Taming creatures is a core mechanic in Ark: Survival Evolved. A crucial, though often overlooked, aspect of effective taming is understanding the starvation process. This guide delves into the intricacies of starving a tame in Ark, explaining why it’s essential, how to execute it properly, and the potential pitfalls to avoid.
Why Starve Taming is Important
Starve taming is a technique that involves allowing a creature’s food meter to deplete significantly before force-feeding it the taming food. This maximizes the effectiveness of each piece of food, leading to a faster and more efficient taming process. Essentially, you’re giving the creature a massive boost in taming effectiveness with each meal.
Traditional taming methods often involve feeding the creature as soon as it becomes hungry. While this works, it’s far less efficient. Starve taming allows you to utilize the creature’s torpor depletion to your advantage. When a creature’s food drops low, and you then feed it, the taming effectiveness increases significantly.
This is particularly valuable when taming high-level creatures that require substantial amounts of food and time. Without employing starve taming, you risk the taming process being interrupted or failing altogether due to various factors like damage, resource depletion, or unexpected server issues.
Starve taming also conserves resources. By feeding fewer pieces of the taming food, you save valuable time and materials, which is especially crucial in the early and mid-game. It’s about smart resource management.
The Mechanics of Starve Taming
Understanding how food depletion and taming effectiveness are linked is paramount for successful starve taming. The rate at which a creature’s food depletes varies based on several factors, including the creature’s species, level, and current activity.
Every creature in Ark has a food stat, determining how much food it can store. This food stat depletes over time. The rate of depletion is affected by activities like moving, attacking, or even simply being awake. Higher-level creatures generally have higher food stats, meaning they take longer to starve.
Taming effectiveness is a percentage that represents how well the creature’s stats will be preserved after taming. Each time you feed a creature, the taming effectiveness decreases slightly. The larger the food replenishment, the bigger the drop in effectiveness. Starve taming minimizes the number of feedings, therefore reducing the overall effectiveness drop.
Torpor, the state of unconsciousness required for taming, is also intrinsically linked to the starvation process. As a creature’s food depletes, its torpor drops at a slower rate. This allows you to wait longer between feeding intervals, further maximizing the effectiveness of each feeding. Maintaining adequate torpor is crucial throughout the entire process.
Step-by-Step Guide to Starve Taming
Successfully executing a starve tame requires careful planning and execution. Here’s a detailed breakdown of the steps involved:
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Preparation: Before attempting to tame, gather all the necessary resources. This includes the appropriate taming food (berries, crops, kibble), narcotics or biotoxin to maintain torpor, and any equipment needed for protection and containment.
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Knocking Out the Creature: Use a tranquilizing method (tranquilizer darts, tranq arrows, shock darts, or clubs) to render the creature unconscious. Avoid dealing excessive damage, as this will lower the taming effectiveness and potentially kill the creature. Headshots are generally more effective but can also be riskier.
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Initial Observation: Once the creature is unconscious, observe its food meter. Note the initial food value and the rate at which it’s depleting. This will help you estimate when the creature will be ready for its first feeding.
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Torpor Management: Throughout the starvation process, continuously monitor the creature’s torpor. Use narcotics or biotoxin to keep the torpor meter high enough to prevent the creature from waking up. A good rule of thumb is to keep the torpor above 50% of its maximum.
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Calculate the Starvation Point: Determine how low you want the food meter to drop before the first feeding. Aim for a significant depletion, ideally close to zero. Some players use taming calculators to predict the exact starvation time and food requirement.
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The First Feeding: When the creature’s food reaches the desired low point, feed it the taming food. Pay close attention to the taming effectiveness percentage. The goal is to maximize the increase in the taming meter with each feeding while minimizing the drop in effectiveness.
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Subsequent Feedings: After the first feeding, continue to monitor the food meter and torpor. Allow the food to deplete again before administering the next feeding. Repeat this process until the taming meter reaches 100%.
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Post-Taming: Once the taming process is complete, allow the creature to fully replenish its food before using it for any activities. This will ensure it’s at optimal health and performance.
Choosing the Right Taming Food
The choice of taming food significantly impacts the speed and effectiveness of the taming process. Different creatures have different preferences, and using the preferred food will always yield the best results.
Kibble is generally the most effective taming food. Each kibble type is tailored to a specific group of creatures, providing a significant boost to taming speed and effectiveness. However, kibble can be resource-intensive to produce, requiring specific eggs and ingredients.
Crops are a viable alternative to kibble, especially in the early to mid-game. Different crops offer varying levels of taming effectiveness, with Amarberry, Azulberry, Tintoberry, and Mejoberry being the most common options. Mejoberry is generally the most effective berry for taming herbivores.
