Spend more of my day Trike watching. The little fella is finally all grown up, and I took him out for a ride around the plains nearby. We had a run-in with a lone raptor, which posed little threat, and found a female Trike with some really nice green and brown colouring, so we tamed her and brought her home.

Now that I don't have a baby to worry about I decided to leave the gate of my paddock open to allow my dinos more freedom to wander around. The Trike that I hatched and raised myself will stay behind the walls, but everyone else is free to come and go as they please. Also discovered today that Diplodocus can be tamed without having to knock them unconscious first, so the next time one wanders into the plains I think I'll give it a go.

For now though I'm going to start work in some crops, and I still want to find a Titanosaur so I'll be taking regular trips to the Redwood forest..

These are so cute!







D'Awwww, how cool !!!!

Lots and lots has transpired in ARK, more than I can relate. (And there was much rejoicing.) Keeping things relatively simple...

...Attempted to kill Bronto who appeared to be 'stuck' on the huge boulder with arch opening under which my dwelling stands. Bronto thrashes about, breaks free, chases me off island. Finally lose it somewhere to the east. Return home. Attacked by raptor fording wadable water to my isle. Killed raptor, but down to a sliver of health. Broken bones. Eat several stimberries. Wait at ford until sufficiently recovered. Return to base. Discover thrashing Bronto had damaged most of my home floors and walls, mortar & pestle, bed. Two standing torches destroyed. Four small chests destroyed, their contents laying on the floor in bags, despawn counters ticket down by the second. Move all bag contents to already existent intact Large Chests before anything despawns. Spend time and resources repairing damaged but not destroyed walls, floors, mortar & pestle, bed. Replace standing torches. Retrieve six tame Dodo from where they had been slung. Move tame Trike and Parasaur back to their normal positions.

...Attempted to reach a green supply drop to the west of my island, not far away and in theory not overly risky. Got owned by a Carno en route. Spawned back at base.

...Attempted a corpse run to reclaim gear. Got owned by a scorpion. Spawned at base. Decided to call it a loss.

...Remade all armor and gear, at a huge dent in my stored hides supply

...Make two or three successful green drop runs. Not much good loot, but pilfered large supply chests come in handy and not having to make 'em myself saves resources. Also a blueprint that will save me engram points.

...Reached level allowing me to make metal tools and weapons. Did so, first pike, then hatchet, and just a bit ago Pickax. Those, a smithy, a refiner, and one or two other items cost me all my saved up engram points, and further depleted my hides reserve.

---Added a few more wood foundations and walls to the 'house'. Created a large entrance gate and a number of wood fence foundations but have not yet placed them.

...Made numerous day-long resource gathering runs.

...Made a special 'hides' run to replenish reserve. All went well until a small winged insect attacked my tamed trike, who was not set to protect itself. Due to enemy size and nearness to the trike, I could not attack the insect. Insect finally dies. Trike very damaged. Set trike to defend himself if attacked. Waited in-place while trike healed enough to safely travel. Trike attacked by Raptor. Trike runs raptor off, gets stuck on three trees doing so. Had to chop the trees away so the Trike could move. Trike greatly damaged in the process, down to a sliver of health. Evening by now. Created, placed, lit a campfire. Stayed in-place all night, pike in hand, guarding Trike as it slowly healed. Able to return to base with Trike just after dawn.

...Found low-level Dilo stuck on a tree. Knocked it unconscious via slingshot. Tamed it. Success. Removing tree killed the Dilo.

This post has been edited by Decrepit: Jul 10 2016, 12:18 AM

Heh it's always 1 step forward, 2 steps back with Ark.


I spent all day yesterday downloading Red Dead Redemption, which has made it's way onto the Xbox One backwards compatibility list. Been a while since I last played RDR, and I'm having a lot of fun.

Not much to report ARK wise. Hadn't intended to play another session last night. At around 2130 discovered I'd paused the game earlier rather than exiting as intended. How could I resist?????

I was running low on metal. Decided to make a brief local metal run before calling it a night. Did so, finding about 15 pieces from rocks in the shallow waters bordering my isle's east side. Having stored those, noticed a supply drop to the east that looked both reasonably near and theoretically safe. Made the run. Lots of construction pieces in crate, drastically slowing my return home. Got back from that. Noticed one of two green drops active at mid distance west of base in an area I know to be relatively safe, if hard to reach. Quickly stored first drop loot. Made my way to drop in west. Got a full set of hide armor from crate, plus a few things now forgotten. Came back. Putzed around a while. Called it a night.

Steam says I've played ARK 53hrs! Hard to believe, considering how recently I bought the game. But it's easy to lose track of time there. With so much to do you tend to keep ultra busy from launch to exit and never quite catch up. Definitely worth the asking price so far.

