Ark Survival Ascended - Will the Magic or Passion come back?

Its been a bit, but that is because I have seemingly lost the passion for the game! Not sure what exactly happened or when it did, but in this video we explore how the passion disappeared.

[@allytank-itykitty7417]

Sorry but ASE is constantly between the top 70 to 50, while ASA struggles to even be in or near the top 100. and tbh, the Devs have wasted tons of goodwill, and basically we have no reason to trust them anymore... anyone that thinks that Ark 2 will still be out this year is delusional and if it does release it will be awful like ASA. the annoying thing is that none of the other creators are actually questioning them and holding them to account really, they all swoon over the new updates and community posts. I honestly prefer ASE as it is better and doesn't run like ass, its also not a giant Cash grab like ASA is. and when you do go and play other games like, Minecraft and definitely No mans sky, you can see that the love is in the game (minecraft not so much in recent years) and how much effort the Devs have put into it. Meanwhile Ark is just releasing the same things, with paid extra DLC that either doesn't fit well with the survival aspect or outright is P2W like some creatures, all for a graphical upgrade that I don't think anyone really cared for. Sure console didn't have mods before, but that will always be the power PC players have over consoles, since PC gaming is more expensive now you can customize almost every aspect of your game play if you know how to. but summary. I do not like the way Devs are acting about this, constantly taking the community for granted, and how some in the community blinded by copium and do not want the game to die, feed into this aspect.

[@ys053rious6]

Unfortunately its not entirely down on the devs, Snail Games are the ones to blame for that happens as they own the rights to the game and pretty much what they say goes with the IP, Wildcard are stuck with them and bet they are wishing they weren't. The IP for Ark is the only thing keeping Snail Inc afloat and they will milk it into the ground and that really is shame especially for Wild Card. Don't get me wrong I'm not defending Wild Card as they have had their faults especially when it comes to communication with the community but I bet their hands are well tied with what to say, when to say it and why they are saying because of the crappy publisher they have.

[@kamar1171]

Well no crap! ASE has ALL the maps. Whereas all us dedicated ASA players have to wait for new maps (that ASE already has) to be released. It's not rocket science. Lastly, go check out the ASA player numbers on consoles, I bet it's not nearly as low as on PC.

[@ys053rious6]

@@kamar1171 the reason console players will be higher is because they now have mods which they didn't have before FACT! aswel as it being on game pass which the majority of Xbox owners have so I'm not surprised it's got higher numbers if I'm honest, As for dedicated ASA players didn't you have ASE before, I've owned everything ark has chucked out so far because I love the concept of the game and have always wanted a game like this since I was 15 😂

[@xsomedudex]

@@ys053rious6mmm I’m sure it helps but that’s not why pop is higher on consoles. It’s about cheaters and surviving. Pc = your base gets wiped. Fast. You can survive on console. I know a lot of people with pc that don’t play pc for that reason they play steam Xbox. That’s the reason why console will always be higher pop than pc. Constant one or more of the servers will be capped in a tribe war. Pc official that’s kinda rarer.

[@ys053rious6]

@@xsomedudex wouldn't know I don't play any official servers haven't done so after the first 2 years ASE was out, I run my own servers for family and friends whether it's PvP or PVE, ASE on official servers had too many cheaters from china to be even competing on official unless you had a mega tribe but I do get your point that sort of stuff won't happen on consoles for some bizarre reason 😂

[@neh4pres]

the magic of ark fadded when we all found out the devs and the publisher abuse people in game, sell dinos, and ban people for no reason whatsoever

[@thefirst48gaming2]

Some of them are pdfiles and pdfiles protectors as well

[@Nerdboy81]

I have heard about this....I have not seen it first hand, but have heard abou it.....That stinks!

[@neh4pres]

@@Nerdboy81 check out teachers game too.

[@wastedwatts]

New content, an ARK not yet made, or explored won't change the way the game plays. The issue for any player, new, or veteran is how the game plays. ARK survival evolved was a first experience for many of us veterans and that will taint any experience that will follow in the same way guys complain about how much better the first wife was than the next. So why did that guy have a second girl friend/wife? No one can forget their first of any experience until they suffer a brain disorder. The first time rules and is the standard for anything that follows. Smoke and mirrors, or in this case fog and clouds cannot make a game like ARK "anything" better. It will always be about how the game plays, or won't due to programming issues.

[@Nerdboy81]

True Story! Not Sure ASA will ever be the same, however maybe a new map can give a small taste of the new feeling!

