So Wild Card has announced another Creature Vote for the return of Genesis Part 1 in Ark Survival Ascended. Given Genesis Part 1 features a large ocean biome, I thought it fitting that Atopodentatus should return new and improved features for all biomes.
Atopodentatus - Genesis Part 1 Creature Vote Entry
Dossier
Species: Atopodentatus Unicus
Time: Early to Mid Triassic
Diet: Herbivorous
Temperament: Elusive
Wild
Atopodentatus Unicus, while elusive, is a friendly marine herbivore. They’ve been said to heal survivors and injured creatures only to vanish shortly after, leaving many to question if they exist at all. They do seem to have an affinity for eating algae after healing creatures, this could be used for possible taming.
While Atopodentatus thrives in the reefs, sightings suggest they've escaped the confinement of their main habitat and proliferated into other zones of the simulation. They seem to cling to wherever water is present, as long as there is plant matter for them to eat, they are quite content.
Domesticated
Its unique aquatic plant diet is the source of its remarkable healing abilities. It releases a cloud of salty mineral-rich fluid from its nostrils, similar to the salt glands found in modern-day marine iguanas. The sudden change in local water chemistry attracts beneficial microbial organisms that promote rapid healing, as well as consume blood in the nearby water, rendering injured creatures effectively invisible to nearby predators.
Combat
Tail Whip - Normal Attack - can contend with Megs, Xiphs, Mantas, etc... some knockback on enemies. Non-lethal mode when tamed allows players the utility of a whip from the Atopo's back.
Hammerhead Charge - Charged Attack - consumes a chunk of stamina to charge forward and stun targets on hit. Can also be used to resurface quickly or escape predators.
Biome Sanctuary AoE
Healing AoE - This AoE consumes food to grant a +25% Health Regen effect and provides secondary buffs depending on the Biome it's in.
General Notes:
On dry land - (to differentiate from Daeodon) Atopo sneezes a bioluminescent goo that AoE functions like a ranged splash projectile (think healing grenade) that lingers over the area for a time
In water - the AoE grows more powerful and diffuses into the surrounding water and creates a pulsating AoE (more like Daeodon)
All Terrian - AoE also conceals allied players and tames felm nearby predators. *This does not work against players, bosses, mini bosses, or their minions.*
Buffs By Biome
- Water: applies Hydrated buff, grants infinite oxygen
- Volcano: extinguishes creatures and players that are burning, grants +25% fire resistance
- Snow: Prevents creatures and players from being slowed, or frozen, grant, +25% cold resistance
- Swamp: kills attached leeches, cures creatures & players of poison & diseases, +25% poison resistance
- Space: Protects creatures and players from radiation and grants +25% lightning resistance
Passive Abilities
General Resource Harvesting - Atopo can harvest a variety of resources both above and below the waves. However, it does not excel at harvesting a specific resource. Some of these resources could include: berries, biotoxin, fiber, flint, fungal wood, organic polymer, thatch, stone, silica pearls, rare flowers, rare mushrooms, etc...
Aquatic Affinity - Atopo is immune to Cnidaria and Electrophorus stun and is harder for Aquatic predators to detect while in water.
Archelon Algae Harvesting - can be set to passively harvest Archelon Algae from tamed Archelons once they reach maximum algae growth.
Salt Production - Atopo can passively produce preserving salt in their inventory, which extands the timer on perishable items.
Taming
Passive Tame (no survivor level requirement) - to tame Atopo players will need to present them with an injured tame or survivor, atopo will approach send out a healing pulse, when the pulse ends Atopo will retreat, in that time players will have the opportunity to feed it.
Diet - Atopo prefers Archelon Algae but will also accept Superior (purple) Kibble, crops, and berries. Once tamed, they will eat any herbivorous diet.
Saddles
Atopo has 2 Saddles:
Regular saddle (above) - craftable at the Smithy @ lvl 45 for hide, fiber, and cementing paste, allows rider to use weapons while mounted, can seat 1 extra passenger.
Tek Saddle (Above) - has 2 modes Traversal and Shield Bubble
Traversal Mode - increases Atopo's movement speed, creates frontal shield that protects rider from projectiles, also supplies unlimited oxygen for the rider & passenger, also allows Atopodentatus to fly through the Lunar Biome as if it were water.
Shield Bubble Mode - creates an AoE Shield Bubble spacious enough for players and tames centered on the Atopo, keeps out wild dinos, and protects from projectiles On the ocean floor the bubble can be optionally drained, similar to tek vacuum compartments, (provided no water tames are present) allows players and land tames to walk around on seafloor like it was dry land, so players can build, battle, and traverse the oceans like never before.
Riding/Movement
✅️ Can traverse land and water.
✅️✅️ Base swim speed faster than Baryonyx, very well adapted for swimming, sprint is fast but not uncontrollably so.
✅️ Land base & sprint speeds are similar to sarco.
✅️✅️✅️ They can climb cliffs and walls while out of water - based off the climbing abilities of other semi-aquatic reptiles like marine iguanas and Nile monitor lizards (who are both fantastic swimmers as well as climbers) - this will also help reach hard to access spots in various biomes
✅️✅️✅️ Atopo can anchor themselves to submerged cliffs and other aquatic terrain features.
✅️✅️✅️ Makes extremely sharp fast turns.
Facts & History
- Estimated to have lived at least 247 million years ago during the Early to Mid Triassic, would shared the ocean with animals like Ichthyosaurus, Shatasaurus, Helicoprion, Ammonite, etc... Meanwhile, on land, it contended with a variety of early theropods, sauropods, and pterosaurs.
- First fossil was found in 2014 in Southwestern China, and second was found in 2016 between those 2 fossils that have near complete skeleton. At first archeologists thought Atopodentatus had a smashed zipper like jaw, unbeknownst to them the first fossil had been badly damaged either prior or during the fossilization process, the second fossil had a much better preserved skull which had a very distinct hammerhead shaped snout.
- Atopodentatus is a mixture of Greek and Latin, which translates to "Strange Toothed." The fossiled specimens lead archeologists to believe it fed on soft aquatic plants and possibly marine microorganisms
- The skeletal structure of the legs and feet suggests that Atopodentatus had feet rather than flippers and was likely capable of walking on land.
Thank you for reading!
If you made it to the end of this, thank you, as this is the briefest detailed summary I can provide. All thoughts, feedback, and ideas are appreciated in advance!
Special thanks to the following individuals:
Artists & Contributors:
- Riskybiscuits
- Mihael
- Ham & Co.
- Bleakdawn
- ArcherBlackBelt
- Bees4Knees
