PIGs Resources
Vanilla ARK: Survival Ascended has a fundamental design limitation: every dinosaur essentially drops the same handful of base ingredients. Whether you slay a dodo or a Rex, you are looting "Raw Meat" and "Hide." This system works, but it leaves little room for server customization or unique crafting depth. Enter PIGs Resources, a work-in-progress mod that aims to shatter this monotony by introducing a staggering variety of unique, dino-specific resources and rare node variants to the island.
This mod is not just about adding new items; it is about creating a richer, more meaningful survival experience. By subclassing vanilla resources, PIGs Resources ensures that all new materials remain fully compatible with existing crafting recipes. You can still use "Allo Hide" in any recipe that requires standard "Hide," but now you have the option to demand something far more exotic for your custom items.
What Does PIGs Resources Add?
The core philosophy behind PIGs Resources for ARK: Survival Ascended is flexibility. Server owners can now create custom crafting costs that require specific trophies or rare drops. Imagine a powerful potion that requires an "Allo Eye," a very rare drop from a dangerous predator. This mod makes that vision a reality, offering an almost unlimited combination of custom recipes and progression gates.
Unique Dinosaur Harvests
Currently, the mod features three test dinosaurs, each with its own unique loot table:
- Achatina: Yields specialized slime and shell variants.
- Allosaurus: Drops Raw Allo Meat, Allo Hide, Allo Plating, Allo Spikes, and the incredibly rare Allo Eye.
- Ammonite: Provides unique ink and shell fragments.
These resources are subclasses of their vanilla counterparts, meaning they function as direct replacements in standard recipes while also serving as exclusive ingredients for custom ones.
Expanded Resource Nodes
Beyond dino loot, the mod introduces a tiered rarity system to the island's harvestable nodes. You will no longer just find "Stone" or "Metal." Instead, you will discover a spectrum of materials:
- Crystal Nodes: Now yield Amazonite, Gahnospinel, Sapphirine, Kyanite, Iolite, Scheelite, and rarer gems like Emerald, Sapphire, Ruby, Purple Diamond, Orange Diamond, Prism Stone, and Red Diamond.
- Metal Nodes: Can produce Copper, Silver, Gold, Runite, Orichalcum, and the ultra-rare Tritanium Ore.
- Obsidian Nodes: Offer Glassy, Banded, Honeycomb, and Imperial Obsidian variants.
- Oil Nodes: Yield Crude, Refined, Synthetic, and Elemental Oil.
- Silicon Nodes: Provide Lustrous Orb, Dawnlight, Starshimmer, and Sovereign Pearls.
This system encourages exploration and rewards players who venture to dangerous biomes in search of high-tier materials.
Compatibility and Current Status
It is critical to understand that this mod is a work in progress and is not ready for production servers. It is available strictly for testing purposes. The developer is actively validating the mod on dedicated servers and plans to expand the dino list to all ~110 creatures, as well as add tree and bush harvesting nodes.
For players using the foxygame.net launcher, keeping this mod updated is effortless. The launcher's integrated add-on catalog automatically tracks the latest version of PIGs Resources, ensuring your test server always runs the most recent build without manual file management. This is particularly useful given the mod's rapid development cycle, as the launcher handles version compatibility checks seamlessly, letting you focus on testing the new resources rather than troubleshooting installation errors.
How to Install PIGs Resources
If you are ready to experiment with this ambitious overhaul, the process is straightforward. To download PIGs Resources, navigate to the Steam Workshop page for ARK: Survival Ascended and subscribe to the mod. Once subscribed, the mod will appear in your game's mod list.
For a dedicated server, you will need to add the mod's ID to your server's GameUserSettings.ini file under the [ModInstaller] section. If you are using a server provider, they often have a simple interface for adding mods. The question of how to install is usually answered by your provider's documentation, but the core steps remain the same: subscribe, activate, and restart the server.
Configuration and Future Plans
The mod's true potential lies in its planned Ini variables, which will allow server owners to configure item weights and potentially disable certain resources. This level of control will make PIGs Resources a cornerstone for modded progression servers. The developer also maintains a Discord for spawn codes, item class names, and community feedback, which is essential for a project of this scope.
In conclusion, PIGs Resources is a bold and promising project that tackles a core issue in ARK's crafting loop. While it is not yet production-ready, its current test build already demonstrates a deep understanding of what makes survival crafting engaging. The addition of rare gems and ores to standard nodes, combined with unique dino drops, transforms resource gathering from a chore into a treasure hunt. If you run a test server or enjoy tinkering with modded content, this is one mod to watch closely as it evolves toward a full release.