How to live

How to increase your chances of survival.

How to recognize yourself and other player's animal types

If you are not a nerd like me, you probably don't know all the statistics, and I am not here to tell you all of them, but I am here to tell you how to survive with instinct and intellect , knowledge is not all.
A vital part of not being brutally murdered is asking yourself this question: in what place do I belong in the ecosystem? , In short, how strong are you, even though the word strong can be replaced by fast, agile and ecc...
(Note: in here is how to survive as prey , the how to hunt section is ... well, scroll down)

There are many classes of animals.

- Small and slow

• Characteristics:
  
• Generally smaller than most bushes, some of them are tiny
  
• Slower than pretty much almost all other animals.
  
• Not too bad turn radius
  
• Markings that blend in with the enviroment around them
  
• Deal very little damage or can't attack at all , strongest being able to take on only smaller predators
  
• Usually have really high stamina pool
  
• Most can crouch
  Your tactic here is to try and stay low, calling is a big no-no, and you can run towards placed you need to go to, if you have to travel in a plain , or opening of some sort , do it fast as predators love your kind of flesh, groups are GREAT to detect predators, if attacked rely on your turning radius or fight back only if you are actually confident that you can.
  
  - Small and fast
  
• Characteristics:
  
• Generally pretty fast
  
• Relatively agile
  
• Generally have not too powerful attacks, apart from special occasions
  
• Usually make pretty loud but short bellowing,squealing or roaring noises
  
• They usually are able to jump
  
• Can crouch
  
• As tall or taller than humans
  
• Have a good amount of stamina
  Don't stay near forests at all, it is just a bigger chance of being ambushed, rely on staying in open plains, as there you can see predators early, if escaping try to move to a safer spot, you can go into forests if needed , but you might be playing with fire.
  Try not too call too much, it still attracts unwanted attention.
  You want the carnivores to know where you are, as long as you can know where they are, the only worry you should have is carnos and ambushing predators.
  There is also some of this branch (Dryosaurus as example) which rely mostly on their agility , and not on their speed, as these guys try to turn as much as possible if chased, especially if the predator is closing up on you, try to turn, if the predator seems slower than you, well, just run in a line.
  
  - Medium and slow
  
• Characteristics:
  
• Generally pretty slow
  
• Turn radius is average-low
  
• Generally strong, do mainly bleed-based attacks, but they can have bonebreak chance
  
• Have averagely deep roars
  
• They cannot jump
  
• Only the carnivore ones can crouch
  
• A good bit bigger than humans
  
• Have a good amount of stamina
  If faced by a threat of about your size, fight back, if it is a herbivore though, and you are a carnivore, just back off, unless you do want to eat it.
  Run from all animals that are substantially bigger than you
  Avoid highly carnivore-crowded places , but if you are a herbivore, seek protection of bigger animals than you. If you are a carnivore, stay in forests, there you have less chance of being spotted.
  If fleeing, run towards a forest or any place full of obstacles so to try and outmanouver the bigger predator, Good luck.
  If in fight, be aggressive, roar a lot (not when the target is too close though) and mock attack, charge and do everything in your power to make yourself look like a risky meal.
  
  - Medium and fast
  
• Characteristics:
  
• Generally pretty quick , some of them are really fast
  
• Turn radius is average-low
  
• Not too powerful, but neither too weak
  
• Have a averagely deep roars
  
• They cannot jump
  
• Only the carnivore ones can crouch
  
• A good bit bigger than humans
  
• Have a good amount of stamina
  
• Run on two legs (The carnivore ones idle, walk, and trot on two legs)
  If faced by a threat of about your size, fight back, if you are a herbivore though, flee, fight only enemies that seem a good bit smaller than you (example: Para v Carno , Maia v Utah)
  Try not to get bit too much, your healing usually sucks
  Avoid highly carnivore-crowded places , you are thought as a tasty meal, so keep yourself in open ground, if strictly necessary, you can flee towards forests, if you are a herbivore, seek protection of bigger herbivores than you. If you are a carnivore, you can stay anywhere you want, but avoid places where there are bigger carnivores than you, that could hunt you.
  If fleeing, (if the target is faster than you) run towards a forest or any place full of obstacles so to try and outmanouver the bigger predator, or try and turn if this is not an option, dodging and jinking is the last one.
  If in fight, be aggressive, roar a lot (not when the target is too close though) and mock attack, unless bleeding obviously, if you are a herbivore, try and evade, always, unless you have something to defend, (this for both types of eaters) remember that, if they are hunting you, they are going to be confident of taking you down. If you are a carnivore, if the animal which is fighting you is about your size, and you think you can fight it, you can fight back, but if you are not too secure about your fighting skills and such, you can flee.
  
