Jun 28, 2024

Announcement of price change for the main package around 7/15

Tactical Nexus - プラウラーとヘムロックだけで生きてる

Announcement that the price of the main package will be changed around the end of July.

The other day, we received a suggestion from English-speaking players that we should write the store page like this, and we actually received the text, so we made changes to the store page based on that text.
Then, sales of the main package increased significantly in English-speaking countries (about 2.5 percent).
I felt this was very dishonest to those who have not been following our recent exchanges on Twitter (now self-proclaimed X) and Discord, so I'm going to announce it now, although the schedule is a bit vague.

◆This contradicts previous declarations and announcements.　but we REALLY wanted to make it free, so I will make the main package free from 7/15.
　(Due to the procedure and the speed of work, this schedule may be earlier or later.　Sorry for the vague declaration)

◆People who have the paid main package will receive the Chapter-8 DLC(steam key), which will be available on 7/28, for free as a compensatory payment.

◆The main package may be returned within 2 weeks of purchase.
　If you have already bought the main package recently but would not have bought it if it was going to be free, or if you have no intention of buying the DLC in the first place even if the DLC that will be free is cheaper than the current main package, please submit a return request.

◆We are conducting a survey on Twitter (now self-proclaimed X) and Discord in advance to make it free.
　(but I think people who bought recently didn't know anything about the whole process.　Sorry.)

[More details about the free and Chapter-8 DLC]
◆When Chapter 8-2 is completed, the Chapter-8 DLC will be sold and the main package will be made free.
　(We had originally planned to sell the DLC after 8-3 was completed, but we wanted to make it free as soon as possible. ......)

[reason explanation].

.

This is due to the fact that the majority of players who bought the main package have only played the game for less than the demo, despite having a demo that allows them to play for dozens of hours.
As you can see from the reviewers, this game can usually be played for thousands of hours or more at this point.

We have also learned in recent months that there is a huge difference in cultural backgrounds between Japan and the rest of the world (especially the US), which is why this price point was provoking emotions, especially among foreign players.

----

TacticalNexus is an extremely expensive game, but we're not going to extort tens of thousands of dollars from people who don't play the game.
We have been declaring for several years now that we "will not be selling the game at a discount for some time," but we never intended to make a profit on it in the first place.
For reference, here are the sales figures for the first few months of TacticalNexus sales.

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We were already working quite diligently on the Chapter-3 and Chapter-4 DLCs at this time, when there were no sales.
(TacticalNexus became known rapidly in April 2020.)
We will of course do our best to incorporate any feedback we receive and make the game as enjoyable as possible for the players who purchase it, but essentially, we are trying to make the game as enjoyable as possible for the players who purchase it.　However, in essence, we do not need players and revenue for our development.

In Japan, games for "enthusiasts/niche" players are sometimes sold at high prices, but I have learned that such high pricing is perceived as "exploitative" in other countries.
(I recently learned that there are probably very few countries like Japan where the management class and the working class are not in conflict.)

We were marketing this game to a niche audience in the first place, and it doesn't matter if we make money or not.
Of course, we are willing to look at player feedback and find a path that seems compatible with our mutual goals.　But it is a fact of life for us that we lose months, sometimes years, in game development, and we develop the game the way we want to.　

But now the game is well known and the majority of players have never heard of Tower of the Sorcerer.
We can develop the game ourselves, and if only a niche audience enjoys it, that's fine with us, but we hate the idea of making uninterested players pay for it.

However, we have said for years that we will not reduce the price, and we cannot make the main package free and receive direct refund requests from those who bought the game long ago. (Due to the procedures and the amount of work involved......)
I've been wanting to do something about this for a long time, and I feel like I can solve this to some extent in the form of a SteamKey for the new DLC, so I've decided to do it that way.

Considering the psychological hurdle, if the main package is free and the DLC is paid for, I think it would eliminate the "I don't play the game, but I pay for the game."　Or rather, it should be so.
As I said, there should be no players who buy DLC before they have played the main package, which has hundreds of hours of gameplay.　Or rather, I hope they don't exist.

