Ark: Survival Evolved 1.0 Server Launch Event

SKJALDBORG SERVER LAUNCH: TBA



I have included a poll that will determine the research tree for the server. Read more info on both choices below. Regardless of what we vote for, I hope you will all consider taking part. We are adding custom content, events, and quests that should bring something fresh for all players regardless of previous experiences.

Custom features on our server:

• Player vs. Environment experience with OPTIONAL PvP combat.
• Weekly quests with rewards.
• Other methods of obtaining dinos besides wild taming.
• A functioning economy and auction house.
• Content that rewards ALL play styles.
• Less "bullet-sponge" combat, more dangerous dinos and human weapons.
• Secret locations to find, explore, and unlock.
• Better rewards for reaching ascension.
• The freedom to do whatever you want! (CoC rules still apply)

Standard research tree:
https://ark.gamepedia.com/Engrams

Primitive+ research tree:
https://ark.gamepedia.com/Engrams_(Primitive_Plus)

More details on both tech trees can be found here:
http://www.theskjaldborg.com/index....erver-launch-event-discord.11789/#post-278404

By will or by chance i cannot say;
How the guardians reached us one day.
Three they were then of fire, wind, and earth;
Far from this island the place of their birth.
Strong and wise they were. Helped man, they tried,
Until we betrayed and now they hide.
Some hope they return and help again,
But such fools forget the sins of men.
From valley deeps to the mountain peaks,
Only search for them if death you seek.​

 

Pre-built assets for the server to add some flavor to the scenario:


The new "safezone" for new players is built (found near Spawn 1).


The new bridge looks fantastic! Smaller creatures can cross this too.



Taking shelter in a small cave until morning comes. Players that find these can search what remains for additional rewards and other hidden secrets.


Another rope bridge. Plan to have a small system of these (not the entire map) to open up new avenues for land-based travel. Their purpose is to give a little help to players in the early game. This is offset by the greater danger compared to flying.

 

DISCLAIMER ABOUT THE $60 PRICETAG:

The reason for the 60 dollar pricetag seems to be because it was a requirement for Ark to get a retail release. Suffice to say, retail markets gave the game an ultimatum that forced the price hike. Many of us bought this for a lower price when this game was still in early access. Apologies to anyone who has yet to purchase this game. Our goal is not to leave you out. If you are one of those people, I completely understand if you want to wait until it goes on sale. We hope to have the server running for many months to come. Hope to see you at a later date.

 

Good call, Varacka. Thank you for the links.

 

hmmm... really close vote. i wonder if there is a way to combine the two choices... maybe find a happy medium. keep in mind the highest tech tier can only be achieved after defeating the bosses, so its definitely well earned. i will go into details about both choices at a later time to explain some of the nuances. perhaps we will change some minds. perhaps not. it's fine either way. another alternative is just to lock out some of the more "troublesome" technologies (ex. autoturrets), although I'm not sure how much it will matter on a PvE server. autoturrets become significantly less powerful if you prevent them from being mounted on platform saddles as well (this is a server option).

Personally, I'm interested to try the Primitive+ mod. Although it as a lot of interesting low tech items, it does come with some significant limitations such as no underwater base building and significantly tougher boss battles. We will take a closer look at the pros and cons of both in the coming weeks.

 

ARK Digest 47!

http://steamcommunity.com/games/346110/announcements/detail/1441568318506955511

lots of content in the works. more story elements. full TLC pass on all older dinos to help balance gameplay out. more dinos will be nocturnal or diurnal. many other changes too.

also... the "last dino" has been announced:

 

OFFICIAL 1.0 RELEASE DATE: AUGUST 24th

SKJALDBORG SERVER LAUNCH: AUGUST 25th

 

Due to the previous poll's tie, voting has been reset and new voting options have been included with the OP (see above).
Please read below and then recast your vote.


GENERAL SERVER SETTING AND RULES

• As always, CoC rules will apply during all activities.
• PvE with controlled (and optional) tribal PvP.
• Functioning auction house and economy.
• Managed by Admin with weekly quests given for specific rewards.
• Max player size for all tribes = 6 (subject to change)
• Less bullet-sponge damage; higher damage for both dinos and players; less damage resistance for players (don't face-tank a T-rex)
• One "safe zone" at first new player spawn with basic construction facilities (crafting table, stone furnace, basic storage, etc.)
• "No-building" zones in areas with rare resource (ex. tops of most mountains).
• No building in caves.
• No turrets on saddle platforms.
• Reduced damage output for all turrets.
• One "neutral zone" for engaging in trade, checking bulletin board, and collecting quest rewards.
• Any individual engrams (blueprints) that prove to be troublesome can be locked from player use (ex. exploits with auto-turrets).

Below is a (WIP) list of Pros & Cons for both technology trees. The purpose of this list is to help with making an informed decision for this thread's poll.


"Classic" Tech Tree

• Includes full spread of primitive, industrial, modern, and alien technology.

Pros

• Vanilla game experience; first to get official patches.
• Faster server load times.
• Access to automatic weapons = easier aiming and fighting bosses
• Most advanced tech requires killing bosses (hard to get and maintain); more "end game" content.
• Has underwater bases, scuba gear, jet packs, dino mounted lasers, and power armor.

Cons

• Wider discrepancy in power between lowest and highest tech tiers (mostly matters for PvP).
• Less construction choices at low tech tiers (compared to Primitive+).
• Access to automatic weapons = might make game too easy for some.

Primitive+ Tech Tree

• Includes only primitive to industrial (1800s) technology.

Pros

• A more "Robinson Crusoe" experience.
• Wider selection of primitive construction choices.
• No automatic or plasma weapons = less extreme dps weapons that require more aiming skill.
• Less power creep for highest technology.

Cons

• Potentially slower patch updates since it is not part of core game experience.
• Slower server loading (exact speed is uncertain at this time).
• No underwater base construction or advanced manufacturing.
• No automatic or plasma weapons = much harder boss fights.

 

I've been using admin controls to poke around the game to see what they added. Much of the geography has changed for the better with many new biomes since our last server was open.

I took a peek inside the Swamp cave and it is both beautiful and terrifying. Without too many spoilers, here's what you can expect (and yes, at Vanilla Difficulty):

 

Added alien ruins and a wrecked ship today. These will have quests associated with them.

Hunters claim to have sighted a dragon near the volcano, but Elders assure us that all the dragons died long ago.

Also, tribesman are reminded to not swim in strange lakes. Ancient evils might still lurk in their depths.

 

Here's what my custom loot crates will look like:

These will be scattered about the world and in hard to reach places. Sometimes riddles will be associated with locating these. They will typically hold quest items, but may also hold rare materials on occasion. I intend to restock these once per week to prevent abuse.


I've also built upon the "alien precursor world" vibe by adding non-functional (or are they?) alien structures. The secrets to which players will unlock over time.

 

And a working mail system for quest giving: