musical mechanics! Sauroposeidon, The Melodic Earthshaker

[Shockal]

Turn ARK into a rhythm game with the mighty Sauroposeidon!

(All artwork by me)

Wild:
Sauroposeidon rythmos is the largest dinosaur to inhabit the sunken forest. Of course, it’s nowhere near the size of the Forest Titan, but nonetheless, it towers over most animals. This mighty sauropod has a habitual tendency to stomp the ground, creating deep shockwaves that echo onwards for miles.

Interestingly, when it stomps, it does so with a very rhythmic beat. Additionally, it will accompany its tempo with the bass of its voice and the smack of its tail. I’m not sure if they do this for communication or just for fun, but it seems they understand the concept of music.

Domesticated:
Riding a Sauroposeidon rythmos is like being the conductor of a living orchestra. Start a tempo with its stomps, and ramp it up with the bass of its voice and the clap of its tail. As its cadence swells, it’ll gain courage and grow more powerful. At its pinnacle, it’ll break into a song that will inspire the hearts of all creatures that hear it, turning the tide against even the most devastating corrupted hordes. Just try not to miss a beat, lest you ruin the rhythm!

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

Gameplay Summary:

Turn ARK into a rhythm game with the Sauroposeidon! Become a living percussion by rhythmically attacking to the beat of the battle theme - or any music you may have tabbed out (how would this work? I will explain it all below!) Stomp, kick, roar, and whip with a good sense of beat to achieve maximum DPS. Use your musical movement to inspire allies with the courage to continue fighting against the innumerable odds, wave after wave.

Outside of combat, the Sauroposeidon is an incredibly reliable cargo traveler. Although not exactly “fast”, it still has decent speed, and it simply steps over various obstacles that smaller creatures would have been trapped in, like ledges and divots. It can also smash rocks and gather humongous quantities of flint: a resource which only few creatures are specialized to harvest.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

Abilities:

Passive Mechanic #1 - Omni Movement:

The Sauroposeidon can turn in place, strafe, and attack while moving.

 

Passive Mechanic #2 - Attack to the beat:

The Sauroposeidon boasts a complex but fun rhythm mechanic!

To activate the rhythm mechanic, you simply use any attack twice. The game will remember the amount of time that passed in-between your first and second attack, and that brief duration will dictate the speed of your tempo. For example, if the time in-between your first and second attack was one second, then you’ll create a tempo with one-second beats. Being able to choose your tempo means you'll be able to follow along with any song.

A faster beat will result in less damage per stomp, while a slower beat will result in higher. The attack speed compensates for this, so the DPS should equal-out, regardless of tempo.

As the tempo loops, you’ll need to time its beats with attacks in order to maintain it. Miss a beat, and the tempo will end. Continually miss the beats, and you’ll be debuffed with lower damage. But consistently land all your combos, and you'll slowly deal more damage. Keep going and mix it up with different attacks, and you’ll be rewarded with various buffs in the form of a rallying call.

If nearby allies are using drums, Yutyrannus roars, or Mammoth drum saddles, the buff will be amplified even further. Start up a band!

(If you wish to attack without triggering the rhythm mechanic, simply toggle it with [Crouch])

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

Mouse1 - Leg Stomp:

The Sauroposeidon stomps with its feet. The direction of the stomp is determined by the player’s FOV. For example, looking behind will cause the Sauroposeidon to stomp with its back feet.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

Mouse2 - Tail Crack:

The Sauroposeidon uses its tail to whip enemies away. Much like the Leg Stomp, the direction of this tail attack is determined by the player’s FOV. It is a very long tail, so it can even hit enemies in front of the Sauroposeidon.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

Spacebar - Neck Ram:

The Sauroposeidon swings around its enormous neck. Again, like the previous two attacks, the direction of this neck attack is determined by the player’s FOV.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

Reload - Rallying Call:

Do the roar! The Rallying Call is only available after rhythmically performing twenty consecutive moves in a row, and the buff it provides depends on which attacks were used to lead up to it.

- Leg Stomps grant 1% bonus damage per time used.

- Neck Rams grant 1% damage resistance per time used.

- Tail Cracks grant 1% increased speed per time used.

