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LHammonds (a.k.a. Enfur)
LH, what do you mean by an un-official server? As compared to official servers?
Once you've launched the game and the main menu has loaded, choose "host/local".
In the left column you have a host of options you can tweak to configure the single player experience to exactly the difficulty/playstyle you want. But if you just want to get used to the game in its 'purest' form you don't really need to worry about those.
The right column will be where you select which installed mods are active for your current play session (again if you're testing vanilla, don't worry about it)
The middle column will basically house what you're looking for right now. The "Story Arks" and "Custom Arks" are the list of this game's maps. "The Island" is the game's first island and probably the closest thing to 'basic' as it gets, but in reality you can choose whichever map you like.
Once you've selected (or ignored) the rule config, mod selection, and map selection, the lower section of the middle column gives you the ways you can launch the game.
-Play Single Player is what you're looking for. You're on your own here and as far as I know there isn't an easy way to extend any progress made in single player onto an online session if you wanted to later
-Run dedicated server will close the game and launch a dedicated server session to host the ark for other players (I'm not too sure how well this works though, since I run a server remotely and never through this method. You can find more about that on the ark wiki if you look up server setup and server configuration)
-Create Procedural Ark will start a game while creating a generated map
-Host non-dedicated session can be neat for playing with friends, but will force your session to be the host (if you log out, they're forced out) and they can only move maybe... 50 meters away from you or so? So it has much less freedom for multiplayer than hosting a dedicated session, but sometimes it's all you've got
-cancel. probably self explanatory, but it goes back to the main menu.
When you get into the game, punch a tree, gather some stone from the ground, make a pick, pick some weeds for berries and fiber, start spending engrams to open up crafting items. Unlock the hatchet and basic clothing, kill dodos with the hatchet and harvest hides from them, make the gloves, boots, a water bag, and a sleeping bag.
Go to YouTube and watch Phillinger Phoo, start with his older series so you can get the basics down better.
Got anything specific you need answers to feel free to friend me and i will help as best i can.
Unofficial servers are hosted by everyday joes like you and me. They are not affiliated with Wildcard and thus fall into the "unofficial" category. They might not have any mods or they can have a ton of mods which you would need to subscribe, download and install. Most unofficial servers are modded.
You can see these servers under your "join server" option in the main menu. The session filter on the bottom-left can be set to official, unofficial, favorites, etc.
You can also find servers that fit your preferences a little easier by visiting sites such as BattleMetrics.com/servers/ark/ or Ark-Servers.net
Some servers even have their own web page that lists what mods are installed and document the various settings that differ from official such as grimlock.enjin.com
Unofficial = you have other things to do besides Ark but still want to reach endgame stuff in your lifetime.
1. Not all of the 40,000+ unofficial servers use mods. As suggested previously, search on battlemetrics website(most comprehensive search list) for servers that match your wants/interests.
2. Servers that use mods will trigger a download for the 1st mod when you 1st attempt to load in. However, this usually takes time and you will disconnect from the server. When the mod finishes downloading from the steam workshop(you can see such at the bottom of the steam browser or in game's main menus etc), you then should attempt the second connecting to such a server.
That then will trigger the next mod. So you rinse and repeat the procedure. Thus this can take some time if you attempt to go on a server with 10-20 mods or more. This is where doing your due diligence concerning a server that matches you becomes important so that you dont do all that effort for a server that ends up being not what interests you(or the server owner made poor mod choices and its a mess/crashes).
3. Being you are so new to ark, I recommend more or less finding unmodded servers to play that have higher rates for harvest breeding etc. This way you can learn the basics more efficiently and see how some unofficial server communities are. Again with 40,000+ out there duds do exist and you may need to keep trying after a while.
4. If you want to feel a more pristine world with, dont go to large population servers. This is one of the key flaws of the game: ecocide. Going to servers with urban sprawl of bases and mall sized dino parking lots means less resources(both in terms of crafting and taming options), server lag/instability, and more. However if you are a pvp type person and not interested in pve servers and want to join some one elses tribe, then larger pop unofficial pvp or pvpve(hybrid with rules set by owner) may be your best option.
5. Alternatively stick to single player to learn the basics if you wish but I recommend ticking the single player setting and relaxing settings related to xp taming harvesting and more. Otherwise, you'll take ages to do most things and I dont get the impression that is your style of game play. Official default settings for single player and also how its managed on official servers are more geared towards a being a major time sink and in the case of official servers, also meant to encourage people to make larger tribes.
6. With the above points, I do not recommend playing official servers for the above and other reasons, they tend to turn off more players to the game than actually involve/interest them.
7. Choose the Island map to start. This is because it is the first story canon map(there are currently 3 story canon maps and 3 non story canon maps that were formerly mod map maps that were bought by wildcard and makers hired as devs.
Island map has explorer note crates spread all over the map. Finding one gives you a short term exp boost and spices up your learning of the game(some are a bit obscure in what's written though). The map is smaller than most other maps and simpler in terms of choices/survival. It helps to teach you through experience about the resource distributions and procuring them in a not too easy and not too hard manner.
Also as mentioned the Island being the first story canon map, it is also the first map you ascend on. Ascension is both part of the story and part of your character progression. Aberration and then extinction are the others. However scorched earth is a story canon map but not part of the overall ascension process per se.
Good luck to you.