Ark Mobile Boat and Raft Building problems/suggestions

[Coro]

The limitations on the Ark mobile version of rafts and boats are many compared to that of the PC version. These are the comparative limitations I have noticed with the mobile version. I will give the short list and then expound further down.

Mobile limitations:

1. Missing Easy Centered Snap Point
2. Foundation extension behind rudder is short
3. Foundation extension in front of rudder is long
4. Using the raft gives limited view
5. Extending foundation beyond raft uses more resources (raft extension)

 

Before I get into everything I wanted to say that I recognize that rafts and boats are being used in a manner that the devs did not intend, regardless, the mobile version, rafts are limited compared to PC and that really sucks.

 

1. Missing Easy Centered Snap Point:

You cannot center your build by grabbing the rudder with a pillar like in the PC version. Your view is limited (see further down) and it will not allow you to center the pillar on the raft, neither will it allow you to drop the pillar while holding the rudder. 

My Suggested Solution: use fence post foundations, you can attempt to center them as you wish. This obviously helps with a 4x4 build with the rudder having two foundations spaces instead of one. for a 3x3 build, you'll have to eyeball it with a pillar on top of the sail foundation, I have problems with angle, if you get that wrong, your 3x3 foundation will not be centered with the raft and it will look like someone was going to play a rubik's cube and didn't quite finish.

2. Foundation extension behind rudder is short

Here is the biggest problem in my opinion. If you place the foundation just behind the rudder, you can only extend it by two rows. This means that any trapper builds you make, it will obstruct your view when you use your raft. This is a HUGE problem for most builds. Sure you can get away with an expedition build but tall structures that use dino gates will give you little to no vision because you can only mainly build in front of the raft.

Solution: The devs should either fix how far you can extend your foundation behind the rudder, or fix the ability to zoom out your view point.

3. Foundation extension in from of the rudder is long

This might not seem like a big deal, but it is, because you might be able to build alot of structures in front of the rudder, but with limited vision, you cant really build high and see where you are going.

Solution: The devs should either fix how far you can extend your foundation behind the rudder, or fix the ability to zoom out your view point.

4. Using the raft gives limited view

So I have gone over this twice already, but I'm going to beat the horse till its dead. Your view when using the raft doesn't allow for tall structures. This impedes your ability to see where you are going. It's already hard enough that you cant look around while moving (because that'll make your raft steer that direction), but they don't allow you to zoom out over your tall structures.

Solution: you get the drill

5. Extending your foundation beyond the raft

In the PC version you can simply use thatch ceiling/roofs to snap foundations next to the other. This required minimal resources. In the mobile version, foundations will not snap under thatch ceilings. This is a severe limitation. 

My Solution: I use a combination of wood pillars and thatch ceilings to snap foundations beyond the raft. I will place a pillar in the foundation on the raft, a thatch ceiling/roof on top of that pillar, then i connect that thatch roof with another one and then a pillar in that thatch roof and then i'm able to snap the foundation. I haven't been able to find another solution for this.

 

Additional information:

Sinking your foundations is about the same as the PC version. You can use pillars to do this, there are plenty of youtube descriptions for this. 

the amount of structures you can place on a raft is about the same for the PC version as far as I can tell.

If there are any other suggestions or builds you want to add, please do so. I am in no wise an expert on this.

[DhornNier]

I did a raft with extended foundations some months ago, but now that I trying to extend on a server the foundation just don't place under the pillar, am I the only one with this problem? 

[DonChilla]

You’re not the only one with the problem.  I’ve done raft builds with foundation extensions in the past.  I literally just tried to do another raft build, and I am unable to do foundation extensions myself.  It appears to be a bug of some sort.

[Pedriko]

Thats a known problem, great! I created a topic regarding the same issue: 

I hope they don't limited the raft even more...

[tannersherwood88]

Anyone have creative ways to help mounting your raft after you’ve fallen out with sunken foundations and can’t mount the raft from underneath as a result? I tried to do hatch ceilings with ladders off the front and back but they are super buggy to the point of not working. I wanted to avoid doing ramps up the sides to not waste structure numbers. I also tried ladders from the top deck to the water on the sides but when I’m frantically swimming from a megalodon and such it’s not the most practical solution...

[docredduke10]

Make sure to use wood or metal foundations.  Stone foundations will not let you see the raft from underneath.  May have to use a ceiling instead of foundation.  If you surround the waters edge with walls, then make one of the walls a doorway and door.

 

Edit: Also, place ramps in back of boat.

[tannersherwood88]

Thanks for the tip, I hadn’t thought of a metal foundation and was at stone as it’s for a PVE server, but I think I’ll go that route. I ended up ditching the ladders and doing slopes stone roofs that went beneath the raft for quick entries. I was getting a weird glitch where I couldn’t enter the raft at all and had to fast travel on to the boat as it was stuck in the frigid waters of the north far from shore. It was a pain with no flyers or swimmers!