CrossARK Transfers
CrossARK Transfers is a game mechanic in ARK: Survival Evolved where the player can transfer their survivor, items and tames ("objects") from one ARK to another ARK. Effectively, the player is being transported from one ARK to another via an uploads and downloads system.
Overview
Transfers can be used to move objects from one server to another even if the map on both servers differs.
Transfers can take place mainly at Obelisk or a
Tek Transmitter. Other means of transfer are means such as:
Loot Crate (only official or dedicated Aberration servers)
Supply Crate (only official or dedicated servers)
City Terminal (Extinction)
Mission Dispatcher (Genesis: Part 1 and Genesis: Part 2)
- Stryder Transmitter on Hacked/Tamed
Tek Stryder (Genesis: Part 2) (This can only transfer items)
There is a chance that objects will be eliminated without any notice whatsoever during the process.
Transferring Limit
There are limitations as to how items, creatures and survivors can be transferred through the normal mechanism:
- They can only be transferred within the same server cluster.
- The server options for upload and download options need to be enabled for that server.
- On Official servers, they can only be transferred from PvE to PvE servers and only PvP to PvP servers.
- Can not be transferred from Official servers to unofficial ones or vice versa, nor from Local games.
Not everything can be transferred to other servers either. Aside from server setting, the following cannot be transferred:
Items
- Inactive
Specimen Implant or
Homo Deus Record
- Tributes (Excludes
Nameless Venom,
Reaper Pheromone Gland and
Primal Crystal)
- Boss Heads, excluding:
Element and
Element Shard (Convert them to
Element Dust at 80% loss, you can then convert them back to
Unstable Element and
Unstable Element Shards and this will take fair amount of time in addition to the Dust weighing much more. The Engrams for Unstable Element are available only on Extinction, Genesis: Part 2, Lost Island and Fjordur at level 58.)
Gacha Crystal
Coal and
Mistletoe from the Winter Wonderland event
Bee Hive (Place the hive, then destroy it to
Cryopod the
Giant Queen Bee instead.)
Artifact of the Lost (Disappears when transferred to ARKs outside Crystal Isles)
- Filled
Fish Basket (Release the fish and cryopod it instead. You can put it back in the basket after uncryo-podding it, they do not suffer cryo, except for the
Anglerfish.)
Crystal Wyvern Queen Flag
Gasbags bladder
Additionally Tek tier items with charge will lose their charge upon being transferred.
Creatures
The following creatures can't be properly transferred:
Chalk Golem (Valguero ARK only)
Polar Bear (Valguero ARK only, tameable at said map within Blue Obelisk)
Fenrir (Can only be transferred whilst inside
Cryopod)
Note that creatures can be sent via Cryopod to the maps, but can't be released out if the map does not permit them to be uncryopodded.
Aberration
Flying creatures of all kind cannot be mounted unless the server had permitted it to.
Only the creatures listed below, and all their variants, can be downloaded on Aberration. This limitation can be disabled with the CrossARKAllowForeignDinoDownloads option.
Abberant Coelacanth
Aberrant Achatina
Aberrant Anglerfish
Aberrant Ankylosaurus
Aberrant Araneo
Aberrant Arthropluera
Aberrant Baryonyx
Aberrant Beelzebufo
Aberrant Carbonemys
Aberrant Carnotaurus
Aberrant Cnidaria
Aberrant Dimetrodon
Aberrant Dimorphodon
Aberrant Diplocaulus
Aberrant Diplodocus
Aberrant Dire Bear
Aberrant Dodo
Aberrant Doedicurus
Aberrant Dung Beetle
Aberrant Electrophorus
Aberrant Equus
Aberrant Gigantopithecus
Aberrant Iguanodon
Aberrant Lystrosaurus
Aberrant Manta
Aberrant Megalania
Aberrant Megalosaurus
Aberrant Meganeura
Aberrant Moschops
Aberrant Otter
Aberrant Ovis
Aberrant Paraceratherium
Aberrant Parasaur
Aberrant Piranha
Aberrant Pulmonoscorpius
Aberrant Purlovia
Aberrant Raptor
Aberrant Salmon
Aberrant Sarco
Aberrant Spino
Aberrant Stegosaurus
Aberrant Titanoboa
Aberrant Triceratops
Aberrant Trilobite
Achatina
Anglerfish
Ankylosaurus
Araneo
Arthropluera
Baryonyx
Basilisk
Beelzebufo
Bloodstalker
Carbonemys
Carnotaurus
Desert Titan
Dimetrodon
Dimorphodon
Diplocaulus
Diplodocus
Dire Bear
Dodo
Doedicurus
Dung Beetle
Electrophorus
Enforcer
Equus
Exo-Mek
Ferox
Forest Titan
Gacha
Gasbags
Gigantopithecus
Glowbug
Ice Titan
