FlorianWind9

Hey All!! It’s been a really long time since I’ve posted something on here in the Creative Chat, and I’ve got two more chapters to share, so I thought I’d post them for anyone who’d like to read them!🙂 To whom it may concern, I may never end up posting the entire story due to how long it takes to write stuff; but, I hope that these two more chapters can be enjoyed anyways!😁 IMPORTANT CONTEXT!! The events of this story are Very Heavily based upon the true life events experienced through the perspective of the player character Florian, Nine, Wind. The events are marginally smoothed to convert video game aspects into real life description, and ever so slightly dramatized for entertainment purposes; to make the story more enjoyable. These events occurred within the online video game “Ark Survival Evolved” which is owned by “Studio Wildcard”. So…while the original life events occurred through Florian and the other player characters mentioned within this story; the world scenery and visual assets, as well as the in-game story elements, were created by and are owned by “Studio Wildcard”. These events occurred majoritively upon the “Official The Island Server 39”, with only the very ending occurring upon the “Official The Island Server 2”; and the planned Epilogue on the “Official Ragnarok Server 65”; all of which no longer exist. Server 39 and 2 would be considered "Legacy ASE Servers" if they still existed. Server 65 would be considered a "Modern ASE Server That Has Ended" if it also still existed. The player created events of this story occurred between the time period of the game’s early access launch, on the online video-game hosting service “Steam” owned by “Valve”, which debuted on June 2, 2015; and just slightly beyond the game’s "full 1.0 release" on August 29, 2017. More specifically; the story of Florian’s journey, which would be depicted within the completed version of this book(If I ever manage to fully complete it), transpired approximately between November 28, 2015 and November 4, 2017. I am hoping that this story will be a way for people who love Ark; that have friends that don't like playing video games; or not open world sand box video games; but who may like to read; to show those friends what the game Ark Survival Evolved is really like; or at least what it CAN be. I am also hoping to convey to those who may read it what This Video Game Has Meant To Me Personally. So...Without Further ADO...I Hope You Enjoy! 132 132 Chapter 16 Grognok’s Tales from the Past It had been about two weeks now, since I’d begun building the stone structure; which had rapidly come to feel like a real home. After completing its outer frame, I’d swiftly furnished the inside with two beds; made of thatch mattresses on wooden frames, with hide blankets alongside hide pillow cases stuffed with fiber filling…a cooking pot; made from a hollowed out rock hung over a simple fire-pit by three wooden poles, that were lashed tightly together in a teepee formation…a preserving bin to slow the spoilage of food; constructed of hard wood placed onto a cooling stone foundation…along with an assortment of large wooden storage boxes on the first floor, as well as a third bed and further storage on the upper level. Though I’d been living and working primarily alone…I hadn’t really felt lonely either. Between a couple of friendly neighbors living just a half-mile away, an assortment of helpful individuals to converse with over the Island-Wide implant communication, and the pair of living rugs beneath my feet; it had seemed that my earlier fearful aversion to the humans of this isle, had been somewhat excessive…at least in regards to a few persons. Having essentially finished my human-sized dwelling, I’d now begun to lay the stone foundation for what I intended to become a ‘Dino-Garage’ of sorts. So far, I’d managed to harvest and haul enough materials over to outline the structure’s outer dimensions; beginning its construction approximately fifteen feet North of my human residence, I’d setup the groundwork for the building to be about thirty feet wide by forty-two feet long against the water’s length. At this point however, I’d now run into a bit of an issue…it was becoming increasingly difficult to find harvestable resources nearby; especially when it came to trees… 133 133 Shouldering the awkward wooden log carrier, which I’d recently put together, I ventured off down the coastline once again; in search of sturdy trees to fell with my stone hatchet. After traveling about a mile to the North, I again found myself beneath the pair of heavily forested plateaus; with a gently sloping, grassy path leading up between them. Seeing the dense timber, my eyes grew wide with greed; as I instinctively began to move towards the trail that would bring me up and around to their thick, durable trunks. As I approached the pathway’s base however, I again was stopped; by the series of large wooden billboards, which displayed boldly in brushed white paint the ominous warning; ‘NO TRESPASSING! TRAPS AND TURRETS AHEAD! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!’ I now knew these signs to belong to a secluded old man known as ‘Grognok The Bewildered’… I also knew, that he loathed visitors…and despised uninvited guests. ‘MeatStick warned me to stay out of Grognok’s claimed territory... Although, he had also said that it had been a fairly long time since he’d seen or heard from him... For all anyone knew, Grognok might actually not be around anymore.’ ‘…Preferring the empty silence of seclusion, he may have even given himself over to the slumbering void trance; resigned to remain hidden in the depths of his maze-like complex of defenses...’ ‘In any case; how would Grognok know if someone had been on his land, if he never left the walls of his stone fortress? …Even if he was still awake somewhere in there…surely he wouldn’t notice, if I took just a few steps beyond his signs…and cut down only a couple trees near the edge... After-all; he had so many lofty trees on his land, that certainly he wouldn’t miss one or two…and I really needed the building material.’ Despite my seemingly sound reasoning however, I hadn’t taken more than four paces passed his outer-most billboard; when a thundering, cantankerous, male voice ROARED through the implant below my left wrist; “HEY YOU THERE! GET THE EFFING HECK OFF MY LAWN! DIDN’T YOU SEE THE SIGNS?! CAN’T YOU READ?! IF YOU END UP GETTING YOUR LEG CHOPPED OFF IN ONE OF MY TRAPS, DON’T YOU DARE COME CRYING TO ME!!” 134 134 Stumbling backwards in surprise, so that I came to stand just outside the perimeter of his warning signs, I quickly responded with a sheepish stutter; “W-Wh-Who? M-Me?” Immediately after, the same voice bellowed sharply in reply; “YES! YOU, WHO JUST STUMBLED BACKWARDS BEYOND MY SIGNS! MAKE SURE YOU STAY ON THAT SIDE OF THEM, UNLESS YOU WANT TO GET YOUR HEAD CHOPPED OFF; OR WORSE! …YOU’VE BEEN WARNED! SO I WON’T BE RESPONSIBLE IF YOU LOSE ANY GEAR, OR YOUR LIFE, ON MY PROPERTY!” Desiring to deescalate the situation before I made an unnecessary enemy, I swiftly replied in an apologetic tone; “Oh…You’re Mr. Grognok right? …I’m so sorry for crossing into your territory…I didn’t realize that where I was heading, was still on your property…I’ll be more careful next time…It won’t happen again; I promise!” Unconvinced by my apparent words of remorse, Grognok growled back; “YEAH, RIGHT! THAT’S WHAT ALL YOU LITTLE BEACH BOBS SAY WHEN YOU’RE CAUGHT IN THE ACT! THEN LATER TONIGHT, YOU’LL COME SNEAKING BACK; TO CUT DOWN MY TREES, TEAR UP MY ROCKS, DIG UP MY SOIL, OR BREAK INTO MY HOME AND STEAL!!” Suddenly remembering the trick MeatStick had mentioned to help Grognok calm down…and not wanting to give anyone else who might be listening on the Island-Wide-Chat, the impression that I was nothing more than a common thief…I yelled back without hesitation; “No! You’ve got me all wrong! I would never steal from anyone! …We’ve just gotten off on the wrong foot here! Let’s start again; can we please? …My name’s Florian, and MeatStick told me a lot about you. He said that you were one of the first people to appear on this island! Is that true? I’d love to hear about