Custom Dino Levels reshapes the wild-creature level curve across every ARK: Survival Ascended map, and all 18 settings live in a single [CustomLevelDistrib] block you add to GameUserSettings.ini. Here's each one in plain English with its default: the distribution mode, the base level range, the separate wyvern/drake, Deinonychus and Magmasaur bounds, the boss-creature guards, and the tier weights. One rule the author is blunt about — the four distribution-mode switches (WantsEqualLevels, WantsRagLevels, WantsHighLevels, WantsCustom) are mutually exclusive: exactly one should be True at a time, or the curve is undefined.
WantsCustom, and the two Magmasaur level keys) appear in the config block but aren't described in the mod author's own docs, so they carry a ⚠ verify badge and their exact behavior is worth confirming on your own server.The master switch that decides which shape the wild-level curve takes — flat, Ragnarok-style, inverted toward the top, or driven by the tier weights below. Only one belongs on at any moment; the four are alternatives, not layers, and enabling two leaves the result undefined. The custom option sits on thin firsthand documentation and carries a verify badge.
| Setting | What it does | Default | Recommended |
|---|---|---|---|
| WantsEqualLevels | When enabled, the mod assigns each level within the configured range the same spawn probability rather than the vanilla low-end weighting. It is the default mode, and it is the sole distribution in which the MinLevel and MaxLevel bounds take effect. Only one of the three distribution switches should be active simultaneously. | True | — |
| WantsRagLevels | Selecting this option applies the level curve associated with the Ragnarok map, a middle ground that trends higher than vanilla but stops short of the fully inverted spread. It suits admins recreating that map's feel, and it requires the remaining two mode switches to be disabled. | False | — |
| WantsHighLevels | This setting reverses the normal distribution so that upper-tier levels dominate spawns while low levels become scarce. It fits servers built around aggressive progression or higher difficulty, and it should be the only distribution switch left enabled. | False | — |
| WantsCustom | A custom distribution toggle that seems to drive spawn shaping from the tier weight values rather than a built-in preset. Because the author does not document its precise behavior, its interaction with the other mode switches is unconfirmed and warrants testing before production use. ⚠ under-documented — verify on your own server. | False | — |
The numeric bounds that clamp where levels can fall, remembering that every figure here is a base value the server scales by its difficulty setting. Ordinary creatures share the first pair; wyverns and rock drakes, Deinonychus, and Magmasaurs each get an independent floor and ceiling because the game spawns them off their own tracks. The two Magmasaur bounds are undocumented by the author and carry a verify badge.
| Setting | What it does | Default | Recommended |
|---|---|---|---|
| MinLevel | Sets the lower bound of the spawn range expressed as a base level, which the server multiplies by the difficulty value to reach the actual minimum. To target a specific in-game floor, divide that figure by your difficulty. This bound is honored only while the equalized distribution is active. | 1.0 | — |
| MaxLevel | Defines the upper bound of the spawn range as a base level that is scaled by difficulty at spawn time. At difficulty 5 the default of 30 produces a 150 ceiling; raise it to lift the cap. It, too, takes effect only under the equalized distribution. | 30.0 | — |
| MinDrakeLevel | Provides an independent lower bound for wyverns and rock drakes, which spawn on a separate track from ordinary creatures. It uses the same base-level scaling as MinLevel and is best left at its default unless a firm floor on those species is desired. | 1.0 | — |
| MaxDrakeLevel | Caps the level of wyverns and rock drakes, defaulting to 38 — above the standard ceiling — to reflect their naturally higher nest levels. Increasing it makes egg collection more rewarding, while lowering it reins in the strongest of those species. | 38.0 | — |
| MinDeinonLevel | Establishes a dedicated lower bound for Deinonychus, operating identically to the drake range keys. The default of 1 suits most servers unless raising the minimum of the Deinonychus population is intended. | 1.0 | — |
| MaxDeinonLevel | Sets the upper level bound for Deinonychus independently of standard spawns. Raising it yields higher-level nests, while the default of 30 keeps them in line with the normal creature ceiling. | 30.0 | — |
| MinMagmaLevel | Appears to define a distinct lower level bound for Magmasaurs, grouped with the other special-case species. Since the mod's documentation does not describe this key explicitly, its exact effect should be confirmed on a test server. ⚠ under-documented — verify on your own server. | 1.0 | — |
| MaxMagmaLevel | Seems to cap Magmasaur levels as a separate track from ordinary creatures. As the author provides no written description for it, the default of 30 is the safe reference point and adjustments should be validated in-game. ⚠ under-documented — verify on your own server. | 30.0 | — |
Two exemptions rather than dials — the queen bee and the titanosaur, each of which the mod can hold at vanilla levels instead of dragging onto the raised curve. Both guards ship enabled because letting these boss-tier creatures scale tends to break them, so this section is really about whether you ever want to lift that protection.
