Building

The world of Pixark is made up of **Blocks** that represent the world: from the ground that the Player walks on to the various structures and building implements that are found and crafted. The building blocks are used to create shelter for each player, and to provide a unique and permanent place that separates them from the natural world.

# Overview

Building can become a complex task given enough time, materials, and effort. However, each one shares a list of blocks that are used in the building process. While blocks are the most common form of building materials there are also '*Structures*, or placeable objects that perform various functions. These range from crafting stations to decorations, and serve to add function to a building.

## Basic Building Blocks

As each block can be placed by hand this allows the creation of complex buildings and structures that can serve various purposes. In order for a building to be considered it's own space it requires a set of blocks to section off that particular space from the outside.

* **Foundation** – The only mandatory block type. A foundation is the first thing that is placed to begin constructing a building out of player-made blocks and structures. These require one block beneath them, and cannot be placed on top of another Foundation. Walls, furniture, crafting stations, and most placeable items will not set into the world unless it has the required number of foundations to rest upon.
	+ This block also controls whether or not something is a building, and all non-natural buildings will have at least one foundation, or were created on one.

* **Wall**– A block that creates vertical walls to separate areas laid with foundation blocks. They can only be placed upon a foundation, on top of another wall block, or on top of a ceiling block. They cannot be placed in the air.

* **Ceiling** – A block that creates horizontal ceilings to cover areas with walls. They can only be placed on top of walls, and can attach themselves to other ceiling blocks without any support. They are also used to create floors for multistory buildings.
	+ Some ceilings can also change forms into different versions.

* **Roof** - A slanted block that covers the top of walls. They can only be placed on top of walls, and will stack diagonally until reaching another roof block. Can be used in place of ceilings for one story buildings. Roof blocks do not allow other blocks to be placed on top of them, unlike ceiling blocks.
	+ Some roof blocks can also change forms into different versions.

Creating a building with these three block types will provide a buff to the player, shown by a house icon in the status section, that increases resistance to both the heat and the cold.

## Passage & Movement

Once at least a foundation has been placed you can add additional blocks to change how a building can be entered. Some allow entry into and out of walls and ceilings; and some add vertical movement between floors. While most are not needed due to the ease at which blocks can be picked up and then placed again, their usage simplifies more complex buildings.

* **Door** - One of the functional pieces, a door is a 2L x 1W x 3H (two blocks in length; one block in width; and three blocks in height) block that allows passage between two areas. As long as it was placed on two foundations or two ceilings it will sit in an opening, and can be interacted to both open and close.
	+ Some doors can also change forms int different versions.

* **Window** - A window is a 2L x 1W x 2H block that creates an opening inside of a wall. The shape and size of the window requires the player to crouch in order to enter and exit.

* **Stair** - A stair is a one block structure that slopes to allow player movement vertically. Unlike other blocks they can be placed on top of any other block, but cannot be placed in air. They also allow one block movement upwards without jumping. In addition they come in three different forms:
	+ A standard stair that each step is even.
	+ A corner stair that bends outwards, and is used to round out corners.
	+ A corner stair that bends inwards, and is used to align two perpendicular sets of stairs together.

* **Trapdoor** - A trap door is a 1L x 1W x 0.1H (it doesn't cover the entire height of a block, but will prevent other blocks from entering that empty space) opening that can be placed on top of a ceiling opening, and works as a window. A player can pass through it without much issue.

* **Ladder** - A ladder is a 1L x 0.1W x 1H (it's flushed against a wall) that allows vertical climbing between different levels. These can be placed together to allow climbing. When placed no other blocks will be able to be put around the ladder in a 3H x 3W space centered around the ladder, but already placed blocks will not affect this.

* **Beast Gate** - A large (1L × 6W × 10H) door made to let creatures up to Medium-sized in and out of buildings or through walls. They are made for allowing tamed creatures through sealed areas. They can be placed on any block as long as it has enough room to fit. They do not allow larger creatures through, such as a Sauropod.

* **Behemoth Gate** - A massive (4L × 23W × 27H) door allowing all tamed creatures to pass through. They can be placed on any block as long as it has enough room to fit.

