Sweet Vegetable Cake: Taming Giants in ARK: Survival Evolved (And Why You Need It!)
Introduction
Are you struggling to add those coveted Giant Bees and Cementing Paste-producing Achatinas to your ARK: Survival Evolved menagerie? Perhaps you’ve heard whispers of a mystical treat capable of bending these wild creatures to your will. The answer to your taming woes might just lie in a seemingly simple, yet incredibly effective, creation: the Sweet Vegetable Cake.
Sweet Vegetable Cake is more than just a delightful snack for your survivor in ARK. It’s a specially formulated confection designed to pacify and tame certain herbivorous creatures, particularly the elusive and highly sought-after Giant Bee and the humble, but invaluable, Achatina. Mastering the art of crafting and utilizing this cake can significantly enhance your survival experience, unlocking access to valuable resources and powerful allies. This guide will cover everything you need to know about Sweet Vegetable Cake in ARK: Survival Evolved, from gathering the necessary ingredients to employing strategic taming techniques.
Understanding the Sweet Vegetable Cake
In the world of ARK, the Sweet Vegetable Cake is described as “a complex concoction of fibers, berries, and vegetables blended with the sweet sap of nature, creating a cake that both Giant Bees and Achatinas go wild for!” This description hints at the cake’s key ingredients and its irresistible appeal to the creatures it’s designed to tame.
Visually, the Sweet Vegetable Cake appears as a golden-brown treat, often topped with colorful berries and a generous drizzling of what you might assume is honey. This appearance is more than just aesthetic; it signifies the careful balance of sweet and savory components that make it so effective.
The primary function of the Sweet Vegetable Cake is to passively tame specific herbivores. When fed to a creature like a Giant Bee or an Achatina, it provides a substantial boost to the creature’s taming affinity. Think of it as a delicious peace offering that drastically accelerates the taming process. The amount of taming affinity gained depends on the creature’s level and the server’s taming settings. This means higher-level creatures will require more cake to tame successfully.
However, Sweet Vegetable Cake comes with a caveat: spoil time. In the harsh environment of ARK, food items degrade relatively quickly. A freshly baked cake will spoil in a matter of hours if left unprotected. To extend its shelf life, it’s crucial to store your cakes in a refrigerator or a preserving bin. Refrigerators powered by electricity offer the longest preservation time, while preserving bins, fueled by gasoline, provide a more mobile, though less effective, alternative. Mastering spoil time management is crucial to ensure you always have cake available when you need it.
Crafting the Perfect Cake: Ingredients and Recipe
The secret to a successful taming expedition lies in the precise execution of the Sweet Vegetable Cake recipe. Here’s a detailed breakdown of the ingredients and how to acquire them:
Giant Bee Honey
The cornerstone of the recipe, Giant Bee Honey is harvested from Giant Bee Hives found high in redwood trees or other elevated locations. Obtaining honey is fraught with danger, as disturbing the hive will provoke the resident bees into a furious swarm. It’s wise to wear Ghillie Armor for camouflage or use a grappling hook to reach the hive from a safe distance. Smoking torches or using bug repellent can also mitigate the bees’ aggression. Once you have the honey, be careful! It’s heavy, and it spoils quickly.
Sap
Another vital ingredient, sap, can be obtained from tapping trees using a tree tap or from certain cactus plants in desert regions. Tree taps are placed on redwood trees, extracting sap over time. Desert cacti yield sap when harvested directly. The latter is often a faster option early in the game.
Rockarrot Savoroot Longrass Corn
These are the four key vegetables required for the cake. They are obtained by planting and harvesting their corresponding seeds. Seeds can be found randomly when harvesting wild plants throughout the ARK. Once acquired, plant the seeds in crop plots, providing them with water (irrigation) and fertilizer (manure or compost) to encourage growth. It is best to use Large Crop Plots to maximize your farming output.
Mejoberry
A common berry found throughout the ARK, Mejoberries are easily gathered from bushes and plants. They are essential for many recipes and are readily available, even in the early game.
Fiber
One of the most basic resources in the game, fiber is obtained by harvesting bushes and plants. You’ll likely have an abundance of fiber as you progress through the game.
The crafting process is straightforward. Combine all the ingredients in a Cooking Pot with water. Light the fire beneath the pot, and wait for the cake to be crafted. Always ensure you have sufficient water in the pot, as crafting without water will ruin the ingredients. Remember that a lit cooking pot will also use fuel, such as wood, thatch, or sparkpowder.
