Community Crunch 114: Dino TLC, Console Ragnarok, Sales, & NVIDIA Freestyle!
- By Jen
- 135 comments
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Hey Survivors! Welcome to the latest edition of the Community Crunch!
The Community Crunch is where we share important things going on with ARK, as well as host contests and showcase creations made by the community!
Dino TLC Preview #2!
At the end of last year, we were very excited to share with you the early progress of our Dino TLC update. We know it's something you guys have been looking forward to for a long time, so here we are with another update!
The plan is for the Dino TLC pass to role out in multiple phases. Throughout the next few months, some creatures will receive visual changes, as well as functional/gameplay changes. We are targeting the release of Phase 1 to take place during the week of February the 18th on PC. In addition to Dino TLC Phase 1, we will also be rolling out our turret limit to all Official Servers.
Today, we'd like to share some more screenshots and provide some insight into what we're planning for Phase 1 of the TLC pass. We've been reading all your feedback and suggestions regarding the creatures; our artists and gameplay team have found it to be beneficial in the decision-making process. Something to keep in mind is that not all creatures will receive a visual update, but we will cover ones we feel (with your feedback) need it. Sometimes there may be function gameplay changes which weaken certain aspects of creatures; however, if we take anything away, we always plan to add to it through another dimension.
Please remember that these are still works-in-progress (especially the fur!) and are therefore subject to change before final release, which includes both visual redesigns, as well as gameplay changes. Anywho, without further ado!
The Direbear!
We believe the Direbear is in relatively secure place at the moment. Though, we're still planning on making a few changes to it!
When riding a Direbear, players will be immune to bees. They won't be able to knock you off your bear, and they will target focus the bear instead of the player.
In addition to this change, the bear will also be able to harvest honey from wild beehives without attracting bees or hurting the hive. Plus the amount of honey it receives will be 2x the standard amount.
The Procoptodon!
Right now, if you're using The Procoptopdon, it's primarily for transportation. We don't see it as a highly combative mount, more so a utility creature with its fantastic jump, and ability to carry a second person.
Here's what we're planning:
The Procotopdon will take reduced fall damage; its carry weight will be noticeably increased, and it will gain the new ability to carry baby dinos and small creatures in its pouch.
We figure that puts the creature in a decent spot, and the suggestion of using the pouch to carry babies was excellent, thanks /r/playARK!
Ah, we've forgotten something...
Oh yeah! We're going to give it a kick! It'll be a pretty tough, and even be able to knock back some significantly large creatures!
The Gigantopithecus A.K.A Bigfoot!
We had quite a few ideas pop into our heads when coming up with some additional abilities for the Bigfoot. Did it need more strength and fighting abilities? What about how well it moves? Could we provide it with some new features? Ultimately, here's what we've settled on:
The Bigfoot will receive an armour-degrading attack; this means when it fights, it'll do more damage to your armour's durability. It is important to note that the armour-degrading attack will not affect the Yeti creatures found in the game.
Its movement needed some work! So we'll be giving it the ability to jump, which is kinda critical, considering it will need to know how to hop on and off all the zip-lines it's going to climb! Yup, that's right. It'll be able to use zip-lines!
In addition to those changes, we'll also be improving it's throwing ability, so it's more accurate (similarly to the Crab) and providing it with the ability to carry (on its shoulder) small creatures and throw them!
The Direwolf!
It's a wolf.. and what are wolves good for? Hunting. Now if you're a wolf, and you're hunting, what exactly are you going to rely on the most? Your nose!
In Phase 1 of the update, we'll be introducing a new ability, a passive buff, as well as changing how it's howl and pack buff currently work.
First of all, the howl will activate the pack buff for a duration of time (we're thinking 5 minutes right now). This means it won't be active all the time, but to compensate, we'll be strengthing the buff to make the wolves stronger. As a little bonus is that when the Alpha Wolf howls, so will all the others! We're also planning for this mechanic play out with wild wolves too.
As for its nose, we're doing two things. We're providing it with a passive buff which allows it to sniff out people or creatures with less than 50% health, and this will be indicated via an icon. Think of it like the hunter's instinct.
Secondly, we'll be giving it a 'Sniff' tertiary ability to indicate nearby explorer notes, as well as detect stealth or buried creatures.
and finally...
The Tyrannosaurus Rex!
It's in a pretty strong place at the moment; it's considered one of the top-tier creatures. It is used continuously to fight bosses, as well as often seen in PVP. So we didn't want to give it too many changes to avoid making it overpowered, here's what our plan is:
We're going to improve it's movement/climbing ability so that it doesn't get stuck behind small rocks and can climb up steeper slopes.
