KP Tweaks
ARK: Survival Ascended is a game about constant iteration—tweaking your base, your tames, and your strategies. But sometimes, the vanilla game’s options feel a bit too rigid, especially when it comes to the humble raft. That’s where the community steps in. One of the most intriguing quality-of-life and content expansion mods currently available is KP Tweaks. This add-on, a continuation of the popular KP Raft Tweaks Mod, aims to give you unprecedented control over your seafaring vessels while simultaneously expanding your building palette with new, hardened structures.
This guide will walk you through everything you need to know about this mod, from its core features to its installation process. We’ll cover the raft customization menu, the new Construction Bench, and the various building pieces it introduces, ensuring you know exactly what to expect before you set sail or start laying foundations.
What Does KP Tweaks Add to Your Game?
At its heart, KP Tweaks is a dual-purpose mod. It focuses heavily on the raft experience, which is often a pain point for players who want a mobile base. It also introduces a suite of building items that fill in gaps left by the base game. Let’s break down the two main pillars of the mod.
Raft Customization and Control
The primary feature of KP Tweaks is the ability to modify your raft’s performance. Gone are the days of a sluggish, single-speed raft. With this mod, you can take the helm and truly customize how your vessel handles the waves.
When riding a raft, simply press F1 to bring up the mod’s configuration menu. This menu allows you to adjust the speed and acceleration of your raft in real-time. You aren't just limited to a simple toggle; you have three distinct multipliers to choose from. These presets allow you to quickly switch between a slow, fuel-efficient cruise and a high-speed sprint across the ocean.
For those who want even finer control, the mod offers custom levels ranging from 1x to 5x. This range gives you the flexibility to find the perfect balance for your playstyle, whether you're hauling heavy resources or just exploring the coastline. The mod also enhances the camera system, allowing you to use the mouse scroll wheel to zoom in and out while on the raft. This is fantastic for getting a better view of your surroundings or checking out the details of your floating fortress.
However, there are a few caveats to keep in mind. The mod’s description notes that the custom zoom feature has temporarily broken the first-person camera on the raft. Additionally, the raft settings are session-based. This means that every time you log out and start the game again, the speed and acceleration settings will revert to default. It’s a minor inconvenience, but the mod’s creator has stated that persistent settings are on the roadmap for future updates.
The Construction Bench: A Builder’s Best Friend
Beyond the raft tweaks, KP Tweaks introduces a brand-new crafting station: the Construction Bench. This bench is designed to be a one-stop-shop for all your building needs. Instead of running between a Smithy, a Fabricator, and your inventory to craft different structural pieces, you can consolidate many of those recipes into a single, convenient location.
This bench allows you to craft a wide variety of building structures. The mod’s changelog shows a steady expansion of its capabilities, starting with basic items and growing to include more advanced pieces. The Construction Bench can craft everything from storage boxes and campfires to feeding troughs and preserving bins. It even allows you to craft structures that would normally require a Smithy, streamlining the early-to-mid game base building process significantly. This makes it an invaluable addition for players who want to focus on creativity rather than logistics.
New Building Pieces: Glass and Behemoth Walls
In addition to the bench itself, KP Tweaks adds a host of new structural items. For players who want a more modern or secure aesthetic, the mod introduces hardened glass building pieces. This includes quarter walls, full walls, and ceilings. These aren't just cosmetic; they offer the durability of hardened materials while providing a clear view of the outside world. There are multiple styles and variants of the quarter wall pieces, giving you plenty of options for unique architectural designs.
For those concerned with base defense, the mod also adds Behemoth Walls. These massive walls come in various tiers, including wood, metal, and Tek. They are designed to provide a formidable barrier against even the largest of threats. While the mod is actively being updated, there is a known bug where demolishing a Tek Behemoth Wall does not return the element used to craft it, so keep that in mind before placing them.
How to Install and Compatibility
Getting started with this mod is straightforward. To download KP Tweaks, you will need to navigate to the CurseForge website or use the in-game mod browser for ARK: Survival Ascended. Once you find it, simply subscribe to it, and it will be added to your mod list.
If you are looking for a more streamlined approach, many players find that using a dedicated mod manager simplifies the process. For instance, the foxygame.net launcher offers a one-click install feature for mods, making it incredibly easy to get KP Tweaks for ARK: Survival Ascended up and running without manually managing files. Its add-on catalog is a convenient way to keep your mods organized, and the launcher’s auto-update feature ensures you always have the latest version, which is crucial for maintaining version compatibility with the game’s frequent patches.
For a manual how to install process, the steps are simple. First, ensure the game is completely closed. Then, locate your ARK: Survival Ascended installation folder, followed by the "Mods" folder. Place the downloaded mod file into this directory. Upon launching the game, ensure the mod is activated in your mod list before loading into a single-player world or a dedicated server that has the mod enabled.
Current Status and Future Plans
It’s important to note that the mod is currently in a testing phase. The creator has labeled it as "use at own risk," which means you might encounter a few bugs or balance issues. The raft settings not persisting between sessions is a known limitation, and the first-person camera issue is also on the list to be addressed. The mod is regularly updated to fix issues and add new content. Recent updates have focused on cross-platform support, ensuring that players on different devices can enjoy the mod together.
Looking ahead, the mod’s creator has ambitious plans. These include adding different default settings for various raft styles like the Sloop, Brig, and Galleon, each with different sizes and speed profiles. They also plan to add snapping functionality for the Behemoth Walls, which will make building with them much easier. The goal is to make the mod more robust and integrated into the base game's systems.
Final Thoughts on KP Tweaks
KP Tweaks is a promising mod that addresses two key areas of ARK: Survival Ascended: the often-clunky raft mechanics and the limited building options. While it is still in its testing phase and has a few quirks, the core features work well and add significant value. The ability to customize raft speed and acceleration alone is a game-changer for ocean travel, and the Construction Bench is a fantastic quality-of-life addition.
If you’re looking to expand your building possibilities and take control of your naval adventures, this mod is definitely worth trying. Just remember to back up your saves and be prepared for a few rough edges as the developer continues to polish the experience. With its active development and clear roadmap, KP Tweaks is poised to become a staple in the ARK: Survival Ascended modding community.