To optimize your cake production, focus on efficient farming. Designate specific areas for crop plots and ensure they are well-irrigated and fertilized. Regular harvesting will yield a steady supply of vegetables. Consider using a Dung Beetle to convert feces into fertilizer, further streamlining your farming efforts. Furthermore, keeping bee hives close to crop plots can provide a convenient honey source.
Why Sweet Vegetable Cake is Essential: Taming Strategies
The primary reason to master the Sweet Vegetable Cake recipe is its invaluable role in taming specific creatures:
Giant Bee Taming
Giant Bees are highly prized for their ability to produce wild honey in player-built hives. Wild honey is required for various recipes and can also be consumed directly for a minor healing effect. However, taming a Giant Bee is a perilous undertaking. Approaching a wild bee hive without proper precautions will result in a swift and painful death. The Sweet Vegetable Cake provides a safe and effective method for taming these buzzing beasts.
To tame a Giant Bee, first locate a wild bee hive. Clear the area of any potential threats, such as raptors or other aggressive creatures. It is best to equip yourself with Ghillie Armor and Bug Repellent to minimize the bees’ aggression. Approach the hive cautiously and feed the bee queen a Sweet Vegetable Cake. This will begin the taming process. You will need to feed her additional cakes at intervals until the taming meter is full. Patience is key!
Achatina Snail Taming
Achatinas, or snails, are passive creatures that produce cementing paste. Cementing paste is a crucial ingredient for crafting many advanced structures and items. Taming an Achatina provides a renewable source of this valuable resource. Unlike the aggressive Giant Bee, Achatinas are passive and easily approached. Simply place a Sweet Vegetable Cake in your inventory, and approach the snail. The Achatina will slowly consume the cake, gradually increasing its taming affinity. Because they are passive, keeping them safe from predators is a must!
While Sweet Vegetable Cake is primarily used for taming Giant Bees and Achatinas, some players have reported success using it to tame other herbivores. While less effective than specialized taming methods, it can serve as a supplementary food source during taming.
Sweet Vegetable Cake offers a distinct advantage over other taming methods for these creatures. It provides a safe and reliable approach, minimizing the risk of aggroing the creature or suffering damage. The passive taming process allows you to tame the creature without having to incapacitate it, preserving its health and taming effectiveness.
Tips and Tricks for Optimal Cake Usage
To maximize the effectiveness of Sweet Vegetable Cake, consider these tips and tricks:
Stacking Cakes
Ensure that you have plenty of cake in your inventory. This is vital for taming high-level creatures and preventing spoil time from interrupting the taming process.
Spoilage Management
Always be mindful of the cake’s spoil time. Refrigerators and preserving bins are essential for extending its shelf life. Consider crafting multiple refrigerators to store a large supply of cakes.
Safe Taming Practices
Prioritize your safety during taming. Clear the area of threats and wear appropriate armor to mitigate damage. For Giant Bees, consider building a small trap around the hive to contain the bees while taming the queen.
Server Settings
Be aware of server settings that affect spoil times and taming effectiveness. Adjust your strategies accordingly to compensate for these changes.
Alternatives and Tradeoffs
While Sweet Vegetable Cake is the preferred method for taming Giant Bees and Achatinas, alternative approaches exist, although they are generally less effective or more dangerous. For Giant Bees, some players attempt to tame them by luring them into traps or using ranged weapons to knock them unconscious. However, these methods are risky and can easily result in the bee’s death. For Achatinas, some players use other plant-based foods for taming, but these are less effective than Sweet Vegetable Cake.
Gathering the ingredients for Sweet Vegetable Cake can be time-consuming, particularly for players who are just starting out. Weigh the cost of gathering the ingredients against the benefits of taming these valuable creatures. While the initial investment may seem daunting, the long-term benefits of having a Giant Bee or an Achatina in your base far outweigh the costs.
Sweet Vegetable Cake might not be the most accessible option for early-game players due to the difficulty in obtaining ingredients like Giant Bee Honey. In the early stages of the game, focus on taming more readily available creatures using simpler methods. As you progress, you can then transition to utilizing Sweet Vegetable Cake for more advanced taming pursuits.
In Conclusion
Sweet Vegetable Cake is an invaluable tool for any ARK: Survival Evolved player looking to tame Giant Bees and Achatinas. Its unique recipe and passive taming mechanics make it a safe and effective method for acquiring these valuable creatures. By mastering the art of crafting and utilizing Sweet Vegetable Cake, you can significantly enhance your survival experience and unlock new possibilities in the world of ARK. So, gather your ingredients, fire up your cooking pot, and prepare to tame some giants!
Go forth, brave survivor, and conquer the ARK with the power of the Sweet Vegetable Cake! Tame your Giant Bee and enjoy the fruits (or rather, the honey) of your labor!