[@wastedwatts]

@@Nerdboy81 That could be true for some die hard veterans.

[@VeryCryptic]

the magic or passion never left from me, i play daily on a private server with a group of long time friends and its always fun and awesome! and we never have crashed or any issues people complain about online, the players ruin ark

[@SongbirdGaming]

That’s great that you’ve been lucky with your experience. For a long time I would’ve said the same. I also was a daily player of ASE and had a group of friends I’d been playing with for years. Some of them I still play with to this day. But it’s hard to love a game when you have a limited amount of time to play it, and it keeps crashing. In spite of everything that you do to fix it. You can’t get anything done because it keeps crashing. Consoles have their own issues to be sure, but the console version has been more stable I think, because the game has to go through certification, and every patch has to go through certification with Sony and Microsoft before it can go to the consoles. So there is some quality control there. But for us PC players, we may get various features or access to things first a lot of times, but it’s because we are the guinea pigs. And there have been times when, no joke, I was trying to work on a build for a video, or I was live streaming, and the game kept crashing every 10 to 20 minutes. Often with a rollback that would force me to redo a lot of work. Or I just couldn’t get on at all. And yeah, sometimes the game is more stable and it runs fine for a while. Then they drop another update or patch that breaks some stuff again and it starts crashing again. It’s kind of soul crushing to be honest. Or when game-breaking bugs come along that undo hours and hours of work. It just takes the fun out of it.

[@VeryCryptic]

@@SongbirdGaming that realy sucks luckily me and my group dont experience any of those bad things on any console or pc

[@Nerdboy81]

That is awesome... I play solo so my issues are really my own. LOL.

[@eduardocruz1190]

I mean if you play alone its gonna be a challenge, Ive enjoyed my 300+ hrs as a solo player on official PVE The Island you can laugh if you get arked with the server and they might even hook you up with what you need for free. Hell last weekend we spent all day perfecting a public Rhynio trap and looking for bugs to get prego. Not saying there’s no issues but having people to play with makes everything more enjoyable.

[@Nerdboy81]

Being Solo definitely probably more challenging....but I tend to play real slow anyway. LOL.

[@hopponark4925]

I mentioned this on a podcast I recorded that one of the major problems for ASA is that the slow drip of maps being released are not going to bring as much awe and joy for 2 reasons: 1) we saw it all before on ASE and so that new feeling goes away fast and 2) the mods that give us specific future creatures out there (which are great, honestly) get us used to having those creatures around before their map shows up. So the cool, parts of Ragnarok, Valguero, etc etc being some of those new dinos we get with those maps and now we have them already with specific mods, which makes those maps less special when they do arrive. There are a lot of thoughts in this vein, but I agree Ark has issues and the passion can be difficult to get back once you lose it (which is the same for any game honestly that maybe isn't a sports game) Great stuff buddy!

[@TheLangalear]

I use a lot of mods but made the decision, not to use any mods that give me stuff from other maps in hopes it would rekindle that anticipation of the next map. Now I'm curious if mods had anything to do with my lack of interest in playing this game. Hopefully some time away will renew my interest.

[@Nerdboy81]

Great points!!!

[@paisley4918]

@hopponark4925 yep I think you are 100% spot on. The real issue is ASE players are upset that ASA didn't relight their original fire for ark. I don't think it is possible. It is like wanting your wife to give you that 1st date feeling after 20 years, it just isn't going to happen no matter how much she dies her hair or dresses.

[@YummyGummyGuy]

In my experience, nothing will ever beat that first time starting up a new game you have been excited for. Experiencing and learning the game for the first time. We are all always looking for that next game to bring back those feelings. I played ASE for 3000 hours (singleplayer only) and im gonna do the same for ASE. Sure both games have their flaws and sometimes ill play ASA for hours, where i cant stop playing. Sometimes i get bored after 20 minutes. I think to keep yourself from burn out from a game you like, is to have a pool of different game you like to play. Stop playing a game if you dont feel like it, and come back recharged when you do. Some of my most favourite games i dont even play, if i dont do it with someone else. To me its about finding that niche, that you enjoy doing in that game.

[@Nerdboy81]

There is something special about playing a game for the first time!!

[@IchbinX]

Honestly, part of the reason why I take long breaks away from ASA, is because it runs so poorly. Everytime I have an itch to make a fresh game, and do something, I stop myself. Knowing I'll be plagued with memory leaks and crashes. Ark hasn't changed, I think we've grown tired of it.

[@Folfah]

thats what stops me.. i LOVE the game (hate plenty about it but still love). but i cant deal with the crashes and poor optimization

[@barjee8965]

Because ASE was so well optimized 😂

[@Nerdboy81]

Clearly I get frustrated with the graphics....the water especially. LOL

[@zonks01]

Too many people expecting a engine overhaul to be a new game. What they want is Ark 2 but also they bitched for classic ark remake also and turns out maybe not really.

[@barjee8965]

Then they egt mad they cant run unreal 5 on their 15 ueard old GPU XD

[@Nerdboy81]

Thats partly because of the marketing...They called it a full recode when that was not 100% accurate. I believe if ASA had started with a NEW map and then started remastering it would have been a better plan for them...IMO...

[@jonsolo32]

My take on the issues… Sadly, Wild Card is under investor pressure to make deadlines whether the map is ready or not. That causes premature releases and glitches. And then if they don’t make the deadlines, people are mad they didn’t meet them. As for “the love for ark”…. Think of this game as a Pokémon game. You are trying to collect the best. The thrill is in the hunt. You have barely scratched the surface of the island. You haven’t gone to the underwater caves. You haven’t beat all three obelisk bosses. You haven’t opened the Tek Cave. You haven’t fought the final boss and truly ascended. The true story of ark is still waiting for you. Personally, I have enjoyed ASA. I enjoy the story maps more than the other ones. But all of it is enjoyable. I’m a completionist.

[@Nerdboy81]

AGREE!!!! The missteps are probably because of the financial pressure..I think I have a plan that includes playing ASE the Island....More to come. LOL.

[@MrPorterSxE]

I've certainly learned that Ark is best played in moderation. If you only play it you can get burnt out fast. I'm currently taking a break until Ragnarok when, and if, it comes out

[@Nerdboy81]

I did play it almost entirely for a year....So that could be some of it.

[@The_Privateer]

Yeah, it just kind of sounds like Ark isn't for you - and thats fine. Many of the things you mention (taming, breeding, not knowing the right video settings for good, but non-laggy, graphics, getting 'arked', etc.) are the challenges that make it **fun** for those of us that enjoy it. The things that "don't sound alluring" to you are the things that provide challenge for those who like the game. It just kind of sounds like you don't like hard games. It sounds like you play games as a cinematic experience, not a "I will overcome this challenge" experience. And thats perfectly fine too. I don't want that to come across sounding elitist at all. Some people just like a playable story while others like to rise to and face seemingly impossible challenges. For many of us, Ark is just kind of too easy. spend a week getting to tek tier and then what? When the basics of ark are easy, it frees you up to find challenge in other ways. Spending months breeding to specific colors or *fully* mutated tames (255 mutations in all stats, plus top tier base stats) or coming up with truly breathtaking architectural builds. If anything, Ark requires patience and a willingness to play for... months, sometimes, for just a tiny improvement on one little insignificant thing. It's not a game for immediate 'dopamine hit' rushes. Especially once you have the low level basic 'Maslow's hierarchy' things taken care of. Again, not to come across as elitist, but if you;re struggling and frustrated with something like taming an argy (and everything peripheral thats associated with it)... maybe the game just isn't for you. The Ark community is what you make of it. Not to make light of other creators, but someone like RassClark has an amazingly positive community. It's up to you to surround yourself with the community you build. It's up to you to build the community that you want. It doesn't just 'exist' waiting to swoop in on you. If you attract an audience and community that's bent out of shape about 'pay to win - thats what you will see in the community. Does positivity 'just find you' or is positivity something you need to cultivate and take active measure to surround yourself with? Anyway, good luck in whatever passions you find. Edit: One more thing - if you think you are 'lacking content' in the game - you **definitely** have not looked deep enough. I have been playing Ark (ASE and now ASA) since it was early release in 2015. I have over 10k hours playing and still find new things all the time. It seems like you 'skim the surface' and think that's all there is. Nothing in Ark is spoon fed to you. There is sooooooo much more content in Ark than you have 'skimmed the headlines' on. But you have to dig for it. Some people find that painfully monotonous and boring, some people really enjoy it. Also also... modders and map makers have always been the crux of Ark - ASE and ASA both. I am of the firm belief that the modding community is what 'saved' (or made) ASE Ark. The core game you install, is just the framework. The mods are what make the game.

[@dragongamerboi13]

This game is nothing but spaghetti code, the old game ruined this ps5. A ps5! That goes beyond game breaking, it's console breaking! They don't know what they are doing and was always in early access just piling on more code on top of already bugged code. Stop being such a fanboy simp for a corrupt dirty company that cheats in their own game and won't fix their own games. It's people like you who eat up this shit is why you're going to get nothing but more shit. The game is tedious and too grindy when it doesn't want to just crash and roll back. No one plays a game to get bored and feel like they are at a job and ark becomes that kind of game, especially on single player. It also alienates those that don't want to or can't play PvP and PvE with others by making some tames too hard without another person or making things cost too much in resources for one person to really grab in a timely manner and all that's when the game actually wants to work.

[@barjee8965]

Literally this 😂 imagine whining because you don't understand video settings 😂 ASA performs great for me at 1440p, out performs ASE 🤣

[@Nerdboy81]

I have try to stay positive but somewhere along the way the game lost some of its magic...I know it will come back and in fact, I am thinking I may go back to ASE The Island and try and finish the Island story....FINALLY!

[@deathknightrevan]

well we also have to remember wildcard made some deals with devils, first with snail, then with nitrado, they were put on a massive time constraint to release ASA by last october, and as a result it's a buggy unoptimized mess, which standard for wildcard, but it could have been better. personally hoping for the update to UE5.4 alongside the release of ASE's most popular map to do the job of bringing back the people. The biggest thing is most can't play ASA due to system requirements right now, something the update is expected to help with, and the lack of content, leave us as a community divided, but if they can hash out the performance issues so that NORMAL rigs can run it, and the playerbase consolidates on ASA, I see no reason why it should continue to struggle as it is. If people treat it like shit, no matter what you do, it will seem like shit. outlook speaks volumes.

[@Nerdboy81]

I have my fingers crossed with the update to Unreal engine hopefully we will get some some optimization and it will make it more accessible and cleaner for us plebs on console and low level PCS.

[@WalterEKurtz-kp2jf]

2023😂😂. Man I have many multiple thousands of hours and i still go back

[@barjee8965]

What do you mean, he's clearly an Ark veteran XD

[@Nerdboy81]

LOL!!!! 100 hours!! Killing it.....thats a lot for me. LOL.... I am coming at this a noob. LOL.

[@kevinsmith420]

That's seems to be the way life works, we always hit walls or flat spots making us forget why we feel in love with whatever that may be. Brings in alot of different fears that us as humans or sensitive beings react to. What I'm starting to learn is there's a reason y we come across these walls or flat spots. That reason is to make sure you are going the right way, you could call it a test or insurance or whatever word fits. I guess my point is that I believe it's a protection of what you hold in your heart. I hope that makes sense Thanks again for your time

[@Nerdboy81]

Make sense and I agree and just making the video, reading the comments, etc....has given me guidance.

[@moosehanson2280]

Personally I haven’t felt the magic in a while but I’m hopeful

[@Nerdboy81]

Me too!!! I have hope....

[@alistairbolden6340]

They should not have split their community. Also they never solved the problems of piller/foundation spam on pve servers.

[@Robert-sd5wk]

You have to play unofficial. Official is full of greedy people that want every piece of land for themselves. Official is also too time consuming, the harvest and taming rates are terrible.

[@Nerdboy81]

I believe they should have launched ASA with a new map.....Not a remastered map and continued support for ASE...but what do I know....LOL

[@Robert-sd5wk]

@@Nerdboy81 Ark definitely needs a new map. Im bored with asa already. Started playing 7 days to die instead, its so much fun.

[@lizardKingCDXX]

I was with you until you said fallout 76 was a good game. You lost all credibility at that point... ASA has lots of issues, won't argue that, and will likely tank before 1.0 but it sounds like your main problem is starting over, if that's the case the game was never for you, starting over is the best part of about Ark. Its about the climb not the summit. Its why everyone always wants more maps. I think even a 100% perfect ASA release wouldn't have appealed to you.

[@Nerdboy81]

I don't recall saying fallout 76 was good, I gave it a 7/10 on my last video...ITS an ok game, not fully for me.....However I think some of the problem is that I haven't gotten far enough in my original play through and so the starting over is just not alluring but that is likely because I haven't really gotten to end game.....But I do have a plan...to hopefully fix this.....More to come. LOL

[@lizardKingCDXX]

@@Nerdboy81 It was a bit of hyperbole. Fallout 76 is a sore spot for me as I'm a big Bethesda fan (or was depending on how elder scrolls 6 goes) And yeah I could see if you are just getting over the death grind and starting to build momentum not wanting to stop. Curious if you've found a save game conversion or a console spawning equivalent...

