The Most Chaotic Mistakes First Time ARK Players Always Make

ARK: Survival Evolved might have celebrated its Early Access ten-year birthday this year, but it still has a firm place in most gamers’ hearts. From classic survival to dino taming, this sandbox world really does offer something for everyone. What’s more, you can enjoy those gameplay benefits through solo play or even the cooperative tribe life that’s made possible by quality ARK server hosting. ARK really has changed how most of us approach the gaming world, which is why it can be so easy to forget that not everyone has been sucked into ARK’s sphere for the last decade.

New players are still finding the game to this day and, just like more experienced players once did, many of them are making chaotic mistakes in their quest to get started. In this article, we’ll consider what the most common chaos-inducing new-play mistakes are, and how you can avoid them to become a pro rather than a novice in no time.

# 1 - Logistical Blunders 

Logistical blunders abound in ARK: Survival Evolved. From failing to build a hospitable respawn point to respawning in a predator-filled spot, these errors can see players failing before they’ve even started. Worse, it can be difficult to stay alive for long enough to rectify them.

But survival is obviously possible and, for new players, sticking to the Southern ‘easy’ zones is probably a good bet. This will give you far more time to work out the logistics of gameplay without facing predators or other setbacks at every turn. And, once you’ve grasped the basics, you’ll be able to move around the map with a lot less risk!

# 2 - Dino Disasters 

Let’s be honest, dinosaurs are the best thing about playing games like ARK, and the ability to tame and sustain a great dino team is sure to make a good first impression on new players. But, these are dinosaurs, after all, and new players too often rush to tame inappropriate dinos, typically to their detriment.

Luckily, there is a pretty simple rule about which dinosaurs to steer clear of. Simply look out for so-called ‘alpha dinos’ as a newbie player. You can determine these from their red glow and the fact that they’re undeniably more powerful than the dinosaurs you can successfully tame at this stage. There are also pretty helpful guides out there about the deadliest in-game creatures that you’ll want to avoid.

# 3 - Survival Setbacks 

As the name suggests, ARK: Survival Evolved is ultimately all about survival. Unsurprisingly, survival setbacks are another common hurdle faced by new players. It’s especially common for newbies to underestimate the elements, without realizing that simple things like not wearing warm enough clothing will impact character health and performance. Overencumbering yourself, or choosing to run everywhere, can also take its toll, just like it would in real life. Avoid them at all costs!

ARK: Survival Evolved is an undeniably great game, even ten years after release. Count yourself amongst its fans by settling into gameplay free from the chaos that these mistakes can cause!

DODOS RIDING DINOS

Dodino Island needs a new ruler! In order to be crowned a perch on the Dodosaurus Egg-throne your Dodo Bird must team up with a dinosaur and win a grueling race around the island. Compete with your choice of twelve Dodo/Dino teams for the chance to be the next ruler of Dodino Island in this board game from Detestable Games and Draco Studios.

Race through exotic locations in this tabletop game with either meeples or minis while throwing bananas, rolling logs, flicking eggs and hurling meteors at your rivals. Dodos Riding Dinos combines strategic card play and the luck of rolling dice for an entertaining game experience. Plus, the physical interactions of having a meteorite crash into the racecourse, a dino tripping over a banana peel, getting your face full of splattered egg or the tickle of a feather causing one of these mighty dinosaur steads to crash are fun elements to the game that add extra excitement and heckling into the fray.

There are twelve plastic minis of the dinosaur and dodo bird teams that come with the game. Each mini comes in a different color or you can paint them to customize the look of each. If you don't want to have a painted mini damaged by being battered by the wood-based bananas, eggs, feathers, logs and meteorites tossed by players on the game board, then there are also wooden meeples of each dino that can be placed upon the race track instead. 

There are four tracks to choose from each on a sturdy cardboard base:

DODINO ISLAND

The place where Dodos and Dinos live in peace ... but when the island's leader is crushed by a meteor it is now a race to claim the throne of leadership.

