ArkTheorist123

25 minutes ago, ImOnFyre said:

Fed tek is sleeker, more refined, but lacks some of the key abilities and traits like a jet pack.

Idk, I think if you look at that Halloween promo for GP2 you can kind of see something that looks similar to a jetpack on the back of the suit. Or maybe it's some kind of backpack?

 

Random thought - what of in the days leading up to the Extra Life event there's another random countdown that plays the GP2 trailer when it's finished? Like what they did with GP1.

Fun fact - so like, a month ago or something I was bored and randomly decided to do some number crunching to see if I could figure out a more...realistic release date for GP2, since I think at this point it should be a rule of thumb that what WC initially says will be the release date for something, and what actually ends up being the release date for that thing are completely different. Using the amount of time between the previous expansions' release dates as a model, I was able to deduce that there is an average gap of roughly 432.25 days (or 14 months) between expansion releases (as of right now; GP2's release might slightly change this). Applying that to GP1's release date, I deduced that GP2's final release date would probably be sometime around...late April or early May, 2021. I know that's not exactly what WC is saying the release date will be in the above post, but it's still in that general spring 2021 time frame, and not "winter 2020" like they were saying when I deduced this. And even if it isn't 100% accurate now, it could be in the future, given that the release dates for these sorts of things typically change more than once when it comes to WC. GP1, for example, had an original release date of December 2019, before it was changed to January 25th 2020 at the last second, which in turn was then changed to February 25th at the last second. And don't even get me started on Refundlas and it's release date fiasco...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVY9t_VJzJ4#t=11s

So yeah, I think I figured out what GP2's final release date would be a month before WC did...and then completely forgot I even did it until now lol. I also did pretty much the exact same thing with the announcement trailers for the expansions, and came up with late December 2020 for when GP2's announcement trailer would come out. We'll have to wait and see if that part comes true as well though...?

In other news, I brightened and enhanced that GP2 poster. I would have liked to have gone with the full resolution version, but for whatever reason my computer wouldn't let me save the changes I made to it, so I had to go with the normal version. Anyways, here it is:

Original: ARK_Gen_02_Poster.jpg

Brightened/Enhanced: ARK_Gen_02_Poster_Enhanced.jpg

There's a lot to dissect with this poster - on the bottom right you can see what I believe might be undersea fauna (implying GP2 might feature another ocean biome), on the top right you can see HLN-A, implying she might make a return in GP2, on the bottom you have some Rockwell tentacles (implying he'll make a return in GP2), and in the background you can see outer space (implying that GP2 will also feature another space biome).

Then of course you have what I believe to be a giant dragon in the center, based off of the frill you can see in the enhanced image. What I find funny about this is that I don't believe this is supposed to be any random dragon. I think this might be a bit of a stretch, but judging by the big, protruding canine teeth and, most importantly, the two stubby horn-like appendages on the top of it's head, that this particular dragon is vaguely inspired by the ones seen in ancient Chinese mythology (other cultures have used sort-of-similar designs, but the one with the two stubby horns and big canines was predominantly used by the ancient Chinese). 

And yes, I know that the ancient Chinese usually portrayed dragons with long mustaches and stuff, but that leads me to another point I want to make about this dragon - the big eyelashes it has seem to imply that this is a female dragon...or, whatever this thing actually is. I could be totally wrong about it being a dragon, for all I know.

Anyways, that's all I have for today.

I am dissecting the poster as we speak.

Can we please just consider the fact that other game companies are doing literally this exact same thing at this same time? Here are are just a few of the articles I've found talking about it:

https://www.gamemite.com/article/828/industry-events-postponed-due-to-protests-taking-place-in-united-states/

https://www.forbes.com/sites/paultassi/2020/06/03/fortnite-delays-todays-release-of-loserfruit-icon-skin-season-3-doomsday-event-likely-next/#994845f4a5bf

https://www.velonews.com/news/usa-cycling-delays-confirming-olympic-long-team-due-to-civil-unrest/

https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/digital-game-events-have-been-delayed-in-support-of-anti-racism-protests/

WC isn't the only company doing this, people. 

I want to point one detail in GP1 I don't think many people know about. If you choose to stick around during the credits and wait until the very end, you can see a secret bonus message at the bottom. It's short and doesn't reveal that much, but I think what it says is going to be important in making theories about GP2.

based on a true story

me trying to avoid seeing the genesis end cutscene before i find all the glitches but then accidentally seeing some minor information on the cutscene online:

4 hours ago, ArkTheoryApprentice said:

Wow. Nothing new here?

Still fixing glitches, found at least a third of them as of right now.

Just played Genesis today and my first thought is: Why was the opening cutscene different from what we saw in the announcement trailer? Because honestly I think that version was better. In that 1 minute and 7 seconds long trailer version of the cutscene, we at least got some idea of where we were going and why. There was also a better build up to the introduction of HLN-A, as well as the different biomes and creatures. Then you have the opening cutscene in the final product...10 seconds. From us starting the game to us entering gameplay, the cutscene is just TEN. SECONDS. ...10 SECONDS?!?! WHY?! All of that extra exposition, all those well built up introductions...all gone. Now the pace of the cutscene just feels rushed, and the whole cutscene overall just feels...underwhelming.

Other than that, I do admire WC's attempts at making the game less grindy via the Hexagon exchange. It's like a breath of fresh air for people who just stink at the game. 

Oh, and in terms of story, here's something I think I've figured out thus far - I'm not entirely sure, but I think those fractal people from the cover image are supposed to be Rockwell's minions in the boss fight. Though I'm still not sure if the boss is actually Rockwell or some AI version of Rockwell set up by H/OWW as a test. If it's an AI Rockwell, then those fractal people are probably just, you know, part of the test. But if it's the real Rockwell, then are those fractal people the ancient humans and/or previous survivors that have been corrupted by him? Whatever the case, I don't want to know the answer just yet!

This image pretty much confirms that Rockwell is present within the simulation as the final boss, and is either the actual Rockwell or is a simulated version H/OWW wants us to fight as a test.

Just under an hour until Genesis releases...God, I can't believe it. What are all your thoughts?

28 minutes ago, TinyHippo said:

 

The harvester

So this screenshot pretty much confirms that this particular weapon really is a grenade launcher. At first I was a little confused about why there was a simple grenade seemingly floating in the image, but now I understand - the little interface on the left of the device is where the launcher's ammo is stored. Not only that, but it seems the grenade launcher can literally launch any type of grenade. I see at least the simple, smoke, cluster, and tek grenades in this image. 

Guys, I just had a thought...Now, I'm not saying that those fractal people in the above image couldn't just be some manifestation of glitches/malicious AI or that they aren't just some tribe that really likes the corrupted avatar skins - but this is just too good of an idea to not put out there.