## Functional

There are structures that provide benefits to those using them. Each one gives a player and their tribe a benefit that expands their ability to do things, or to recover from death.

* **Storage** - A structure that provides a place to store items, and is the most important part of any base, big or small. There are a variety of different storage containers that can be used. An important function of storage containers for items is that they also "provide" their contents to nearby crafting stations, and can pull needed materials out to craft various items. The only item container that does not work this way is the Vault.

There are also specific types that contain only certain types of items, such as perishables or creatures in PixBlock form.
* Storage Box - The smallest of the storage boxes with the size of a single block, this is available at Level 2. It provides a space to store up to 15 items.
* Large Storage Box - The middle tier of item storage, and the basic version is unlocked at Level 38. It holds up to 50 items, and comes in a variety of different styles and types. It's size is 3L × 1W × 3H.
* Vault - At 150 item slots it's the largest storage container in the game. It fits in a 3L × 3W × 3H space, and is the most efficient way to store items. However, it does not share it's contents with any crafting stations.

* **Bed** - Beds are a structure that allows a dead player to respawn back into the game, and serve as a staging point for tribes. They are useful for attempting to transverse dangerous areas, as well as a method of fast travel.
	+ While using a bed to fast travel the player will drop all carried items, including any in their hot bars.

## Decorative

The last set of structures is for objects that provide no function outside of decoration, or have a limited use.

* **Chairs** - A decoration that can be used to sit in. They are also used for Fishing.
* **Tables** - Items cannot be placed on a table, and are strictly for decoration.
* **Fences** - A structure that creates a visible separation a half block high. They can be stacked on top of every block (including themselves), and serve to separate areas without using walls. They can also be transformed into different modes, such as a regular corner or a four way corner to be used in different forms.
* **Miscellaneous** - There are a variety of decorative structures that can be placed to give any building a bit more aesthetic appeal. This includes: Carpet, Ruin Collectables, and Signs.

# Building a Home

The first step a player must take is the location where they would like to build. There are a few factors that a player will need to consider before breaking ground, with the most important being the type of server being played on: Pioneer, Fury, or Chaos.

## All Servers

The only dangers that are shared across all servers would be natural threats, such as wildlife and Inclement weather. There are a few things a player must be aware of when building in the different biomes of PixARK.

* Wildlife - A biome's natural wildlife can be dangerous to both players and their placed blocks. Some creatures are aggressive, and are able to break through lower Structure Tiers without much difficulty. Even some creatures that are passive can also cause harm if provoked, such as a Sauropod's ability to sweep an entire area with it's tail.

* Weather - When building outside of the Novice Grassland the player will run into different types of weather that affects game play in a few ways. Some conditions, such as Snow and Sandstorms, will afflict extreme temperatures that will require suitable protection, and a high level of Fortitude to survive as long as the weather condition remains.

## Pioneer

A Pioneer server, also know as a PvE (Player vs. Environment) server, is a no-combat realm that prevents players from directly attacking each other. Buildings and structures cannot be harmed by players outside of a tribe, and no direct defensive measures are needed.

Buildings can safely be placed anywhere in the world, and any player-placed block will prevent players from placing their own buildings and structures up to eight (8) blocks away. In addition players on a Pioneer server can also use Privilege Markers, which are signs that prevents other players from digging natural blocks. These are fueled by Privilege Certificates that are found as dropped items from monsters or in chests.

## Chaos

A Chaos server is a PvP (Player vs. Player) that allows players to attack each other at any time. Actions that a player can take include: destroying the structure of another player or tribe, killing their tamed creatures, raiding, etc.

Due to this there are steps a player must take to prevent opponents from destroying their efforts.

### Concealment

The best strategy for any form of PvP is concealment. A building or base that is located above ground signals to other players that someone has settled there, and is more likely to be raided.

With subterranean building, however, a base can be keep out of view from casual observation. A well-hidden base will have everything needed to function, while also minimizing its presence via hidden water pipes and entrances.

