Embracing the Dark Side for the Sake of Baby Dinosaurs
To fully experience the joy of baby dinos in Ark: Survival Ascended, a new feature in the remaster, I had to embrace a darker side, although my intentions were pure.
A Dinosaur Orphanage: A Challenge Worth Undertaking
While eagerly awaiting the Xbox release of Ark: Survival Ascended to play with my friends, I pondered on a challenge I could take on in a single-player world on PC. That’s when the idea of a dinosaur orphanage came to mind.
My goal was simple: create a safe place for orphaned baby dinosaurs to grow, shielded from the threats of other wild creatures, in a location that truly belonged to them. After searching for the perfect spot, I settled on a small island, which I enclosed with walls to establish a sanctuary.
It was only after completing my island build that I realized I had unintentionally created the dinosaur version of Alcatraz, complete with deadly sharks circling the nearby waters.
Nevertheless, it was safe and definitely a better environment for these poor, lonely creatures than the danger-filled swamps, beaches, and forests scattered across the landscape. Paradise it was not, but at least it was secure.
With part one accomplished, part two began. Alongside my trusty Argentavis, I scoured the map, keeping a keen eye out for any unfortunate creatures separated from their parents, whether due to natural causes or more sinister means.
Blood on My Hands
You see, dear reader, the reason why The Island is teeming with orphaned dinos is quite simple. It’s me—I’m the problem.
In Ark: Survival Ascended, there are two ways to tame baby dinos. The first is to knock out and tame the parent creature, which is time-consuming and requires significant effort. The second, much simpler method is to kill the parent.
There were instances where I played the role of rescuer, such as when I swooped in to save a baby Bronto from the clutches of a Spinosaurus that had already decimated the rest of its family.
However, in most cases, I was the reason these dinos became orphans. What good is my island orphanage if I have no orphans to populate it? After all, many of these creatures would have to perish anyway to provide resources. I believed I was doing the younger generation a favor.
Yet, even with the best intentions at heart, I—or rather, my forgetfulness—posed a significant threat to the baby dinos.
While feeding a baby Stegosaurus I had “rescued,” the game reminded me that this particular dino was one of a set of twins—and the other had slowly starved to death on the beach because I forgot to retrieve them. Oops.
Not all the deaths I encountered were my fault, though. I witnessed a baby Parasaur being mauled by a pack of Raptors, a Spinosaurus foiled my plans with a baby Phiomia, and Megalodons swiftly dispatched a baby Carbonemys. These incidents only solidified my reasoning for constructing the safe haven.
Look, I know I’m mostly to blame for the population of my orphanage, but I mean well. It proved to be an efficient way of taming creatures I wouldn’t have otherwise obtained until much later in the game. So, it’s an approach I’ll likely repeat in future servers.
So, if you happen to come across a Survivor casually slaughtering parent dinosaurs and snatching their babies, be sure to say hello.
Source: DOTESPORTS