Iguanodon
Karkinos
Lamprey
Lystrosaurus
Maewing
Magmasaur
Managarmr
Manta
Megachelon
Megalania
Megalosaurus
Mek
Moschops
Nameless
Noglin
Otter
Oviraptor
Ovis
Paraceratherium
Parasaur
Pulmonoscorpius
Purlovia
R-Carbonemys
R-Carnotaurus
R-Gasbags
R-Reaper King
R-Velonasaur
Raptor
Ravager
Reaper King
Rock Drake
Roll Rat
Sarco
Scout
Seeker
Shadowmane
Sinomacrops
Spino
Stegosaurus
Tek Stryder
Titanoboa
Triceratops
Velonasaur
Genesis: Part 1
Flying creatures of all kind cannot be mounted unless the server had permitted it to. This includes Managarmr
- All tamed
Titan can't be transferred to Genesis: Part 1
How to Transfer
When the following above structure is accessed, there are three tabs, "ARK Data", "Creatures", and "Tribute".
- When the "Tribute" tab is chosen, every item you put in the inventory of the
Obelisk is accessible by everyone and could be used as a Tribute to summon one of the shown Bosses. (In the case of City Terminal, it is used to craft specific items)
- When the "Creatures" tab is chosen, the inventory screen changes and is divided into an upper part and a lower part. The upper part shows all tamed Creatures which can be transferred. Select one and press the little footprint-like button to upload the selected Creature. Now it will be listed in the lower part with a cool-down timer. Remove the saddle beforehand and transfer it via the "ARK Data" tab, since everything in the tamed Creature's Inventory will be dropped. Only tames which are near the above structures will be listed and those that have been transferred will disappear. If the tamed Creature has been downloaded, they will automatically be following the player who downloaded them.
- Items will be transferred via the "ARK Data" tab.
- NOTE: On servers there will be a cool-down, on local play-throughs, there is no cool-down.
- To move yourself, use the "Upload Survivor"-Button in the middle.
Creature Transfer
It is also possible to transfer your tamed creatures this way with the same restrictions as listed above.
If you upload one of your tames, their inventory will be dropped in the process. Remember to empty it before (including the saddle and head gear).
If there are too many tamed creatures in the server, it will not download into the server (It will remain in the data), unless there is now a free spot. Utilizing Cryopod instead will allow you to transfer over the limit though keep in mind it still applies when trying to un-cryo it.
Warning
There have been reports of players losing their character by using the transmitting-feature. This is often caused by error, crash or server rollback/maintenance when attempting to download or downloaded before the next server save, so use this feature at your own risk.[citation needed]
If a rollback occurred on servers that you had your character transferred from, and you lost your character on the server you transferred you, the game will still force you to create a new character as if you do not have any on the server despite it existing. This is in lieu with the Anti-duping technology intended to prevent duping of characters. [1]
Characters/Dinos/Items uploaded to ARK cloud has a 24-hour time limit in multiplayer. Ensure you are set to download them into another server before the timer runs out, or else your items will decay in your upload when the timer goes past 0.
Tips
- A
Tek Transmitter is really helpful to transport items around, even on the same ARK.
- CrossARK transfers is used on official servers to trade (Steam has a dedicated forum for ARK trades. Note that you must be logged in on an account that owns ARK to access).
- To transfer your character on a console Player Dedicated server (Not A Cluster). Use "cheat playercommand Ascend1", this will force upload your character. Please note you need to be admin on server to do this. Once your character is uploaded the person who is hosting the server can change the map, when you join select "Download Survivor" you should see your character.
- For an official list of rules pertaining to CrossARK transfers, please visit the following page: https://support.survivetheark.com/hc/en-us/articles/226850348-How-to-Transfer-Your-Survivor-to-Another-Server-Safely
Trivia
- At the start of Genesis: Part 2, several R-Variant dino were mistakenly permitted into Aberration. These dino do not have an Aberrant variant in said ARK.