The Tool Desk
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The server executable, profile, port and ordinary server.cfg settings remain standard Arma 3 settings. Most failures come from an incomplete CUP dependency, different mod sets on the server and clients, an incorrect mission terrain class, or a mod path/file name that the dedicated server cannot parse.
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What you need before installing
Prepare the server and player sides separately. The dedicated server needs the terrain data and every dependency required by the mission. Each player needs matching client-side copies of those required packages; a server cannot supply a missing client dependency during connection.
- An installed Arma 3 dedicated server, including its normal executable, profile directory and configuration file.
- A chosen legacy terrain and a mission designed for that terrain.
- CUP Terrains Core, which is a dependency for the CUP Maps package.
- CUP Terrains Maps or the separate Maps 2.0 line, selected according to what the mission expects.
- A reliable way to distribute the same required packages to players through their launcher or mod collection.
- Permission to restart the server and read its startup and connection logs.
CUP’s purpose is to bring Arma and Arma 2-era content into Arma 3 in an upgraded, game-ready form. That is why the supported method is to load CUP addons, not to place unconverted Arma 2 PBO files in an arbitrary directory.
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Choose the correct CUP terrain package
CUP publishes more than one terrain package line. Treat the package choice as a mission-compatibility decision rather than an aesthetic preference: the mission author may have built against a particular CUP release or terrain class.
| Choice | What it provides | Dependency | When to use it |
|---|---|---|---|
| CUP Terrains Core | Shared terrain assets and required base content | None listed for this installation step | Install it whenever a CUP terrain package or mission requires it |
| CUP Terrains Maps | The standard, broad set of legacy CUP terrains | Depends on Terrains Core | Use when the mission documentation names the regular CUP Maps package |
| CUP Terrains Maps 2.0 | A separate, newer package line with its own release contents | Check the current package metadata for its dependencies | Use when the mission specifically expects Maps 2.0 or a terrain from that line |
Package contents and dependency declarations can change. Check the current CUP download information for the exact package name, release and dependency list before you build a collection. Do not install both package lines simply because they sound similar; use the line required by the mission and remove redundant copies while diagnosing conflicts.
Install CUP on the dedicated server
1. Create a clean mod location
Keep server mods in a dedicated location next to, or clearly associated with, the Arma 3 server installation. Avoid deeply nested paths, duplicate copies of the same package and ad-hoc renamed folders. A predictable layout makes the launch command and later troubleshooting auditable.
After extracting a package, verify that the mod directory contains the normal Arma addon structure rather than an extra archive-name directory. For example, an extraction that produces mods/CUP_Terrains_Core/CUP_Terrains_Core/addons may indicate one directory too many; the path named in -mod must be the directory that directly contains the package’s expected contents.
2. Install Terrains Core first
Download and extract CUP Terrains Core into the server’s mod location. The Maps package depends on Core, so installing only the map package leaves the server without required shared assets.
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Do not edit PBO files or copy individual files out of the package. Keep the package’s directory structure intact and record the exact directory name you intend to put in the launch command.
3. Add the map package
Install CUP Terrains Maps or the relevant Maps 2.0 package beside Core. If a mission’s documentation names an additional CUP terrain component, install that component as well. The mission’s required-mod list is the authority for the final set.
4. Check names and paths
Bohemia’s dedicated-server documentation warns that some mods, including CUP Terrains, can fail when file names contain capital letters. Avoid inventing renamed directories with mixed-case or unusual characters, and inspect the complete path for accidental capitalization where your server platform or startup scripts are sensitive to it. At the same time, do not arbitrarily rename files inside an installed package: preserve the package as distributed, and use the naming convention documented for your server build.
If you have renamed a mod for convenience, restore a clean extraction with a conventional path before changing unrelated server settings. A path problem can look exactly like a missing-addon problem in the log.
Load the terrain mods with the server command
The dedicated server activates addons through the normal Arma 3 -mod parameter. Keep the executable, profile, port and configuration arguments you already use, then add the required CUP directories.
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arma3server_x64.exe -port=2302 -profiles=profiles -config=server.cfg -mod="@CUP_Terrains_Core;@CUP_Terrains_Maps"This is an illustrative Windows-style command. Replace the executable name, profile directory, configuration path and mod directory names with the values on your machine. Use the separator and path syntax expected by your operating system and startup method. If you select Maps 2.0, substitute the exact directory for that package rather than loading both lines by default.
When the command is maintained in a service file, batch file or control panel, make the same change in the actual launch definition, not only in a temporary console command. Restart the server after editing it and confirm in the startup log that both CUP packages are being discovered.
Make the client mod set match
Players must install the same required terrain packages on their Arma 3 clients. Publish a collection or launcher preset containing Core and the selected map package, together with any other mods required by the mission. The CUP download information supports activation through a launcher or a -mod line; use one consistent distribution method so players do not accidentally combine different package versions.
- Give players the exact package names and release line required by the mission.
- Tell them to enable Core and the terrain package together.
