A great game that needs some serious work.

This game is great for people who have time and patience to spend on it. If you lack either of those dont even bother.
Ive spent the past ~3 months to get to Ark Level 12, but I was lucky to get into what is now the second most powerful guild on my server. If I hadnt I would have deleted this game long ago.
There is NO balance mechanism in this game for all intents and purposes. A Level 18 player can and will maul all the Level 10s he wants with no material consequences. If you do not have competent guild mates, you will grow slowly if at all.
Also, the in-game purchase system is crap. I have paid about $40 to date and received about $10 worth of content. The system will regularly drop orders and Seven Pirates will demand screenshots of your "Purchase successful" notification as proof of your purchase before they refund you or give you what you paid for.
Despite all that aforementioned BS, this game has grown on me and I will continue to enjoy and play it.

Maximus Ultima about Ark of War: Aim for the cosmos, v1.1.8