Windows Errors? Fix Them Before They Spread
Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstallCrashes, No Sound, or Screen Glitches?
Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteiTechGuides is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Learn more
Godlike.Host offers hosted ARK: Survival Evolved servers with its own game panel, SFTP access and free DDoS protection, if you would rather not host it yourself.
To allow flying creatures on an unofficial ARK: Survival Evolved server, stop the server, open GameUserSettings.ini, add bForceCanRideFliers=True inside the [ServerSettings] section, save the file, and restart. Cave access and PvE creature pickup use separate options.
What “enable flyers” can mean in ARK
ARK players use “enable flyers” to describe several different restrictions. Changing the wrong setting can leave the original problem unchanged, so identify the behavior you want before editing the server.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
ARK: Survival Evolved - PlayStation 4 | $12.20 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
|
Ark: Survival Evolved Plush - Poop | Buy on Amazon | |
| 3 |
|
The unofficial ARK Survival Evolved Guide incl. Add-ons up to Genesis Part1 | $16.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
|
ARK: Survival Evolved Pins - Dodo | $11.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
|
ARK: Survival Evolved Pins - Rex | $11.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| What you want to allow | Setting or argument | Where it belongs | What it changes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ride flying creatures on an unofficial server, including maps with restrictions | bForceCanRideFliers=True |
GameUserSettings.ini, under [ServerSettings] |
Allows players to ride flyers when the map or server would otherwise restrict riding. |
| Take a flyer into caves | -ForceAllowCaveFlyers |
Server startup command line or a host panel’s command-line field | Forces flyer creatures to be allowed inside caves. This is separate from riding permission. |
| Pick up wild creatures with a flyer in PvE | AllowFlyerCarryPvE=True |
GameUserSettings.ini, under [ServerSettings] |
Enables flyer pickup of wild creatures in PvE. It does not enable flyer riding. |
These options are independent. A server can allow riding while still blocking cave entry, or allow cave entry while leaving PvE pickup disabled. Configure only the behavior your players need.
Requirements and limits before you edit anything
- You need control of an unofficial ARK: Survival Evolved server’s configuration or launch parameters.
- The server must be stopped before you edit its files. A running server may rewrite the configuration when it shuts down, replacing unsaved changes.
- Make a copy of
GameUserSettings.inibefore changing it. Keep the backup until players have successfully tested the setting. - The exact configuration directory depends on the operating system and hosting arrangement. The ARK Official Community Wiki lists
ShooterGame/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/for Linux dedicated servers. Other installations may expose the same file through a control panel rather than a normal file browser. - Use the server’s own configuration editor when your host does not provide filesystem access. Command-line arguments and INI options are commonly exposed in different panel fields.
This procedure concerns unofficial servers. The available evidence establishes the override for unofficial ARK: Survival Evolved servers, but does not establish that official servers expose the same control. It also does not confirm support for every console platform, so a console owner should check the controls provided by the specific server host or platform before assuming that an INI edit is possible.
#1 Best Overall
- Capture and Tame Dinosaurs: Discover over 100 different dinosaurs and prehistoric creatures on the island, finding ways to tame them into useful additions for your tribe's dino herd
- Survive Above All: Hunger, thirst, basic safety, and protecting yourself from the weather are all part of the game
- Harvest, Hunt and Build: Cut down trees and turn them into a basic home, which you can quickly expand into a Jurassic estate. Hunt for meat, scavenge for plants (or start your own garden!)
- Customize Everything: An extensive crafting system invites you to mix and match materials scavenged from the island, while also modifying the colors, textures, shapes, and styles
- Explore the Island: Solve the mystery of The ARK as you explore this massive island, discovering Explorer's Notebooks (filled with clues!) throughout
Allow players to ride flyers
Dedicated server: edit GameUserSettings.ini
- Shut the server down cleanly. Use the stop control supplied by your host or your normal server-management method. Do not edit the file while the server is still writing its save or configuration data.
- Back up the configuration. Copy
GameUserSettings.inito a safe location and retain the original filename and extension in the backup. - Open the correct file. Locate the server’s
GameUserSettings.ini, not a similarly named local-player or single-player configuration. On Linux dedicated servers, the wiki-documented configuration area isShooterGame/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/. A host panel may open this file in a web editor instead. - Find or create the server-settings section. Locate the line
[ServerSettings]. If the section is absent, create that section header in the INI file before adding the option. - Add the riding override exactly. Insert this line beneath the section header:
bForceCanRideFliers=True- Save and close the file. Preserve the spelling, capitalization, equals sign, and Boolean value. Do not place this line in the command-line arguments field or under an unrelated section.
- Start the server again. A full stop-and-start cycle is required; changing the file while the process is running is not a reliable way to apply the option.