Meat is the primary taming food for carnivores. Raw meat is the most basic option, but cooked meat provides a slight improvement in taming effectiveness. Raw prime meat and cooked prime meat offer the best results for carnivores, significantly reducing taming time and increasing effectiveness.
Here’s a simple breakdown of common food types and their general effectiveness:
- Kibble: Highest taming effectiveness and fastest taming time.
- Prime Meat (Raw or Cooked): High taming effectiveness for carnivores.
- Mejoberries: Decent taming effectiveness for herbivores.
- Other Berries: Lower taming effectiveness for herbivores.
- Raw Meat: Lower taming effectiveness for carnivores.
Essential Tools and Resources
Several tools and resources can greatly assist in the starve taming process:
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Taming Calculators: These online tools provide precise calculations for starvation times, food requirements, and torpor management. They take into account the creature’s species, level, and the type of taming food being used.
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Narcotics or Biotoxin: Essential for maintaining torpor throughout the taming process. Biotoxin is generally more potent than narcotics but can be harder to obtain.
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Tranquilizing Weapons: Tranq darts, tranq arrows, shock darts, and clubs are used to knock out the creature. Choose the appropriate weapon based on the creature’s size and resistance.
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Storage Containers: Keep a supply of taming food and narcotics readily available in nearby storage containers. This will minimize travel time and ensure you don’t run out of essential resources.
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Protective Gear: Wear armor to protect yourself from potential threats, especially when taming in dangerous areas.
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A Taming Pen: Constructing a simple enclosure can prevent the creature from wandering off or being attacked by predators during the taming process.
Potential Challenges and How to Overcome Them
Starve taming, while effective, is not without its challenges. Here are some common issues and strategies for overcoming them:
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Unexpected Aggression: Some creatures may become aggressive even while unconscious, potentially damaging themselves and lowering taming effectiveness. Use a sturdy taming pen to prevent escapes and minimize damage.
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Interference from Predators: Wild predators can attack the unconscious creature, interrupting the taming process and potentially killing it. Clear the surrounding area of any threats before initiating the tame. Consider building walls around the taming area for added protection.
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Server Issues: Server lag, crashes, or restarts can disrupt the taming process and potentially cause the creature to wake up or despawn. Choose a stable server with reliable uptime.
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Resource Depletion: Running out of taming food or narcotics can lead to the taming process failing. Always gather more resources than you think you’ll need.
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Incorrect Calculations: Miscalculating the starvation time or food requirements can lead to the creature waking up prematurely or the taming effectiveness dropping significantly. Double-check your calculations and use a reliable taming calculator.
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Torpor Depletion: Failing to maintain adequate torpor can cause the creature to wake up before the taming process is complete. Regularly administer narcotics or biotoxin to keep the torpor meter high.
Advanced Starve Taming Techniques
For experienced players, several advanced techniques can further optimize the starve taming process:
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Using Taming Boosts: Some server settings or events may offer taming boosts, increasing the taming speed and effectiveness. Take advantage of these boosts to tame creatures more quickly and efficiently.
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Strategic Placement of Structures: Placing structures like beds or sleeping bags near the taming area allows you to quickly respawn if you die, minimizing downtime.
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Utilizing Tribe Members: Enlist the help of tribe members to share the responsibilities of gathering resources, monitoring torpor, and protecting the taming creature. Teamwork makes the dream work!
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Pre-Taming Preparation: Scout the area where you plan to tame and clear any potential threats beforehand. This will minimize the risk of interruptions during the taming process.
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Understanding Creature-Specific Quirks: Some creatures have unique behaviors or requirements that can affect the taming process. Research the specific creature you’re trying to tame to avoid any surprises.
By mastering the art of starve taming, you can significantly improve your efficiency in Ark: Survival Evolved and acquire powerful creatures more quickly and effectively. Remember to prioritize safety, resource management, and careful planning to ensure a successful taming experience. Good luck, survivor!
What is “starve taming” and why would I use it?
Starve taming is a specific method of taming creatures in Ark: Survival Evolved where you wait for a creature’s food to deplete significantly before feeding it the food it prefers. This maximizes the taming effectiveness gained from each individual food item, as the creature’s torpor bar remains relatively stable during the starvation period, preventing it from waking up unexpectedly due to torpor depletion. The effectiveness of the taming process heavily relies on the taming effectiveness percentage, which determines the stats your newly tamed creature will have post-taming.
The main advantage of starve taming is higher taming effectiveness. By waiting for the creature to be almost completely starved before feeding it, you can often achieve near-perfect taming, resulting in a creature with significantly better stats and levels compared to simply feeding it as soon as it’s knocked out. While it’s slower and requires more patience, especially with creatures that have a high food consumption rate, the reward of a superior tame is well worth the effort for many players, especially when taming high-level creatures.