This means that if you performed thirteen Leg Stomps, five Neck Rams, and two Tail Cracks before activating the Rallying Call, it would provide you and nearby allies 13% bonus damage, 5% damage resistance, and 2% increased speed. The duration of the buff is brief, but can be extended with another Rallying Call. The effects stack.

If a nearby player is using war drums, Mammoth saddle drums, or a roaring Yutyrannus, the buff effects are doubled, and it grants the extra bonus effect of a temporary XP boost.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

Taming:

War drums! Approach a wild Sauroposeidon and play your hearty drums.

The Sauroposeidon will notice and challenge you to a musical battle. After a few minutes of playing, the Sauroposeidon will start becoming dizzy from so much dancing - utilize that window of opportunity to shoot it with tranquilizers! Be quick before it regains its focus again. You don't want it to realize you're trying to knock it out.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

A possible TEK Saddle?

A saddle fitted with giant TEK speakers that allows your Sauroposeidon to play any of ARK’s soundtrack in the game at any time!

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Some of you may recognize me...

Congratulations if you noticed quickly! I am the creator of the Miracinonyx, Ornimegalonyx and Armadillosuchus - and now the Sauroposeidon! This is now my sixth time in the top ten. From now on, I will prioritize making new creatures ideas over resubmitting old ones. You can still expect to see some old creations return to the votes, but it won't happen often anymore.

The Sauroposeidon isn't the only new creature idea I made for Extinction. I'm doing a double submission! My other creature is the Ozimek.

My last double submission was during the Aberration votes, but I pulled one of them down. This time, however, I'd like to keep both up and see where they go.

As always, thanks for reading. Feel free to leave any suggestions.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

Bonus: The Art Gallery of Shockal's ARK Creature Submissions

Edited September 21, 2023 by Shockal

[LeDonkaConka]

Pretty cool guy

[Kintyj]

Sounds Genuinely fun to use, really hope it can break into the top 10.

[Ultiman34]

Love the art for this dino! its abilities are pretty unique and seem to be relatively balanced.

[Sandmanf450]

Pretty cool taming method 

[Lordtitanosaur]

I love this idea it's very unique love the music concept especially on a sauropod I hope you make it 

[Romuluas]

Another 10/10 Shockai creation! One of these really gotta win.

 

Actually, Shockai if u see this I think it'd be a great idea to collaborate either some modders (maybe Garuga and Upfromthedepths) and together make a mod adding in all of your fantastic submissions. The Sauroposiedon, Ornimegalonyx, Miracinonyx, Armadillosuchus, Cotoylorynhcus, and more!

[Shockal]

Just now, Romuluas said:

Another 10/10 Shockai creation! One of these really gotta win.

 

Actually, Shockai if u see this I think it'd be a great idea to collaborate either some modders (maybe Garuga and Upfromthedepths) and together make a mod adding in all of your fantastic submissions. The Sauroposiedon, Ornimegalonyx, Miracinonyx, Armadillosuchus, Cotoylorynhcus, and more!

Funny that you say that, because I did work for ARK: Additions a bit.

I am the artist behind the Savage Acro boss flag.

[Romuluas]

Just now, Shockal said:

Funny that you say that, because I did work for ARK: Additions a bit.

I am the artist behind the Savage Acro boss flag.

That's awesome! I didn't know that! Perhaps we will see all your amazing creatures somehow, someday!

 

Edit: Just saw the new Anti-Flyer creature and it looks amazing just like everything else!

[Shockal]

Just now, Romuluas said:

That's awesome! I didn't know that! Perhaps we will see all your amazing creatures somehow, someday!

 

Edit: Just saw the new Anti-Flyer creature and it looks amazing just like everything else!

Yep. I have loads of ideas in my head, so I'm doing double submissions for this round.

From now on, I'm going to prioritize making new creatures over resubmitting old ones.

[Beelzebufo522]

Very creative!

[jivtihus]

wow, this is a very well made submission.

[Zilzo]

I’ll be the first to admit that Sauropods are far from my favorites, but this is super creative and clever. The concept is cute and it could amount to an interesting mini game. Also using the drums as a taming method is brilliant!

Edited September 2, 2023 by Zilzo
Typos.

