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Ark: Survival Evolved is the most fantastically frustrating game since Minecraft. And just like Minecraft, once a player finds momentum, it’s like riding a bike. But getting started can be tricky, with dangers in every corner, and the lack of a tutorial really takes a toll on the fun. And dying every 30 seconds can become old very fast, despite how funny it is on YouTube. Of course, one can always use tweaks here-and-there, but where’s the fun in that? So for the readers who are here to learn or the readers who already died four thousand times, here’s a list of useful tips players need to know before getting started to avoid about half of those unnecessary deaths.
10 It’s Not Minecraft
Contrary to Minecraft, Ark: Survival Evolved is way more difficult and counts on careful strategy. A lot of players spawn and without thinking start punching a tree. But this can harm the character, so try and avoid it if possible.
Of course, there are things that players can defeat with their fists. It’s best to start with harvesting berries, grass, and bushes, and punching down small trees and bamboo. This will help reach higher levels, unlocking tools, recipes, and clothes faster.
9 Engrams & Smart Investment
Smart strategizing starts at the very beginning of the game, so be aware and don’t be too eager.
When reaching a higher level, players will receive engram points. After that, they can choose what to unlock, but players can’t unlock everything that the game offers, so they need to start prioritizing items and recipes. So instead of clicking in the order items come up, players need to think twice about what needs to be unlocked, keeping in mind that in the first part of the game, characters level up every three minutes.
8 Tools
One of the most important things in the game is the tools players have. No need to rush this process, only have the essentials and level them up as the character evolves. The first day is like a race against time. Players need to get all the resources they can to level up and build their base as soon as possible. For this, they need the right tools.
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The essentials are a hatchet, an ax, and a pick, as they’re great for anything. Using an ax on a tree will result in wood, but using a pick will result in thatch. Hitting a rock with a hatchet will result in stone, using a pick will result in flint. So players need to pay attention to what they need and how they get it. This is survival, no one wants to work unnecessarily.
7 You’re Never Safe
Of course, the first and most important rule in the game is to never trust the environment. From sneaky Velociraptors to little deadly spider-like bugs, anything can attack at any time.
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But running away and giving up is not always the answer as any dino can rob players as they run by. So sometimes picking a fight with the robber can be the only option if players want to get back whatever they took from the character.
6 Don’t Get Attached To The Dodos
They’re cute and fuzzy. Everyone loves dodos. But in this game, every peaceful animal can be used for its resources. Making some tough decisions are a part of this game, but it will become easier when starvation and death are the main motivation.
Having said that, it doesn’t stop at dodos. The best dinos to harvest at the beginning are the small ones that don’t fight as much. This can be hard, but in an unforgiving environment where everything is against the character, sacrifices need to be made.
5 Don’t Go Into The Light
Besides trees and adorable dodos, the next most conspicuous thing players notice are the light beams in random places. As an instinct, players usually go to it without question, but this is a very bad decision. There’s a great guide to beacons here.
These beacons are supply drops, however (because nothing can be trusted in this environment), there is a catch. Only players on a certain level can obtain the supplies. Otherwise, it’s just an unnecessary hike. If players do want to go loot a beacon, they need to be careful. Moving around the beacon does attract unwanted attention, so players need to be aware. Also, if the character stands in the shaft of light while the crate descends, they will be pushed into the water and drown if they can’t escape (this is a bug in games later than v.186, but it’s better to be careful regardless).
4 And If You Do, Don’t Forget Where It Happened
If the character dies - as they will approximately every few minutes in the first few tries - try to remember where it happened. If díing isn’t bad luck enough, when respawning, the character loses every item they had. These items can be reclaimed from the previous character if found.
But if the character dies a second time without reclaiming the bag, it will be gone forever.
3 Shelter & Base
Building a shelter and ultimately a base is very important. And what’s more important is putting down a bed in every base. Other than the fact that these beds will be the character’s respawn locations, Ark takes it one step further: The character can fast-travel between these beds.
So once a player has gained enough confidence and reaches a high enough level to start crafting a house and bed, it’s smart to start thinking about discovering the island further, building more and more bases around the map.
2 Avoid Beaches
There are enough things in this game that are deadly. But apart from the dinos and bugs, heat and exposure can be deadly too. Staying on the beach, therefore close to the water and in an area that can be found easily could seem like the smart choice in the beginning. But it’s the opposite. Other than the nearness of water, nothing is good about the beach.
Everything can see, find and attack the character, the number of resources found is limited, and the character is exposed to heat at all times. Instead, try to head into the woods, or in between mounts. Water can be found in the thick of the forest as well, so don’t be shy to explore a safer place to settle down.
1 Make Friends
As in life, socialization is key. Whether it’s finding a tribe or taming animals, it’s best to be proactive in this area from the very start. So if the character unlocks their first saddle, don’t wait around to start taming those dinos. Of course, it all starts with tools, as players need to knock out dinos and then feed them berries to tame them.
But because every dino has a different set of skills, the sky is the limit when talking about the number of allies players can have. One can never go wrong with taming these creatures.
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