Configure an Arma 3 server and test a first mission connection

An Arma 3 service needs the right configuration file, a working mission and matching client content. Begin with the installation supplied for your service. A full dedicated-server installation guide is not an instruction to reinstall an already provisioned CloudExa game server.

1. Record the active startup settings

Note the public address, assigned game port, server build and selected mission. Preserve existing mission files, profiles, configuration and any persistence used by your community. If the server is already in use, arrange a normal stop and completed backup before changing settings.

Check the existing launch options. In Arma 3, -config selects the server configuration file; the filename does not have to be server.cfg. Editing a similarly named file elsewhere will not change a process that loads a different path. The profile location can also be set by startup options, so do not assume every template stores logs and profiles in the same directory.

2. Make a small configuration change

Download the active configuration before editing it. Arma's configuration syntax uses assignments with semicolons; it is not an INI file. For example, change the existing advertised name:

hostname = "CloudExa Arma Community";

Keep the file's other settings and mission definitions intact. The password value controls joining, while passwordAdmin protects administrator login. Use different private values when both are required. Do not publish the complete file if it contains credentials.

A player-slot setting does not increase your hosting resources, and the mission can have fewer playable slots than the server's configured maximum. Choose values appropriate to your plan and the mission instead of copying a large public-server configuration.

3. Check the mission and content

For a first test, use a mission known to work with the installed server build and the content available to the client. Custom mission PBOs normally belong in the installation's MPMissions directory, but confirm the existing layout. Do not overwrite a mission or persistence database to make room for a test.

Record the required mod list and distinguish client-required mods from server-only components. Use a separate test copy for an unfamiliar framework. A client reaching the lobby does not prove all mission dependencies will load.

4. Match the allocated UDP ports

The documented reference game port is UDP 2302, with adjacent UDP roles at game port plus one through plus four. Those include query, Steam and BattlEye traffic. Your actual game port may differ. Check that the service's supplied allocations and template agree; ask support about missing companion ports instead of choosing an arbitrary range.

5. Verify as a normal player

Start the service once, review startup output and connect using the supplied address and game port through Arma's server browser or direct connection. Confirm the advertised name, join-password behaviour, mission lobby and an actual playable slot.

Then test any administrator access privately without giving ordinary players the administrator secret. If the change fails, restore the specific saved setting and collect the first relevant error. Keep mission and profile data unchanged while support checks the active launch path.