What Was the "Original" ARK You Were Supposed to Land On?

[SteinMon1920518]

Hey guys,

I've just finished Ascending on Scorched Earth (Alpha), and I noticed an interesting detail. During the Ascension, it appears you are flying towards another ARK, same as after the Island. At least, until you suddenly change direction as you're upload is seemingly hijacked (possibly by Rockwell), and you're forced towards Aberration. So it got me wondering if anyone has any details on where the Survivor was "Originally" supposed to go, as this implies we weren't technically supposed to follow the other Survivors (understandable, especially with so many ARK's).

So while I know that this "has" to match up story-wise, I was wondering if anyone had any info about the ARK we were supposed to be deposited on.

Bonus: Also wondering if anyone knows the in-game criteria for which ARK each Survivor(s) is deposited on after Ascension, as the purpose overall seems to be to retake the planet from the Titans, but with so many different ARK's, that seems to imply an entirety of new environments, ecosystems, and bosses to overcome. Is it just a wheel spin? Or is it something about the Survivor and their methods (as observed by the Overseer) that designates where they are uploaded to next?

[Pipinghot]

10 hours ago, SteinMon1920518 said:

I've just finished Ascending on Scorched Earth (Alpha), and I noticed an interesting detail. During the Ascension, it appears you are flying towards another ARK, same as after the Island. At least, until you suddenly change direction as you're upload is seemingly hijacked (possibly by Rockwell), and you're forced towards Aberration. So it got me wondering if anyone has any details on where the Survivor was "Originally" supposed to go, as this implies we weren't technically supposed to follow the other Survivors (understandable, especially with so many ARK's).

As far as I know this isn't something Wildcard has ever discussed or even hinted at.

10 hours ago, SteinMon1920518 said:

Bonus: Also wondering if anyone knows the in-game criteria for which ARK each Survivor(s) is deposited on after Ascension, as the purpose overall seems to be to retake the planet from the Titans, but with so many different ARK's, that seems to imply an entirety of new environments, ecosystems, and bosses to overcome. Is it just a wheel spin? Or is it something about the Survivor and their methods (as observed by the Overseer) that designates where they are uploaded to next?

When you say "in-game criteria" do you mean lore/story criteria?

The main (and only that I'm aware of) criteria is that you ascend to the next story-map (which is to say, the next paid DLC map in the original ASE series). Even though WC published 3rd party fan-made maps as free DLC in between the paid-DLC maps, they never referenced the free maps in the story, lore, or ascension videos, so all of their references are limited to their own maps, the paid maps that were created by WC employees.

But in terms of story, to the best of my knowledge there are not any forward-looking elements in the story telling, nothing that foreshadows the map you're going to be send to when you ascend (other than the ascension video itself). It's all retro-active story telling once you reach the new map, with the lore justifying in hindsight why you're now "here" at the new location.

[TheMoschopsGuy]

After analyzing the frame where you see it, the Ark looks like the Island: you can see some beaches and a jungle, all seemingly on one unique landmass

[TheMoschopsGuy]

 

On 7/6/2024 at 10:04 AM, SteinMon1920518 said:

Hey guys,

I've just finished Ascending on Scorched Earth (Alpha), and I noticed an interesting detail. During the Ascension, it appears you are flying towards another ARK, same as after the Island. At least, until you suddenly change direction as you're upload is seemingly hijacked (possibly by Rockwell), and you're forced towards Aberration. So it got me wondering if anyone has any details on where the Survivor was "Originally" supposed to go, as this implies we weren't technically supposed to follow the other Survivors (understandable, especially with so many ARK's).

In the lore Helena and Rockwell simply go on Aberration by using a computer i think where the Scorched Earth Overseer should be; Mei Yin ends up there by accident.

On 7/6/2024 at 10:04 AM, SteinMon1920518 said:

Bonus: Also wondering if anyone knows the in-game criteria for which ARK each Survivor(s) is deposited on after Ascension, as the purpose overall seems to be to retake the planet from the Titans, but with so many different ARK's, that seems to imply an entirety of new environments, ecosystems, and bosses to overcome. Is it just a wheel spin? Or is it something about the Survivor and their methods (as observed by the Overseer) that designates where they are uploaded to next?

I think that there is a certain path of Arks where a survivor ascends to and the starting point changes for everybody. 

 

[Howlk]

what if its lost island?

[SteinMon1920518]

When you say "in-game criteria" do you mean lore/story criteria?

Yeah, I meant lore-wise. Game-wise, I know it's just whatever the devs/studio puts out. But the vast amount of survival situations, and the fact that Aberration itself was it's own unique ARK before it got highjacked by Rockwell and his "experiments" seems to point at there being a vast number of differing ARK's to survive.

But in terms of story, to the best of my knowledge there are not any forward-looking elements in the story telling, nothing that foreshadows the map you're going to be send to when you ascend (other than the ascension video itself). It's all retro-active story telling once you reach the new map, with the lore justifying in hindsight why you're now "here" at the new location.

That kinda stinks. I'm all for implied story-telling, and probably normally wouldn't have cared, but the idea of a whole new ARK map (even if just implied) really got me curious. Because that means all new - or expanded familiar - environments, new resources, and my personal favorite, new creatures.

[SteinMon1920518]

On 7/6/2024 at 11:28 AM, Pipinghot said:

When you say "in-game criteria" do you mean lore/story criteria?

Yeah, I meant lore-wise. Game-wise, I know it's just whatever the devs/studio puts out. But the vast amount of survival situations, and the fact that Aberration itself was it's own unique ARK before it got highjacked by Rockwell and his "experiments" seems to point at there being a vast number of differing ARK's to survive.

On 7/6/2024 at 11:28 AM, Pipinghot said:

But in terms of story, to the best of my knowledge there are not any forward-looking elements in the story telling, nothing that foreshadows the map you're going to be send to when you ascend (other than the ascension video itself). It's all retro-active story telling once you reach the new map, with the lore justifying in hindsight why you're now "here" at the new location.

That kinda stinks. I'm all for implied story-telling, and probably normally wouldn't have cared, but the idea of a whole new ARK map (even if just implied) really got me curious. Because that means all new - or expanded familiar - environments, new resources, and my personal favorite, new creatures.

[TheMoschopsGuy]

21 hours ago, Howlk said:

what if its lost island?

It looks like, but it isn't. If you look at the obelisks' placement, you can see it's different,because the survivor should be able to see the desert but he can't. Also they probably used a partially differet Island for it

Edited July 8 by TheMoschopsGuy

[Qwertymine]

On 7/6/2024 at 3:04 AM, SteinMon1920518 said:

So while I know that this "has" to match up story-wise, I was wondering if anyone had any info about the ARK we were supposed to be deposited on.

Bonus: Also wondering if anyone knows the in-game criteria for which ARK each Survivor(s) is deposited on after Ascension, as the purpose overall seems to be to retake the planet from the Titans, but with so many different ARK's, that seems to imply an entirety of new environments, ecosystems, and bosses to overcome. Is it just a wheel spin? Or is it something about the Survivor and their methods (as observed by the Overseer) that designates where they are uploaded to next?

The answer to both of these questions is no.

There's no information as to what Ark we were being sent to, only what we can see in the cinematic, which is that its pretty similar to the Island (Likely a reused model).

There is also no information as to whether the next Ark is random, determined by the Overseers, or set. It's likely a set pattern based on whichever Ark you first appear on (For example, survivors who start on the Island will go to Scorched, then the mystery island, then wherever would be next) with a different path depending on where you start.