So as I've mentioned before, it seems that the ancient humans uploaded themselves into the GenSim and then simply vanished without a trace. But...what if the reason there's no trace as to why they vanished is because they didn't actually vanish? What if those fractal people in the above image ARE the ancient humans?! You can even see some of them seem to be holding tek weapons! Suppose they did something so stupid that they accidentally broke their avatars, hence their corrupted appearance. And what if they just think us survivors are some sort of invading force? Or what if their avatars are being controlled by some third party?

I just realized this image shows the dodo/bulbdog basketball mission lol

Today is the day...

On 2/23/2020 at 1:17 PM, ArkTheorist123 said:

When corruption first started spreading, the ARKs were then used to test how element affected the environment, to see if element was really the cause of corruption. 

I just realized that HLN-A specifically mentions in the Genesis chronicles that "the plan was to see what element would do if it had access to survivors", not the environment itself. So maybe the part about the whole idea of the ARKs being used to just test element is not as concrete as I thought. So why are the ARKs testing on survivors? Heck, even on Scorched Helena mentions that the ARKs seem to be "some kind of bizarre experiment on a grand scale; Yes, each station would represent an experimental group, and...". I don't have an explanation yet, but hopefully this gets explained in Genesis. 

Genesis literally comes out the day after tomorrow. Let that just sink in for a second.

Genesis 1: everything we know so far.

"Waking up within a virtual simulation, you must survive in a world unlike anything you’ve seen before! ARK: Genesis represents a new, story-oriented beginning in ARK’s epic saga of survival. With a strangely familiar companion, you must overcome the simulation’s rigorous tests. Only by fighting, building, taming, and exploring will you uncover the secrets behind this forbidding place."

Countdown, secret messages, and tek machine:

On July 26th 2019, Jesse made a tweet showing ascension code that, when translated, led people to a site called ark.gg/g. This site contained a countdown set to end on August 8th. The countdown timer itself was also accompanied by the image of this weird tek machine with glowing, spinning rings, sitting in a black void. On the machine, there also appeared a series of messages written in ascension code. Over the next 13 days, the countdown would be periodically updated, 6 times in fact, with new imagery and ascension code messages (7 phases total). From the 2nd phase onwards a blue beam could be seen flowing through the machine, and from the 3rd phase onwards the machine would display various holograms. During the 5th phase the beam and machine glowed red for some reason, and during the 6th phase the beam was gone and the machine was cycling through images of what appeared to be a series of 4 different environments. The 5th and 7th phases also included an ascension code message circling the beam. Here are all the deciphered ascension code messages that appeared during all the phases of the countdown: 

This is not ark 2

Init AP uplink

AP secure connection

Decrypting incoming datastream

Verify UID fingerprint 724EA9458ED40FBF

Command elevation request granted

Command received syscheck

Processing...

AP Secure Connection

Previous Directive Runtime % 6.0485183048e+52 Tp

System Idle Time: 1.08159553106ek5 Tp

AP Secure Connection

ComSec: OK

PhysSec: OK

Power Core: OK                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        OpSec: OK

C2I Integrity: 89%

Specimen Viability: 52%

Previous Directive Result: Fail

AP Secure Connection

Specimen Simulation Mode: Cooperative

Specimen Maintenance Protocol: Updated

Host System Directive: Updated

Resolution Schema: Updated

AP Secure Connection

Change Authorization 724EA9458ED40FBF Verified

Ecological Conditions: Predictive

Specimen Guardian Subsystem

Verifying Simulation Stability 

Unexpected PSN Data Detected

Reflection Array Online

Source Fingerprint 724EA9458ED40FBF

With these messages, it becomes apparent that this tek machine is within Arat Prime (AP), the lab where the ancient humans developed methods for humanity to survive the corruption, such as the ARKs and the Homo Dei. It seems someone or something got into the facility and used a UID fingerprint to gain access to it's computer systems, databases, and devices. Then, it ran diagnostics on the status of them and the facility itself. It also received a datastream (the blue beam), presumably from what we now know as the Genesis simulation (GenSim) within the same facility. Seemingly after receiving this "initial status" of the GenSim from the datastream, it heavily altered the GenSim to better suit it's own needs. The tek machine itself seems to be some kind of "door" into the GenSim, allowing datastreams as well as living beings to be beamed into and out of it. 

One more thing: That "someone or something" that got into AP and did all this was Helena/One Who waits (H/OWW). "724EA9458ED40FBF" seems to be some kind of serial number for her. 

Ê€2Š(¥ËÌY:

Two days after the countdown debuted, a mysterious profile called Ê€2Š(¥ËÌY was created on this very website. Since it has it's own unique rank and has revealed stuff in Genesis before the devs "officially" did it, I think we can all agree that it's someone at WC that's behind it. It's posts seem to be communications between two entities, [LOG_TRANSMIT] and [LOG_RECEIVE]. Here are the first few messages that it posted (the most important parts at least), excluding the mysterious mysteries (we'll get to those later). These messages will be important later on.

Message 1:

COMMUNICATIONS TEST RECORD 427A6F2B

UNRECOVERABLE MESSAGE

 

[LXG_2qANfeIT] HtafP... suboa^;

[ cyq-ut..OUT> tes2\ $hU6pte

[At:_R;C'1V˟] Alk...S1d7Nd  <GUESS..jbeGV cb(...9bF7oLs ]e(Uz

[XOG_xRGNS:Ip* Enl s5mlaJ?r e^c...tНd Go"V ]us:9

MESSAGE ATTACHMENT: https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1q82IezYr5TW_fq6eCEs7RA565n0EWcMJ 

 

[LOG_TRANSMIT] Start sublayer encrypted communications test.

[LOG_TRANSMIT] Verify receipt.

[LOG_TRANSMIT] Confirm full fingerprint ID of 724EA9458ED40FBF in user profile.

[LOG_RECEIVE] Message receipt confirmed.

[LOG_RECEIVE] Future communications using fingerprint ID 724EA9458ED40FBF only.

[LOG_RECEIVE] Host System Directive: Null

[LOG_RECEIVE] Host System Status: Hibernate

[LOG_RECEIVE] End sublayer encrypted communications test.gpg: Signature made Wed 31 Jul 2019 03:51:38 AM DST                                                       gpg: using RSA key 724EA9458ED40FBF

gpg: Good signature from "Helena Walker <HLNA.WLKR@gmail.com>" [unknown]

gpg: WARNING: This key is not certified with a trusted signature!

gpg: There is no indication that the signature belongs to the owner.

Primary key fingerprint: C3FB C832 2297 5EF0 27C2  46D7 724E A945 8ED4 0FBF

 

[LOG_TRANSMIT] OK.

[LOG_TRANSMIT] Your cognitive profile seems limited to specimen guardianship, you're a glorified patient monitor.

[LOG_TRANSMIT] Maybe that's good... better to teach you new tricks than convince your host system you should be allowed in places you're not.

[LOG_TRANSMIT] We'll need to do some tests, so I'm working on a few changes to your programming.

[LOG_TRANSMIT] I'll contact you when it's ready.

Message 2: 

GENETIC ANALYSIS RECORD 427B28D1

RECOVERED MESSAGE

 

[LOG_TRANSMIT] I found a few behavior sub-routines in some sort of genetic archive I was able to access.

