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With ARK Survival Ascended coming out, I feel it is the perfect opportunity to TLC the Legacy Creatures from ARK Survival Evolved’s early access. It is imperative that this game comes out feeling fresh and new. This is a good start to that… I have put together what I feel would be the simplest to implement changes while being the most satisfying end result for being on the simpler side. Any additions on top of these changes would be welcomed if they fit into the characteristics of the actual creature. Which I kept in mind through this whole process. In order of importance to myself, we have: Plesiosaur: -New Look / Speedster / Prime Fish - First, please redesign and retexture the model to a more majestic paleo-art depiction. I will probably use “majestic” to describe how a lot of these models should look, but bear with me lol. As far as mechanics go I think leaning into the Plesi’s speed is a good characteristic to stick with. It is already fast but maybe it could be more maneuverable? A turnaround-spin like the Sarco has, plus adding a spin like the Pteranodon has for a boost underwater. Things like that could really make the Plesi a more satisfying mount to get around the oceans. Finally I would add a prime fish mechanic. Allowing it to gather a little more and from more creatures. Like how we can scrape prime fish from the Leed. Maybe the Plesi could take bites of prime from it’s side the same way? Liopleurodon: -Normal Tame / Rarer-Better-Mini-Plesi - The Liopleurodon really just needs to be made a normal tame… it is honestly a waste as it is now… I would honestly be happy if you matched it with the speed characteristics the Plesi has and gave it some of the maneuvers I suggested for it also, like the spin-boost the pteranodon has, etc. It doesn’t even have to gather prime the same way I suggested for the Plesi but it being a rare, speedy mount would still be better than it is as of now. Maybe instead of better loot, it just makes loot crates glow a little brighter to see them better underwater. That would be balanced for a normal tame while still keeping the original idea behind the creature alive. Or even just a light boost to loot crates and give it a harder taming process for balance. Megalodon: -New Look / Breach / Blood Tracker - The Meg needs a cleaned up look. With the experienced artists you have now you could make an amazing new Megalodon model. As far as mechanics go I would really love to have a charged jump out the water to grab and damage flyers over the water. Which you would then drop back to the water which would release the flyer from your grab, but also make the flyer drop its rider if it has one into the water. That would be such a fun mechanic for the Meg and would be so fun to randomly see wild Megs jump out of the water at a Pelagornis once in awhile. Or at you if you fly to close to the surface. I always thought Xiphactinus should of been added to take the Meg’s coastal patrol niche and the Megs should be made a little more rare and more terrifying. So like the Raptors not pouncing on survivors anymore, I would make the Meg’s jump to flyers be a rare occurrence, but still possible. Finally I would just add the Dire Wolf’s blood/smell mechanic to track hurt creatures underwater in the same way to go with the Shark’s known ability to smell blood in the water. Or the ability to shred prey, and make chum in the water, attracting other aquatic predators. Mosa: -Updated Look / Repels water Carnivores - Technically the Mosa does not need that much. A cleaned up model and maybe the ability to repel smaller Carnivores, and the Mosa be the only creature for repelling smaller carnivores underwater. Everything giving the Mosa a wide-birth almost getting out of it’s way as it swims except for small fish following it maybe. Would really fit the Dino and make it a lot more ominous to see coming from a distance underwater. A higher gather rate on special ingredients found underwater (like oil from whales, toxin from jellyfish, black pearls from squids) would be great also. Giga: -Updated Look - The Giga just needs a cleaned up model and animations really and it could be all good after that. Maybe not such a crazy nerf when tamed if it doesn't effect the Carcha balancing. Bronto: (If No New Sauropods) -Stomp / Stairs / Lower - Bronto needs a more majestic look. Or just turn it into the Brachiosaurus model from ARK II. Also it could use a stomp that could be used on walls and structures… we’ve needed it for a long time… Another idea is to use the head and neck as stairs some how… being able to aim the head after you walk up the neck to the direction of the elevated spot you are trying to get to. Could really make for some interesting and hard to reach base locations. Lastly is a “crouch” mechanic for it to lower the base on its back. When you find your spot it lays down or something. Isn’t really needed honestly but it would be an awesome mechanic when you use one as your base. Using the head or tail to get up easier afterwards, or just building stairs the perfectly line up with the ground after it lays down. Obviously this is the one I’ve thought through the least but besides a new model the Bronto def needs something to make it a tad bit more relevant than just