Set up the Abyssal Ascent modpack server

Abyssal Ascent is a Forge modpack for Minecraft 1.20.1 by Aimsell2. Its CurseForge page describes eight dimensions stacked vertically with Immersive Portals. You spawn in the Undergarden at the bottom and fight your way up to the Overworld, with proximity voice chat along the way. You install the server from the Modpacks tab, using the pack's own server files from CurseForge.

Checked against Abyssal Ascent 0.2.2.2 and its server pack (dated 11 January 2026) on Forge 47.4.6 and Minecraft 1.20.1, October 2026. Version 0.2.3 of 22 September 2026 is also covered below.

What to expect

The pack's page warns that many users report various issues with servers running Abyssal Ascent, and recommends a partner host to anyone who is not tech savvy. The pack's server readme calls its own hardware figures an educated guess. Allow time for a first start and keep the backup option ticked.

What the pack needs

• Minecraft 1.20.1 with Forge 47.4.6. The server pack includes that Forge installer. The panel switches Java for you, which is Java 17 for this version. The readme accepts Java 17, prefers 21 and says not to go above 23.
• Memory. The readme lists 8 GB of RAM as the minimum for four players, and calls that an educated guess. Its start script suggests a 4 GB heap as a minimum and says going above 8 GB can be unstable. The panel does not read that script. It sizes the heap from your plan's RAM at every start. Read how much RAM a Minecraft server needs and check the Minecraft plans before you install.
• Disk space. The server pack is a download of about 674 MB and unpacks to about 708 MB. Both sit on your plan's disk while it unpacks, so allow about 1.4 GB free. The download is deleted afterwards, and your world grows on top. The Disk Analyser tab shows what is using space.
• The same pack version for players. Players should run the version you install from the CurseForge app.

Which version installs

Version 0.2.3 is the newest file, but it has no server pack. 0.2.2.2 is the newest that does. When you leave the version on its default, the installer takes the newest file that has a server pack, so you get 0.2.2.2.

If the install popup has a version dropdown (it reads Newest that fits your server), you can open it and choose Abyssal Ascent 0.2.3 instead. The installer then reads the pack's mod list and downloads each mod itself. When this guide was checked, it found 178 mods and two mods that only CurseForge's own site hands out: Better Tag NBT Tips and Undergarden Delight. The popup lists them with a box to drop the files onto. It leaves out the pack's resource packs and shaders, then turns off mods that only run on players' computers, such as Embeddium and Oculus, by adding .disabled to their file names, unless a mod that stays on needs them. If the popup does not list the two mods, the Modpacks tab lists them under the installed pack once the install ends. Modpack mods to download from CurseForge covers that step.

Install the server files

1. Open your server and choose Modpacks under Content in the left rail.
2. Press the CurseForge chip above the search box, then search for Abyssal Ascent.
3. Press Install on Abyssal Ascent by Aimsell2. Add-on packs with similar names appear in the same results, so check the author.
4. The popup says it reinstalls your server with the pack and names Forge and Minecraft 1.20.1. Choose a version in the dropdown if the popup has one, as above.
5. Leave Take a backup first ticked. Your current world is replaced by the pack's. Tick Start the server when it's ready if you want it to start itself, and tick I agree to the Minecraft EULA if the popup shows it.
6. Hold Install and reinstall until it fills, then wait for the install to finish.

For the 0.2.2.2 server pack, the install puts its files in the server's root, then runs the Forge installer it carries.

First start

Press Start on the Console tab. If the EULA has not been accepted yet, the panel asks you to accept it first. The server is up when the console prints a line containing For help, type. Your address is in the left rail under Server address. Connect to your server for the first time covers adding it in Minecraft.

Settings the readme suggests

The server pack ships no server.properties, so the install writes a short one and the Config Editor fills in the defaults for everything else. The readme suggests:

• Turn on Allow flight under Gameplay if players get kicked for flying.
• Set View distance (chunks) under Performance. The readme says this depends on RAM and recommends at least 8.
• Keep Simulation distance (chunks) at 10 or lower, and lower it if TPS is low. The pack includes Spark for measuring that.

Voice chat

The 0.2.2.2 server pack includes Simple Voice Chat 2.6.6. Its shipped config/voicechat/voicechat-server.properties sets port=24454, and its comments say voice travels over UDP on that port, separate from the game, and that sharing the game's port is not recommended. If your plan includes extra ports, add one under Settings then Network ports, set port in that file to the new number and restart. How to add an extra port explains the card.

Common problems

• A player cannot join. Check they run the same Abyssal Ascent version as the server, then compare their mod list with the server's mods folder.
• The install stops while unpacking. Your plan's disk may be too small for the pack. Check Disk Analyser, clear space and install again.
• The server lags. Watch the RAM card on the Console tab and the TPS reading in the left rail. Why is my server lagging has more.
• The server crashes at boot. The readme says to read logs/latest.log and look for the red error blocks. Find and read a crash report shows how to name the mod at fault.