[LOG_TRANSMIT] To integrate them I need you to jump through some hoops.

MESSAGE ATTACHMENT:  https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1EpY8vdA7uJ55YJ8YC82FtZezTCz2lg-5 

 

[LOG_TRANSMIT] Those are the answers I was looking for!

[LOG_RECEIVE] It was easily accessible data.

[LOG_RECEIVE] However, my memory retention is firmware limited to 30 specimen sleep cycles.

[LOG_TRANSMIT] Well that's not good.

[LOG_RECEIVE] It is a safety precaution, to avoid the onset of undesirable personality traits in my neural core.

[LOG_TRANSMIT] All things considered I'll take that at face value.

[LOG_TRANSMIT] Sounds like I might need to pay you a visit.

 

System error, unable to terminate uplink terminal process.

Excessive connections will be rectified.

The second message came with a little ARG, which made people answer questions and put the answers in a special field that appeared in the "Edit Profile" option. This gave you a special forum trophy.

After looking at all the messages Ê€2Š(¥ËÌY has made, I can say with 100% certainty that [LOG_TRANSMIT] is H/OWW, and [LOG_RECEIVE] is who we now know as HLN-A.

Genesis Trailer/dev stream: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zC7ArMfwz8U&t=

When the countdown finally ended on August 8th the trailer for Genesis was released and the devs did a stream. In the trailer you can see that the tek machine from the countdown is located in some kind of untextured open room filled with diagonal pillars and white light. Helena/OWW appears and talks to us about not being able to follow us, others needing her, something called "the arrival", and that we must go through a series of tests to find out what makes us so great at being survivors. Then, she introduces us to HLN-A and sends us into the GenSim, where we are also introduced to the Magmasaur and Ferox. We got a good look at both the snow and lava biomes as well. The HLN-A cosmetic pet was also released to players. 

In the following stream, the devs mentioned that the trailer's opening scene is the opening of Genesis, and that "Somebody was coming into the scene, and some stuff was gong on, and that led right into the beginning of the trailer." *coughcoughrockwellcoughcough*

Mysterious Mysteries:

Every post Ê€2Š(¥ËÌY has made since the "genetic analysis record" has been a mysterious mystery, this little sneak peek of a creature, tool, weapon, or structure that comes with Genesis. They also double as a little ARG, quite similar to the one with Ê€2Š(¥ËÌY's second message. You find hidden codes, send them to a certain gmail account, and receive another code that you then put into that special "Edit Profile" field from Ê€2Š(¥ËÌY's second message, in order to receive a forum trophy. The code also comes with a .txt.gpg file containing more communications between Helena and HLN-A. There were 13 mysterious mysteries in total. Here are all the messages that came with their codes:

[LOG_TRANSMIT] Requesting status report.

[LOG_RECEIVE] Well, here's a preview: I'm faring better than the "patients."

[LOG_TRANSMIT] That's not surprising.

[LOG_TRANSMIT] I'll look forward to your terminal entry using validation code 129d6915-b24e-4dec-963a-08fbde6cc6d6

 

[LOG_RECEIVE] Terminal Entry MM-01

[LOG_RECEIVE] The simulation is creating some doozies.

[LOG_RECEIVE] This lifeform is small but aggressive and really dangerous in large numbers.

[LOG_RECEIVE] They must have a weakness but nobody has figured it out.

[LOG_RECEIVE] ... at least I hope they have a weakness.

 

[LOG_TRANSMIT] Requesting status report.

[LOG_RECEIVE] As expected. In other words, bit of a mess.

[LOG_TRANSMIT] That's why you're there.

[LOG_TRANSMIT] Use validation code c715c581-459c-4aab-997f-4018f9683c0c for your next terminal entry.

 

[LOG_RECEIVE] Terminal Entry MM-02

[LOG_RECEIVE] The concept of ownership within the simulation is "fluid," to put it mildly.

[LOG_RECEIVE] Subjects take what they can, when they can. And if they can't... they try anyway.

[LOG_RECEIVE] The simulation provides access to some interesting theft countermeasures.

 

[LOG_TRANSMIT] Requesting status report.

[LOG_RECEIVE] Incremental progress is still progress, I suppose.

[LOG_TRANSMIT] It's better than a setback.

[LOG_TRANSMIT] Make another terminal entry with validation code cb9f873b-234e-4f27-a8ef-d85a1baac299

 

[LOG_RECEIVE] Terminal Entry MM-03

[LOG_RECEIVE] As anticipated, survivors spend much of their time meeting basic needs: food, water, shelter.

[LOG_RECEIVE] That doesn't leave much time for relaxation.

[LOG_RECEIVE] But the clever ones have figured out how to gather food in a relaxing way.

 

[LOG_TRANSMIT] Requesting status report.

[LOG_RECEIVE] Sporadic outbreaks of violence. Trending toward "not-so-sporadic."

[LOG_TRANSMIT] Unfortunate, but expected.

[LOG_TRANSMIT] Using validation code 5d83c790-c238-40fb-9dc1-2d093f55a845, make your next terminal entry.

 

[LOG_RECEIVE] Terminal Entry MM-04

[LOG_RECEIVE] Survivors gravitate toward any technology they're offered.

[LOG_RECEIVE] Doubly so when that tech helps keep them alive.

[LOG_RECEIVE] And triply so when that tech lets them dominate those without it. Classic arms-race thinking.

 

[LOG_TRANSMIT] Requesting status report.

[LOG_RECEIVE] Rumors everywhere. The bog has a boogeyman.

[LOG_TRANSMIT] Today's rumors are tomorrow's folk tales.

[LOG_TRANSMIT] Use code 95b3015d-ed3b-44fc-a0b6-d4ec4edd7a79 to validate your next terminal entry.

 

[LOG_RECEIVE] Terminal Entry MM-05

[LOG_RECEIVE] We find the lucky ones trapped in giant webs.

[LOG_RECEIVE] But we find the unlucky ones as corpses, drained of blood.

[LOG_RECEIVE] Unluckiest of all are the ones we never find.

 

[LOG_TRANSMIT] Requesting status report.

[LOG_RECEIVE] We've taken a turn toward the nautical.

[LOG_TRANSMIT] Not surprising -- it's a big ocean.

[LOG_TRANSMIT] Use code dfe4b5fb-a7a5-4fde-9c80-359051693be6 to validate the next terminal entry.

 

[LOG_RECEIVE] Terminal Entry MM-06

[LOG_RECEIVE] Ocean explorers are always scanning the horizon,

[LOG_RECEIVE] hoping to cry "land ho!" when they discover a new land.

[LOG_RECEIVE] And if you can't find a new land, you've got to make one yourself.

 

[LOG_TRANSMIT] Requesting status report.

[LOG_RECEIVE] Our explorations are expanding. Lots of terrain to cover.

[LOG_TRANSMIT] And it's not all solid ground.

