Decoding the Bingleberry: Your Ultimate Guide to Ark’s Elusive Berry

A Bingleberry in Ark: Survival Evolved isn’t an actual in-game item you can find in the wild or craft. Rather, it’s the game code’s name for “any basic berry” or the parent file that all basic berries are parented to. In the game code, items like the Dodo Nest or Brewing Barrel reference Bingleberry as their fuel or crafting material. It’s essentially a placeholder, a general term for any edible berry source used for various purposes within the game’s mechanics.

Unraveling the Mystery of the Bingleberry

Think of the Bingleberry as a programmer’s shorthand. It’s a catch-all term to avoid explicitly defining each individual berry when referencing their general properties. It signifies that “any berry” of the edible kind is acceptable for that particular function. This simplifies coding and ensures that the game can handle new berry types without needing to rewrite every single instance where berries are used.

It’s important to note that, while you won’t find “Bingleberry” listed as an item in your inventory, understanding its role can help you understand the game’s internal mechanics and how different items interact.

Bingleberry Soup: A Glimpse of What Could Be

While the Bingleberry itself isn’t craftable or directly consumable, there’s an interesting reference in the game to Bingleberry Soup. This item is a bit of an anomaly. It has been added into the game and can be spawned in but is not yet craft-able. According to existing code it restores lots of hunger though and could prove very useful in cold areas like caves.

This suggests that at some point, the developers intended to introduce a recipe that would utilize the generic “Bingleberry” concept to create a beneficial food item, possibly with unique properties suited for specific environments. Whether Bingleberry Soup will ever become fully implemented remains to be seen, but its existence offers a fascinating glimpse into the game’s development process.

Berries: The Cornerstone of Survival in Ark

Berries play a vital role in Ark: Survival Evolved. They’re among the first food sources players encounter and remain valuable throughout the game. Beyond mere sustenance, they’re crucial for taming herbivores, creating dyes, and even crafting potent narcotics.

Here’s a quick overview of the different berry types and their primary uses:

Types of Berries:

• Amarberry: Restores a small amount of food and water.
• Azulberry: Restores a small amount of food and water.
• Mejoberry: Restores a small amount of food and water. The preferred berry for taming herbivores.
• Narcoberry: Does not restore water. Increases a creature’s torpor (sleepiness), essential for taming.
• Stimberry: Drains water. Reduces torpor, useful for waking up unconscious players or creatures.
• Tintoberry: Restores a small amount of food and water.

Harvesting Berries:

The manual labor of picking berries one by one quickly becomes tedious. Fortunately, Ark provides numerous ways to automate this process:

• Dino Power: Taming a herbivore specialized in berry gathering is the most efficient approach. The Triceratops is a fantastic early-game option due to its wide attack radius and decent gathering rate. Other excellent berry gatherers include the Stegosaurus, Brontosaurus, and Therizinosaur.
• Manual Harvesting: Early on, simply using your hands or a sickle will suffice.
• Iguanodon: Can convert berries into seeds.

Frequently Asked Questions About Berries in Ark

Here are some frequently asked questions about berries in Ark to help further your understanding:

1. What is the best berry for taming herbivores in Ark?

Mejoberries are universally preferred by herbivores for taming. They offer the highest taming effectiveness and speed up the taming process.

2. Can I use any berry to tame a herbivore?

Yes, you can. However, using berries other than Mejoberries will result in lower taming effectiveness and a longer taming time.

3. What do Narcoberries do?

Narcoberries increase a creature’s torpor, making them sleepy. They are essential for taming creatures as they prevent them from waking up before the taming process is complete.

4. What do Stimberries do?

Stimberries reduce a creature’s torpor. They can be used to wake up an unconscious player or creature. However, they also drain water, so use them sparingly.

5. How do I efficiently harvest berries?

Tame a herbivore like a Triceratops, Stegosaurus, or Brontosaurus and use their attacks to gather berries from bushes.

6. Can I turn berries into seeds?

Yes! The Iguanodon has the special ability to convert stacks of berries into their corresponding seeds. Simply place the berries in its inventory and activate the conversion ability.

7. Which berry makes dinos hungry?

Stimberries. Placing Stimberries in a herbivore’s inventory will cause it to eat them, increasing hunger at the cost of hydration. This is generally not recommended, as it lowers taming effectiveness and can lead to dehydration.

8. What’s the best food for taming in Ark overall?

While berries are useful for herbivores, most creatures have a preferred type of kibble that significantly increases taming effectiveness and speed. Kibble is crafted using specific animal eggs, crops, Mejoberries, fiber, and water.

9. How can I quickly spoil meat in Ark?

To spoil meat faster, place it in a creature’s inventory (especially one with a large capacity, like a Rex or Allo) and leave it overnight. The more meat you have, the quicker it will spoil.

10. What’s the best berry for taming a Lystrosaurus?

Lystrosaurus are easily tamed with Rare Flowers, Mejoberries, or any other berry.

11. Can I drink beer in Ark?

Yes, you can craft and drink Beer in Ark. It provides temporary buffs such as increased insulation, melee damage reduction, and reduced water consumption, but it also significantly reduces stamina.

12. How many tranq darts does it take to knock out a Brontosaurus?

The number of tranq darts required depends on the weapon and the Brontosaurus’s level. Approximately 19 tranq darts from a crossbow or 33 from a bow are needed. Remember that Brontosaurus do not register headshots.

13. Is taming a Brontosaurus worth it?

Yes, taming a Brontosaurus can be worthwhile. They are excellent for carrying large amounts of resources and can be equipped with a platform saddle to create a mobile base.

14. What are Iguanodons good for?

Iguanodons are versatile creatures. They are fast, have high stamina, can jump well, gather berries efficiently, convert berries to seeds, and provide fertilizer.

15. Is the Bola effective on Iguanodons?

Yes, the Bola is effective on Iguanodons, making them easy to immobilize for taming.

Understanding Ark Through Its Code

The concept of the Bingleberry highlights how games are built from the inside out. It’s a reminder that behind the beautiful graphics and intricate gameplay lies a complex system of code and variables. Understanding these underlying mechanics, even in a small way, can enhance your appreciation for the game’s design and your ability to strategize effectively.

For those interested in the educational aspects of gaming and game design, be sure to check out the work being done by organizations like the Games Learning Society at GamesLearningSociety.org. They explore how games can be used as powerful tools for learning and development.