(DOSSIER!!!) Introducing Dreadnoughtus, the Terrestrial Battleship! (2024)

(living turret tower) Introducing Dreadnoughtus, the Terrestrial Battleship!

Tags: sauropod, apex, herbivore, siege, artillery, late game, customizable saddle, maintenance, TEK disabler, OSDs, titan fights

Art by RiskyBiscuits

Commissioned by Tweee (thanks again!)

(BACK FROM RAGNAROK NOW WITH CUSTOM ARTWORK AND UPDATED ABILITIES!)

DISCLAIMER: PLEASE read through the entire submission before voting for this creature, since there may be mechanics and features you might miss if you vote on design alone. I also encourage you to do this for every other submission you see as well, so you can make a truly educated vote for what you would actually like to see in the game. If you have any feedback or ideas, leave a comment and I will address it (a Q&A is at the bottom of the post).

@dynastyofdragons, @riskybiscuits0485, @sp_ce, @tweee, @grymmlee

Common Name: Dreadnoughtus

Species: Dreadnoughtus maximus

Time: Late Cretaceous

Diet: Herbivore

Temperament: Territorial

Wild:

“Dreadnoughtus maximus is the undisputed emperor of the wasteland, towering over everything except for the very titans themselves.

While they pay no mind to those beneath them, they are incredibly hostile towards other large creatures, including other Dreadnoughtus. The adrenaline coursing through their veins in the presence of a potential threat increases their physical strength and pain resistance to an astonishing degree.

To handle creatures with ties to element, it has developed the ability to absorb the kinetic energy of their attacks and convert it into an elemental pulse that weakens corruption and even disables TEK for a period of time.”

Domesticated:

“When they aren’t harassing other creatures, Dreadnoughtus engage in a series of daily rituals, the order of which depends on the individual. If a survivor manages to assist them with even the most minute of tasks, they may gain their trust.

A Dreadnoughtus is an utter war beast when tamed. It can be fitted with a special saddle, allowing for the attachment of up to five heavy artillery weapons, along with a harpoon located on the chest designed to pierce into and reel in opponents. The dinosaur itself can be a living weapon, regurgitating acid-covered cannonballs stored in its stomach at high velocity.

However, I have a word of caution for any who plan on taming one of these giants. If their needs are neglected by their masters, they will eventually throw a cataclysmic temper tantrum.”

Dreadnoughtus was downsized from its original proposed size because I feel the Titanosaur should still be the largest dinosaur in the game off of its name alone, and that I (and many others) think it looks better.

Art by @NeonLaboratory, Comissioned by @AgentSparkle, Feat. Captain Hannah (@hannahhvtuber)

Tamed:

Actions:

• Primary Attack (, , ):

  • Looking Straight, Left, or Right: A long and wide neck sweep that deals high damage and high knockback to creatures in front of it.

  • Looking Down: A fast stomp attack that deals high damage but has little knockback.

  • Looking Up: A fast upward neck sweep that deals little damage but knocks aerial targets far.

  • Looking Behind: A long and wide tail swipe that deals high damage and high knockback to creatures behind it.

• Secondary Attack (, , ): Cannonballs and Food is used as ammo for this attack. The Dreadnoughtus vomits out one of the cannonballs in its stomach, with the ball drenched in stomach acid. The more the attack is charged, the faster the shot is fired and the more damage is dealt. This shot has the properties of a normal cannonball with an added acid effect akin to the Reaper’s Acidic Blood! status effect.

• Roar (C, , ): A bellowing roar that causes the Dreadnoughtus’ neck spines to glow. When taking damage, you build a meter. After the roar animation plays, the sauropod will release an AOE EMP in the area in front of it, dealing damage, weakening Corrupted creatures, and disabling TEK for a duration, all of which are scaled by the amount of damage received. For those concerned about the TEK disable, imagine a disable of 5 seconds tops.The roar goes on cooldown for 120 seconds. However, the roar is strictly cosmetic if not having taken any damage at all.

• Tertiary Attack (Space, , ): The front of the Dreadnoughtus’ saddle has a harpoon that fires out of the chest area. It pierces into creatures of all sizes for massive damage, and holding this attack will pull them towards the Dreadnoughtus. The size and weight of the creature determines the pull speed, and the creature must escape by continuously attacking.

• Sleeping Animation: Like a Shadowmane or Megalosaurus, the Dreadnoughtus has a sleeping animation that can be toggled when off of its back.

