Arma 3 Server Startup Script Builder
Configure your server parameters below and get a complete annotated Windows .bat or Linux .sh startup script — including an auto-restart loop. Covers 30+ launch parameters that admins commonly miss.
Target OS
Server Executable Path
Full path to your Arma 3 server executable. Use the 64-bit version on Windows.
Core Parameters
Main server config file path. Required.
Game port (default 2302). Open +1 (Steam query), +3 (VON), +4 (BattlEye) in your firewall too.
Directory for logs, profile saves, and RPT files. Keep it outside the game folder.
Server profile name. Selects the subfolder inside -profiles= for this instance.
Mods
-serverMod= and are NOT downloaded by players. Mods in -mod= are synchronized to clients — every player needs them. Mixing these up causes client kick loops.
Semicolon-separated mod folders. Clients must have these installed. Use the mod launcher builder to generate this string.
Server-side-only mods. NOT pushed to clients. Safe to put admin tools here.
BattlEye Anti-Cheat
Enable BattlEye
Adds the -bepath= flag. Required for BattlEye to load its filters.
Path to your BattlEye folder. Must exist and contain the BE filter files.
Performance & Behaviour
Cap server FPS. 50 is the community standard — prevents idle CPU spinning without impacting simulation.
Use empty to skip loading the default world — significantly reduces startup time.
-nosound
Disable audio. Servers don't need sound — saves memory.
-noPause
Windows only: prevent server pausing when alt-tabbed. Essential on Windows desktops.
-loadMissionToMemory
Pre-cache mission file to RAM. Reduces lag spikes when players join. Recommended for persistent servers.
-autoInit
Automatically start the mission without waiting for an admin. Requires persistent=1 in server.cfg.
Monitoring & Logging
-pid=
Write the server PID to a file for process monitoring and watchdog scripts.
-ranking=
Enable the ranking log file. Writes player stats to a parseable log.
Auto-Restart Loop
Include auto-restart loop
Wraps the server command in a loop — automatically restarts the process if it crashes or exits.
Generated Script start-server.bat
@echo off REM ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ REM Arma 3 Dedicated Server — Startup Script REM Generated by DustBowl.Games Tools REM https://dustbowl.games/tools/arma3-startup-builder REM ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ SET EXE="C:\Arma3Server\arma3server_x64.exe" REM --- Parameter notes --- REM -config : Main server config (hostname, password, missions, etc.) REM -port : Game port. Also open +1 (Steam query), +3 (VON), +4 (BattlEye) REM -profiles : Log/save/RPT directory. Keep outside the game folder. REM -name : Profile name (selects subfolder in -profiles=) REM -bepath : BattlEye folder. Must exist with filter .conf files. REM -world : Use 'empty' to skip terrain load — faster startup. REM -limitFPS : Cap server tick rate. 50 is the standard for dedicated servers. REM -nosound : Disable audio (saves memory on headless servers). REM -noPause : Don't pause when the window loses focus (Windows). :restart echo Starting Arma 3 server... %EXE% -config=server.cfg -port=2302 -profiles=ServerProfiles -name=server -bepath=battleye -world=empty -limitFPS=50 -nosound -noPause echo Server exited with code %ERRORLEVEL%. Restarting in 5 seconds... timeout /t 5 /nobreak >nul goto restart
Parameter Reference
| Parameter | Notes |
|---|---|
| -config= | Main server config. Required. Points to server.cfg (hostname, password, missions, etc.). |
| -port= | Game port (default 2302). Also open +1 (Steam query), +3 (VON), +4 (BattlEye) in firewall/router. |
| -profiles= | Directory for logs (.RPT), profile data, and server saves. Keep it outside the game folder. |
| -name= | Profile name — selects a subfolder inside -profiles=. Useful when running multiple instances. |
| -bepath= | BattlEye folder path. Required for BE to initialize. Must contain the filter .conf files. |
| -world= | Use empty to skip loading the terrain on startup — noticeably faster boot times. |
| -mod= | Semicolon-separated mod folders loaded for both server and clients. Players must have these installed. |
| -serverMod= | Server-only mods — NOT synchronized to clients. Use for admin tools, logging, or server-side scripts. |
| -loadMissionToMemory | Pre-loads the mission into RAM. Reduces lag on player join. Recommended for persistent missions. |
| -autoInit | Automatically starts the mission without admin input. Requires persistent=1 in server.cfg. |
| -pid= | Write the process ID to a file. Useful for watchdog scripts and process monitoring. |
| -nosound | Disable server audio. Saves memory on headless servers — always use this. |
| -noPause | Windows only: prevents the server from pausing when the window loses focus or is minimized. |
| -limitFPS= | Cap server simulation rate. 50 is the community-standard value — prevents wasted CPU at idle. |
| -ranking= | Enable player ranking log to a file. Output can be parsed by external stat tracking tools. |
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