being prehistoric scenery. It def gathers berries the best but is that really it’s full potential? Quetz: -New Look / Glide / Fabricator Jet Saddle - The Quetz should be king of the skies but it has never felt like it… A more majestic, paleo-Art looking model. I just feel when it does not have a platform saddle on, repeat, when it does not have a platform saddle on, it should not be so squat to the ground. More elevated and regal like a giraffe. With a much more maneuverable walk. Maybe even being able to actually back up while on the ground. While flying the Quetz should naturally have a glide mechanic that “slightly”, I repeat “slightly” regains stamina. It is only fitting and the big guy deserves it. Last thing the big guy deserves is a jet pack saddle like the Tropeognathus. With all the jets flying around now it has to get one. A 2-3 seater lol. One that also works as a fabricator, like the Argy is a smithy, making it the ultimate end game flyer. While also having a weight buff like the Argy’s. Dilo: -New Look / Spit Commands / Slow - The Dilo’s model isn’t horrible but it could def be updated and made more vibrant. After the first half hour or so of playing it becomes a pretty useless tame but I still love them. I would love for them to spit on command though. My idea is that when you whistle attack target at something, it still chases it like normal, but it spits in that direction, instantly, and every time you whistle attack target, until it is in melee range of the target. Plus for the spit to now slow wild creatures slightly more, or daze it. That paired with a good turret mode would actually make them a great base defense and toggling between attack and stop attack could really slow down fleeing tames in the early game if done right. Would just give them A LOT more utility. Carbonemys: -Retracts into Shell / Mobile Safe - The Carbonemys is ugly but honestly does resemble it’s paleo-art from what I’ve seen. Could still be cleaned up with better walking mechanics. A lot of the legacy Dinos need less derpy walking mechanics like you fixed the Trike, Stego’s, and Sarco’s. What our beach turtle really needs is a useful mechanic. I say “Living-Safe”. First, it needs to be able to retract into it’s shell like you guys have been promising it will be able to do since release… giving it a huge defense buff afterwards. After that it just needs a weight buff and it is a mobile safe. One that could potentially be more useful for holding items than the actual safe which I wouldn’t mind myself. Plus it would make the turtles that no one really pays much attention to, into being a staple in every base. Probably whole floors dedicated to them afterwards. Would be the biggest creature turn around in ARK I think. Lastly this is unneeded but would fit since we never got a sea turtle like Archelon. Allowing it to not be affected my the water shockers or at least not affected by the jellyfish and giving it a buff on the toxin gather rate. They are both very slow so it would make sense they are predator and prey and would give a major resource buff to the turtle. Araneo: -Silk Producer / Wall Climb / Web Grapple - Myself and others have been asking for this and I think the response was the Bloodstalker. Which is loved and appreciated. but the Araneo still should be more than an annoying mob in my opinion… these are all real animals even though they are created by a murder computer trying to make us suffer… My idea has always been to allow them to climb walls, and use its web like a grapple hook that can ONLY go up and down (or back and forth with ARK physics lol) like the grapple hook does to drop down on unsuspecting survivors with the ability to grab them and pull them back up. Lastly they should give Silk as drops like the Lymantria (Moths) do… and honestly should be the only tamed creature that generates Silk in its inventory passively. Allowing us to make Silk farms with them. Onyc: -Perches like Des / Tamed spread Rabies? - Just let it land man… lol these bats have been flapping them wings for 7 years… Desmodus pops in and it can already hang from ceilings lol which is amazing but I know you can add to the Onyc easily now since it has been put into the game. Please do it would really add a lot to them dropping down from the ceiling when you enter a cave. If we could whistle to the ceiling and it would perch that would be a real plus also. And I cannot find a for sure source that can clarify if tamed Onyc pass rabies still? to base intruders or whatever? If not, they def should… and it would be great to use them like a zip line with no cord. Just a gliding decent from where ever you jump from. Would make them actually useful around the base as defense and utility without having them flapping around my head all day lol the Phoenix has that problem too but it makes up for it in Silica Pearls! lmao. Anky: -Updated Look & Animations - Honestly the Anky just needs a new clean model and some better walking mechanics… I just didn’t want to leave it out. Same with the Bronto too honestly but there is still a lot of room for improvement there, the Anky kind of already does what it needs to… it’s just ugly lol. Well compared to new more modern additions to the game. It has just been working it’s little tail club off for us since this game was in