So that's why, contradicting previous statements, the main package will be free around 7/15.
(But we often delay updates so much that the DLC sales themselves could be even later.
We wanted to make the announcement after we had a bit more time to finalize it, but we felt that the main package was selling a bit too well and that this was a bad idea, so we made the announcement.)

Jun 28, 2024

Community Crunch 416: Summer Bash, Roadmap Update, and More!

ARK: Survival Ascended - ARK: Survival Evolved

Bust out your Sarcos and fire up the industrial grill! Summer Bash is here to bring the heat to ARK survivors with a variety of sizzling new treats. This sun-soaked event, celebrating the joys of summer, kicks off on Wednesday, July 3, 2024, and will keep the fun going until Wednesday, July 17, 2024, on Official Servers.

Download in full resolution

Starts on Wednesday, July 3, 2024 at 10:00am PST
Ends on Wednesday, July 17, 2024, 10:00am PST

PVP/PVE: 2x Harvesting, Taming, Experience, and Breeding
Small Tribes: 4.5x Harvesting, Taming, and Experience + 4x Breeding
ARKpocalypse: 5x Harvesting, Taming, Experience, and Breeding

Festive Dino Candy (Summer Swirl Taffy)

Pineapple Sunglasses * new *
Sun Visor * new *
Fireworks Hat * new *
Sarcos * new *
Puka Shell Bracelet * new *
Shark Costume * new *
Balloon Sword * new *
Balloon Axe * new *
Balloon Pick * new *
Water Pistol * new *
Cooler * new *
BBQ Grill * new *
Alpha Raptor Swimsuit Top
Alpha Raptor Swimsuit Bottom
Floaty Swimsuit Top
Floaty Swimsuit Bottom
Giga Poop Swimsuit Top
Giga Poop Swimsuit Bottom
Eel Swimsuit Top
Eel Swimsuit Bottom
Jellyfish Swimsuit Top
Jellyfish Swimsuit Bottom
T-Rex Swimsuit Top
T-Rex Swimsuit Bottom
Floral Swimsuit Top
Floral Swimsuit Bottom
Crab Fest Swimsuit Top
Crab Fest Swimsuit Bottom
Fish Bite Swimsuit Top
Fish Bite Swimsuit Bottom
Ichthy Isles Swimsuit Top
Ichthy Isles Swimsuit Bottom
Inflatable Rex Costume
Sunglasses
Angler Hat
Floppy Straw Summer Hat
Bulbdog-Print Shirt
Hoversail-Print Shirt
Retro Glasses
Cool Noglin-Print Shirt
Ice Pop-Print Shirt
Sea Life-Print Shirt
Uncle Sam Hat
Gasbags-Print Shirt
Shadowmane Fishing-Print Shirt
Grilling Spatula
Fireworks Flaregun
Torch Sparkler
Fireworks Rocket Launcher
Flying Disc
Water Soaker
Dino Uncle Sam Hat

Air Guitar

Yellow
Light Yellow
Cream
Teal
MediumTeal
Turquoise
LemonLime
LeafGreen
Jade
Coral
Peach
Light Orange
LightPink
Light Red
Dino Light Red
Dino Albino
White
ActualBlack

Our next major core-content release this year will be Aberration Ascended —an eerily beautiful, derelict, malfunctioning ARK with an elaborate underground biome system, and the all-new next chapter of Bob’s Tall Tales. To give this special map the attention it deserves, we have moved the launch to September 4th. Our team is refining the process to complete the remastering of the content as efficiently as possible while maintaining our quality. We apologize for the delay in bringing the beloved Aberration to you, but it will be worth the wait!

In the meantime, there's a lot more to look forward to! We have several additions on the horizon: the Summer Bash event, a new ARK Additions creature coming to the base game, and lots of fun Club ARK updates. Stay tuned!

