# How to Play Ark Solo with the Best Settings: A Comprehensive Tutorial
Ark: Survival Evolved is a game that lets you explore a vast world of dinosaurs and other creatures, but it can also be challenging and frustrating if you don't have the right settings. In this article, we will show you how to optimize your Ark settings for the best single player experience, whether you want to enjoy a smooth and fun gameplay, or challenge yourself with harder enemies and bosses.
## General Settings
The general settings are the ones that affect the overall gameplay, such as the difficulty level, the XP multiplier, the taming speed, and the harvest amount. These settings can be adjusted to suit your personal preference and playstyle, but here are some recommendations for a balanced and enjoyable single player mode:
- **Difficulty to 1.0**: This does not change the overall difficulty of the game, but it increases the maximum level of dinosaurs that spawn (which should be 150 if you followed this guide correctly). This will make the game more diverse and rewarding, as you will encounter stronger and rarer creatures. It will also make the bosses more challenging, but not impossible.
- **XP Multiplier to 1.5**: This will make the XP gain more bearable without breaking the game. The default XP multiplier is too low for single player mode, as it takes a long time to level up and unlock new engrams. By increasing it to 1.5, you will still have to work for your progress, but not as much as before.
- **Taming Speed to 5.0**: This will allow you to tame dinosaurs at 5x the normal speed, which will save you a lot of time and resources. The default taming speed is too slow for single player mode, as it can take hours or even days to tame some of the larger and more powerful creatures. By increasing it to 5.0, you will still have to prepare and protect your tames, but not as long as before.
- **Harvest Amount to 1.5**: This will increase the amount of resources you get from harvesting nodes, such as trees, rocks, plants, etc. The default harvest amount is too low for single player mode, as it takes a lot of grinding and farming to gather enough materials for crafting and building. By increasing it to 1.5, you will still have to explore and collect resources, but not as much as before.
- **Player Character Water/Food Drain to 0.75**: This will reduce the rate at which your character gets thirsty and hungry. The default water/food drain is too high for single player mode, as it can be annoying and distracting to constantly monitor your hydration and nutrition levels. By reducing it to 0.75, you will still have to drink and eat regularly, but not as often as before.
- **Dino Count to 2**: This will increase the number of dinosaurs that spawn in the world. The default dino count is too low for single player mode, as it can make the world feel empty and boring. By increasing it to 2, you will make the world more lively and dynamic, as you will encounter more creatures of different types and sizes. Note that this setting will also increase the load on your system, so make sure your device can handle it.
## Advanced Settings
The advanced settings are the ones that affect some specific aspects of the gameplay, such as diseases, mating intervals, egg hatch speeds, etc. These settings can also be adjusted to suit your personal preference and playstyle, but here are some recommendations for a more convenient and realistic single player mode:
- **Non Permanent Diseases**: This will make diseases disappear when you die or respawn. The default setting is that diseases are permanent until cured with special items or antidotes. This can be very frustrating and unfair for single player mode, as some diseases can severely impair your abilities or even kill you over time.
- **Mating Interval to 0.5**: This will reduce the time between mating sessions for breeding dinosaurs. The default mating interval is too long for single player mode, as it can take days or weeks for some creatures to be ready to mate again. By reducing it to 0.5, you will speed up the breeding process and get more offspring in less time.
- **Egg Hatch Speed to 3.0**: This will increase the speed at which eggs hatch into baby dinosaurs. The default egg hatch speed is too slow for single player mode, as it can take hours or days for some eggs to hatch. By increasing it to 3.0, you will shorten the waiting time and see your babies sooner.
- **Harvest Health to 2.0**: This will increase the durability of harvesting nodes, such as trees, rocks, plants, etc. The default harvest health is too low for single player mode, as it can make nodes disappear after a few hits or swings. By increasing it to 2.0, you will make nodes last longer and get more resources from them.
- **Baby Cuddle Interval Multiplier to 0.15**: This will reduce the time between cuddling sessions for imprinting baby dinosaurs. The default cuddle interval is too long for single player mode, as it can take hours or days for some babies to reach full imprinting. By reducing it to 0.15, you will shorten the interval and improve your bond with your babies faster.
- **Baby Cuddle Grace Multiplier to 10.0**: This will increase the grace period for cuddling sessions for imprinting baby dinosaurs. The default cuddle grace period is too short for single player mode, as it can be easy to miss a cuddle session due to real-life obligations or distractions. By increasing it to 10.0, you will extend the grace period and have more flexibility in managing your cuddle schedule.
## Conclusion
These are some of the best settings for Ark single player mode that we recommend,[ but feel free to experiment with different values and find what works best for you.[ Remember that Ark is a game that lets you customize your own adventure,[ so don't be afraid to tweak things until you are satisfied with your experience.[ Happy surviving!
