[2021] Community Crunch 257: LiveOps Update, New Sponsored Mods, and more!

LiveOps Update
Corrupted Dino Kiting on Extinction PvE
We have clocked a high incidence of enforcement tickets related to players breaking the CoC by kiting corrupted dinos into other player’s bases on our Extinction servers.

This is highly disruptive to player’s experience. We’ve implemented some targeted changes in the past to address the issue whilst retaining the overall game design for the Extinction gameplay loop but this compromise between technical fixes and design has allowed some ill-intentioned players to get more imaginative. We’ve come up with a technical solution to address this once and for all: we have disabled corrupted dino damage against all structures on PvE specifically.

We’re confident this will come as a relief to affected players (and our enforcement team hehe).

Small Tribes Teaming Rules
The spirit of Small Tribes has always been to give players the opportunity to experience a tight group dynamic that is void of the scale and diplomacy of Official. We recognize it’s time to implement change in order to preserve the original concept--one we were hyped about along with our community!

We’ve long been aware of ongoing issues with teaming along with gaps in our Small Tribes rules that have allowed some players to take advantage. To combat this, we’ve reviewed and begun updating and expanding those rules with a goal to improve the experience and, hopefully, crack down on teaming.

The unique environment of Small Tribes has proved taxing on our Enforcement Team so, along with adding a new stricter ruleset, we’ll be looking at ways to make the investigative process more efficient. This will include more comprehensive guidelines on the types of evidence players should include in their tickets in order to expedite investigations.

All of these changes may require further iteration after they go live. We consider a few potential risks worth it in order to provide a better experience for our players in the long term.

We welcome player feedback as we refine the rules and we’ll approach this as a work-in-progress that may require some tweaks as we gauge community sentiment.

New Sponsored Mods It's that time where we introduce new projects in the sponsored mod program! Our first set of picks for the year is ready for you to enjoy.

The ARK Sponsored Mod Program is also now accepting applications for the next selection, you will be able to apply until April 5th. Don't forget to submit your projects at https://survivetheark.com/index.php?/modding/apply-for-sponsorship/.

Fjördur

Fjördur is a beautiful map inspired by Norse culture and myth. Featuring 3 primary landmasses, a solid but carefully chosen range of biomes, and unique map structures. The authors have more planned for this map, so give it a try!

Check out Fjördur
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1838617463

MarniiMods: Hairstyles

If you have ever just wanted more hair options on your ARK, Marnii has you covered. Not only will you find a couple dozen new hairstyles in this mod as well as new facial hair options, but also tools that make it even easier to give yourself some style!

Check out MarniiMods: Hairstyles
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2357644511

Glacius

Glacius is a challenging map focused on surviving the harsh elements of a frigid landscape. On Glacius you'll facing challenging weather such as snowstorms and blizzards. It even comes with it's own set of snow structures for players to build with!

Check out Glacius
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2293626073

Prehistoric Beasts

Mods that expand the array of wildlife are always a joy to see. Prehistoric beasts adds a pretty significant set of new creatures in their own unique visual styles for players to enjoy, if you have been wanting to see some new faces around the island, you should give this mod a look!

Check out Prehistoric Beasts
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2003934830

EVO Event