Best free map for a first run ?

[Akatosh]

Hello !

I played the game years ago and I'm about to come back with my brother who never played it.

I remember that differents maps haves differents technologies/buildings, etc.

Of all of the free maps available, which one should we go on ? I want him to have access to as many things as possible while making sure it remains accessible to a beginner.

Thanks !

[william_es]

Fjordur.

Has a lot of dinos and tech from other maps, all rolled into one. Also has a cool viking theme to the whole map, with many viking ruins dotted all over the map.

There are three "sub realms" that represent different viking mythology locations. One is a frozen winterscape (one of the coldest places on any ark map), a jungle/forest/swamp biome, and a plains biome. These count as caves, so you can't mount or use flyers in them. There are server settings that can be added if you want to undo that. There's also a special creature native to the Fjordur map called the desmodus. It's a giant vampire bat, and it's allowed to be used inside a cave. It's awesome tame with a truly insane list of special abilities.

[Kilrathii]

I avoided Crystal Isles for a long time but once i played it it became my favorite map. Ragnarok is the most played by everyone and is good as well. Viking maps are kinda meh due to lack of tropical biomes for me.

[MeSSeD]

rag

[Liralen]

Given your criteria, Valguero. It's a free map that has some Extinction and Aberration content. That content was stripped from the map, but the original map makers were allowed to make mods to restore it.

The Extinction content is primarily in the form of Velonosaurs, a dino you'll need if you play Extinction, but easier to obtain on Valguero.

The Aberration content is in the form of large underground cave system that contains a radiation area with an element pool, rock drakes, light pets, and other Aberration dinos.

Even without the two mods to restore Extinction and Aberration content, it has an inner sea, which provides easy access by raft to most of the biomes. It's version of Herbivore Island is within swimming distance from the shore. There is easy access by raft for metal and oil veins.

It has wyverns, snow owls, managarmr, rock elementals, and griffins. Pretty much a jack of all trades, master of none, type of map.

The two mods needed to restore Extinction and Aberration content are:

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1786522940
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1787443195

[Mathius]

Ragnarok is the best free map, but if you want all the bells and whistles, then FJordur or Lost Island is your best bet.

I'm not a fan of Fjordur, personally. I like the Desmodus mentioned above, and the mini-bosses are easy sources of Element, but personally I find the map boring, and the ruins are empty, and the teleporting system really makes it too easy to do anything. In addition, the only "Realm" worth playing in is Asgard, IMO, but since you can't fly without a Desmodus, it's also annoying as ground travel takes so much longer to get anywhere.

But, Fjordur also has a ton of progression caves (although most of them aren't great) and it has all the bosses from the Island and a new one.

Lost Island is stupid huge as well, but I think it has all the engrams and almost all the creatures. The lost Island boss is ridiculously difficult to solo without cheesing it and leading into a Cave area, but it has a decent amount of progression caves as well.

If you're willing to use mods, then you might want to just play on the Island and use Sir Caveman's Island Extension. It's amazing.