what things were like back then…it might help me to understand things a little more! …I’ve been so confused about what’s going on here ever since I first arrived, and I’ve been trying to find a way off this isolated isle; but there doesn’t seem to be a way!” His voice a little calmer now, though still quite aggravated, Grognok answered back in a derisive tenor; “I don’t care what your name is, or who told you what about me! I don’t have time to go around divulging the history of this island, to every wide-eyed little newbie; who washes up on the beach! …Neither do I have the time to keep them out of my dangerous traps! That’s what the signs are supposed to be for! …So heed their warning, and buzz-off!” 135 135 I then heard the familiarly assertive voice of MeatStick, as it came casually amused over the Island-Wide-Chat; “Oh c’mon Grognok old buddy! Florian there’s going to be your newest neighbor! …I told him he could build a little shack to protect himself from the glaring sun, out on the peninsula’s point, and he’s already got it setup! So you’ll have to learn to get along with him sooner or later!” GhostFace then chimed in as well, with a sarcastic laugh; “Yeah! Tell us a story, Grognok ole’ buddy!” I heard a deep sigh of irritation fizzle through the communications channel, followed shortly by Grognok’s exasperated intonation; “FINE! …You can cut down the little trees on the beach a short walk to the North for your lumber, but stay outside my property line! …If you’re going to insist upon living nearby, then you should memorize its boundary; to avoid any accidental intrusion... I’ve got legions of traps setup all over the area; so it’s as much for your protection as it is my privacy... As for the past; well…I suppose you may respect the sovereignty of my land more, if you knew what all I had to go through to get it... But listen closely! I don’t particularly enjoy talking to anyone for any length of time…and even more-so, when speaking of the past…so I’m only going to tell you once! Got it?!” As I headed over to the trees he spoke of, so that I’d be doubly productive while I listened to his tale, I readily hollered back in the affirmative; “Yep! I got it! …Thank you so much!” An eerie silence then settled upon my left wrist……as Grognok gathered his thoughts. A few minutes later, I could hear as he let out a slow…deep breath…before speaking in the soft dreamy quality, of someone delving into memories of the distant past; “Well, I can’t be certain if I truly was one of the very first humans to appear on this island; in a flash of blinding light... By the time I had learned to use my implant, the day-counter was already over a hundred... Not that anyone really knows what the counter signifies; aside from possibly marking the time that’s passed since the first human, or the first entity with an implant, showed up on the island...” 136 136 “What I can tell you though, is that in those early days; all was chaos…” “People were popping up left and right, north and south, east and west, up and down; far faster than new arrivals appear now…” “Unlike today, there were no established tribes; no prebuilt structures; no pre-carved paths through the wilderness; and no hierarchy of authority...” “Everyone who existed at that time, found themselves suddenly flung into the same situation…” “Everyone fresh…” “Everyone new to the environment…” “Everyone stumbling about, confused; naked; and afraid…” “It was everybody for themselves back in those days. Kill or be killed it was; survival of the fittest…or in some cases; the most cunning...” “Heh; it’d be easy to understand why even in those days, I preferred my solitude…” “For example…one day while exploring the shoreline, I noticed that little crescent-shaped islet a mile off the coast; which still sits to the South of us today... When I first saw it, I had thought to myself; ‘surely no-one would be crazy enough to swim all the way out there... If I could get over there; then I could have all the peace and quiet I want, while I try to figure all this out.’” “…So I dove into the water, and I swam the entire mile out to the islet; and just as I had thought, it was indeed empty of any human activity. I built myself a nice little thatch hut out there, and sat for many days in peaceful contemplation...” “Unfortunately; the peace didn’t last... It wasn’t long before others got the same idea I had; and then the whole islet was covered end to end in thatch huts…” “Even out there, separated and secluded from the larger isle as it was, the chaos and strife spread like a raging fire…” 137 137 “Truly, it was a dark period of time in the beginning… The shoreline littered in small thatch and wooden huts, so that a person could barely walk along it…people killing each-other, and themselves, constantly over the most trivial of matters…the murders and suicides which only escalated, once it was discovered that the usual laws of death didn’t apply here…fearsome monsters roaming unchecked; devouring entire villages without receiving so much as a scratch in return, due to our feeble defenses…and always the ever mysterious, dark interior of the island; looming like a veil of terror, that few dared to pass into…” “Things went on like this for quite some time… Everyone stumbling in the darkness of confusion… Caring only about their own survival; and doing whatever it took to secure it for even one more minute…” “Until one day; four individuals, whose names unfortunately escape me now, came together to form the fearsome tribe…known reverently as; ‘The Four Horsemen’… Under this banner, each of them took up a symbolic name linking them to one of the four fabled horsemen of the apocalypse; War…Famine…Pestilence…and Death...” “Combining their strength, they washed over the island as an unrelenting flood; uniting all the quarreling peoples into Beta, Ceta, and Delta tribes; while establishing themselves as the island’s First True Alpha...” “Their mastery of combat, tactics, trickery, and coordination knew no equal at the time; and while it had been a bloody struggle to the top, once they were there, they ruled with an unshakable iron fist!” “…After they’d finally rounded up the last of the dissenters…either forcing them to swear loyalty by joining an obedient subordinate tribe, or keeping them confined in unbreakable iron cages…the island slipped gradually into an objectively peaceful period...” “Sure; everyone had to do whatever each of ‘The Four Horsemen’ said…and pay them regular taxes of harvested supplies, or volunteer their effort for building monuments to their greatness…but; the bloodshed had largely stopped, and order reigned firmly throughout the island.” 138 138 “…With grand hunting expeditions into the interior, organized and lead by the well-established rulers, the worst of the monstrous beasts were kept at bay...” ~~~~~~~ “Unfortunately, however, over time the armistice came to not sit so well with the member who called himself War…and thanks to him, the amity wasn’t to last...” “In an act of utter betrayal…he gathered a multitude of devoted lackeys to his side…and struck down the other three horsemen; before they even had the chance to discover his devious scheme...” “Renaming the revered Alpha Tribe, as the ‘Inglorious Bastards’, he set himself up as a king; and singularly ruled over the entire island with a merciless hand!” “…While the ruling of ‘The Four Horsemen’ had been strict and arduous…the man who had once called himself War showed absolutely no humanity, while he posed himself as the divine emperor of his ‘Inglorious Bastards’! …Once again, the island was thrown into a period of turmoil and bloodshed; as Emperor War made certain that his entertaining conflict would never end...” “For a time, it seemed that peace would never again be a possibility… Tried as I might; I was unable to find any safe place to hide away from the terror…” “But, through the renewed carnage, there did shine a small glimmer of hope however.” “…The other three horsemen brought low…though unable to die as you well know…they looked upon the desolation with compassionate eyes; and vowed to put an end to War’s despotic rule!” “…Slowly amassing an army in secret, of like-minded individuals who yearned for peace, they rebranded their banner; calling themselves simply ‘The Ones’…and made a stand against War’s tyrannical throne!” “…The clash between the ‘Inglorious Bastards’ and ‘The Ones’ lasted for several months, as I tried my best to conceal myself amidst the sidelines; not having the stomach to engage in such slaughter...” 