Studio Wildcard’s April 7, 2020 announcement describes this exact unofficial-server procedure: “Unofficials can now use flying creatures by adding the following setting to your GameUserSettings.ini under the [ServerSettings] section: bForceCanRideFliers=True.” The wording identifies both the file and the section, so placing the key elsewhere can prevent it from being read.
Using a hosting control panel
Many managed hosts do not give you a conventional directory tree. Look for a configuration editor labeled GameUserSettings.ini, Server settings, or a similar ARK-specific entry. Add the key in the panel’s server-settings area, then use the panel’s save function and restart control.
Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
- If the panel presents raw INI text, add the line under
[ServerSettings]exactly as shown above. - If the panel presents individual fields, search for a setting corresponding to
bForceCanRideFliers. Do not assume a field named “flyers” controls riding, caves, and pickup simultaneously; these are separate features. - If the panel has both an INI editor and a launch-arguments box, use the INI editor for
bForceCanRideFliers=True. The cave option belongs in the launch-arguments box instead. - Save first, then perform a complete restart. Some panels show a successful save even though the running process has not yet reloaded its configuration.
Allow flyers inside caves
Flyer riding permission does not automatically grant cave access. To force flyer creatures to be allowed into caves, add the following argument to the server’s startup command line:
Rank #2
- Official ARK: Survival Evolved licensed merchandise, turning one of ARK's best-known running jokes into a plush
- Approximately 5.1 x 5.1 in (13 x 13 cm) - small enough to sit on a desk or monitor stand
- Soft filled construction that keeps its shape on a shelf
- Works as the punchline alongside the rest of an ARK plush collection
- A gag gift for ARK players and survival game fans
-ForceAllowCaveFlyers- Stop the server.
- Open the host panel’s launch arguments, command line, or equivalent startup field. On a self-managed server, edit the command used to start the server.
- Add
-ForceAllowCaveFlyersas its own argument, including the leading hyphen. - Save the launch configuration and start the server.
- Enter a cave with a tamed flyer on the map you are testing and verify that the map’s cave boundary no longer blocks entry.
Do not paste -ForceAllowCaveFlyers into GameUserSettings.ini unless your host explicitly documents a translation from command-line options to an INI field. The ARK Official Community Wiki documents this switch as a force-enable option and notes that flyers are allowed in caves by default on custom maps. That default does not remove the need for the argument when a map or configuration is restricting access.
Allow flyer pickup in PvE
On PvE servers, picking up wild creatures with a flyer is controlled separately. To enable it, add this line under [ServerSettings] in GameUserSettings.ini:
AllowFlyerCarryPvE=True- Stop the server and back up
GameUserSettings.ini. - Open the same server configuration file used for the riding override.
- Find the
[ServerSettings]section. - Add
AllowFlyerCarryPvE=Trueon its own line. - Save the file and restart the server.
- Test with a tamed flyer and a suitable wild creature in a safe area.
The wiki documents this option’s default as false. It changes PvE pickup behavior only; it does not make a flyer rideable and does not permit flyers in caves. If your goal is only to transport wild creatures in PvE, this is the relevant option, while the riding and cave controls can remain unchanged.
The Tool Desk
Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Restart and verify the change
After every configuration change, test the actual behavior rather than relying only on a panel’s “saved” message. Use a tamed flyer on the affected map and, if applicable, test the cave and pickup behaviors separately.
- Riding test: Log in with a character that can access a tamed flyer. Confirm that the mount interaction is available on the map where riding was previously blocked.
- Cave test: If you added
-ForceAllowCaveFlyers, approach a cave entrance with the flyer and verify that the cave boundary permits entry. - PvE pickup test: If you added
AllowFlyerCarryPvE=True, test pickup of a wild creature while the server is operating in PvE mode. - Persistence test: Stop and start the server once more, then repeat the relevant test. This catches panels that regenerate configuration files during a restart.
- Scope test: If only one map or cluster instance should have the change, verify that you edited that instance’s file and launch profile rather than a different server in the same hosting account.
Troubleshooting when flyers still do not work
The riding setting has no effect
- Confirm that the line is exactly
bForceCanRideFliers=True. Spelling and capitalization matter for a reliable configuration. - Check that it is under
[ServerSettings], not in a launch-arguments field or another INI section. - Verify that you edited the server’s
GameUserSettings.ini, rather than a local client file or a different map instance. - Stop and start the server completely after saving. A live process may still be using its previous configuration.
- Confirm that the server is unofficial. The available official documentation establishes this override for unofficial servers and does not confirm an equivalent control on official servers.
