Community Crunch 356: ARK Roadmap Update, Rhyniognatha Concept, and More!

This is a textbook example of when you find yourself in a hole, you need to stop digging. Someone forgot to tell Wildcard about the second half of that, however, as you guys seem hell bent on continuing to tunnel your way to China.

 Nobody wants to pay $60 for a game that they already own. No, slapping a new name on it doesn't make it a new game. I could have stomached the price if it included Ark 2. Maybe. But asking us to pay $60 for a game we already own, just for it to be obsoleted by ARK 2 within the span of a few years is just plain ridiculous.

Additionally, using Overwolf modding is a non-starter as well. I refuse to install Overwolf garbageware on my machine. Period. Full stop. I give exactly zero f's, flying or otherwise, about "cross platform modding support", as everyone in my clan is PC/Steam only and we don't use consoles. There is no sales pitch you can deliver that will make me change my mind here. Overwolf is a steaming pile of bronto poop and you Wildcard guys are complete and utter idiots for even associating yourselves with them. If Steam Workshop or Mod.io isn't supported out of the box and you make Overwolf mandatory, then you can just keep the box for both ARK: SA and ARK 2.

Some things I'm not sure of yet, but will point out anyway...If you don't support private server hosting with a native Linux binary out of the box for either ARK: SA or ARK2, then you can also keep the box for both titles. I won't buy a game where I cannot host the server myself on my own hardware running my own OS. 

Lastly I'd like to point out a bit of financial advice since whoever is in charge over at Wildcard clearly has no idea what they're doing. Stop being stupid with your money! Whoever thought that blowing fat stacks of cash on mediocre, B-list Hollywood "celebrities" to play starring roles in your game should seriously have their head examined. Had you not wasted all that money in some feeble attempt to lend what I would guess you thought was "street cred" to your game and instead invested it properly, we wouldn't be looking at a delayed release of ARK 2. You'd also have the bonus of not having to run bait-and-switch scams on your playerbase.

Play stupid games, win stupid prizes. I've tamed dodos on the beaches of Valguero with more common sense....

1 hour ago, DreadMaverick said:

Studio Wildcard was too humble and caring in the past to charge for the dinosaurs and gameplay improvements/updates and map

Maybe because trying to charge for dinosaurs doesn't work in a game that allows trades and you shouldn't charge people for improvements and fixes to your product that was defective at launch.

Thank you! We are excited again for ASA as well as Ark 2. I think this info was explained in a much better way. I also think not bundling the two of them together is a much better move. Excited to try out and see some of the new features, better character creation,  building, etc. Also I totally understand the need to close original Ark servers and not sure why others are not understanding that. My husband and I are avid Ark official pve players, since legacy! And it is still by far the best game over made. So revamping it on a new engine with improved features and more future maps sounds awesome. The future of ASA, as well as Ark 2 are exciting. No other game has come close to the content, fun, or longevity that Ark has for us. It's a game to truly put your heart and soul into. So if this continues with ASA as well as Ark 2, there is a lot to be excited about! I just hope the forced third person for Ark 2, is well done and doesn't lose immersion.

22 hours ago, Vesdied said:

I'm glad WC saw that packaging ARK2 and the new ue5 into the same thing was a mistake, still a bit upset that it isn't free, but I guess you could say it's another DLC, with the new dinos coming. Kinda hope they come to ARK1, as I can't afford that new version right now. The rhyniognatha looks absolutely amazing though, can't wait for the dossier.

I don't get that. Not bundling them together means that I not only have to rebuy a game but the game will be replaced in a year or so thus I need to buy a new game (ark2) making ark 1.5 a simple cash grab! .... Why would I do that instead of playing other games till ark2 comes out? 

Unless this move is a sign that ark2 is going to be canceled and ASA is all there will be for now.....?

22 hours ago, Freiya said:

This is still very frustrating that your still closing down Official ASE servers. Why close all??? Why not let us pay you monthly to keep certain servers up somehow for those of us who want to keep enjoying official with the community we already have. With the bases we have, characters, bases, dinosaurs.

