Welcome to ARK Survival Ascended

Now, in the year 2025, I see things from a slightly different perspective. The primary reason for the switch was the release of the map Extinction along with the DLC Wasteland War. This made my key maps from The Island to Extinction available. Sure, I still really miss the DLC maps like Ragnarok, Valguero, Crystal Isles, Lost Island, and Fjordur. And what about Genesis 1 and Genesis 2? Well, I never particularly liked Genesis 1 because of its theme setting as "virtual reality," even though I find the individual biomes beautiful. And Genesis 2? Simply too big and too monotonous in the landscape. But back to the main topic: It got interesting. Wildcard delivered the key maps, and so I decided to buy ASA and uninstall ASE.

What the fuck!? ASA runs with good FPS on my RTX 4070 (yes, just a NASA PC) and offers denser vegetation, atmospheric fog, and tall grass – all elements that appeal to me as a survival player. And honestly: After 10 years of ASE, it feels good to see something new and take a fresh start – even on my server. Mod-wise, it’s: ByeBye Super Structures & Dino Storage, and welcome Cyber Structures & Dino Depot! Familiar mods like Shiny, Awesome Teleporter, RR Potions, and Better Horde Mod are also in the mix. However, I do miss my Safebase mod and the Stargate mod. It’s annoying that Wildcard does not provide Linux server files. But thanks to Glorious Eggroll (Proton) and a bit of Docker, I can get it running on my Ubuntu server.

ARK: Survival Ascended has introduced many changes that alter the gameplay experience for both new and "old" ASE players like me. Here are the main highlights and innovations from my incomplete perspective. Oh, and Pay2Win animals (Fantastic Tames and Club ARK) continue to be crap – thanks probably go to Snail Games, but Wildcard: I LOVE YOU! Happy Hunting!

Shopping Links:

• PC/Steam: ARK Survival Ascended and ARK: Bob's Tall Tales on Steam
• XBOX: https://www.xbox.com/
• PS5: https://www.playstation.com/
   

Highlights of the Innovations

• Wild Babies: Some dinosaurs now have wild babies that you can take over and raise.
• Improved Map: Precise coordinates, waypoints, zoom, and freely rotatable map view.
• Optimized Infrastructure: No more cables or pipes – generators and water sources supply buildings in the vicinity.
• New Creatures: Archelon, Armadoggo, Ceratosaurus, Cosmo, Deinosuchus, Dredanoughtus, Dreadmare (Pay2Win), Fasolosuchus, Giant Bison (Announced), Gigantoraptor, Oasisaur, Pyromane (Pay2Win), Shastasaurus, Sir-54M8 (Helper Bot), Xiphactinus, and Yi Ling.
• Crafting Tracker: Track recipes directly in the HUD to plan resources.
• New Building Options: Simplified structures (windows, doors, walls in one element), quarter walls, diagonal pillars, and flat foundations.
• Wild Living Elements: Realistic tree and vegetation physics, footprints, and snow and dust effects.

New Features & Improvements

Gameplay

• Inventory Improvement: Expanded quick access bar and convenient ammo/attachment menu.
• Taming Tracker: Track tamed and tamable creatures as well as tribe mates.
• Ping System: Mark dangers, resources, or targets for your team.
• Shoulder Pets: Inventory access directly on the shoulder; halved weight for items.
• New Self-Destruct Mechanism: Quick respawn through implant activation.
• Extended Hotbars: Access all inventory pages directly from the bar.

Character Customization

• New Character Editor: More customization for body, voice, and hair.
• Improved Movements: Smoother animations and optimized interactions with the environment.
• Reduced Fall Damage: Less damage from small falls.

Building & Infrastructure

• Optimized Infrastructure: Wireless energy and water distribution via generators.
• Snap Points: More precise placement of structures like platforms and storage rooms.
• Upside-Down Placement: Ceilings and foundations can be attached upside down.
• Secret Doors: Walls with hidden entrances for secure rooms.
• New Building Options: Quarter walls, thin columns, and diagonal pillars.

Creatures

• Biome-Based Adjustments: Rock Golems change their appearance depending on the biome.
• Phoenix Update: Phoenix can land and appears in new colors.
• New Animal Mechanics: Dung Beetles automatically collect dung, Oviraptors collect eggs.
• Passive Abilities: Traits are additional passive abilities that influence certain aspects of creatures. Wild creatures or offspring hatched from wild eggs randomly receive a trait with a level. These can be viewed with the Gene Scanner and the H key. Traits are not inherited by offspring, so players must collect new creatures from the wild to build a group with traits.

