How Long Does a Night Last in Ark in Real Life?
The night in ARK: Survival Evolved, by default, lasts for 20 minutes in real-time. This is half the duration of a day, which spans 40 minutes. This makes a full day-night cycle in Ark a total of 60 minutes, or one real-time hour.
Understanding the Ark Day-Night Cycle
The dynamic day-night cycle is a core mechanic in ARK: Survival Evolved, profoundly impacting gameplay. The duration and intensity of both day and night are crucial factors players must consider for survival.
The Default Day-Night Length
As mentioned earlier, the default settings dictate a 40-minute day and a 20-minute night. This is a deliberate design choice that creates a heightened sense of urgency and danger, particularly during nighttime. This is the length for both a day and a night in ARK: Survival Evolved.
The Impact of Nighttime
Night in Ark isn’t just a visual change. It brings with it several challenges:
- Increased Creature Spawns: Nighttime sees a surge in the number of hostile creatures, making traversal and base defense significantly more difficult.
- Predator Activity: Nocturnal predators like the Megalosaurus become more active, posing a greater threat to unsuspecting survivors.
- Temperature Fluctuations: Temperatures often drop at night, increasing the risk of hypothermia.
- Limited Visibility: The darkness itself makes navigation challenging, especially in dense forests or caves.
Customizing Day-Night Length
One of the appealing aspects of ARK: Survival Evolved is the ability to customize various settings, including the length of the day-night cycle. Server administrators and solo players can adjust these settings to tailor the experience to their preferences.
Why Customize the Day-Night Cycle?
- Difficulty Adjustment: Shortening the day and lengthening the night increases the game’s difficulty, demanding more strategic gameplay. Conversely, a longer day and shorter night can make the game more accessible, especially for new players.
- Gameplay Style: Some players prefer extended daytime for building and exploration, while others relish the challenge of surviving longer nights.
- Time Constraints: Players with limited playtime might opt for shorter cycles to experience the full range of daytime and nighttime activities within their available time.
How to Customize the Day-Night Cycle
Customization is usually done through the server settings or the game’s configuration files. Parameters such as DayCycleSpeedScale, DayTimeSpeedScale, and NightTimeSpeedScale control the overall speed of the day-night cycle and the relative lengths of day and night. Modifying these values allows for precise control over the game’s temporal dynamics.
Surviving the Ark Night
Given the dangers of the Ark night, preparation is key. Here are some survival tips:
- Base Security: Fortify your base with walls, fences, and defensive creatures to deter nocturnal predators.
- Light Sources: Campfires, torches, and electrical lighting are essential for visibility and can also provide warmth.
- Night Vision: Night vision goggles can significantly improve visibility in the dark, allowing you to spot potential threats.
- Cautious Movement: If you must travel at night, proceed slowly and cautiously, using stealth tactics to avoid detection.
- Safe Havens: Seek shelter in caves or other enclosed spaces to avoid the dangers of the open world.
FAQs: Understanding the Day-Night Cycle in Ark
1. Can I completely eliminate nighttime in Ark?
While you can’t entirely eliminate nighttime without mods, you can drastically reduce its length using the NightTimeSpeedScale setting. Setting this value to a very low number will make the night pass very quickly.
2. How does the weather affect nighttime in Ark?
Weather conditions like rain and fog can further reduce visibility at night, compounding the challenges of surviving.
3. Does the moon phase affect nighttime visibility?
The game does not incorporate realistic moon phases that directly impact nighttime visibility. However, the overall darkness level remains consistent throughout the night.
4. Are there any creatures that are only active at night?
Yes, several creatures, such as the Megalosaurus and Onyc, are primarily nocturnal and are more likely to be encountered at night.
5. Can I sleep through the night in Ark?
Players can lie down in a bed or sleeping bag to pass the time, but it doesn’t guarantee immunity from attacks. Hostile creatures can still attack you while you’re sleeping.
6. How does the day-night cycle affect crop growth?
The day-night cycle doesn’t directly affect crop growth speed in the base game. However, mods can introduce such mechanics.
7. Can I use mods to change the day-night cycle?
Yes, numerous mods are available that offer enhanced control over the day-night cycle, including features like custom day lengths, realistic moon phases, and improved lighting.
8. What are the ideal day-night cycle settings for beginners?
For beginners, a longer day and shorter night are recommended. A setting of DayTimeSpeedScale to 1.5 and NightTimeSpeedScale to 0.5 can provide a more forgiving experience.
9. How does the game calculate the time of day?
The game uses a timer that increments based on the DayCycleSpeedScale setting. This timer determines the current time of day and adjusts the environment accordingly.
10. Does the day-night cycle differ on different maps?
The core mechanics of the day-night cycle remain the same across all maps. However, the specific creatures and environmental conditions can vary, impacting the overall experience of nighttime survival.
11. Is there a way to speed up the day-night cycle?
Yes, increasing the DayCycleSpeedScale setting will speed up the entire cycle, making days and nights pass more quickly.
12. How does the day-night cycle interact with taming?
Taming effectiveness can be affected by nighttime, as certain creatures are more difficult to tame at night due to increased aggression or reduced visibility.
13. What tools are most useful for navigating at night?
Torches, campfires, night vision goggles, and glow sticks are all valuable tools for navigating the Ark at night.
14. Does the day-night cycle affect the rate at which resources respawn?
The day-night cycle doesn’t directly influence resource respawn rates in the base game. Resource respawn rates are typically governed by separate settings.
15. How can I learn more about game-based learning?
You can explore the valuable resources and research provided by the Games Learning Society at GamesLearningSociety.org.