Cheesy Structures
Building in ARK: Survival Ascended is about creativity, efficiency, and overcoming the limits of the vanilla snap points. The Cheesy Structures mod is designed to shatter those limits, offering a suite of quality-of-life building enhancements and new crafting stations that streamline your progression from a thatch hut to a tek fortress. This guide dives deep into the features, installation, and compatibility of this essential add-on.
Why Choose Cheesy Structures for ARK: Survival Ascended?
This mod isn't just about adding new items; it's about redefining how you approach base design. It addresses common frustrations with the base game, such as the inability to snap water intakes to rafts or the fragility of glass greenhouses. By integrating seamlessly with vanilla engrams, it ensures that your progression feels natural. All new engrams require the vanilla counterpart as a prerequisite but cost zero engram points, meaning you can unlock the entire mod without sacrificing your character's skill build.
Expanded Crafting Stations: More Space, More Function
One of the standout features is the overhaul of crafting stations. The mod introduces "Cheesy" variants of essential stations that boast significantly expanded inventory slots, reducing the need for multiple storage boxes nearby.
Key Station Variants
- Smithy: The new version allows you to convert Cheesy Structures to Vanilla and vice versa, giving you flexibility in your building materials.
- Fabricator: Available in a Vanilla size and a Medium variant that fits on 1.5 squares, perfect for tight spaces.
- Chemistry Bench: Comes in a Vanilla and Medium variant that fits neatly on a single square.
- Industrial Cooker: Similar to the Chemistry Bench, offering a space-saving Medium variant for compact kitchens.
- Industrial Forge: This comes in four variants: Vanilla, Large (fits under a ceiling 2 walls high), Medium (fits on 1 square), and Small (fits under a ceiling 1 wall high). This variety is a game-changer for base layout.
- Industrial Grill: Now also cooks jerky, adding a new layer of utility to your cooking station.
- Campfire, Cooking Pot, Feeding Trough, Refining Forge, and Large Crop Plot: All receive expanded inventory slots to make resource management less tedious.
Revolutionary Building Pieces
The mod shines brightest with its structural additions, enabling builds that were previously impossible or required complex workarounds.
Snappy Water Intakes
Say goodbye to awkward pipe systems. The mod adds stone and metal water intakes that can be placed anywhere, including on rafts. These intakes snap perfectly to foundations and ceilings, making water access for aquatic bases and mobile rafts incredibly simple.
Strong Greenhouses
Greenhouse structures are vital for crop growth, but their glass-like fragility is a major downside. Cheesy Structures adds a set of greenhouse pieces that retain the same visual aesthetic but resist damage like stone. A secret door is also included in the greenhouse wall variants, perfect for hidden rooms or secure vaults.
Foundation Ceilings and Stackable Foundations
These two features completely change base expansion. Foundation Ceilings act as foundations, allowing you to extend your platform beyond its normal range. The "Garage" and "Barn Door" variants snap to any wall point, offering incredible design freedom. Stackable Foundations allow you to snap new foundations to the side of existing ones or stack them vertically on land bases, letting you create multi-level structures without the need for pillars. The first foundation must be placed on the ground or a platform saddle to anchor the build.
Installation and Compatibility
Getting started is straightforward. To download Cheesy Structures, navigate to the mod page on the Steam Workshop or your preferred mod manager. For those using the foxygame.net launcher, the process is even simpler: the launcher features a dedicated add-on catalog where you can find Cheesy Structures and install it with a single click, bypassing manual file management. The launcher also handles auto-updates, ensuring you always have the latest version compatible with the current build of ARK: Survival Ascended.
For manual installation, ensure you have the latest version of the game. The mod is designed to be compatible with the current major releases of ARK: Survival Ascended. After downloading, place the mod folder into your game's "Mods" directory and enable it in the game's mod list before starting your server.
How to Install and Configure
Once you have downloaded the mod, installing it is a simple drag-and-drop process if you are not using a launcher. However, to ensure a smooth experience, follow these steps on how to install:
- Subscribe to the mod on the Steam Workshop.
- Launch the game and ensure the mod is active in your mod list.
- For dedicated servers, add the mod ID to your server's mod list.
The mod also includes INI configs for server admins. In your GameUserSettings.ini file, you can add the following under the [CheesyStructures] header: FoundationCeilings=True. Set this to False if you want the Foundation Ceilings to work like vanilla ceilings, preserving the original game balance for your players.
Known Issues and Final Thoughts
It is important to note that removing this mod from your world will remove any structures placed from it. This is standard behavior for mods that add new assets. Always back up your save files before making significant changes to your mod list. If you are using the foxygame.net launcher, its version compatibility checker will alert you if there are any conflicts, allowing you to manage your mod load order effectively to prevent these issues.
In conclusion, Cheesy Structures for ARK: Survival Ascended is a must-have for any serious builder. It solves persistent building limitations, adds much-needed crafting efficiency, and introduces flexible structural components that inspire creativity. Whether you are a solo survivor or a tribe leader, this mod will elevate your building experience to new heights. Download it today and start building without limits.