Jeremy Stieglitz

Oh it's Tameable AND Rideable

Ah sorry about that, please restart your Steam Client to update to v254.93, and then you'll be able to see the Cholocates within your Inventory! Cheers, Jeremy

Ah I had already sent a note to Jen & Jat to add the Arabian Nights village to the ARKitect winners about 5 hours ago, before Wolf Angelus even posted (on a side note: I didn't even realize it was his at the time). I hadn't got a chance to personally review this week's entries in-time, but once I saw that village, I was quite impressed!

Only if the Unofficials run with the -vday parameter, when the update is released on Sunday!

Indeed the other Bonuses will start when the V-Day content releases on Sunday. You'll notice it then, as I'll be updating the News accordingly at that time -Jeremy

Actually Wolf Angelus I'm a big fan of your work, and I didn't get to review this week's winners myself as I was out of the office most of today (Wife's B-Day). I absolutely love the "Egypt & Arabian Village", it's super creative It's going in for a tie, the page should be updated shortly! Sorry about the mix-up on that!!! Cheers, Jeremy

Btw we didn't even know ARK was being considered for "Best use of a Farm Animal" (or any Steam Award) until Valve told us ARK had been nominated for it by the Steam Selection Committee on its own. After they told us we were nominated, we figured it'd be fun to add the Ovis since we had already planned on adding a creature for wool shearing using the new "hair" system! -Jeremy

Next week. Gonna make sure it appears solid on PC first throughout this weekend!

They're intended to be end-game gear, challenging both to acquire and to upkeep (via a new TekEngram/Resource mechanic). The purpose of the Tek Tier is to provide room for certain end-game mechanics to grow in long-term directions. The video may make it look like everyone's gonna be running around in unlimited Power Ranger / Iron Man armor en masse -- if it's balanced properly, that will hopefully not be the case Also, any or all of the Tek Tier stuff will be specifically disable-able for servers! -Jeremy

December!

