SylenThunder

This is a configuration set on the server. You will only be able to join servers where this setting is enabled. If a server is configured with AllowSharedConnections=False, then it is set so that the only people that can join the server are people who directly own the game. This is primarily done to prevent griefing and bypassing of bans. Until you own the game, you can only play on servers where the server configuration is AllowSharedConnections=True. Since this is not the default setting for a server, good luck finding a server you can play on.

Loot in the crate is determined when it spawns. Not sure how knowing this would allow you to increase your odds. Not sure exactly what creature you are looking for a saddle on because you failed at typing anything out properly. For most of them you can simply unlock the engram and craft them. Also be aware that not all of them are in the loot pool for supply crates. If the one you are looking for does exist in a supply crate, you would need to seek the correct level crate.

Ping is a quality of network connection metric. Ping is high because something is causing the data to take a long time to reach the destination. This is caused outside of the game client. Maybe your security software is causing it. Maybe your crap WiFi signal is causing it. Maybe the host has the same issues causing it. Maybe there is a problem with one of the hops the data takes on the internet in between yourself and the server. Maybe your CPU is struggling to meet the demands of the client, and is unable to process the network data in a timely manner. Troubleshoot the connection problem, and you can figure it out. No one else can do it for you. Whatever your ping is has absolutely nothing to do with whether you paid for the game or not, and is not a game-level issue to complain about.

Your series S has merely one third of the performance of the current generation of console hardware. It is literally just a glorified XB1 from the last generation. WildCard would have to move worlds in optimization to improve your performance on that platform, and I honestly don't ever see them doing that. They only really do enough to placate people and fix critical bugs and exploits, then work on selling the next DLC to make money. The only way you are honestly going to get a graphical improvement, is to get modern hardware that is capable of the task.

Not only is the transfer speeds for SD cards abhorrently slow, they get pretty expensive if you want something of decent quality. SSD's are the "bog standard" for games now. With many new games it is the minimum requirement. Your average 2.5" SATA SSD will achieve speeds of 500+ MB/s. A very fast SD Card is capable of less than half that at best (200MB/s), and your system would need to be capable of supporting the latest architecture. On average, most SD cards are only capable of 100MB/s, which is about the same as an archaic platter drive. And a lot of SD card makers are very loose in their advertising. Stating "lightning fast" speeds, but then you do some research on them and find that they are really only capable of doing marginally OK speeds. Sure it is fine for a digital camera. Not great for if you want to run games off of them. For the cost of portable storage to increase your space enough for the game, you might as well just purchase another SSD to add to your system. Or if you don't have the ability to add another SSD, to replace the drives you have with a larger one. I have a laptop that has 500GB M.2 for the OS, and a 1TB platter drive for additional storage. A 2TB SSD is only $100, and comes with cloning software to copy my existing drive to it. In comparison, a 1TB SD card of quality good enough to maybe be half as fast as the 2TB SSD is $130. Half the size, and half the performance, for a bigger price. And compare that to an external drive you just plug into USB. That seems like a great choice right? Wrong. A top-tier Samsung will run you $100 for a 1TB Drive. (And honestly, 1TB is your bare minimum here for a usable device.) It uses NVMe technology, so you will bet better speeds than an SSD, but ONLY if your hardware can support it. In real life testing, your average is going to be 200-400MB/s unless you have a fully dedicated USB3.0 rail and are using a high-bandwidth USB cable. And back to performance/cost-per-dollar you are again better off upgrading your existing internals. Do yourself a favor, and do a proper upgrade.

In the server settings there is an option for AdminLogging. When this is set to True, the commands are logged on the screen in that fashion.

Ok, so after a LOT of playing around with crap, I have finally figured it out. The interface is not intuitive at all. You need to find the icon that looks like an eye at the top of your inventory (near the 'i' button and auto stacking buttons (shows "Custom Cosmetics" on hover)). Then you click that, and it will show you all your skins. You then basically click on the skin you want to use and it applies it to the structure cosmetic icon. (Completely different from all the videos showing that you right-click the structure icon to get a drop-down list of them.) After it is selected, then you can go into the cosmetic tab and select the structure skin, then press E to start applying it.

This is confusing the heck out of me. I have subscribed to the Manor mod. It is also active on the server. However it doesn't show in the mod lists outside of being mentioned in the server log when it starts up. When I right-click on the structure cosmetic item, there is no drop down menu for skins. I tried resetting, restarting my character, and even making completely new saves. It still never shows up. Initially I thought the issue might be with the mod. However I have now subscribed to a few others. Not a single one is showing up. Even the StudioWildCard mods aren't showing. At least not in-game. They appear just fine as installed mods. I have also noticed that on the structure cosmetic icon is shows "Item is not yet usable". I have yet to figure out how to make it usable. Haven't had any issues with player or dino skins. Just structures.

It was available when the PS5 edition came out last year. It is mostly on official servers, and PvP servers may not support it. (There was a bug or something last November and they temporarily disabled it on the PvP servers. Unsure of current status because I do not care about PvP in Ark.) For private servers it would only work if the host set up the configuration to allow it.

And it is back again? But for how long? Any support here, or am I just speaking into the void?

Update: After today's update it appeared in the list. I was able to connect to the server from that list. Worked for a couple of hours, and now is MIA again.

Went out on a limb and enabled Multihome. Which shouldn't be an issue since this server is running independently of the other server computers, and is even on a separated subnet. I have double checked forwarding and firewalls. Everything checks out. I set up other servers on the same computer and they are able to show in server lists as well. When I check battlemetrics, and other similar sites the server shows as online.

Set up a dedicated server. I can connect to it directly just fine. It shows up correctly in Battlemetrics, and all ports are forwarded and open just like the other 25 servers we host. However, for some reason it is not findable in the server list. So basically no one will ever be able to find it. Startup command we are using is as follows. D:\Servers\ASA\ShooterGame\Binaries\Win64\ArkAscendedServer.exe TheIsland_WP?listen?Port=15640?QueryPort=15641 -mods=929800,929420,940003,929868,946694 -ServerPlatform=ALL -WinLiveMaxPlayers=4 -servergamelog -ServerRCONOutputTribeLogs -UseServerNetSpeedCheck