the setting names and file layout against ASA-specific documentation.

ASE and ASA: do not mix configuration examples

This guide targets ARK: Survival Evolved. Search results often combine ASE and ARK: Survival Ascended because both games expose similarly named overrides. That similarity is not a compatibility guarantee.

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Question ASE guidance ASA caution
Which game is covered here? ASE server configuration. Separate game; verify its current documentation.
Can the syntax be copied directly? Use the reported ASE format, then test the running build. Do not assume an ASE line works unchanged.
Can class names be assumed current? No. Updates and mods may change them. No. Check ASA identifiers independently.

Configuration checklist

  • Server confirmed as ASE.
  • Backup made before editing.
  • Game.ini used for per-level points and named overrides.
  • GameUserSettings.ini used for bAutoUnlockAllEngrams=True.
  • Game-mode header entered exactly.
  • Point schedule begins with level 2.
  • One complete named-override line used for each engram.
  • Boolean values and class identifiers checked.
  • Engram override block placed last in Game.ini.
  • Server restarted and tested on the target map, with the target mods enabled.

The reliable pattern is to use a per-level schedule for the overall economy, named entries for specific exceptions, and automatic unlock only for a deliberately unrestricted server. Because syntax and identifiers can change between builds, treat every configuration as something to validate after an update rather than a file you can set once and ignore.

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