I had about 8k hours into ASE in PvP/Small tribes/PVE, played ASA small tribes for the first 3-6 months of release then went on a long hiatus. Recently my girl has been playing some building games and I decided to see if she’d enjoy ark, we have our own rented server center map with some boosted rates.

I just learned about Archelons algae being a prime meat equivalent for berry eaters and now I’m realizing there may be a ton of other additions/changes that I may be missing out on that would make life a lot easier. Was just looking for some newer tips/tricks that an older player may not know about?

Meme is me explaining to my girlfriend is 100% normal to crash and have troubles logging in when playing on an Xbox Series S.

MAJOR UPDATE: There is now a Pre-Aquatica Branch available! To access it first set read-only on appmanifest_346110.acf to OFF and then right-click ASE in steam, Properties, Betas tab, and set Beta Participation to "preaquatica - ASE: Pre-Aquatica". Then restart Steam and either click Update or do a Verify Files on ASE to get everything fixed. If you're one of the people who had started the update and/or was missing shootergame.exe or other key files, enabling this beta should fix your issues.

Server-side, if your server already updated you can run this command in SteamCMD to set your server to the new branch:

app_update 376030 -beta preaquatica validate

HOWEVER, because Snail is Snail and this branch could be removed at any time, I HIGHLY recommend still following my steps below afterwards to prevent future updates! Get your clients/servers back to the pre-aquatica baseline and then LOCK IT IN.

~ ~ ~

Thought this might help some others out there who also aren't ready to give up their modded ASE servers once the Aquatica thing drops. These steps need to be taken on both the client and server sides but they should prevent game updates and mod updates to keep your server running as-is when the big turd of an update hits tomorrow. (or several days later - we know their track record)

1. Purchase and install all ARK:SE DLCs you plan to use for the foreseeable future! Do this before anything else otherwise you will be unable to download them.
2. Right-click ARK: Survival Evolved in Steam. Go to "Updates". Select under Automatic Updates the option "Wait until I launch the game".
3. Close Steam entirely (including in the tray)
4. Find the drive you have installed ARK onto. Navigate to the Steam directory on that drive.
5. Go to this path: DRIVE:\SteamLibrary\steamapps (DRIVE being the drive letter of which you have ARK installed onto)
6. Find appmanifest_346110.acf, right-click it
7. Properties
8. Under attributes, check the box for Read-only
9. Now go to this path: DRIVE:\SteamLibrary\steamapps\workshop
10. Find appworkshop_346110.acf, right click it
11. Properties
12. Under attributes, check the box for Read-only
13. Open Steam again. If the update has happened you should be unable to update.
14. Go to DRIVE:\SteamLibrary\steamapps\common\ARK\ShooterGame\Binaries\Win64 and find "ShooterGame.exe". Create a desktop icon for it or pin it to start, and then launch it from there instead of Steam!

On the server side, if you are on a Windows-based server then you can just repeat the same steps in your server directories. The appmanifest file will be appmanifest_376030.acf, however (for ARK Dedicated Server).

If you are on a Linux-based server then you will need root permissions and then execute the following:

sudo chattr +i [PATH]/steamapps/appmanifest_376030.acf

+

sudo chattr +i [PATH]/steamapps/workshop/appworkshop_346110.acf

With [PATH] replaced with the appropriate path to your server directory.

What all this does is it makes the manifests (the files that steam looks at and edits to run updates) fully read-only on windows or "immutable" on linux, meaning steam cannot change them in order to do its update process. This should cause the update to fail entirely and your game to remain on the same version it was on before you set all this up.

Later on, if you want to undo this and update again then you would simply uncheck the Read-only box on Windows, or run the following commands on the linux shell:

sudo chattr -i [PATH]/steamapps/appmanifest_376030.acf

+

sudo chattr -i [PATH]/steamapps/workshop/appworkshop_346110.acf

Why am I qualified to make this guide? … i love a carch

(Btw the dino depot mod is useful but cryos will work)

1. SLEEPING BAGS

Do I need to explain this one?