BOREAL SKY

Dodinos Island has curious magnetic effects due to its proximity with Polaria. This causes the appearance of large Auroras Borealis that almost touch the ground in clear night skies. Dinos have discovered they can jump in and run across these light bridges in the night sky.

IGNIS VOLCANO

Your Dodo has fallen into Dodino Island's volcano and you must jump into the crater to rescue them. Keep running and avoid burning your legs with the hot volcanic terrain. 

POLARIA ICEBERG

During the winter, it is common to see icebergs near Dodino Island. The strong icy winds make bridges that Dinos sometimes cross to explore these cold lands.

Play each board separately or combine them to make one large competition for the Dodosaurus Egg-throne. Beware that some boards have special hexes to add challenging aspects to the game. For example, beware dangerous shortcuts and deep snow on the Polaria Iceberg! Flame hexes in the Ignis Volcano are difficult to enter but provide some opportunities to burn other players you are racing against.

DINOSAURS OF DODOS RIDING DINOS

The dinosaurs you can race as are:

1) Triceratops - Othniel Charles Marsh

2) Stegosaurus - Othniel Charles Marsh 

3) Tyrannosaurus Rex - Henny Fairfield Osborn

4) Spinosaurus - Ernest Freiherr Stromer Von Reichenbach

5) Compsognathus - Joseph Oberndorfer 

6) Liopleurodon - Harry Govier Seeley

7) Pachycephalosaurus - Barnum Brown

8) Parasauporolophus - William Arthur Parks

9) Velociraptor - Pascal Godefroit

10) Sauropod - Elmer Samuel Riggs

11) Ankylosaurus - Peter Kaisen

12) Pterodactylus - Georges Cuvier

Each dinosaur comes with a Racer Card that has a cartoonish illustration of the dino. Each card includes a Dodo Bird name based upon a paleontologist and a Dino nick name based upon a dinosaur's name or trivia. It also includes special attributes for each dino. For example, Lio the Liopleurodon can take one card from the deck of an opposing player whenever you are passed plus advance one space. There are also Speed Value Modifiers to provide an artificial intelligence factor when some racers become NPC during Solo or 2-player games.

My family loves dinosaurs so Dodos Riding Dinos was a game night hit in our house. It has rules that are easy to grasp, incorporated dexterity and player interaction into the play, and just provided an overall fun time. It incorporates strategy in the use of card decks but also the luck of the roll of the die or the toss of one of the hazard items also adds some entertaining randomness to a game's outcome. Dodos Riding Dinos absolutely earns a Geek Daddy nod of approval for being a great selection for a family game night.

I purchased Dodos Riding Dinos through investing in a Kickstarter campaign using commissions earned from affiliate links in posts on this blog. Opinions expressed are honest and my own. This post has affiliate links, which means this blog could earn advertising money if you buy something. This doesn't cost you anything extra, ageekdaddy.com just has to give you the heads up for legal reasons. Click away knowing any revenue raised is reinvested into new content like this post to review and share with you.

CAMP CRETACEOUS SEASON THREE

My family loves dinosaur adventures! I mean who doesn't geek out about dinosaurs? But we've gone out of our way to learn about and interact with these amazing prehistoric creatures from trekking around Pittsburgh to exploring the historic Field Museum in Chicago to watching dinosaurs stomp around downtown Detroit we've had a lot of fun experiences.

Unfortunately, like many families, we've been staying close to home lately due to the pandemic. So we've been having our dinosaur adventures by streaming the CAMP CRETACEOUS animated tv series on Netflix. This is a cartoon spin-off of the live action Jurassic World movie follows six teenagers chosen for a once-in-a-lifetime experience at Camp Cretaceous, a new adventure camp on the opposite side of Isla Nublar, who must work together to survive when dinosaurs wreak havoc across the island.

