Separate settlements?

[v.lar12]

When my clan reached 12 members (4 elders, 4 adults, 4 kids), it became quite cumbersome to steer them all during travel, so I decided to separate them. A half of the clan with a pregnant female packed their sticks, grabbed 2 kids and headed off, leaving 2 other kids with their parents and grandparents in the settlement. When I've found a nice spot for another temporary settlement, the female gave birth. Immediately after, I was greeted with a frustrating message that 2 kids left in the first settlement had died. Apparently, staying with their parents in the secure hard-to-reach location is not considered safe by the game standards. You can't trust a bunch of apes to take proper care of their kids, huh?

So, what is a better way to travel? Making the whole clan to head off, risking to lose a half of them in the process (and to get evolution penalties for their deaths)? Or making a couple of adults to piggyback all the kids in the generation (so they all can stupidly die somewhere altogether)? Any tips?

[morph113]

I usually migrate with my entire clan of 6 elders, 6 adults and 6 children. I have 3 adults carry 2 children each. Strength in numbers. Predators you can scare off easily because the more you are the easier it is to scare off other animals. It's much safer to travel in numbers. I rarely stay very long in a camp. Most of the time I live like nomads with my group and we always travel together because it's so much easier to fight or scare off predators. I used to have apes die a lot when I used to always be alone in the beginning and then having to run back to the camp with the children. But since I always travel with the entire clan it became so much easier and I haven't lost an ape since.

[v.lar12]

Do you know how many apes are required to scare off a sabretooth tiger (or whatever this beast is called)? 8 apes is usually enough to intimidate a snake or a crocodile, but I never managed to scare off a tiger. A single encounter with it ends with 4 of my clan injured and it's really annoying to heal them afterwards. I succesfully hurt it once with a pointed stick but somehow I cannot repeat this success. My ape buddies are entirely useless against a tiger, since they do not have enough brain cells for a coordinated attack even if I give them a stick each, and I'm not sure they ever become smart enough for this.

[spark.milanders]

I haven't managed to fight off the warthog or tiger it's very frustrating my sharpened stick doesn't seem to attack I end up dodging and then dropping the stick and it immediately turns around to attack again before I can pick the stick back up. My other apes just stand around watching until I die and it switches to one of them who immediately needs to dodge. Even when I'm lucky enough to switch to one carrying a stick it never seems to attack only dodge. The stick is in the right hand so I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong. Right now abusing Alt+F4 to try again from the sleep spot. I'm just trying to approach the first meteor without killing the entire clan.

[KBB]

Originally posted by spark.milanders:

I haven't managed to fight off the warthog or tiger it's very frustrating my sharpened stick doesn't seem to attack I end up dodging and then dropping the stick and it immediately turns around to attack again before I can pick the stick back up. My other apes just stand around watching until I die and it switches to one of them who immediately needs to dodge. Even when I'm lucky enough to switch to one carrying a stick it never seems to attack only dodge. The stick is in the right hand so I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong. Right now abusing Alt+F4 to try again from the sleep spot. I'm just trying to approach the first meteor without killing the entire clan.

I got a few attacks off vs the boar and a mamba- you just 'dodge' but press forward and release after the spear is primed. I say just but it's actually super hard and I have no idea what I'm doing. This game has some issues with controls..

[spark.milanders]

Thanks for the encouragement KBB. I'm not noticing a trigger for when to release the space bar. I hold it until it gets reasonably close but maybe I'm waiting too long? Who knows. Even with the music turned down I'm not getting a cue. It's slo-mo, apes are screaming, there's a massive tooltip on the screen...everything is working against me but I'm having fun just wish I was a bit better at it.

[Burb]

What I've been doing is leaving most of the group at the settlement (make sure the game knows its a settlement) and using a small group to explore with 1 baby. Recently I started using my elders to explore because, while they have less health and stamina, they don't get scared. I find that the AI gets dumb with a group of more than 3 apes. Had no deaths until 10 hours in when one of them walked into a python while I was at the bottom of a cliff and couldn't find them lol
As for fighting, can't help there. I haven't figured it out yet so I usually dodge away and then intimidate them from a tree until the dumb AI figures out that walking towards the tiger isn't a good idea lol

[Burb]

Originally posted by v.lar12:

Do you know how many apes are required to scare off a sabretooth tiger (or whatever this beast is called)? 8 apes is usually enough to intimidate a snake or a crocodile, but I never managed to scare off a tiger. A single encounter with it ends with 4 of my clan injured and it's really annoying to heal them afterwards. I succesfully hurt it once with a pointed stick but somehow I cannot repeat this success. My ape buddies are entirely useless against a tiger, since they do not have enough brain cells for a coordinated attack even if I give them a stick each, and I'm not sure they ever become smart enough for this.

