Ark: Survival Evolved has launched on PS4, and that means Wildcard’s prehistoric simulator is available on all current platforms. Given that, here’s a guide for crafting, leveling and taming to get you started. These tips will allow you to have fun in dino land as quickly as possible.
Where To Start: After your character is created and you’re ready to begin the hunt, spawn location is something to consider. We suggest heading closer to beaches because there won’t be too many high-level predators there to kill you.
As soon as you spawn, start punching trees, harvesting Narcoberries from bushes and picking up rocks. With the supplies you harvest, you’ll eventually be able to craft a pickaxe. Hit rocks with it to get flint. The flint can then be used to make a hatchet. These two tools may sound similar, but they serve different needs. The pick harvests flint from rocks, thatch from trees and meat from predators. The hatchet harvests stone from rocks, wood from trees and hide from predators. That distinction is key to understanding Ark.
A Basic Leveling Map: Because Ark is a survival game, it helps to have a plan so you know what to expect. Here’s a map for leveling and a few quick strategies to farm XP fast.
- Level 1-5: Grind with basic tools until you have the resources to make thatch foundations. Keep putting them down next to each other, and you’ll get some resources back each time. Make a spear at level 2 and kill Dodos for hide. Then, make a hide sleeping bag at level 3 for an early spawn point.
- Level 5-10: Keep making storage boxes through harvested wood and destroying them. This grind is a pain, but it’s effective.
- Level 10-15: You should craft the bola at level 10. Use it to kill Raptors and Sabres until you reach the next milestone. Start stocking up on meat and hide. You can also begin building at this stage, so be sure to check out that section of this guide below. Getting all of that done will help you gain XP.
- Level 15-20: At level 15, crafting the bow and arrow is essential. Use it to hunt more aggressive predators for hide. The hide can then be used to make rafts. Rafts require lots of wood, so you may need storage boxes to contain it all. Building one raft nets about 100 XP each, but don’t destroy them like you did with the boxes.
- Level 20-35: Hitting level 20 is where the game really opens up. This is where you can start taming dinos and upgrading your base with stone components. Those processes should yield major XP. After you tame, you can collect massive amounts of berries, thatch and meat very quickly. At level 35, it’s possible to craft the Pteranodon Saddle. This overpowered beast can be used to destroy carnivores on Dead Island or the Volcano.
- Early leveling points should focus on weight, melee and heath. Those are essential for new survivors.
- Survivor Notes can also be found in the environment for double XP bonuses.
Building: Building starts at level 10 with wood shelters. You’ll need to learn the skills for wood foundation, walls, roof and door frame to make a basic structure. Make sure there’s enough room for a bed, a couple of forges for smelting metal, a smithy for crafting and mortar /pestle to blend narcotics with spoiled meat and Narcoberries. At level 20 you can learn to make stone components. Simply hover over the existing wood pieces and replace them with the stone ones.
Taming: Taming is one of the biggest draws of Ark: Survival Evolved. For the purpose of this guide we’ll focus on the Triceratops (or Trike) and the Raptor. Trikes are good for harvesting herbs, while Raptors are great for fast movement and predation.
At level 20, craft up some tranq arrows for your bow and equip them. Find a low-level Trike (like level 4) and start shooting at its head. Wait five seconds between shots for maximum impact. After that, the dino will eventually be knocked out. Approach it to see its inventory. Start giving narcotics and Mejoberries to the downed beast. Keep the displayed “unconscious” bar high while the training finishes. For Raptors it’s the same idea. Just fill it with meat and narcotics instead.
Once you have the creature tamed, you need to buy a saddle to ride it. The Trike Saddle costs fiber, hide and wood. Use those resources, place it in the animal’s saddle slot and start riding.
Ark: Survival Evolved is available now on PS4, Xbox One, PC, Linux and OS X. This guide should work for all platforms. Thanks to H.O.D GAMING on YouTube for his helpful insight.
What do you think of these tips for Ark: Survival Evolved? Is the PS4 version worth it? Tell us in the comments section!