That'll be in Xbox patch v746

Gonna be a bit of a rapid info dump on how Procedurally Generated ARK's (PGARK's) currently works -- will continue to flesh this out as I get more time over the weekend. Bear in mind the system is early and will be rapidly advancing, so if you use Procedurally Generated ARKs, there's always a possibility of losing your save data when the algorithms are further modified! Without further ado, here we go! How To Configure your first PGARK Launch the game, goto Play Local ARK, select "Create New Procedurally Generated ARK" in the upper-left of the Host UI, and then you can play around with all the different PGARK settings to construct an ARK to your liking. Give it unique ARK name in the lower-right, and click Host. After a long wait (this will be further optimized shortly), you'll be on your new ARK! The procedural ARK data is cached to disk so subsequent loads of it are much faster (in Saved\GenerateMapCache, which you can delete if you ever wish to clear up disk space or force regenerate the procedural data in case it becomes corrupted). You can delete existing saved Procedurally Generated ARK's (by name) in the Host UI. Furthermore, you can save multiple PGARK configurations in the Create New Procedural ARK UI, if you wish to retain them for later tweaking or to create multiple unique saved ARK's from the same configuration. Here's a really rough guide to some of the PGARK settings you can edit in the UI: VARIABLE PURPOSE VISIBLE ON UI AS... ErosionIterations Number of droplets which are used to simulate erosion Erosion Iterations GrassDensity Density of foliage in the grasslands biome Grasslands Grass Density IslandBorderCurveExp The exponent used in the curve to smoothly interpolate between island and water floor Island Border Curve JungleBiomeStart The height value at which the jungle biome start Jungle Biome Start JungleGrassDensity Foliage density in the Jungle biome Jungle Grass Density JungleTreeDensity Trees & rocks density in the jungle biome Jungle Tree Density LandscapeRadius The radius of the landscape, outside of this radius it is water (to avoid cutting the landscape by the terrain border) Landscape Radius MapSeed The seed used in the noise & random functions Map Seed MaxSawnPointHeight The maximum height of land for a spawn point to be created Max Sawn Point Height Mountain Height A multiplier for mountain height Mountain Height MountainBiomeStart The height value at which the mountain biome starts Mountain Biome Start MountainGrassDensity Foliage density in the mountain biome Mountain Grass Density Mountains Frequency The frequency of the noise used to generate mountains Mountain Frequency Mountains Slope How hard the transition is from land to mountain, the higher the value the smoother the transition (from 0 to 2) Mountain Slope MountainsTreeDensity Density of trees and rocks in the mountain biome Mountain Tree Density North/South/East/West Regions 1, 2, 3 OceanFloorLevel The height value for the ocean floor (from -1 to WaterLevel) Ocean Flool Level RedWoodGrassDensity Foliage density in the Redwood biome Redwood Grass Density RedWoodTreeDensity Density of trees and rocks in the redwood biome Redwood Tree Density RWBiomeSize The radius of the Redwood biome (from 0 to 1) Redwood Biome Size RWForestBiomeLocation The location of the redwood biome (X,Y from 0 to 1) Redwood Biome Location Shore Slope How hard the transition is from water floor to shore, the higher the value the smoother the transition (from 0 to 2) Shore Slope ShoreTreeDensity Foliage density in the shore biome Shore Tree Density SnowBiomeLocation The location of the snow biome (X,Y from 0 to 1) Snow Biome Location SnowBiomeSize The radius of the snow biome (from 0 to 1) Snow Biome Size SnowGrassDensity