As a beginner in Ark, the first thing you should do is choose the right map for you. We have a long list of maps to choose from. But the problem here is that not all the maps are for beginners. There are just a few that you can try at the start of your game.
You will first need to experience the gaming environment and learn the basic tactics of the game on these easy maps. Then you should move on to the advanced maps. The beginner maps have a friendly gaming environment and all sorts of creatures including the ones with a calm nature and friendly dinos.
As you learn the mechanics of the game and have built yourself a nice home then you can try another map. But for now, let’s have a look at the best beginner Ark map.
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Best Ark Map for Beginners
Here we are gonna discuss some of the easiest maps that you can play. They are easy in the sense that the overall environment of the map is some sort of friendly like dinos, temperature, surroundings, and all. So, let’s have a look at them.
1. The Island
Starting off with the vanilla map of the game. The Island is the base map of Ark, all the other maps were released after this one. This is the safest and easiest map to start off your Ark journey. It has all the biomes including the volcano, snow, jungle, and ocean.
You can easily learn everything about the Ark gaming environment and how other things work here. Moreover, you will have easy access to all the basic resources which can help you in crafting items such as weapons and tools.
Apart from all that, there are dinos of all the levels on the Island. Even you can tame dinos at level 10 of your character. Some of them are easy to tame and others are aggressive which requires great strategies. Some beginner dinos are Ankylosaurus, Dodo, Otter, Pteranodon, and Parasaur.
Now, that you have tamed some dinos and are ready to explore the Island. Here are some locations that you can visit. The Dead Island, Smuggler’s Pass, The Frozen Maw, The Hidden Lake, The Frozen Tooth, The Western Coast, Gragg’s Island, and The Footpaw. These are located on the Island map.
2. The Lost Island
This is another great map for beginners with tons of things to do. You can start the game on this map which will allow you to experience everything in a natural environment. You won’t have to face that extreme weather conditions like on some other maps.
Simply start collecting those basic items such as wood, thatch, fiber, and others. These items can be easily found all over the map. Craft the essential tools and weapons for your survival. Now, you need to tame some dinos for your travel and other activities. There are dozens of low-level dinos on The Lost Island. Some don’t even need to be knocked down.
After having some good dinos on your side, you can start working on your base. And for that, you are gonna need to look for a safe and resourceful place. Some best locations on The Lost Island are Darkfern Forest, Bin Da Island, Gloom Grove, Boskar Meadows, Udal Jungle, and Shoola Jungle.
3. Ragnarok
This one is another perfect choice for beginners. A great option to explore new places and get some new creatures. A good size map with tons of spots and locations to explore a never-ending fun. Ragnarok has extraordinary environmental features which cannot be found on other maps.
An active volcano erupts lava that starts a meteor shower. This can be a beautiful sight but keep yourself safe from the meteor shower as it can cause damage. Massive beaver dams can be found near the rivers, they are full of useful items which can be looted. Ruins and sunken boats can be found around the map which are also attractive features of the map.
Ragnarok is 2.5 times bigger than the Island. With this huge size, it has so many creatures that spawn all over the map. Moreover, it has unique creatures as well such as Ice Wyvern, Iceworm Male, Dire Polar Bear, and Griffin.
4. Valguero
Valguero is a map with different biomes and each one has different creatures roaming on the lands. It’s a brand-new experience in Ark where the possibilities of fun and exploration are endless. Valguero has a huge snow biome. And besides that, there is a huge Redwood Forest as well. Whereas, the center of the map has a beautiful Abyss.
Valguero has introduced a new creature which is known as Deinonychus. Also, it has two new variations of Rock Elemental, the first one is Chalk Golem and the second one is Ice Golem. This map is one of those maps on which you will encounter the boss as it roams on the lands openly. Yes! Broodmother can be found roaming around the map. So, stay attentive while you are on exploration.
Valguero has a unique chain of underwater caves that can be found on the western side of the map. This chain consists of over 6 caves. And they all are submerged which makes them even more fun to explore. Don’t forget to take some high-level tames with you as you may encounter some unwanted creatures down there.
5. Fjordur
Last on our list is Fjordur. This is a 4 times larger map as compared to the Island. Fjordur is actually divided into three different islands namely Jotunheim, Vanaheim, and Asgard. Each one of them has a different environment which gives you a whole different experience on just one map. Jotunheim is an island with extreme freezing temperatures, Vanaheim is a densely forested island, and Asgard is an island that has abandoned buildings surrounded by fields.
Fjordur is an incredible combination of all sorts of environments that you can imagine. You can visit some of the most famous locations on the map. There are almost around 200 runes on the map which is just amazing, that’s a thing that no other map offers.
Moreover, the three different islands hide their own small worlds in them. You have to reach on each one of them to find out the secrets and even the bosses including Steinbjorn, Beyla, Hati and Skoll, and Fenrisulfr.
So, there you have the best beginner Ark maps. In my opinion, the best and the easiest one for beginners is The Island. Now, that you have made it through the guide, you know well why I picked this one as the best. Although, the others are easy as well.
What Ark Map is the Easiest?
For sure, it’s the Island. The base map of the game, all other maps are expansion packs or DLC maps which came after the Island. So, definitely, this one is the easiest and most popular among the Ark community.
There are several reasons for its popularity, the most common one is that you find all sorts of creatures on it. Plus, you are getting multiple biomes.
What Maps do you Start With in Ark?
As we all know we can choose from 11 different maps. But, the best thing you can do is choose from the above 5 that we have discussed. They are designed in a way that new players can understand the mechanics of the game easily. Because they are not difficult in terms of their environment.
That’s everything about the best beginner map Ark. Now, instead of trying each of the maps, you can just go through the guide and pick the right one for you. They all are easy and great for beginners. You have friendly dinos in there that can help you in starting your journey and get to know about the environment.