[@DocPlaysBad]

Honestly man, most of the ark community feels robbed by ASA. I had maybe 200 hours in ASE. Never entered a cave. Never did a boss fight. I know the story, I consume Ark content like it's my lifeblood. Shit, I tried making a let's play on a paid mod map. I lobe that the foliage is as dense and challenging as it is. I lobe the graphic updates. I get the struggle to port from one engine to another. Yes. ASA was released before it was ready. Yes, content was minimal initially. Yes, there are PTW elements now. But the depth of the game is insane. Sure. Beat the bosses with the optimal dino. Easy. But bread and beat them with the worst ones? Sure. You can try. Build a Bob hut, ok, I do that. Build an amazing base on vanilla settings using every trick in the book? Epic. The possibilities are endless. Plus, my son loves when I play my "dino game," and he hasn't lost the magic. He plays Ark with "dinos" built out of Legos, or the actual dino toys he has. I love it.

[@Folfah]

200 hours... hah.

[@Nerdboy81]

Playing with your kid is MAGIC!!! That is one reason why I have started some Minecraft play throughs. My daughter loves it and that makes me love it....She also likes the "Dino Game" as long as every Dino is name Rylee. LOL

[@kamar1171]

Something that you're wrong about ASE/ASA and people "dropping off" playing ASA, it's not because the game makes them start all over. It's that ASA, in the beginning was not optimized enough for a lot of ASE player computers. Hopefully, with the Aberration update that will help a lot of people. But, saying it's because they have to start all over is so wrong. People start all over ALL THE TIME in ASE. It's a type of play through. People make series and seasons out of starting on The Island and playing all the way through to Gen 2. That's something that happens all the time. I understand, being a new player, you'd think that, because you don't want to start over on ASA Island after not even getting to finish ASE Island but for longtime players that's a totally normal thing. Another reason that player base on ASA will drop off a month or so after they release a new map is because all the seasoned players know how to play the game, they do the boss fight on the newest released map and then they have to sit around and wait for the next map to be released. Whereas with ASE, you have them all already. It's that simple.

[@Nerdboy81]

yeah I think I was just not feeling well and being just let down a little by the remaster...but I will go on eventually. LOL.

[@MindOfW]

True words

[@Nerdboy81]

THANKS!

[@MikeMoore9379]

I also took a break from ARK, been playing Dragons Dogma, Monster Hunter World and The Front, The Front is like ARK Omega but with zombies instead of Dinos, yes you can tame the zombies ...😁

[@Nerdboy81]

Interesting!!! I have played MinceCraft, Fallout 76, Subnautica, Baldersgate, and No Mans Sky! I will start or continue a Ark playthrough soon.

[@witchking6787]

20k hours deep, I still play more ASE than ASA, but I don't really feel like playing either that much. ARK burned me out on video games in general tbh. I've been going outside.

[@Nerdboy81]

Outside......Where the sun is ..... and grass....LOL.. COOl. LOl.

[@tankliluchuck]

2023? Lmao, try 2016. The magic is still going for me because I'm not a youtuber playing it for likes. 😂

[@spegaa2-994]

I’m currently raising 60 stegos in a tek vac base, I hate my life and wish to escape

[@xsomedudex]

@@spegaa2-994that’s good way to do it 😂

[@Nerdboy81]

It definitely did not start that way...In fact I never expected the channel to grow, but I hear what you are saying today...I was just having a conversation with a different creator and we were talking about chasing views v. enjoying what you do. Its a balance for sure!

[@kamar1171]

Oh boy, you obviously didn't play ASA much at all. To say "there's nothing new", other than it being "prettier", is just crazy. There are new dinos, there are new BETTER, simpler breeding mechanics, the new building mechanics are AWESOME, there are baby dinos that helps a beach bob get a starter dino faster, the boss fights are HELLA harder.....and I'm sure there's much more I'm not remembering. You really shouldn't make statements about things you obviously have no firsthand experience with. Gotta say, you're way off base on this statement as well.

[@Nerdboy81]

honestly I have not put enough time into ASA...Its true....It just doesn't hold me right now...but I do have a plan to see if I can turn that around...more to come.

[@leongt1954]

Got sick of playing Ark so went back to playing one of my old favourites The Elder Scrolls Daggerfall free on steam

[@Nerdboy81]

NICE!!!! Yeah I have played a few other games lately....been fun! I will be making a few videos on these.