Foliage density in the snow biome Snow Grass Density SnowMountainGrassDensity Foliage density in the snow mountain biome Snow Mountain Grass Density SnowMountainsTreeDensity Density of trees and rocks in the snow mountain biome Snow Mountains Tree Density SnowShoreTreeDensity Density of trees and rocks in the snow shore biome Snow Shore Tree Density SnowTreeDensity Density of trees and rocks in the snow biome Snow Tree Density TerrainScaleMultiplier X,Y,Z to scale the whole terrain Terrain Scale Multiplier TreeDensity Density of trees and rocks in the grasslands biome Grasslands Tree Density Turbulence Power The power of the turbulence function used to randomly perturb the coordinates input to the noise function, to add some realism to the noise Tubulence Power UnderwaterObjectsDensity Object density in the underwater biome Underwater Objects Density Water Frequency The frequency of the noise function used to generate land/water Water Frequency WaterLevel The height value for the water surface, from (Ocean Floor level to 1) Water Level ShorelineStartOffset The distance from the water that the shoreline begins. Raise this for a shore that goes farther up to the land. ShorelineThickness The overall width of the shore. Raise this along with ShorelineStartOffset to get a thicker, larger shore. Hosting a Dedicated Server on PGARK The actual PGARK configuration is stored in your \Saved\Config\Windows (or WindowsServer or LinuxServer etc)\Game.ini file, here: [/Script/ShooterGame.ShooterGameMode] PGMapName=YourPGARK1 PGTerrainPropertiesString=MapSeed=412;LandscapeRadius=1.2;Water Frequency=11;Mountains Frequency=11;Mountains Slope=1.4;MountainsHeight=1.3;Turbulence Power=0.0125;Shore Slope=1.0;WaterLevel=-0.72;GrassDensity=1.0;JungleGrassDensity=0.02;ErosionIterations=200000;OceanFloorLevel=-1.0;SnowBiomeSize=0.3;RWBiomeSize=0.11;MountainBiomeStart=-0.55;MountainsTreeDensity=0.01;JungleBiomeStart=-0.65;IslandBorderCurveExp=4.0;MaxSawnPointHeight=0.1;SnowGrassDensity=0.25;MountainGrassDensity=0.05;SnowMountainGrassDensity=0.15;UnderwaterObjectsDensity=0.5;SnowMountainsTreeDensity=0.01;TreeDensity=0.003;JungleTreeDensity=0.66;RedWoodTreeDensity=0.35;SnowTreeDensity=1.0;RedwoodGrassDensity=0.1;ShoreTreeDensity=0.05;SnowShoreTreeDensity=0.025;DeepWaterBiomesDepth=-0.24;InlandWaterObjectsDensity=0.5;ShorelineStartOffset=0.04;ShorelineThickness=0.0045;TerrainScaleMultiplier=(X=1.0f,Y=1.0f,Z=1.0f);SnowBiomeLocation=(X=0.2f,Y=0.2f);RWForestBiomeLocation=(X=0.5f,Y=0.5f);NorthRegion1Start=(X=0.25f,Y=0.0f);NorthRegion1End=(X=0.416f,Y=0.5f);NorthRegion2Start=(X=0.416f,Y=0.0f);NorthRegion2End=(X=0.582f,Y=0.5f);NorthRegion3Start=(X=0.582f,Y=0.0f);NorthRegion3End=(X=0.75f,Y=0.0f);SouthRegion1Start=(X=0.25f,Y=0.5f);SouthRegion1End=(X=0.416f,Y=1.0f);SouthRegion2Start=(X=0.416f,Y=0.5f);SouthRegion2End=(X=0.582f,Y=1.0f);SouthRegion3Start=(X=0.582f,Y=0.5f);SouthRegion3End=(X=0.75f,Y=1.0f);EastRegion1Start=(X=0.75f,Y=0.0f);EastRegion1End=(X=1.0f,Y=0.333f);EastRegion2Start=(X=0.75f,Y=0.333f);EastRegion2End=(X=1.0f,Y=0.666f);EastRegion3Start=(X=0.75f,Y=0.666f);EastRegion3End=(X=1.0f,Y=1.0f);WestRegion1Start=(X=0.0f,Y=0.0f);WestRegion1End=(X=0.25f,Y=0.333f);WestRegion2Start=(X=0.0f,Y=0.333f);WestRegion2End=(X=0.25f,Y=0.666f);WestRegion3Start=(X=0.0f,Y=0.666f);WestRegion3End=(X=0.25f,Y=1.0f) After you configure an ARK to your liking in singleplayer mode, copy the values to your dedicated server's Game.ini file, and then host the server on the map called "PGARK" (ala "ShooterGameServer.exe PGARK?listen". The server will automatically load whatever PGMapName you have set. So if you want to do a different Procedural ARK, change the PGMapName value to "YourPGARK2" and you'll get a different savedata for that. You can revert back to any previous