More Engram Entries
Surviving the brutal landscapes of ARK: Survival Ascended often comes down to resource availability. On maps like The Island, obtaining Black Pearls or Organic Polymer can feel like a chore designed for masochists. The More Engram Entries mod tackles this head-on by introducing new Engram Entries and crafting costs for common, and not-so-common, resources. This isn't just about adding recipes; it's about giving server admins the tools to redefine the economy of their server, ensuring that no resource is ever truly "impossible" to obtain.
Why Server Admins Need This Mod
The core philosophy behind More Engram Entries for ARK: Survival Ascended is player agency. By overriding the default engram entries and crafting requirements added by this mod, you can establish what you consider to be a fair trade based on your server's specific setup. For example, if your cluster makes Silica Pearls scarce, you can introduce a recipe that requires a hefty amount of Stone and Sand instead. This allows map-specific resources to be fairly obtainable on maps where they don't naturally occur. By default, Fungal Wood is craftable with 5 Verdberry Seeds and 15 regular Wood, but these values are simply suggestions.
Vanilla Items, No Mod Dependency
One of the most critical features for long-term server health is item stability. Excluding the Element package, the items crafted by this mod are the standard vanilla items, not mod-specific variants. This means if you decide to remove the mod later, any crafted items will remain in your inventory and storage. Some items may craft and then "spoil" into their vanilla version; this is a workaround due to a limitation with some item types. However, this ensures that your players' hard work is never lost to a mod update or removal.
What Resources Are Covered?
The mod provides a comprehensive list of Engram Entries, covering a wide array of resources that are often bottlenecks in progression. At the moment, these items and resources are available (with more being added based on community feedback):
- Basic Resources: Fungal Wood, Green/Blue/Red Gem, Plant Species X/Y/Z Seeds, Organic Polymer, Silica Pearls, Black Pearl, Sand, Sap, Cactus Raw Salt, Sulfur, Silk, Algae, Blood, Giant Bee Honey.
- Advanced Components: Bio Toxin (Crafted in Mortar & Pestle / Chem Bench), All Artifacts, Dino Trophies / Apex Drops, Element Ore, Proto Plat Species Seeds, Lost Colony Sigils, Scrap Metal.
- Conversion Systems: Wool/Pelt Conversion (convert all "pelt" items into the generic pelt for stacking in a single Dedi Storage), Extinction Resource Conversions (e.g., Blue Crystalized Sap to Blue Gems), and Scrap Metal Ingots to Regular Metal Ingots.
- Special Items: Element (Requires Tek Rep to unlock, changeable via Engram Override) and the Element Package (a cross-ARK element transfer item).
Configuring Crafting Speed
Default crafting speed is set to a snappy 0.2 seconds. If you prefer a more realistic or punishing rate, you can easily adjust this globally via a single INI value. This applies to all engrams within the mod. Simply add the following to your GameUserSettings.ini:
[MEE] CraftTime=0.2
Change the value to whatever suits your server's pacing. This level of granular control is what separates a good admin tool from a great one.
When you decide to download More Engram Entries, the installation process is straightforward. You can find the mod on the Steam Workshop, and for those using the foxygame.net launcher, the integration is seamless—it automatically detects the correct version of More Engram Entries and manages updates, so you don't have to worry about version mismatches breaking your server. This is particularly useful when a new patch for ARK: Survival Ascended drops, as the launcher ensures the mod remains compatible with the latest game build.
How to Install and Configure
Learning how to install this mod is simple. First, subscribe to the mod on the Steam Workshop. Then, ensure your server has the mod ID listed in the active mod list. Once loaded, you can utilize the Engram Entries / Primal Item Resources Config to hide all engrams added by this mod if you prefer a custom progression system. The mod is designed to work across all current ARK: Survival Ascended versions, and it maintains high compatibility with other QoL and building mods since it primarily overrides engram data rather than core game mechanics.
Setting Fair Trade Costs
The default recipes may be tweaked based on community feedback, but for this reason, it is even more recommended for server admins to set their own "fair" crafting costs. The mod gives you the framework; you decide the exchange rate. This ensures that your economy remains balanced regardless of the map or cluster settings you employ.
Final Thoughts
More Engram Entries for ARK: Survival Ascended is an essential utility for any server admin looking to smooth out the rough edges of resource gathering. It respects the vanilla item system, offers extensive configuration, and covers a massive list of materials. Whether you are fixing the Black Pearl grind on The Island or introducing a way to obtain Extinction resources on a PvP map, this mod provides the control you need. It is a robust, thoughtful addition that prioritizes server health and player satisfaction.