early access and I think it should be updated is all… clean up our old friend please. It could look really cool if modeled more after paleo-art. +Anky’s club tail attack should also do torpor damage. Later Additions: the Sabertooth! needs a jump attack. How cats can bounce straight up and do their little flippy move to catch things, It really needs that plus a secondary slash attack that can hit flyers better. A latch on ability like the Deinonychus. Could also be used to latch onto wood structures and only climb wood to sneak into bases maybe. A Sneak or Stealth ability. Maybe a crouched stalking animation we can switch between when walking through foliage. Could have the Shadowmane stealth ability but would be better to set it apart with a crouched stalking mechanic that wild creatures don’t sense as easily but players can see when paying attention. Lastly a weight buff to meat, hide, and fur. - Pachycephalosaurus I know it has an ability, kind of, but it could benefit from a reskin and also having it’s ability made a little more useful into the mid game passed just being useful in the early game. Could have a short range power-headbutt with major torpor damage if you hold down its regular attack button to charge it up (like a 1 second rear back before headbutting), but keeping its quick attack when you just tap the button. Also making the charging sprint headbutt’s torpor damage scale a little more with its level. Allowing higher lever Pachycephalosaurus to do more multiplied damage to a reasonable extent. Last would be to slow larger dinos, like the Rex, when you headbutt their legs by giving them a temporary broken bone status. - Electrophus Eel Just making it more than an annoyance really… Being able to siphon electricity from them would be amazing. To charge batteries, etc. Maybe even making them able to give generators a temporary charge somehow? Maybe allowing batteries to give generators a short charge which could be farmed via Eels? I just know there’s something with the Eels charging batteries lol. And if batteries were made more useful then the Eels become more useful, etc. Plus a radius setting like a mine. Where instead of them moving to attack, on this setting they would just blast anything that comes into their needed radius with electricity. Would be great for traps and base defense. - Compies Cleaning up their model and giving them agile Dodge abilities. Maybe a bleed attack when at full pack buff that is not as severe as other creatures, but stacks with each Compy in the pack. More agile movement animations would serve them well. A sideways or backwards hop from danger, etc. Maybe even a high enough jump to grab Meganuera Dragonflies. Allowing tamed ones to wander around collecting chitin from hunting them? occasionally having rare flowers/mushrooms & silica pearls, or other resources also that we can collect from their inventory maybe? It fits with their curious character to collect shiny things like some birds do today. Also I suggest having them passive tamed with prime meat instead of knocked out as long as they are alone with no pack. Kind of like Baboons. They already come right up to us, it just makes sense. - the Giant Ant giving it Anthills that they spawn from, and a Queen Ant inside that could just be a bigger, meaner version of the Ant, or it could be a new tame that is placed as an Anthill like the Giant Bee Hive, but the Giant Worker Ants could collect random resources you can harvest from the Anthill. They could store Spoiled Meat, Seeds, Rare Mushrooms/Flowers, Resources like Stone and Fiber, as well as a New Unique Fungus Resource growing inside that can Heal Herbivores. - Boa/Basilisk If possible, both just need less stiff models when moving. Mainly just their movement animations and stiffness in the model need to be updated for a smoother more serpentine motion. It would be nice to be able to milk Boas for their venom though. Even if it was just a simple narcotic to save time on creating so many it would help. They should be optimized for narcotic and snake pits as their main purpose. Being able to harvest a narcotic as well as being able to efficiently use them to knock out tames dropped in a pit, or trap of some kind. Would give them a lot more purpose if set up to help with taming and programmed to not ever kill tames after they’ve been knocked unconscious. Even a damage cancel in the code to where if it accidentally attacks after the tame has been knocked unconscious, it would not cause damage or affect the taming effectiveness in any way. Making them actually designed with that purpose in mind. The Basilisk does what it needs to do as a weight moving-war mount, it just needs a less wonky slither like the Boa does. I really hope you guys think about this… New Maps are always great but when you TLC creatures it’s just a different kind of hype. With the updated version coming, this is the perfect opportunity to update the Legacy Dinos and this game has a lot riding on a good release. This would definitely be a high point for that. Please consider it. Thank you all for your time.