We're also planning to change the Roar. When targetting an enemy and using the roar, the enemy will be forced to poop. There will be a cooldown on both the Rex and people who have recently pooped, so you can't pooplock them with 10 Rexes.
That pretty much covers it for Phase 1 of the TLC-pass, let us know what you think, whether we're missing anything glaringly obvious! We're also planning (not definite!) on carrying out more visual changes to the following creatures: Spino, Sarco, Carno, Raptor, Female Megaloceros, Plesio, and Argie. Let us know what you'd like to see improved with those, as well as any other creatures you think may need some love that we're overlooking.
Ragnarok!
Console Ragnarok Fans! We are expecting to deploy the 99% completed version of the map to PS4 the week of January 15th. The Xbox patch for Ragnarok is currently in the certification process. We don't have a precise date for Xbox as we're not sure on console Cert availability, but once we do we'll let you know.
NVIDIA Freestyle!
Check out the latest Nvidia GeForce® Experience™ and GameReady driver for exciting new ways to customize the look of your ARK with NVIDIA Freestyle! There are 15 available filters, 38 different settings, and many possible combinations, enabling you to create a truly unique look for your gameplay with just a few clicks! Check out this articles for all the latest details and how to use the Freestyle filters on your ARK!
New Freestyle Contest!
We'll also be introducing a new category to our Nvidia Ansel contests for all Freestyle entries! You can submit images or a video (up to 1 minute long) using the new awesome filters for a chance to win 200$ (double our normal Ansel reward). Check out our contest submission thread for all the details:
ARK Sales!
For those who've yet to experience the joys of ARK, nows your chance to get in as we have a huge host of discounts across various platforms and regions! The discounts and sale length may vary so please continue reading for further sales information!
ARK will be participating in this year's PlayStation 4 Winter Sale! Discounts may vary based on region, so please double check to ensure you can get it in time!
ARK: 2x Evolution Event Weekend!
Survivors across ALL Platforms will be receiving a special Evolution Event perk this weekend! It's already live now and will remain active until Monday the 15th of January at 12 PM EST. All Official Servers will be undergoing this evolutionary change which includes:
2x Harvesting Rate
2x Taming Rate
2x EXP Rate
2x Mating
2x Maturation
Community Contests!
NVidia Ansel Photography Contest
Super Resolution Version: http://images.nvidia.com/ansel/SuperResolution/ARK-SuperResolution1/ARK__Survival_Evolved_HighRes_2016_09_01_-_14_38_36_55.html
ARK: Survival Evolved and the Scorched Earth Expansion Pack now include support for NVIDIA Ansel -- a revolutionary new way to capture in-game shots. Compose shots from any position, adjust with post-process filters, capture HDR images in high-fidelity formats, and share the screenshots in 360 via a smartphone, PC or VR headset.
Learn more about these features from the NVIDIA blog.
Now let’s get to the contest!
There were 3 potential categories for survivors to enter their shots into and they were the following:
Three Categories
Super Resolution: These should be taken at 8x Super Resolution. Players can optionally use Depth of Field effects accessible in Spectator mode by pressing the [Delete] key.
Panoramic 360 Stereoscopic 3D: These should be taken at 4x Super Resolution, in 360 Stereoscopic 3D mode. We will crop them to 2D for web display, while also providing the 3D version for viewing within VR display.
Freeform: Any settings, whacky and creative use of Ansel filters are encouraged. Adding humorous titles/captions in Photoshop is also acceptable for this category!
And now without further ado, here are your entries!
Super Resolution!
Winner!
SgtWest - Inside the Cave
Runners-up!
BlueDragon - Speed
Pollti – Glowtails have a clear view
EXFIB0 - Majestic
StateofMynd - The New Bat-Signal
Wolf Angelus - Call of the Mantis
Honourable Mentions!
BlueDragon - A new dawn
BlueDragon - Aberration Mystery
BlueDragon - Different kind of prey
BlueDragon - Hauntingly beautiful
BlueDragon - Island hopping
BlueDragon - Mysterious warning
BlueDragon - Rex vs Reaper
BlueDragon - Safe, for the moment
BlueDragon - This little light of mine
Domino - Here We Are
EXFIB0 - Let's go for a ride!
