Embarking on a wilderness adventure in the world of ARK: Survival Evolved often involves setting up camp and starting a fire for warmth, cooking, and protection. Learning how to light a campfire in ARK is an essential skill that every survivor should master. In this guide, we'll walk you through the process, from gathering materials to igniting your first flame.
Before we dive into the steps, it's crucial to understand that ARK's fire mechanics are designed to be realistic and challenging. You'll need to be patient and strategic to keep your campfire burning. Now, let's get started!
Gathering Materials
To create a campfire in ARK, you'll need three primary materials: thatch, wood, and a spark. Thatch and wood are easy to find, but creating a spark requires a bit more effort.
Thatch can be harvested from various plants like ferns, bushes, and saplings using your hands or a harvesting tool. Wood can be obtained by chopping down trees with an axe. Keep in mind that different types of wood burn at different rates, so it's a good idea to collect a variety.
Creating a Spark
To create a spark, you'll need to craft a tool called a 'Firefly Jar'. This requires a jar, which can be made from clay, and a firefly. Fireflies can be found at night near water sources. Once you have both items, open your crafting menu and combine them to create a Firefly Jar.
Next, you'll need to create a spark by using the Firefly Jar in your hand and left-clicking on a flint. Flint can be found in the wild or mined from certain nodes. Be patient, as creating a spark can take a few tries.
Crafting a Campfire
Now that you have your materials, it's time to craft a campfire. Open your crafting menu and look for the 'Campfire' recipe. You'll need 10 thatch, 10 wood, and 1 spark to create one campfire. Once crafted, place the campfire in your desired location.
To light the campfire, simply right-click on it while holding a spark in your hand. The campfire will now be lit and will start burning the wood you've placed around it.
Maintaining Your Campfire
Keeping your campfire burning is essential for a comfortable and safe night in ARK. There are a few things you can do to maintain your fire:
First, make sure you have a steady supply of wood. As the fire burns, it will consume the wood around it, so it's crucial to keep adding more. You can also increase the burn rate by placing more wood around the fire.
Using Fuel
In addition to wood, you can use other materials as fuel to keep your campfire burning. These include thatch, hide, and even certain creatures like dodo eggs or small animals. Keep in mind that these materials burn faster than wood, so use them sparingly.
You can also use certain items like 'Charcoal' or 'Coal' to create a longer-lasting fire. These can be created by burning wood in a campfire until it turns into charcoal or by mining coal nodes.
Extinguishing and Relighting Your Campfire
If you need to extinguish your campfire, you can do so by right-clicking on it with an empty hand. This will put out the fire but leave the campfire structure intact. To relight it, you'll need to use a spark again.
Remember, once a campfire is extinguished, it will not automatically reignite if you add more wood. You'll need to use a spark each time you want to relight it.
Now that you know how to light a campfire in ARK and maintain it, you're ready to face the wilderness with confidence. Happy exploring, and may your fires burn bright!