Dear prospective Primal Survivalists,

The island is a lot more dangerous and difficult to navigate now. I have provided a quick-start guide to help you get started on your path to loving this way of playing ARK.

1. All of your first five levels should go into movement speed. Trikes, Turtles, Mammoths, etc., which are normally passive, will attack you if you get too close. Running from dinos is critical at the start.
   
2. Make a Pickaxe, Hatchet, and Campfire. Gather more materials making sure to keep wood in the campfire.
   
3. Make spears for use in SELF DEFENSE ONLY. Make a slingshot to hunt with until you unlock the bow.
   
4. As you are gaining levels be sure to pick up the engrams for heart powders, potions, kibble, and tonics. Crystal powder is also an absolute necessity.
   
5. Once you have unlocked narcotics you should begin to tame dodos. 1 male and 4 females usually is a well-to-do start.
   
6. Around this time you can either use a compost or tame a beetle (if you have the balls) to begin planting the crops needed for your recipes(in this order): Amarberry, Azulberry, Rockarrot, Longrass, and Citronal.
   
7. Begin making weak kibble. To do this you will need a lit cooking pot (no water or you might make something stupid) and the ingredients called for. Taming dilos (for hunting), compies (for passive defense), or penguins (for warmth in the snow) with kibble or ovis (wander with overloaded inventories for faster egg laying) with dodo eggs will let you move up to common kibbles.
   
8. After you have accumulated a sizable stock of common kibble the focus for use will be doeds (stone), toads (cementing paste), and pteros (logistics).
   
9. Now that your next set of kibble requires jerky, you should focus on getting oil, sparkpowder, and the preserving bins needed for such a venture.
   
10. With tough kibble in tow, focus on taming stegos (for active defense), Mammoths (for wood), and Ankies (for metal and flint).
    
11. ???
    
12. Profit

By the time you have some tough animals under your wing you'll know how to do the rest. Take your time, open lots of drops, and secure your territory. Never forget the power of the crossbow; bringing a stack of grappling hooks can always buy you the time you need to avoid the death that this Total Conversion constantly presents to you.

Good luck! Have fun!
-Aprosule


P.S.
If you have any corrections or suggestions for this post, please do not hesitate to drop them in the comments. I just ask that you provide details to back up your thoughts.