[@krisgussler749]

Never lost it. I like playing Ark and ASA runs very smooth in my PC. No I don’t have a NASA computer. Just a normal PC with AMD graphics card.

[@Nerdboy81]

Thats Great! Glad you haven't had some of the issues other have had.

[@jbuenoloco]

100 hours is nothing in ark

[@Folfah]

i was gonna say. i have over 3.7k and those are considered casual hours

[@Nerdboy81]

True story! LOL

[@TheLangalear]

I'm with you, closing in on 10k hours on this game, it's lost its spark and I have no faith in the devs. I hope they do something that brings this game back, to me at least.

[@barjee8965]

Play anything for 10k hours and it will loose its spark, asa is an engine overhaul of ase, its the same, dont like it? ase still exists

[@Nerdboy81]

Fingers crossed for a rebound!!! I am hopeful!

[@mathieulemoyne8873]

Been playing since 2017, wildcard always been bad but i always thought it was incompetence. Now its just greed

[@Nerdboy81]

I hold out hope for more but maybe that is me being naïve.

[@Fresh-Eighty7]

Stick with ASE. Ive got 5k hours in ASE and 1.2k in ASA all official servers and can confirm they will never make the game as good as ASE was. ASE was a treat, Im almost jealous of the journey youll have if you do the full ASE story. The first time is a trip. ASA is a shameless attempt to cash in on the success of the IP.

[@Nerdboy81]

After making this video and reading comments....I have a plan to do that exact thing....I am going to go back to ASE and finish the Island story.

[@HallyVee]

One hundred hours in and already fighting bosses? Sounds like it's playstyle that's causing burnout. Rushing through skipping the content tends to kill fun.

[@Nerdboy81]

That could be part of it....I believe it was I got stuck in the vortex of ASE becoming ASA and not being thrilled with the ASA outcome....but maybe I am just crazy! LOL

[@Nioxs]

Kurtis is performing fine, maybe try PvP or other styles

[@Nerdboy81]

I have a plan after making this video....more to come.

[@walterjohnson9134]

Now I gotta go watch Peter Pan!!!!! 😂😂😂

[@Nerdboy81]

YES!!! Finally!!! I was so proud of my cut away! I do believe in fairies...I do I do! LOL!!

[@ThatFluffyMofo]

Honestly I enjoy the game BUT and this is a legitimate but, every update that comes with a breeding boost they hand out the timeout error and I miss out on event.

[@Nerdboy81]

Oh No! I mostly play solo so I don't have some of these issues.

[@waylontonne1441]

I just came on PS5 first time a week ago I'm enjoying bob tales and I'm solo bob

[@Nerdboy81]

I play on Xbox and solo as well. I did't get bobs tall tales but maybe someday!

[@Folfah]

when you started talking about stuff like clouds... you lost me haha. i have turn those off to even play with stable frames. even a 3060 aint enough

[@Nerdboy81]

LOL!!!!!! Thats like one of the main issues....YOu have to turn off clouds and fog....as a console player Its supposed to be optimized for the console...supposed to be anyway. LOL

[@Folfah]

@@Nerdboy81 i started Ark when it came out on the original xbone. I know the pain. In a way at least. Thought things would be better on pc hha

[@nicolazocca78]

I feel exactly the same

[@Nerdboy81]

Hopefully it turns the corner soon and the magic comes back!

[@TonyLawes]

Quite comfortable still playing ASE. I play on a great server with awesome Quality of Life mods. I bought ASA and Bob's tales, but a low level computer and poor internet stops me enjoying ASA.

[@Nerdboy81]

Thats Great! Hopefully with the update will come some better optimization that will help it run on lower specs....Fingers Crossed.

[@yeonsharien]

the loot beam now became transparent, I don't know what to do now.

[@barjee8965]

turn global illumination up

[@Nerdboy81]

OH JEEEz....Thats no good. Hope you figure it out.

[@mythcharmed2312]

ark ascended is beautiful but the i can never get used to the spawn rates being so low, I'm always traveling way too far to get good lvl tames :/

[@Nerdboy81]

It has moments for sure!!!

[@foxymacadoo]

Hi Nerdboy, Hope you are doing well. I still enjoy playing ASE. After watching many videos on ASA, I decided not to buy it for my PC. In my opinion, it lacks the colour, beauty and feel of ASE. I have all the paid and DLC Maps for ASE and have played a few others available on Steam. To me ASA is more of just a glorified and expensive version of ASE. I know of a few big Streamers who have gone back to ASE after losing interest in ASA. You are not alone in feeling the way you do. In my opinion, you should restart the Centre or play one of the other paid or free DLC maps. You would enjoy several of the other maps such as Ragnaroc, which I know vey well as it is my favorite map lol I think the main problem, other than the game known issues with ASA, is that it is to familiar despite the small changes to the maps. As one Streamer I watch recently said "I missed the green and open fields and all the colours of ASE. ASA is dull and has to much browns and grays, no big open plains etc. compare to ASE. He has recently started a new series on ASE. From what I have seen, I agree with him.

