PIGs Weight Reduction V2
Carrying capacity has always been one of the most frustrating bottlenecks in ARK: Survival Ascended. You spend hours taming a perfect Ankylosaurus, only to find it grinds to a halt after a few dozen metal nodes. Stacking mods have long been the go-to fix, but they come with their own baggage: item remapping, save bloat, and the constant fear of losing your inventory if you remove them. PIGs Weight Reduction V2 takes a completely different approach, and it is a breath of fresh air for server admins and solo players alike.
This add-on is a rewrite and test version of the original PIGsWeightReduction mod. It is designed as a true alternative to stacking mods, giving you granular control over weight multipliers for both players and dinos. Because it does not remap any items, you can add or remove it from your save without any risk of losing your gear. That alone is a massive selling point for anyone who has ever been burned by a mod update gone wrong.
Why Choose PIGs Weight Reduction V2 Over Stacking Mods?
Stacking mods usually merge items into a single stack, which can break blueprints, crafting queues, and even cause performance issues on larger servers. PIGs Weight Reduction V2 for ARK: Survival Ascended sidesteps all of that. Instead of altering how items stack, it simply changes how much each item weighs. You keep the same item counts, but your character and dinos can carry far more.
Combined with the vanilla ini settings for stack size multipliers, you can replicate the benefits of a stacking mod while maintaining far more control. You decide exactly which item groups get reduced, by how much, and even on a per-dino basis. This level of customization is perfect for servers that want a unique balance without relying on heavy, intrusive mods.
How the Weight Multiplier System Works
The core of the mod revolves around float values. Every weight multiplier defaults to 1.0, which is vanilla behavior. You can assign a multiplier to a broad item group, like Resources or Ammo, or target a specific item by using its class name. For example, setting PrimalItemResource_Metal_C=0.1 reduces metal weight to 10% of vanilla, a 90% reduction.
Dinos can either inherit the global settings or have their own dedicated section. If you create a section like [PIGsWeightReductionV2_Ankylo_Character_BP_C], you can assign specific multipliers for that dino. These stack multiplicatively with the global settings. So, if you set a 0.5 multiplier for the Resource group globally, and then give the Anky a 0.5 multiplier for metal, the result is 0.25. That is a 75% weight reduction for metal on that Anky.
Key Features and Configuration Options
The mod offers a wide array of item group variables that you can tweak in your GUS.ini file. Here is a quick breakdown of what you can adjust:
- ItemWeightMultiplier_Group_Ammo - Applies to bullets, tranq darts, arrows, and similar.
- ItemWeightMultiplier_Group_Resource - Covers crystal, metal, stone, wood, and more.
- ItemWeightMultiplier_Group_Saddle - Affects all dino saddles.
- ItemWeightMultiplier_Group_Structure - Includes walls, foundations, gates, and other building pieces.
- ItemWeightMultiplier_Group_Weapon - For crossbows, rifles, and melee weapons.
Beyond these groups, you can also set multipliers for any specific vanilla item by using its class name as the variable. This allows for surgical precision. Do you want only stone to be lighter, but keep metal heavy? You can do that. The specific item overrides always take precedence over the group settings within the same section.
Understanding Version 12 Performance Optimizations
Version 12 introduced a crucial performance feature: RebuildWeightItemMultipliers. This setting, which defaults to False, compiles all your ini settings into a game file when the server boots. You should set it to True whenever you make changes to your ini settings. After the server reboots and the new settings take effect, you can switch it back to False. This prevents the game from recompiling the multipliers every single time, saving valuable server resources.
Another important change in Version 12 is the need for explicit lists. You must define OverrideDinoClassList and OverrideItemClassList as comma-separated lists. If a dino or item is not on these lists, the mod will ignore any specific overrides and fall back to the global settings. This ensures that your custom rules are applied exactly as intended, without accidental inheritance.
How to Install and Configure
Learning how to install PIGs Weight Reduction V2 is straightforward. First, you need to download PIGs Weight Reduction V2 from a trusted mod repository. Once downloaded, place the mod folder into your ARK: Survival Ascended mod directory. After that, activate it in your server's mod list and restart the server. The mod will then read your GUS.ini file for the configuration settings.
For those using a dedicated server, you will need to add the [PIGsWeightReductionV2] section to your GUS.ini file. All global settings go here. For dino-specific settings, create a new section using the format [PIGsWeightReductionV2_Class_Name]. Remember, the mod is currently in a testing phase. The warning is clear: it is not recommended for production servers. If you want to try it on your live server, back up your save first.
When you are ready to get started, the easiest path is to use the foxygame.net launcher. This launcher features a one-click install for PIGs Weight Reduction V2, which saves you from manually dragging files into the right folders. It also keeps the mod updated automatically, so you always have the latest version without needing to check for patches manually. The launcher's add-on catalog makes it simple to browse and deploy the mod across your server setup.
Compatibility with ARK: Survival Ascended Versions
PIGs Weight Reduction V2 is built for the latest versions of ARK: Survival Ascended. Since it does not remap items, it is broadly compatible with other mods that do not rely on item ID overrides. This makes it a safe addition to most modded server stacks. However, because it is a rewrite, you should always check the mod page for the specific ASA version it supports. The mod works with vanilla dinos and should also work with modded dinos, provided you know their class names for the override lists.
Final Thoughts on Weight Management
PIGs Weight Reduction V2 offers a sophisticated, safe, and highly customizable way to manage weight in ARK: Survival Ascended. It gives you the power to fine-tune every aspect of item weight, from global resource reductions to specific dino loadouts. The multiplicative stacking between global and dino-specific settings allows for creative balance choices that would be impossible with traditional stacking mods.
While it is currently a testing version, the core mechanics are solid. The performance optimizations in Version 12 show that the developer is thinking about long-term server health. If you are tired of the limitations and risks of stacking mods, this is the alternative you have been looking for. Just remember to back up your server and test thoroughly before rolling it out to your entire community.