| Setting | What it does | Default | Recommended |
|---|---|---|---|
| PreventBee | Excludes the giant queen bee from the mod's scaling while the equalized or high-level distributions are active, preserving vanilla bee levels. It defaults to True because elevated bee levels can cause problems, and disabling it is only advisable when scaled bees are specifically wanted. | True | — |
| PreventTitan | Shields the titanosaur from the mod's level scaling under the equalized or high-level distributions, holding it at vanilla values. It is enabled by default and should stay that way unless intentionally subjecting the map's largest creature to the raised curve. | True | — |
Four relative weights that bias how often each level band turns up, shipping in a descending curve that favors the small end. They are the most opaque part of the mod: the author lists them without explaining how they combine, so all four carry a verify badge and any curve built from them is best judged against the others on a test server.
| Setting | What it does | Default | Recommended |
|---|---|---|---|
| TinyWeight | Controls the relative spawn weight of the lowest level tier and ships as the largest of the four defaults, pulling the curve toward small levels. Because the mod does not document how the weights interact, adjustments are best judged against the other tiers on a test server. ⚠ under-documented — verify on your own server. | 1.0 | — |
| LowWeight | Sets the spawn weight of the low level tier, defaulting to half the tiny-tier value. Increasing it thickens the lower-middle band, though the absence of documented interaction rules means the result should be confirmed through testing. ⚠ under-documented — verify on your own server. | 0.5 | — |
| MediumWeight | Determines the spawn weight of the middle level tier, defaulting to a quarter of the tiny-tier value. Raising it makes mid-range levels more frequent, but the undocumented weighting model means any curve should be verified in practice. ⚠ under-documented — verify on your own server. | 0.25 | — |
| HighWeight | Governs the spawn weight of the highest level tier and is the smallest of the four defaults, keeping top levels uncommon. Increasing it makes high-level creatures more prevalent, though its exact effect is undocumented and should be validated before production use. ⚠ under-documented — verify on your own server. | 0.1 | — |
The mod ships in Equal-levels mode with a difficulty-5 band that tops out around level 150. If you want a server where big dinos are the norm and low levels get rare — a fast-progression or hardcore feel — this is the baseline we'd start from. Remember: turning High levels on means turning Equal levels off.
| Setting | Value | Why |
|---|---|---|
| WantsHighLevels | True | Inverts the curve so high-level dinos become the common spawn. |
| WantsEqualLevels | False | Off — the modes are mutually exclusive, so the default mode has to yield. |
| PreventBee | True | Keep the queen bee on vanilla levels — inflated bees misbehave. |
| PreventTitan | True | Keep the titanosaur off the inflated curve too; it ships this way for a reason. |
GameUserSettings.ini — and here's the part that trips people up: there is no [CustomLevelDistrib] section in the file until you add one. Mod sections never ship in the stock file, so don't scroll around looking for it. Add the [CustomLevelDistrib] header line, put your changed settings under it, save, restart. Settings you don't include keep the mod's defaults.WantsEqualLevels, WantsRagLevels, WantsHighLevels, and WantsCustom are mutually exclusive: the author's pinned guide is blunt that exactly one should be True at a time. Setting two True leaves the resulting curve undefined. Pick the one mode you want and set the other three to False.[CustomLevelDistrib] config block but the mod author never documents what they do beyond listing them. That's WantsCustom, the two Magmasaur bounds (MinMagmaLevel/MaxMagmaLevel), and all four tier weights (TinyWeight, LowWeight, MediumWeight, HighWeight). The key names and defaults are confirmed on both CurseForge and arkcodes; what each one actually does is inferred from the name. Rather than dress a guess as fact, we badge them and tell you to confirm the behavior on a test server before relying on it in production.MinLevel and MaxLevel are base levels — the game multiplies them by your server's difficulty value. At difficulty 5 the default MaxLevel=30 yields level-150 dinos. To target a specific in-game level, divide it by your difficulty: want a 150 cap at difficulty 5, keep 30; want 250, use 50. And note these bounds only take effect under the Equal-levels mode.MinDrakeLevel/MaxDrakeLevel (defaulting higher, to 38, to match their nest levels), Deinonychus use MinDeinonLevel/MaxDeinonLevel, and Magmasaurs use MinMagmaLevel/MaxMagmaLevel. The drake and Deino keys are author-documented; the two Magma keys are among the seven ⚠ verify-badge settings, so confirm those in-game.[CustomLevelDistrib] block and the author's pinned Steam discussion — the same dataset behind the generator. No generator or settings-explained page for this ~6.8M-download mod existed anywhere before this one.