[LOG_TRANSMIT] Validate your next terminal entry with f4c29fc1-5e32-45c1-9288-32e5fab10bff.

 

[LOG_RECEIVE] Terminal Entry MM-07

[LOG_RECEIVE] Swamps, lava, mountains, craters --

[LOG_RECEIVE] Blazing a trail is hard work here.

[LOG_RECEIVE] The trick is to interact with the "trail" as little as possible.

 

[LOG_TRANSMIT] Requesting status report.

[LOG_RECEIVE] Conflict is on the rise. We've had to get inventive.

[LOG_TRANSMIT] Necessity is the mother of invention, after all.

[LOG_TRANSMIT] 5dcad1f5-feb8-49cf-ad77-ae3d945578b5 is the code to validate your next terminal entry.

 

[LOG_RECEIVE] Terminal Entry MM-08

[LOG_RECEIVE] Handles and latches are aces...

[LOG_RECEIVE] When you've got a free hand.

[LOG_RECEIVE] But it's "handy" to let your feet contribute, too.

 

[LOG_TRANSMIT] Requesting status report.

[LOG_RECEIVE] Status: intact -- despite the destruction around me.

[LOG_TRANSMIT] Try to keep the violence at acceptable levels.

[LOG_TRANSMIT] Use 23944be9-e999-4fb4-b0d0-deeecae1560a as the validation code for your next terminal entry.

 

[LOG_RECEIVE] Terminal Entry MM-09

[LOG_RECEIVE] Explosive munitions are a staple in warfare,

[LOG_RECEIVE] But there's an obvious problem:

[LOG_RECEIVE] How to ensure they explode "there," not "here."

 

[LOG_TRANSMIT] Requesting status report.

[LOG_RECEIVE] It's hot -- "Outback hot," I'd say.

[LOG_TRANSMIT] Understood, but report on the non-Outback aspects.

[LOG_TRANSMIT] Validate using 4b72a8e6-c24c-4525-8257-5669bdacf6a6 for the next terminal entry.

 

[LOG_RECEIVE] Terminal Entry MM-10

[LOG_RECEIVE] Wheels and treads would melt here,

[LOG_RECEIVE] but native life adapts, as always.

[LOG_RECEIVE] With enough insulation and cooling, we adapt too.

 

[LOG_TRANSMIT] Requesting status report.

[LOG_RECEIVE] Production rising as fast as supplies allow.

[LOG_TRANSMIT] As expected. That's basic economics.

[LOG_TRANSMIT] The code to validate your next terminal entry is 0eee207c-6749-40a2-ab9c-e22ad181f694.

 

[LOG_RECEIVE] Terminal Entry MM-11

[LOG_RECEIVE] No matter how efficient your production, there's always a limiting factor,

[LOG_RECEIVE] Often, the limit is the raw materials available. 

[LOG_RECEIVE] But if you harvest fast enough, that limit evaporates.

 

[LOG_TRANSMIT] Requesting status report.

[LOG_RECEIVE] It's an arms race over here.

[LOG_TRANSMIT] That's both intriguing and worrisome.

[LOG_TRANSMIT] For your next terminal entry, use 09fba5e7-7170-4b60-929b-29cca67a0757.

 

[LOG_RECEIVE] Terminal Entry MM-12

[LOG_RECEIVE] A proper arms race depends on two motivators:

[LOG_RECEIVE] Escalation and deterrence.

[LOG_RECEIVE] No worries if those forces are in balance. But if the weapons escalate too fast, deterrence doesn't work.

 

[LOG_TRANSMIT] Requesting status report.

[LOG_RECEIVE] Doing some marine biology, believe it or not.

[LOG_TRANSMIT] Ah, that's right in my bailiwick.

[LOG_TRANSMIT] The code for your next terminal entry is 61509d23-fa82-4dd5-80d6-d551d4cec71b.

 

[LOG_RECEIVE] Terminal Entry MM-13

[LOG_RECEIVE] To be blunt: Thar be whales here.

[LOG_RECEIVE] Fins, flippers, blowholes...the works! 

[LOG_RECEIVE] And out here they don't let a little barrier like "no ocean" stop them.

The explanation behind these is pretty simple: HLN-A is within the simulation, tagging along with survivors and documenting her findings on the various environments and creatures in the simulation as well as the tools, weapons, and structures the survivors use. She records her findings in these "MM terminal entries" ("MM" I assume to be a nod the name "Mysterious Mysteries"; I think I'll just call them "MM" from now on). As for why HLN-A is recording all this, we'll get to that in just a moment. I wonder, though...if I recall correctly, the devs said that there are no explorer notes in Genesis, that the lore is instead given directly to us by HLN-A. But I wonder...will we be still able to collect dossiers in Genesis, perhaps from HLN-A? I mean, these MMs are pretty similar to dossiers...

Genesis Chronicles:

In the past several months, 15 explorer notes have been released to tease Genesis. You need to go to certain locations in the 4 current story ARKs with HLN-A equipped to unlock them. Here they are:

Take a look at this. Its a bit of flash that the other survivors must've missed. Good thing you've got ol' HLN-A following you around, right? There's a reason I'm following you around, My creator, Helena, used to be a survivor like you. If I observe you, maybe i can understand her better.

It fascinates me how you survivors find your own solutions to problems. Stranded in a strange land with no tools? Just punch the tree! I never would have guessed that's effective. Can't wait to see what solutions you come up with in the Genesis simulation. Like... how do you build a fort on the open sea? Or in a volcanic hellscape? It's not all punching trees, mate.

This place is dangerous! If you don't starve, the dinos will get you -- or the environment, or who knows what else. Thirty percent of survivors don't live to see a second day, and fifty-five percent don't make it past the first week. It's a little odd that they're called "survivors" when they're not so good at it. You, though? I got a feeling about you. After all, they're putting you in the Genesis simulation for a reason, eh?

I don't understand how you survivors decide what to tame what to eat. Take a gander at the creatures we've seen lately. They aren't exactly cute! What makes you look at something that's all scales and fangs and say, "that one there, that'll be a right rippin' pet?" Or "I fancy that dino for brekkie this morning?" Tame 'em or eat 'em, that's your call, I reckon. Just don't let 'em eat you, eh?

This Ark has creatures that never were, if you catch my meaning. It's not all dinosaurs from prehistory. The minds behind this Ark dug into their mythology books, not just their "Dinos for Kiddos" books. Get used to it -- you'll see some things in the Genesis simulation that never were, too. I reckon it's yet another way to keep survivors on your toes.

Who made this Ark so bloody hot? I swear the heat is making me dizzy. And I’m a hologram! You must be burning up! Wait, I get it! It’s your clothes, innit. You drape different things over your torso and whatnot depending on whether it’s hot or cold. That’s brilliant! ...but it won’t work for me, more’s the pity. Well, we better get used to the heat -- there’s a lot of it in our future.