139 139 “It began first with a campaign of successful guerrilla warfare stratagems; chipping away at War’s defenses, while disrupting attempts to restock essential supplies… Then the insider intrigue commenced; as those who had been cowering within War’s inner circle, yet had no desire for his vicious rule, began to sabotage him from within… Finally; all-out-war broke out between those who desired War’s machinations, and those who sought the peace that ‘The Ones’ promised to provide…” “Surely the mass conflict must have been greatly intensified…and vastly extended…by the fact that every single fighter in either army, could simply revive upon death; and continue on to fight another day...” “In the end however…no-matter the strength; fortitude; trickery; or bribery of War and his ‘Inglorious Bastards’…‘The Ones’ ultimately prevailed…and sent War screaming into the void; never to be heard from again…” “As ‘The Ones’ sought to set themselves up as the island’s new Alpha, seeking to rebuild amongst the overwhelming wreckage, a golden age of peace and prosperity then washed over the land...” “Under their iron-clad, yet compassionate, rule they built great gleaming cities of metal that stretched towards the heavens; and vastly improved the island’s technological capabilities...” “They worked tirelessly to perfect methods of medicine, so that no illness could overcome them! …They refined techniques for building, so that no structure was beyond their conception! …They developed new means of capture; so that no creature, no-matter how large or terrifying, was able to overtake them! …And they discovered new approaches to domestication, so that no animal could defy them!” “…Of course; they also made great strides towards discovering the island’s many secrets, by leading expeditions into its most previously isolated and dangerous locations…” “It was the most serenely organized time…which I have so far experienced…since my awakening here……and it was also, when I first constructed the stone fortress within which I now reside…” 140 140 “And yet…unfortunately; even these great heroes of old were not strong enough to keep a grip upon their power forever...” “True to their nature, and reflective of their authoritative strength, they would not perish within the flames of a battlefield however; unlike those who had ruled before them… No; instead they would succumb to something far less destructive…though far more enduring...” “As their physical and political strength grew ever more unchallengeable, ‘The Ones’ gradually drifted deeper and deeper into a state which those of us who remain now refer to as ‘Alpha Sickness’…” “You see; it’s conflict and struggle which keeps most people striving and improving…gives them something to live for…a greater purpose…” “I don’t have a problem with just staying where I’m at, and finding a reason to get out of bed every day…after-all; my plants need watering, and my animals need feeding... Most don’t possess such a constitution however, and need some more inspiring drive to go on...” “Well; once you’ve reached the top of the food chain…have ceased all quarreling with every enemy…have tamed every great and powerful beast…have built every magnificently towering city…have thoroughly explored all which you rule over…and have silenced any possibilities that this state of being might be questioned…then you slowly lose the motivation to go on...” “One by one…the various members of the previous Alpha Tribe…seemed simply to vanish from the isle; as it was later discovered that they had all slowly entered into a deep void-trance-sleep…” “Feeling no incentive to carry on with their daily lives, and believing that the strength of their defenses would be enough to protect their peaceful rule without further involvement, each of them had gradually placed the responsibility of maintaining their kingdom upon the lower ranks among them; as they chose to lose themselves within the void, while they slept…until finally, only a single member remained vigilant…” 141 141 “In time, that person as well decided to embrace the eternal sleep; rather than keep up with all the maintenance by themselves...” “Of course, no-one knew any of this at the time. Had ‘The Ones’ publicly announced their departure from our waking world, their might wouldn’t have kept back the chaos that would have ensued; as those who remained would certainly have fought over who’d take their place...” “Yet, as a heavy silence progressively fell over their grand metal fortresses, there were many within the lesser tribes who began to wonder at the lack of leadership...” “As days became weeks without any further response…it was the ‘WedemBoyz’ tribe who finally gathered the courage to test their apparent absence...” “Approaching the glistening steel-clad towers, from which ‘The Ones’ had projected such strength, upon the backs of armored Giant Turtles and Stegos; the members of the ‘WedemBoyz’ tribe did trigger ‘The Ones’ auto-turret defenses…but the emotionless ting of their bullets upon the Dinos’ reinforced plates was all they received in response to their intrusive presence… Not a single word of warning from ‘The Ones’ over the Island-Wide-Chat was heard; not even in response to the insults which they threw in attempt to elicit one...” “And so, believing they had the necessary proof to show that our leaders were no longer watching over us, ‘WedemBoyz’ went to work; using their armor-plated war dinos to slowly soak-up the bullets from the auto-defenses of ‘The Ones’ central capital city, and its surrounding outposts, until they were all completely defenseless...” “From there, it was a simple matter of using controlled explosives to loot the fortifications of all their resources; and use the assets to set themselves up as the island’s new Alpha…a title which they still retain to this day; with help from their Beta, the tribe known respectfully as ‘Drunken Masters’, who hefts the weighty responsibility of being their military might; while they take on a more authoritatively diplomatic role...” “Fortunately for us who live amongst the lower rings of society upon this island, both ‘WedemBoyz’ and ‘Drunken Masters’ have chosen to rule in much the same manner as ‘The Ones’ had; so a relative peace has been maintained since.” 142 142 “…Reduced to hollow shells of their former glory, the ruins of ‘The Ones’ mighty fortresses now stand as monuments to their past greatness; being made of material which would be far too much of a hassle for the current Alpha and Beta tribes to completely dismantle.” “…In-fact, should you ever happen to find yourself in the area, their capital city still stands upon the large hill on the North-Western side of the great swampland to the North of us; embedded between the grand rocky spires of former conquest, which stand towering upon it…” “Although; you’ll have to learn a great deal more about caution and alertness to your surroundings, in order to make it that far... In order to safely make such a trek into the island’s interior, you’ll have to learn that casually walking past established warning signs simply won’t do; which brings us back around to the present, and ends this little history lesson…” “Now then, if you’ll kindly respect the boundary of my signs, I’ve grown weary of this conversation; and have more important things to attend to...” With a full load of lumber strapped to my back, and an intrigued amazement over the island’s volatile history before my arrival building within me, I began heading for home as I cheerfully responded; “Sure thing Grognok… Thanks for telling me all that; it was really interesting! …Don’t worry; I’ll be sure to make note of your signs, and stay beyond their borders from now on.” Seemingly not entirely convinced by my statement, he shot back in a gruff manner; “Uh-huh... You do that...”

