For new players this Free to play weekend

[Redurded]

This game has a very steep learning curve initially. It holds no punches and doesn't give you a chance to ease in. It also doesn't do much in the way of teaching you how to play. I know there's only 1 day left but, I'm going to give a few pointers I've learned to help anyone just getting into it.

Dying isn't a big deal really. It will be frustrating, especially to run back to where you were and get your stuff. The game may start you in a hostile weather event. It may keep spawning bears right next to you. Aggressive creatures, even boars, don't go down easy so you may die the first few times before you find your rhythm fighting them. However once you can get a foothold it becomes so much easier.

I recommend starting with the outpost game mode. When I first started this weekend I just did "Missions" because that's what the game suggested is the default mode. Outposts will put you on a smaller map with supposedly easier conditions to get a hang of controls, the building, and weather system. The only caveat to outpost is that the XP gain is significantly nerfed. Also I have yet to find iron on my outpost.

Initially I suggest picking up rocks and fiber and making an axe, pick, knife, hammer, and putting points either into thatch or wood building. You need to pick up blue rocks called "oxite" and place it in your oxygen container in your inventory. If you don't you'll run out of oxygen. Make a basic structure A.S.A.P.. With me, the game immediately put me into a storm almost as soon as I spawned in, so you will want to have some kind of structure to stay protected. When building your structure, hold down "R" to change the kind of wall/slope you want to make. I say this because to put a door on your structure, you need to set a wall with a door hole. You can't just put up walls and snap a door to them.

I built my structure on top of beams with a staircase leading up because bears kept spawning next to me and that kept me safe....ish. Once you have a safety zone you can take a breath and spend some time looking through your tech points and skill points. That's basically it, it's a frantic rush to make a safe area for yourself, then you can proceed at your own pace. During storms or after animal attacks make sure to repair your structure. If you need food, berries and seeds can be combined to make energy bars early on. Once you make a bow, hunting becomes easier and you can cook meat. Make a water purifier too, you can drink straight from the rivers/lakes but are likely to get dysentery.

It's near the end of the free weekend, but hopefully if any newcomers see this it will help them give the game a chance. I rage quit a couple times before watching videos online and coming back. Now that I'm not dying over and over it's not a bad game. The weather events are actually a pretty interesting mechanic that I like. I think if this game suffers anything, it's just having a poor entry level experience. Otherwise, it's pretty neato.

[Agvv20]

New player here, instantly went into hard + hardcore mode. Got deleted by a wolf 10/10 would die again XD

Good tips though, I still play on the same difficulty and am gettin pretty good! Might buy it. Loved stationeers, loving this game so far.

[Spaceminnow]

I hope they extend the free trial to a full week...
One free weekend doesn't feel like it's enough...
You guys deserve it :)

[LaCajaVengadora]

this was good and useful. Thanks.

[MaxStr]

Good advice, I figured most of this out on my own eventually. I just happened to be looking for how you place a door when this post caught my attention. I did a lot of weird stuff with beams before I found this info. The tooltip is pretty awful to be honest why not just put "Needs Doorframe, hold R" instead of "MUST SNAP" LMFAO.

Quick question for 1 day or more vets here, can I change a wall into a window frame or do I have to destroy it first. Either way is there an easy way to destroy walls like in a lot of games say one click with hammer or something?

[Defektiv]

Don't burn your forests down or you'll be running later to get wood for organic resin.

[Spaceminnow]

Originally posted by MaxStr:

Good advice, I figured most of this out on my own eventually. I just happened to be looking for how you place a door when this post caught my attention. I did a lot of weird stuff with beams before I found this info. The tooltip is pretty awful to be honest why not just put "Needs Doorframe, hold R" instead of "MUST SNAP" LMFAO.

Quick question for 1 day or more vets here, can I change a wall into a window frame or do I have to destroy it first. Either way is there an easy way to destroy walls like in a lot of games say one click with hammer or something?

"Y"...
It's no mystery...
Read & Review the game's key binds...

Have you forgotten how to "look" at a game's options...?

[william_es]

Originally posted by MaxStr:

Quick question for 1 day or more vets here, can I change a wall into a window frame or do I have to destroy it first. Either way is there an easy way to destroy walls like in a lot of games say one click with hammer or something?

In almost all cases, you can simply pick up deployed structures by aiming at them and pressing Y.

So you can use Y to pick a wall up, and then put back it right back and hold R to choose the windowed variant. If you pickup anything with something attached to it (doors, shutters, etc) then they will drop onto the ground.

The ability to pick up structures is a HUGE advantage in missions. I carry around enough parts (foundations, walls, doors, etc) to build a 1 X 2 mini-house. At night I camp, build it, sleep, and then dismantle the whole thing next morning. If I have mounts with me and have to leave them anywhere, I build the mini-house and park the mount inside.

Sometimes I carry even more parts, and use them in different ways. If I'm mining in a cave, I will use the foundations and walls to build a curtain wall across the entire cave opening. Keeps anything from running in while I'm mining.

[Defektiv]

You have to be holding the repair hammer to pick up structures is all. I found that out the hard way after I tore down my first house because I saw no prompt when holding nothing.

[КрендельФигов]

A set of tips for beginners
https://steamcommunity.com/app/1149460/eventcomments/4409668685901316214/?ctp=4#c4409669422407137165

[ISSPBlack]

After a few deaths I uninstalled this game but few hours later I came back to take the challenge. I'm glad I did. My only concern is what will happen after free weekend and double xp event. The grind in this game must be brutal without 2x XP bonus.

[Night]

I have enough time in Ark that most of this was pretty easy to figure out. The only thing I didn't immediately get is the blue ore thing, though I really should have lol. I've been having fun so far. Spawned in, got attacked by a boar, survived somehow and then got wiped by a bear. 10/10 feels like home. XD

[ODevil]

The first bad weather surprised me quite a lot. I didn't think I would die from strong winds...
The second bad weather tore up my thatch roof.
The third bad weather burned down my wood house.
Now I'm working on a stone house.
I feel like a little pig hiding from the wolf lmao.

[КрендельФигов]

Make a structure like this
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=odTzRQKKG1U
Climb up (take more arrows with you), crouch (you will be ‘hidden’), ‘aimed shooting’ is done with the right mouse button held down (I always shoot like this),
shoot someone at a medium distance (20 meters), wait 20-30 seconds and all the monsters from the immediate area will start running to the fallen body. If you sit crouched far enough, then they will not pay attention to you.
Then, sitting on this structure, you can consistently kill them all.

This simple and unpretentious method at the very beginning of leveling up a character can be done extremely quickly. Do not forget to get off and skin each body, you will get more experience.

PS I say this because the grind in this game is actually not that difficult, and everything is simpler and faster than it may seem.

[guska]

Originally posted by ODevil:

The first bad weather surprised me quite a lot. I didn't think I would die from strong winds...
The second bad weather tore up my thatch roof.
The third bad weather burned down my wood house.
Now I'm working on a stone house.
I feel like a little pig hiding from the wolf lmao.

This, right here, is what tipped me over to buying. That's hilariously stated.

[Molda22]

guys if i started solo openworld (i think map is olympus) now during free weekend, will i be able to continue with the save game if i buy only the base game without any other DLC? There is so many of them and i am not sure what is included in the free weekend. I dont want to buy the huge complete bundle, that is too much for me, but i like the game and if i can continue playing if i buy just the base game for 16 euro, then i will consider it. thanks