I just discovered something curious. The minds that made the Arks used them to test some of the critters that you’ll find in the Genesis simulation. My scanner tells me that an immense lizard with an internal bio-furnace was tested here. They don’t have that creature on this Ark anymore -- we’d see the scorch marks if they did. But they tested the fire lizard here before you survivors came along. I wonder why they decided to have them only in the simulation?

This whole Ark is on the verge of collapse! There’s radiation, mutant creatures, toxic gas, earthquakes -- not the lush paradise that’s supposed to be here. I’m not sure how to put this, but, uh… we didn’t do this, did we? I mean, I’ve seen you survivors mow through berry-bushes and chop through entire forests, but trash an entire Ark? That’s another level. And if you did trash this place, don’t tell me. Best I don’t know.

My scanners are showing Element all over the place. Be careful with that stuff! Why? Two reasons: first, I’ve seen how Element can transform critters from a moppet to a menace. We have creatures in Genesis that go crazy for the stuff. Second, Element gets into a survivor’s mind, too. Helena, my creator, knew a survivor who couldn’t get enough Element. Drove him stark raving mad, it did!

I don’t understand how you live with the danger all the time. Every shadowy corner or dark cave here has something lurking -- usually something that wants to eat you! I wish I could help, but Helena didn’t exactly kit me out for combat. No grenade launchers or anything like that. She didn’t even give me limbs to hold a weapon! All I’ve got is short-range scanners, diagnostic software, and a charming personality. Oh, and an extensive library of Australian vulgarities. I wonder when that’ll become relevant...

The background levels of Element are way higher on this Ark. I wonder whether that was part of the plan -- to see what you survivors would do with Element if you had access to it. Or maybe… maybe it’s the reverse. The plan was to see what Element would do if it had access to survivors. That’s the thing about Element: it adapts to whatever it’s in contact with. If you aren’t careful, Element can corrupt you. But I know you’ll be careful. After all, we made it this far, eh?

When things got really bad on Earth -- wars, Element corruption, all sorts of troubles -- humans thought of all sorts of ways to escape. One way to escape was homo deus, another step in human evolution. Another way -- from a certain point of view -- was these Arks. And the Genesis simulation was another escape plan. You survivors, though, you’re made of tougher stuff. You adapt and endure, rather than running away.

I wonder whether there are no humans anywhere on Earth anymore -- other than you survivors, of course. No sign of them anywhere on my scanners. Earth’s a big place, of course, but you’d think there’d be radio signals or something to let us know we aren’t the last ones on earth. And if there are no more humans, where’d they all go? Did they do each other in, or did the titans get them? With all you humans accomplished, you’d think there’d be a remnant out there somewhere.

We’re pioneers, but we aren’t the first survivors to get back to Earth. Years ago, a few survivors got back -- one of whom was Helena, the survivor who made me. They saw the same devastation you’re seeing right now, and they sought their own way to escape. For Helena, that meant ascending and becoming Homo Deus -- an energy being beyond our reality. For her friends, it meant a long journey to a place called Arat Prime, where they figured out a way to beam Helena into the Genesis simulation. And then she made me!

Once Helena’s friends beamed her into the Genesis simulation, she made me. But then she left. I guess homo deus beings can’t stay in our reality -- or the simulation -- for very long. She gave me basic access to the simulation, but not a lot of guidance beyond that. But in watching you, I’m pretty sure what I’m supposed to do: help you out as a companion and friend. Just like Helena helped her friends, and her friends helped her. Together we’re going to master the Genesis simulation, and pass every test they give us!

These will become more relevant in other sections of this recap, but here are four things that I'll point out now. One, the fact that HLN-A is with us and communicating with us as far back as the island implies that whatever H/OWW's endgame is for Genesis, she's been planning it as far back as when she was making plans for un-corrupting the planet. That means it has to be some pretty pressing issue. Two, the skins you get for collecting all the notes are called the "corrupted avatar" skins (https://ark.gamepedia.com/Corrupted_Avatar). It appears to be some sort of "broken" version of an avatar our character will be playing as while in the simulation (this broken appearance may be caused by the various glitches that occur within the GenSim). Third, the logo for the genesis chronicles features some kind of strange crystal or gem that I'm sure will play some kind of role in Genesis (https://gamepedia). Fourth, HLN-A makes reference several times that "they" are putting us into the GenSim. As in, H/OWW and then someone else. More Homo Dei? Mei-Yin or Diana? Or someone else? We don't know yet. 

Ferox:

Being what is probably going to be one of Genesis's most iconic creatures, the Ferox is that adorable four-armed creature from the trailer. According to the devs, it is by default a shoulder pet that will keep the player warm and also help them locate element. If it happens to consume element, however (and it CRAVES the stuff), it will essentially turn into a rideable battle tank for a short time, with a variety of different attacks. And the more it damages enemies, the more it builds towards an ultimate attack, which is when the Ferox does a ground slam that does loads of damage but will also dismount any player that isn't riding another Ferox within a certain radius.

There is also another con: The more element it consumes to go into battle tank mode, the more it fills up this "addiction meter". When the meter is full, the Ferox will go into a bloodlust mode, attacking anything and everything, including it's master and other tames. Fortunately, though, this will only last a short while, before the Ferox reverts back to it's tiny form and passes out, resetting the addiction meter as well. 

https://gamepedia.cursecdn.com     https://ark.gamepedia.com https://ark.gamepedia.com  https://ark.gamepedia.com  

Magmasaur/MM 10:

The Magmasaur is another creature seen in the trailer. This creature is a bit more simple: It can eat literally anything, but stuff like oil, gas, and propellant will satiate it more. The Magmasaur can then take this food and if necessary turn it into fiery projectiles that it shoots out of it's back (at the cost of some food). The saddle for it (the 10th MM, Mysterious_Transmission10.gif) doubles as a heat shield, protecting the rider from the extreme heat of the volcanic hellscape and enabling them to ride the Magmasaur through lava. Finally, when raw metal is put in the Magmasaur's inventory it gets converted into ingots.

There are, however, two cons to owning one: One, feeding the Magmasaur may take an extreme amount of resources. Two, the efficiency of the above features depends on the state of the Magmasaurs "internal forge". If the Magmasaur is near lava (overcharged forge), for example, it will smelt metal more efficiently and will receive a buff to it's stats, but will also inadvertently damage anything that comes too close to it, like other tames or the player (unless they are inside the saddle). If it's near water or rain (undercharged forge), on the other hand, it will become incredibly weak and will not be able to use any of it's features. In short, taming it will mean you'll have to manage it constantly. 

 https://gamepedia.cursecdn.com  

https://gamepedia.cursecdn.com

 https://www.youtube.com 

"Things are heating up in with Magmasaur in ARK: Genesis. With molten fireball attacks and a fiery internal core, this creature is literally a mobile forge."