I gave up on official last year. And it was a very hard decision to make. Most unofficial servers are fibercraft or Instatame. But there are some servers out there that are very close to official rates. And I would not be surprised if there are some that are all official. 

We simply have to set them up. They cost about $2 - $3 per person. If you can find 10 people inn your official server who are willing to point up $3 a month. You can have all your dinos, characters, and friends. Rebuilding a base is easy and fun. 

I hate to advertise on this kind of site. And WC can treasure this down if I have done wrong. But if any of you official players would like to test a decent unofficial server, check out Valantis or Baker's Dozen. Unofficial PVE. 

Edited April 8, 2023 by JoEllen
Misspelling, added content.

If you think about it for a bit.

The first idea. 39,99 USD for ASA + ARK 2 + all DLCs 40 USD = 90 USD
The second idea. 59,99 USD for ASA + all DLCs. But no word about the pricing of ARK2. Now ask yourself how much ARK2 will cost if it was released in EA? 30 USD... If so, this would cost... you guessed it also 90 USD. Or if they went for full price. 60 USD so it'd cost 120 USD. 

It's the same. damn. thing. I do not like being fooled.

Wildcard is taking us for granted once again.

 

 

11 minutes ago, Lewiatan said:

If you think about it for a bit.

The first idea. 39,99 USD for ASA + ARK 2 + all DLCs 40 USD = 90 USD
The second idea. 59,99 USD for ASA + all DLCs. But no word about the pricing of ARK2. Now ask yourself how much ARK2 will cost if it was released in EA? 30 USD... If so, this would cost... you guessed it also 90 USD. Or if they went for full price. 60 USD so it'd cost 120 USD. 

It's the same. damn. thing. I do not like being fooled.

Wildcard is taking us for granted once again.

 

 

 

yup.

On 4/1/2023 at 2:23 PM, Sourtongue said:

WildCard. Peruse these pages of comments created in just the past few hours. The general consensus is that you may have made a huge mistake with your decision to sunset Ark SE servers with your next revamp. And charging these players, who've been so dedicated and so loyal, to start from scratch with maps they already had....tsk tsk tsk. Now THAT'S an expensive trick. 90 hard earned smackeroons in ransom to get their scramble back on. A word comes to mind....well...a few come to mind, but for the sake of tender eyes I'll proffer one. Time. Time, my sisters and brothers and all in between and beyond. The time we've all spent exploring and building and befriending. The time we spent staking our claims, the loss and gains. The small victories and the larger pains. All that time spent. And for what? For a last, glittering orange sunset. I beseech you...nay I implore you Wildcard...have mercy on those who quite literally gave you hundreds upon hundreds of hours of their very lives to you. Our time on earth is but a short burst. A fart in the wind. And we gave so much of it to you. Skipped dinners and our children's soccer games, all put aside for the love of your creation. Our children are adults now....grown from eggs to maturity seemingly in an instant. Because we were with you. To lay these hourglasses of ours, etched with the sincerity of each keystroke, glazed with blood and tears, tempered in our sweat and hardened with the bellows of a million laughs and screams alike, to lay these unto the guillotine would be such a bittersweet end. An end which doesn't justify the means. For godsake have you even SEEN my adobe castle in the Southend desert of Lost Island? Have you witnessed my pack of killer dodos taking on a rabid Terrorbird?? Please reconsider, oh best beloved WildCard administrators...please. Our time should not be for naught.

 

23 hours ago, Freiya said:

This is still very frustrating that your still closing down Official ASE servers. Why close all??? Why not let us pay you monthly to keep certain servers up somehow for those of us who want to keep enjoying official with the community we already have. With the bases we have, characters, bases, dinosaurs.

 

Common wild card. This game is more than a game to some of us. In 2018 a good friend of mine was diagnosed with cancer. They went through 3 years of treatment. Do you know ark was a peaceful outlet for them at that time ,a place where they could escape too and not think about their huge battle ahead. They named their Dino such names as "Survivor"  "the light" and so on. Please just don't close all severs, yes reduce them atleast until 2024. So many of us supported your charity events giving thousands to those in need. Please do I beg you on behalf of all the thousands of players battling with life threatening situations make the right decision, it's never to late.. 