[@Nerdboy81]

FOXY!!!! You know that is a great point......It does lack color for sure! I think I am going to try and finish the Island story on ASE and figure out what is next after that!

[@thede3tecto]

I can't stand ASA and I have buyers regret! I will continue to play ASE.

[@Nerdboy81]

It seems to be a common feeling.

[@CDuff86]

You've been playing for less than a year, and have less hours on the game than I have on my least played map. Yet you feel that you have the knowledge to comment on the game as a whole? Goddam, that's a bold move. ASA is a better game, by leagues. The problems that ASA face are usually related to people with subpar hardware. It's an absolute pig to run. If you had decent hardware, and cranked ASA to the top quality, you'd understand why. Breeding is better. Building is better. Graphics are better. Dinos are better (the ones we have). Maps are expansive and lush. It genuinely feels prehistoric. (hence the part you claim you feel small. You ARE small) Here's the meat and potatoes and my feelings on the state of the game. The community is faced with 2 choices. Play content they've already played (Island, Scorched and soon, Aberration) and were notoriously the least played maps. Gen2, Fjordur, Extinction, Ragnarok ... all hold a chokehold for many of us. Or, 2, stay on ASE on a map you like, with your progress over the last 10 years and wait. I didn't WANT to start over, but I'm glad I did. The map cycle could be a little faster, yes ... but this is fine. Mod maps make it even better! People that love the later maps, when ARK really reached the pinnacle ... they'll port over when the maps drop. PAY2WIN isn't real. There's nothing about ARK that's Pay2Win. The Pyromane isn't that good of a tame and the Oasisaur is probably the worst thing ever created. You do not miss out on anything and you do not get locked behind a wall if you don't spend $5 on a Pyromane. This argument comes from people that have nothin to offer by way of opinion and just resort to bandwagon comments. Keep playing. Actually learn the maps. Experience the game. A few hours isn't nearly enough. IMO ... upgrade your PC. You'll see just how insane the graphics can be. UE5.4 apparently brings frame gen for those of you with low tier specs. That may be enough to get you into the game more.

[@CDuff86]

I should mention that I am a private map player. I play on a cluster with people that I've grown to enjoy. The game is a dinosaur breeding game with sub par boss battles and boring grind loops. The whole point of the game is different to every one of us.

[@Nerdboy81]

I am a pleb....I play on....Console....LOL!!! I will play more though, the update just didn't hold me like I hoped. But making this video and reading comments, I have a plan!

[@CDuff86]

@Nerdboy81 that makes more sense. I was not a fan of how limited and installed console was. I'm hoping that you guys will see an improvement with the new engine update. Half of my server plays on console and it's BRUTAL for them. I have few issues.

[@Nerdboy81]

@@CDuff86 fingers crossed it gets better.

[@paisley4918]

Ase is finished, asa is not even 10% done. Why people complaining

[@Nerdboy81]

I tried not to complain...I still have hope for it, just the magic got lost recently...I have a plan to try and get back into this game!

[@paisley4918]

@Nerdboy81 to be fair I think you made the mistake of putting your channel views ahead of your personal gaming experience. I have about 1,300 hours in ASA and I'm very hooked on it. So if the magic is gone for you after just a couple hundred hours I'd say either the game isn't for you or you simply jumped around to much and don't have a real playthrough.

[@Nerdboy81]

There is probably some truth in this as well.

[@loganskiwyse7823]

No, because it has nothing to do with ASA. It is boredom with the overall game, both ASE and ASA. Too much time has made the dopamine level for play become just stagnation. Perfectly normal after so many years playing the same game. Everyone goes through this, when the passion is gone. Games, relationships. Time to find something else that triggers that dopamine feel goods again.

[@Nerdboy81]

Agreed and even making this video, playing other games, I have had that urge to play again....so that is good. LOL.

[@loganskiwyse7823]

@@Nerdboy81 chuckles. Wish it was that easy for me. Reason I used the word "dopamine" moderate autism, severe ADHD. Plus, yada yada yada. Just kickstarting the brain to do anything is a major challenge.