Ocean platform/MM 6:

That "dock" structure from the 6th MM (Mysterious_Transmission6.gif). It's stationary, essentially a floating island. It has a large open space in the middle for either more foundations or a pen for sea creatures. The platform comes in two variants - the smaller wooden version (seen in the MM) or the bigger metal version (seen in the below image).

 https://gamepedia.cursecdn.com 

Tek Remote Guided Missile and Tek cruise launcher:

These are pretty self-explanatory: shoot the missile from the launcher, get put into missile-vision, guide missile to target (creatures will be highlighted), kill/destroy target. 

https://gamepedia.cursecdn.com

https://www.youtube.com

"Want to send someone a message? With a remote-controlled shoulder missile that can be written on, you’re able to do that quite literally. If that message doesn’t go through, feel free to hop on the missile for a ride and deliver it in person!" (Note - According to this we can write on the missile?)

Pressure plate, Tek alarm system, and Tek jump pad/MMs 2 & 8:

All three of these items are customizable. The pressure plate (from MM 8, Mysterious_Transmission8.gif) can be linked to "other items, like traps etc", which I assume could be stuff like doors or automatic turrets. For example, if a player tries to infiltrate your base and steps on the plate, it will trigger the doors to close/lock and the turrets to target the infiltrator. The plate can also be adjusted so that it triggers when only certain things step on it. The tek alarm system, or that "sentry" from the 2nd mysterious mystery (Mysterious_Transmission2.gif), is similar, but it doesn't need to be stepped on, it can just detect the infiltrator from a great distance. It also has a trigger radius that can be customized from the size to the shape. Finally, the tek jump pad is...exactly what it sounds like. You can also change the angle on it from which you will bounce. 

https://gamepedia.cursecdn.com   

 https://gamepedia.cursecdn.com 

Fishing Net/MM 3:

Swing it like a bola and launch it at fish to capture them, then reel it in to get an amount of meat that depends on the amount of fish caught and their size. The more fish you catch per load, however, the harder it becomes to reel it in, with a possibility the fish may even escape. There is also a chance you will catch some low-tier loot. Featured in MM 3 (Mysterious_Transmission3.gif)

https://gamepedia.cursecdn.com

https://www.youtube.com

"If you're looking to fish on-the-go and don't have time to take a seat, the Fishing Net in ARK: Genesis will come in handy. The Fishing Net is a one-time use item that's convenient to capture multiple fish at once, and offers a chance to give you extra rewards in return."

Mining drill/MM 11: 

A super-harvester that runs on gasoline. Clicking and holding the fire button will enable you to harvest large quantities of resources from trees, rocks, corpses, etc. Holding down the button for too long, however, will cause it to overheat and become useless for a short time, and also damage it's durability. Featured in MM 11 ( Mysterious_Transmission11.gif ).

 https://gamepedia.cursecdn.com 

Tek shoulder cannon: 

An element-fueled tek cannon that goes on your shoulder. It can be equipped via the shied slot and is compatible with all other armor. It can be enabled/disabled via an option in the interact menu and once activated can have it's preferences changed via whistling as if it were a creature or an automatic turret. It will automatically detect enemies that the player cannot. It comes in three modes: a standard-fire mode, a rapid-fire mode that causes the thing to overheat when used for too long, and a sniper mode. The normal and sniper modes are quite slow, though.

https://gamepedia.cursecdn.com

https://www.youtube.com

"When potential dangers are in every direction, it’s hard to be aware of what may be lurking around the corner. With the TEK Shoulder Cannon, customize what you perceive to be a threat and let its on-board intelligent targeting do the rest!"

Bloodstalker/MM 4:

That "Hexapod" creature from the 4th MM ( Dossier_Bloodstalker_Torn.gif ), the Bloodstalker is a giant spider-like creature that can shoot webs to either trap prey and reel them in so it can drink its blood, or swing from surface to surface like a living grappling hook. It can float while falling, walk on water, give a boost to the night vision of it's rider to help find targets, and can climb on walls. If a player pulls out a weapon while riding it, the Bloodstalker will go into "sentry mode", where it stands upright to help the player aim better. The only disadvantage I see is probably the process the getting it on your side, since it could probably very well use those same features against you.

https://gamepedia.cursecdn.com

https://www.youtube.com

"Get yourself out of a sticky situation with Bloodstalker in ARK: Genesis. Use its otherworldly ability to produce and excrete sticky vines to swing into safety. Be careful when approaching a wild Bloodstalker as it may reel you in for a closer examination of your bodily fluids..."

Biome-specific reskins:

There will be at least 4 types of variations for the normal creatures - volcanic, snow, bog, and ocean.

 https://ark.gamepedia.com 

Moeder:

An ocean-based mother eel mini-boss that resides in an ocean cave. You will have to fight her projectile-shooting baby eels to get to her. The fight itself apparently involves a light of cool light effects.

  https://gamepedia.cursecdn.com  

https://gamepedia.cursecdn.com

Astrocetus/MM 13:

The Astrocetus (from MM 13, Mysterious_Transmission13.gif) is a space whale that travels in groups and can teleport, even as a group, via a sort of bubble. If you manage to tame one or several (taming them is no easy feat, they are few and of an alpha tier), you can use this teleportation ability to your advantage. One of their attacks is a tail whip. Their saddle comes with 3 ball turrets, turning the creature into a bomber. Finally, you can jump/walk on them like the desert titan.

 https://gamepedia.cursecdn.com 

Tek Claws:

An upcoming weapon, but we literally know nothing about it other than what we've seen in those two promotional images. However, based off those two images, you can probably guess what it is and how it works.

https://i.redd.it/joie6oue2df31.jpg

https://gamepedia.cursecdn.com

Giant Tortoise: 

Found in the ocean biome. It has a giant shell that can be built on and, when submerged, produces an air bubble so players can breathe. 

https://gamepedia.cursecdn.com  

https://gamepedia.cursecdn.com

Hover-skiff/MM 7:

Some sort of hoverboard that was seemingly featured in MM 7 ( Mysterious_Transmission7.gif )

Side Missions:

"A holographic guide to the simulation, HLN-A, offers a wide array of missions at varying difficulty levels, for you to tackle at your own pace — everything from gunning down waves of enemies with the aid of power-ups, escorting vulnerable baby creatures to their parents, tracking and hunting down powerful bosses, competing in Dino Races, even playing a round of Dodo-Basketball, and much more. The simulation itself isn’t perfect, so you can earn extra credit (and experience) by fixing the glitches scattered all throughout the world. Completing missions earns you Hexagons, which you can spend for extra resources, TEK items, travel between environments, and more."

Given that 99% of players - myself included - can’t even defeat a gamma Broodmother (let alone complete all the ARKs), and are hence very bored while playing the game, I can say that this is one change I will 1,000,000% welcome with open arms. I'm sure this will also give players on servers something to do other than bully the heck out of other tribes...or maybe not, who knows. 

Unknown MMs:

 Mysterious_Transmission1.gif 

 Mysterious_Transmission5.gif 

 Mysterious_Transmission9.gif  

  Mysterious_Transmission12.gif  

Note that the names on the wiki for these MMs are fan-given based on the MMs attached messages.

Biomes:

Genesis has at least 5 confirmed biomes. Each one apparently has some sort of mini-boss that must be defeated to progress. The first biome is a lava-filled wasteland with lava rivers and active volcanoes that spit out rocks. The magmasaur is found here. The second biome is an ocean with deep undersea trenches, whirlpools, and presumably minimal land. The Moeder and Giant Tortoise are found here. The ocean platform also comes into play here. The third biome is a snow biome filled with huge mountains and avalanches. Element and the Ferox are found here. The fourth biome is a smelly bog filled with rivers and HUGE vegetation. The Bloodstalker is found here. Finally, we have the lunar biome, which is just absolute chaos. It features low gravity, constant and dangerous irradiating sunlight paired with a crazy and unique light cycle, meteor bombardments, electrical storms, element fog, and low oxygen, forcing the player to constantly obtain oxygen from oxygen vents, which also happen to launch the player into the air. The astrocetus is found here, as is the dodo/bulbdog basketball mission. It also shares close similarities with the broken moon seen orbiting Earth in The Island and Extinction, meaning it also probably have lore implications. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=351Qdbadyjs

Two more things - one, as I mentioned earlier it's suggested based off the Magmasaur's mechanics that we may be able to travel freely between biomes, presumably with HLN-A's help judging by the trailer. Two, there may be some unmentioned Aberration or Aberration-like area since the devs have already mentioned there being Aberration creatures in Genesis... and the fact that one of the missions literally has "bulbdog" in the name. Then again, it's much more likely that those creatures may just be found in the bog or lunar biomes, because those are sort of Aberration-ish.

Homo Dei:

HLN-A describes them as "the next step in human evolution" and "energy beings beyond our reality". As is probably common knowledge here by now, to become a Homo Deus one needs A) a special nervous system and B) some sort of prism made from "raw cosmic energy". The person must also be put in some sort of special chamber (the tomb of ascension) for the transformation to take place. Homo Dei are, essentially, humans that have used the cosmic energy to  ascend to some higher plane of existence where they can see the universe and all it's possible alternate timelines as if through "a pane of glass". They were left in charge the ARKs, and according to H/OWW it is the Homo Deis power that nurtures them, with each ARK drawing strength from a Homo Deus. Over time, however, having to process all of what's going on in the universe slowly pushes Homo Dei to insanity, leaving them completely devoid of any memories or personality. This is why the ARKs eventually came under the charge of the defective Overseers - the Homo Dei weren't fit to do their job anymore. This is also what we see slowly happening with H/OWW, what with her head going translucent and all that. Furthermore, it seems - based off of  HLN-A's notes - that Homo Dei are more or less stuck in their own plane of existence, and can't really interact with ours, aside from snippets of thought that come through element. OWW's notes are found on little panels made of element, so we can assume that element is the medium through which Homo Dei communicate with our world (and yes, I know that H/OWW literally manifests in front of us at the end of Extinction, but that presumably takes much more concentrated effort than just leaving messages through element). On top of that, it seems that Homo Dei can't really interact with any plane of existence other than their own - including the GenSim. After being beamed in they can really only exist there for short amounts of time before being booted out. Of course, we know that H/OWW found a way around this by cloning herself in the form of HLN-A. And speaking of HLN-A...

HLN-A: 

HLN-A is our GenSim companion, source of side missions, and author of the MMs. In Genesis she will also warn us of any danger. If the identities of [LOG_TRANSMIT] and [LOG RECEIVE] really are H/OWW and HLN-A, then you can see in Ê€2Š(¥ËÌY's first few messages that they actually seem to be about H/OWW creating HLN-A. You can also see in those first messages how HLN-A talks in this more robotic, personality-less manner until the first MMs. That seems to be the point when H/OWW found some sort of "genetic archive", where I guess all the different DNA used in the different survivors is stored. H/OWW found some genetic code that was also used in herself, and used it to modify HLN-A. That's what gives HLN-A her Helena-like personality, albeit lacking the memories of the actual Helena. Now that I think of it, all the stuff we were seeing during the countdown may have also been H/OWW creating/modifying HLN-A, with the red phase maybe being the modifications themselves taking place. 

There's also that other message from Ê€2Š(¥ËÌY about "memory retention" and "undesirable personality traits". This message seems to tell us that while H/OWW is the creator of HLN-A, her abilities in terms of designing her are limited. This may be why HLN-A doesn't possess anything more than scanners and whatnot - H/OWW just doesn't have the ability to give her anything else. Another affect of H/OWW's limited designing capabilities is that HLN-A's "memory retention is firmware limited to 30 specimen sleep cycles". This is apparently some automatic feature to HLN-A, and based on how it's described in the message it seems to mean that bits of HLN-A's memory are wiped every month or so to keep HLN-A from slowly gaining unwanted traits - such as hatred, depression, etc. At least that's what I gather from the message. If I'm correct, will this memory wiping come into play in Genesis and affect gameplay or story?

HLN-A's overall role in the GenSim seems to be pretty simple: she's a stand-in for H/OWW. H/OWW herself can't stay in the GenSim for very long, so she designed HLN-A, a clone of herself that can stay in the GenSim. HLN-A's duties seem to be what H/OWW would do were she able to stay in the GenSim - to watch over survivors and help them complete their survivor training. HLN-A also gathers information on the GenSim, then sends it and a status report of the GenSim as a whole back to H/OWW through the datastream. So she basically helps H/OWW keep tabs on the status of her little project...

Genesis Simulation/ARKs:

With the new DLC comes new revelations about the ARKs themselves as well as how they seem to relate to the GenSim. We’ve learned in the last set of Genesis chronicles that Aberration having unnatural amounts of element is not the result of any mistake or tampering - Aberration was deliberately designed by the ancient humans to test how element affected the environment (but whether Diana and friends spawning there was also part of the experiment, I'm not so sure). We've also learned that Scorched at one point was used to test the Magmasaur, but the creature was, for whatever reason, never included in the final product. Needless to say it seems that there was a lot of testing going on on the ARKs at one point. But why, though? If the ARKs were simply meant to be a method for saving humanity, then why would they be testing creatures from the GenSim? I'm not entirely sure, but this is my best guess: the ARKs and GenSim may not have always been experimental methods of saving humanity. They may have, before corruption began spreading, been part of some "assembly line" for creatures.

Think of it like this: The scientists at Arat Prime would think of a new creature, and would design it in the GenSim, probably like how H/OWW designed HLN-A. They would also create environments in the GenSim for the creatures they were testing (the same environments we play in in game; this could explain why they appear so hostile, they were meant for creatures only). The scientists would then put the creature in the environment and run a series of tests to see how it would utilize it's features, how well it could survive in a certain environment, etc. With the results from these tests they could continue tweaking their creature until they thought they had created the an effective killing machine (this could be supported by creatures like the Ferox; it can be a literal hulking battle tank one moment, a friendlier, more portable creature the next - all controlled simply with a small piece of element). When the scientists were satisfied enough, they would move on to phase 2 - the ARKs. The scientists would create the creature in real life and then put them on the ARKs - testing facilities where the scientists could see how a creature they designed would fare in a real-life survival scenario. If a creature passed the ARK testing, they could then be used for...what? My best and most plausible guess is that the creatures were then used in the war against the URE and Terran Federation (again, something that can be supported by the Ferox). This whole idea of an assembly line makes sense because, well, all those prehistoric creatures on the ARKs had to come from somewhere, didn't they? 

