Version: 2.3.3.1

Server Management

• Importing an Existing Config
• Using Beacon with Ark Single Player
• Updating Your Nitrado Server
• Updating Your Server With FTP
• Updating Your Server Manually
• Ark Config File Reference
• The Difference Between Deploy and Export

Core Features

• Using Config Sets
• Using Presets to Automate Item Set Creation
• Adding Unsupported Engrams, Creatures, Loot Drops, or Spawn Points to Beacon
• Preset Selectors Guide

Config Editors

• Breeding Multipliers
• Crafting Costs
• Creature Adjustments
• Creature Spawns
• Custom Config
• Day and Night Cycle
• Decay and Spoil
• Engram Control
• Harvest Rates
• Item Stat Limits
• Levels and XP
• Loot Drops
• Stack Sizes
• Stat Multipliers

User Accounts

• Create or Recover Your Account
• Sign Into Beacon
• Activating Beacon Omni
• Sharing Beacon Documents with Other Users
• About User Privacy

Troubleshooting

• Item Quality Is Different Than Expected
• Loot Drops Are Not Working As Intended
• How to Stop Using the Custom Config Editor
• Solving Connection Problems to Beacon or Nitrado
• Beacon System Status

For Developers

• Registering Your Mod With Beacon
• Beacon API Documentation

Usually, Beacon can update a server without Expert Mode. But some config changes are special and will need it turned on.

In most cases Beacon is able to make its changes to Nitrado servers without turning on Expert Mode. However, there are some scenarios where Nitrado's Guided Mode (that is, Expert Mode turned off) simply cannot handle the the necessary changes.

When using Beacon's deploy feature, Beacon will check if the server needs to be switched into Expert Mode. If you allow it to make the change, Beacon will ensure the change is done correctly by starting the server and stopping it again. This gives Nitrado a chance to build the latest ini files so Beacon's updates can happen without data loss.

Below are the reasons that Beacon would need to enable Expert Mode.

Configs That Nitrado Does Not Support

If there are settings that need to go into GameUserSettings.ini that Nitrado does not have a field for in its General settings page, Beacon will need Expert Mode to be able to add those to GameUserSettings.ini. This more often applies to PC servers due to their support for mods, such as adding custom sections for mod-specific settings.

Very Large Config Fields

Each "field" in Nitrado's settings has a maximum length of 65,535 characters. In Engine Settings, each section (such as Per Level Stats Multiplier, Level Experience Ramp Overrides, Engram Entries, etc.) counts as one field. For some large configs, most often Engram Control, the amount of code required is just too big for Nitrado. In this case, Beacon will need to enable Expert Mode so it can update the Game.ini file directly.