Download & play new custom content created by players, including new maps, creatures, items, and game modes, through a dedicated new Mod-browser directly within the game. Enjoy an endless stream of new ARK content as the creativity and talent of the community is fully unleashed for the first time across gaming platforms and stay tuned as we spotlight more Cross-Platform Mods each week!

This video features:

DingelCosmetics by Marfia
SigFrog by Marfia
Deimos Cosmetics: Venona by SurviveDeimos
Cliffans Outfits: Anubis by Cliffan_
Temptress Lagoon - Enchanted Edition (Early Access) by EpicMinerva (premium)
Rockwell’s Experimental Treats by Trixt3r (premium)
The Sunken World Additions by The Sunken World team

To celebrate this momentous occasion, we are giving away 5 mighty gaming rigs for the players who get the best Power Rangers mod screengrabs!

Challenge Winners

The five most creative, hilarious, or impressive submissions (whether they're base builds, memes, photos, or videos), selected by our judges, will win a powerful $2,000 gaming rig!

Weekly Likes Contest

Plus, every week, we will award the 50 most liked posts (across TikTok, Instagram, and X), each receiving a $50 gift card for the ARK: SA store. Share your best post and gather likes to win!

How to Join the Challenge:

Get the Mod: Install the ARK x Power Rangers Cosmetic Pack mod from your ARK: SA in-game menu on PC, Sony Playstation or Xbox.
Capture: Join the fun and capture your coolest base builds, memes, photos, videos, and most epic moments with the mod.
Post It: Share your submission on TikTok, Instagram or X (Twitter), with the hashtag #ARKxPowerRangers to participate!

Submissions close on June 30th and the winners will be announced on July 8th!

Conquest Servers are launching 6 brand new servers on Tuesday July 2nd at 10 am PDT.

New servers will follow the same rules and settings as the current servers.
Transfers between the new servers will be unlocked at launch.
Transfers to existing conquest servers will open on July 16th.
More servers to be announced...!

What are ARKpocalypse servers?

ARKpocalypse are monthly-wipe servers with higher than usual rates.
Next wipe: July 19th, 2024

You can join them by searching in the server browser! Happy Surviving!

This weekend, the Official Network will be receiving Pride Month bonus rates! It will be active until Monday, July 1.

PVP/PVE: 3x Harvesting, Taming, and Experience, and Breeding
Small Tribes: 5.5x Harvesting, Taming, and Experience + 5x Breeding
ARKpocalypse: 6x Harvesting, Taming and Experience, and Breeding

DarkViolet
Orange
Red
Light Yellow
Mint
Glacial
LightPink
DeepPink
MediumLavender

Unofficial servers can use this by adding the arg "-PrideColors" to the server commandline.

Fan Art Gallery | Screenshot Gallery | Artist Feedback Form

This season, Monarky is taking over the Center one grid at a time. Teams of four are divided by biomes and can initially only explore and build within one grid of the map. Each week, they compete to earn more grid squares, expanding their territory and aiming to conquer the entire map. However, they must be cautious—venturing into unclaimed grids drains their health, and entering enemy grids spells trouble.

In Monarky VI: Grid Wars, biomes battle biomes. Teams must make do with their initial grid space until they win new crowns through grueling (but fun!) events. Failure leads to the consequences of Loser Island. At the end of the season, only one team will stand above the rest. So, who do you think will outwit, outplay, and outlast?

Watch the Monarks' videos or catch their livestreams:

Join the Monarky community on Discord and Twitter!

Creator: Wormsop
Join Wormsop as he sets up his mobile trap base and gets ready for the exciting challenges ahead!

Creator: ProperlySpoopi
Spoopi goes on an adventure exploring the caves of The Center with a Pyromane!