Jamie Weaver - Ragnarock Landscape
Norlinri - Artifact
Norlinri - Blue path
Norlinri - Buried Reaper Queen
Norlinri - Cave light
Norlinri - Crab
Norlinri - Dark alley
Norlinri - Gas vein
Norlinri - Plant Species Z
Norlinri - Reaper Queen
Norlinri - Reaper Queen and Waterfall
Norlinri - Reflexion
Norlinri - Rock Drake Nest
Norlinri - Seeker
Norlinri - Surface obelisk
Pollti – Aberrant Stegosaurus
Pollti – Aberration Cave
Pollti – Aberration Flowers
Pollti – Flying Featherlight
Pollti – Glowbug
Pollti – Rock Drake Nest
roguewolf91 - Unseen Peril
SgtWest - The Nameless
SgtWest - The Ruins
StateofMynd - A Peaceful Spot
StateofMynd - Flight Of The Navigator
StateofMynd - The Danger Zone
Valoule - They follow us
Wolf Angelus - Ancient Fortress
Wolf Angelus - Arabian Nights
Wolf Angelus - Soaring
Panoramic 360 Stereoscopic 3D!
Winner!
EXFIB0 - Zip Line Fun
Runners-up!
roguewolf91 - The Road Ahead
BlueDragon - Going with the tide
Honourable Mentions!
EXFIB0 - Blue Paradise
EXFIB0 - Dropping
EXFIB0 - Pink Rivers
EXFIB0 - Which Way
StateofMynd - Surrounded by Serenity
Valoule - Xylobones
Wolf Angelus - Adventurers Guild Main Hall
Wolf Angelus - Desert Home Pier
Wolf Angelus - Dividing Bridge
Wolf Angelus - Marshes of Aberration
Freeform!
Winner!
BlueDragon - Planet ARK - Freeform
Runner-up!
F1r3fly - The Hitchhiker's Guide to Aberration
Honorable Mentions!
BlueDragon - Ragnarok Estates Listing
EXFIB0 - Retro
Valoule - Seasons
Wolf Angelus - ARK Travel Agency
ARKVideo!
This contest is open to all types of video be they funny, epic, scenic, stories, whatever inspires you. Just a general reminder that they should remain safe for work, think of the children!
And without further ado, the ARKVideo for Community Crunch 114 is...
ARK: Survival Evolved | Aberration | The Cinematic Experience by Jukari
and we'd also like to announce a runner-up...
REAPER QUEEN WON'T PAY CHILD SUPPORT by Lame Wolf Productions!
ARKitect!
This is an award given to Survivors to celebrate the amazing structures you build. These bases are judged based upon a number of different factors such as their creativity, uniqueness, how fun of a base it is, the difficulty of building it, the functionality it provides and much more!
The ARKitect for Community Crunch 114 is…
Wolfy Tail: Adventurers Guild by Wolf Angelus!
and we'd also like to announce two runners-up...
Ark Survival Evolved Ragnarok Castle/Bridge Build Part 1 by Tlc138
If you'd like to check out the submissions from the rest of the entrants, you can do so here:
Fan Feature!
THE EGG THAT RUINED CHRISTMAS - ARK Cinematic Skits by Lame Wolf Productions
Aberration comes to Ragnarok! by ArkPS4
ARK Aberration EPIC Reaper King tame and Reaper Queen Battles by Siduris
Aberration PvE Cliff Platform Base by Sitharias
TOWN OF THE DAMNED - Rise of the Achatina (Ep. 5) by Lame Wolf Productions
Ark Survival Evolved - Oh Deer by GeeKy gAMer no.1 & gOOgly Owl
Rebuild of Hotel ParARKdise by Valoule
Rock Drake Painting by HellaHezz
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1264176708
Reaper by WYF
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1247860601
aberration otter and sabertoothed salmon by Lethifold
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1264483379
Ravager by Klutz
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1262666443
ARK: Dream by Shockal
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1257161832
Compy Close Up by Trickle Down Snekonomics
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1253689002
Rock Drake by Naito
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1251784754
Quetz attack by Naito
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1258236644
"Say hello to my feathered friend!" by Naito
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1258217333
Bulbdog by Fletjek
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1250101056
A battle of two dragons by Shockal
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1244657080
Ghillie 'n Galli by Naito
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1258234745
Steggy the Derpasaurus by Ninja Bunn3h
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1259018013
Hellhound Ravager by Sharkcat
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1262006860
Forest Camo Ravager by Sharkcat
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1261912168
Giant Jaguar preview by milokamilo
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1265935543
Dracorex preview by milokamilo
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1263368789
That's it for this post guys! As always if you’ve got anything to share please get in touch and be sure to follow us on:
Twitter: twitter.com/survivetheark
Facebook: facebook.com/survivetheark
Reddit: reddit.com/r/playark
Instagram: instagram.com/survivetheark
All the best,
Studio Wildcard
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