Additional A+
If you have spent any time grinding resources in ARK: Survival Ascended, you know the pain of waiting for a forge to slowly smelt metal or a fridge that lets your prime meat spoil overnight. The base game is a survival marathon, but sometimes you want to sprint. That is where the Additional A+ add-on steps in, acting as a quality-of-life overhaul that supercharges your crafting, storage, and decoration options without breaking the core survival loop.
This is not a complete replacement for the game. Instead, Additional A+ for ARK: Survival Ascended is a test version of an A+ mod addition designed to work alongside the ARKALAS and A+ Item Lite mods. It bridges the gap between vanilla progression and the endgame convenience you crave, offering a suite of engrams that feel powerful but still require you to gather the necessary resources.
What Does the Additional A+ Add-On Include?
The core philosophy behind this add-on is simple: remove the tedious bottlenecks. You will still need to explore, tame, and gather, but the processing and storage side of the game gets a massive upgrade. The mod focuses on three primary pillars: crafting speed, storage capacity, and festive flair.
Boosted Engrams and Crafting Speed
One of the first things you will notice is the addition of craftable engrams that are typically locked behind progression walls. The add-on introduces a TEK Engram that is craftable, alongside a Mortar Engram and a Fabricator Engram. This means you are not waiting for specific boss fights or level caps to access essential machinery. You can build your industrial base much earlier in your playthrough.
The star of the show, however, is the A+ Engram. This blueprint unlocks the A+ Industrial Stove, which operates at a blistering speed of 10,000,000 with a capacity of 1,000 units. Whether you are cooking hundreds of kibble or mass-producing jerky, this stove eliminates the wait time entirely. Similarly, the A+ Forge offers 1,000 slots and a speed multiplier of x1000, turning a mountain of ore into ingots in seconds.
Storage and Logistics Solutions
Inventory management is often the silent killer of fun in survival games. Additional A+ addresses this head-on. The Water A+ Safe provides a staggering 1,000 slots for all your water-based resources and fluids. More importantly, the A+ Fridge drastically slows down spoilage, meaning your cooked meals and raw prime meat will last for an incredibly long time, making long expeditions far less stressful.
For those who love taming and breeding, the A+ Dino Leash has been enlarged and given a speed boost of x1000. This allows you to keep your creatures in a much larger area without them wandering off, while also increasing the speed at which they interact with the leash boundary. It is a subtle but welcome quality-of-life improvement for base management.
Halloween-Themed Decorations
Beyond the practical upgrades, the add-on includes a selection of spooky decorations to customize your base. The list features a Statue Phoemiw, a Frame Arkalas, and a Frame Arkaloween to hang on your walls. You can also craft a Pink Pumpkin, a Scarecrow, and a set of Tomb x3 for a graveyard aesthetic. For a more whimsical touch, there is a Pumpkin Witch Cat, a Gisabelle figure, and a Rex Decoration (uncolored) alongside a Rhyniognata Decoration. These items are purely cosmetic but add a layer of personality to your survivor's home.
Compatibility and Installation
Before you rush to download Additional A+, it is crucial to understand the compatibility matrix. This add-on is explicitly designed as a test version for the ARKALAS and A+ Item Lite mods. It is not a standalone overhaul. You will need those base mods installed for the engrams to function correctly. The add-on is currently tailored for the latest versions of ARK: Survival Ascended, but as with any test build, expect potential bugs or imbalances.
When you are ready to proceed, the how to install process is straightforward. You will need to subscribe to the mod on the Steam Workshop or your platform's mod browser, ensuring you also have the prerequisite mods loaded. Once activated, the new engrams will appear in your engram list. If you are using the foxygame.net launcher, you will find that managing your mod list is a breeze; it allows you to enable Additional A+ with a one-click install, and the launcher's add-on catalog automatically checks for version compatibility with your current game build, preventing the dreaded "mod mismatch" errors that can corrupt a save file.
Is It Worth the Download?
If you are tired of waiting on timers and want to focus on the exploration and taming aspects of ARK, then yes. Additional A+ for ARK: Survival Ascended transforms the mid-game grind into a streamlined experience. The x1000 speed multipliers on the forge and stove are not subtle; they are game-changing. The 1,000-slot storage units mean you can hoard resources without building a warehouse full of metal boxes.
Furthermore, the inclusion of craftable TEK and Fabricator engrams removes the frustration of being locked out of essential QoL items. It allows solo players and small tribes to reach endgame-level infrastructure much faster. The Halloween decorations are a nice bonus, providing unique aesthetic options that you will not find in the vanilla game.
Final Thoughts
While it is a test version, Additional A+ delivers on its promise of convenience. It is a must-have for players who value their time and want to minimize the "chore" aspect of base building. Just remember to back up your saves before installing any test mod, and ensure you have the required dependencies. The speed, storage, and crafting options make it a compelling addition to any modded ARK: Survival Ascended setup. If you are ready to stop waiting, this is the add-on for you.