  - Large
  
• Characteristics:
  
• Generally pretty slow, some of them are on average speed
  
• Turn radius is average-low
  
• Powerful , some of them are almost invincible
  
• Have deep roars, some of them have really deep ones
  
• They cannot jump
  
• Only the carnivore ones can crouch
  
• A lot bigger than humans, some of them are just leviathans
  
• Have a pretty low amount of stamina, some of them have a terrible amount
  If faced by a threat of about your (<--) size, fight back, if it is a herbivore though, and you are a carnivore, just back off, unless you do want to eat it.
  Run from all animals that are substantially bigger than you, if you are alone.
  Avoid highly carnivore-crowded places , but if you are a herbivore, seek protection of other similar-size animals. If you are a carnivore, you have little to fear so do whatever you want..
  If fleeing, run towards a forest or any place full of obstacles so to try and outmanouver the attacker.
  If in fight, be aggressive, roar a lot (not when the target is too close though) and mock attack, be defensive, don't go out of your way by running to hit the target ESPECIALLY if the target is smaller than you. Do everything in your power to make yourself look like a risky meal.
  If you are a sauropod (long necks), you have little to fear, but if a pack of big predators comes, keep an eye on it.
  

Dino-Language

The language is pretty universal.

Calls

All the dinosaurs have 5 call types:

• ("1" key) Broadcast, or Announce, this is usually longer than the other calls, and it is used as a
  triumph call, or literally an annouce, or just for "fun", you'll often see groups of animals broadcasting together. These sounds are loud, and pretty long lasting.
  
• ("2" key) Friendly, this call is used when the other animall wants to be friendly with you, or just wants to see if you will attack it or not, some animals will do it as a "I have not intentions to harm you" call. It is (for me despitefully) used as a bait call, people will face being friendly, and then bite you and kill you. These sounds sound low and calm.
  
• ("3" key) Threatning or Aggressive, this call is used to signal that who is using it wants to harm you if carnivore, but if herbivore, it usually means "DON'T STAY NEAR ME I FEEL UNCONFORTABLE WITH A POTENTIAL THREAT NEAR ME" , unfortunately , some people take this call as an offense, and will attack you for that reason, it happens less and less relative to the growth times, but I can happen. These sounds sound threatning and are pretty loud.
  
• ("4" key) Help, Warning or Submissive, this call is used when a player is warning others of approaching or not danger, or if the player is being attacked, or if the player is dying and is desperate. It is also used a a submissive call if the other animal gives up on a confrontation, or wants to avoid it alltogether. These sounds are pretty long and do sound "desperate"
  
• ("F" key) Generic call, it is generic, so it can be used in any circumstance , but you'll hear it mainly as a sound that players emit when typing, or when there is a calm situation, these sounds sound pretty friendly.
  
  

  Body Language

  
  
• "Default"
  If an animal is acting normal it is staying still and looking randomly around, or just looking at it's heard mates, herds or packs tend to be more secure and infact they tend to look at each other more than around, if is it traveling, the animal will usually look forward, especially in a herd, but might randomly look around too, obviously.
  
• "Playful" and "Relaxed"
  If an animal is "playing", it is running around, it is crouching and uncrouching continuously, it could be stting and getting up a few times, and others similar, if the subject is a herd, you can expect to see chasing, biting, hitting and roaring in group almost in sync, this is sign of comfort and the animal is likely not alert at all. If an animal is relaxed, not only it can play, but also rest, you can see whole herds of animals sittng down, which is a vulnerable position, and they know it, so thd fact that they are resting a great sign of calm from the animal.
  
• "Friendly"
  Friendly calling, squatting down repetively (I don't do that usually but I've seen a lot of players do it), of resting near you and friendly calling, trusting the other player is your choice, but i suggest that carnivores should not be trusted at all, mainly if you are not the same animal as them, same goes for herbivores (if you are a carnivore only), because they might backstab you at any given moment.
  
• "Alert"
  If an animal is acting alert, it is generally really silent, and it is looking around really fast, it also likely is not runnin around or trotting, it might be completely still trying to hear any movement.
  