This post has been edited by Decrepit: Jul 11 2016, 02:44 AM

Had a shortish ARK session early yesterday afternoon. Only thing I recall of it is that a white supply drop appeared not far to the east. Successfully reached it. Contained only normal harvestable resources, including a lot of hides, which are much appreciated. Looted resources weighed so much I could barely move. Took forever to reach base due to weight. RL bro arrived on visit as I neared home. Carried on, stowed supplies, ended session.

In Minecraftia, the Autarch confined himself to gathering resources at the Hill Fort. Harvested both tree/timber farms. Culled cattle and chicken pens. Bread pigs. Sheered sheep in the Upper Plaateau pen. (The bulk of our wool sheep reside on the Lower Terrace.) Havested pumpkins (twice), carrots, cactus, beetroot, vines. Fished at the Mid Terrace pool, catching, among other things, an enchanted book with a choice between three very nice enchants. Visited the Goddess shrine.

Played a three-game session of Solitile, among the first games played on my first computer back in 1989, still a favorite of its genre. It's been every computer owned since then. Played The Bridge configuration as always, which I consider classic. Won the third game after much struggle where almost every move until near the very end might have been the last . . . the best kind of victory.

This post has been edited by Decrepit: Jul 11 2016, 11:35 AM

I've been playing 7 days to die. It's a lot like Minecraft for adults. Basically you need to craft a base and defend it from a zombie horde that comes every 7 days or so. Prepping your base is paramount to your survival. It's a surprisingly good game for $30.

Welcome to ARK, where the good times never end.

Went on all-day resource gathering mission on the land mass to the immediate east of my island, trike in tow. Normally use trike solely for storage. Decided it had enough levels to set to 'neutral'. Would now defend itself and fight anything that attacked me (or that I attack so long as the target hit back). All went well. Collected tons of resources. Battled several foes, all of which fell before us, including beaver whose dam I wanted to loot. Ended hunt as sun approached western horizon. Arrived home just prior to dusk.

Decided to loot dam immediately behind base. No beaver in sight. Suspected the two of us would handle one should it materialized. Looted dam. Heard patter of approaching feet. Saw beaver barrelling toward me. Readied spear. Beaver lunged, got in hit, breaking every piece of my armor. Fought beaver a few seconds. Died. Waited for trike to finish beaver before respawning. After lengthy engagement trike killed by beaver. (!!!!!)

Respawned. Reclaimed personal goods from corpse, passing now docile beaver en route. Spent entire night frantically transferring goods from dead trike to base storage chests. Transferred all but around 400 pieces of wood (ironically almost exactly what was looted from dam) before trike corpse vanished.

Repaired armor.

Went on a special run to tame another trike. Searched shoreline of all immediate surrounding land masses. Found no trike stuck on trees beyond one unacceptably low level. Returning home at day's end, found stuck lvl 13 trike on base isle! Tamed trike, getting three bonus levels in the process. (Thought I would get four, but dropped one level near very end.)

Transferred dead trike's perishables from chests to new trike.

Decided to tame a 'turtle', who would remain permanently at base to hold perishables. Quickly found stuck turtle just across water to the east. Knocked it out. Began taming. Taming goes well. Near half-way point, due to get four bonus levels, plan to keep it that way. Storing loot on trike, hear rapidly approaching steps, then munching sounds. Turned to find raptor attacking turtle. Went to its defense. Raptor runs away. Turtle damaged, not dead. Only two bonus levels left. Taming progress greatly reduced. Stood guard. No raptor. Turned to finish storing goods on trike. Hear rapidly approaching footsteps. Ready spear. Charge raptor. Battle it. Win. At end, raptor glitches me INSIDE turtle. Impossible to get out without killing and chopping away turtle. Chance that once turtle tamed I might become unstuck as it revives. Might not. Turtle now down to one bonus level. Training progress further reduced. Destroy turtle. Call it a loss. Return home with trike. Call it a session.

This post has been edited by Decrepit: Jul 12 2016, 09:20 PM

hazmick - Never played RDR.

Kiln - Nice to see you and hear that you're playing!

Decrepit - Boy, you weren't kidding about progress in ARK. Seems like 3 steps forward and 2-4 steps back.

Glad to be around.

I play games pretty often but have tons of responsibilies so there is not nearly as much free tome as there once was.

Ark is a great game. I highly recommend it if you have a few guys/girls to play with on a private game.

Hey guys! Long time no see!

Anyway, I am not currently on the right generation of consoles, but my boss and his roommate have their own ARK server, and it is definitely on my wish list! Right now I'm using the original dark souls as my excuse for not upgrading. Once I beat it, I'll get Xbox One. I'm on the final boss (who is frustrating) so it should be soon!

Also on my list is Bloodborne, Witcher 3, Overwatch, Dark Souls 3, Fallout 4...it goes on endlessly. Playing in a touring band that barely breaks even really kills your gaming vibe sometimes.

