Ancient Ones

[lament stump]

To start I would like to credit @stable cosmos and @sturdy laurel for giving me the inspiration for this idea with their ongoing collaboration in the (absolutely epic) following thread: https://discord.com/channels/393040947006406657/1120394592265719950

IDEA:"Ancient Ones" (AO for short) would be Great Ones with a twist. Instead of an exceptional individual of a living species, an Ancient One would be an individual from a now extinct species that formerly lived in the region occupied by a specific reserve.

**SPAWNS:**Spawning an AO would not be a harvest-based RNG roll like a G1, but progression based for its specific reserve. In effect, it would have a constant passive spawn chance that increases with every mission you complete, outpost you discover, collectible you find, and hunting structure you make the spawn chance increases. The chance would be at its absolute peak when you have fully explored a given map and completed all of its missions.

I know that would be tedious, so in addition to the RNG passive chance an AO could also spawn once you have spent a certain number of total hours playing the game, likely 60 or more. This would also stack across all reserves and trigger the AO spawn on whichever reserve you are on when you pass the play time threshold. Overall, this effectively makes them much more accessible to casual players as it guarantees that they will at least one eventually if they play for long enough.

In addition, AO spawns are hard locked until you reach level 60 (where you are given one guaranteed spawn) to ensure they're restricted to the end game.

AO NUMBERS: I am unsure of a specified maximum, but my idea so far is at least one (preferably two or more) AO species on every reserve. Also, only one individual would spawn at a time.

Due to space constraints I will elaborate further on the mechanics of AOs and my ideas for which AO species should be on which reserves in a series of replies below.

[lament stump]

HOW THEY WORK:

Once the spawn chance for an AO is close to activating by play time or has activited by random chance the game will spawn a series of clues to tell you that it is coming. This will include footprints, antler rubs, claw marks, disturbed vegetation, and distant calls with no identifiable species attached to them to notify you that it will spawn soon.

Then, the hunt begins when the animal spawns nearby and crosses your field of view before disappearing into the wilderness, effectively inviting you to start the hunt.

The AO will stick to specific regions that are at least similar to the environment they likely occupied in the ancient past (although the rules can be bent a little for the sake of including certain notable species). The region(s) the AO will inhabit will be outlined on your map and it will roam between rest, feed, and drink zones within the outlined area(s)

The AO will be present on your map for a specified amount of IRL time before it returns to whence it came. My current plan would be for the AO to be present on the reserve for 6 IRL days based on your device's onboard clock, but additional feedback on the timeframe would be appreciated. This gives you the time to successfully find and hunt it but also allows it to slip away if you are away for too long or simply cannot get close enough for a shot.

ACHIEVEMENTS:

There will also be a series of new game achievements tied to AOs, namely the following:

The Past Reawakened - Spawn your first Ancient One

Gone, But Not Forgotten - Harvest your first Ancient One

The One That Got Away - Allow a spawned Ancient One to leave your map

A Gentle Heart - Have an Ancient One in your sights but choose not to kill it

Worth A Thousand Words - Take a picture of an Ancient One

In addition to these there will also be at least one achievement for each Ancient One Species individually.

[sturdy laurel]

I do very like this idea. I can provide some species that could be potential Ancient Ones for current species in the game

[lament stump]

Thank you! Any and all suggestions you have would be greatly appreciated, I'm planning on figuring out Layton and Hirschfelden first since I feel, like GOs, AOs should also be base game content.

[sturdy laurel]

alright cool!

[ocean ice]

Would your mom be one of them?

[lament stump]

nah bro she's not that old yet lol

[wanton cloud]

Im not reading all of that but anyways, GREAT JOB 👍

[ocean ice]

It would be cool to see an Irish Elk though, they're my favorite extinct species

[lament stump]

G1s but random spawns and massive/cool prehistoric animals instead of modern ones

[wanton cloud]

Nice, I like!

