What Is Arma 3 Life RP?
Life RP is a roleplay-focused game mode built on Arma 3 where players take on civilian roles — working jobs, buying property, running businesses, and interacting with other players in an open-world environment. The two main factions on most Life servers are civilians (including criminals) and police/law enforcement. Some servers also include an EMS faction.
The original and most well-known framework is Altis Life, set on Arma 3's Altis map. Other popular variants include Tanoa Life (using the Tanoa map from the Apex DLC) and custom maps. All are built on the same underlying framework and share the same setup requirements.
Life RP servers attract a different player type than milsim or PvP. Your players are primarily interested in the social experience, the economy, the roleplay narrative, and the community — not tactical gameplay. Understanding this shapes every decision about how you run the server.
Server Requirements for Life RP
Life RP is among the most demanding Arma 3 game modes in terms of server resources. A full 100-player Altis Life server with an active database is not a light workload. Plan your hardware accordingly.
| Server Size | Recommended RAM | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Development / testing | 8 GB | Local testing, up to ~20 players |
| Small community (30–50 players) | 16 GB | Standard modded Life setup |
| Medium server (50–80 players) | 16–32 GB | Active economy, custom scripts |
| Large server (80–100+ players) | 32 GB | Full population, heavy scripting, active DB |
Beyond RAM, Life RP servers make frequent database read/write calls as player inventories, money, and properties are saved. A server with fast storage (NVMe) will handle this more smoothly than one relying on slower drives. CPU single-core performance matters here for the same reason it matters in all Arma 3 server workloads.
Required Mods and Framework
Altis Life is an open-source framework maintained by the Altis Life RPG community. The core framework and its files are available publicly on GitHub. You will need the framework files plus CBA_A3 as a minimum. Most servers also run additional mods for vehicles, clothing, and map objects.
Database Setup
This is where most new Life server operators underestimate the complexity. Altis Life uses a MySQL/MariaDB database to store persistent player data — money, vehicles, properties, licenses, and inventory. Without a properly configured database, nothing saves between server restarts.
What You Need
- MySQL or MariaDB — MariaDB is recommended for new setups. It is open-source, well-documented, and performs well for the read/write patterns Altis Life generates.
- Arma 3 extDB3 — The database extension that connects the Arma 3 server to your database. This must be installed as a server-side extension, not a mod. Follow the extDB3 documentation exactly — incorrect configuration is the most common cause of database connection failures.
- The Altis Life SQL schema — Included with the framework. Import this into your database before starting the server for the first time to create the required tables.
Database Best Practices
- Run daily backups. A corrupted or wiped database on a Life server means players lose all their money, vehicles, and properties. This is catastrophic for retention. Automate daily backups and keep at least 7 days of backups stored.
- Set save intervals carefully. Altis Life saves player data at regular intervals and on disconnect. Too frequent saves stress the database; too infrequent means players lose progress if the server crashes. 5–10 minute auto-save intervals are standard.
- Wipe policy. Decide your database wipe policy before launch and communicate it clearly. Some servers wipe seasonally; others only wipe for major updates. Players invest significant time in their characters — unexpected wipes kill communities.
Admin Team and Rules
The quality of your admin team is the single biggest factor in whether your Life server succeeds long-term. On a milsim server, bad behaviour is relatively contained. On a Life RP server with 80 players and a real in-game economy, a corrupt or incompetent admin team will destroy the server within months.
Admin Responsibilities
Life RP admins handle more than just rule enforcement. Common responsibilities include:
- Handling player reports and resolving disputes
- Investigating RDM (random deathmatch), VDM (vehicle deathmatch), and fail-RP complaints
- Monitoring the economy for exploits or duplication bugs
- Moderating the Discord alongside the in-game server
- Managing whitelisted roles (police and EMS applications)
- Performing database operations when players experience data issues
Building Your Rules
Your server rules need to be clear, consistent, and enforced uniformly. The most common rules on Life RP servers:
- No RDM — you cannot kill players without valid roleplay justification
- No VDM — you cannot use vehicles as weapons
- Value your life (VDL) — players must act as if they value their character's life; no running into gunfights unarmed
- Initiation rules — how and when players can engage each other (verbal demands, time to comply, etc.)
- Combat logging — disconnecting to avoid consequences is prohibited
- Whitelisted faction rules — police and EMS have their own conduct standards and can be removed from their roles for violations
Post your full rules publicly — in your Discord and pinned in-game on your server page. Players cannot follow rules they cannot find.
Keeping Your Server Populated
A Life RP server lives and dies by its player count. High populations attract more players; low populations drive people away. Building and maintaining a healthy population is an active, ongoing effort.
Economy Balancing
The in-game economy needs regular attention. If money is too easy to earn, players hit the wealth ceiling quickly and run out of goals. If it's too hard, new players feel impossibly behind and leave. Common levers to balance:
- Job payout rates for legal and illegal activities
- Vehicle and property pricing
- Starting cash for new players
- Drug processing values and police pursuit interest levels
Events and Community Building
Servers that run regular community events retain players significantly better than those that only maintain the persistent world. Effective event types for Life RP:
- Organised heists or raids — admin-run scenarios where criminals can attempt a large bank robbery with active police response
- Speed competitions or races — using the vehicle economy as a community activity
- Seasonal events — limited-time content tied to real-world events
- Giveaways and economy boosts — periodic bonuses to keep engagement up during quieter periods
Server Visibility
Players find Life servers through the in-game server browser, Reddit (r/FindAUnit and r/arma both get Life server posts), and word of mouth. Maintaining a Battlemetrics listing helps players track your server history and population patterns. A consistent peak time and daily peak player count above 40 puts you in a visible tier in the server browser.
Common Issues and Fixes
Database Not Saving / Players Losing Data
Check your extDB3 configuration first — incorrect database credentials or the wrong IP binding are the most common culprits. Verify the extension is loading in your server RPT log. If the extension loads but saves are inconsistent, check that your save intervals are not conflicting and that the database user has full write permissions on the Life database tables.
Server Desync and Rubber-Banding at High Population
This is a performance issue. Arma 3's engine struggles with large numbers of vehicles and players in proximity. Steps to address it: reduce max server vehicles, review your custom scripts for inefficient loops, check server CPU usage during peak hours, and consider whether your RAM is sufficient for the peak population you're running. If the problem persists above 80 players, upgrading to 32 GB RAM and reviewing your frame rate settings in server.cfg is the next step.
Players Exploiting the Economy
Economy exploits — duplication bugs, infinite money loops, or coordination between accounts to circumvent game rules — are a reality on any Life server. Monitor your database for anomalous wealth accumulation, implement logging for high-value transactions, and act quickly when exploits are reported. A exploited economy that goes unaddressed destroys player motivation for everyone playing legitimately.
Whitelisted Factions Behaving Poorly
Police and EMS are whitelisted roles with elevated trust and, on most servers, unique equipment and access. A corrupt or power-abusing police force is one of the fastest ways to destroy your server's reputation. Have a clear reporting path for players to raise complaints about whitelisted faction members, and enforce those standards consistently even if the player involved is a long-standing community member.