[@Nerdboy81]

I am partly trying to fool myself LOL. Games can be both great and a chore at the same time....especially trying to be a content creator.

[@loganskiwyse7823]

@@Nerdboy81 When you make your pleasure your job, sometimes it becomes a work of love, other times your pleasure is gets lost in the translation.

[@Kingcochise]

do you know why console player can't use mods in the first game

[@Nerdboy81]

I don't.....I assume it had to do with technology capabilities...but I don't actually know.

[@GeoBot_Gaming]

Hi, ASE is truly ARK... ASA is more like a shawarma, end of story.

[@Nerdboy81]

LOL....I agree. LOL.

[@williammcleroy558]

I mean, consider ASE never got fully fixed why place any faith at all into ASA? I refuse to even buy it. ARK 2 will release and it will be only borderline playable but they will have 10 paid DLCs ready before you can enjoy the main game.... WildCard stinks! Play some Conan Exiles or Palworld! 😂 Heck, even go back to Minecraft! 🤣

[@Nerdboy81]

Spoiler alert....I have been playing Minecraft recently...working on a video for that soon. I dabbled for like a few hours in Palworld....Still want to put in more hours...

[@williammcleroy558]

@@Nerdboy81 Good stuff! I love all these games. They are good fun with high replay value. I still live Ark also. I just refuse to support ASA since I invested so much into ASE and they never fully fixed it...

[@FreeDrake]

bro how u get bored after 100h only people like me have thousands of hours on island only

[@Nerdboy81]

I think I got sucked into the vortex of the updates hitting when I started and thus causing me get lost. LOL.

[@MrThc247]

the only enjoyable time of fo76 was the early days when it was a beautiful mess

[@Nerdboy81]

LOL!!!

[@gatorbite9816]

I uninstalled ascended and play modded ASE, a much better game even looks better inho.If Aberration is not great I'll be done with ASE, the immersion just isn't there so far.

[@Nerdboy81]

I hope the game gets better with the new maps...fingers crossed!

[@holzu1990]

i got 2000 h in evolved and i will keep playing that the new version and all around is a shitshow makes me sad tbh well...

[@Nerdboy81]

Makes me sad too! But I have hope it will turn around!

[@Hunter-bi7qe]

I am enjoying ASA I do not play on the official servers there to slow and replaying on them without mods and QOL stuff just isn't appealing at all

[@Nerdboy81]

Eventually I will go back to ASA and that will be me too...just good old vanilla solo ark....I am boring LOL.

[@eukaryotic366]

It's becoming too monetized for my liking.. Really premium dinos that require extra purchase to tame?? Really ARK? I get paying expensions but... paying to tame certain dinos????

[@Nerdboy81]

Yeah I am not a huge fan of the micro transactions either....

[@sanel273]

If you play games to enjoy them you going to enjoy in the games but when you play to get money on game then game is boring

[@Nerdboy81]

Well as much as I would like to make money playing games....I have not made much LOL.....But I get what you are saying!

[@KoshTimeStepper]

ASA=ASR Ark Survival Reskinned. Plain and simple

[@barjee8965]

With completely redone cave systems, new dinos and improved AI

[@Nerdboy81]

HAHAHA I LIKE THAT. LOL. ASR....

[@kenshinhimura9387]

These kind of games are for people with no life. Who wants to spend an entire day just taming a big dino?

[@Nerdboy81]

LOL!!!! I just told my sister who plays Ark, that it takes too long to tame some creatures...she said adjust the rates and you can play faster.....hmmm...

[@sneakyb8731]

Ark is DEAD and DONE. The management from wildcard and Snail games has killed the game and it's too far gone now .

[@Prosperous-h9x]

And now there are literally NO good pvp survival games

[@Nerdboy81]

That is my concern....I still question if Ark 2 will ever happen!

[@TorqueKMA]

Sigh... another pve player. "The stress of retaming an argie" - lol

[@Nerdboy81]

Yeah I am a nerd. LOL.

[@DarkMegaPlague]

the game is broken,,, I have graphic cards from last year with other compatible components from year 2022, but they are better than what the game recommendations are but the game looks like shit and the performance is awful.

[@barjee8965]

What are the specs?

[@Nerdboy81]

Hopefully they can get it working and turn it around!!!

[@MurkaMonsta_]

1256h on asa and had 4k on ase its ark and I will play ever map agin because it's ark baby!!! And if u knw you knw

[@Nerdboy81]

Thats awesome.