What Is ACE3?

ACE3 is an open-source modification for Arma 3 developed by the ACE3 Team, building on the earlier ACE and AGM projects. It is the most widely used gameplay overhaul mod in the Arma 3 community, used by milsim units, realism groups, and serious coop communities worldwide.

Core features include:

  • Advanced medical system — wound treatment, triage, CPR, and surgical procedures requiring trained medics
  • Realistic ballistics — bullet drop, wind deflection, and muzzle velocity calculations
  • Interaction system — context-sensitive action menus replacing Arma 3's default interaction system
  • Advanced explosives — IED placement, defusal mechanics, and detonator systems
  • Vehicle systems — crew damage, vehicle damage states, and advanced repair mechanics
  • Captive and surrender systems — for scenario and roleplay use

ACE3 is modular — you can enable or disable individual components through server-side configuration, so units can use only the features relevant to their playstyle.

Requirements Before You Start

Before installing ACE3, make sure you have the following in place:

CBA_A3 (Community Base Addons)
Required. ACE3 will not run without CBA_A3. This is a shared library used by hundreds of Arma 3 mods. It must be loaded on both the server and by every connecting client. Steam Workshop ID: 450814997
ACE3
The main mod. Must be loaded server-side and client-side. Steam Workshop ID: 463939057
ACE3 Compatibility Patches (optional)
If you are running other mods alongside ACE3 (RHS, CUP, etc.), compatibility patches are available on the Workshop to ensure proper integration. Search "ACE3 Compat" on the Arma 3 Workshop.
All players must have the same mods. ACE3 and CBA_A3 must be installed by every player connecting to your server. Players without these mods will either fail to connect or experience errors in-game. Communicate your mod list clearly to your community.

Installing ACE3 and CBA on Your Server

The recommended method for installing mods on a dedicated Arma 3 server is via SteamCMD. If your server is managed through TCAdmin, you can use the mod management interface to handle this directly from the panel.

  • 1
    Subscribe to both mods on Steam Workshop
    On a machine with Arma 3 installed, subscribe to CBA_A3 (ID: 450814997) and ACE3 (ID: 463939057) via the Steam Workshop. This downloads the mod files which you can then transfer to your server, or use SteamCMD to download them directly.
  • 2
    Download via SteamCMD (server-side)
    Use the following SteamCMD commands to download workshop mods directly to your server. Replace the paths with your actual server directory.
+login anonymous
+force_install_dir /path/to/arma3server
+workshop_download_item 107410 450814997 // CBA_A3
+workshop_download_item 107410 463939057 // ACE3
+quit
  • 3
    Rename mod folders (important)
    Steam downloads workshop mods to folders named by their numeric ID (e.g. 450814997). Arma 3 requires mod folder names to start with @. Rename the folders to @CBA_A3 and @ace and move them into your Arma 3 server root directory.
  • 4
    Add mods to your server startup parameters
    Edit your server startup command or configuration to include the mods. The -serverMod parameter loads mods server-side only; -mod loads them as required for all connecting clients.
arma3server.exe -config=server.cfg -mod=@CBA_A3;@ace
If you're on an Arma 4 Hosting plan, our support team can walk you through the mod installation process via TCAdmin. Open a support ticket and we'll get you sorted.

Server-Side Configuration

ACE3 generates a configuration file called ACE_Settings.sqf (or server-side settings via the ACE3 Zeus module). The preferred approach for a dedicated server is to use a server config file to define your ACE3 settings so they are applied consistently on every restart.

Generating Your Config File

The ACE3 team maintains a web-based configuration tool that lets you toggle every ACE3 module and export a ready-to-use settings file. Visit the official ACE3 documentation to access it. Configure the medical system complexity, ballistics settings, interaction options, and any modules you want disabled, then export the file.

Key Settings to Review

The settings that most units need to customise during initial setup:

  • Medical system level — Basic (simplified), standard (recommended for most units), or full (hardcore). Higher complexity requires trained medics and coordination.
  • Unconscious system — Whether players enter an unconscious state from wounds before dying. Recommended on for milsim, can be disabled for faster-paced ops.
  • Weapon resting and bipods — Enables weapon resting on surfaces and bipod deployment. Most milsim units enable this.
  • Spectator system — Controls dead player spectator behaviour. Configure based on your mission framework.
  • Allow switching sides in spectator — Disable for ops where dead players should not see enemy positions.
// Example: force medical system level server-side
force ace_medical_medicSetting = 2; // 0=basic, 1=standard, 2=advanced
force ace_medical_enableRevive = 1;
force ace_medical_maxReviveTime = 120; // seconds

Adding TFAR for Radio Comms

Task Force Arrowhead Radio (TFAR) integrates Arma 3's in-game radio systems with TeamSpeak 3, creating positional audio and realistic radio communication. It is the most common radio mod used alongside ACE3 in milsim communities.

TFAR requires three components to work correctly:

  • TFAR mod on the server — installed the same way as ACE3 (Steam Workshop ID: 894678801)
  • TFAR mod on every client — all players must have the mod active
  • TFAR TeamSpeak plugin — installed in TeamSpeak 3 on every player's machine. The plugin file is included in the mod download. Players install it by running the tfar.ts3_plugin file while TeamSpeak is closed.

TFAR works exclusively with TeamSpeak 3 — it does not support Discord voice or any other voice client. This is why TeamSpeak 3 remains the standard for milsim units running Arma 3, even in 2026. Our hosting plans include a TeamSpeak 3 server bundled free on every plan for exactly this use case.

TFAR is Arma 3 only. If you are also running Arma Reforger, TFAR is not used there — Reforger has a built-in VON system. Your bundled TeamSpeak 3 server works across both games for out-of-game coordination.

Common Issues and Fixes

Players Can Join But ACE3 Features Are Missing

This usually means ACE3 is loaded client-side but not server-side, or the mod load order is wrong. Confirm that both @CBA_A3 and @ace appear in your server startup parameters, and that CBA_A3 loads before ACE3. CBA must always be first in the mod list.

Players Get Kicked on Join with "Signature Check Failed"

Arma 3 servers run signature verification on client mods by default. If a player has a different version of ACE3 or CBA than the server, they'll be kicked. Ensure everyone is running the latest Workshop version of both mods. You can temporarily disable signature checking with verifySignatures = 0; in your server.cfg for testing, but this should not remain disabled in production.

Medical System Not Working Correctly

ACE3's medical system will fall back to the basic level if a configuration conflict exists. Check that your server settings file is being loaded on startup. If using a mission with its own ACE3 settings embedded in the mission description.ext, those settings take priority over server defaults — review the mission file if the behaviour doesn't match your server config.

TFAR Not Connecting to TeamSpeak

The most common TFAR issue is the TeamSpeak plugin not being installed correctly. Confirm players have run the .ts3_plugin installer, that TeamSpeak is running when Arma 3 launches, and that players are in the same TeamSpeak channel before connecting to the server. The plugin connects automatically once the game is running — it should show "Task Force Radio connected" in the TeamSpeak client status bar.