Jen

Hey Survivors! Welcome to the twenty-nineth issue of the ARK Digest! We hope you all enjoyed our April Fools shenanigans. We had a lot of fun with it and seeing your reactions over our social media definitely made our day. Let's start off with an important announcement! International Modding Contest Voting! Earlier this year we were thrilled to announce the first challenge for modders with our very first ARK International Mod Contest! Putting content creators, new and old, to the test through making their own ARK Mod. We had over 100 entries between the three total categories, which was amazing! Looking through all of the different entries and seeing the level of skill and creativity blew us away. Studio Wildcard is excited to announce the top candidates which will now be entering public voting. Community voting on the mod contest entries is now open! Click the links below to be brought to the voting pages and see the finalists! Mod Finalists Map Finalists Total Conversion Finalists The contest is divided into the following three categories: Mods: Extensions of current gameplay functionality Maps: These are new ARK's to play on. Total Conversions: These are complete 'overhauls' of the game which change core functionality. Make sure to vote for your favourite submission in each category! PRIZES: Fifteen (15) prizes will be awarded. 1st thru 5th, places for each category: 1st Place: $10,000 in each category 2nd Place: $5,000 in each category 3rd Place: $3,000 in each category 4th Place: $2,000 in each category 5th Place: $1,000 in each category $63, 000 TOTAL PRIZE POOL! VOTING/JUDGING: Studio Wildcard has selected 5-10 submissions they consider high quality in each category to be voted on by the community. The submissions were awarded scores (1-100) based on three categories: Originality/creativity Overall graphical or functional quality/polish Entertainment value (how fun is it to play/use?) 60% of the judging score will done by the ARK: Survival Evolved development team. 40% of the judging score will be calculated by the community through a public vote. You must be a member of survivetheark.com with a minimum of 30 posts in order to place your vote. The winners will be announced on May 15th, 2016, after finalist voting, spotlight and judging rounds. Best of luck to all of the participants! ARK Digest Q+A Survivor, Ghost334 asks, "How will the new tek armor work, will it only give you extra protection or will it also work as an exoskeleton and make it so that you can carry more or maybe give you protection from fall damage?" Survivor, Dinopants asks, "I noticed that although the sloped roof is able to be placed both upward and downward, the sloped walls cannot be flipped to match any roof pointing downwards. Will the sloped walls eventually be given the ability to flip directions like the sloped roof?" Survivor, Neizan, asks, “Will we have workshop (mods and maps) for ARK SotF?” Survivor, Katigura, asks, “Is there anything you guys can give/show/tell us about the older-dino pass?” Survivor, Akeema, asks, “I've seen a lot of focus on bringing more oceanic creatures into the game, lately. While I'm pumped for this, it leaves me wondering if you also plan to bring more air creatures into the game?” Survivor, FaneBlackwing, asks, “Would you guys think about adding special perk bonuses to the Artifacts? For example, we may equip one Artifact on our character giving them a unique bonus. (Artifact of the Immune making you more resistant to natural effects like freezing and overheating and possibly immune to the toxic damage in the swamp cave?)” Survivor, DiloFodder, asks, “Will the tek tier bring new base defenses such as electric fencing (touching the fence would incur an electric shock that deals knock-back and torpor) or laser fencing? (touching the laser fencing would deal heavy damage and strong knock-back)” Survivor, Hope, asks, “Will we be getting any more instruments next to the drums? A Didgeridoo, conch shell horn, or ruman tuba, as well as other instruments would be really neat to have.” Survivor, FaneBlackwing, asks, “With the new Dunkleosteus taking Titanoboa Kibble as it's preferred kibble, Titanoboa eggs are starting to become a need. Could we see the Titanoboas become tameable in the very near future and receive genders so we can collect eggs from them easier? It's a real pain, especially on SP, where I can barely find any of them.” Survivor, Weapon14, asks, “Will we eventually be able to transfer dinos from official servers to personal provided servers?” Survivor, UpFromTheDepths, asks, “What animals (specifically