ARK: Survival Evolved Wiki
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"In ARK Survival Evolved you must Eat Food and Drink to survive, with different kinds of plants & meat having different nutritional properties, including human meat. Ensuring a supply of fresh water to your home and Inventory is a pressing concern. All physical actions come at a cost of food and water, long-distance travel is fraught with subsistence peril! Inventory weight makes you move slower, and the day/night cycle along with randomized weather patterns add another layer of challenge by altering the temperature of the environment, causing you to hunger or thirst more quickly. Build a fire or shelter, and craft a large variety of customizable clothing & Armors, to help protect yourself against locational damage & extreme Temperature using the dynamic indoor/outdoor insulation Weather calculation system!"

- Publisher Studio Wildcard comments on survival mechanics in the "ARK Survival Evolved" game description on Steam.


(See bottom of this page for Status Effects on Temperature)

Overview

Temperature is one of the core survival mechanics players have to contend with in ARK Survival Evolved. It is arguably one of the more challenging mechanics, due to the vast number of environmental factors that make it difficult to accurately track. In addition, the Status Effects that affect the player in extremes Temperatures are subtle enough that the dangers of them are often unapparent until they've already put the player in significant danger.

In essence, the goal to this mechanic is for the player to maintain an optimal Temperature, or otherwise prepare for the side effects when unable. Maintaining a working knowledge of the many factors that affect Temperature is necessary to be successful.

Environmental Factors

There are many different environmental changes and player actions that can affect the Temperature of a player(s).

Current Air Temperature

This is the global stat that affects any and all players on an ARK Server. It can be viewed at any time on a player's Inventory Screen in the 'Character Stats' on the right side, under °(C). This stat will constantly fluctuate during game play, and will sometimes raise/lower to extremes on its own, forcing players to constantly adapt and change strategies.

  • Currently, extreme temperatures are seen at the bottom of the screen as a graphic, and the character will sound like panting or shivering. Another way a player can tell is by acquiring Status Effects or stopping to check the Inventory Screen. Additional to the sounds and graphics, your vision blurs, and either a purple or red haze surrounds the screen. The developers are currently working on additional cues to alert players to an oncoming hot or cold spikes.
  • The Air Temperature is different from region to region, so prepare for some drastic changes, for instance the south is hottest, the north is coldest, but the east/west fluctuate between both hottest and coldest.

Weather

(More details can be found on the Weather page.)

  • Rain lowers a player's Temperature and can cause freezing, but increase hydration.
  • Fog does not appear to have a direct impact on Temperature.[citation needed]
  • Heat Waves dramatically raise a player's Temperature and decreases stamina and hydration.


Natural Elements

  • Water- Standing/swimming in water lowers a player's temperature. Ocean waters are colder than inland rivers/lakes, and will lower a player's temperature more. Some mounts help with the cold in some situations.
  • Lava- Lava creates pockets of hot air (typically above & near the lava) that will raise the player's Temperature dramatically, and decrease hydration faster.


Fire

Anything that uses some sort of flame will give off Heat nearby, raising the Temperature of any players near it. This includes:


The effects from multiple heat sources can stack. Consider the (dis)advantages when placing Heat-generating structures close together.


Shelter

Standing under a ceiling, or inside an enclosed structure, provides Temperature mitigation (lowers Temperature when hot, raises Temperature when cold). It will also negate the effects of inclement weather.

  • Higher tiers of Structures have a greater impact on Temperature mitigation.

Clothing

Any Clothing or Armor that a player equips has the potential to improve (or worsen!) their Temperature under the right conditions. This is represented by the "Hypothermal/Hyperthermal Insulation" stats listed on a Clothing's item description.

  • If the player has postive Hypo/Hyperthermal Insulation, the effects of an extreme Temperature are lessened.
  • If the player has negative Hypo/Hyperthermal Insulation, the effects of an extreme Temperature are worsened.


Each type of Clothing/Armor has different impacts on a player's Insulation levels.


Fortitude

Fortitude A player's Fortitude stat grants an amount of passive Temperature mitigation (lowers Temperature when hot, raises Temperature when cold). The higher the stat value, the more mitigation it will provide.


Status Effects

(More details can be found on the Status Effects page.)


Cold Hypothermia Cold Temperatures will cause a Status Effect that increases the rate at which a player's Food stat will decrease. This will dramatically worsen in extreme cold, potentially causing player Starvation.


Hot Burning Hot Temperatures will cause a Status Effect that increases the rate at which a player's Water stat will decrease. This will dramatically worsen in extreme heat, potentially causing player Dehydration.

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