Ark Update: Archaeopteryx Gliders, More Optimisations
Actual, factual science
Ark: Survival Evolved [official site] caused a kerfuffle recently when the open-world dinosurvival game launched a £15 expansion despite still being in early access. Even an unsatisfying response from developers Studio Wildcard didn't stop the Scorched Earth add-on from topping the Steam charts, mind. Anyway, now Wildcard are back to free Ark content updates, boshing in two new flying dinos and bringing more desperately-needed performance optimisations.
What's going on in that picture ↑ up there? Ah, that's some folks using the new Archaeopteryx as hang gliders. Just another day in Ark.
Patch 247 arrived last night. Its two new dinos are the Archaeopteryx protobird, which players can tame to use as a hilarious teeny hang glider, and the bigger Tapejara, a pterosaur which can strafe in the air (just like real pterosaurs could - ask Dave Attenborough) and cling to walls so the pilot and their passenger can shoot down (go on, ask him). Also new: Night Vision Goggles and what the devs call "a bevy of performance optimizations and gameplay fixes."
The update also refreshes The Center, the fancy fantasy land made by a player then included officially. Expect new caves, a new area, reworked weather, and fixes.
A fair few players are reporting crashes after this update, mind. The developers are investigating but don't have a solution yet. One problem they have already fixed was an inability to whip out items like the torch and spyglass while mounted.