Argentavis by @falco_luna

ARK Giganotosaurus Fan Redesign Concept by EmilyStepp

Shastasaurus by BumpySlays22

Snale by @Isopod22

I love how beautiful the Crystal Wyvern is when it glows at night. by @Mio301130

Ice Titan by @WolfTek7

As cat lady, I'm osessed with them! by @MayaPatch89

The center is a sea map, so it's a port town base by @cfcsoccer36

It's sushi to celebrate! by @oz3ark

C'mon little berry by @EgoSilentium

Merry-go-round in the wilderness by @XK1GMuuVZ084104

In places with a difference in elevation, the mist creates a great atmosphere! by @hamubarg

Enjoy your weekend!
Studio Wildcard

Twitter: twitter.com/survivetheark

Discord: discord.com/invite/playark

Reddit: reddit.com/r/playark

Instagram: instagram.com/survivetheark

Twitch: twitch.tv/survivetheark

Steam: steamcommunity.com/app/346110

Youtube: youtube.com/survivetheark

Facebook: facebook.com/survivetheark

Threads: threads.net/@survivetheark

Official Wiki: https://ark.wiki.gg/wiki/ARK_Survival_Evolved_Wiki

Jun 28, 2024

DevBlog #49

The Isle - Punchpacket

Filipe - Lead Programmer

This month I focused on finishing the grapple mechanic since it will be used as a basis for other upcoming dinosaurs with their own specific variations. Outside of regular bugs, the Hordetest allowed a more “natural” environment to begin balance testing for grapple. Right now it is getting to a very stable state that we can start expanding upon. The same can be said about Mutations; its main functionalities are in with bug fixes and balance values already tested. The only core mechanics still not available at this time are related to Elders, which is planned to be worked on next.

Spectator mode has received some much needed attention to help administrative users. “Physics Foliage Interaction” is finalized both in core functionality and performance wise. Players can enable the two forms in the in game settings. The system now can be expanded to have more foliage types applied to the system and more should be done in the near future as we investigate foliage destruction.

See you next devblog everyone!

amarok - Programmer

Hey! I’ve been working on a few different things over the last month like bug fixing various issues from Hordetesting and QA reports. I also worked on some server performance issues and setting up some backend tools for our profiling pipeline, which should allow us to keep a closer eye on how things are progressing performance wise.

I finished up the additions to RCON and did some more work on an upcoming engine update. The majority of my month was taken up working on the new AI systems that I briefly went over in the last dev blog, which should make finding AI a lot easier along with some behavior and spawning improvements.

Ariel - Programmer

Many of you have probably already seen most of my work this month on the hordetest branch. I was focusing on improving the diabloceratops's sparring mechanic, particularly the interactions when two players are locked together or pushing each other. It can be tricky to get things like this working in multiplayer, but I feel like I got it working rather well now.

We had some changes to the ceratosaurus's chuffing mechanic on our internal branch, but we decided to bring them to hordetesting. The ceratosaurus will now receive the defensive buff regardless of whether it vocalizes or not, it will also not vocalize automatically at group members or when it's below subadult growth.

Another change I made was enabling certain diabloceratops and tenontosaurus attacks to knock down fruit from trees and also open coconuts on the ground. Other than these I've been focusing on bug fixes, like I usually do during the horde test phase. I hope you have been enjoying the latest addition to the roster. On a personal note, it wasn’t my favorite at first but I’ve grown quite fond of this animal over our time together.

Wedge - Sound Designer

This month my attention has been entirely focused on lots of small incremental changes to push the update to the finish line in terms of audio, with a focus on both Diablo finalization and last additions to Stego’s new power swing. These include but are not limited to:

Juvenile versions of Stego’s power swing vocals
Added new sounds for Stego preparing its power swing while raising its tail
New horns sound for Diablo when re-engaging into locked stance.
Improvements to arrangement of Diablo sparring vocals when locked
Balance to diablo sparring sounds volume – horns vs vocals
New juvenile Diablo danger call sounds
Improvements to generic Diablo juvenile sounds such as sparring and resting
New adult and juvenile Diablo threaten call sounds
Sounds added to Omni grapple and Diablo Grappled animations
Improved diablo impale sounds – separated pre whoosh and impact sounds to improve timing and play the whoosh sound even if the attack does not hit a target
Minor adjustments to how far horn sounds travel and behavior of sounds at distance
Changed weather sounds to be filtered when indoors instead of silenced
Updated Diablo beg and consume sounds to match new animations

With all this out the way I’ve now returned to working on vocal sounds for the Tyrannosaurus, refining its calls, primary and alt attack sounds and working on new sounds for its pain vocalizations. As long as no other necessary changes come up for Diablo then Tyrannosaurus sounds will be my primary focus for the foreseeable future.

