ARK: Survival Evolved (2017) is a survival game developed by Studio Wildcard where players find themselves stranded on an island filled with dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures. The game offers both single-player and multiplayer modes and is known for its vast open world, complex mechanics, and incredible visual design. Among these visuals, the game icons and banners play a significant role in representing ARK’s immersive, prehistoric experience. This guide explores the details, meanings, and usage of icons and banners in ARK: Survival Evolved.
1. The Purpose and Importance of Icons in AR
In ARK: Survival Evolved, icons serve a practical and aesthetic purpose, helping players manage resources, understand statuses, and navigate the vast world more efficiently. The game includes hundreds of icons that represent items, creatures, resources, and status effects, each designed with a unique visual to communicate their function at a glance.
a. Item Icons
- Weapons and Tools: Icons for weapons like the pike, bow, and firearms are distinct and detailed, each representing its type of attack. For example, melee weapons have rugged and ancient designs, while firearms have more metallic and industrial appearances.
- Resources: The game features a variety of natural resources (wood, thatch, metal, etc.). Each resource has an icon with specific colors and textures to reflect its natural state—wood appears brown and rough, while metal is shiny and gray.
- Crafting Items: Crafting is essential to survival, and icons for items like campfires, storage chests, and saddles are distinct, making them easily recognizable in the inventory.
b. Creature Icons
- Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Animals: Every creature in ARK has an icon, displaying its silhouette and sometimes unique features like horns, wings, or fins to make it easily distinguishable.
- Behavioral Traits: Some icons also indicate a creature’s nature. Aggressive creatures may have more intense colors like red, while passive or friendly creatures often appear in calming colors like green or blue.
c. Status Icons
- Health and Stamina: Icons for health, stamina, and hydration are simple yet effective, showing water droplets, hearts, or energy bars. These are crucial in ensuring a player can keep track of their survival needs.
- Temperature and Weather: Status icons for extreme cold, heat, or even storms warn players to take appropriate action. These icons are typically color-coded—blue for cold and red for heat—enhancing quick recognition.
2. Banners in ARK: Types and Significance
Banners in ARK are often used in two main contexts: tribe representation and event announcements. Banners add a sense of personalization and group identity within the game, making them essential for building a sense of community and competition.
a. Tribe Banners
- Design and Customization: Tribe banners are a key feature in multiplayer, allowing groups of players to create unique identities. Players can customize these banners with colors, symbols, and even imported images. This adds to the immersion and loyalty players feel towards their tribes.
- Strategic Placement: Banners can be placed around bases, fortresses, or even on certain mounts, marking territory and intimidating rival tribes. This visual presence acts as a warning to other players of the tribe’s strength.
b. Event Banners
- Holiday and Seasonal Events: ARK holds several in-game events for holidays like Halloween, Christmas, and Easter. During these events, themed banners and icons appear, featuring festive elements—pumpkins, snowflakes, or eggs—that set the event’s mood.
- Special Game Modes: Banners also announce unique gameplay modes or events, like survival challenges, boss fights, or PvP events. These banners not only create excitement but guide players towards new activities within the game.
3. The Artistic Style and Visual Design of Icons and Banners
The icons and banners in ARK: Survival Evolved adhere to a particular visual aesthetic that aligns with the game’s prehistoric and survival themes. Each visual element is carefully designed to create an immersive experience.
a. Color Scheme and Texture
- Earthy and Natural Tones: The game heavily uses earthy colors like browns, greens, and grays to create a grounded and primitive feel. These colors reflect the wild, untamed nature of the ARK environment.
- Textural Details: Many icons and banners have rough, textured appearances, mimicking materials like stone, wood, and metal. This adds realism and emphasizes the raw survival experience of the game.
b. Symbolism in Icons
- Primal Symbols: Many icons and banners incorporate primal symbols—bones, animal tracks, and claw marks—that connect with the prehistoric theme.
- Modern-Meets-Ancient: While the icons are primitive in design, some elements hint at futuristic technology, especially in tech items like the Tek Rifle. This blend of ancient and futuristic styles mirrors the game’s storyline, where players encounter advanced technologies in an otherwise primitive world.
4. How to Use Icons and Banners Effectively in Gaming
Icons and banners in ARK are not just decorative; they play a strategic role in gameplay. Recognizing and understanding these visuals can help players manage resources, improve combat efficiency, and communicate more effectively in multiplayer settings.
a. Inventory Management
- Quick Access with Icons: Organizing resources and tools by their icons allows for faster access during combat or exploration. Players often categorize items by type, using the icons to quickly grab essential tools or weapons.
- Identifying Quality and Rarity: Some icons indicate item rarity or quality (e.g., Primitive, Ascendant), which helps players decide what items to keep, upgrade, or discard.
b. Tribe Organization and Territory Control
- Placing Banners for Territory: Placing tribe banners at the borders of bases acts as a strategic deterrent, signaling to others that the area is claimed.
- Banner Customization for Communication: Banners can also contain specific symbols or colors to communicate with allied tribes or designate certain areas within a base, like storage zones or gathering points.
c. Event Participation
- Following Event Icons and Banners: During in-game events, special icons and banners guide players to limited-time quests, rare creatures, or collectible items. Paying attention to these visuals can enhance the gaming experience, offering exclusive rewards.
5. Community and Fan-Made Icons and Banners
Ark: Survival Evolved has a dedicated player community that often creates custom icons and banners. With mods, players can import fan-made designs, adding a layer of personalization that enhances immersion and community identity.
a. Modding and Custom Designs
- Fan-Created Icons: The community contributes new icon designs, often themed around specific tribes, famous creatures, or even fan art. These custom icons can be added through modding tools, allowing players to personalize their inventories and gameplay.
- Event-Based Custom Banners: Fans create banners for unofficial events or community competitions, fostering camaraderie. These banners can depict fictional tribe names, special emblems, or humorous art, adding a unique touch to the game.
b. Inspiration for Players and Tribes
- Tribal and Cultural References: Players often draw inspiration from real-world cultures, using symbols or patterns that reflect tribal or cultural heritage. This adds depth to the game and allows players to explore creative and historical identities within the ARK universe.
Conclusion
The icons and banners in ARK: Survival Evolved play a vital role in shaping the player experience, serving as tools for resource management, tribe representation, and event participation. Through distinct visual design, primal symbolism, and practical functionality, these elements create an immersive world that feels both ancient and futuristic. For players, mastering the use of icons and banners not only improves gameplay efficiency but also deepens the connection to the game’s vibrant and diverse community. Whether battling dinosaurs, gathering resources, or displaying tribe pride, these icons and banners help define the world of ARK: Survival Evolved and the adventures that unfold within it.