Passive Abilities:

• Giantslayer: Dreadnoughtus gain a damage and defense buff in the presence of the following creatures:

  • Astrocetus, Brontosaurus, Carcharodontosaurus, Diplodocus, Giganotosaurus, Gigantoraptor, Paraceratherium, Quetzal, Reaper (King and Queen), Rex, Rock Golem, Spino, Titanosaur, Magmasaur, Megachelon, Wyvern (all types)

  • All Bosses (only Titans matter except for maybe SOTF since you can’t take them into arenas)

    • ARK Additions: Acrocanthosaurus, Brachiosaurus, Deinosuchus, Deinotherium

• Gathering: Berries and fiber are gathered fairly decently. Wood and minerals are what it is more proficient at, however. What makes it all worth it is their incredibly high weight stat, even compared to similar sized creatures. It would be the best option in the game if it weren’t for its massive size preventing it from entering many areas.

• Marine Traversal: Dreadnoughtus can turn into a literal dreadnaught. It swims better than most creatures of its size, with many of its attacks and weapons intact. Like an Andrewsarchus, it can also sink and walk along the seafloor. A decently high oxygen stat allows them to sit below water for a long period of time.

• Heavy Artillery Saddle: The saddle of a Dreadnoughtus is unique due to its sheer customizability. There are a total of 5equipment slots in the saddle. Turrets, ballistas, or cannons can be equipped. Cannons and ballistas are controlled manually, while turrets require gasoline in the dinosaur’s inventory to help fuel the saddle’s personal generator. 2 siege weapons on the neck, 2 on the shoulders, and 1 on the rump. Located on the chest is the previously mentioned drill-spear harpoon that resembles Monster Hunter’s Dragonator that is used directly by the driver. All riders are vulnerable except for the driver, protected in a car-like section of the saddle.

Saddle References:

• ⚠ Maintenance ⚠: Dreadnoughtus are high maintenance creatures as mentioned earlier. This means providing constant care and attending to the dinosaur’s needs. If left ignored, the sauropod’s health will deteriorate, and its Health & Stamina Regeneration Rates will be reduced. Dreadnoughtus will actively rampage and destroy your base if it is neglected long enough. While it can be kept in a cryopod, its rage will increase the longer it remains in the cryopod. Sending it out won’t immediately trigger the rampage, but the next instance of ignoring its needs will do the trick. This is also only active when the tribe is online, so you don’t have to worry about waking up at 4:00 in the morning to take care of it. It is not meant to be an absolute drag on ARK players' lives and turning them into no-lifers, so imagine attending to its needs every couple of hours. It is notconstant nor designed to be as punishing as a lot of players may think.

Utility & Scenarios:

PvE: Dreadnoughtus are specialized Titan killers through and through. Their fantastic stats in combination with their abilities and tools makes them great for Extinction’s boss fights, especially if an army of them are bred in the same manner Gigas typically are. They reduce the challenge of higher level OSDs and Element Vein runs, since their Giantslayer buff activates in the presence of Corrupted versions of particular creatures. On top of that, their EMP roar weakens Corrupted creatures, allowing for even more ease of completion. These sauropods may also find niches as actual sea-faring dreadnoughts or as gatherers of rare minerals, though that isn’t necessarily their primary purpose. Managing a Dreadnoughtus’ health is key for hostile confrontations, or you might find yourself on the other end of that neck.

PvP: Now this is what Dreadnoughtus are designed to do. They find themselves at the top of the meta-game’s food chain, alongside the Giga and Carcha. Stats, abilities, and tools once again are incredibly useful in battles. Having survivors man multiple siege weapons mounted on the saddles turns the Dreadnoughtus into an almost unstoppable and completely destructive force. With enough turrets, ammo, and fuel, it may even become a mobile turret tower that guns things down before they even approach it. It’s terrifying in tandem with their ability to disable TEK. Their size is just about as big of a strength as it is a weakness, since it is a large target and has a hard time fighting in more claustrophobic spaces.

Wild:

The Dreadnoughtus is a rare spawn in the Wasteland, appearing in virtually any open space large enough for its sheer mass. Creatures the size of or larger than a Rex will attract its attention and it will aggro onto said creatures.

They generally pay no mind to survivors and their tames unless they surpass the size threshold.