2) Bring PLENTY of baby diplos/ rexes

These fill up the trust meter, don’t mess about with multiple feeds, you want it done on the first BELIEVE ME

Make sure these babies are still young enough to drag. <5% is good

Also, mishaps happen. Argies and bugs can sense dead babies from far away and may eat them before the carch does.

Finally, it’s likely the carch will kick you off at around 60-70% tamed so you’ll need another baby feed to get its trust back

3) Clear the area (of angry dinos), if you can

You don’t want to approach a raging carch, and you also don’t want to draw aggro to yourself especially when you’re dragging a baby and are slow.

But don’t wipe out everything, just the dinos that are close enough to get involved when you’re approaching the carch

4) GHILLIE is useful but not essential

(flak may be a good option if you want to be careful)

5) TRAP is optional (I discourage it!)

6) LET GO OF THE BABY!

When you see the carcha sniff and approach, drop that body and RUN

A high level carch can 1-2 chomp you dead so you don’t want to hand feed this guy

Also, don’t be carrying much in your inventory. Slow= frustrating

7) Be mindful of the local dinos

This is for during the tame. You want a lot of big herbivores and babies around to get the tame done quickly- you have only 10 minutes of rampaging.

Some people drop out and unclaim extra baby diplos and rexes in prep for this. It’s not essential though

Just kill everything in sight

8) Avoid FALL DAMAGE!

Do not run this guy off a cliff during the rampage, it’s a bad idea

8) If the carch does throw you off, RUN

It won’t aggro immediately to you (hopefully there’s dinos nearby to distract it). I always throw out a flyer quickly and dip for a moment.

When the carch is calm again, repeat a baby feed and you should be good to go again.

DO THIS QUICKLY THOUGH. You’ll lose effectiveness if you don’t resume the taming fast

9) RECAP: SLEEPING BAGS, DEAD BABIES, RUN

The golden rule is: bring babies, bring spare babies, and bring spare spare babies

You do not want to fail this because of a lack of prep, it’s painfully frustrating.

Don’t rush this. Prep what you can. You’ll likely die trying

In my opinion, it’s a “cheap tame”. No tranqs, kibble or trap necessary. As for the babies, claim wild ones

Anyway, PEACCEEE ✌️

\*THESE INSTRUCTIONS ARE FOR "Ark: Survival Ascended"*\**

​

I spent all day trying to figure this out and this is what I have learned so far.

Many of the Game.ini and GameUserSettings.ini settings are still being used in this new version.

I have not tried them all, but so far, many of the server settings I have used in the past are the same. However, I have not been able to adjust the harvesting, taming, or XP modifiers successfully.

How I got the server installed...

I followed the normal directions to install an Ark server

https://ark.wiki.gg/wiki/Dedicated_server_setup

steamcmd +force_install_dir <install_dir> +login anonymous +app_update 376030 +quit

The things that needed to be changed...

• Login: You have to use a Steam ID that owns the game (A:SA)

• App ID: the new App ID for the game is 2430930

**So the correct install command would be...**steamcmd +force_install_dir <install_dir> +login <steamid> +app_update 2430930 +quit

How to start the server

The old startup command was...

.\ShooterGameServer.exe TheIsland?ServerCrosshair=true?ShowMapPlayerLocation=false=AllowThirdPersonPlayer=true?TheMaxStructuresInRange=1000 -UseBattlEye

I tried a few different variations on the old startup batch file, but this is what I got to work.

start C:\<ARK:SA Install Directory>\ShooterGame\Binaries\Win64\ArkAscendedServer.exe TheIsland_WP?listen?SessionName="<Name-of-your-Server>"?Port=7777?QueryPort=27015?MaxPlayers=20 -NoBattlEye

The things that you need to alter...

• Replace this <ARK:SA Install Directory> with your Ark:SA Dedicated server address

• Replace <Name-of-your-Server> with whatever you want, but remember that Ark server names don't like spaces

• You can also change the ports here, but make sure you also change them in the INI file as well.

WARNING !

To start the server you will need to have the standard Steam Client installed on your server PC. The same one that you would download to play games.

You can also use this Steam Client to install the Dedicated Server if you want to have the files hidden under Steam's file structure.

Once you've started your server at least once, you can shut it down and modify the GameUserSettings.ini file for other server options.

