More Aberrant Variants for ARK: Survival Ascended

[MalarOpossum867]

ADDITIONS:

• Aberrant Yutyrannus (Spawns in The Grave of the Lost (Aberration), The Unknown (Valguero), and just like on the other maps, with a pack of 3 Aberrant Carnotaurus.)
• Aberrant Megatherium (Spawns in Fertile Land Chamber, Bio-Luminescent Chamber, Molten Element Chamber, The Grave of the Lost (Aberration), The Emerald Forest, The Unknown (Valguero))
• Aberrant Allosaurus (Spawns in Molten Element Chamber, The Grave of the Lost, Elemental Vault (Aberration), The Unknown (Valguero), in packs of 3.)
• Aberrant Kaprosuchus (Spawns in Fertile Land Chamber, Old Railway Cave, Bio-Luminescent Chamber, Hidden Grotto (Aberration), The Emerald Forest (Valguero))
• Aberrant Dilophosaur (Spawns in Fertile Land Chamber, Old Railway Cave (Aberration), The Emerald Forest (Valguero))
• Aberrant Onyc (Spawns in Old Railway Cave, Hidden Grotto, The Grave of the Lost, Elemental Vault (Aberration), The Unknown (Valguero))
• Aberrant Pegomastax (Spawns everywhere on Aberration except underwater, in the artifact caves (Old Railway Cave, Hidden Grotto, Elemental Vault) and on the surface. Also spawns on Valguero in The Emerald Forest and The Unknown.)
• Aberrant Daeodon (Spawns in Bio-Luminescent Chamber, Hidden Grotto, Molten Element Chamber, The Grave of the Lost, Elemental Vault (Aberration), The Unknown (Valguero))
• Aberrant Therizinosaur (Spawns in Bio-Luminescent Chamber, Molten Element Chamber, The Grave of the Lost (Aberration), The Unknown (Valguero))
• Aberrant Gallimimus (Spawns in Fertile Land Chamber, Bio-Luminescent Chamber (Aberration), The Emerald Forest (Valguero))
• Aberrant Microraptor (Spawns in Bio-Luminescent Chamber, Molten Element Chamber, The Grave of the Lost (Aberration), The Unknown (Valguero))
• Aberrant Troodon (Spawns in Fertile Land Chamber, Bio-Luminescent Chamber (Aberration), The Emerald Forest (Valguero))
• Aberrant Thorny Dragon (Spawns in Fertile Land Chamber, Bio-Luminescent Chamber (Aberration), The Emerald Forest (Valguero))
• Aberrant Mantis (Spawns in The Grave of the Lost (Aberration), The Unknown (Valguero), can be tamed with Reaper Pheromone Glands instead of Deathworm Horns to the same effectiveness.)

RE-DISTRIBUTIONS:

• Aberrant Araneo (Now spawns in Aberration's artifact caves.)
• Aberrant Megalania (No longer only spawns on Fjordur. Now spawns in Molten Element Chamber, The Grave of the Lost (Aberration), The Unknown (Valguero))
• Aberrant Dimorphodon (Now spawns in Fertile Land Chamber, Bio-Luminescent Chamber, Molten Element Chamber (Aberration, The Emerald Forest (Valguero), and spawn rates increased in The Grave of the Lost on Aberration and The Unknown on Valguero.)

 

Edited September 22, 2023 by MalarOpossum867

[Qwertymine]

Aberration was designed so that the focus on creatures like Rexes and Therizinos could be shifted to creatures who don't get used as much, like Spinos and Megalos. For this reason, the only suggested creatures I could see being a good fit for the map overall is the Kapro and Dilo, as some of the others like the Onyc, Troodon, and Pego are also just goddamn annoying, and it's nice to get a break from those little menaces. According to the devs, the Megalania steps on the toes of the Rock Drake a bit, but I can't say I agree, so that one's fine.  

[MalarOpossum867]

8 hours ago, Qwertymine said:

Aberration was designed so that the focus on creatures like Rexes and Therizinos could be shifted to creatures who don't get used as much, like Spinos and Megalos. For this reason, the only suggested creatures I could see being a good fit for the map overall is the Kapro and Dilo, as some of the others like the Onyc, Troodon, and Pego are also just goddamn annoying, and it's nice to get a break from those little menaces. According to the devs, the Megalania steps on the toes of the Rock Drake a bit, but I can't say I agree, so that one's fine.  

More possible changes: Reduce the Megalania's saddle level requirement from 73 to 57. Why is it so high? Maybe the Aberrant Megalania could be used as a pre-Rock Drake climber that you can use before you get a Rock Drake egg. Not an end-game creature which has a saddle that is unlocked after you can craft auto-turrets! However, the Troodon would be a bit too OP because it would spawn in starter areas, and since it would have the night buff ALWAYS active, they would actually make adventuring on Aberration dangerous! Also, I think that the Aberrant Rex would also be OP, so I'm removing it. The Aberrant Yutyrannus, however, would be ESSENTIAL to fighting Rockwell! However, to compensate, Rockwell's HP would be doubled on all difficulties (84000 on Gamma, 137000 on Beta, 230000 on Alpha). That would make a Yutyrannus REQUIRED to beat Rockwell! Also, because of the HP increase of Rockwell, the Teeming Caverns and the Artifact of the Lost would be re-introduced. Unlike the other three caves of Aberration, the Teeming Caverns would have creatures that spawn up to level 300! They can't be tamed, similar to creatures in the Snow Cave on The Island. The cave would also be VERY long, making it hard!

