How Long is One Day on ARK: Survival Evolved?
The question of how long a day lasts in ARK: Survival Evolved is a common one for new and veteran players alike. The short answer is that a full in-game day in ARK lasts for 60 minutes of real-time, consisting of 40 minutes of daylight and 20 minutes of nighttime. However, the interplay of day and night cycles, and how they affect gameplay, is more nuanced than that simple statement suggests. Understanding this cycle is crucial to planning your survival strategies, from resource gathering to taming powerful creatures. Let’s dive deeper into the intricacies of the ARK day-night cycle and explore common questions surrounding time within the game.
Understanding the ARK Day-Night Cycle
The default 60-minute cycle serves as the backbone of the game’s environment. While this is the standard, it’s important to note that server administrators can modify these settings. Therefore, the duration of a day might differ on private or custom servers. Regardless, it is always the combination of a 40-minute day and 20-minute night cycle. This setup is critical for balancing the game’s progression. The nighttime period in particular is a significant challenge. It brings with it reduced visibility and the emergence of nocturnal predators.
Day Time in ARK:
Daytime in ARK lasts for 40 real-time minutes, and it’s often considered the safer period. This is the time to focus on gathering resources, exploring the map, and taming less dangerous dinosaurs. The increased visibility allows for a better view of potential threats and easier navigation. You can also expect the most common and passive dinos to be out during this period.
Night Time in ARK:
Nighttime lasts for 20 real-time minutes, and it presents a different set of challenges. Visibility is drastically reduced, making it harder to see approaching dangers. Many nocturnal predators become more active, so you need to be extra cautious when venturing out during this period. The Night Time Scale influences the duration of the night. At a setting of 1.0, night lasts for approximately 15 minutes of real-time. This means that while the default night is 20 minutes, if the server has a night time scale set to 1.0, it will be approximately 15 minutes. The game often provides subtle musical cues, changing to the dawn-dusk soundtrack which signals the transition into or out of nighttime. Night typically begins at 17:30 game time and ends at 5:30.
Why is this cycle important?
The consistent day and night cycle isn’t just about time; it influences many core gameplay mechanics. Resource availability, creature behavior, and player safety are all heavily tied to the current time of day. For example, some creatures, like the Megalosaurus, sleep during the day and become aggressive predators at night. The day and night cycle adds a level of realism and strategic depth to the game, forcing players to adapt their actions accordingly.
How To Tell Time in ARK
Fortunately, determining the current time of day in ARK is quite simple. In the top left corner of your screen, you’ll find information about the current Day, Time, Location, and Temperature. This display provides you with all the vital data you need to plan your next move. Knowing the exact game time allows you to prepare for the changing environment and optimize your gameplay experience.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Time in ARK
Here are some frequently asked questions related to time in ARK: Survival Evolved, designed to help clarify different aspects of the in-game day-night cycle and other relevant topics:
1. How Long is One Ark Minute?
Based on the default 60-minute day cycle, one Ark minute is equivalent to one real-time second. This is derived from the fact that a 60-minute day has 60 in game minutes.
2. Can I Modify the Day-Night Cycle in ARK?
Yes, server administrators have the ability to modify the day-night cycle settings on private and dedicated servers. This allows them to adjust the duration of day and night, thereby altering gameplay difficulty.
3. How do I know when night is starting in ARK?
You can tell when night is starting by listening for the dawn-dusk music. The time of day will also be displayed in the top-left corner. Nighttime in ark starts at 17:30 game time.
4. Can I Sleep in ARK?
Yes, you can sleep in ARK, but only in the single-player mode on ARK: Survival Evolved Mobile. Sleeping in singleplayer will help with restoring stamina but it will cost food and water. You cannot sleep in the other versions of the game.
5. Is Sleeping Useful?
Laying on a bed will help you heal faster than if you were not on a bed. The Simple Bed also acts as a respawn and fast travel point.
6. How does Fortitude affect the Day/Night Cycle?
While Fortitude doesn’t directly alter the day-night cycle, it increases your resistance to Hypothermia and Hyperthermia. This is crucial when navigating the cold nights or the hot days, as it reduces the negative effects of these environmental conditions.
7. How can I wake up faster if I’m knocked unconscious?
Stimulants are the item you need to wake yourself or other dinos and survivors up faster.
8. What are Narcoberries and Narcotics used for?
Narcoberries and Narcotics are used to increase the torpor of a creature you are attempting to tame. This helps ensure the creature stays unconscious long enough for you to complete the taming process.
9. What Dinos are best to tame first?
The Triceratops is an excellent choice for your first tame due to its decent defense and effective resource-gathering ability.
10. What animals give the most hide?
Early on in the game, Phiomias are fantastic for yielding a large amount of Hide. They are a good choice for a new survivor.
11. What are the main goals of ARK?
The point of ARK is to survive on a hostile island filled with dinosaurs. You beat the game by completing the story maps by collecting artifacts and defeating bosses. It’s also a sandbox game, so your goals are open ended.
12. Can you complete ARK solo?
Yes, you can complete ARK solo, but it requires a significant time investment due to the vast amount of preparation involved, such as breeding, imprinting, and leveling your creatures.
13. What does 5 minutes of Arc mean?
5 minutes of arc refers to an angle of measure equal to 5/60 of a degree. This measurement has to do with angles, not time.
14. What does 1 arc second mean?
1 arc second is a unit of angular measurement equal to 1/3600 of a degree. It’s often used in astronomy and represents a tiny distance of latitude or longitude on the Earth’s surface. This also does not have to do with time in ARK.
15. What is the hardest boss in ARK?
The King Titan is considered the most powerful boss in ARK, followed by the Overseer and the Dragon. These are all endgame bosses that you will have to work your way up to before tackling.
Conclusion
The day-night cycle in ARK: Survival Evolved is not just a cosmetic feature; it’s a core gameplay mechanic that shapes your experience. Understanding how the 60-minute day cycle impacts resource gathering, creature behavior, and overall survival is critical to your success in the game. By familiarizing yourself with the day and night rhythms, learning the cues for time transitions, and paying close attention to the in-game display, you can become a more effective and resilient survivor. Now equipped with a deeper understanding of time in ARK, you’re better prepared to face whatever challenges the island throws your way.