Edit specific dino spawn

[Redarmy]

im using scorched earth plus mod,t add scorched earth dinos to the island

However im noticing too many scorched earth dinos all around me(maybe its meant to be that way in south)

Anyway,this is for single player,is there any way i can add something to the gamer user ini file to edit the frequency at which say thorny dragons spawn?

Yes i read some guides on this but they all point to server settings/MP and im still unsure. just looking for a no nonsense clear explanation

[🦊 Hermit]

Yes there is. However you will need to go to the mod you are using and see if it is spawning vanilla creatures, or it's own variant of the SE dinos. If the creatures are a modded variant, you will need the dino name tag for them, which is a special designation used in the game code. The mod should have info on such things, or the mod maker should be able to help you if you reach out to them. But if the mod just spawns vanilla creatures you won't need that.

Next, make sure that Ark is not running, and go to this location:

Steam\steamapps\common\ARK\ShooterGame\Saved\Config\WindowsNoEditor

Look for a file in that directory named 'Game' or 'Game.ini'. Open that file with a text editor like Windows Notepad. It will likely be completely empty. On the first line of that file, paste this:

[/script/shootergame.shootergamemode]

Then press enter to start a new line. On the second line, paste this:

DinoSpawnWeightMultipliers=(DinoNameTag=[NAMETAG],SpawnWeightMultiplier=1.0,OverrideSpawnLimitPercentage=true,SpawnLimitPercentage=1.0)

First of all, replace the [NAMETAG] with the tag of one of the creatures you wish to adjust. If they are modded creatures, use the tags you got from the mod page, but if they are vanilla, their name tags can be found on this page here:

https://ark.fandom.com/wiki/Creature_IDs#Creatures_of_Scorched_Earth

Next adjust the numbers after the multiplier and the percentage lines. They are both percentage numbers, so 1.0 is 100%, 0.5 is 50%, and 2.0 is 200%.

SpawnWeightMultiplier defines how frequently the game will pick that particular creature to spawn compared to other creatures which can spawn in that area. While SpawnLimitPercentage will place a hard cap on how many of the creatures in that area can be of a specific type - so for example 'if 25% of creatures in the area are thorny dragons, stop spawning thorny dragons and make up the rest with other creatures instead'. I'd recommend lowering the SpawnLimitPercentage to get the results you want, but you could try reducing the WeightMultiplier too if you wish.

You will need one of these config lines for each creature you want to edit. Add any others on new lines below this one, one per line, and adjust the numbers as you wish. Then save the file, close it, and start up the game. When you get on to your save world, press TAB, and type 'destroywilddinos' (without the quotation marks). This will remove any creatures which have already spawned in the world, and force the game to repopulate with the new config settings.

Have a look around and see if the creatures are less common. If you still feel the numbers need tweaking, save the game and quit, then open up the file and raise/lower them as needed. Then test them out in game again, remembering to use the destroywilddinos command each time.

Hope that helps^^

[Redarmy]

Originally posted by 🦊 Hermit:

Yes there is. However you will need to go to the mod you are using and see if it is spawning vanilla creatures, or it's own variant of the SE dinos. If the creatures are a modded variant, you will need the dino name tag for them, which is a special designation used in the game code. The mod should have info on such things, or the mod maker should be able to help you if you reach out to them. But if the mod just spawns vanilla creatures you won't need that.

Next, make sure that Ark is not running, and go to this location:

Steam\steamapps\common\ARK\ShooterGame\Saved\Config\WindowsNoEditor

Look for a file in that directory named 'Game' or 'Game.ini'. Open that file with a text editor like Windows Notepad. It will likely be completely empty. On the first line of that file, paste this:[/script/shootergame.shootergamemode]

Then press enter to start a new line. On the second line, paste this:

DinoSpawnWeightMultipliers=(DinoNameTag=[NAMETAG],SpawnWeightMultiplier=1.0,OverrideSpawnLimitPercentage=true,SpawnLimitPercentage=1.0)

First of all, replace the [NAMETAG] with the tag of one of the creatures you wish to adjust. If they are modded creatures, use the tags you got from the mod page, but if they are vanilla, their name tags can be found on this page here:

https://ark.fandom.com/wiki/Creature_IDs#Creatures_of_Scorched_Earth

Next adjust the numbers after the multiplier and the percentage lines. They are both percentage numbers, so 1.0 is 100%, 0.5 is 50%, and 2.0 is 200%.

SpawnWeightMultiplier defines how frequently the game will pick that particular creature to spawn compared to other creatures which can spawn in that area. While SpawnLimitPercentage will place a hard cap on how many of the creatures in that area can be of a specific type - so for example 'if 25% of creatures in the area are thorny dragons, stop spawning thorny dragons and make up the rest with other creatures instead'. I'd recommend lowering the SpawnLimitPercentage to get the results you want, but you could try reducing the WeightMultiplier too if you wish.

You will need one of these config lines for each creature you want to edit. Add any others on new lines below this one, one per line, and adjust the numbers as you wish. Then save the file, close it, and start up the game. When you get on to your save world, press TAB, and type 'destroywilddinos' (without the quotation marks). This will remove any creatures which have already spawned in the world, and force the game to repopulate with the new config settings.

Have a look around and see if the creatures are less common. If you still feel the numbers need tweaking, save the game and quit, then open up the file and raise/lower them as needed. Then test them out in game again, remembering to use the destroywilddinos command each time.