PGMapName to load the data of a previously saved PGARK. Note that if you have no existing save data for the PGMapName, it will use the PGTerrainPropertiesString to create the new ARK. But after you have save data for a PGMapName, the INI's PGTerrainPropertiesString will not take effect when loading that save data -- instead, it will use whatever procedural settings are contained within the PGMapName's existing savedata. In other words, to try out a new PGTerrainPropertiesString configuration, you either would need to delete your PGMapName's savedata, or use a different PGMapName. To get a PGARK configuration that you like, we recommend experimenting in singleplayer through the in-game UI, and then once you have settings you're happy with, copy the PGTerrainPropertiesString from your Windows\Game.ini into your dedicated server's WindowsServer\Game.ini (into the [/Script/ShooterGame.ShooterGameMode] section as described above). Then, as long as you're hosting a new PGMapName, those settings will take effect just as they were in your singleplayer game! You can also easily share good PGARK configurations by sharing that string with other server hosts, just copy the text of PGTerrainPropertiesString to them, and they can put it in their own INI. Share your best PGTerrainPropertiesString settings on the Forum! Hosts can put the PGTerrainPropertiesString value into PGLastUsedSettings as well, which will then become visible to the in-game UI for further custom tweaking/iteration. New System: Overriding/Modifying Map Spawners via INI There's a powerful new INI-driven system to override, add, or substract all NPC spawners within the ARK. In particular you can use this to adjust the spawners of a PGARK to your precise liking. Here are some examples of how it works: Add these INI values, as many as you want, into your Game.ini's [/Script/ShooterGame.ShooterGameMode] section. For example, this will REMOVE Trikes and Sauropod entries from the PGARK's Grassland Spawner, and it will remove Trikes and Ptero's from the PGARK's Jungle Spawner (you could then do a ConfigAddNPCSpawnEntriesContainer afterwards, to add them back in with different rates, if desired): ConfigSubtractNPCSpawnEntriesContainer=(NPCSpawnEntriesContainerClassString="DinoSpawnEntriesGrassland_PGM_C",NPCSpawnEntries=( (NPCsToSpawnStrings=("Trike_Character_BP_C")),(NPCsToSpawnStrings=("Sauropod_Character_BP_C")) ), NPCSpawnLimits=( (NPCClassString="Trike_Character_BP_C"),(NPCClassString="Sauropod_Character_BP_C") ) ) ConfigSubtractNPCSpawnEntriesContainer=(NPCSpawnEntriesContainerClassString="DinoSpawnEntriesJungle_PGM_C",NPCSpawnEntries=( (NPCsToSpawnStrings=("Trike_Character_BP_C")),(NPCsToSpawnStrings=("Ptero_Character_BP_C")) ), NPCSpawnLimits=( (NPCClassString="Trike_Character_BP_C"),(NPCClassString="Ptero_Character_BP_C") ) ) This will ADD a Giganotosaurus Spawner to the PGARK's beach spawner, but limiting it to only 1 Giga per spawner (via the NPCSpawnLimits): ConfigAddNPCSpawnEntriesContainer=(NPCSpawnEntriesContainerClassString="DinoSpawnEntriesBeach_PGM_C",NPCSpawnEntries=( (AnEntryName="GigaSpawner",EntryWeight=1000.0,NPCsToSpawnStrings=("Gigant_Character_BP_C"))), NPCSpawnLimits=( (NPCClassString="Gigant_Character_BP_C",MaxPercentageOfDesiredNumToAllow=0.01) ) ) This will OVERRIDE the PGARK's beach spawner to spawn NOTHING but Gigas and Rexes in equal weights and limits... OUCH! ConfigOverrideNPCSpawnEntriesContainer=(NPCSpawnEntriesContainerClassString="DinoSpawnEntriesGrassland_PGM_C",NPCSpawnEntries=( (AnEntryName="GigaSpawner",EntryWeight=1.0,NPCsToSpawnStrings=("Gigant_Character_BP_C")) , (AnEntryName="RexSpawner",EntryWeight=1.0,NPCsToSpawnStrings=("Rex_Character_BP_C")) ), NPCSpawnLimits=( (NPCClassString="Gigant_Character_BP_C",MaxPercentageOfDesiredNumToAllow=0.5) , (NPCClassString="Rex_Character_BP_C",MaxPercentageOfDesiredNumToAllow=0.5) ) ) Using