They're all gonna die. This is my first time on a 'hard' game. All the first generation (all the original adults) are dead and the second generation is getting old. My total population is only 11. I'm too cheap, right now, to spend tech points on spirituality, so the kids run back and forth over the elders' bleached bones all day. It's creeping me out.

I have level 3 Farming; level 2 Construction and Science. I wish I could get them to Level 2 Smarts, but that's just not in the cards.

I only have 1 woman of, um, marriageable age and 4 kids (only 1 female) under age 14. I suppose I should just put all available hands on research, leaving one to pick veggies or fish, until I rack up some tech points.

But if I leave them (game set on 1/2 speed or normal), when I come back, the idjits are all exercising or doing laundry or pushing the blankety-blank boulder.

How come when all the puzzles are solved and you have 50 people on the island, they all work together like good little ants? The boulder is smarter than these guys.

They're all gonna die.

I started a Hard Tribe and figured that I was going to try to be good and not build the hut and build up the points at least for level 2 science as soon as I could. I was doing pretty well (even found an orange mushroom right away!), put all the Villagers on both foraging and researching to see where their aptitudes really were. I figured out that Chico was going to be the farmer, and Idowu and the women (both named Yoki) were going to be the scientists.

But then one of the Yokis just had to drink that vial, and it must have been pure viagra since she turned into a master parent and just had to get start popping babies!

So there goes one of my researchers, plus another mouth to feed! I spent the tech points for the crops and I still have 8 minutes to go (on 1/2 time...) but have to watch Chiko like a hawk or he'll keep trying to water those crops rather than forage the berries.

<sigh>

P.S. and then once the crops come in, Chiko just want to continue foraging!!!!

Ouch.. that master parenting is going to really hurt! She'll constantly be sneaking off behind your back before you can blink! Well I guess it could be worse - could have been a male who drank the stuff... and then.....

But I figure that after the next baby, she'll have to stop until I get the hut built and that'll give me time to build more tech points.

But you're right, it would have been worse if one of the men drank that vial. All the women on Isola would have been constantly "barefoot and pregnant."

LOL

I too learned the hard to never have them drink anything in a vial. I may be losing out in some cases, but I practice the "rather safe than sorry now." LOL.

I had one male villager born with an inclination for healing. So, when he turned 14 I started training him. He was infuriating! He'd learn okay, but as soon as he increased his healing skill he'd want to relax, swim, do laundry, etc. He'd want to do anything else but learn.

However, when he got a bit older he settled down and turned into a full Master Doctor. He was great! So, I learned from that and now I give them all the benefit of the doubt.

A vial that makes them master breeders? What a nightmare sfrose!

I think another part of the trick is to put off unblocking the lagoon as long as you can, so they can't do laundry.

Oh, I still like having them drink the vials... I'm interested in seeing the types of results that occur. I'm wondering if the color or type of liquid makes a difference on "good" vs. "bad" results. And sometimes it really just depends on the stage of the game on whether it was a good choice or not.

I've found that Healers learn best by "practicing", not at the Cactus. And even kids can heal sick villagers! So if I get a kid with the inclination, I'll use them first if I find someone sick and they usually become an apprentice or trainee very quickly.

BTW, My master breeder isn't doing too bad right now. She's already had two kids, but waited on the second one and spend time at the research table while the food stores built up. Now she's researching again while waiting for that hut to be built. And in the mean time, I also have my first science and medicine levels.

Just started a new game (have three games going on now) and I think they may all die from stupidity! LOL!

Seriously. Took me forever to find a second villager who could build and get just the first hut up. I have a male who seems to only be able to forage. I tried him first as a builder. I came back about 20 minutes later and he accrued nothing on building! Tried him on research and I swear he didn't get anything after about 20 tries! He may be a good healer but I can't afford to have a full time healer right now.

And my scientists just finally reached Adept and seem stuck there.

It's all okay though....just more of a challenge.

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I think another part of the trick is to put off unblocking the lagoon as long as you can, so they can't do laundry.

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LOL! Never thought of that. I did accidently discover you can reach into the laundry hut as soon as a villager goes in there and pull them out. "The almighty hand can reach through walls!"

Once I had a typhoon come and wipe out all the stored food. Not good as I had reached the max population! Even then, I had farmers and scientists trying to do laundry! "I may starve, but by gosh I'll have clean clothes!" LOL.

Some of them are just plain stubborn! So you just need to keep at them until they get some skill in the trade you want before they will do it on their own. Once they get to adept, they should keep at it, but of course if they have more skill in another trade, they will prefer to do that over others, but they will stay on tract as long as you have the skill checked that you want them to focus on. If they have no skill at building and you have building check, they will not build until you train them.

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If they have no skill at building and you have building check, they will not build until you train them.

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I did. I tried and tried. LOL! Kept putting him back at the hut site. Watched him go get a piece of wood or a rock. He'd get to the site and then shake his head and say "No." This went on some 20 times, same as trying to get him to research. I kept putting him back at the table and then would wait. Same thing as with the building.

I thank you for the great advice though.