ARK Aberration

Server info for various games played within the Cohhmunity will be posted here.
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DoogenAC
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Wed Oct 04, 2017 3:55 pm

I've polled current ARK players on my Ragnarok server and we have a consensus among those who were online this past weekend. "Yes" I am going to create an Aberration server.

ARK - Aberration will be available later this month as a DLC for ARK, or as part of their season pass.

More to come.
-Doog
Doog. Call me Doog!
Originally an Asheron's Call player, Doog has been playing text muds, MMOs, shooters and most forms of computer games since PONG was created and took us past the Pinball era!
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DoogenAC
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Fri Oct 06, 2017 9:52 am

I am learning how clusters work and I've made a map for "The Center." Last night we enabled up/downloads between Ragnarok and The Center maps and are testing and learning how this new "ecosystem" of ARKs works . Tips and lessons learned thus far:
  • Don't use the transfer console with any items on your character. They'll be lost.
  • Pull together a small list of items and a dino or two and get to one of the (R/G/B) obelisks.
  • Transfer items in, login across the cluster to other nodes.
  • when you login to "other" server, your CHARACTER DATA IS MOVED to the other server.
  • This means when you return to your starting server, your character WILL NOT be there!
  • Therefore - choose wisely and carefully when transferring between servers.
  • Expect the process to support transfers once, daily for now. You cannot use this to quickly hop between nodes in the ARK cluster.
  • Pro tip: visit the DLC area for ARK in the STEAM menu; download the maps ahead of time to make your first login experiences seamless
  • We're cautiously experimenting with the Structure Plus mod on "The Center" map. Mods scare me due to past experiences, and we'll give this some time and see how stable things are with this new map.
We are experimenting with all the subtleties around clusters and transfers and need to complete some testing this weekend. Server admins, note these lessons learned:
  • I cannot speak highly enough of the "ARKSERVERMANAGER" third party tool that has made all this possible.
    Clusters ARKs don't use passwords because of the cool login to "there" from "here" features. Yep, in game you can login to "other" servers without going out to the main menu. it's a VERY cool, immersive experience to see your char login on the other server for the first time!
  • Clusters will either use the "Enable Exclusive Join" list or have no password. This is a real impact to accessibility and to the server admin, think this through first!
  • And so - beware of hostile influences from PvP and other public PvE worlds (trolls, etc) if you start a server w/ no password. It will happen. lolz.
  • Don't allow uploads from other servers unless you want OP people and things to show up.
  • Clusters are made by adding a launch parameter and a unique cluster id to every server's command line.
  • Keep your cluster ID to yourself!
  • For implementaiton, plan on run clustered servers on the same hardware; commit AT LEAST 6-8GB RAM to each.
  • Servers running the same cluster id will use a local/shared folder to transfer items between login servers. I've found that an ARK with reasonably good backups will use,after a few weeks, hundreds of GB of space once the backups are rolling. Keep a few days to a few weeks of data.
  • Once you have "sent" a character to another server, the PROFILE of that character is ASSIGNED to the new login server.
  • AFter transferring a char to a second server, when logging in to first, players are asked to creating a new adventurer! You don't get both logins/progress on both servers at the same time. you are REALLY moving your character to a new world when you do this.
  • Backups, therefore... are vital. Don't even think about messing with a cluster with established characters/tribes if you do not have a SOUND backup system and you KNOW how to perform profile and map restores.
  • If you experience an issue migrating a character, you can access a recent nnnnnnnnnnnnnnn.PROFILE backup file and restore it to originating server's production/working files.
  • Don't expect to keep your stuff (inventory) when transferring characters. Have to use "transfer item..." features.
  • for the "Enable Exclusive Join" tool, the site https://steamid.io/ is your friend to convert names into Steam IDs. List "allowed" members by their steam ID.
When Aberration comes out the thought is to NOT allow you to transfer anything in from other maps (no char, no item, no dino xfer). It's new, different and it will have that uh, new car smell. Later on we can revisit full up/downloads with other cluster members.

That said, if you start on the cluster on Aberration, you can expect later on to transfer your char, etc. to other servers and carry some of your progress along.
Doog. Call me Doog!
Originally an Asheron's Call player, Doog has been playing text muds, MMOs, shooters and most forms of computer games since PONG was created and took us past the Pinball era!
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DoogenAC
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Mon Dec 11, 2017 4:10 pm

And so here we are I'm seeing app availability in "22 hours" from this writing for Ark's Aberration map. /crosses fingers, let's hope the devs are good for their promise date this time.