## Other Settings
Besides the general and advanced settings, there are some other settings that you can change to improve your single player experience. These settings are mostly related to the user interface, the graphics, and the gameplay options. Here are some of the most important ones:
- **Disable Crosshair**: This will remove the crosshair from the center of your screen. The crosshair can be useful for aiming and shooting, but it can also be distracting and unrealistic. By disabling it, you will make the game more immersive and challenging.
- **Enable Max Difficulty**: This will enable the maximum difficulty setting for the game, which is also known as "hardcore mode". This setting will make the game more difficult and rewarding, as you will face stronger enemies and bosses, but also get better loot and rewards. Note that this setting will override the difficulty level setting in the general settings.
- **Use Single Player Settings**: This will enable a special set of settings that are designed for single player mode. These settings will make the game easier and more convenient for solo players, as they will reduce the damage taken, increase the damage dealt, speed up the taming and breeding processes, and more. Note that this setting will override some of the settings in the general and advanced settings.
- **Use Corpse Locator**: This will enable a marker that shows you where your corpse is after you die. This can be very helpful for single player mode, as it can be hard to find your body and retrieve your items in a large and dangerous world.
- **Disable Structure Placement Collision**: This will disable the collision detection for placing structures, such as walls, foundations, ceilings, etc. This can be very useful for single player mode, as it can allow you to build more freely and creatively without being restricted by terrain or other structures.
- **Allow Unlimited Respecs**: This will allow you to reset your character's stats and engrams as many times as you want. This can be very handy for single player mode, as it can let you experiment with different builds and strategies without being locked into a permanent choice.
## How to Change Settings
Now that you know what settings to change for the best single player experience, you might be wondering how to actually change them. There are two ways to do that: through the main menu or through the console commands.
### Main Menu
The main menu is where you can access most of the settings we mentioned above. To access it, simply launch the game and select "Host/Local" from the options. Then, select "Play Single Player" and choose your map. Before you start the game, you will see a screen with several tabs: General,[ Advanced,[ Rules,[ etc.[ Click on each tab and adjust the settings according to your preference.[ You can also use the sliders or type in numbers in the boxes to change the values.[ Once you are done,[ click on "Save" and then "Play Single Player" to start your game with your new settings.
### Console Commands
The console commands are another way to change some of the settings we mentioned above. To access them,[ you need to open the console by pressing Tab on your keyboard while in-game.[ Then,[ type in a command followed by a value and press Enter to execute it.[ For example,[ if you want to change the XP multiplier to 2,[ type in "XPMultiplier 2" and press Enter.[ You can also use decimal numbers or fractions for more precise values.[ For example,[ if you want to change the harvest amount to 1.5,[ type in "HarvestAmountMultiplier 1.5" or "HarvestAmountMultiplier 3/2" and press Enter.[ Some of the commands you can use are:
- XPMultiplier: Changes the XP multiplier
- TamingSpeedMultiplier: Changes the taming speed
- HarvestAmountMultiplier: Changes the harvest amount
- PlayerCharacterWaterDrainMultiplier: Changes the water drain
- PlayerCharacterFoodDrainMultiplier: Changes the food drain
- DinoCountMultiplier: Changes the dino count
- MatingIntervalMultiplier: Changes the mating interval
- EggHatchSpeedMultiplier: Changes the egg hatch speed
- BabyMatureSpeedMultiplier: Changes the baby mature speed
- BabyCuddleIntervalMultiplier: Changes the baby cuddle interval
- BabyCuddleGracePeriodMultiplier: Changes the baby cuddle grace period
- HarvestHealthMultiplier: Changes the harvest health
- NoResourceRadiusPlayers: Disables resource spawning near players
- NoResourceRadiusStructures: Disables resource spawning near structures
- NoResourceRadiusDinos: Disables resource spawning near dinos
Note that some of these commands may not work if you have enabled "Use Single Player Settings" or "Max Difficulty" in the main menu. To disable them,[ use these commands:
- UseSinglePlayerSettings False: Disables single player settings
- OverrideOfficialDifficulty 0: Disables max difficulty
To see a full list of console commands,[ type in "help" and press Enter in the console.
# Conclusion
Ark: Survival Evolved is a game that offers a lot of freedom and customization for single player mode. By changing the settings according to your preference and playstyle, you can make the game more enjoyable and rewarding. Whether you want to have a smooth and fun gameplay, or a challenging and realistic one, you can find the best settings for you in this guide. We hope this article helped you optimize your Ark settings for the best single player experience. Happy surviving!