I've been able to intimidate crocs and tigers with 4 apes and snakes with 3. With bigger groups it seems like the AI doesn't know that its suppose to climb a tree to get away from the scary things so more of them get injured.

[v.lar12]

Originally posted by spark.milanders:

I haven't managed to fight off the warthog or tiger it's very frustrating my sharpened stick doesn't seem to attack I end up dodging and then dropping the stick and it immediately turns around to attack again before I can pick the stick back up. My other apes just stand around watching until I die and it switches to one of them who immediately needs to dodge. Even when I'm lucky enough to switch to one carrying a stick it never seems to attack only dodge. The stick is in the right hand so I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong. Right now abusing Alt+F4 to try again from the sleep spot. I'm just trying to approach the first meteor without killing the entire clan.

Same thing happens to me every time, when I try to fight off a tiger. During one encounter I managed to pick up a dropped stick 3 times to try another attack, but ended up dodging instead and eventually gave up. Apparently, if the first attack failed, there is no point in continuing the fight, since a tiger is positioned closer to you and timing is even harder to tackle.

Originally posted by KBB:

I got a few attacks off vs the boar and a mamba- you just 'dodge' but press forward and release after the spear is primed. I say just but it's actually super hard and I have no idea what I'm doing. This game has some issues with controls..

Is there any kind of visual cue for the attack? I think I had my ape firmly pointing a stick at the tiger during my succesfull fight but it happened once and I have no idea that I did right then and that I'm doing wrong now.

[spark.milanders]

Well guys i have managed to kill both a python and injure a warthog. When they attack you there is no chance other than dodging. But if you use senses and spot them then mark them...well you basically stalk them with your sharp stick. Slowly approach make sure the camera is pointing down a bit so it's overhead then use spacebar to "attack" you'll see the spear point slowly line the spear up and release when it's close. I was so lucky after wounding the warthog another snake came out of nowhere to kill it. Meanwhile my monkey pals and I ran off up the trees. I have to say it was completely exhilarating to succeed. This game is torturous and I abuse the hell out of alt+F4 and I keep a separate desktop save to reload if necessary...yes i guess I cheat but it's still hard enough for me to enjoy.

[spark.milanders]

After all that I finally finished getting the meteor took my clan back to the bedroll, spent my knowledge did a quick 15 year evo and then did the first major evolution. I am now the Toumai (looks the same imo) in a whole new location. Loving this so far!

[v.lar12]

Originally posted by XirTheConsolePleb:

Recently I started using my elders to explore because, while they have less health and stamina, they don't get scared.

Wow, for real? Gonna try it next time. Thanks!


I totally agree AI is frustratingly painful sometimes.

Originally posted by XirTheConsolePleb:

What I've been doing is leaving most of the group at the settlement (make sure the game knows its a settlement) and using a small group to explore with 1 baby.

Say, you've found a nice spot for a settlement. What do you do afterwards? Return for the rest of the group or settle in a new place and leave them be?

[v.lar12]

spark.milanders, congratulations!

Originally posted by spark.milanders:

When they attack you there is no chance other than dodging.

I think there is still a small chance to fend off the attack, even if you are the one being attacked. At least, I'm pretty sure I was surprise attacked by a tiger when I managed to successfully hurt it. But looks like it's all luck based and this chance is really small.

[OoOwot]

Your screen will flash green and that's the cue to release the dodge or attack move.The green lasts longer depending on upgrades and physical state of your ape.
As said before, going towards the attacker is the counterattack option and side movement is a dodge. Counterattacking without anything in your right hand is very risky

[OoOwot]

Your screen will flash green and that's the cue to release the dodge or attack move.The green lasts longer depending on upgrades and physical state of your ape.
As said before, going towards the attacker is the counterattack option and side movement is a dodge. Counterattacking without anything in your right hand is very risky