• "Nervous"
  If an animal is nervous, it probably has seen something dangerous and it is scared of being attacked.
  This can be esplicit or not.
  It is esplicit when the animal is bellowing angrily at the target, or emitting warning calls to warn others, mock attacking (attacking in the air) and such.
  NOTE: If a herbivore is threatening you, do not take it as a challenge or insult, the animal just wants to be left alone! As mentioned before, unfortunately there's many instances of players being attacked just for "3 calling" a threat, which is annoying.
  If confronted by a herbivore you are not planning on hunting, back off , and keep your distance, if ANYTHING threatens you, STAY AWAY unless you want to fight it for an actual reason.
  It is not esplicit when the herbivore has it's eyes locked on you, or also when added to it's eyes pointing to you there's a "F call" , which means the player might have worn the others via chat.
  Also this could be when the player is moving a little strange, changing directions in a suddle "zig-zag" movement pattern, this means that the player is agitated.
  It also can be implicit when the animal is moving (walking, trotting, running especially) away from you, or (only if carnivore) it crouches down and such.
  
• "Challenging"
  An animal is challenging you (only carnivore on carnivore , and herbivore on herbivore) when it is moving up to you "three calling", mock attacking and such.
  Don't fight at every change, fight only if actually necessary.
  
• "Hunting you"
  And animal might be hunting you if it is crouching down near a possible hiding spot (specially if it's head is pointing at you), if it is running at full speed towards you, it might 3 roar, but in a chase, this is rare to happen from the attacker. Same goes for mock attacking.
  An animal might also just walk up to you, and trying to circle around you for a good attack spot, always face the attacker.
  This could also happen with packs, opening in a formation around you, or chasing you in a group.
  React in an appropriate way, remember, that they WANT to kill you, but you don't want to die, so be prepared, anything could happen, and be clever, fight or flight.
  
  

  Chat Language

  Legend:
  "=" --> equals "(p)" --> plural
  
  Apex , Apexes (p) = one/some/all of the current animals: Acrocanthosaurus (depends on the player apparently) , Giganotosaurus, Spinosaurus , Tyrannosaurus.
  Apex herbivore , Apex herbivores (p) = one/some/all of the current animals: Ankylosaurus, Shantungosaurus, Stegosaurus, Therizinosaurus, Triceratops.
  Acro, Acros (p) = Acrocanthosaurus
  Allo, Allos (p) = Allosaurus
  Albert , Alberts (p) , Alberto , Albertos (p) = Albertosaurus
  Anky, Ankys (p), Ankylo, Ankylos (p), Turtle, Turtles (p), Honker, Honkers (p) = Ankylosaurus
  Ava, Avas (p) = Avaceratops
  Bary , Barys (p), Baryo , Baryos (p) = Baryonyx
  Cama, Camas (p), Camara , Camaras (p) = Camarasaurus
  Cera , Ceras (p) , Cerato , Ceratos (p) = Ceratosaurus
  Cannib, Cannibs (p) , Cannibro , Cannibros (p) = Cannibal
  Diablo, Diablos (p) , Dibble, Dibbles (p) = Diabloceratops
  Dilo, Dilos (p) , Dilopho , Dilophos (p) = Dilophosaurus
  Dryo, Dryos (p) , Squeaker , Squeakers (p) = Dryosaurus
  Giga, Gigas (p), Giganoto , Giganotos (p) = Giganotosaurus
  Hypo, Hypos (p) = Referring to the Hyperendocrine Strain
  Hypo Rex, Hypo Rexes (p) = Hyperendocrine Tyrannosaurus
  Hypo Giga, Hypo Gigas (p) = Hyperendocrine Giganotosaurus
  Hypo Spino , Hypo Spinos (p) = Hyperendocrine Spinosaurus
  Kos = Acronimum, "Kill On Sight", killing for no apparent reason that is not for your own , weird gratification, usually used from who can't accept it's own/other's death.
  Kosing = Killing On sight
  Koser, Kosers (p) = Who actively Kills On Sight
  Magna, Magnas (p) = Referring to the Magna type
  Magna Rex, Magna Rexes (p) = Megnatyrannus Solus
  Oro , Oros (p) , Oreo , Oreos (p) = Oreodromeus
  Para, Paras (p) , Parasaur , Parasaurs (p) = Parasaurolophus
  Psittaco, Psittacos (p), Taco , Tacos (p) = Psittacosaurus
  Quetz, Quetzes (p) , Quetzal, Quetzals (p) = Quetzacoatlus
  Raptor , Raptors (p) = Referring to small carnivorous dinosaurs that share a sickle-shaped claws on each foot.
  Spino, Spinos (p) = Spinosaurus
  Sucho, Suchos (p) = Suchomimus
  Steg, Stegs (p) , Stego , Stegos (p) = Stegosaurus
  Theri, Theris (p) , Thera , Theras (p), Therizino, Therizinos (p) , Turkey , Turkeys (p) = Therizinosaurus
  Trice, Trices (p) , Tricera, Triceras (p) , Trike , Trikes (p) = Triceratops
  T-rex , T-rexes (p) , Tyranno , Tyrannos (p) , Rex, Rexes (p) = Tyrannosaurus
  Utah, Utahs (p) = Utahraptor
  Velo , Velos (p) = Velociraptor
  