Hope that helps^^

Thanks for the very detailed explanation. i think i got it. I figured out how to remove a certain creature(Jerboa) they were not seemingly ahering to harvest rates as i was getting 10 meat from them where as only 3 from a Dodo. (these SE creatures are vanilla as classname indicates)

shouldnt they be adhering to vanilla harvest rates though? it is making me wonder if the are also ignoring spawn rates(mine are set to 0.3)

[🦊 Hermit]

That depends on how the mod is coded, but it is a possibility yeah. I have seen it in the past where creatures added to maps they don't usually spawn on even by vanilla config means could sometimes overspawn massively, let alone with mods.

Try adjusting the codes above way down, to an excessive amount (maybe 0.001), and see if that makes a change to their spawns. If it does you'll know that it's at least working, and can bring them back up to a more reasonable level. But if they still appear common, you'd have to bring that up with the mod author, along with the harvest issue too.

Or alternatively, if you felt inclined, you could always add SE creatures to the map via vanilla config settings, and drop the mod entirely, but that's your call.

[Redarmy]

Originally posted by 🦊 Hermit:

That depends on how the mod is coded, but it is a possibility yeah. I have seen it in the past where creatures added to maps they don't usually spawn on even by vanilla config means could sometimes overspawn massively, let alone with mods.

Try adjusting the codes above way down, to an excessive amount (maybe 0.001), and see if that makes a change to their spawns. If it does you'll know that it's at least working, and can bring them back up to a more reasonable level. But if they still appear common, you'd have to bring that up with the mod author, along with the harvest issue too.

Or alternatively, if you felt inclined, you could always add SE creatures to the map via vanilla config settings, and drop the mod entirely, but that's your call.

actually i only wanted the items/armor from SE but even IF thats possible via conig im guessing its extremely complicated.

By the by,i replaced all Jerboa with dodo's and ran across a few of the replacers...they were exceeding my max difficulty lvl(set to 0.2 max lvl 36) . found a few lvl 200 ish dodos. might have to drop the mod but i really want the weapons and armor

[🦊 Hermit]

It is possible to make things like that spawn in loot crates etc, yes, but as you say it's quite a rabbit hole to fall down, and takes a lot of time and energy to get right,

If you aren't bothered about the creatures at all, you could just remove them completely using the NPCReplacements line:

NPCReplacements=(FromClassName="Gigant_Character_BP_C",ToClassName="")

Leaving the second classname empty like that just stops them spawning, and doesn't put something else there in their place. You can find the classnames on the wiki in that link I posted above.

Alternatively, another low-energy solution which could avoid mods: Pick an equivalent item (say some armour or a weapon) that you can find in crates on the Island map, then when you find one drop that on the floor to despawn and use admin commands to spawn yourself an SE item of equivalent quality. So for example, say you found a mastercraft ghillie chest in a crate, throw that away and spawn in a mastercraft desert cloth chest with similar defence and durability for you to use.

And if you need to craft/repair it, do the same with resources from the other map - throw away something rare like tree sap or bee honey, and spawn in the same amount of silk or whatever other resource. That way you aren't just cheating things in, you're giving something up in order to get them. Alternatively if you have a building mod like Structures Plus or Super Structures, I believe they have conversion recipes in their industrial grinders which can convert some resources to other DLC specific ones.

[Redarmy]

Originally posted by 🦊 Hermit:

It is possible to make things like that spawn in loot crates etc, yes, but as you say it's quite a rabbit hole to fall down, and takes a lot of time and energy to get right,

If you aren't bothered about the creatures at all, you could just remove them completely using the NPCReplacements line:

NPCReplacements=(FromClassName="Gigant_Character_BP_C",ToClassName="")

Leaving the second classname empty like that just stops them spawning, and doesn't put something else there in their place. You can find the classnames on the wiki in that link I posted above.

Alternatively, another low-energy solution which could avoid mods: Pick an equivalent item (say some armour or a weapon) that you can find in crates on the Island map, then when you find one drop that on the floor to despawn and use admin commands to spawn yourself an SE item of equivalent quality. So for example, say you found a mastercraft ghillie chest in a crate, throw that away and spawn in a mastercraft desert cloth chest with similar defence and durability for you to use.

And if you need to craft/repair it, do the same with resources from the other map - throw away something rare like tree sap or bee honey, and spawn in the same amount of silk or whatever other resource. That way you aren't just cheating things in, you're giving something up in order to get them. Alternatively if you have a building mod like Structures Plus or Super Structures, I believe they have conversion recipes in their industrial grinders which can convert some resources to other DLC specific ones.

oh really? so i can actually use this line with say thorny dragon.."NPCReplacements=(FromClassName="Gigant_Character_BP_C",ToClassName="")" and leave the replacement part empty and simply nothing spawns?? i assumed sth HAD to replace it or...issues. If this is accurate i may just do that.

your other idea is sth i would do actually normally but seems a bit much as im pressed for time these days lol and it itself is sort of a rabbit hole. less consoling the better

[🦊 Hermit]

Yes, if the second classname field in that config is left empty, then it will remove the creature entirely. In fact that very config line is taken from my own solo games where I have removed the giganotosaurus from spawning, as I feel it is way too overpowered and not balanced to the game in any way. Hopefully that might fix the issues you are having if you are comfortable to play without the creatures spawning at all, yeah^^

[Redarmy]

Originally posted by 🦊 Hermit:

Yes, if the second classname field in that config is left empty, then it will remove the creature entirely. In fact that very config line is taken from my own solo games where I have removed the giganotosaurus from spawning, as I feel it is way too overpowered and not balanced to the game in any way. Hopefully that might fix the issues you are having if you are comfortable to play without the creatures spawning at all, yeah^^

yeah its no prob for me,i already have dino count at 0.3 for a more survival desolate feel/meat being rare. Also nice idea on removing Giga,im going to o ahead and do that myself as i see it totally ruining any SP challenge.

Thanks for your help

[🦊 Hermit]

Glad to be of some assistance :)