Tapwing - 2D Artist

Lately I’ve been working on a mix of things. My more recent task list has been made up of helping bring to life some meta characters and supplementing some surveillance equipment you may have seen alongside some vehicles you most definitely have not. It’s been an interesting project working out what I’ll call ‘vehicular anatomy’ and trying to come up with designs that are familiar enough to look believable while also giving it a unique flare so that it would feel like it came out of the game’s setting. What I like to do is chimera together parts from different vehicles for ideas and play with the basic shapes and then tie all those components together with similar stylings to our architectural designs: such as angular, brutalist, themes and the addition of the bars and rails gave them a nice militant, guarded look for the world they need to function in. You’ll see some of it in Phase Three this week!

Bryan - Animator

It’s been a light month for me as I’ve been out of office, but I’ve been making up for the time working on the Diabloceratops and a bit of Tyrannosaurus so we can get to working on it in-game. Diablo is pretty much done animation-wise, but with how complex it’s sparring mechanic is there is always something to improve on to really sell that bit of gameplay.

Just imagine he’s locked horns with another Diablo.

KissenKitten - Producer

This month like so many others has been a bit of a blur for me since there’s so much going on. There’s more polish done on mutations, grapple, sparring and diabloceratops that should get into your hands soonish. There will still be tweaks and alterations to the mechanics as time goes on as they need to be fairly flexible so other animals can interact with them in meaningful ways. But overall they’ve been satisfactory barring bugs of course.

The animation department has really been cooking this month. We’ve got some QOL animation smoothing tech being worked on in the background that should help remove some of the jank present in some transitions between animations. That process will be ongoing as there will be audits to all of the animations in the game as a whole for each species so we can pull the overall quality of the game up. We’ve been knocking animations out for the tyrannosaurus, triceratops, maiasaura, pteranodon as well as the now revealed allosaurus. They are all coming along nicely, some being animation complete or nearly complete. The tyrannosaurus has been getting some of its sparring related animations at last as well as polish to its special abilities. The triceratops will be following suit once we do some diabloceratops vs tyrannosaurus testing. For technical reasons, the maiasaura is awaiting the release of diabloceratops before its features are implemented but it is pretty much animation complete barring any issue, so the maiasaura should move fairly swiftly.

The pteranodon’s backburner mechanics have been brought back into the light along with some new features that should bring some meaningful changes to it as a playable that we were not able to deliver upon its initial release. The Isle is animation intense due to the amount of life we strive to breathe into the animals. So creatures that occupy multiple habitats (terrestrial, aquatic/amphibious, arboreal, aerial and subterranean) increase animation complexity by a large margin. Which led to creatures like the pteranodon, deinosuchus and dryosaurus releasing without some of the core features we had planned for them. Not lost, not forgotten.

For the creature on everyone's lips, we know the allosaurus was a super popular playable in legacy and we want to make sure its introduction into EVRIMA keeps with that trend. While we’ve only just revealed it publicly, the allosaurus has been worked on in small parts for a long time. Prototyping varying styles of grapples, claw swipes and more. It's important for us to try to incorporate its claws, which are an evolutionary step up, into its playstyle in a way that feels and looks appropriate for the animal as opposed to something too generic. The allosaurus is likely going to maintain its jack of all trades status by being both an ambush predator as well as a large game hunter. Exploding from cover at speed for a short distance to overwhelm smaller prey before being gassed. But foregoing stealth tactics for a more upfront approach when dealing with larger targets. Whittling them down over longer engagements. All of this is subject to change of course since even our best laid plans don’t always work out. More will be revealed as its features start to take shape and solidify. Here are a few of those prototypes.