As 2023 comes to a close, our ARK servers have seen a flurry of activity throughout December. From the launch of new PVE and PVP servers, the inauguration of the in-game shop alongside the creation of our first subscription packs, to the implementation of a working decay system, we have been pretty busy trying to provide the best gaming experience!
Webstore & Subscription Perks
We’re proud to have finally launched our webstore and our first iteration of subscription packages! A lot of you were waiting for a way to support us while also receiving exclusive in-game perks in return, and you can now do so via our wide selection of subscription tiers.
The webstore also contains other packs and services, such as character name change or event-focused cosmetic packs, as well as quick start packs for those who are eager to jump in this new journey with us!
Decay System
As most of you know, the built-in decay system did not work for a long while after the game launched, meaning that tribes and bases never decayed until manual intervention from the admin team. December finally saw the release of a working decay system and shortly thereafter, its implementation on all our servers! In addition, we enabled an automated wild dino wipe once daily rather than with every restart, and it is now a gradual process which helps with server performance. We know this decay system is robust as it is essentially the same one we used on ARK SE.
New PVP & PVE Servers
We have taken the delay in the release of Scorched Earth as an opportunity to expand the selection of servers we offer.
We launched an additional PVE The Island server for new players, as the first server was getting crowded. The Island #2 follows the same rates and settings as The Island #1. Both servers are independent currently, but the plan is to cluster them together once Wildcard officially implements a transfer system. In light of this, we enabled cross-chat so that players can get to know each other before transfers are enabled!
We have also started a trial run of a Small Tribes PVP server. Currently, the server will remain live until Scorched Earth is released, but depending on its popularity, may continue beyond that point. This server has 6-man tribes, x5 boosted rates and no ORP.
Cryopods
Wildcard added cryopods with the Winter Wonderland update. To provide more flexibility on PVE, we decided to allow building cryofridges on platforms and rafts. We also disabled the enemy check for cryopod deployment. We kept all the cryopods settings as default on PVP as we feel they were a good change for this game mode.
In-game Shop Launch
We enabled the in-game shop fully on PVE #1 and #2, and PVP (Main cluster). The shop comes with a UI, which makes it very simple to use. It contains a selection of kits, dinos and items, with our top subscriber tiers having the option to choose the gender when buying a dino! Cryopods, as well as cryofridges, were added to the in-game shop, and dinos are now delivered in cryopods to avoid them being stuck in player bases.
FREE Special Box
To mark the end of 2023, we decided to do something special for our community. Until midnight on January 1st 2024, everyone can claim one free Special Box via our webstore. This box contains shop points, items, gear and more!
As you can see, December definitely kept us very busy! We are grateful for your continued support, and look forward to an even more exciting year ahead. We wish you all a wonderful end of 2023, and a happy New Year!
