ARK: Essential Survival Tips for New Players

Experience the fresh take on the original ARK: Survival Evolved with ARK: Survival Ascended, where players face familiar challenges in a hostile environment. With minimal tutorials, you'll need to figure out how to survive on your own. To help you avoid beginner mistakes and thrive in the game, we've compiled a list of eight essential tips to guide you through the first few hours.

1. Pick the right starter location

Choosing Your Spawn Point in ARK: Survival Ascended

The Island presents you with several spawn points. When you first boot up a game in ARK: Survival Ascended, you will be presented with a map that allows you to pick where to spawn. These spawn points won't have any obvious traits about them, as you're looking at a map that is completely unknown to you. However, the one trait all spawn locations do have is a rating of how difficult they are.

If you want an easy-going experience to start out in Survival Ascended, then you want to pick a starting location with an easier difficulty. Just like it was in Survival Evolved, the southern island locations are much safer spawn points than other locations. The southern spawns have non-aggressive dinosaurs and other creatures that won't get in your way as you're trying to assemble a base and craft tools for survival.

2. Use your surroundings to your advantage

Upon choosing a spawn point, your adventure in Survival Ascended kicks off. Most of these locations offer a wealth of resources that can be utilized to ensure your survival, especially in the initial hours. Making tools should be your priority after spawning, and you can achieve this by gathering materials such as stone, fiber, and wood, as well as finding food items like berries to maintain your health. Keep a keen eye out for any and all loot around your starting area.

3. Allocate your stats properly

The stats screen in Survival Ascended offers various ways to advance your character. As you gather resources and master the basics, you will level up and gain the ability to allocate points to different stats. These stats, such as health, water, food, and melee damage, can be accessed through your character's main menu.

Prioritizing certain stats early on is crucial for your survival. For instance, focusing on health and stamina is essential, while weight and oxygen become more important later in the game. By leveling up the right stats from the start, you can ensure efficient progress. We recommend prioritizing melee damage, food, health, stamina, and fortitude in the first few hours of gameplay.

4. Don't worry about a shelter (too much)

When I first played ARK: Survival Evolved, I made a significant error by attempting to construct a massive shelter right at the beginning. However, this is not practical given the limited resources available in the early stages of the game. In my subsequent playthrough, Survival Ascended, I opted for a smaller structure that could meet all my basic needs, including cooking, crafting, and sleeping.

This minimal setup is all you need initially, as gathering the necessary resources for a larger shelter will be challenging. It is advisable to choose a base location that is not too far into the map. Your initial shelter should ideally be near the beach, in a cave, or on the outskirts of a forest to steer clear of more aggressive creatures.

5. Collect every berry you find

Discover a variety of berries in Survival Ascended. This beginner tip from ARK: Survival Evolved is making a comeback in Survival Ascended. Berries are essential as an early food source and should always be kept in your inventory for emergencies. They provide a decent health boost, are easily accessible, and require no cooking. Additionally, they are used in the taming of certain dinosaurs. However, be mindful that berries will spoil if not consumed within a certain timeframe.

In Survival Ascended, you can gather berries by repeatedly interacting with green bushes. While there are several types of berries, they offer similar benefits for survival.

6. Make a bed

Crafting a bed is one of the initial tasks to prioritize after establishing a basic base. Not only does a bed function as a fast travel point and a way to pass the night, but it also serves as the spawn point if you happen to die. Without a bed, dying in the wilderness means respawning at the initial starting location, which is inconvenient if a base is already set up.

To craft a bed, players need to reach level 7 in order to unlock the Simple Bed Engram. Once at level 7, eight Engram Points must be spent on the Simple Bed. It is also necessary to have unlocked the Hide Sleeping Bag Engram, which is accessible much earlier. With the Simple Bed fully unlocked, it can be crafted using 30 Fiber, 40 Hide, 80 Thatch, and 15 Wood.

7. Avoid PvP Servers

It's recommended to start on a solo server first, whether you're a new ARK player or not. PvP servers can be filled with experienced players who may disrupt your learning process. Starting solo allows you to learn in a more controlled environment. Once you feel comfortable, you can consider joining a PvP server, but be prepared for a potentially challenging experience as a newcomer.

8. Don't stress out about dying

This tip is not so much about gameplay, but more about your overall mindset when playing ARK: Survival Ascended. It's crucial to keep in mind that virtually everything in the game poses a threat, and death is inevitable. You will die multiple times, so the best approach is to accept this and focus on mastering the mechanics. Spending too much time avoiding death will hinder your learning progress.

With some basic tools, a shelter with a bed, and ample food, you can start to establish yourself. However, mastering ARK: Survival Ascended takes many hours, even hundreds, so don't be afraid to die in order to understand all the mechanics.

Editor's P/S

As an ARK enthusiast, I am thrilled about the release of ARK: Survival Ascended. This new iteration promises an immersive and challenging survival experience, building upon the foundations of its predecessor, ARK: Survival Evolved. In this article, I will share eight essential tips for new players to maximize their chances of survival in this unforgiving world.

First and foremost, choosing a strategic starting location is crucial. The southern island locations offer a more relaxed experience, with non-aggressive dinosaurs and abundant resources. This allows new players to gather materials, craft tools, and establish a base without facing immediate threats. As you progress, you can explore more dangerous areas and face greater challenges.

Another critical aspect is allocating stats effectively. Prioritize stats like health, stamina, food, and melee damage in the early game. These stats will enhance your survivability and combat capabilities. As you level up, you can invest points in other stats, such as weight and oxygen, to improve your carrying capacity and underwater exploration abilities.