So you've just bought ark boy I bet you are excited, but where do you begin? Well let me share a list of the different game modes.
Official PvP
Pros: grindy, challenge, and competitive.
Cons: losing everything on a daily basis cuz people will kill all your shit just cuz they have a small dick. Also the grindy bit is also a con.
Official pve
Pros: grindy and no base wiping every night
Cons: good luck finding a map not covered in pillars which block building anything at all without permission. Plus people still kill your shit just in a more creative way.
Dedicated
Pros: most have rules to keep order, events, great communities, did I mention more order? And stats can vary on each server so you can find a good balance for you ^.^
Cons: they are run by someone with cheat codes who can easily abuse them just as easily as they can be used to help people. Basically it you put trust in these hosts and pray to god you don't run into the asshole ones.
Single player
Pros: no drama, stats set anyway you want, did I mention no drama?
Cons: gets lonely.
Follow these guide lines and you may just survive long enough to tame a dodo :3