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!