So...I'm probably on my 8th or 9th generation of villager's, most of which were born with zero skills passed down from their parents.

After dragging one of my villager's whom I've designated as a Farmer who is continually unsucessful at planting crops, gathering coconuts and fishing, I managed to bring her - Perl, 15 - to Trainee status. Even then, she still says "No" but I keep on trying to make her farm.

So I decided to just watch her work for a while. She went into the water and came right back out without going under water then watered the crops once, and now she's doing nothing. Not even doing laundry, or cooling her feet in the stream. She just doesn't do anything.

There are others in the same situation...all born during the same baby boom.

Is this normal?

Well, there are a few things to consider. What are the likes and dislikes of these villagers, for example? Do any of them dislike work or like resting? Does Perl dislike fish?

I've never yet had a villager who would never do ANYTHING. You just have to keep at them and they'll learn after a while.

Yeah, I know it takes a while to build skill. I've earned 9 totems and I feel that's enough for me, LOL but I want to make sure that everyone is at least Adept at their skills.

Also, I checked Perl' stats and she likes Snakes. That's it.

I've had one villager that disliked work and swimming, and liked playing! I just dragged him around to the "strange plants" until He was an Adept Doctor, and let him play the rest of the time. He never healed anyone, or even made the attempt! He was rather useless. He spent lots of time "Admiring the gong encasement," "Admiring the ancient mosaic," "Reading ancient writings," and "Relaxing at the beach!" Very frustrating!

I've had that a few times. It depends on the difficulty I think, and the likes and dislikes of a villager. Some villagers are just stubborn, keep 'arguing' with them till they give in and then smile when they actually keep themselves working.

Also, make sure they are not worried about anything.

Villagers who dislike work or learning are generally difficult to train. Those with dislikes for, say, fish or swimming, will tend to run away if dropped in the ocean, so it seems unlikely that Perl is one of those. Even those with no particular likes or dislikes in their details screen can be difficult sometimes.

By the way, I try to allow only villagers who are at least master scientists to mate; most of the time that means that their children will inherit some skills and will start to learn on their own.

I am totally evil I would poison her with stew.

Arnie, that's a good idea...I know it sounds kind of like the "New World Order", but I usually to try to pair up those with the same duties, because you tend to get some inheirited traits for learning that way. However, once in awhile one will come along that has something completely different from his/her parents...or I will get one marked for "doctor," but it says he/she likes wood, or lifting, or swimming. Those I allow to "choose" their duties.

Allwe need is the stew!

Yes!!! I was just thinking about The Death Stew!!! I only just remembered about stews when I noticed I have 3 Adept Doctors...it also reminds of The Sixth Sense: making my villagers sick on purpose.

I did a small tally and I think roughly 8 people are in danger tonight. I just spent about 30 minutes updating everything on the details screen and making sure my 8 people on "death watch" are at least Trainee's in their respective fields. If time is not on their side, they're dead.

*muahahahahahah*

So, I'm leaving the game on 2x speed and going to bed.

Let's see what happens in the morning

Also, just an FYI, I'm at 1,000,000+ food and 700,000+ tech points so they can survive the night. All puzzles complete, a few collectibles left and have 88 villagers (no Mommy's nursing right now).

I had Babu who was "born" with a predisposition for building and had no likes or dislikes. He died of natural causes at about 67 as a trainee builder. I would watch him spend 2 or 3 minutes fixing a hut, then go swimming, eating (one of his particular favorite acrivities) and relaxing at the beach. If I dragged him back to a hut, he would be off as soon as I turned my back. I just gave up on him, I didn't want to kill him, but I was glad to see him go.

I never had villagers who didn't increase their skills. In all my oldest tribes they are all Masters (except the youngest and some doctors) in at least one skill. It takes less or more time but they succeed. Maybe because I insist a lot to put them at a task until they are Trainee!
(are you sure to have set them in one skill?)

yes i had a villager who refused to work , he disliked learning and work , so after pulling my hair out . he ate the black stew and now his tombstone says " disliked learning and work"
i only did this b/c it was at the start of a newer game
if it happened once the village was sustanable he would have lived. i have played many vv games and this is the first time
that i had a villager that was that stuborn? stupid?
and in the end remember it is only a game !

I usually cry when a villager dies so I do not use the Black Stew too often unless they have done a greatly bad thing like get too old to learn any better!!

I've been playing VV2 for a few months now and I had one guy who didn't want to do anything either. If it had been a girl I would have made her stay pregnant until she was 50 at least she'd be out of the way. While playing this game I wished there was a task I could have put him on so I wouldn't have to deal with him all the time. It didn't occur to me to give him the death stew. I know it's just a game but somehow it didn't seem right. Plus in real life we have to be understanding of everybody, regardless of their skill. And in a few days he'd be dead of old age anyway.

I have one right now who dislikes work, likes playing, and I am forever searching for him. He's a Trainee Builder at 49, and has nothing else to his credit. He refuses to parent, runs from water because he dislikes the ocean and is driving me cucu. However, I figure at 49, he's got 3 days, max, and I try not to kill off my villagers, if I can help it. I saw one of my 78-year-old Master Farmers discorporate, and it made me uneasy.

I have a question....my young people who are predisposed to medicine, seem to go from flower to flower until they reach Adept. Is this usual?

yes Damballah, thats usual!

I've played 3 tribes to the finish now and I've only had one truly horrible worker. Total "loser" who disliked work and herbs, I couldn't even make him a doctor. The women all ran away from him, too. I did finally get him to master farmer, but it took a LOT of drops in the ocean and onto the field. My best worker was a runner who also liked lifting, talk about the perfect builder, then I switched him to farming and he had the bin overflowing!