- Ask them to remove duplicate or obsolete copies if the launcher reports conflicts.
- Have them restart the game after changing the mod set so the launcher and client load the same files.
A player who lacks a required CUP addon, or who has a different package line from the server, cannot load a mission that depends on it. The resulting error may mention a missing addon, an incompatible signature or an unavailable terrain; first compare the enabled mod lists before altering the server configuration.
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Use a mission made for the CUP map
Installing a terrain does not select a mission. The server must rotate a mission whose world matches the CUP terrain. A mission folder name is not necessarily the terrain identity used by the engine, so do not infer the value from a folder name alone.
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Find the mission’s terrain identity
Check the mission author’s documentation or the mission’s configuration for the exact terrain identity/class. The value may differ from the readable map title and from the name of the directory containing the mission. Use the identity supplied by the mission, then verify that the corresponding CUP package is enabled.
Set the mission in server.cfg
Place the mission in the server’s normal mission rotation and set its template to the exact mission template and terrain identity supplied by the author. Keep the rest of your existing difficulty, player-count and voting settings unchanged while testing the map. If the server starts but loads a different world, the first things to re-check are the mission template and its terrain identity, not the port or profile arguments.
For a controlled test, run one known-good mission for the selected CUP terrain rather than a large rotation. Once that mission loads successfully, add the remainder of the rotation one entry at a time. This isolates a bad template from a package-loading problem.
Verify the installation in a deliberate order
- Stop the server. Editing a live mod directory while the executable is running can leave you diagnosing a partially loaded state.
- Confirm the physical files. Check that Core and the selected Maps package are present in the directories named by
-mod, with no extra extraction level. - Read the startup log. Look for both CUP packages being loaded and note any explicit missing-addon or path errors.
- Test one mission. Use a mission documented for the selected terrain and verify that the server reaches the lobby or mission start.
- Test one client. Connect with exactly the published client collection and confirm that the terrain loads without a missing-mod message.
- Expand carefully. Add more missions or optional mods only after the basic terrain test works.
Keeping this order matters. If you change the command line, mission rotation and client collection simultaneously, an error gives you no reliable clue about which layer failed.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Troubleshoot the common failure modes
“Missing CUP terrain addons” on startup
- Confirm that CUP Terrains Core is installed; the Maps package depends on it.
- Check that the
-modpath points to the actual package directory, not its parent or an archive file. - Verify that the map package named in the mission documentation is the one installed. A Maps 2.0 mission may not be satisfied by a standard Maps installation, and vice versa.
- Remove duplicate extractions and restart after correcting the path.
The server starts, but the mission fails to load the world
This usually indicates a mission-selection problem rather than a basic server problem. Confirm that the mission was built for the selected CUP terrain and that the server’s mission template uses the mission’s actual terrain identity/class. A terrain package provides world content; it does not automatically rewrite a mission’s world reference.
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Players are kicked or see a missing-mod message
Compare the client’s enabled list with the server’s required list, including the Core package and the selected Maps line. Have the player remove stale copies, install the exact collection and restart the game. If one player succeeds while another fails, concentrate on client parity before changing server.cfg.
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The mod appears in the command, but nothing loads
Inspect capitalization and spelling in every directory and file path. Bohemia specifically identifies CUP Terrains as a mod that can fail when capital letters occur in file names. Restore a clean package extraction, avoid custom mixed-case renames, and ensure the service or control panel is launching the command you edited.
A map works alone but not in a large rotation
Reduce the rotation to the known-good mission, then add entries individually. A single mission with a different terrain identity or additional dependency can make the failure appear to belong to the entire CUP installation. Record which entry fails and install only the dependencies that mission documents.
Updating without breaking a working server
Package revisions, Workshop metadata, terrain class names and server behavior can change. Before updating, record the currently working Core and Maps versions, the launch command and the mission’s terrain identity. Update the server and client collections as a coordinated change, then repeat the one-mission verification procedure.
Do not assume that replacing only the map package is safe when its dependency declaration has changed. Re-check the current CUP package information, update Core when required, and make the same change available to players. If a new release is intended for a different mission line, keep the old and new test environments separate until the mission author confirms compatibility.
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- Choose the terrain and identify the mission’s exact terrain identity/class.
- Select regular CUP Maps or Maps 2.0 according to that mission’s documentation.
- Install CUP Terrains Core and verify the Maps dependency is satisfied.
- Keep clean, conventional package paths and avoid risky renamed or capitalized file names.
- Add the exact package directories to the dedicated server’s
-modparameter. - Distribute matching required packages to every client.
- Put a matching mission template in the server rotation.
- Restart, read the log, test one mission, then expand the rotation.
What the method does—and does not—change
CUP supplies the Arma 2-era terrain content in an Arma 3-compatible form. It does not replace the Arma 3 dedicated-server executable, eliminate the need for a mission, or allow a server to manufacture missing client files. Your normal port, profile, configuration and administration workflow remains in place; the essential additions are the CUP dependency chain, the -mod entries, a matching mission and synchronized client installations.
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