[Rutabaga]

You know what? I think Extinction could do with a sauropod, and this concept both portrays a really nice to control sauropod, along with a very amusing taming method.

We need the Guitar Hero tame! Even if it doesn't win, I would love to see it as a mod.

[IHendo]

Love this, love music, love sauropods, love your ideas, this is by far the best and automatically has my vote, ark need more music and I love the taming idea, this needs to come to ark

[Riot87]

6 hours ago, Shockal said:

Turn ARK into a rhythm game with the mighty Sauroposeidon!

(Artwork by me, and more artwork coming soon!)

Wild:
Sauroposeidon rythmos is the largest dinosaur to inhabit the sunken forest. Of course, it’s nowhere near the size of the Forest Titan, but nonetheless, it towers over most animals. This mighty sauropod has a habitual tendency to stomp the ground, creating deep shockwaves that echo onwards for miles.

Interestingly, when it stomps, it does so with a very rhythmic beat. Additionally, it will accompany its tempo with the bass of its voice and the smack of its tail. I’m not sure if they do this for communication or just for fun, but it seems they understand the concept of music.

Domesticated:
Riding a Sauroposeidon rythmos is like being the conductor of a living orchestra. Start a tempo with its stomps, and ramp it up with the bass of its voice and the clap of its tail. As its cadence swells, it’ll gain courage and grow more powerful. At its pinnacle, it’ll break into a song that will inspire the hearts of all creatures that hear it, turning the tide against even the most devastating corrupted hordes. Just try not to miss a beat, lest you ruin the rhythm!

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Gameplay Summary:

Turn ARK into a rhythm game with the Sauroposeidon! Become a living percussion by rhythmically attacking to the beat of the battle theme - or any music you may have tabbed out (how would this work? I will explain it all below!) Stomp, kick, roar, and whip with a good sense of beat to achieve maximum DPS. Use your musical movement to inspire allies with the courage to continue fighting against the innumerable odds, wave after wave.

Outside of combat, the Sauroposeidon is an incredibly reliable cargo traveler. Although not exactly “fast”, it still has decent speed, and it simply steps over various obstacles that smaller creatures would have been trapped in, like ledges and divots. It can also smash rocks and gather humongous quantities of flint: a resource which only few creatures are specialized to harvest.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Abilities:

Passive Mechanic #1 - Omni Movement:

The Sauroposeidon can turn in place, strafe, and attack while moving.

 

Passive Mechanic #2 - Attack to the beat:

The Sauroposeidon boasts a complex but fun rhythm mechanic!

To activate the rhythm mechanic, you simply use any attack twice. The game will remember the amount of time that passed in-between your first and second attack, and that brief duration will dictate the speed of your tempo. For example, if the time in-between your first and second attack was one second, then you’ll create a tempo with one-second beats. Being able to choose your tempo means you'll be able to follow along with any song.

A faster beat will result in less damage per stomp, while a slower beat will result in higher. The attack speed compensates for this, so the DPS should equal-out, regardless of tempo.

As the tempo loops, you’ll need to time its beats with attacks in order to maintain it. Miss a beat, and the tempo will end. Continually miss the beats, and you’ll be debuffed with lower damage. But consistently land all your combos, and you'll slowly deal more damage. Keep going and mix it up with different attacks, and you’ll be rewarded with various buffs in the form of a rallying call.

If nearby allies are using drums, Yutyrannus roars, or Mammoth drum saddles, the buff will be amplified even further. Start up a band!

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Mouse1 - Leg Stomp:

The Sauroposeidon stomps with its feet. The direction of the stomp is determined by the player’s FOV. For example, looking behind will cause the Sauroposeidon to stomp with its back feet.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Mouse2 - Tail Crack:

The Sauroposeidon uses its tail to whip enemies away. Much like the Leg Stomp, the direction of this tail attack is determined by the player’s FOV. It is a very long tail, so it can even hit enemies in front of the Sauroposeidon.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Spacebar - Neck Ram:

The Sauroposeidon swings around its enormous neck. Again, like the previous two attacks, the direction of this neck attack is determined by the player’s FOV.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Reload - Rallying Call:

Do the roar! The Rallying Call is only available after rhythmically performing twenty consecutive moves in a row, and the buff it provides depends on which attacks were used to lead up to it.

