Taming
Ark: Survival Evolved
The taming of wild Dinos in Ark Survival Evolved is one of the important and really cool aspects of the game. Knowing how it's done, how the mechanics work, makes this process much easier. This is especially so since it takes a long time to tame even the smaller dinos.
What type of tranquilizer is best? What type of food do they eat? These determine how long it will take, and may even make the difference between success and failure. This guide explains all of these mechanics!
The Basics
At this time the dinos fall into two categories: Herbivores and Carnivores. Or Vegetarians and Meat Eaters! Feeding the wrong Dino the wrong thing will hurt and possibly outright ruin your efforts. This is much less of a problem, and yet more of a complication with the addition of Egg Kibble. Most Dinos have an Egg Kibble that they prefer, a system that has for the most part replaced the favorite berry or meat theory. This primarily carnivorous food type is loved by a great many of the dinos. Keep in mind that there are several types of Kibble and each Dino has a preference. If you use the right Egg Kibble you'll get a 5x bonus to taming speed.
Another point to keep in mind is how to bring the Dino down so you can try to tame it. If it's a runner, like a Parasaur, you'll find it doesn't fight back, but WOW can it run. Have fun with that. If it's a fighter, which covers the majority of the Dinos, then at least it won't be hard to keep around. Using Fists is one way, but a sling shot and stones is a better one... if you can hit it. There is also the club. And remember, body shots are not so good. If you want to knock it cold, go for the Head!
What seems to be the best is the Tranq Arrow. These do require a bow, a few engrams, and a Mortar and Pestle to make, but it is definitely worth the effort and resources. Tranq Arrows are fired from either a Bow or Crossbow. The Crossbow is far more expensive but far more effective. An Elite solution would be Tranq Darts in a Longneck Rifle.
Be aware also that the level of the Dino has a very big impact on taming times, the number of tranq arrows required, food, narcotic, and narcoberry requirements. Very low level Dinos will require very little of these compared to high level Dinos. The high level Dinos will require a great deal more. As for keeping it out cold, Narcotic is the most effective and does not spoil. Otherwise, it's Narcoberries.
Taming Herbivores
For the herbivore, you'll want a ton of berries and a ton of Narcoberries. Do keep in mind that each Dino has a preferred food, and when it comes to herbivores there are a number of different berry types. Also note that once the Dino is down for the count it really doesn't matter if you use the meat-based Narcotic or the Narcoberries. Narcotics are stronger and don't spoil, so this should probably be your method of choice.
The best results will occur if the creature has a favorite Egg Kibble. If it does, then you should use that to get yourself a 5x bonus on taming speed.
Taming Carnivores
For the carnivore, you'll want a ton of meat and a ton of Narcotics. Do keep in mind that each Dino has a preferred food. When it comes to carnivores, there are three (3) different types of meat normally used in taming. Also note that once the Dino is down for the count you'll want to use Narcotics. Prime Meat can be better than regular Raw Meat. Spoiled Meat should be used rarely, and only with a few Dinos such as the Scorpion.
You'll get the best results if the creature has a favorite Egg Kibble. If it doe,s and you use the right one, you'll get a 5x taming speed bonus.
Egg-Based Kibble & Which One To Use
Egg-Based Kibble is one of the Rockwell Recipes. It is created in the Cooking Pot. There are many variations, but the basic idea is this: 1 Egg, 1 Meat, Mejoberries, Fibre, 1 Veggie, and Water.
A complete listing of the Egg-Based Kibbles is here: Egg-Based Kibble.