dinosaurs) did you want in the game but didn't make the cut?” Survivor, PhantomGamer, asks, “Can we have a server option to disable fog? It's a very limiting weather effect that makes it so you have to sit and wait for it to be over, which is a bit stupid.” Survivor, Mr.Grey, asks, “Will you guys add Mic input option so we can use voice changer software, It would help the RP community alot!! Thanks :)” Survivor, MrXQuikSilver, asks, “Will we ever get another weapon for underwater ( harpoon) or maybe another melee weapon such as a mace, Molotov, make hatchets throwable, or a boomerang.” Survivor, TR-8R, asks, “Will the antidote be an universal one or we will have to make specific antidote for certain diseases? Survivor, JuicedMachine, asks, “Would it be possible to expose a list of dinos tamed by the tribe?” Survivor, viewsfromla6, asks, “What are the plans to make people explore the ocean more? Rarer resources forcing people to go deep down, more sea dungeons?” Survivor, nafroberts, “Are there any plans for dino-mounted weaponry? Like a mounted battering ram, catapult or canon that could take the place of or be added to a saddle? This would make dinos like parasaurs more useful in a battle or siege.” Survivor, Mullahadin, asks, “Could we get a peek at the breeding mechanics phase 2? Rumors are being created left and right.” Survivor, Wulfsige85, asks, “Can we have items appear on players characters when they have them equipped in the quick bar? you know a little visual aid e.g. pistol with holster, rocket launcher on there back, bow on shoulder etc. that way other players can tell if someone's packing heat.” Survivor, Huntzilla, asks, “Could there be a creature that FAKES getting knocked out and you have us a scope to make sure? Or a creature that is able to attack a little when knocked out so you have to be careful?” That’s it for this week’s ARK Digest! Thanks for tuning in and hopefully you’ve walked away learning something new! Thanks for all the support, engagement, and feedback so far! Much love, Wildcard Jen & The ARK Survival Evolved Team! View full article

ComplexMinded is the Prim+ guy, he interviewed Swords on their mod (NPCs), and then talked about his own mod (Prim+).

Hello, Survivors! Welcome to the 43rd issue of the Community Crunch! My name is Jen, and I’ll be bringing you the Community Crunch this week. To those unaware the Crunch is a weekly topic that consist of content to share, made by the community, for the community! As well as any little changes I want to make survivors aware about, which happen within our community. Mod Contest Earlier this year we were thrilled to announce the first challenge for modders with our very first ARK International Mod Contest! Putting content creators, new and old, to the test through making their own ARK Mod. I’d like to take this time to thank each and every person who submitted their mod for participating! We have over 100 entries, which is amazing. Studio Wildcard will be releasing the top candidates for public voting shortly. Community voting on the mod contest entries will begin on April 11th, so stay tuned for that! The winners will be announced on May the 15th 2016, after finalist voting, spotlight and judging rounds. ‘Mysterious Mysteries’ Contest Winner With everything that’s been going on recently, we mistakenly forgot to announce the winner of our Mysterious Mysterious contest that took place a few weeks ago. Much congratulations to Survivor William! We will be get in touch with you over email to sort out your prize. For those that are curious, here were the four correct guesses (and one bonus guess we also accepted): Survivor League Logo The Obelisks in the old locations No Snow Biome 2 in the cloud Music ** BONUS ** Fan Feature Northward by Freyaloi Source: http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=656720497 Yer Bein Watched by Stanism Source: http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=654455277 K4LLA's Art Source: https://survivetheark.com/index.php?/gallery/album/600-k4llas-art/ Ark Survival Evolved "Happy Easterville" by hanseN Gaming What it feels like to raid in Ark! by ThickFreedom Rugops by milokamilo Source: http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=650899828 NEW on MNI mod by milokamilo Source: http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=656625037 Caulkcephalus dossier by Davey Jones!!! Source: http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=655573826 Rathian Dossier by Shadlos Source: http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=654886205 Gastonia Dossier 'Tectis Arma-Murus' by Malkizid Source: http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=645399258 Archelon Dossier by AtlasBlu45 Source: https://survivetheark.com/index.php?