How to Play ARK Survival Evolved Today

PvE or PvP?

ARK offers both PvP (Player versus Player) and PvE (Player versus Environment) servers. PvP servers are significantly more challenging due to player-on-player combat. Beginners should strongly consider starting on a PvE server. While some player-initiated conflict is possible, the overall atmosphere is generally less hostile, allowing you to focus on learning the game mechanics.

Fresh Spawn

For your first ARK experience, “The Island” map is recommended. You’ll begin on the beach. It’s safest to stay near the shoreline initially, as the concentration of dangerous creatures is generally lower there. Begin by gathering stones and wood. Use these to craft a stone pickaxe, then use the pickaxe to obtain flint. Flint is crucial for crafting a stone hatchet, your essential early-game tools for resource gathering.

Bushes and Dodo Slaying

Use your new tools to gather resources. Harvest berries and fiber from bushes. Fiber, along with flint and wood, is needed to craft a stone spear for defense and hunting. Dodos are easy early-game prey, providing meat and hide. Hide is a vital resource for crafting cloth armor, offering crucial protection from environmental hazards. Don’t forget to craft sleeping bags; they act as respawns and fast travel points.

Base Building

Establish a base early on, even if it’s rudimentary. Initially, you’ll only have wood, which is easily destroyed. Conceal your base to protect it from early threats. Upgrade to stone structures (available at level 20) as soon as possible for better protection. Prioritize building a bed (permanent respawn point), forges (metal smelting), a smithy (item crafting), and mortar and pestles (for narcotics used in taming).

Character Progression

Leveling up provides skill points to enhance your character. Focus on Weight (increased carry capacity), Melee Damage (better resource gathering and combat), and Movement Speed. Increase Health gradually. Explorer Notes provide significant XP boosts; locate and complete these for faster leveling. Crafting storage boxes and wooden rafts also offer substantial XP. A bow and arrows (level 10) is a significant upgrade for ranged combat, followed by a bola (level 15) for immobilizing creatures.

Taming

Tranquilizer arrows (available at level 20) allow you to tame creatures. A Triceratops (Trike) is an excellent early-game tame, providing powerful harvesting capabilities. Target the head for maximum effectiveness with Tranquilizer Arrows. Use Mejoberries and Narcotics to keep the creature unconscious during the taming process. Craft a saddle to ride your tamed Trike. Raptors are also valuable early-game tames due to their speed.

Got It! What Now?

Beyond level 20, explore inland areas and strive for Metal Tier crafting. Joining a tribe offers significant advantages, providing protection, support, and faster progression. Tribes are crucial, particularly on PvP servers, for survival and advancement. ARK is inherently social; cooperation with other players enhances your chances of long-term success in this challenging world. Consider actively seeking out a tribe to join.