Assuming I can get Aberration to Launch using my ARK Server Manager (it needs an update), will have a "Doogenation Aberration" map up in the next day or so. PvE settings similar to the ones I've used for DnL, ARK-multiple maps. Easy to reach level 20, convenient enough if you are able to game an hour or two a day, hard enough that it's still dozens of hours to max out. PvE because I just don't have enough time in my life to build for days/weeks and have it wrecked in a single event.

As they say, more to come.
-Doog
Doog. Call me Doog!
Originally an Asheron's Call player, Doog has been playing text muds, MMOs, shooters and most forms of computer games since PONG was created and took us past the Pinball era!
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DoogenAC
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Tue Dec 12, 2017 3:41 pm

We are online.

server: Doogenation Aberration
password: doogs5

Settings: greatly default, PvE oriented

Keep chat and topics clean, or get the boot!
Doog. Call me Doog!
Originally an Asheron's Call player, Doog has been playing text muds, MMOs, shooters and most forms of computer games since PONG was created and took us past the Pinball era!
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Threeshotgamer
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Tue Dec 12, 2017 3:55 pm

How populated is the server?
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DoogenAC
Posts: 95
Joined: Tue Dec 16, 2014 6:19 pm
Location: East Coast, USA
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Tue Dec 12, 2017 10:25 pm

my ARK servers are typically lower pop - 2-5 on daily. We're PvE and often cooperative, and also have a few folks that like to just jump on in peace and quiet. I don't expect my ARK servers to get as large as DnL if you did that with us, there it was more like 10-20 daily, 30+ busy hour, 150 or so unique logins.

ARK is typically a chill US based crowd.

-Doog
Doog. Call me Doog!
Originally an Asheron's Call player, Doog has been playing text muds, MMOs, shooters and most forms of computer games since PONG was created and took us past the Pinball era!
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Naughty_Z00T
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Sat Dec 16, 2017 5:17 pm

Great Mods for ARK:

Automated Ark: LOTS of Quality of Life structures to help out. Works with vanilla Ark items and should be updated shortly for new Aberration items. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/ ... =812655342

Death Helper = + signs showing direction to corpse: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/ ... =566885854

I know the ice picks are a cool new thing but this mod has Reusable Grapple Hooks, Parachutes, Spears, Bolas https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/ ... =899250777
Utilities Plus: Is a modification for ARK Survival Evolved that adds a version of many existing items that can be used over and over again plus some quality of life items such as:

* Reusable Bola
* Reusable Flare Gun
* Reusable Grappling Hook
* Reusable Parachute
* Reusable Spear
* Ultimate Spyglass
* Fog Remover (ini server option that's on by default)

I watch Nerd Parade on YouTube and Blitzfire911 mods are quite useful. All the mods they use on their different ARK servers:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/ ... =971852402
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DoogenAC
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Tue Dec 19, 2017 9:17 pm

I have enabled S+, Pillars+ and Reusable+. After about 4-5 days we voted and averaged the votes, EXP gain is set to 2.4.

And current discord invite is: https://discord.gg/Zrt5qR
Doog. Call me Doog!
Originally an Asheron's Call player, Doog has been playing text muds, MMOs, shooters and most forms of computer games since PONG was created and took us past the Pinball era!
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TomHawkins_
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Wed Dec 27, 2017 7:21 pm

Hey, just got ARK yesterday to play with some far-moved siblings, but that server is down most the time.
Looking for this one and I can't seem to find it anywhere. :P I have the DLC, have "show locked servers" selected, but no go. So if you have any tips on how I can sign up, let me know! Thanks!
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DoogenAC
Posts: 95
Joined: Tue Dec 16, 2014 6:19 pm
Location: East Coast, USA
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Wed Dec 27, 2017 10:26 pm

Hi Tom I think the server list may be regionalized, I may have to link it to you through steam. Another of our regulars on the server never saw the server name show on the list either. Searching Unofficial for "Doog" and turning on the box for "Show Password Protected" should work; or friend me on Steam (DoogenAC) and I can friend you back and send you a direct server link.

And you can find us on my discord as well, https://discord.gg/rRgFEg link is good for 24 hours. Server has a ten minute "wait before you can talk" troll/spam filter set.
Doog. Call me Doog!
Originally an Asheron's Call player, Doog has been playing text muds, MMOs, shooters and most forms of computer games since PONG was created and took us past the Pinball era!
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