Studio Wildcard continues to enhance the gaming experience for fans of Ark Survival Ascended with the latest update, numbered 1.079.005, released on February 8. This comprehensive patch introduces a plethora of bug fixes and gameplay tweaks, particularly focusing on the Lost Colony area, and is available for both consoles and PC. Let’s dive into the specifics of this update, exploring the improvements and changes that players can expect.
Key Fixes in Lost Colony
The Lost Colony has experienced several updates in this patch. Significant fixes include:
Boss Fight Improvements: Players will notice that boss fights will now adequately time out, eliminating the frustrating scenario where the fight could lapse even when players had remaining time in the current stage.
Resource Management Enhancements: Additional locations for resource cache spawns have been integrated, ensuring players have plenty of materials at their disposal. There were also critical fixes related to resource caches that occasionally found themselves spawning in the air.
Structural Integrity: Trees adjacent to player structures will now regenerate properly, providing a more immersive and realistic environment. Moreover, issues where items in terminals would disappear after server restarts have also been resolved.
Drop Rates and Mesh Holes: Players can expect better drops after taming specific creatures, and several mesh holes in the Lost Colony have been repaired, tackling a significant source of frustration for many.
Detailed Changes in Boss Fights
This update didn’t just enhance the Lost Colony environment; it zeroed in on the intricacies concerning boss encounters:
Thrall Mechanics: Thralls can now correctly showcase their weapons during boss fights, and a critical fix ensures that melee minibosses won’t move while stunned. This heightens the strategy needed during these encounters.
Teleportation Issues: Players were previously facing teleportation bugs when entering boss fight areas, but this has been promptly addressed.
Visual Glitches: Several visual effects have been corrected, like the misleading mission text that sometimes appeared during the Lost Queen fight and a glitch changing the Lost Queen flag into the Lost King flag.
Thrall Functionality Expanded
The patch also focuses on updating the function and behavior of thralls, a key aspect of gameplay for many fans:
Animation and Behavior Fixes: Thralls are now expected to perform their actions with the right animations when mounted, and their gene tracking has been adjusted to prevent unnecessary complications.
Cooldown Management: Special attention has been given to cooldowns, with the Thrall Warden’s shield cooldown now functioning without resets when players disengage from controlling them.
Skills and Abilities Adjustments
An array of skills received tweaks to improve overall player experience:
Master of Tools: A crucial update stops this skill from triggering on blueprints, refining its functionality.
Wisp and Beast Mechanics: The Wisp of Industry now cannot access inventories while in wisp form, while the Skill Beast Entourage has been adjusted to ensure companion creatures no longer attack players.
Creature-Specific Fixes
Among the diverse creatures in Ark, many have received targeted attention:
Gloon: Various fixes address invisibility issues and functionality when interacting with weapons during combat.
Aureliax: Players can expect improved behavior from Aureliax, including stopping T-posing and interaction glitches with snowballs.
Other Creatures: Adjustments have been made to ensure that wild carnivores regain health correctly and that specific visual glitches tied to creatures have been eliminated.
Outpost and General Gameplay Enhancements
In addition to creature tweaks, substantial updates have been made to outpost mechanics and overall gameplay experience:
Mission Integrity: Players should not now be able to undertake outpost missions with possessed thralls, and creatures are teleported back consistently when knocked off during missions.
Visual Enhancements: The update addresses graphical issues, such as the VFX on the TEK Spear and the abrupt lighting from crystals.
FPS and Performance Improvements: Players can anticipate improved performance, especially concerning the impact of larger numbers of fertilized eggs and smoother controls for the TEK Spear.
Engaging with the Community
As always, Studio Wildcard encourages the player community to engage and share experiences with the new update. Staying connected on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube is recommended for real-time updates and community interactions.
As fans delve into these extensive updates, there’s a palpable excitement in the community, with many eager to explore how these changes will affect gameplay and their strategic approaches in Ark Survival Ascended. Keep your gear ready and explore the newly enhanced Lost Colony to uncover the mysteries and challenges that await!