/forums/topic/47178-ark-archelon/ Feliscatusaurs Dossier by TheCuriousDodo Source: https://survivetheark.com/index.php?/gallery/image/4904-feliscatusaurs-dossier/ Ferrari Dolphino and Lamborghini Dolfino by Sharkcat Source: http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=646949963 Source: http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=652478022 Squire by Seraphine Source: http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=648073677 Argentavis by Rustey Source: https://survivetheark.com/index.php?/forums/topic/45070-rustey-~-argentavis/ Tribe Flag by GamerPerfection Source: https://survivetheark.com/index.php?/gallery/image/4720-tribe-flag/ Community Contests ARKitect This is an award given to Survivors to celebrate the amazing structures you build. These bases are judged based upon a number of different factors such as their creativity, uniqueness, how fun of a base it is, the difficulty of building it, the functionality it provides and much more! The ARKitect for Community Crunch 43 is.. A tie between TimmyCarbine's Roman Styled Villa, and Welcome To Paradise's Underwater PVP Arena! ARKArt This is an award given to survivors who have created beautiful work of art for that week! As always, the artwork is not being judged on the quality of the screenshot or the graphical settings used, but instead what you have managed to draw and produce in game. The ARKArtist for Community Crunch 43 is… A tie between Okim's charming canvas paintings, and Sentoki's adorable BunnyDodo Easter Egg! Thank you for all the entries this week guys! Congratulations to all our winners and if you’d like to take a look at what all the survivors submitted, you can do so here: Workshop Spotlight This weeks Workshop Spotlight is brought to you by Cedric, our Mod Liason. Take it away, Ced! Workshopper: Swords http://steamcommunity.com/id/weirdguythatsmiles/myworkshopfiles/ (Before we get started, we have a new Youtube channel called "ARK: Workshop". On this channel you can expect to see me embarrassing myself and covering some of the latest mods in the Ark Community. It's a channel dedicated to the modding community and will feature interviews, reviews, and events that are going on within the community So hit that subscribe button if that's something you're interested in seeing! ) Hey fellow survivors! Cedric here with my first ever workshop spotlight and community member Samson F. Hey Samson, It's been awhile since we heard from you. Jat covered some of your work earlier on when the dev kit was still new but you've obviously had a lot more time and experience. For anyone that doesn't know you, give yourself an introduction. Don't be modest, I wouldn't!! Oh you're in Seattle!?! We'll have to grab coffee sometime!! I'm actually glad it doesn't log hours "played" in the dev kit like the Steam version did. So we at the office, had a blast playing with your NPC mod. It seems like it has went through several iterations and changes since its first debut. Tell us a little about what the mod is and you're inspiration for making it! It's interesting you say that because when I gave this a spin to test it out, I actually thought I logged into a server for a second. There were chat bubble heads on the NPC's!! It shows how much thought and work you put into this! It's crazy you had no prior experience. Explain what it's been like learning by trial and error. Is it discouraging? That takes some dedication! Well the hard work definitely shows. As far as the mod goes, what are some of the future plans you have for it?? After playing it, I can see so many possibilities. From people who just want to add some indigenous-like tribes that were native to the island, to people who want to wage all out NPC wars (like me!!!). What are your short term and long term goals? Not a bad idea! Preparing for the worst case scenario so every scenario becomes the best scenario because you've handled all the "worst"? Or something like that Well I must say the work you have done is very impressive. I can't wait to see where this goes considering how much progress you've made already. Are there any specific resources or guides that you would like to point fellow modders out to? Maybe something that helped you along the way. Picture search.... now why didn't I think of that?? Well it's been fun Samson! I genuinely had a blast checking out the NPC mod and we have a video walk-through for all those