How do I calculate the starvation time needed for a creature?
Calculating starvation time accurately is crucial for successful starve taming. You’ll need to determine the creature’s food consumption rate (how quickly its food stat decreases) and its total food value. This information is readily available on various Ark wiki pages or taming calculators. Once you have these values, divide the creature’s total food by its food consumption rate per minute to determine the total time it takes to starve.
However, you don’t want to let the creature starve completely! Subtract the amount of food replenished by your chosen taming food from the creature’s total food before dividing to get the ideal starvation time. Then, consider adding a small buffer to the calculation, subtracting a few minutes to account for potential inaccuracies in the consumption rate. Monitoring the creature’s food stat closely as you approach the calculated time is essential for ensuring a successful tame.
What happens if the creature wakes up during starve taming?
If a creature wakes up during the starve taming process, it generally means that its torpor dropped to zero before its food had depleted enough for the full taming effect. This is a common problem, especially with creatures that have a naturally low torpor or a fast torpor decay rate. The creature will become aggressive, and you’ll need to knock it out again to continue the taming process.
To prevent this, ensure you have enough narcotics or biotoxin on hand to keep the creature unconscious while it’s starving. Periodically check the creature’s torpor bar and administer narcotics/biotoxin as needed. Using higher-quality narcotics, like biotoxin, can significantly extend the duration of the torpor effect, making the taming process much smoother and less risky. Keeping a close eye on the creature’s torpor level and preemptively using torpor-inducing items are crucial to preventing wake-ups.
What food should I use for starve taming?
The best food to use for starve taming depends on the creature you’re trying to tame. Every creature has a preferred food, which provides the highest taming effectiveness and taming affinity. Taming affinity affects how much the taming meter increases with each feeding. Generally, kibble offers the best taming effectiveness and affinity, followed by specific meats, berries, or other creature-specific food items.
Prioritize using the creature’s preferred kibble whenever possible, as it will significantly reduce the taming time and improve the final stats of the tamed creature. If kibble isn’t feasible, research the creature’s other preferred foods and use the highest-quality available. For carnivores, this would be raw prime meat; for herbivores, specific berries are often preferred. Using lower-quality foods will still work, but it will result in a lower taming effectiveness and a longer taming process.
How does taming effectiveness impact the tamed creature’s stats?
Taming effectiveness directly affects the number of bonus levels and the distribution of stat points your tamed creature receives. A higher taming effectiveness results in a higher number of bonus levels, which are added to the creature’s base level. These bonus levels are randomly distributed across the creature’s stats, such as health, stamina, melee damage, and weight. A creature with a taming effectiveness of 99% or higher will gain a significant advantage in stats compared to a creature tamed at a lower effectiveness.
This is why starve taming is so valuable. Maximizing taming effectiveness through starve taming is essentially like “rolling the dice” for better stat distribution. While you can’t control which stats receive the bonus levels, a higher number of bonus levels increases the probability of favorable outcomes, resulting in a stronger, more resilient, and more capable tamed creature. Therefore, prioritizing taming effectiveness through starve taming is crucial for obtaining the best possible tame.
What are some creatures that benefit greatly from starve taming?
Creatures with naturally high stats or those that are difficult to tame benefit the most from starve taming. High-level creatures, in particular, gain significant advantages from the bonus levels granted by high taming effectiveness. Creatures like Wyverns, Griffins, Rock Drakes, and Megalodons, which often require substantial investment to acquire, are prime candidates for starve taming to maximize their potential.
Creatures with rare or difficult-to-obtain kibble are also ideal candidates. Starve taming allows you to conserve valuable resources by ensuring each piece of kibble contributes to the greatest extent possible. It also provides a more favorable taming result, maximizing the stats your creature will retain. It’s also worthwhile to employ the starve taming method when taming creatures with low torpor values, like the Ichthyornis or Pegomastax, where it is more difficult to keep them unconscious during the standard taming process.
Are there any risks associated with starve taming?
Yes, there are several risks to consider when using the starve taming method. The primary risk is that the creature could wake up if its torpor drops to zero before its food is sufficiently depleted. This can lead to the loss of the tame, as you’ll need to knock it out again, and repeated knockouts negatively impact taming effectiveness. Incorrect starvation time calculations can also lead to premature waking.
Another risk is that the creature could be attacked by wild predators while unconscious and vulnerable. Ensure the taming area is secure and clear of threats. Furthermore, starvation taming takes a significant amount of time and requires continuous monitoring, which can be inconvenient or impractical depending on your gameplay style. It’s also important to ensure you have an adequate supply of narcotics or biotoxin to keep the creature unconscious throughout the process. Weighing the benefits against these risks is crucial before choosing to use the starve taming method.