Dino Revival
Losing a high-level tame in ARK: Survival Ascended is one of the most frustrating experiences a survivor can face. Hours of taming, breeding, and imprinting can vanish in a single careless encounter with a Giganotosaurus or a poorly timed turret barrage. The Dino Revival mod offers a second chance, transforming the permanent loss of your beloved creatures into a manageable, resource-driven recovery process. This guide explores everything you need to know about this essential add-on, from its core mechanics to advanced configuration options.
What Is the Dino Revival Mod?
At its heart, Dino Revival introduces a new craftable structure called the Dino Shrine Statue. This statue acts as the central hub for your resurrection operations. When you build and place this statue in your base, it becomes a functional monument that captures the essence of your fallen companions. The mod works by generating a Trapped Soul whenever one of your owned dinosaurs dies. This soul item appears at your tribe's Dino Shrine Statue, ready for you to use in the revival process.
The beauty of this system is its simplicity. You do not need to run to the location of the death or worry about loot bags. The soul is safely stored at your base, waiting for you to gather the necessary resources. This design makes the mod exceptionally user-friendly, even for players who are new to ARK's modding scene.
Core Mechanics: How to Revive Your Dinos
Once you have crafted the Dino Shrine Statue in a Smithy, the next step is to place it within your base's territory. The statue serves a dual purpose: it stores the Trapped Souls and acts as a resource deposit point. To initiate a revival, you must place resources into the statue. The mod uses a currency system where different resources have different values. You can interact with the statue's inventory to deposit specific items, or you can use the convenient "Deposit All Resources" button to dump everything from your inventory into the statue at once. This bulk-deposit feature is a massive time-saver, especially when you are dealing with large resource stacks.
After depositing the required amount of resources, you can select the Trapped Soul of the dinosaur you wish to bring back. The mod then calculates the total cost based on the creature's level and the configuration settings you have applied. Once the cost is met, the revival process begins, and your dinosaur will be restored to life, ready to fight alongside you again.
Resource Costs and Multipliers
Dino Revival is highly customizable, allowing server administrators to fine-tune the difficulty and cost of resurrection. The mod reads settings from the GameUserSettings.INI file under the [DinoRevival] section. Here are the default multipliers and caps that dictate the resource requirements:
- ElementCostMultiplier (Default: 1) – Adjusts the Element cost.
- BlackPearlCostMultiplier (Default: 2) – Increases the Black Pearl requirement.
- CrystalCostMultiplier (Default: 30) – A high multiplier for Crystal.
- MetalCostMultiplier (Default: 50) – Metal is a primary currency.
- ObsidianCostMultiplier (Default: 45) – Obsidian is heavily weighted.
- BeerCostMultiplier (Default: 0.6) – A lower multiplier for Sweet Vegetable Beer.
These multipliers work in conjunction with hard caps to prevent exploitation. For instance, the ElementCap is set to 1000, meaning you cannot deposit more than 1000 Element into the statue for a single revival. The caps for other resources are as follows: BlackPearlCap (2000), CrystalCap (8000), MetalCap (10000), ObsidianCap (9000), and BeerCap (50). These settings ensure that even the highest-level dinos require a substantial, but fair, investment of resources.
Compatibility and Installation
One of the most significant advantages of Dino Revival is its broad compatibility. The mod does not require the Bob's Tall Tales expansion to function, making it accessible to all players. Furthermore, it does not use the Death Essence mechanic from other mods, which keeps the gameplay loop straightforward. However, there is one critical caveat: the mod will not work on dinosaurs that were already dead before you installed the mod. You must have the mod active before your creature dies for its soul to be captured.
To get started, you need to know how to install the mod correctly. The process is simple. First, you need to download Dino Revival from the ARK: Survival Ascended mod browser or a trusted repository. Once downloaded, you can add it to your server or single-player session. For server administrators, ensuring that the mod is loaded on both the server and the client is essential for a seamless experience. The mod is fully compatible with the current versions of ARK: Survival Ascended, and it works well alongside other popular QoL mods.
For those looking for a hassle-free setup, the foxygame.net launcher offers a streamlined approach. It provides a one-click install for Dino Revival for ARK: Survival Ascended, automatically handling the necessary file placements and version checks. This is particularly useful for players who manage multiple mods and want to avoid manual configuration errors. The launcher's add-on catalog also makes it easy to discover and update this mod, ensuring you always have the latest features and bug fixes.
Server Configuration Tips
Adjusting the multipliers is straightforward. You simply add the [DinoRevival] section to your GameUserSettings.INI file. For example, if you want to make revivals cheaper, you would lower the MetalCostMultiplier from 50 to 25. Conversely, increasing the caps allows for the revival of incredibly high-level creatures that might otherwise exceed the default limits. It is recommended to test these settings on a private server before applying them to a public community to ensure the balance feels right.
Strategic Use of Dino Revival
This mod is not just about convenience; it changes your strategic approach to the game. Knowing that your best Rex or Therizinosaurus can be brought back allows you to take bolder risks in boss fights or PvP encounters. However, the resource cost encourages you to maintain a healthy stockpile of Metal, Crystal, and Obsidian. This mod effectively creates a new end-game resource sink, giving you a reason to keep farming even after you have built your ultimate base.
Furthermore, the Trapped Soul mechanic adds a layer of emotional attachment. Seeing the souls of your fallen allies stored in your shrine is a poignant reminder of your adventures, and the act of reviving them feels rewarding. It turns a negative event into a positive, goal-oriented task.
Conclusion
Dino Revival is an indispensable mod for any ARK: Survival Ascended player who values their tames. It provides a robust, configurable, and user-friendly system for resurrecting lost creatures, eliminating the heartbreak of permanent death. With its clear resource costs, easy installation, and wide compatibility, it is a must-have addition to your mod list. Whether you are a solo survivor or a tribe leader, this mod ensures that your most trusted companions are never truly gone for good. Download it today and secure the future of your dinosaur family.