Hey All!! It's been a really long time since I've posted something on here in the Creative Chat, and I've got two more chapters to share, so I thought I'd post them for anyone who'd like to read them! 🙂 To whom it may concern, I may never end up posting the entire story due to how long it takes to write stuff; but, I hope that these two more chapters can be enjoyed anyways! 😁 IMPORTANT CONTEXT!! The events of this story are Very Heavily based upon the true life events experienced through the perspective of the player character Florian, Nine, Wind. The events are marginally smoothed to convert video game aspects into real life description, and ever so slightly dramatized for entertainment purposes; to make the story more enjoyable. These events occurred within the online video game “Ark Survival Evolved” which is owned by “Studio Wildcard”. So…while the original life events occurred through Florian and the other player characters mentioned within this story; the world scenery and visual assets, as well as the in-game story elements, were created by and are owned by “Studio Wildcard”. These events occurred majoritively upon the “Official The Island Server 39”, with only the very ending occurring upon the “Official The Island Server 2”; and the planned Epilogue on the “Official Ragnarok Server 65”; all of which no longer exist. Server 39 and 2 would be considered "Legacy ASE Servers" if they still existed. Server 65 would be considered a "Modern ASE Server That Has Ended" if it also still existed. The player created events of this story occurred between the time period of the game’s early access launch, on the online video-game hosting service “Steam” owned by “Valve”, which debuted on June 2, 2015; and just slightly beyond the game’s "full 1.0 release" on August 29, 2017. More specifically; the story of Florian’s journey, which would be depicted within the completed version of this book(If I ever manage to fully complete it), transpired approximately between November 28, 2015 and November 4, 2017. I am hoping that this story will be a way for people who love Ark; that have friends that don't like playing video games; or not open world sand box video games; but who may like to read; to show those friends what the game Ark Survival Evolved is really like; or at least what it CAN be. I am also hoping to convey to those who may read it what This Video Game Has Meant To Me Personally. So...Without Further ADO...I Hope You Enjoy! 124 124 Chapter 15 A Couple of Rugs It had been a couple of days since I first met GhostFace and MeatStick, and I’d been hard at work constructing what I hoped would finally be a more permanent residence. I’d chosen to build on the beach, just a few feet from the water, about fifty or so yards North of the seventy foot tall slab of rock which sat rigidly upon the peninsula’s point. Although it was far more time-consuming to do so; I’d decided to form this structure out of stone, rather than wood, to give it some extra durability against any potential forces which may desire to demolish it. MeatStick had promised his protection yes, and I was inclined to believe him. In-fact, I’d noticed what appeared to be GhostFace flying by on the back of a Pteranodon every now and then to check my progress; ‘even so, a little extra fortification certainly wouldn’t hurt.’ So far I’d managed to gather the resources for, and lay down, a stone foundation; which was eighteen feet wide, by twenty-four feet long against the length of the water’s edge. It had been backbreaking work to cut and shape the pieces out of the large boulders that littered the shoreline……but well-worth the effort for its sturdiness. I’d also managed to erect a few segments of wall; made of smaller stones held together by a mortar of mud and thatch, along with some wooden braces on the inner side for extra support…which rose between six and twelve feet around the groundwork’s border. Having once again run out of materials to build with, I swiftly jogged along the coast a few meters to the North; up to where I’d been slowly gathering my resources over the past two days. With a stone hatchet in one hand, and a stone pickaxe in the other, I quickly began cutting into the various trees and rocks which littered the shoreline; my arms moving systematically with a strength and muscle-memory that had been honed through hours of having repeated the same severing motions. 125 125 As the sun glared hotly overhead, a cooling breeze continually drifted from the ocean’s surface; keeping me fairly even-tempered, despite the intense physical effort. The minutes and hours dragging on, my mind slowly began to wander in the repetitive motions as I thought to myself; ‘Truly, it wasn’t so much a difficulty to gather supplies anymore; what with all the practice I’d had. My main hindrance now, was in how much weight I could carry back with each trip... This work would go so much faster, and easier, if only I had someone to help me.’ As I began to gradually chip into yet another large boulder, I was slightly startled by the sudden appearance of two human males who came racing past near the water’s edge. I followed their motions warily, as they stopped just a few yards to my right; placing their hands on their knees as they began panting heavily from fatigue. The men both appeared to be about five-and-a-half feet tall; with lightly tanned skin, and lean musculature. Both were wearing nothing, aside from a simple fiber loincloth. One had a mop of shaggy brown hair, while the other was topped in black locks. As I continued to gaze at them guardedly, I could hear the one with black hair announce softly between stuttering gasps; “I think…we lost…that monster…” The man with brown hair then looked up in my direction, and pointed excitedly as he shouted; “Hey look! There’s another person here!” Deciding quickly that there was little point in hiding myself, now that I’d been seen, I waited patiently for them to make the first move. With just a little hesitation to catch their breath, they both began walking slowly towards me; the man with black hair occasionally glancing back the way they’d come, in fearful search of whatever had been chasing them. Feeling a twinge of unease at their presence, I gripped my tools tightly as they approached; hoping that I wouldn’t be forced to use them in self-defense. 126 126 When they’d reached a distance of about three feet from my position, the man with black hair casually stretched out with his right hand; smiling as he said; “It’s good to see we aren’t alone on this island. My name’s Frank.” A second later, the man with brown hair extended his own hand in a gesture of friendship as he announced; “And my name’s Nicholas, but you can call me Nick.” Getting the vibe that they were fairly recent arrivals, I let my guard down just a tick; as I skillfully slid the handles of my hatchet and pickaxe into their respective holster loops upon each of my hips. Then, taking both of their hands in firm grips, I cautiously stated; “My name’s Florian… You two didn’t happen to recently find yourselves washed up naked on the beach; amidst a flashing of blinding light did you? Cause if so, then; Welcome to The Island.” As they took back their hands, they both shouted in unison; “Yeah, how did you know?! Did the same thing happen to you?!” I spent the next two hours or so describing to them all that I knew about what was going on. How much of it they believed at first, I wasn’t sure…but; once I opened the holograms on their implants, they took every word I spoke without question. True enough, their personal statistical panels both showed their Survival Quotients to be at one; meaning that they must have just had their first awakening upon the isle. I still hadn’t figured out how exactly it was measured…nor what importance it signified…but I knew one thing to be clear, that; ‘the higher a person’s Quotient, the more time they had spent on the island.’ By the time I’d finished my explanation, they were both begging me to let them join my tribe; saying that they’d work hard to help me finish my fortified structure. Understandably, it seemed that fear had crept into them from my tales of painful sorrow; and they had gotten the notion, that they wouldn’t even last until the next night without a solid stone barrier to protect them. Thinking it over carefully for just a moment, even though they were new and untested…still, I figured that; ‘a feeling of looming terror could be a great motivator for them to work hard; and I could certainly use the help.’ 127 127 So, after a few minutes of transferring information-laced energy between our implants, they became the newest official members of ‘Wind Riders’; and I got me four more arms for hauling building material. At first the arrangement worked out nicely. Once I showed them how to construct simple stone hatchets and pickaxes; and after I’d demonstrated the proper techniques for harvesting rocks and trees; it got to the point where I was able to spend all my time working on the structure, while they eagerly brought me the supplies I needed. By nightfall; not only had I finished the twelve foot high walls of the shelter’s first floor, with a few reinforced wooden windows placed here and there, but I’d also fastened a reinforced wooden door; both at its front, facing inland, as well as at its back facing the open sea. Even further; I had managed to secure the flat stone roofing, supported by strong wooden beams, which would serve as the flooring for the second story. That night, as a gentle stillness settled in the air, we all gathered around the warmth of a softly burning fire; surrounded by the steadfast peace-of-mind that came from a solid stone exterior sitting between us…and the deadly dangers which lurked in the shadows beyond. It was a moment of celebration over the hard day’s work, as we cheerfully ate a meal of roasted Carbonemys fillets; which I still had left-over from my keratin hunting. With new comrades by my side, strong walls to keep us safe, and a protective benefactor living just a few tens of yards away; it truly felt like a fresh beginning, as I laid my head against the cool stone floor… ~~~~~~~ However, as the next day of work began, I started to notice a stark difference in Frank and Nick’s attitudes… While we all got going strong in the morning, after a hearty breakfast of cooked meat and berries, with them gathering materials while I built a twelve foot high wooden ladder; connecting the first and second floors through a carved out hole in the back corner of the first floor’s roof; still, as I began construction on the second level’s walls…the flow of supplies abruptly slowed. 128 128 As the day wore on, I saw that they were taking further and lengthier breaks; lying inside the structure, leaning against its outer walls talking, soaking and floating in the ocean; all while I continued to work steadily on building up the shelter which we all desperately needed to survive. When I would see this and mention to them that; “We’re far from having this building finished. With three of us living here now, we need at least two levels of space; and then I think it’d be advantageous to begin construction on a ‘Dinosaur Barn’ of sorts, so that we can collect and safely house a few animals to help us out... Not to mention an outer defensive wall, so that we can create a safe perimeter around our structures.” They would merely reply with excuses like; “We’re tired... This is very strenuous work… If you want us to keep helping you, then we need to take breaks to regain our strength and cool off; or we’ll keel over in the heat! Besides…we’ve got four stone walls and a roof; so there’s no hurry in building more, since we’ll be safe as we sleep regardless.” By mid-day, the rate of new supplies compared to the rate of my assembly had decreased to the point where I began heading out to collect resources myself; after which, their degree of harvesting reduced even more... With how well the previous evening had gone, I’d hoped to get the entire second floor finished that day; complete with its roof…thus more or less finalizing the structure’s outer shell, so that I could focus on furnishing its insides the following morning. Instead…I had barely completed setting up its walls…before the sun dipped coldly below the horizon. Disappointed and frustrated…though not wanting to cause any unnecessary conflict…I laid down upon the smooth cold rock; hoping that the ensuing day would be more productive. ~~~~~~~ As the days passed, Frank and Nick did less and less work; until one day they didn’t even wake up from their slumber. 129 129 Apparently preferring to hibernate within the safety of our man-made cavern, rather than face the hardships and fatigue of outside work, they eventually ceased their movement altogether; not even tossing about in their sleep. After they’d gone five straight days in this manner, I began to worry that something might actually be medically wrong with them. Having not eaten, drunk, or even moved in that time…one would think that they’d died; or somehow slipped into a coma. Even worse, I considered the possibility that; ‘their illness may be transferable...’ After-all, I had no knowledge of what diseases might be found on this strange island; where the laws of death seemed not to apply. Bending down to check their vitals, I discovered the faintest hint of their breath…along with a nearly nonexistent pulse; both at first undetectable, yet noticed only after prolonged observation. Having managed to confirm they were still alive, I then did everything I could think of in trying to wake them; yelling in their ears, tossing them around like rag-dolls, rolling them into the cold ocean water…but nothing would break them of their unnatural sleep. ‘If it was an illness of some sort…then surely I would already be exposed…so throwing them out would do me little good.’ That being the case, I ended up deciding that; ‘it would be cruel to throw them out like garbage; to where predators could rip them apart’. Therefore, I resigned to leave them there…lying in the middle of the shelter’s foundation. Once seven days had passed with them remaining in this state, I at last came to place the final piece of stone roofing; supported again by strong wooden beams, as it sloped upwards on both sides atop a six foot wall; to enclose the second level of the structure, therefore completing the building’s outer frame. In total; the shelter was now eighteen feet wide, by twenty-four feet long, by twenty-four feet high; with a roof that sloped upwards lengthwise along the construction, to create two levels that had a twelve foot high clearance at the peak of each ceiling. 130 130 Climbing back down the wood ladder from the second story…I absentmindedly pressed the diamond of my implant while it was set to Island-Wide-Chat, as I shook my head slowly and muttered; “I’ve got a couple of tribe-mates who just sleep twenty-four-seven... They haven’t even moved an inch now in a week... It’s like I’ve got a couple of living rugs…” As pressure came off my implant…I was somewhat startled to hear a response to my personal thought, as an unfamiliar female voice resonated smoothly through it; “You to huh? Yeah, I’ve got a few tribe-mates like that as well. I think it’s kind-of funny... I use a blood extraction syringe made from a keratin needle connected to a tube of animal intestine, which feeds into a hide sack, to collect and store their plasma; in-case I ever need to do a blood-transfusion… This way, they’re still contributing to the tribe and being useful. You should give it a try!” Pressing down on my implant I quickly answered back; “What?! But won’t that hurt them?! And why are they even in this state to begin with?! Is it some kind of illness?!” With a giggling laugh the voice swiftly responded; “No! No! It won’t hurt them, and they aren’t sick! …Hmm…how to explain? …Uh, you’ve died before right? So you know about the dark, empty void that you can come back from? …Well, even if you haven’t, I’m sure you will at some point… No-one knows what it is or how it works, but it seems to be connected to our individual consciousness’s somehow. Even without dying, if a person wills it strongly enough, it appears that they can connect to it while they sleep… Usually it only happens in extremely lazy individuals, and almost never by mistake... When this happens, the person goes into some sort of a trance; where their body enters into an odd state of limbo with them not being fully dead, but also not quite alive either. So, long as you don’t deplete it of all its blood, the bodies will slowly regenerate over time; allowing me to collect many samples without harming them... Unfortunately, there’s no way to shock them out of this trance... Even killing them might not work... Just as when we die, the individual will only revive if they personally will it... Your tribe-mates may never wake up again; or they might be running around tomorrow! …It’s just something you have to deal with around here.” 131 131 Grateful for her insight into the otherwise troubling matter, I replied appreciatively; “Thanks for your explanation... I was actually getting pretty worried there for a moment... Too bad there’s no cure for this trance.” To which the voice gleefully chimed back; “Sure thing!” …Looking at the two lying sprawled…nearly lifeless on the floor…I found myself wondering if they’d ever come back. ‘…Well…even if they never did…perhaps this blood-extraction thing could be useful in an emergency… If absolutely nothing else, I suppose they could at least make decent rugs to wipe my muddy feet on...’