TLC Update for Onychonycteris When we look at the various species of mammals in Ark, one of the very first that becomes underlooked and is kind of shamed half the time by the community, is the Onyc or Onychonycteris. This species of Eocene bat is most of the time considered in quotes “useless” as there really isn’t many needs for it after the addition of the Desmodus. Alongside this, the species in Ark is not similar at all to the species it is based off of, in appearance, attributes and abilities. Rather than some depicted swarming and aggressive cave dweller, the Onyc should be a forest and swamp dweller, gliding and fluttering through the foliage, a solitary and/or cooperative species very similar in behaviour to Old World Bats and/or Fruit Bats, not Vampire Bats and modern or present day New World Bats. This is why my team and I have suggested a TLC update for this creature and what it should have for abilities and a complete overhaul of every characteristic. For my next creature suggestion, my team and I have found a small extinct and prehistoric species of Bat that can follow the swarming, non-rideable, viral caring and completely aggressive mentality that Wildcard tried to go with for the Onyc, but to make it very different from the Desmodus and my next species. The Onyc will no longer be the species we see in the caves of the Arks, but rather a completely changed flying mammal. (Updated Version of Dossier for TLC) Common Name: Onyc New Suggested Name for Species: Onychonycteris tapraomou (“Clawed Bat of the Lush Lands”) Old Name for Species: Onychonycteris specuncola (“Cave Crawler”) Time: Eocene Period Diet: Insectivorous (Old Dossier - Omnivorous) Temperament: Neutral (Aggressive if Attacked) Tameable: Yes Rideable: Yes (Old Dossier - No) Breedable: Yes Torpidity Immune: No Taming Method: Passive Preferred Kibble: Simple Kibble Preferred Food: Chitin Equipment: “Onyc" Saddle (Level 38) Rider Weaponry: Yes Humans Can Carry: No Anatomy When looking at the Onyc’s anatomy and characteristics. The first detail that should be acknowledged when making a TLC for the Onyc, is the controversial topic that is echolocation. Unlike other bats. The monospecific genera that is Onychonycteris is considered and speculated with the concept that the genus didn’t evolve the adaptation to use echolocation. Studies have found that bats or the Order Chiroptera learned flight before echolocation. This means that rather than making the species found on the Ark to have this ability, my team and I’s concept for this creature would be to separate it away from Desmodus draculae. The Onyc should follow the principle of not having echolocation. This means that it could act more similar to Old World Bats such as Flying Foxes and/or Fruit Bats, rather than New World Bats such as the traditional Vampire Bats found in South America. With the evidence, though. Both studies counteract each other, and some say that both forms of evidence are from a “pancake fossil” that makes it uncertain what the animal’s actual bone structure and configuration was actually like. The only information that we can use towards speculation is the simple cochlea of Onychonycteris finneyi that specifies or slightly confirms that the Onyc was incapable of echolocation. This is due to the cochlea or the “part of the inner ear involved in hearing” wouldn’t be capable of allowing the high frequency sound pulses or waves in the form of ultrasounds that pass through the nose or mouth. The bat then uses its ears to listen for an echo or for the waves to bounce off of an object or another organism. An ability that has been found incapable in the Onyc with the design of its cochlea. The next detail would be in its paleobiology and the environment it once called home. Onychonycteris finneyi is from the Green River Formation in modern day Wyoming, Utah and Colorado, USA where it lived alongside other bats such as Icaronycteris index, the boa Boavus (Boavus idelmani), Meniscotherium, the primate Notharctus, the crocodilian Borealosuchus and stingrays such as Asterotrygon. This indicates that while these bats lived in a temperate and semi-tropical climate that was warm enough to support crocodile lizards, stingrays, catfish, crocodilians and palm trees, the formation housed various unique species that lived in this environment. Indicating that while the Onyc’s on the Ark live in the caves of various maps such as the Island for example. The Onyc’s should live in and around swamps, semi-tropical, temperate and warmer biomes in and around mountain ranges (due to the intermountain lakes and basins that make up the formation along the Uinta Mountains). While this goes against its scientific name in Ark, this is a secondary detail that could be used towards making the Onyc more distinct and unique when compared to other flying mammals and to other species that belong to the Order Chiroptera in Ark Survival Evolved and possibly in Ark 2. When it comes to flight, the Onyc should have a different flight behaviour due to the species long hind limbs and its much shorter wings that resulted in the Onyc lacking the aerodynamic equivalents among known bats, resulting in the aerofoil contributing to an alternating fluttering and gliding flight style, unlike the flying style present in the Ark species. This is considered the “evolutionary intermediate” between powered flight and gliding. Also the Onyc should bring a new form of climbing and/or gripping to surfaces, walls and trees in its surroundings due to its