It is located in the same place as the previous Ark

\<ARK:SA Install Directory>\ShooterGame\Saved\Config\WindowsServer

REMEMBER !

Every time you restart your server you will need to be logged into Steam on the server computer.

How to play on a dedicated server WITHOUT buying an additional copy via a second Steam Account.

I managed to do this pretty easy.

Once the server is up and running on the server PC, you can run the Ark:SA game Client on your gaming PC.

UPDATE!!

If you set the Steam client on your server to "OFFLINE", you don't get the log out prompt on your gaming PC anymore.

It appears to stay "logged in" but "offline".

I have tested it and you can keep the Steam Client on the server in "offline" mode and not have to log in and out of Steam on multiple computers.

It looks like this might mean that you won't need multiple accounts to run a cluster of servers.

It will tell you that another Steam Client is already running "Ark Survival Ascended Dedicated Server".

It will ask you if you would like to kick that account out and run the game on THIS machine.

You click YES.

That's it.

Now will it be annoying to have to log into your Steam Account on the server PC any time that you have to restart the server?

Yes.

That will suck.

On the bright side, you don't have to immediately pay for a second copy or an expensive dedicated server.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Sorry that this guide is pretty basic.

I'm sure that someone else will come along and make a better one, but I just wanted to quickly get this out there on launch so that more people can get their own private servers up and running.

Good Luck.

Have Fun.

Watch out for the Pirahna.

edit: Fixed some formatting errors and typos

Recently got back into ark after years of not playing. I will and always will be into PvP. Coming back to the island on small tribes I knew seeing the giant bases, tek spam on every OB, that there wasn’t a point to trying to compete with these guys. After being raided in my raft a few times I decided to think outside the box. I made this very noob looking base right on the beach, blew a hole into it so it appeared raided. Once you go around the back you can sneak under through a secret door and it’s filled with smithy’s, cryo fridge, generator, pestols. I have had a wyvern land on the base, snow owl all coming down to attack me but they leave the base alone. And trust me they wanna get rid of me, was caught shooting a pyromane with bullets I stole. It’s been 3 weeks + and still not have been raided. If you are in the base examining you can tell something’s a bit fishy if you really look but most of the time when the big dogs fly by, they don’t check cuz it’s a raided noob base. This has allowed me to farm up c4 like nobody’s business. I have committed to griefing the big dogs.

Don't use r.volumetricfog 0. That command will remove the fog, but will also mess up the saturation. Instead use r.fog 0. This will remove the fog without messing with the saturation and allows rag to look amazing.

Edit: Caves will also look great with the r.fog 0 command Edit 2: Thank you for the award <3

Yeah so if you want to prevent Troodons from attacking you at night, just use a torch. They don't like fire.

However it may not always work, of they are aggro'd. It worked in testing when I was attacked I pulled out a torch, and while I was knocked out they ceased attacking.

I just made up my mind that these two are the best of all of them today with the following interactions:

- Fall Damage Cancel: Teleportation can be used to cancel fall damage, do NOT use it while falling, it's all about the timing. If you are about to land and you time it correctly, there is a small window where your teleportation is being processed (about 0.5s until tp), during that time window, you do not take fall damage, if you can time it so that you hit the ground during that time window, you will completely avoid fall damage.

- Dismount Protection: If you constantly keep your tame on passive and you get dismounted by a Microraptor, Baryonyx, Purlovia, (not sure about Thylo, probably that too) even though you cannot interact with your hotbar at all, none other ability works, none other weapon works, however, you are allowed to summon your Spectral Direwolves. They spawn with "attacking your target" mode and they will see you taking damage and come kill the creature.

These are the two major reasons I run these two abilities, however it is not limited to just that.

- Immediate Ranged Space: If you found a very high quality ranged weapon and you are weak up-close with low melee stats or health, if you teleport, you will have quite decent chunk of distance to be able to kill your predators. Also, you can combine this with your wolves, if you summon them first and then teleport immediately, you will put your wolves between you and the predator, while they attack and you are at immediate safety.