Netflix has released two seasons of episodes of this series produced by DreamWorks Animation, Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment that have been an entertaining way to enjoy some escapism from being held captive from normal day to day activities by the coronavirus. Now a third story arc is beginning on May 21 and we are looking forward to a continuation of this exciting dinosaur adventure.

Season 3 of CAMP CRETACEOUS on Netflix will consist of 10 exciting new 22-minute long episodes that will be available to start viewing on May 21, 2021. Still stranded on the island, the campers uncover more details of Dr. Wu’s secret research, and must quickly take their fate into their own hands with a dangerous plan to leave Isla Nublar behind for good. But when a tropical storm delays their departure, a lethal new threat quickly closes in on the campers, placing their escape, as well as their lives, in extreme peril.

We are roaring to go back to Jurassic World and counting down the days to Season 3 of CAMP CRETACEOUS! With quality animation and story telling that makes this series interesting for all ages of the family Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous absolutely gets a Geek Daddy nod of approval. We'll be tuning in for sure on May 21 to see how this dinosaur adventure continues!

SMITHSONIAN COLORING BOOKS

Thanks IDW Publishing for sending these complimentary coloring books to try out!

I'm amazed to say this but my twelve year old son is actually burned out from playing video games and watching television. A combination of virtual online schooling and us not going out and about to do things because of the pandemic has tired him out of electronics. So with art being his favorite class at school he was geeked to dive into two new coloring books recently released by IDW Publishing that have themes that guys like him are sure to be enthused about ... airplanes and dinosaurs.

Coloring isn't just for little kids and these books are aimed for older audiences of tweens, teens and adults. They have more intricate designs than those produced for children and are full of interesting information on these topics courtesy of a partnership with the Smithsonian Institute. These coloring books focus on two of the Smithsonian Institute's most popular Washington, D.C. museums the National Museum of Natural History and the National Air & Space Museum. Learn about the aircraft and dinosaurs exhibits at these two museums while flipping through these pages and relax by doing some coloring.

According to the health professionals at our local hospital, there are a variety of benefits to spending time coloring. Like meditating, coloring can relax the fear center of the brain reducing stress and restlessness. It also improves brain health by getting its two hemispheres working together with the logic side keeping you coloring inside the lines and your creative side selecting which colors are being used within your artwork. Plus the light from electronic devices reduces the sleep hormone, melatonin, so coloring instead of scrolling through the Internet, playing video games or viewing tv can help you get a better night's sleep.

So who wants to do some coloring?! During these uncertain and stressful times this activity sure seems to be a nice way to calm down and relax while having a fun time. My son sure has been enjoying Dinosaurs: A Smithsonian Coloring Book and Airplanes: A Smithsonian Coloring Book. 

Aviation lovers of all ages can soar through the skies with some of the most recognized and revered airplanes from the collection at the National Air and Space Museum with the Airplanes: A Smithsonian Coloring Book. Filled with detailed descriptions by museum experts and the thrilling artistry of John Pirtel, learn about the 1903 Wright Flyer, the Lockheed Vega 5-B, Northrop Gamma Polar Star, McDonnell F-4S Phantom II, Concorde, and many more fascinating aircraft. The detailed pen and ink illustrations within this coloring book invite you to strap in and experience thrilling scenes of these aircraft in action which can be customized with your own creativity.

You can also explore millions of years of animal wonders, guided by experts from the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History and the artistic wizardry of Rachel Curtis with Dinosaurs: A Smithsonian Coloring Book. These lush pen and ink illustrations invite you to step into captivating scenes featuring the herbivorous Stegosaurus, the sea-dwelling Hesperornis, the giant sauropod Camarasaurus, the mighty Tyrannosaurus, and many more. Fans of dinosaurs will be transported to prehistoric landscapes through the pages of this coloring book.

Airplanes and dinosaurs really didn't capture my daughter's fancy. She is very interested though in checking out the upcoming coloring book that IDW Publishing has in the works with the Smithsonian National Zoological Park. This coloring book is for the birds ... literally! It is full of these high flying feathered creatures. Going birding is a favorite activity my daughter enjoys doing with her good old dad and she is keeping her eyes out for Birds: A Smithsonian Coloring Book.