interested. I highly suggest you give it a shot because it will definitely surprise and amuse you. I'll be looking forward to that cup of joe! Samson, any last words or thanks? Primitive+ Developers Blog Hello my fellow Primitive+ fans! Cedric here again. Lots has been going on behind the scenes since we last talked! The mod is starting to gather quite the following and several people have reached out to me for help with blueprints or art for the mod. If you’d like to pitch in, reach out to me and let me know what your expertise is! I’ve been working on some of remodelling (walls, cement mixer, apiary some of the structures that I know will make it into the final cut. You’ll start to see some of the models change to reflect a more permanent state. The snap points and sizing issues on the structures that have been plaguing people will be solved with these structure remodels! I’ve been trying to polish off the current content before adding some of the new ideas but things like balance changes will be a constant evolution. Be sure to keep informing me when someone power levels on wood planks or takes down a fortress with a machete In the very near future, you will start to see more concepts vs. structures and resources. An example of this is a chance for sickness. Another one being food deterioration. To support the idea of sickness, there needs to be a window or transition for consumables to go from fresh to spoiled where currently there is not. These are just a few of the things that are the drawing board. In the next update there will be a new item added, the berry press. With this, you’ll have an additional step when you are looking to make a cup of wine for your next dinner party. The advantage is you’ll be able to make all types of cocktails with berries Stimbull energy drink anyone!?! Until next time! - Ced Thanks Cedric for this weeks Workshop Spotlight, and for taking us through the Primitive+ development! And with that concludes this week’s Crunch! If you happened to have missed it, make sure to check out yesterday's ARK Digest. If you’ve got anything to share with us please get in touch, we’d love to see your creations. Be sure to follow us on Twitter at @survivetheark - Facebook at www.facebook.com/survivetheark and Reddit at www.reddit.com/r/playark Thanks everyone, see you again soon! Much love, Wildcard Jen and the ARK Survival Evolved Team View full article

Today, April 1, we have drastically changed the direction of ARK: Survival Evolved -- rechristened ARK: Survival Devolved --, fully realizing our vision of creating the most realistic survival simulator ever where Dinos Ride Humans. So get in the game to saddle up and ride your favorite person! In other evolutionary news, we have added three new deadly creatures to the ARK! The unpredictable furry Woolly Rhino, the armored, deep-water Dunkleosteus, and the chitin-rich Eurypterid! These new critters introduce advanced ways to attack and defend, bulk up on armor, and to travel the deep seas with greater defenses than ever before. The Woolly Rhino is a large, usually friendly herbivore but can turn into a dangerous creature when charging its attackers. It builds up momentum as it charges, and depending on its ultimate impact speed, players can skewer the largest creatures in just one single gore! Dunkleosteus is a large fish that is covered head to tail in armored plates and has incredibly powerful jaws that make great work of stone and oil formations in the ocean’s depths. It’s an excellent battle fish that is heavy with armor and a terrifying bite that tears through chitinous shells. Found only in the deepest watery depths on the ARK, Eurypterids are dangerous Arthropods that, while not smart enough to be tamed, are rich in chitin and provide a debilitating poison that quickly renders its opponent unable to defend itself. The Eurypterid digestive tracts often containing Silica Pearls, or even have incredibly rare Black Pearls used for manufacturing mysterious technologies making them among the most valuable creatures on the island. In addition, today marks the start of our Extinction Event official servers. These servers will reset after each month, with an in-game countdown and dramatic meteor impact to signal the end! These time-limited servers are a great way for new players to start on a level playing field and a challenging gameplay choice for those who want to see how far they can progress before the end of days! Participants will earn badges to mark their accomplishment. Happy 1st of April, Survivors! Wildcard Jen & The ARK Survival Evolved Team View full article