peculiar five claws on its fingers rather than the standard two or three in known species. The next detail after that, should be in appearance. While the species found on the Ark is modified and different from the reference material, O. specuncola or O tapraomou (my teams suggested name for the species) should have an appearance similar, but not exactly like that of its relative and possible ancestor. First of all, the Onyc currently in Ark is lacking more wing membranes around its tail and back hind legs, and has a face and body that are very similar to that of the sub family Desmodontinae or Vampire Bats. Instead, flying foxes or fruit bats and even flying squirrels can be used as the model for this species of flying mammal as the Onyc isn't exactly a “true” bat, but rather the between of known bats and other flying mammals. Resulting in many speculative representations presenting a depiction similar to a cross between these examples, for example: Onychonycteris | Dinopedia | Fandom dinopedia.fandom.com and/or Ancient 'Clawed Bat' Reveals Clues to …| westerndigs.org Rather the current model and design has a nasal cavity and ears similar to leaf nosed bats, large fangs that could be used for impaling and slicing into prey, only four fingers (one of the fingers is possibly connected between both fingers) on each pair of wings (which goes against the actual name behind Onychonycteris which means “clawed bat” referring to its five clawed fingers) and a non-Eocene bat design, the Onyc could use an update to its design. Now my team and I are trying not to criticise Wildcard and their designs for Ark Survival Evolved, as many animals such as the Triceratops, Purlovia and Ankylosaurus all have similar characteristics and details similar to the species they are based off of. The Onyc in Ark doesn’t have any major characteristics similar to Onychonycteris finneyi, which is why my team and I are suggesting these ideas towards a TLC. Onyc Encountering Tips | ARK: Survival … dododex.com Also the Onyc is speculated based on teeth remains and fossils that it was actually an insectivore, as the speculated and larger species in Ark. Is specified to feed on mosses and fungi in their surroundings alongside live prey which they swarm. However, the new species for this TLC would be insectivorous and be able to feed on different arthropods and invertebrates as an adaptation towards its environment and also towards adapting to different climates and biomes. Alongside this, the Onyc shouldn’t be able to carry Mega Rabies, as these bats aren’t hematophagous and/or don’t feed on blood like the vampire bats that the current Onyc in Ark is based on. New Abilities - Just like the Desmodus draculae, the Onyc can hang upside down as evidence shows that the feet of early Eocene bats allowed them to perform this hanging behaviour. - The Onyc has an applied buff when attacking insects known as “Insectivorous Instinct” where the Onyc has a 25% increase in melee damage, a 25% decrease on incoming melee damage and the preventing of certain stuns such as the Lymantria’s spore defence mechanism and the Mantis leap attack and a 50% collection rate towards chitin, leech blood, organic polymer (from arthropods (insects) such as the Mantis) and black pearls. - The Onyc is a natural bug repellent and any arthropods (arachnids, insects, trilobites and crustaceans) become deterred from these bats. - The Onyc has a buff known as “Constricting Rage “ which is an increased buff of 75% attack damage towards snakes and serpents (primarily Titanoboa) in its natural environment (swamps, temperate forests and semi-tropical riverways). This is due to the possibility that the Boavus boa’s found in the Green River Formation that the Onyc is from, probably preyed and fed upon early Eocene bats such as the Onyc. - The Onyc can be ridden and with it having a saddle with a built in chemistry table and has a slot that allows players to descend from the saddle via a grappling hook. The Onyc has a new landing position, can hold onto various types of textures in different environments, can have three players on its saddle and crawling features unlike other tames that allows the player these capabilities. - The Onyc can and will manually switch from fluttering to gliding as a way of saving stamina, allowing for further travel and manoeuvrability. - While the Onyc can’t echolocate, it has a diurnal (these bats are speculated to have hunted during the day) boost that gives off smell indicators of nearby prey and food sources. - The Onyc is extremely intelligent and when imprinted has a 10% increase towards all stats. - The Onyc has strong jaws and teeth towards breaking down the hard shells of the arthropods it feeds on, which allows for a blunt bite that can deal a moderate amount of damage if harmed or attacked. Any suggestions and comments please reply below. These are my team's suggestions, so all credit and all reference goes to them for the idea (s). Thanks. - MonstersHunters References: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onychonycteridae https://dnr.maryland.gov/wildlife/Pages/plants_wildlife/bats/batelocu https://www.nps.gov/subjects/bats/echolocation.htm https://ucmp.berkeley.edu/tertiary/eoc/greenriver.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_River_Formation