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*Note: As of Patch 1.15 there is a bug that happens when any player moves faster than the terrain can render. When triggered the player can see any player-placed objects from a large distance before the terrain is finally filled in. This will reveal storage containers, crafting stations, pipes, beds, and creatures.*

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### Defense

Once a base of operations has been established there are two forms of defense a player can utilize: passive defense, and active defense.

**Passive** defenses are things that work regardless of a player's input, and will function indefinitely until destroyed or removed.

* **Structure Tiers** - All player-created structures have certain characteristics to mitigate what other players can do. Depending on the tier used a placed object may have resistances to certain attacks, and a higher level of health to offset incoming damage.

* **Spike Walls** - These are placeable structures that will damage anything that comes into contact with them. They can be placed on the ground, however they do not protect the soil underneath them.

**Active** defenses require a player to activate, and provide robust protection from threats.

* **Auto Turret** - This is a stationary gun that can be placed and powered with electricity and armed with Advanced Bullets to protect an area. They are a potent deterrent that will hit anything around and above them. As an active defense they have multiple settings to control what each turret will attack, such as wild creatures, tamed creatures, or enemy players.

* **Plant Creatures** - These are stationary plants that can be grown in Large Crop Plots that are fertilized and irrigated to provide different defense effects. There are seven different types that can be planted as long as the player has the corresponding seed, and once fully grown they can be configured to attack certain targets, like Auto Turrets.

* **Elemental Magic Shield** - A magic device that will protect a large area of all nearby blocks from being attacked, mined, or destroyed. When fueled with Fire Magic Stones and activated it will work until it's turned off or destroyed. However once deactivated it has a cooldown before it can be used again.

### Misdirection

Even the most well-hidden and fortified buildings will come under attack eventually. Without precautions to limit how much damage an attacker can cause will set a player back greatly.

There are steps to speed up the time it takes to recover from such events. The ability to pick up walls, ceilings, and foundations are a fundamental tool in protecting different areas, and allow the use of unusual ways of keeping important locations hidden.

* **Safe Room** - A safe room is a location that is fortified to protect its occupants in the case of danger. In PixARK it would be a place that contains the most valuable items, a Bed to return to, or simply a hard-to-reach area that allows the player to log off safely. There are a variety of different ways to build a secure area. A good safe room has a few important features to maximize it's protection:

1. It must be an area that is completely sealed off from any natural features. The area must not have any natural blocks that comprises the room.
2. It can have an entrance using a door, window, or can be completely blocked off using a wall. When blocking the area completely with a wall the player can make a path by picking up any walls leading towards the safe room, and then replacing them as they go through the opening. This allows rooms to be hidden directly behind a wall, and in a large enough structure could be enough to hide multiple hidden rooms.
3. Layering different types of blocks will increase the difficulty in breaking into a safe room. For example, a room with a layer of Volcanic Rock Walls sandwiched between two layers of Steel Walls would be more effective that one or the other type.
* **Defensive Building** - The purpose of creating a building is to keep a player, their tribe, and their belongings and tamed creatures safe while also providing easy access to workstations and other resources. However, the more secure a particular building or base is the more difficult it is to enter and use, even for the owners themselves.

To build defensively is to create hallways, rooms, compartments, and diversions that serve to lengthen the time it takes an attacker to fully explore the interior of a building. This can be accomplished in a variety of ways. A non-exhaustive list:
* Rooms that serve no function outside of decoration or use. Even without the use of hidden features an attentive attacker will assume every furnished or decorated area contains something of value until proven wrong.

* Compartmentalize different rooms and floors. A door in the middle of a hallway will prevent an attacker from moving forward until they get find a way around it. A trapdoor where a ladder ends will stop someone from moving between the different levels of a building. Anything that makes it harder for someone to move around freely will drag out an attacker's valuable time.

## Fury

A Fury server is a combination of a PvE and a PvP server that cycles between the two. There are two states a player must be aware of:

* **Peace** - The Peace time state disables PvP combat, and works similar to a Pioneer server.
* **War** - The War time state is when PvP is turned on. During this time players can destroy structures, kill other players and their tamed creatures, and do things that are disabled during Peace times.

Due to the nature of PvP in general the main goal of building on a Fury server is to minimize dangers that are present during a War, and the tips from the previous section apply here equally.