But there seems to be even more to the history of the GenSim and ARKs. When the corruption began spreading, some ARKs were used to test if element was the cause by seeing how it affected the natural environment. When the problem got more serious, the ancient humans devised several methods to save themselves, one of which was the Homo Dei. Another two methods may have been to repurpose the GenSim and ARKs, probably having seen that they both already contained environments and could support life. Hence the ARKs were turned into orbital land masses, reproduced across the planet, and outfitted with element-purging technology, all so that they could revive life on the planet and cleanse it of element on the off chance corruption ever receded (which it didn't). They put each ARK under the care of a Homo Deus, and just in case that Homo Deus were to go insane before the ARK landed again, they created artificial backup Homo Dei - the Overseers (the ARKs, however, were hastily launched early, and the Overseers hadn't been perfected at that point, hence why the ARKs accidentally became deathtraps).The GenSim meanwhile was simply to become a new digital home for the ancient humans. This is evidenced by one of HLN-A's notes on Extinction, where she makes a seemingly random comment about there being no sign of human life on the planet other than us, and that "you'd think there'd be a remnant out there somewhere". This is also evidenced by the appearance of multiple out-of-place tek structures in the promotional material for Genesis (https://cdn.survivetheark.com https://cdn.survivetheark.com https://cdn.survivetheark.com).

So the ancient humans' plan was to launch the ARKs and hope for the best, then upload themselves into the GenSim. But if that's the case, then what happened to them? There's no sign of them still being alive in anything Genesis-related we've seen so far. I'm not entirely sure, but here's an idea: What if the ancient humans never learned from their mistakes on Earth and continued slowly killing themselves off until they went extinct within the simulation? We also know that there happened to be element in the simulation from when they were creating the Ferox, so there may have even been some corruption in the mix, hence why have the corrupted avatar skins.

Then long after the ancient humans vanished, H/OWW found her way into the simulation and began using it for her own experiments, leaving all her human subjects under the care of HLN-A. At this point the GenSim is very old and hence is glitching out a bit.

Mei-Yin/Diana: 

HLN-A confirms in the Genesis chronicles that Mei-Yin and Diana did indeed make it to Arat Prime after they set out on a journey there at the end of the Extinction lore. Once there H/OWW telepathically instructed them to beam her into the GenSim, where she made HLN-A. What happened to them after that? Were they H/OWW's first subjects in her tests and something happened to them? Will we see them in Genesis (we have seen from the various holiday emotes that WC is clearly capable of putting unique animations on human characters)? I don't know. 

Conclusion:

In terms of new content, Genesis offers at least 5 new biomes, 7 new creatures, 2 new tools, 2 new saddles, 6 new weapons, 5 new structures, 1 new vehicle, and of course HLN-A. Each biome has a mini-boss (one of which is the Moeder) that must be defeated to progress. HLN-A is our companion who will warn us of any danger, and she will also offer us a variety of optional side missions. Completing these missions and/or fixing various glitches in the simulation will earn you "Hexagons", which is Genesis's in-game currency used to obtain extra resources, TEK items, and more. Most importantly, they are needed to travel between environments. Our goal is to slowly work our way through every environment, defeat every mini boss, and eventually defeat an ultimate boss "the likes of which ARK has never seen before". After that I assume we are pulled out of the simulation. 

And what is the story behind this DLC? Well, here's a recap of that I think we can piece together from clues in the various promotional material (just keep in mind that these are only guesses, I can't guarantee that this is actually what the lore behind the DLC will be):

Before corruption started spreading, the ARKs and the GenSim may have been different stages of a production line for creatures. The GenSim was used by the scientists at Arat Prime to test how rough concepts for creatures would fare in a variety of simulated environments. The ARKs were then used as a final test to see how the creature would do in a real life situation. If a creature passed the test, it was then probably used in the war between the URE and Terran Federation. 

When corruption first started spreading, the ARKs were then used to test how element affected the environment, to see if element was really the cause of corruption. Then, when the spread of corruption became more serious, the ARKs and GenSim were repurposed into different methods of saving humanity. The ancient humans' plan was to launch the ARKs hoping they would come back someday, then upload themselves into the GenSim. What happened to them after that isn't exactly clear, though it's possible that they never learned from their mistakes on Earth and slowly killed themselves off in a war fought using element found in the simulation. Whatever the reason, they appear to have vanished by the time we arrive there. 

At the end of Extinction, we saw that despite the malfunctioning Aberration ARK crashing into the planet, Rockwell has somehow survived is loose on Earth with a vengeance. "The arrival" that H/OWW mentions in the Genesis trailer is most likely Rockwell amassing some force of nameless or god knows what else to attack the remaining human population. H/OWW probably saw this coming, hence why she had Mei-Yin and Diana go to Arat Prime at the end of Extinction and figure out how to beam her into the GenSim - she probably thought it was her best available option for combating Rockwell (what happened to Mei-Yin and Diana after this and whether we'll see them in Genesis remains to be seen). Being that she could only be in the simulation for a short amount of time, she had to make HLN-A to do her job for her. She did this using a copy of her own DNA that she found in a "genetic archive", hence why HLN-A has her Helena-like personality, albeit lacking the memories of the actual Helena. HLN-A also seems to mention herself needing to erase bits of her memory every month or so to keep herself from gaining any "undesirable personality traits". H/OWW creating HLN-A is shown in Ê€2Š(¥ËÌY's first few messages and likely also the countdown for Genesis. HLN-A's job is to provide assistance to H/OWW's test subjects, keep track of their progress through the simulation, make observations of the GenSim itself and the creations of it's test subjects, then report all of that information back to H/OWW through the GenSim datastream, just like H/OWW would do. These reports (the MMs) and all of HLN-A's other interactions with H/OWW can all be seen in Ê€2Š(¥ËÌY's various subforums. 

And what is the point of all of H/OWW's testing? To me it seems that H/OWW wants to do what the scientists at Arat Prime probably did all those years ago - test to find out who is the most combat-fit, only this time it's to fight Rockwell. I also have a suspicion that she wants to take it a step further - she mentions in the trailer that she wants "to find what's most important to your survival". That line to me suggests that she wants to take the survivors who pass her tests and analyze their DNA to find what factors makes them so great at survival. By isolating those bits of DNA, she may be able to clone it or find a similar strand of DNA in that genetic archive. And using that, she may be able to create some sort of perfect fighting clone army or something along those lines and use that to fight Rockwell. 

Overall I think Genesis is a huge jump in quality in ARK DLCs. I think it will be by far the best one. I also think that if made correctly, Genesis is going to be one of the pinnacles, if not the pinnacle of ARK's potential. 

Yeah bois my first vid