, ▁Ir ath ient , ▁and ▁Cast ith an ) ▁has ▁no ▁consequence ▁in ▁the ▁later ▁game , ▁with ▁all ▁weapons , ▁ab ilities ▁and ▁cost umes ▁being ▁equally ▁accessible ▁to ▁all ▁players ▁beyond ▁the ▁tutorial ▁area . ▁ ▁Play ers ▁can ▁choose ▁to ▁be ▁either ▁a ▁Human ▁or ▁an ▁" I r ath ient " ▁( a ▁hum ano id ▁al ien ▁species ▁who ▁are ▁similar ▁to ▁humans ), ▁or ▁the ▁Cast ith an ▁race ▁if ▁they ▁have ▁particular ▁download able ▁content ▁available . ▁ ▁The ▁Ark ▁Hun ters ▁are ▁inject ed ▁with ▁an ▁E GO ▁( Environment al ▁Guardian ▁Online ), ▁a ▁sym bi otic , ▁ne uro - mus cular ▁b ion etic ▁impl ant ▁developed ▁by ▁Von ▁Bach ▁Indust ries , ▁which ▁helps ▁players ▁navigate ▁the ▁Bay ▁Area ▁and ▁gives ▁them ▁access ▁to ▁unique ▁ab ilities . ▁ ▁Setting ▁ ▁The ▁game ▁takes ▁place ▁in ▁the ▁San ▁Francisco ▁Bay ▁Area , ▁ 1 5 ▁years ▁after ▁the ▁dev ast ating ▁Pale ▁Wars ▁between ▁Earth ▁and ▁a ▁loose ▁al liance ▁of ▁extr ater rest rial ▁races ▁known ▁as ▁V ot an is ▁Collect ive . ▁ ▁The ▁V ot ans ▁came ▁to ▁Earth ▁seeking ▁a ▁new ▁home ▁after ▁the ▁destruction ▁of ▁their ▁solar ▁system , ▁una ware ▁that ▁the ▁planet ▁was ▁already ▁inhab ited . ▁Fr iction ▁between ▁the ▁new ▁arrival s ▁and ▁Human ity ▁led ▁to ▁war , ▁during ▁which ▁the ▁V ot an ' s ▁terra form ing ▁technology ▁was ▁un le ashed . ▁ ▁The ▁Earth '