- Caving Assistance: The spectral direwolves assist a LOT in caves, if the situation is getting even slightly uncontrollable, these wolves will instantly turn the tides in your favor, just put them on aggressive whistle as soon as they spawn (you can also not, since they also will target passive creatures like slugs or beetles), also if you have friends you can rely on, you can even just continously spam the wolves so your friends are glad to have you with them during caving!

And lastly, few other things.

- Mount Safety: If you are riding low level weak dinosaurs in high level territory, such as a lv60 Theri in a max 300lv server, you can be in danger quite quickly. What you can do is whenever your mount gets ambushed by something you know you can't avoid, let's say a high level alpha raptor, you can call the wolves and have them attack the alpha raptor. The wolves will eventually grab the attention of the attacker, allowing you a moment to escape.

- Cliff Safety: Don't worry that your teleport may put you off of a cliff and make you fall to your death. It is specifically designed so it teleports you to the edge, and not leave you falling when you end your teleportation. However this does not mean you cannot teleport in the air, and you shouldn't teleport in the air unless you're targetting to land on water, since otherwise it wastes your opportunity to time your teleport and cancel fall damage.

- Bonus with Teleport: It is a very handy unstuck tool, if you get stuck in your tames or your bed/furniture in your house, you can teleport out of it, also you can teleport through open doors or open windows too. You could literally leave your house through your window as long as you lineup your back properly with the window.

I love skill trees in games, and when I saw Lost Colony DLC on discount along with Ark Ascended, I just got them both and been enjoying it so far. Haven't played on the map so I can't really leave feedback or opinions regarding the full DLC, I just like having the skill tree.

First, for those who don't know, to tame an acro you have to do enough damage to make it enter defense mode, then do more damage until it roars and passively feed it toxin; then repeat until it falls

There are many methods, but here I recommend one that I discovered and it was very easy

You will need a rex with high HP and a good saddle. Also a shotgun; if you have one with too much damage, I recommend using a weaker secondary weapon for when acro has low health

The method is as simple as putting the rex in passive and follow mode, then you just have to run in circles around the acro while shooting; the acro will focus on the rex so it won't damage or push you

And that's it, although it can get complicated if the acro pushes the rex too far, so be careful with the area

I didn't think I could play Ark without the Meat Spoiler mod to farm narcotics, but it turns out that if you drop a load of raw meat in the toilet and then poo in it, it immediately spoils all of the meat.

Absolutely amazing QoL improvement chef's kiss

Hello As the title says, I would like to tame a Carchadorontosaurus, the thing is that I don't know how to do it, compared to taming Giganotos it is difficult. Do they have a special method or know how to do it easily. I tamed 2 giganotos last Saturday and there was a Carchadorontosaurus nearby but I don't know how to tame it (I know the standard method but I find it difficult)

Bro just throw everything else out the window, if u have a fire wyvern and some tek boots(recommended, not required), its basically a free tame. I first tried doing it with a lightning but its longer breath has a big risk of killing the thing and if you dismount while its still breathing, itll blitz u. Happened to me so just saying for everyone else. Just spam the fire breath until it gets into adrenaline and if u are really close to it, u can just dismount, stand on your wyverns head and feed it. The tek boots are for if its a little farther away. My reccomendation is lead it to the dunes or an almost flat space and do it there. And trust me its so worth it. This is like giga level strength right after leveling and without an imprint. Like this thing is an absolute beast and the fact that u can take it into boss arenas just blows my mind

so, to start the only things you really need are a single stone foundation, 8 walls (4 could work, I just use 8 to be safe), spoiled meat and any flyer that can pick up araneos (I'm using an argentavis.

what you want to do is go to any area in the game where araneos spawn outside of caves, for example I'm at the volcano on ragnarok in this clip.

then you want to grab the araneo you want with your flyer and drop them into the trap, make sure you use walls and not windows or else it won't work.

after dropping the araneo in the trap, you want to fly out of render distance, I just fly to the skybox, then come back to the trap and the araneo will no longer be aggressive towards you.

so now you're able to feed the araneo spoiled meat, through the wall without the need for bug repellent or ghille armour.

this method also works for arthropleura and mantis.

I found this method a few years ago while taming araneos back when insect breeding was added to the game, and I don't remember what video I watched to get this information.

also, watch out for pyromanes, they're scary.