Living as a Baby

Babies are extremely vulnerable, and unfortunately for you, if you are going to get to adult, you gotta be one.
Babies have really outstanding patterns apart from tyrannosaurus and triceratops babies, which can be deadly.
Your main concern is, well, keep on living, which is understandable, so you've got to do a few things.
- Eat
- Drink
- Not get phisically injured
- Avoid predation OF EVERY SORT
- Be quiet
Eating can be hard, even though weird at first, you'll get what I mean.
The problem is not eating, the problem is finding something/enough to it.
Predators are EVERYWHERE , really, predators are everywhere.
Which means they eat everything they can, understandably so.
Soooo, you are going to go get the scraps.
Try to not stay near the corpse, the killer might be closer than you think, eat and get into the safety of the forest.
As a herbivore there is another problem.
Travel. Travel is hard , exhausting and puts you near predators, which , as said before, are EVERYWHERE.
Predation is the main killer here, after it though, there's starvation, which means you gotta be quick to find food, but NEVER stay too exposed, also try not to stay too close the the edible plants, as edible plants usually have a prey nearby, which means dinner bell for carnivores, which means they are gonna see these plants as a food opportunity, although indirectly.
Edible Plants are hard to find, but don't give up, you'll find some eventually, they are often present in forest lines and near lakes, which can be a risky choice, but sometimes you just gotta do it.
Drinking is pretty much the same as eating, although it presents other difficulties.
Lakes are almost always exposed, so drinking from them is always a bet.
Also if you find danger don't try swimming in the lake, they swim faster than you and they'll kill you even if you can't be eaten in the lake.
Forest is safety, stay in there as a baby.
The next point is not get injured, by this is mean don't break you leg, it can and will be deadly.
Also try avoiding anything that could damage you, another baby who is being aggressive? Let it get the food or what it wants , and move away, fight only when strictly needed.
Any carnivore ROAR in the distance needs to be avoided. Unless you've got to go towards it, because you know there' s something important you need to do there (eat , drink).
If carnivores approach , hide, in a bush, behind a tree, in the grass if you're small enough , anything is better than nothing, and wish for luck.
If you're being chased, make sharp turns and hope for the best, you have a slim chance of survival if spotted and attacked, but never give up.
Also, don't trust you're own species in form of adults, they will eat you if needed.
Carnotaurs and Utahraptors are known baby killers, but even a Tyrannosaur would not pass a free meal.
Be quiet, never roar, (i know the roars are amazing but you gotta contain yourself) especially broadcast, the only time in which you should is only in these occasions:
You find another baby/juvie and you want to befriend it (careful though) .
You are trying to scare off something.
You are already dying.
You are chatting (don't abuse though).
You won't make it for sure, you will mostly die, but with these tips you should have a better chance now, unless you already adopted them.

Hunting tactics (WIP)

For Small , fast and skittish prey

Needs for this hunt tactic:
- Faster than your target (at least for a decent amount of time)
-In a group of at least 3 (works better in non-even numbers)
-Target should be considerably weaker than you
Let's start.
Normally in a hunt, this would happen:
the prey has a chance of turning and being capable of out-turning you, which could lead to it escaping.
To not make this happen, or just make hunting more easy, if you are in a pack, do something like this:
Be not too close to each other, but not even too far, depending on the size of the target and it's agility, try to be accurate.
Staying in this line formation, running forward makes the prey unable to turn swiftly and avoid you, and if it tried, it would meet the jaws of one of the predators.
always run forward, EVITATE getting too far back or too far forward, stay in a somehow accurate line!
But if you are five, or seven or nine, or... well you got it, evitate even numbers, cause that could put a hole in your formation!
If you want to be more than three though, it is great, arrange the formation something like this:
So even if miraculously the prey dodges one of your companions, there will be another ready to kill!
But if the prey decides to make another route? If the prey goes instead of forward, it keep on going left or right? Well do something like this:
And change with the prey, but always keep this route!
HOW TO ESCAPE (Try atleast)
Try finding a place full of obstacles, like a thick-ish forest, so the formation will break:

How to survive possible predation

Right, here we go.
First of all, when you are choosing a skin to survive , try not to choose white or too bright or dark skins, or you'll stick out.