- Leg Stomps grant 1% bonus damage per time used.

- Neck Rams grant 1% damage resistance per time used.

- Tail Cracks grant 1% increased speed per time used.

This means that if you performed thirteen Leg Stomps, five Neck Rams, and two Tail Cracks before activating the Rallying Call, it would provide you and nearby allies 13% bonus damage, 5% damage resistance, and 2% increased speed. The duration of the buff is brief, but can be extended with another Rallying Call. The effects stack, but they have a certain limit.

If a nearby player is using war drums, Mammoth saddle drums, or a roaring Yutyrannus, the buff effects are doubled, and it grants the extra bonus effect of a temporary XP boost.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Taming:

War drums! Approach a wild Sauroposeidon and play your hearty drums.

The Sauroposeidon will notice and challenge you to a musical battle. After a few minutes of playing, the Sauroposeidon will start becoming dizzy from so much dancing - utilize that window of opportunity to shoot it with tranquilizers! Be quick before it regains its focus again.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

A possible TEK Saddle?

A saddle fitted with giant TEK speakers that allows your Sauroposeidon to play any of ARK’s soundtrack in the game at any time!

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Some of you may recognize me...

Congratulations if you noticed quickly! I am the creator of the Miracinonyx, Ornimegalonyx and Armadillosuchus - and now the Sauroposeidon! This is now my sixth time in the top ten. From now on, I will prioritize making new creatures ideas over resubmitting old ones. You can still expect to see some old creations return to the votes, but it won't happen often anymore.

The Sauroposeidon isn't the only new creature idea I made for Extinction. I'm doing a double submission! My other creature is the Ozimek.

My last double submission was during the Aberration votes, but I pulled one of them down. This time, however, I'd like to keep both up and see where they go.

As always, thanks for reading. Feel free to leave any suggestions.

I think it's cool that you are willing to make new creatures instead of resubmitting the same creature every vote.

Edited September 2, 2023 by Riot87

[BeeHive]

Great work, let's get the song going 

[JayZX535]

Dang, ARK and rhythm game are two concepts I would never have thought of putting together, but it sounds cool!  Nice work, as always

[Sabergamer]

I love this idea a dancing Dinosaur it would be the most unique dinosaur yet 

[IHendo]

I have a Suggestion:

I love the taming method, the attacks and everything about it but I would make one change.

During playing music with it in the taming method you shoot an animal you are playing music with, and sauropods seem quite intelligent.

Maybe for a new method you play a tune on the drums then it plays the same tune, then it's their turn to play a tune and you have to do the right one or you lose effectiveness.

A bit like Simon says but without Simon and with music.

Edited September 2, 2023 by IHendo

[Shockal]

48 minutes ago, IHendo said:

I have a Suggestion:

I love the taming method, the attacks and everything about it but I would make one change.

During playing music with it in the taming method you shoot an animal you are playing music with, and sauropods seem quite intelligent.

Maybe for a new method you play a tune on the drums then it plays the same tune, then it's their turn to play a tune and you have to do the right one or you lose effectiveness.

A bit like Simon says but without Simon and with music.

The gist is that you only shoot it when its dizzy, because it won't notice.

If you shoot it while its still focused, it will drop what its doing and attack you.

[Avion1929]

I can't wait to have a DDR battle with a sauropod

[Xifor]

This got to be one of my favourite submissions so far, in all the creature votes.
Incredibly unique and good job! Hope this wins!

[someguywholikesspace]

need this thing onb

[SEBtheBASTION]

I love the idea of a support sauropod. Your an expert and I'm just a fan so I have very little experience, but maybe make the call just an upscaled Yuti that only buffs large creatures but for a lot more than the Yuti (making it an essential for Titan fights). I also am confused on how the rythm would work, is there an indicator to show when you need to do the next attack or do you just have to guess? If so maybe you could have a tap meter to show how well you hit the rythm.

The neck swipe feels the same as the tail swipe, so maybe it could instead be used to start/cancel the rythm to avoid accidentally decreasing damage while harvesting etc. This could also make it simpler to use.

I really do love the Idea of it and I'm praying the miracinonyx wins the valguero vote