IDW PUBLISHING COLORING CONTEST

With the COVID pandemic limiting accessibility to the wonderful Smithsonian Institute museums in Washington D.C., IDW PUBLISHING wants to bring these places home to you. They've released two new coloring books that let people explore two of the Smithsonian's most popular museums through the pages of these publications while having fun with art. Learn about the dinosaur exhibit at the National Museum of Natural History or the airplanes within the National Air & Space Museum.

You can purchase print editions of these books online at idwpublishing.com or at local bookstores and comic book shops. IDW is also hosting a coloring contest and giving away a copy of each book to the winner. To enter, download and color one of the coloring pages shown below from Dinosaurs: A Smithsonian Coloring Book or Airplanes: A Smithsonian Coloring Book. Then, share a picture of your artwork on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram tagging @IDWPublishing on the post. Entries must be submitted before December 15, 2020. One winner will be selected from all entries.

CLICK HERE to download the Dinosaurs: A Smithsonian Coloring Book art sheet.

CLICK HERE to download the Airplanes: A Smithsonian Coloring Book art sheet.

With this exquisitely designed coloring book, aviation lovers of all ages can soar through the skies with some of the most recognized and revered airplanes from the collection at the National Air and Space Museum. Guided by museum experts and the thrilling artistry of John Pirtel, meet the 1903 Wright Flyer, the Lockheed Vega 5-B, Northrop Gamma Polar Star, McDonnell F-4S Phantom II, Concorde, and many more. These detailed pen and ink illustrations invite you to strap in and experience thrilling scenes of these aircraft in action, which fans of airplanes, coloring books, and aviation history can unlock with their own creativity.

Dinosaur lovers of all ages can explore millions of years of animal wonders, guided by experts from the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History and the artistic wizardry of Rachel Curtis (The Princess Bride: A Storybook to Color). These lush pen and ink illustrations invite you to step into captivating scenes featuring the herbivorous Stegosaurus, the sea-dwelling Hesperornis, the giant sauropod Camarasaurus, the mighty Tyrannosaurus, and many more. Fans of dinosaurs, coloring books, and natural history will find an enchanting world to unlock with their own creativity.

JURASSIC WORLD LIVE TOUR DETROIT

A Geek Daddy received complimentary tickets for promotional consideration from Feld Entertainment

Something BIG is coming to Detroit! Feld Entertainment is bringing the dinosaurs of Jurassic World to the city for a live stage show at Little Caesars Arena. The Jurassic World Live Tour will be having performances in Detroit November 14-17, 2019.

I was so geeked to have a chance to meet some of the cast of the show, including a baby stegosaurus, in advance of the Jurassic World Live Tour coming to town and my whole family is excited to go see Feld Entertainment bring these dinosaurs to life at Little Caesars Arena. This isn't one of those animatronic displays that tours the country which you will often see exhibited at museums and zoos, but rather a performance of an original Jurassic World story featuring actors and puppeteers utilizing elaborate costumes. Combining lifelike dinosaurs with pyrotechnics, special effects and vehicular stunts creates an extraordinary experience making audiences feel as if they are immersed within a Jurassic World adventure taking part right in front of them.

Getting a close up look at one of the dinosaurs from Jurassic World Live Tour, I have to say these outfits are spectacular! Mixing together traditional puppetry with high tech features, it really seemed as if I was interacting with a dinosaur. Isn't amazing the fantasy worlds we can be transported to thanks to today's technology.

These dinosaur suits are a marvel and have to give kudos to the performers who bring these creatures to life during Jurassic World Live Tour performances. With these dinosaur outfits weighting up to 120 pounds this is a physically taxing effort on these puppeteers. It also takes a tremendous amount of skill and practice to make these dinosaurs movements appear fluid and realistic while the creatures are running and jumping around a stage. They have to get choreography down as well as handling the physical and electronic controls that operate the dinosaur's movements ranging from blinking eyes to waving tails. From the advance preview of the stegosaurus this dad blogger had a chance to meet up close, I was really impressed.



