Ark Survival First Try

Instead of punching thin air, spam the gather key as you move around, you will pick up rocks, pick shrubs etc as you walk around.

Only punch trees until you get some wood, make a pick, then use that to get more wood, flint, stone. Make a hatchet, that will get you wood more efficiently and stone too.

Pick is most efficient for gathering thatch, flint, meat

Hatchet is most efficient for gathering wood, stone, hide

Spears break, so make at least 5 to carry on you for defense.

Make yourself a full set of cloth gear, it will help your tolerance to the elements.

Unlock small box, campfire, thatch structures (foundation, wall, door frame, door, ceiling) and make yourself a small hut, 2 foundations wide and 2 long, and at least 2 walls high.

Bow and arrows once you can, they will help big time, for defending or hunting.

Unlock sleeping bags and place at least 2 in your hut, for the meantime, later when you unlock beds you will want to put one or 2 in your base instead of the sleeping bags, sleeping bags get used up when you spawn on them, beds don’t, they just get a cooldown.

Keep working on leveling up until you unlock wood structures, upgrade your base to wood.

Eventually you can unlock smithy and forge, and metal tools, with metal tools things will speed up a bit.

Unlock stone structures as soon as you can and upgrade your hut to stone. Most dinos can destroy wood, but not stone. It’s important to get your base to the stone tier as soon as you can.

Spiked walls around your base will also help keep things at a distance.

/r/ARK Thread Link - youtube.com