Are sheeps worth not killing?

[What Zitt Tooya]

In the description it states they reduce firewood consumption in winters, but does it pay? Or should I just slaughter them for easy food?

[Snobby Hobo]

It depends. Even though the bonus is not big and only helps during winters, it will stack up if you leave them be for a while. Firewood consumption is relative to the units in the area, so with 10 villagers on a tile a single sheep can give you +2 wood in winter times. I'm unsure how it interacts with blizzards, but potentially it could become a +4 given the same scenario.

Like Carambar said it's possible to slaughter sheep to tank food for other resources deliberately but that is obviously a one time action. Again depends on what you are assigning the villager to and whether you play the long game.

My answer would be: if you need the food don't hesitate to kill them. If you don't then leave them be.

[Numa]

Its worth keeping them if you play as the Goat clan.

[Fireman]

Originally posted by SniperSR25:

In the description it states they reduce firewood consumption in winters, but does it pay? Or should I just slaughter them for easy food?

Both
If you get sheeps within your first 2 expansion use them if they no ennemies are guarding those tiles

If you get them later or have ennemies keeping u from expanding firewood gets burned ALL the time

[Ghostreign]

I will put one in each zone with the most buildings and only slaughter them if I have to

[Snobby Hobo]

Originally posted by Ghostreign:

I will put one in each zone with the most buildings and only slaughter them if I have to

Even though that's probably best, keep in mind it scales off units. So you will probably want one in your base tile regardless.

[Ghostreign]

Originally posted by Incredibly average:

Originally posted by Ghostreign:

I will put one in each zone with the most buildings and only slaughter them if I have to

Even though that's probably best, keep in mind it scales off units. So you will probably want one in your base tile regardless.

oops.. meant units thanks

[Molly ~]

No, little sheep is not yummy, please keep them alive on your territory! :P

I almost never slaughter them, honestly its better for you to keep them, its like an investment in a long term, where they would help reducing the firewood consumption better than just some temporary small source of food.

[yeknod]

No simple answer. If the locale has abundant wood, little food then slaughter. If the locale has abundant food, little wood, then keep alive to reduce wood consumption. I find in the early game food is at a premium so I am more likely to slaughter early game to focus resources on other needs. With time and inevitable winter buffs food pressure and wood pressure subsides and the worth of keeping sheep around in the longer game is less. I have not been able to figure out how the sheep pens work. I put them in there... they jump out. With a sheep pen with two sheep in it when I look at the food production detail I see no food originating from sheep or sheep pens. Only villagers, hunters, farmers, etc.

[Arlon Delfar]

Originally posted by yeknod:

No simple answer. If the locale has abundant wood, little food then slaughter. If the locale has abundant food, little wood, then keep alive to reduce wood consumption. I find in the early game food is at a premium so I am more likely to slaughter early game to focus resources on other needs. With time and inevitable winter buffs food pressure and wood pressure subsides and the worth of keeping sheep around in the longer game is less. I have not been able to figure out how the sheep pens work. I put them in there... they jump out. With a sheep pen with two sheep in it when I look at the food production detail I see no food originating from sheep or sheep pens. Only villagers, hunters, farmers, etc.

Sheepfolds generate constant steam of additional food, according to wiki at a rate of 2.7 per tick, so about 16.2 per month. Compared to 24 of a villager it is quite a big boost to food production. A single sheepfold with 2 sheep (not upgraded, no silo), with a yearly cost of 26 (high hostility) gives you a resource surplus equivalent to about 1.15 x production of a single villager while having no impact on food/wood consumption.

[brainless]

it would be useful to know the exact mechanics of firewood, i just kill the sheep because i dont see the difference sheep are supposed to be making. the way it reads makes it sound like you need a sheep per zone for it to work anyway. is firewood changed by houses? by proffesion? do soldiers count? do ppl in other zones count for individual zones or all together? should i put sheep in one zone each or have all the sheep in the same zone? who knows? You know what i do know. If i kill a sheep i get 80 food. everytime

[Finnigan's Stranding]

If you have a large group of villagers/military/folks not tied* (edit for spelling) to specific buildings, and you put them all in the same zone with a sheep during winter you will see a few point decrease in the usage of firewood.

They're based on a low percentage though so you need a large group of people in one to make that percentage seem impactful.

Otherwise they're great for goat clan, and great for emergency food stores.
I like to keep 3+ of them if I can get them in case I get into a really ♥♥♥♥♥♥ spot during blizzards or when fighting off other clan's attacks on zones.

That'll get most moderate-semi large clans through a month or two of negative food production, which might be all you need.