Danny! Woo Hoo! Happy gaming and great to see you!

Um- on-topic.... XCOM: Enemy Unknown

Dantrag!!!! WOO HOO! It has been TOO long!


Erm ... On topic: ESO

Situation 1, which occurred not long after my last report. Out resource gathering with new trike. Saw turtle stuck in tree along shore of land mass to immediate north. Crossed wadable ford. Hit turtle with sling stones until passed out. Begin taming unconscious turtle. Taming goes well, with most bonus points preserved. Near end, realize Narcotics on-hand just shy of what's needed. Leave trike in place. Rush home for more Narcotics. Return to tame site. On approach, discover trike being attacked by small flying insects. Quickly set trike to defend itself. Trike can't hit insects, who hover directly above its back as they bite. I can't hit insects due to size and proximity to trike. New trike dies. Kill insects. Frantically transfer loot from dead trike to unconscious turtle, whose taming completes within seconds. Limp home with new turtle.

Situation 2, which occurred much after the above. Completed day-long harvesting run with yet another new trike. Finished stowing all gathered resources. Noticed normally easily reachable green supply drop on land mass to immediate north of home island. Traveled to drop. Took supplies from crate. Supply beam shatters (as always if all loot is grabbed). Become disoriented. Total darkness except for small area immediately surrounding torch. Nothing familiar. Take best guess. Begin return. Eventually hit shoreline. Nothing familiar. Attacked by raptor. Kill it. Walk a few steps. Attacked by swarm of inspects. Kill them. Somewhat damaged. Attacked by two raptors. Die.

Spawn at base. Quickly make three spears. Don spare set of low level noob clothes. Grab food. Attempt to recover goods from corpse. Absolutely no idea where it (or its pack) is other than theoretically along a shoreline to north. Search as far as I dare without success. Call off search once beyond corpse/pack despawn time limit. Return home. Remake all gear at much cost of metal and hides reserve.

Situation 3, not terribly long after the above. Evening. Completed day-long harvesting run. Finished stowing all gathered resources. Noticed normally easy green supply drop to west. Reached and looted it without issue. Supply beam shatters. Become disoriented. Notice beam of another green drop in distance. Believe it to be to west. Turn toward what seems east and begin trek home. Not fifteen steps later torch breaks. Attempt to repair torch. No wood! Total darkness. Can't see trees. Began moving and swinging ax blindly. Find boulders but no trees. Realize wandering about in darkness is making me more disoriented. Stop in place. Stand there throughout long remainder of night, spear in hand, hope for best, expect worst. Faint glow of oncoming dawn eventually appears. Notice vague silloeutte of trees not five steps away. Chop one. Repair torch. Note direction faint sky glow is brighter. Deduct said direction should be east. Began return. Within two minutes spot base on isle across water. Success.

Besides the above, I made an adequate size corral in which to house my tamed animals, which now consist of Parasaur (1x), Dodos (6x, for eggs), dilo (1x), turtle, 1x), trikes (2x). Added four or five more storage chest to the base. Bought engram for and made Chitin chest piece, but don't have enough raw chitin to repair or replace it. Don't expect to any time soon.

This post has been edited by Decrepit: Jul 14 2016, 02:11 PM

Currently playing Fallout Shelter, which has made its way over to PC. Pretty fun and free.

In ARK, built a wood bridge to the land mass immediately west of my island. It's too narrow for trike-size or larger critters to cross in follow-mode without great risk of them falling off. I'll take care of that once depleted wood reserves are replenished. Hope to eventually build bridges to the east and north, maybe south.

Chose to build west first because one of three relatively safe local supply drops occurs no more than a minute or two walk from the the bridge. Ironically that drop, which has been consistently frequent, hasn't occurred once since finishing the bridge. Go figure.

The totally safe supply drop that touched down on a corner of my island three times very early on has never appeared since.

No recent setbacks. Spent most of my time, bridge building aside, gathering common resources.

I thought I read somewhere that supply drops wouldn't happen close to your construction (presumably so you can't just build a wall around one and keep it to yourself). So have you chased them away?

This. Same goes with dino and supply spawns.

I feared as much. Nothing I can do about it on my island, as my house is built within the arch of a huge boulder. I hoped the bridge was far enough away. Apparently not. Two other drops off in the distance have stopped too. Put down platforms nearby to make 'em easier to reach. Gonna have to travel to those during daylight and attempt to find/destroy 'em. That prove impossible in the densely grown jungle.

As for the bridge, I hate to remove it. With it gone I'm forced to swim a wide stretch of mega piranha infected water. Last time I did so I was attacked by a school of five or six. Survived by a thread, and didn't dare continue on into the jungle until sufficiently healed. By then the drop had despawned.

Yeah the drops are good but not 100% necessary. Once you set up a long term base and defend it you can depend less on random loot like that.