[Luux]

I can see the creatures like the Theri being omitted cause then who would ever tame a Roll Rat, they'd just get a Theri and a Paracer or some Ravagers and haul it or craft on the spot themselves.

The Rex is also a creature that is not designed to be in the Map, one reason is for space and the sake of turning radiuses, can you imagine steering a Rex in Ab? Getting suck on one of them would be a death sentence. Also, Spinos are supposed to be the prime large dinosaur carnivore there. It's intentional if anything, I think it's a good thing and gives the map more of a unique ecosystem.

Yuty is debateable, i have concepts for Ab map expansions and spiritual successors but unless the Ab map gets an Ice biome I don't see it happening. Allos are also something I don't think I can see on the map and might upset the balance of food chain aggression where most large carnivores aren't present and allow creatures like the Paracer and Diplodocus to exist without much worry if you stick to the safer areas. Same reason for Megatherium plus they'd never not be a threat, have you seen how often there are bugs down there?

Daeodons are kinda a pointless addition because we really don't need more pack species in the same tier as Ravagers. They also heal, which is something that isn't needed and Is actually inferior to the Plant

Gallis are a problem in themselves, have you ever tried to steer a Galli? They have a horrible turning radius, they get stuck on everything, they're made to cross plain horizontal distance. That's something this map is not built on, it has some of the most varying terrain and vertical difference in the game. Plus, you can barely use them on The Island, simply because the map is so small and cluttered that palm trees cause the same effect as your computer eating a Rare Flower.

Microraptors, no. Unneeded hazard. I may not care about Troodons or Pegos but Microraptors I draw the line. They are a sudden event that cannot be stopped unless you dismount and not being careful with how you traverse the map and pick your fights is vital in Ab, we don't need Microraptors tossing us off a cliff into the Rad chasm or into a pack of Raptors from atop your Carno.

The Onyc, Megalania, Araneo and Dimorphodon don't need to be added but would be nice. I think the Onyc and Megalania would be the most fitting, even if it's not tameable. It doesn't have to be, lots of stuff on Ab isn't tameable. Do I want to put Glowbugs in a jar and tame them all Fish Basket style? Yes. Do I want to tame all bugs and build a huge greenhouse full of them? Yes. But it's also not possible, at least not without Kraken's mod.

According to the devs, however, they're okay with adding an intermediate glider to the game, but not a mediocre wall climber? The Yi Qi was an ignorant decision to not disqualify. The gliding should only either be very limited or low quality movement like Parachute style gliding from the Archaeopteryx, Maevia's web concepts in its submissions, and Terror Birds. But I respect even Terror birds not being in Ab. I respect this map immensely. It my favorite map. It combines speculative science fiction with fantasy and alien themes and glow in the dark low light environments with a vibe like Avatar. Reaper sounds make me feel like I'm home and so much nostalgia.

I think they could definitely add a few creatures. If not. Make a new Ab. Yeah, seriously. Rag exists to be the better evolution of the Island, do it with Ab. Make the Rag for Ab. None of that Valguero stuffing everything below ground beneath the main map, none of this easy mode Fjordur giving you every creature in a grocery shopping trio. Actual, serious Aberration. You've got no wood gatherers except for a giant mole rat that will kill you if you take its shinies, your thirsty and scarfing mushrooms to survive, you just saw an Alpha Basilisk, you fell into a lake with 50 Piranhas all stacked on one spot inside each other. And you had to get spawn killed by Ravagers and Raptors at least 25 times before you finally spawned in a place without aggressive mobs in the immediate vicinity.

Adding some more glowy creatures doesn't have to hurt the game, put Troodons in there, Ravagers and even a good pack of Raptors will eat them for Breakfast, you'd be stupid to go skipping around Aberration without dinos or a smart strategy to begin with. Dilophosaurus would be cool looking, imagine how they'd do the frill if the X Spino looks so good. They'd also be great for fighting creatures because of their spit that slows and damages stuff. I'd love to see a glowing Pego, like one of those rubber hairy plastic toys you get from the arcades except it steals your left femur and runs for the border.

Also, on the common hatred of Pegos by the populace. Icthys are worse cause they fly, and eat their catch immediately, even then, Pegos are useful cause they are strong enough to kill things that kill you. I once died taming a high level Pachyrhino cause it woke up and when I came back it was dead, because my 140 before taming Pego had killed it. I then walked up the cliff nearby to go to the Beaver rivers by the Green Ob, i got killed by a lone Allosaurus that fell from the top. I got back and it was fighting my Pego, it killed the Allo. The Allo was not low level.

You've got way worse threats in Ab then pocket picking hairy cat sized gremlins, or chickens that brush their teeth with hospital anesthetic. Ravagers are literally so much worse, the Raptors here still have their pounce, the rivers are crawling with things that will murder you, your only options for protection are few and far between, and the only biome that you can live in without a glowpet to fend off the Nameless is a hotbed for danger noodles that got hit by the same radiation as the Hulk.

There is absolutely no reason to not add more Aberration Vairants. Keep the balance and make more glowy stuff.

[shadowdragon11]

Hi,

I haven't play aberration yet, but I heard that there is many sauropods on that mat so maybe aberrant amargasaurus may be useful?

[MalarOpossum867]

Update: 09/22/2023:

• Removed Aberrant Rex (Reapers are their replacement.)
• Added Aberrant Mantis and Aberrant Thorny Dragon (not just Island creatures should get Aberrant Variants!)