this technique, you can modify all of the spawners of any map. It will even take Mod creature class names, as long as you know their short (summonable) class names! Here's a list of all the spawner class names on TheIsland, TheCenter, ScorchedEarth, and PGARK for your handy reference: PGARK DinoSpawnEntries_InlandWater_PGM_C DinoSpawnEntries_TheDeepwater_PGM_C DinoSpawnEntries_TheOcean_PGM_C DinoSpawnEntriesBeach_PGM_C DinoSpawnEntriesGrassland_PGM_C DinoSpawnEntriesJungle_PGM_C DinoSpawnEntriesMountain_PGM_C DinoSpawnEntriesSnow_PGM_C DinoSpawnEntriesSnowMountain_PGM_C DinoSpawnEntriesSnowShoreline_PGM_C DinoSpawnEntriesSwamp_PGM_C DinoSpawnEntriesRedwoodsPGM_C TheIsland DinoSpawnEntries_Beavers_C DinoSpawnEntries_DarkWater_C DinoSpawnEntries_DarkWater_Mosa_C DinoSpawnEntries_DarkWaterAngler_C DinoSpawnEntries_DeepWater_C DinoSpawnEntries_InlandWater_C DinoSpawnEntries_Ocean_C DinoSpawnEntriesRedwoods_C DinoSpawnEntries_RedwoodWater_C DinoSpawnEntries_ShallowWater_C DinoSpawnEntries_SwampWater_C DinoSpawnEntriesArcha_C DinoSpawnEntriesBeach_C DinoSpawnEntriesCave1_C DinoSpawnEntriesCave2_C DinoSpawnEntriesCave2-LowSpiderScorp_C DinoSpawnEntriesCave3_C DinoSpawnEntriesCave5_C DinoSpawnEntriesCave5_Tough_C DinoSpawnEntriesCave7-Fliers_C DinoSpawnEntriesCaveIceWater_C DinoSpawnEntriesCaveLava_C DinoSpawnEntriesCaveWater_C DinoSpawnEntriesDamiensAtoll_C DinoSpawnEntriesGigant_C DinoSpawnEntriesGrassland_C DinoSpawnEntriesIceCave_C DinoSpawnEntriesJungle_C DinoSpawnEntriesMonsterIsland_C DinoSpawnEntriesMountain_C DinoSpawnEntriesPelican_C DinoSpawnEntriesPenguins_C DinoSpawnEntriesQuetz_C DinoSpawnEntriesSnow_C DinoSpawnEntriesSwamp_C DinoSpawnEntriesSwampCave_C DinoSpawnEntriesSwampCaveWater_C DinoSpawnEntriesTinyCave_C DinoSpawnEntriesTitano_C DinoSpawnEntriesWater_C TheCenter (which also uses many TheIsland spawners) CustomAnglerSpawner_C CustomPenguinSpawner_C DunkEurSpawn_C GrasslandsUnderArea_WaterSpawn_C IceCave_Spawner_C IceCaveWater_Spawner_C Lava_Spawn_C Lava_Upper_Spawn_C LavaBeach_Spawn_C LavaWater_Spawn_C MiniCaveBearSpawner_C SnowGrasslands_Spawn_C SnowGrasslandsUnderArea_Spawn_C SnowyLake_Mosa_C SnowyMountain_Spawn_C SpiderCaveSpawner_C UnderwaterCaveSpawn_C DinoSpawnEntries_OceanUnderworld_C Scorched Earth SE_DinoSpawnEntries_DeathWorm_C SE_DinoSpawnEntries_RexSolo_C SE_DinoSpawnEntriesBadlands_C SE_DinoSpawnEntriesCanyonCave_C SE_DinoSpawnEntriesCanyons_C SE_DinoSpawnEntriesDunes_C SE_DinoSpawnEntriesEZMode_C SE_DinoSpawnEntriesGreenDesert_C SE_DinoSpawnEntriesMountain_C SE_DinoSpawnEntriesMountainCave_C SE_DinoSpawnEntriesOasis_C SE_DinoSpawnEntriesRuinsCave_C SE_DinoSpawnEntriesRuinsCaveNoGolem_C SE_DinoSpawnEntriesSandworm_C SE_DinoSpawnEntriesWater_C SE_DinoSpawnEntriesWyvern_C SE_DinoSpawnEntriesWyvernTrench_C Procedural Generator Modding Guide The Procedural ARK Generation is nearly 100% Blueprint-driven, so it is super moddable (and the Generator Blueprints used can be overriden by any Mod!). We have no doubt that enterprising modders will be able to create even better algorithms and logic paths than us, for more lifelike and detailed procedural ARK's. Here are the first details about how to get involved with creating a unique Procedural Generator Mod in the ARK Dev Kit: https://forums.unrealengine.com/showthread.php?90664-9-28-ARK-Dev-Kit-v247-8-has-been-posted-to-the-Epic-Launcher! And here's an example of a very simple one! http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=785098977 Bonus video tutorial by ThickFreedom:

Yup, Procedurally Generated ARKs are coming to all consoles! SEE WHAT I DID THERE? -Jeremy

AHA! Patch Notes v247!

Wow that's quite a feature! Oh and FIRST!