Tickets are for sale now to see Jurassic World Live Tour for its upcoming stop in Detroit. I will be going to a show with my family courtesy of Feld Entertainment. My kids have been getting really excited about this night out every time they see one of the ads promoting these shows pop up on TV. It is sure to be a fun night!

If you want to join us in going to see Jurassic World Live Tour at Little Caesars Arena, Feld Entertainment has provided me with a special discount code to share with my ageekdaddy.com audience. Get great seats for just $20! Don't wait to use it though because not only are these shows coming up soon but this deal expires on November 13.

Great seats for only $20* 
Use code JWL20 (last character is a zero) 
Offer expires 11/13

Purchase tickets here

*Additional fees and restrictions apply. Limit 8 tickets per order. Save on processing fees by purchasing at the Box Office directly. Not valid on Opening Night- these tickets are already discounted to $15!



For more information about the show, go to jurassicworldlivetour.com

University of Michigan Museum of Natural History

The week of my kids' Spring Break from school was dreary filled with cold and wet weather conditions, so we looked for something indoors to do that would get them out of the house for a bit.  Our family accomplished that goal by taking an afternoon road trip to the city of Ann Arbor to check out the University of Michigan's Museum of Natural History.  The facility is open Monday through Saturday 9am - 5pm and on Sundays from Noon to 5pm.  A very attractive aspect of this museum is that admission is FREE.

The University of Michigan's Museum of Natural History is located in a 1930's era building located on the college's campus.  Walking into the Ruthven Museums Building is like stepping into a scene from an Indiana Jones movie as you make your way into its entrance rotunda.  Visitors head up a set of stairs to make their way to three upper levels of exhibit halls.

The second floor houses The Hall of Evolution which is full of fossils, models and dioramas featuring prehistoric life.  As you first walk into this display area you are greeted by the skeletons of two huge mastodons.  For my kids though the highlight of this area, and our visit overall, were the fossils of dinosaurs on display here.

While this area has some impressive dinosaurs on display, you can also view the fossils of other prehistoric creatures including a saber tooth tiger and giant lizards while exploring the Hall of Evolution.

The building's third floor is a Michigan Wildlife Gallery devoted to showcasing a collection of taxidermy mounts consisting of native Great Lakes amphibians, birds, mammals,and reptiles.  This area also showcases a long line of mastodon tracks that had been preserved and fossilized in mud which is the largest such display in the world.

Of course they have a wolverine on display!

The fourth floor has a variety of exhibits that allow scientific hands-on experiences plus hosts a geology display of various local rocks and minerals. While we were visiting the museum, my kids agreed to help out with the Living Lab program where they were interviewed for a psychology study being done by college students and earned a small toy for their participation.  They were shown cartoons of various types of robots and were asked survey questions regarding their impressions of the video being shown.  The goal of this study is to determine ways new smart technology can be designed to make it user-friendly for children. My kids felt very important to be able to contribute to this experiment which they talked about quite a bit during our car ride home.

A planetarium is also located on the upper floor of the museum.  It provides a 45 minute show several times per day.  Tickets are a flat rate of $5 per person to take in the planetarium show.

We had a nice time exploring the museum and I'd recommend if you are ever in the Ann Arbor area making some time to check it out.  There is an underground parking deck located a block north of the building that charges $1.40 per hour which isn't bad when you consider admission to the museum is free.  Click here for directions on getting to the University of Michigan Museum of Natural History and information on parking when you get there.

If you want to check out the pre-WWII architecture of the museum building don't wait too long for a visit.  The university is building a new state-of-the-art facility next door to house its Biological Science department where the museum will also be relocated to upon its completion in 2018.