New Creatures

• Archelon, large turtle.
• Armadoggo, dog companion with special features.
• Ceratosaurus, medium-sized dino (in German "Horn Echse").
• Cosmo, jumping spider that allows a kind of Spiderman-like movement through Aberration.
• Deinosuchus, giant crocodile.
• Dredanoughtus, slightly smaller Titanosaurus with "Titan Slayer Buff" and artillery on its back.
• Dreadmare (Pay2Win), "diabolical" horse with wings.
• Fasolosuchus, dangerous sand hunter.
• Giant Bison (Announced), like an American bison but twice as big/heavy.
• Gigantoraptor, a type of large ostrich with a nest, which serves as a nanny when tamed.
• Oasisaur, giant creature like a Titanosaurus but completely passive and can resurrect deceased animals.
• Pyromane (Pay2Win), burning lion aka Shadowmane.
• Shastasaurus, giant orca (correctly "Ichthyosaur"), which serves as a mobile "submarine."
• Sir-54M8, helper robot within the base.
• Xiphactinus, ugly prehistoric fish with teeth.
• Yi Ling, actually much smaller known as "Yi qi" but available in ARK as Early Game "Rockdrake".

Maps & Environment

• New Ruins & Caves: Two new caves in Scorched Earth, huge ruins to explore.
• Realistic Vegetation: Trees fall more naturally, snow and dust settle on structures.

Crafting & Items

• Crafting Tracker: Track recipes directly in the HUD for easier resource planning.
• Wireless Crafting: Material retrieval from dedicated storage stations.
• Color Options: Armors, lamps, and torches can be individually colored.

Combat & PvP

• New Tower Options: Towers can be placed on all surfaces.
• Improved Loot Tables: Supply drops and caves offer higher quality items.
• Weapon Customization: Colored weapon flames and attachment changes.

Multiplayer & Modding

• Mods on Consoles: Official mod support directly through the main menu.
• Crossplay: Cross-platform play between PC and consoles.

DLCs (Bob's Tall Tales)

Bob's Tall Tales is an optional paid season pass with additional paid "adventure packs" that include new cosmetic content, creatures, building items, weapons, and more for story maps (excluding The Island). Additionally, there are animated explorer notes featuring the voices of Karl Urban and Auliʻi Cravalho.

Frontier Adventure Pack (Scorched Earth)

• Cowboy/Cowgirl themes and skins.
• New creature: Oasisaur.
• Trains: Tracks, steam locomotives, and train cars.
• New feature: Treasure Map.
• More structures: Piano, poker table, treasure chest, and more in Western style.

Steampunk Ascent (Aberration)

• Steampunk themes and skins (technologies mixed with Victorian era).
• New creature: Cosmos (with Spiderman-like functions) and the helper robot Sir-5rM8.
• Zeppelin: A type of Tek-hover skiff from the 19th century.
• Gene Scanner: Shows levels, traits, baby info, and helps find wild creatures.
• Stopwatch: Allows teleportation to a previous point.
• Tinkerer’s Desk: Combines blueprints and randomly improves (or worsens) them.
• Tesla Coil: An electric turret that zaps enemies and creatures.
• Goo Gun: Two modes: Bounce Mode: projectiles bounce off surfaces; Sticky Mode: sticks targets or surfaces.
• More structures: Industrial preserving bin, embryo incubator, steam forge, and more in 19th-century style.

Wasteland War (Extinction)

• Mad-Max themes (post-apocalyptic atmosphere) with new skins.
• Vehicles: Three new vehicles (buggy, monster truck, and racer) as well as a garage for building and modification.
• New creature: Armadoggo (companion dog with attachments like healing, spikes, oxygen tank, and more).
• Tribe Tower: A huge tower that grants tribe bonuses.
• New structures: Rusty metal skins and junk decor.

Visual Improvements

• Unreal Engine 5: More realistic lighting, water physics, and textures.
• New Photo Mode: Perfect for screenshots and content creation.
• Dynamic Weather: More realistic rain, fog, and day-night cycles.