It's because there are like 30 different Theropods in the game now; as opposed to an average of like 3 or 4 for every other type of creature; and often times only 1 for quite a few types. The question becomes; "How many Theropods do you need, before you have enough?" and "Do you hate diversity that much?" Now; I'm not going to hate on anyone who wants another Theropod. It's entirely the individual's choice of what they want. However; I personally am very much in the mind of not getting anymore for this very reason. There are already soooooo many of them. I'd like to see some diversity. I mean, I suppose that we don't really "need" more than 1 type of "Bee" in the game; but wouldn't it be interesting if there were 2 species that had wildly different uses? Like, one for honey production; and one that could be used like a plant species X defense turret? The same can be said for 10s of other types of creatures in the game that have only 1 or 2 varieties. Surely, when you compare the difference of 30 versus 1, you can start to understand the reasoning? 👍🙂

I mean; I do certainly agree with this. I consider the Aquatica nonsense to be little more than awful garbage. Personally; I'd really appreciate it if they were to release a stand-alone version of Ark that contained just The Island map with no Tek Tier; no server transfer ability; and absolutely no updates (unless critically necessary for some reason) after the game was considered fully launched and stable. I think it'd be an interesting idea, in-fact, if they were to do this for every map: Just release a simple stand-alone game version for every map; so that people who prefer that could play more easily. I bet it'd be really easy to copy-paste, and they could sell more product and get more money. However, since WC is owned by SG and since SG is SG then I unfortunately highly doubt that any such thing will happen. WC may be in "control" of their EGS account, but SG is in control of both WC and Siren so it's out of WC's hands. Who we really need to be talking to is the CEO of SG.

