The Ultimate Guide to Force Feeding in ARK: Survival Evolved
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The question of what to force feed in ARK: Survival Evolved is a crucial one for any survivor, whether you’re taming a wild beast or raising a baby dinosaur. The answer isn’t straightforward and depends entirely on the situation. However, the most essential food for force feeding, and the only food that directly addresses the reason you would force feed, is the Narcoberry or its more potent version, Narcotic. These are used to manage torpor, not to speed up taming or feeding. While force-feeding other foods has its place when raising babies, it’s important to understand that force-feeding other food during taming will NOT speed up the process and will reduce taming effectiveness.
Why Force Feed in ARK?
Force feeding in ARK: Survival Evolved isn’t primarily about filling a creature’s belly. It’s fundamentally about maintaining a creature’s torpor – their level of unconsciousness – during the taming process, or keeping a baby dino alive when it needs a quick top-up. When taming, you’ll render a creature unconscious with tranquilizing weapons. As they sleep, their torpor will gradually decrease, and if it reaches zero, they’ll wake up and the taming process will be reset. This is why force-feeding Narcoberries or Narcotics is crucial during taming.
Force feeding is done by adding the necessary item to the dino’s inventory, and then selecting it. At the bottom of the inventory screen, you’ll find the option “Remote Use Item”. This option, usually located just to the right of “Take All From Inventory,” allows you to force feed the selected item to the dino.
Force Feeding Narcoberries vs. Narcotics
Narcoberries are the most basic option. They are relatively easy to obtain by harvesting plants and are sufficient for keeping lower-level creatures unconscious. However, they require constant monitoring because their torpor-inducing effect is minimal, and you will need to force feed very frequently.
Narcotics are crafted using Narcoberries and Spoiled Meat. They provide significantly more torpor per unit and are the preferred option for taming higher-level creatures or for tames that have a high torpor drain. Narcotics reduce the frequency with which you’ll need to force feed, allowing you to focus on keeping the taming process running smoothly and to avoid missing those crucial taming windows when the creature’s torpor is close to waking.
Other Considerations for Force Feeding
While Narcoberries and Narcotics are essential for managing torpor during the taming process, there are instances when force feeding other food comes into play. Specifically, force feeding baby dinos, especially during their vulnerable baby phase, might be necessary.
Force Feeding Baby Dinos
During the baby stage, baby dinos will automatically eat from their inventory if food is available. In this stage you can force feed berries or meat depending on if the baby is herbivore or carnivore. Once they are out of this stage, they will eat from troughs. However, when they’re babies, you may encounter situations where you are in the middle of something, and they need to be fed immediately, and this is when force feeding is useful. Raw Meat is better than berries at this stage, because you won’t have to force feed as often. If you leave your baby unattended, it will die very quickly if it doesn’t have enough food to survive.
Important: Force Feeding Does Not Speed Up Taming
It is crucial to understand that force feeding anything other than narcoberries or narcotics does NOT speed up the taming process. In fact, force feeding most food items during taming will actively reduce the taming effectiveness. The taming effectiveness is a key stat that determines the bonus levels your tamed dino will have after the taming is complete. Every time a creature eats any other food, or takes damage during the taming process the effectiveness is decreased, so only use narcoberries and narcotics while taming.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Does force feeding speed up taming in ARK?
No. Force feeding anything other than Narcoberries or Narcotics does not speed up the taming process. Taming speed is primarily determined by the type of food used, not the method of feeding. Taming effectiveness is reduced if you force feed other food types.
2. What is the best food for taming carnivores?
Raw Mutton is generally the best food for taming carnivores, offering a 7.5x taming multiplier. Raw Prime Meat is another great choice with a 4x multiplier, while cooked prime meat has a 2x multiplier. Ordinary raw meat has a 1x multiplier, making it a less efficient option.
3. What is the best food for taming herbivores?
Mejoberries are generally the preferred option for taming herbivores. Crops can also be used, although this is a more difficult method as it requires a garden.
4. Is prime meat better than mutton for taming?
Mutton is better than Prime Meat for taming most carnivores. It offers a higher taming effectiveness bonus and is more consistently available than prime meat.
5. What are the best ways to acquire Raw Mutton?
Ovis are the best source of Raw Mutton. They are somewhat rare in the wild, so be prepared to search for them.
6. Is Cooked Prime meat better than Raw prime Meat for taming?
Raw prime meat is better than cooked prime meat for taming. Raw prime meat has a 4x taming multiplier, while cooked prime meat only has a 2x multiplier.
7. What creatures provide Raw Prime Meat?
Alpha Predators are the best source of Raw Prime Meat. Some of the other dinos that provide Raw Prime meat include Stegosaurus, Paracer, and Mammoths.
8. Does starving a dino make taming faster?
Starving a dino does NOT make taming faster. It primarily allows the creature to eat all the food in one go, so you don’t have to keep adding it to their inventory. It doesn’t affect taming speed, effectiveness, or required food.
9. What is the best food for a Giganotosaurus?
The Giganotosaurus will eat a wide variety of food, but their preferred taming foods are Exceptional Kibble and Raw Mutton.
10. How does hunger work in ARK?
Hunger gradually increases over time, but it is also affected by actions that use Stamina or restore Health, or by being cold or injured. The more insulated you are the slower your hunger will increase.
11. What is the best berry to feed a herbivore for taming?
Mejoberries are the preferred berry for taming all herbivores.
12. How can I make a dino’s hunger go down faster?
Placing stimberries in a herbivore’s inventory will cause it to eat them. Its hunger will drop faster, but its torpor will not significantly drop faster. It does also lower taming effectiveness if the herbivore eats them during taming.
13. What dino is the strongest in ARK?
The Tyrannosaurus Rex (Rex) is often considered one of the strongest tames in ARK. Other powerful tames include the Argentavis, Snow Owl, and Giganotosaurus.
14. How do I force feed a baby dino?
During the baby stage they will auto eat from their inventory, everything past that point they eat from troughs. To force feed them, add the food item you wish to feed into their inventory. Select the item and then hit “Remote Use Item”.
15. Do you need to force feed baby dinos when they are young?
Yes, you may need to force feed baby dinos often, especially if using berries, until they mature and will eat from troughs. Raw meat will mean you don’t need to force feed as often. If you drop the meat to close by and don’t leave the area the baby dino will eat it and survive.
By understanding the nuances of force feeding, and focusing on appropriate foods during taming and baby raising phases, you’ll be a more efficient survivor in ARK. Remember, Narcoberries and Narcotics are key to keeping creatures unconscious, while the right foods during the feeding phase are key to successful tames, and baby dinos’ survival. Happy taming!