14 hours ago, Voidtoker said:

Someone’s baby needs cuddling, it just keeps crying. 

don't talk about yourself that way

1 hour ago, MissRin said:

It is LITERALLY IMPOSSIBLE to port over old game stuff to a DIFFERENT new game. It’s not the same code. Not the same game. 

Uh, yes it is. It's a graphical update with some QoL additions. The core gameplay is still the same. Other than bases, all existing items, characters, and tames should carry over to ASA.

Perfavore mettete la modalità per il giocatore singolo in A.S.A

WildCard, I've been playing this game since 2015, don't make the game too easy, don't make the element too easy.

WildCard, I've been playing this game since 2015, don't make the game too easy, don't make the element too easy.

Honestly, I just want you to show me you can actually finish stuff. Primitive+ has been part of the game for how many years now and still has game breaking bugs like not being able to make steel ingots? I’m not buying ANYTHING from you guys until you can show me you care about the products you sell.

4 hours ago, NapTheLean said:

Witcher 1, 2, 3 - All free remasters/upgrades/director's editions just for starters - but until Cyberpunk 2077 happened, CD Projekt Red were renowned for not totally screwing over their customers. Wildcard have a history of it, so throw $500 at it if you must, just don't expect other people who don't like being fed total Bull$ to share your level of blind worship.

On top of that, pretty much all of the official DLC is total garbage. Look at the map stats... no-one plays any of the official DLC maps because they added "features" that totally suck. Aberration was a half finished abomination that lags to high-heaven. Extinction was OK I suppose for an hour, and I never played Genesis because of the Aberration abomination DLC which made me swear to never pay for any ARK DLC again because it sucked so bad !

On the plus side, you now to get to pay for the same old buggy mess, BUT PRETTIER for another $60. Go you !

Well this is not in your power to change so either you buy or you dont ez. You clearly one of these gen z boys who wants everything on every map that hits the game. The old maps are the best and also the only ones that fully supports enviromental effects which tbh does deliver an immersive feeling. I guess you are not up to speed which map the community likes the most by saying such atrocities about Aberration. I guess the map was to hard for you. A skill issue really😄

Good that you probably wont buy it. Cause you my friend is not worthy. LOL

Go cry someplace else...

Well glad all the complainers got their way but now I am just not willing to buy either game separately. I already bought ASE and all of it's DLC and even bought it for friends whenever I saw it was on sale. 

 

While I WAS excited to buy ASA on day 1 with the previous offer with Ark 2 bundled,  I am not buying either game now unless they are massively discounted. Why would I be excited about now having to buy both games at full price separately? This is just stupid.

Edited April 9, 2023 by Raymes

years perfected each dino will go to waste? It doesn't even matter the bases or the materials, it only matters so many hours raising and mutating dinos.
They deceive their players forcing them to buy back the entire game but better graphics. It's not worth it
Give the community the opportunity to choose, don't be abusive. for me and all my friends this game died.

Hi WC Team, I like many others just want a few more direct answers to direct questions with a firm direct answer to them, not aloof. I'm not here to run my mouth about the state of affairs, I just want to know a couple of simple answers, feel free to email me these answers or make a public post addressing it. I'm a relatively new player who only started last year and i've met great friends here, after suffering the loss of my son this game has been a great escape, i've worked hard on it and haven't accomplished all of my goals on it yet. My questions are: Can I upload my current dinos from official prim+ to 1player? and same goes for my character? i can always rebuild but i will never get any of these particular dinos again. Thank You

My friends and I planned on getting thr bundle anyway.. either way.. what ever the price.. it will be downloaded and dedicated servers created. 

On 4/7/2023 at 6:59 PM, darkradeon said:

Lmao, you don't get it: price is the last and minor issue. Getting payid for work is legit thing (if price is legit too!). The main issues are others.

 

Official shutdown

Total official shutdown is like forcing users to buy the game, despite ASE still selling good and getting new players activation daily.
This also kills owners of old gen consoles that cannot even download and keep the server saves.
You NEVER cared about server status: never a server review after 2019 with the partial shutdown of legacy. You opened always new servers even for unplayed maps. And now you are telling those resources are all needed for a game that still doesn't exists even on preorder and that will face 1-2 maps only at begin? This is a mockery.

