How ARK addressed survival games' kill-on-sight problem

ARK is one of a handful of survival games to rise above the fray of competition on Steam, partly thanks to its novel mixture of prehistoric wildlife and modern weapons. ARK isn't exempt to the issue many players experience in sandbox survival games, however: the perpetuation of an in-game culture that encourages many players, even peaceful ones, to fight whenever they encounter someone else. During our time at PAX this week I found a moment to speak with Jesse Rapczak, co-founder at Studio Wildcard, about the ARK team's attitude about kill-on-sight.

You can find all of our coverage from PAX Prime 2015 right here.

Evan's a hardcore FPS enthusiast who joined PC Gamer in 2008. After an era spent publishing reviews, news, and cover features, he now oversees editorial operations for PC Gamer worldwide, including setting policy, training, and editing stories written by the wider team. His most-played FPSes are CS:GO, Team Fortress 2, Team Fortress Classic, Rainbow Six Siege, and Arma 2. His first multiplayer FPS was Quake 2, played on serial LAN in his uncle's basement, the ideal conditions for instilling a lifelong fondness for fragging. Evan also leads production of the PC Gaming Show, the annual E3 showcase event dedicated to PC gaming.