• Hiding: Very useful if you are of a decent coloration, try not to rely on it too much though, as hiding makes you vulnerable to attacks if spotten and obviously, does not move you away from the danger, so if the thing you are trying to hide from decides to sit in front of you, you'll have to wait, and especially if you are young, you risk starting to need water, food, ecc.., and you're not always close to food, water, and ecc...
  AFK works, but why? Enjoy the game, it's fun!
  
• Low profile: This time I'm going to propose a tactic I use.
  Instead of hiding, sitting in a bush or under a tree with a 100% green chameleon-like skin, I have a camouflaged enough skin, and move in the underbrush to go from place A to place B, This skin won't help you mimetize if you stand still, but it'll help you blend in with the enviroment while on the move, something a completely, flat out green skin or any other color can't do, so choose patterning that's very much comparable to the enviroment around you, example: Green body with slighlty lighter and darker spots and/or stripes, and countershading (if you don't know what countershading is,go find you on google, it's interesting.
  
• Herding: duh. XD It helps you and your herdmates stay secure, especially at NIGHT, which for most herbivores, is a very bad time, so when in a herd you can count on many eyes to try and spot any incoming danger, and who knows, maybe the meal, will be someone else! (Sounds bad but it's one of the main reason you herd anyway, the others think the same too, obviously that does not mean kill your friends, it means that maybe when in danger and the carnivores will attack someone, it may not be you, hey, it's survival, relax, kind of).
  
• In the open at night: At night, you are food, waiting to be picked up, so, if you want to not be ambushed and brutally murdered..... Go to an opening, the moon will make the place slightly brighter, so if you squint your eye's you'll be able to see the silhouttes of carnivores around you, and not only their shining eyes as they crawl closer to you by the second. If you have to eat and the food is in the forest, or water, and ecc..., take the risk but:
  
• Listen to the sounds: Every once in a while stop moving and listen for sounds around you and smell ("Q" key), to pick up the trail of a possible hungry sharptooth (got the reference, right?).
  
• Don't run around like a weirdo: Try not running around, remember, you are not there, you have to act like you are non-existant, right? So what do non-existant things do? Nothing, exactly, so don't run around due to the sound you make and the footprints you'll leave behind, remember, if you walk you leave few footprints, if you trot you leave more, if you run you leave so many of them that if a carnivore does not see them thanks to scent mode you must be hacking something.
  
• Remain Calm: Being spooked in the night is like a bar, that fills up a bit more every time you hear a weird sounds, or something strage in the distance, when you have heard so many weird things around you that you are starting to feel like there's something there you can't see, you are going to go crazy and start running away after hearing the last roar that fills the "spookometer", and that's bad, not only because that might just be nothing, but because if that is in fact something and you go crazy and can't control yourself because you went into "spooked-deer" mode, you are going to die. It's supposed to be a horror game, so if you get scared, or spooked and start running due to nothing like a horse, it's normal. Still though, remain calm.
  
• Last one: Excercise on sandbox and ecc..: If you excercise in fights on deathmatch servers, and survival on sandbox you'll be more prepared for the survival mode, so go get prepared!

[fletcher]

helped a lot thank you

[JFields]

fantastic, this is super helpful for noobs like me

[Cloverboy]

yes.perfect(but some players stop you from praticing hunting and fighting tactics in deathmatches)

[indoraptorgaming09]

holly jesus lots of words to bad i aint reading it

[Cation]

thanks :D

[Xemisaurus]

As somebody who's been playing survival since day 1, I can say this guide is pretty accurate.

[Draykoss]

How to live- Dont die

[Cation]

Thanks a lot :)
The bush problem has been fixed a while ago ;) .

[[AG] Raziel Nerron]

Very nice guide by the way, it expains a few basics for new players. Like me for example, fufu. Found it useful.

Maybe I missed it, but I think it's important to add that not every bush is safe because of graphics. So if you're playing high options and others are using low, they can see through some grass shrubs etc. And it's better to be more smart in hiding technique.

[Cation]

To note, this is a w.i.p.