? The thumbs for both hands are on the correct sides and are not awkward. At first glance I thought the cover picture was AI too, so I took a closer look and discovered it was not. Also, if you didn’t notice, the cover for today’s CC was not made by WildCard. It was made by a fan (SirDrip) and is showcased in the community spotlight. It’s a special fan-art spotlight.

A good effort, but don't bother responding to anything this individual says. This individual has been shown to be a troll and has no desire for civil discourse, logic, or reason. It's best to just block him so that you don't see his comments.

I know; that's what I said. What I was saying, was, that WildCard themselves have not shown themselves to be all that great of a game's development team: (Key Note Being "Not Great SINCE They Were Put Under Snail") They were a very wonderful indie dev team before Snail. My point was that if WildCard isn't so great under Snail, then how much worse will an Ark DLC be when the entire dev team IS Snail? So, I therefore don't even have any thoughts whatsoever with concern to buying it. The thing with this, and all other similar things though, is that they could have done it in ASE years ago and did not do so. That is perhaps my biggest anger and disappointment towards WildCard. Every single thing (improvement) that the community has been asking them to implement in ASE for years; they could have done so years ago. In-fact, they out-right promised years ago that they would indeed do so: saying after the start of their work on Atlas that they would use the game as a testing ground and bring such implementations over to ASE as they went along. Something they never did, though they could easily have done so. Instead; they have saved all these improvements to be made in ASA; for no good reason. It's like they're saying: "Hey! We know how frustrated you've all been and how much you've all wanted these things for so long! Well, we're finally ready to give them to you; but you have to pay us first! And not even as a DLC QOL addition, no, you have to erase all your world progress from ASE and start all over again to gain these improvements!" It's just terrible. I don't want to give money to a company like this. Now this is nice. There are arguments for and against the idea, both of which are valid, and the very best Modders in ASE were officially supported and paid anyway. But, still, overall this at least is indeed nice. The only thing with this is that it would be even nicer if, again, WildCard would stop with all the lies. In ASE they said, and we knew, that using mods was problematic when it came to the base game getting updates. Cause the modders would then have to update their mods before they could be usable again with the base game. In ASA; they lie and say; "You won't have this problem anymore." But we know, and the history of ASA has shown, that yes; we do still very much have this problem. I am someone who doesn't necessarily mind problems when they are explained and given valid reasons for; cause then I know what to do to work to fix them. What I don't like, is when someone lies to me saying that there are no problems; when obviously there are. Me to; and I feel like I have gotten my money's worth for ASE. However; I don't feel like I would for ASA. At least, not for a very long time yet. Not till all the content is available, years of problems have gone by, and they release it in a nice combo-pack for very cheap. Why very cheap if I'm okay with giving money for hard work? I mean, as an example, I've played COC for over 11 or 12 or something years now and though it is a "free" mobile game, I've given them probably over $200 dollars now in the last year for cosmetics like sceneries and skins; because I feel the desire to support their competence. For Ark though; I've just recently now seen a very disturbing precedence being set by WC/SG in the act of removing content from a product that consumers have paid for. (The Poker Table). This is a small item, but people had paid for it. Many bought BTT Part 1 just for the Poker Table. Now they think it's okay to remove paid for content? So then what guarantee do I have that anything I pay them for won't suddenly be taken away for some random reason? Do I pay them for Genesis part 1 and 2, and then suddenly they decide to remove those maps and content entirely from the game? You see; I have no trust in them. Not for official multiplayer servers no. For single player and private servers yes. This is another major thorn in the sides of many people. WildCard promised for years that they would never go the route of P2W. Even going so far, supposedly, as to stand up to Snail and out-right refuse to do so. But now; here they have done so. Even worse than the days of official transfers opening on ASE, which allowed paid DLC content to come over to base game maps, now they have made it so that on official servers; PVE as well but way even worse for PVP; you literally can not have reasonable fun without paying for and having access to all the content. At least on ASE you could gain access to paid DLC content without having to pay for them; but on ASA now I hear that you actually can not. Which is the number 1 reason why I refuse to give them any more of my money. I absolutely can not abide by all the lying. This is exactly. I may consider paying $50,000 for a house if the seller honestly tells me that it's deteriorated so bad that it will probably have to be demolished and rebuilt. But I won't even consider for such a house if they paint gloss over it and lie to me saying that it's perfectly fine and has no problems at all. Problem is, that some things they've had 10 years to fix. So, it often feels like they aren't. But I think that this is a very good example of how WildCard has not been a very good development team. I'm happy for Astraeos. Honestly, when they slapped a $15 price tag on it I was quite irritated, but now I think that it may very well be worth the $10, if not the $15. However, this listed track record is very showing for WildCard because this was something that the players had been communicating with them ever since The Center was released on ASE. For this map, a few minor changes were made that people were irritated with but got over. For this map, people appreciated the double-boss fight but expressed that entirely new bosses would have been nice. Similar, though to a lesser extent, was the commentary when Ragnarok released. Despite this, they then proceeded to nearly completely gut Valguero and Crystal Isles. They'd already had a warning against this; and when people were upset they could have fixed it by putting back all the things they took out. Instead they said; "Eh. Nope. We're gonna do what WE want. If you want what we took out, then just use the non-official mod version." They could have done all those fixes back then, but did not. And now; they say that they have full right to even remove paid for content and say; "We're not gonna do anything for you, but if you want that Poker Table back then just download an extra mod that gives it back." Always a history of putting the task of fixing their own game onto modders rather than working to fix it themselves.

Have we ever with WC/SG? I wish things were better with this company/game, as I used to really enjoy it, but unfortunately I think that unless you have direct connections of some kind to people directly within the development team; I don't think you'll get any useful information about anything.

What Joe said. WC doesn't even respond to anything posted on here. I doubt Snail would even know anything posted on here existed.

I wish they would take notes about a lot of things. We give them plenty of feedback about what we'd like and what would make us want to give them money, but they never take notes. It's always; "We're gonna do whatever we want and we don't care about anything you have to say". Always been since they sold themselves to Snail. I loooooove water; so I've wanted a proper water map for a long time. The best we have is Genesis part 1 where you tame the giant alien turtle. But, the oceans on all the other maps are okay enough in their own ways. Ragnarok and Lost Island have some pretty spots. There are underwater bubbles on The Center where you can build your own atlantis. Unfortunately, I very doubt that aquatica will do any better; and I don't really plan on buying it or intend to give WC/SG any more of my money than I already have. WC has shown to be a disappointment enough ever since they sold themselves to Snail. How much worse will a dev team be when they ARE Snail? So far all I've seen is fake AI trailers and in-game footage that looks like it's from an early prototype that's still years away from being in a "completed" state. I have no trust or enthusiasm anymore for a company that continually lies to its customers and then bad-talks them when the numbers aren't good. Just like Disney. I don't give Disney any of my money anymore either. While I highly doubt they will fix up anything on any of the already released maps, considering that they've repeatedly said they were going to but ever since ASA SE they haven't really done hardly anything; and even then the major change was adding just a single extra cave system. They've always had the mindset of; "Why do more work than we have to" so I don't think they'll do much of that. However, I wouldn't discount them adding further story maps or making official other modder maps. They've shown that they have a mindset of; "They'll always buy more content if we make it, no-matter how bad it is, so lets just keep making more content" so I am sure that they will continue to do just that. Just look at the aquatica map for ASE? A game that they promised they would never touch, add to, support, or update ever again? And look at the Lost Colony map? They will keep adding things, so a proper Atlantis map may come around some day.

WildCard supposedly have nothing to do with it. Since it is supposedly entirely a team made by Snail Games themselves what is working on it.