Cave entry is still blocked
- Check that
-ForceAllowCaveFlyerswas added to the startup command line, including its leading hyphen. - Do not treat
bForceCanRideFliers=Trueas a cave-access switch; it controls riding permission, not cave boundaries. - Review the host panel’s launch-arguments field after saving. Some panels keep command-line options separate from INI settings, and putting the argument in the wrong editor does not apply it.
- Restart the server after changing the launch profile, then test on the affected map.
- Remember that custom maps may allow flyers in caves by default, as documented by the ARK Official Community Wiki. A blocked entrance on another map may therefore reflect that map’s rules or the missing launch argument.
PvE pickup remains unavailable
- Make sure
AllowFlyerCarryPvE=Trueappears under[ServerSettings]. - Do not substitute
bForceCanRideFliers=True; riding and pickup are independent options. - Confirm the server is actually using PvE rules for the test. The option is specifically for flyer pickup in PvE.
- Save and fully restart the server before testing again.
The setting disappears after a restart
- Restore the backup only if necessary, then reapply the change while the server is stopped.
- Check whether the hosting panel regenerates
GameUserSettings.inifrom a separate template or “advanced settings” page. If it does, enter the value in that authoritative editor so the panel does not overwrite the raw file. - Ensure you are editing the configuration directory associated with the server instance that players actually join.
Configuration reference
| Entry | Exact value | Configuration location | Required restart | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flyer riding override | bForceCanRideFliers=True |
GameUserSettings.ini under [ServerSettings] |
Yes | Enables riding flying creatures on an unofficial server. |
| Cave flyer override | -ForceAllowCaveFlyers |
Server startup command line or host command-line field | Yes | Forces flyers to be allowed into caves. |
| PvE flyer pickup | AllowFlyerCarryPvE=True |
GameUserSettings.ini under [ServerSettings] |
Yes | Allows a flyer to pick up wild creatures in PvE. |
Choosing only the options you need
Players cannot mount flyers on a restricted map
Use bForceCanRideFliers=True. This is the direct override for riding on an unofficial server. Do not add the cave argument unless cave flight is also required.
Players can mount flyers but cannot enter caves
Keep the riding setting and add -ForceAllowCaveFlyers to the startup command line. The two controls address different restrictions.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteRank #4
- Official ARK: Survival Evolved licensed merchandise, featuring the Dodo sculpted in textured iron
- Compact pin measuring about 1.6 in (4 cm) across and 0.5 in (1.2 cm) thick - light enough for caps, denim and tote bags
- Raised, textured surface gives the design real depth instead of a flat printed look
- Made in Japan - the pin back attaches securely and sits flat without dragging the fabric down
- A gift for ARK players, survival game fans, and dinosaur enthusiasts
Players want to transport wild creatures in PvE
Add AllowFlyerCarryPvE=True under [ServerSettings]. Add the riding override only if mounting is separately restricted.
You administer an official server or a console-only service
The cited documentation does not confirm that official servers expose the same override or that every console platform permits these edits. Check the controls available from that service instead of assuming that the PC dedicated-server procedure applies.
Maintenance after patches and configuration changes
The Wildcard announcement that established the riding key was published on April 7, 2020. The setting is therefore documented for ARK: Survival Evolved unofficial servers, but a major game or server patch can change configuration behavior. After a substantial update, verify the three behaviors independently and keep a copy of the working configuration.
Best Value
- Official ARK: Survival Evolved licensed merchandise, featuring the Tyrannosaurus sculpted in textured iron
- Compact pin measuring about 1.6 in (4 cm) across and 0.5 in (1.2 cm) thick - light enough for caps, denim and tote bags
- Raised, textured surface gives the design real depth instead of a flat printed look
- Made in Japan - the pin back attaches securely and sits flat without dragging the fabric down
- A gift for ARK players, survival game fans, and dinosaur enthusiasts
- Record which server instance, map, and launch profile received each change.
- Keep the riding and PvE options in the INI file and the cave option in the startup arguments, unless your host documents a different interface.
- Recheck the file after a host-panel update or migration; panel templates can replace manually edited files.
- Remove an option by stopping the server, backing up the current file, deleting only the relevant line or launch argument, saving, and restarting. This lets you roll back one behavior without changing the others.
Safety and administration considerations
Flyer access changes traversal and creature-transport rules for every player on that server. Tell players which behaviors are enabled, especially on a PvE server where flyer pickup can affect building areas and creature movement. Test first in a controlled location and retain the pre-change backup so you can reverse the change if the map or community rules require the original restrictions.
Do not combine all three options automatically. The smallest configuration that solves the requested problem is easier to audit: one INI key for riding, one launch argument for caves, and one INI key for PvE pickup. Keeping those responsibilities separate also makes future troubleshooting much faster.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
