Balanced Cooking Plus 2
Surviving the harsh landscapes of ARK: Survival Ascended demands more than just a sturdy base and a loyal tame. You need a reliable way to keep your tribe fed, hydrated, and buffed. The vanilla cooking structures get the job done, but they often feel clunky and slow, especially when you are managing a large tribe or preparing for a boss fight. This is where Balanced Cooking Plus 2 steps in, offering a complete overhaul of your culinary workflow. This mod replaces the mundane Camp Fire and Cooking Pot with superior, feature-rich versions that prioritize efficiency and convenience without breaking the game's balance.
Why Replace Your Vanilla Cooking Stations?
The core philosophy of Balanced Cooking Plus 2 is to streamline the cooking process while respecting the survival grind. You won't find overpowered mechanics here; instead, you get smart upgrades that save you time and resources. The mod introduces three distinct structures: the CampFire Plus, the Cooking Pot Plus, and the Chibi Cooker. Each one is designed to handle a specific aspect of your food preparation, ensuring you have the right tool for every recipe.
CampFire Plus: The Perfect Early-Game Companion
For survivors just starting out, the CampFire Plus is a godsend. It retains the familiar warmth and utility of the vanilla version but adds significant quality-of-life improvements. With a massive 100 inventory slots, you can load it up with raw meat and let it cook while you go out exploring. The health pool is doubled to 400, making it far more resilient against raids or accidental damage from wandering dinos.
- Double Cooking Speed: Get your meat cooked in half the time, allowing you to stockpile food quickly.
- Extended Fuel Burning: The fuel lasts significantly longer, meaning less time chopping wood and more time adventuring.
- Blueprint Display: The structure shows all craftable blueprints directly in its inventory, so you never have to guess what you can make.
- Customizable Flames: Personalize your base's ambiance with a unique Flame Color UI, letting you set the mood without losing functionality.
- Craftable Spoiled Meat: A handy feature that lets you convert spoiled meat quickly without waiting for the natural decay timer.
Cooking Pot Plus: The Culinary Powerhouse
When you move on to complex recipes like Kibble or custom dishes, the Cooking Pot Plus becomes your central hub. It boasts an impressive 2000 health, ensuring it can withstand heavy combat situations. The 150 inventory slots mean you can queue up multiple batches of recipes without constantly managing ingredients. Just like the CampFire Plus, it cooks at double speed and burns fuel longer, making mass production of valuable consumables a breeze.
The blueprint system is particularly useful here, as it allows you to see exactly what ingredients are needed for each recipe. This eliminates the frustration of trial-and-error cooking. Furthermore, the mod is designed with future updates in mind. The developer, DeltaStrium, has confirmed that a comprehensive set of farming features will be added over time, making this a long-term investment for your server.
Chibi Cooker: For the Collector and Breeder
The Chibi Cooker is a unique addition that sets this mod apart. It allows you to craft Chibis of your choice directly, bypassing the randomness of loot drops. With 3000 health and 100 inventory slots, it is a robust structure perfect for any base. While all Chibis are available in the cooker, it is important to note that not all of them function yet due to the ASA port. As new creatures are added to the game, their corresponding Chibis will begin working. For now, stick to Chibis from creatures available on The Island to avoid disappointment.
Mod Compatibility and Game Versions
This mod is specifically optimized for the latest versions of ARK: Survival Ascended. The developer is committed to keeping the mod updated alongside the game's frequent patches. It works seamlessly with other popular mods, though you should always check for specific load order requirements. If you are using a mod that alters vanilla cooking structures, you may need to adjust your stack to ensure Balanced Cooking Plus 2 takes priority. The mod is designed to be a drop-in replacement, so you can remove the vanilla engrams and use these upgraded versions instead.
How to Install and Get Started
Learning how to install this mod is straightforward. You can find it on the official mod repository for ARK: Survival Ascended. Simply subscribe to the mod and enable it in your server's mod list. For single-player, it will activate upon loading your save. The installation process is seamless, and you will find the new engrams available to learn immediately. To download Balanced Cooking Plus 2, ensure your game is fully updated to the latest patch to avoid compatibility issues.
If you are looking for a streamlined way to manage your mods, consider using the foxygame.net launcher. It offers a one-click install for Balanced Cooking Plus 2 and automatically manages version compatibility, ensuring your game files remain stable. The launcher's add-on catalog makes it easy to browse and install updates without manually searching through forums, saving you valuable time before you jump into the game.
Community Support and Development
The team behind Balanced Cooking Plus 2 is highly active and responsive. They encourage bug reports and suggestions through their Discord server, where you can chat directly with the developers. This open line of communication ensures that the mod evolves based on player feedback. The developer has also implemented a backup system to protect the mod files, guaranteeing that your progress and the mod itself are never permanently lost due to unforeseen circumstances.
If you enjoy the mod, consider supporting the developer through Patreon or a donation. This helps fund continued development and allows them to create more quality mods like Balanced Kibble 2 and Balanced Narcotics 2. Leaving a positive rating and adding the mod to your favorites also boosts its visibility, helping the community grow.
Final Thoughts
In a game where efficiency is key to survival, Balanced Cooking Plus 2 is an essential addition to your mod list. It respects the core gameplay loop while removing the tedious aspects of cooking. Whether you are a solo survivor or leading a massive tribe, the upgraded structures will save you hours of grinding. With its promise of future farming features and ongoing support, this mod is not just a temporary fix but a permanent upgrade to your ARK experience. Download it today and taste the difference.