Questions About Animal Ages

[jasonbarron]

How many days between growth phases are there?

Once an animal is Mature, how many days ingame until it dies and is replaced by a new spawn? I just harvested a 3 star "mature" Moose, and when I checked his stats I discovered that he was just a touch over 99%. Would he have gained another star or two if I'd just let him be?

[VictoriaHuntress]

Yeah, that would make 5 stars, so you probably got him in the first or second year of his mature stage.

Three in-game days is one in-game year, so every three days spent in a reserve ages every animal by one year. However, not all animals will be on the same schedule, so you can find Young'uns that are in day 1 of year 1, day 2 of year 1, day 3 of year 2, etc, and similarly for Adults and Matures.

The Encyclopedia lists the age ranges and weights for Young, Adult and Mature Males and Females, and Trophy Score ranges for 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 stars.

The Encyclopedia is your User Manual for this game - read it early, read it often.

[jasonbarron]

How many "years" do they remain in any given phase?

And damn. Really wish I didn't shoot that guy...

Edit: oops, never mind that last question, just found the info in the encyclopedia. Would you believe that in all the hours playing this game I never knew you could scroll down on that page

[VictoriaHuntress]

Originally posted by jasonbarron:

How many "years" do they remain in any given phase?

And damn. Really wish I didn't shoot that guy...

Edit: oops, never mind that last question, just found the info in the encyclopedia. Would you believe that in all the hours playing this game I never knew you could scroll down on that page

First rule of gameplay - RTFM.
Second Rule: explore the functionality of every UI screen, every control

[jasonbarron]

Ok, follow up question, slightly off topic: do the callers reliably only attract males of a "low fitness?" Looking at the encyclopedia entry for moose, for example, shows that a mature moose of high enough genetic potential can theoretically reach 5 stars even starting out from 1 star at the beginning of their "mature" phase. Wondering if the caller is a reliable way to sort them out. Same question applies to elk, given that one stage of their caller is marked as "young and low fitness."

Edit: and the manual doesn't cover that question specifically

[VictoriaHuntress]

Originally posted by jasonbarron:

Ok, follow up question, slightly off topic: do the callers reliably only attract males of a "low fitness?" Looking at the encyclopedia entry for moose, for example, shows that a mature moose of high enough genetic potential can theoretically reach 5 stars even starting out from 1 star at the beginning of their "mature" phase. Wondering if the caller is a reliable way to sort them out. Same question applies to elk, given that one stage of their caller is marked as "young and low fitness."

Yes, but you have to earn those calling perks in order to unlock the caller levels.

The fitness value is the only random variable for each animal. Once that is set, there is a simple linear formula for weight vs age, and trophy score vs age, for each age category (Young, Adult Mature).
Each species has its own coefficients for these formulas, and they are fine-tuned to fit the lifespan of each species. A 100% fitness animal would achieve the maximum weight at the maximum age in each age category, and the maximum trophy score/star rating at the maximum age in each age category.

[jasonbarron]

Assuming that I call an elk, for example, using the appropriately leveled caller on the second level of the caller "young males and low fitness males" I believe is how it's stated, will a young elk with high genetics respond to it, or will only young males with low genetic potential respond to it?

[VictoriaHuntress]

Originally posted by jasonbarron:

Assuming that I call an elk, for example, using the appropriately leveled caller on the second level of the caller "young males and low fitness males" I believe is how it's stated, will a young elk with high genetics respond to it, or will only young males with low genetic potential respond to it?

Well, yes and no.
Any animal might respond to the first call, regardless of fitness or gender - you'll see it walk in your direction, pause for a while, lose interest, turn around and walk back to the group. On the other hand, it may be very interested and walk much further toward you. It might respond with a call of its own, wait for a response, or say "I don't know, I have a baad feeling about this", and actually run off.
You might just get a reply call.

If you see that, wait a bit, and then call again. This time, an interested animal will mostly likely come to you without hesitation.

It also depends on the animal's state - it might just be more interested in eating or drinking or chilling out and can't be bothered to respond. If it is alerted, however, it might come in for a closer look and if it doesn't see, hear or smell another of its own kind, take off, and the entire herd will take off too. It may also circle around so that it can approach the source of the call from the downwind direction, to get a scent of whatever made the call. I haven't seen that happen very often in the game, though.

There is a a certain amount of randomness in the animals' behaviours, so you can't always be sure of what will happen. That's what makes it interesting.

[Lanani]

Originally posted by jasonbarron:

Assuming that I call an elk, for example, using the appropriately leveled caller on the second level of the caller "young males and low fitness males" I believe is how it's stated, will a young elk with high genetics respond to it, or will only young males with low genetic potential respond to it?

A low fitness caller will only call in animals of 50% fitness or lower, regardless of their age. Likewise, high fitness callers will only call in animals above 50%.

That said:
- Females can also respond to the low fitness predator caller. That is by design.
- Not every eligible animal will always respond to a call. That is also by design. (E.g. you might have 3 low fit males in a herd, but only 2 respond.)
- It is advisable to call at least 3 or 4 times to make sure an animal is really responding to your call, rather than just randomly walking in your direction or acting as a sentry (coming over to investigate because you're too close to the herd.)

[Geronimo]

Run Towards Fast Mamas

[Geronimo]

Rusty Trucks For Men

[jasonbarron]

Originally posted by Geronimo:

Run Towards Fast Mamas

Run Towards Fat Mamas

[Geronimo]

Lol

[Alf Tupper]

Originally posted by jasonbarron:

Assuming that I call an elk, for example, using the appropriately leveled caller on the second level of the caller "young males and low fitness males" I believe is how it's stated, will a young elk with high genetics respond to it, or will only young males with low genetic potential respond to it?

I was sad enough to start a spread sheet documenting call responses, and went out to test the likelihood of a caller response vs fitness of animal.


A low fitness caller will nearly always get a response from a male of any age with under 50% fitness. I had about a 10% failure rate. It will not attract a high fitness male.

[jasonbarron]

Originally posted by heavensarewild:

Regarding The Flipping Management...

Had a look around the Alaska map last night, for the 2 x Melanistic Goats. Checked up on about 15 herds, and didn`t spot one. But I did notice something, about how they`re structured. I`ve done no herd management on them at all, I just take a 5* if I see one, or if I`m in a bad mood, I`ll just obliterate as many as I can, before they reach the trees.

But every herd I checked up on, had almost no adult males. It was all 1* youngs, and each herd had a single 2* mature in it.

I think I actually like it, that having left them alone for a long time, when I return there is a single mature, leading the pack and getting all the lady goats, and a plethora of young ones running around.

But then at some point, when I check up on them all again, after they`ve grown in game, I`m likely to see a lot of matures. So I`m not sure if this is working as it should or if there is some kind of in game reset, when you leave a map, or a herd alone for an extended time.

It`s not the first time I`ve gone back to a map after a while, and noticed a ton of 1* youngs everywhere, and it happens in Diamond Drill on the Nez Perce map, a LOT !

Up till now I've only played on Nez Pierce Valley, but you raise a point I've been wondering about: does time pass on other maps such as Transylvania while you're on, say, Nez Pierce? I mean, say I'm ready for a change of scenery and I travel overseas for a spot of golden jackal hunting, are my herds still maturing back at my home base while I'm away?

[Lanani]

Originally posted by heavensarewild:

No. Time stands still on a map, when you`re not actively on it. At least it used to ?!

And it still is the same. Time only passes while you are on the map.