Taming Process:

The Dreadnoughtus is a massive animal that is incredibly high maintenance. They each have unique daily routines survivors can learn and adapt to accordingly. Helping a Dreadnoughtus go about their activities will develop trust and friendship between the survivors and the dinosaur. These activities include:

• Feeding: Feed the Dreadnoughtus vegetables or kibble. Toss a cannonball on the ground as a lure, getting the dinosaur to lower its head thinking it's a gastrolith. Then, you can feed it directly at its head.

• Playing: Help the Dreadnoughtus kill other dinosaurs and break structures in its territory until it is satisfied.

• Bathing: Clean the Dreadnoughtus of filth and parasites by using soap on its body.

• Sleeping: Protect the Dreadnoughtus as hordes of wild dinosaurs attempt to attack it. Enough damage from wild creatures will force the Dreadnoughtus to wake up and reduce taming effectiveness.

Dreadnoughtus activities and needs rotate occasionally similar to a Moschops’ diet. Keep helping the dinosaur out until it completely trusts you.

Conclusion:

I personally think this concept for Dreadnoughtus would work well in the game, as a massive siege weapon that can tear through just about anything in its path. It would be one of the most powerful creatures a tribe could have except for the Titanosaur and Titans themselves, tying with the Giga and Carcha in strength. With the idea I have in mind, it would also be one of the more immersive creatures with a few of its mechanics. On Extinction specifically, the idea of a giant mobile creature with a Mad Max-style saddle fits well with the post-apocalyptic landscape. Overall, it is a fairly unique and absurd concept I’d love to see enter the game and act as the final send off to the unique and absurd original storyline of ARK.

Have fun, survivors!

ADDRESSING COMMENTS & CONCERNS:

Q: Isn’t this just a glorified Titanosaur TLC?

A: Some people have stated that Dreadnoughtus is a Titanosaur TLC, which I can see. It’s designed more to be its own creature, focusing on being a ranged attacker with its long neck and artillery, as opposed to the more brutish nature of the Titanosaur and Ark Addition’s Brachiosaurus. Titanosaurs also don’t spawn on Extinction, so Dreadnoughtus taking its place here doesn’t actively conflict with it the same way Carchar conflicts with the Giga.

Q: Is it breedable?

A: I think whether it's breedable or not is really up to Wildcard. Personally, I would say YES to it being breedable, but it being a pain to raise. Giganotosaurus maturation time from Baby to Adult is 10 days on official settings, so expect about 20 days up to a Month with a Dreadnoughtus on Official Settings. Might seem like a long time, but this is a Titanosaur-level creature, so gotta keep it balanced.

Q: Don’t we already have enough sauropods?

A: I agree the roster of sauropods is large, nearing theropod level. However, the majority of them are in an unusable state and are in dire need of a TLC.

Q: This is just another “OP APEX GIGA KILLER!!!”, right?

A: No, or not really. Dreadnoughtus is more designed to tackle the OSDs, Element Veins, and Titan boss fights on Extinction than to be a direct counter to Gigas and Carchars. That being said, the buff against creatures larger than a Rex does provide a unique advantage over the kings of PvP. In terms of its strength, the maintenance mechanic is built in as a drawback to prevent people using this creature so willy nilly.

Q: Is the saddle the gimmick?

A: I’ve heard people have concerns over when the gimmick of a particular submission is tied more to the saddle than the creature itself. The reason why the saddle plays a huge role in this Dreadnoughtus concept is to play on its name with “dreadnaught”, a type of battleship. With that in mind, why not make the saddle akin to a big gun ship? Isn’t that badass?! I also felt with a more “Mad Max” aesthetic, the saddle would fit just nicely onto Extinction, which itself is a wasteland.

Q: What about PVE?

A: I will not lie, Dreadnoughtus is a PvP focused tame. However, these same traits carry over to Extinction’s OSDs, Element Veins, and Titans like stated earlier. On top of that, it can be quite a good gatherer with its rate of collection and high weight stat.

Q: Is it a temporary or permanenttame?

A:Unlike the Titanosaur, Dreadnoughtus is not a temporary tame. Once you've tamed it, you'll keep it forever. HOWEVER, you have to keep track of its needs and desires through the Maintenance mechanic, meaning you'll need to feed it, bathe it, or let it sleep some. If you don't do what it asks of you, than it will go on a rampage and destroy everything in sight. It's a permanent tame with a huge drawback that balances out it's impressive strength.