So; life as usual for the last 10 years then? Doubt any of this will change at this point. My advice would be to play on single player where you can admin cheat your way out of anything that breaks. Tends to fix all the issues. I'll give you an example: There was one time on my single player, where I was trying to tame a Phiomia. I had searched all the immediate area for threats; found none. I had tranqed it out and trapped it in a box made from stone dino gates. It had knocked out near a corner where 2 gates met, but was still well inside the box so I figured it should be fine. Then a Tek Raptor suddenly spawns out of nowhere; and even though I'm right there shooting at it, it goes straight for the knocked out Phiomia and kills it through the stone dino gate wall. I proceeded then to kill the tek raptor, say a little *&%^#*@&, and then instead of going out and looking for a new Phiomia to tame I just admin spawned in one of a similar level to the one that had been killed; got it into the taming box; knocked it out; and tamed it. So much easier than on official or someone else's server where I'd have had to search all over AGAIN for a new Phiomia! 👍

Okay; so let's ignore the fact that Rag was released 2 days later than WC said it would be: again. Because, at this point it would actually be silly and disappointing if they did hit a stated release date. It's more of an amusing personal quirk for this development studio than anything; which can be thought of fondly if you choose to do so. What my interest and question is; is where is the massive top-down complete above and beyond a simple re-release or remaster map design and experience that you talked about a few CCs ago? Ragnarok has been and still is my absolute favorite map in Ark for many reasons. As such I am quite familiar with the map. So did you, WC, just make the decision not to show any of these wildly massive terrain redesign changes in the trailer? Or, as I expected, are there none? Because aside from an increased amount of foliage, which is for some reason standard in all the ASA maps even on Scorched Earth which to me makes absolutely no sense, and a few very minor tweaks; all I saw was the exact same map design and terrain as in ASE but with different lighting. Now, don't mistake me for being upset about no new terrain redesign. I was actually extremely concerned about this when they stated it, as I liked Ragnarok exactly the way it was. What my issue is; is when a company makes a wildly extensive statement like: "A complete top-to-bottom redesign, Ragnarok Ascended goes beyond a return or a remaster: it's a full-scale revival" and then releases a product which is absolutely no such thing. Things like this from companies cause me to avoid them, because all I see is them claiming a solid cast-iron product with expensive high quality textured paint, and then delivering a cheap plastic product covered in glossy lead-based paint that will crack the moment I touch it. I can not trust, believe, or get hyped up about anything a company like this says. WC; you do not need to make these ridiculously over-the-top statements in order to sell your product. Rag is one of the most beloved maps: it sells itself. All you need to say is that it is remastered in ASA with better lighting and denser foliage. That's it. Don't go spouting lies for absolutely no reason. Any of us who have been watching you since the launch of ASA know that you did do a fairly massive redesign of The Island map: which a majority of the fans either hated or at the least disliked because it messed up what they already knew and loved about the terrain of the original map: and since then either because of this backlash, or because of a lack of time and resources and you guys just being your general lazy selfs that we have known now for years, Scorched Earth's "complete redesign" was in comparison very scaled back; with the following maps being almost nonexistent. You do not need to say to us that these maps are "top-to-bottom redesigned" in order to sell us on these maps. In-fact, I'd think statements like that would only cause worry and concern in your game's playing community. The reality is that everyone who is going to buy ASA already has; and hyping them up will not typically cause them to buy it again because they already have it. So, making these ludicrous statements is an utter waste of time on your part because it won't get you any more sales and for those who already own the game they do not need to be strung along as they will be happy for the remastered maps regardless.

Absolutely agree. Things may have been more difficult, but that just means that things meant more because of the effort involved. Back on my original server near the start of Ark, most people on the PVP server had real respect for their neighbors and actually refrained from raiding others bases purely because they knew how much effort and time would be involved with rebuilding their own base if it was attacked. Now, when you can rebuild a 10x10 metal base in like an hour or two, what incentive is there to keep respect for your fellow players?

To all of you who may read this post and who thought that WC/SG handled the recent issue of lost tames after the cryo-fridge changes well, and who thought that it would be "Unreasonable" or even "Impossible" to expect them to do anything to fix or compensate for the issue aside from a rates increase event that they were already going to have anyway because it happened at the same time as the Easter Event; here I will now give you an example of what a competent video game developer does when they mess up due to unforeseen glitches or errors. I'm gonna go back to the absolutely wonderful example that is COC; so wonderful that after playing their game for "free" for 12 years I finally broke down and spent over $200 on sceneries and hero skins that I'd wanted for a long time but didn't want to give money to a "free" game; yet I finally decided that I'd had too much fun for over a decade to not give them the fair compensation they deserved for their wonderful service. COC just right now, with their latest event, had a woopsie with their code which has resulted in people not acquiring the scenery skins that they've paid for. Effectively "loosing" items that they've paid for. Here is a direct quote of their very immediate response to the issue: "Hello Chief! If you have tried to claim your Scenery from the Event Trader Shop as a reward from the Mini Spotlight Event and it hasn't worked - that is due to a critical bug and we are working on fix for this. Meanwhile we will be manually sending to everyone who claimed the Scenery and didn't receive it, the intended Scenery. However this might take a day or two from the moment you bought the Scenery in the Medal Trader Shop as we need to receive the information on the server side and manually distribute it for thousands of players, but don't worry, you'll get your Scenery! We apologize for the inconvenience, we're working as fast as possible to find a solution for this issue." Now I want to bring to attention a few key differences here versus what WC/SG did. 1) They noticed and responded to the issue immediately. I mean, so immediately that I didn't even know there was an issue till they told me. The event had only been live for like a few hours. 2) Instead of refunding the money or giving out some other compensation like increased rates or free in-game currency, they opted to MANUALLY send all their players the items that had been lost. One by one, individually hand send the purchased items that failed to automatically send via the event interface. They even admit that doing this may take several days after the purchase has been made, as they need to do this individually for thousands of players. But They're Doing It! If they can do it, why can't WC/SG? 3) Despite the fact of this ongoing bug, they have not taken down the event or even the items in the shop. Even though they don't have a fix for this bug yet, they will continue to allow players to purchase the items and then will continue to manually send the purchased items. They are doubling down on their commitment to their players by allowing them to keep getting the items they wanted even though it'll take the devs extra work to do so. 4) They gave this apology statement directly in-game to their players via the news section of the in-game UI. As opposed to casually dropping it on twitter or in a CC. 5) They gave a very sincere apology at the end which I believed due to their above and beyond efforts to compensate for the issue. This is what a competent dev team looks like guys. This is what a dev team should do when they mess up. This shows respect and care for their playing customers. How WC/SG acts does not have to be accepted as the norm or be tolerated as acceptable procedure. The least WC/SG could have done in compensation for the earlier issue would have been to offer free resources and a few high level free creatures to those affected. Instead, they gave a slight increase in rates that would have already been in place, and told their players to go do the work of regaining what they'd lost themselves. I implore all who play Ark to seriously consider what I've posted here today.