Ark: Survival Evolved's "Explorer Notes" will bring its history to light

Players of Ark: Survival Evolved will soon have the opportunity to learn more about those who came before them by way of Explorer Notes, the first of which was revealed yesterday .

. These notes will tell the stories of the island's previous inhabitants, and also reveal their ultimate fates.

“By studying their notes, learning through their experiences, and revealing the secrets they have discovered, you will be able to get closer to the heart of the mysteries surrounding the Ark,” Studio Wildcard said. It added, with a winky-face, that “not everyone can survive like on the Ark,” which I'm guessing is a hint a to why you're now on the island, and your predecessors are not.

The studio said it's also going to stop, at least for now, rolling out new “Dino Dossiers” so that it can focus on catching up on the backlog it's already built up. “We also want to see how the game evolves with further additions, so we can finalize what our remaining batch of creatures (Basilosaurus anyone?) will be and what they’ll bring to the Ark,” it wrote. “Don’t worry though—we’ll still have a content reveal every Monday!”

You'll notice that the first note, viewable up close below, is written in Chinese, which makes it trickier to read than you might have expected. Fortunately, the users of Steam are many and varied, and one of them has offered this translation, which I've edited slightly for clarity:

“It has been four nights since I woke up. I'm writing the passing things down. If I go back, my family will ask me about this. If I am dead, I hope it can help others. The ghosts and monsters are everywhere, they are all scary and dangerous. I was scared and I couldn't sleep at night. I have been to many places but I cannot avoid them. The plants are also strange and I don't learn about them. Although I am away from my hometown, I must find a way to go back home. It's the most important thing.”

It's rough, I'm guessing because the translator's first language isn't English, but you get the idea.