FIX: Keep Official alive until it is played. Do a server review, do it seriously, say what server have to close for being un-played, allowing people to move giving a decent amount of time. Do this review every 6-9-12 months until really those servers are all unpopulated and you decide to shutdown ASE. And please note that a lot of official players quitted now for your previous disastrous community crunch.

 

Overwolf

Overwolf is a piece of crapware slowing down system, eating resources. Paid mods will kill unofficial with players having to pay both slots and mods. Instead, mod.io initial choice was far better choice.

FIX: Toss off overwolf and go back to mod.io.

 

Multiplatform

Multiplatform is just a sex toy for monkey streamers to get more viewers: it will only add tons of issues about cheating, account login issues, patch deployment issues (pc vs consoles certification process). This also put a dark shadows against unofficial and dedicated server runtimes: microsoft and sony don't like non-nda users dealing with their account and login platforms. You tried it with SOTF and didn't work (pad vs mouse&keyboard).

FIX: Toss off multiplatform. It didn’t work with SOTF (mouse vs keyboard) and brings only deployment issues. Nobody really cares nor asked about this. Or if you really wanna do it, don't put it as default choice and on official servers.

 

Your behaviour toward community

You totally lack of any real sign of respect towards your community: lies, mocking, total silence hoping people will forget
Now you say you changed again idea about your economical future econmical income? All these are proofs you aren't serious on your work and intentions.
You are even able to sincerely ask sorry for those that will lose years of supporting your game. All this "we al learning" agile poop paradigm is just the iceberg peak of your total fail on this.
ARK Survival Evolved is sold as an mmo, at least on Steam. In a mmo there are 2 really important aspect a developer must consider: servers review and community respect. For 7 years you clearly totally showed you do not care about these 2 things.

FIX: Ask sorry. Really and sincerely. And stop using players as beta tester. Provide beta releases and servers for that.

 

I agree with some of what yu said, but you're on crack if you think cross pla6form is bad

11 minutes ago, PikaSaurus said:

I agree with some of what yu said, but you're on crack if you think cross pla6form is bad

It's bad when console players have to put up with all the PC cheaters. 

@LoadedCrysiscan you make a video on the Suchomimus that is in the second page of the creature submissions

Edited April 9, 2023 by Riot87

The way this should have worked was and is, skip Ascended  all together.  Finish Ark2 with the delayed needed time to make it right, probably 2025 to be completely honest.  Release more DLCs eg 2 per year to give yourselves cashflow.  Keep Evolved servers running for at least 1 year after Ark2 releases for no other reason than to allow your PS users to continued play until their shot at Ark2.  Ascended is just a cover for the delay of Ark2 when you figured out it was going to be a flop in current formulation.   I don't know if that gives you enough cashflow to make it from here to Ark2 though.  It feels like it may not, in that case you may need to get real creative on the financial side of things or you may need a bridge loan and if the money people believe in you then you may be ok but given your track record on deliverables you have a poor credit rating in that department.  

Okay, I don't know what to think, on the one hand, I'm mad about it costing 59.99 for an updated ark I can't own cause I don't have a device for both ASA and Ark II, I thought if I couldn't play Ark II, I could at least play the new updated Ark on old gen console, then I heard it would be a new game, fine, I would pay for it, that fine, I expected that, and you can only play on new gen and PC, Why???? I can play other Unreal Engine 5 games or of similar nature on old gen. I mean if it is just for better graphics plz, give us it on old gens plz, a demo or preview for free like fifteen minutes or an hour. Just a taste to see if its something I would buy a PC or a new gen for when I could afford one. 

   On the other hand, if this UE5 can give bone break on survivors and animals, or animals can get defects like shorter crest, smaller claw part of the tail is missing, genetic defect like a hunchback or has an extra limb or with survivors, scars and missing limb or ears after some fights. Then we are talking. I would certainly buy it if these mechanics will be in. But again I would have to wait until I get a PC that can run it, but even so it would be worth it if it had that in the game.