New starts on your server

[Bruvas78]

I've played official since I bought Ark (gluten for punishment) and I really enjoy giving new starts a helping hand. If I see a Thatch / wooden hut on my travels, I usually furnish the occupants with an acc crossbow, 100 arrows, 100 tranqs, a jm or better pick/hatch, 1000 narcotics and various armour pieces picked up whenever. It reminds me of my first night when a random player dropped an apprentice pick, jm hatch and about 800 hide off to me (meat run obvs) and how I thought it was amazing. 

One thing that I turn away from though are people constantly asking for dinos in chat - ankys, beavers, rexes, etc for free. 

I've always loved the build up in this game and netting that high level dino was the cherished prize after the prep and hard work. 

I'm not opposed to this, just to be clear, but I was wondering what your thoughts are on this? Do you join a server cap in hand asking for handouts, or are you the one on global chat calling these guys everything under the sun and that they should "get gud"? 

[Kaprosuchus]

I feel that giving handouts that are above and beyond what players can earn on their own may make you feel better, kind of like charity work.

What is happening is you are shortening their stay on the server because the more you give the less important it is and the more likely they will get bored and quit.

That being said what i do give out in abundance is knowledge, i answer any question accurately and even describe or explain where they can find more information if they are the researching sort.  I've even been known to show up sometimes and clear our an awkward rex trying to gnaw on a hut if it seems like it's going to force someone to quit.  I do not want to steal people's sense of achievement if i can avoid it.  If they are the sort that cannot have fun without being hand held the entire way or they beg i generally don't want to get to know them.

[Sphere]

Free has no value.

[d1nk]

3 hours ago, Kaprosuchus said:

I feel that giving handouts that are above and beyond what players can earn on their own may make you feel better, kind of like charity work.

What is happening is you are shortening their stay on the server because the more you give the less important it is and the more likely they will get bored and quit.

That being said what i do give out in abundance is knowledge, i answer any question accurately and even describe or explain where they can find more information if they are the researching sort.  I've even been known to show up sometimes and clear our an awkward rex trying to gnaw on a hut if it seems like it's going to force someone to quit.  I do not want to steal people's sense of achievement if i can avoid it.  If they are the sort that cannot have fun without being hand held the entire way or they beg i generally don't want to get to know them.

Im sort of leaning more towards this.

On my old official Center I played I had a base near a spawn point. I was a solo player and made a 2nd gated area with a fridge, smithy, few AC and other goodies for newcomers.

Id say around 15 different new people used the area. The ones who used it while I was there would get free stuff, I bred a lot and gave away lots of nice pteras (this is before imprints) and anky/doeds to new guys. 

I had a box with primitive tools the other guys used when I was offline (gave quality ones to the people when I was online) and out of the 15~ 5 tribes actually stayed. 1 that I helped with items and the other 4 just used it as a spot to acquire their items (pick pike axe etc) to start their own places.

Sometimes less is more

 

Edit: I even had a few tribes who turned around and traded my gifted tames the moment I sold em. Some people.

[Bruvas78]

2 hours ago, d1nk said:

Im sort of leaning more towards this.

On my old official Center I played I had a base near a spawn point. I was a solo player and made a 2nd gated area with a fridge, smithy, few AC and other goodies for newcomers.

Id say around 15 different new people used the area. The ones who used it while I was there would get free stuff, I bred a lot and gave away lots of nice pteras (this is before imprints) and anky/doeds to new guys. 

I had a box with primitive tools the other guys used when I was offline (gave quality ones to the people when I was online) and out of the 15~ 5 tribes actually stayed. 1 that I helped with items and the other 4 just used it as a spot to acquire their items (pick pike axe etc) to start their own places.

Sometimes less is more

 

Edit: I even had a few tribes who turned around and traded my gifted tames the moment I sold em. Some people.

Trading items just given for free is a kick in the knackers. 

I stopped giving away dinos some time ago after giving a ptera to a new start. It was an excess egger, roughly level 50. Not brilliant by any means, but a better bird than I had in my first couple of months of playing the game. Rather than a thanks, I was asked if I had one of a higher level and with a better saddle. 

I said sure and asked for that bird back. Once I reclaimed it, I took off the saddle and piked it in front of him then went home. I was raging. 

[Zahlea]

1 hour ago, Bruvas78 said:

Trading items just given for free is a kick in the knackers. 

I stopped giving away dinos some time ago after giving a ptera to a new start. It was an excess egger, roughly level 50. Not brilliant by any means, but a better bird than I had in my first couple of months of playing the game. Rather than a thanks, I was asked if I had one of a higher level and with a better saddle. 

 I said sure and asked for that bird back. Once I reclaimed it, I took off the saddle and piked it in front of him then went home. I was raging. 

Good on you! I'm raging and I'm only hearing about it... the nerve of some people!!! ?

[Weiss]

2 hours ago, Bruvas78 said:

Rather than a thanks, I was asked if I had one of a higher level and with a better saddle. 

Woah! 

 

I'm on SE and if anyone asks for items to help them start I usually bring a set of primitive desert gear, a water bottle, and some sleeping bags and tell them where to get water from (beside the obvious source - blue bugs and wells) and to build an adobe spawn hut quickly.

I don't give away dinos any more, and if anyone asks I ignore it. I'll provide primitive saddles though if anyone isn't high lvl enough to craft them.

I once had a guy ask for some starter gear who said he already had a small base to spawn in. When I arrived to bring the stuff, he had a high lvl Lightning wyvern on his roof, a rex and some other dinos next to his building. I gave him the primitive armor, but kept a blue crossbow, hatchet and pickaxe. he said thanks. Never helped him after that and his base didn't exist for long.

 

Before our server was deleted I used to have a base near green obi and had some buildings on a cliff where I'd put and unclaim a few dinos we didn't need any more, and a unlocked box where I'd put excess SE blueprints and items. I placed some signs explaining that everyone should only take what they need. It worked pretty well. Some people only came to SE asking for adobe blueprints or vessels for base decoration. One guy wanted a thorny dragon because he liked their face and happily took a really low lvl one with him. Every week a few dinos had been claimed, but no one ever took all of them. One time someone even unclaimed his raptor in there. 

[Cymas]

I'm neither. I'm the one who fresh spawned on the server and is quietly building up by myself while reading global chat. Then one day someone will come across me and we'll chat a bit, or I'll pop into global asking to trade for something I need. Before the rework I'd usually be trading for argent eggs since most people have tons of birds and don't bother taming spinos.

That said on the unofficial I used to play on we had a steady influx of new players and I happened to be close enough to a couple of the newbie spawn points that I would often find them passed out in and around my base. Eventually I built a little "newbie survivor shack" on the edge of my property, a small wood cabin with unlocked doors and a couple of storage boxes. I chucked a bunch of low level gear in there and occasionally primitive metal tools when I had a ton of extras. It was easier than having to drag newbies out of my yard almost every day.

Never gave animals away for free though.