[jaunty forge]

I like this idea

Kinda makes it more fair for players that don’t have a lot of time

Maybe an achievement for getting a picturet too?

[lament stump]

How could i forget the pictures!

It's only like 30% of the base game missions 😂

Editing that in rn

[sturdy laurel]

Here's my ideas for the Ancient Ones of species that currently have Great Ones (On the base game maps). They are based off of either location, taxonomic relation, or niche:

1. Whitetail Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) = American Mountain Deer (Odocoileus lucasi)
2. Red Deer (Cervus elaphus) = Praemegaceros dawkinsi
3. Black Bear (Ursus americanus) = Giant Short-Faced Bear (Arctodus simus)
4. Moose (Alces alces) = Stag-Moose (Cervalces scotti) or Broad-Fronted Moose (Cervalces latifrons) (could be both depending on location. EX: North American Moose are C. scotti and Eurasian Moose are C. latifrons)
5. Fallow Deer (Dama dama) = Irish Elk (Megaloceros giganteus)

Also, I imagine Ancient Ones would be even rarer than Great Ones?

[jaunty forge]

Sabertooth in sundarpatan?

That massive lion species in Vurhonga

[lament stump]

There's a few dagger-toothed cats that could definitely fit in Sundar, gonna file that one under consideration

[sturdy laurel]

or Ngandong Tigers (Panthera tigris soloensis), giant tigers from the Pleistocene of Indonesia. that's just my idea tho

[jaunty forge]

Could put a terror bird in Australia

[lament stump]

Counterpoint: Quinkana, a terrestrial (and I think also tree climbing) crocodile that could gallop

Would fit because people tend to play EC for the salties

[wanton cloud]

I counted nine AO's said in that sentence, very first sentence dw i didnt read everything

[sturdy laurel]

just for comparison:

[jaunty forge]

I’m all for this, the scarier the predator the better

[jaunty forge]

I expected bigger?

[lament stump]

Oh i got a super scary idea for a tropical South American map if we ever get one

[jaunty forge]

We have parque Fernando

[sturdy laurel]

Paludirex would also be a good alternative

also, would Ancient Ones have crazy/fantastical skins like the Great Ones?

[lament stump]

Barinasuchus; a massive terrestrial crocodile from what is now Colombia weighed up to 1,700kg or approximately 3800lbs with an overall average body length of six meters or twenty feet

could go in the swamps

[sturdy laurel]

the Ngandong Tiger is the largest felid both living and extinct afaik so this is biggest we'd get 😂

doesn't make them any less interesting they are as an extinct subspecies tho. it makes me wonder if there's other giant tigers across Asia from this time we haven't found yet

[lament stump]

Also i can already anticipate this thread going nuts with comment from brainstorming so uh...

-# Ash can you please pin the original post and my first comment before they get too buried for people following the convo to look at them 😂

[jaunty forge]

Honestly I’m all for community ideas, I love reading them

[lament stump]

plus i also think that chart is assuming a lower estimate of the ngandong versus the largest known siberian/bengal tigers

I'm fairly sure a large-ish Ngandong wouldve been like 400+ kg and 500+ for the 99th percentile of growth couldve been fesible

[sturdy laurel]

yeah

[flat quiver]

Gallop gallop

[lament stump]

I was thinking at least 3 or 4 furs etc. for each of them:

1 that's paleoaccurate (or as accurate as it can be)

and then a few that range in their speculative nature from normalish to absolutely insane

[sturdy laurel]

also, im able to provide other AO's for species that don't have GO's yet. any particular species y'all want me to do?

[lament stump]

hmmmm I'd gotten my mind hung up on C. latifrons for Hirsch and now my brain no worky lol

[flat quiver]

American cave lion for mountain lion?

[ocean ice]

What about a large marine creature famous for being "present in a specific loch" who also wants " Tree fiddy"?

[jaunty forge]

Nessy isn’t feasible

[pine fern]

Average TikTok brain individual

[sturdy laurel]

i like that idea

also another question: would an ancient one come from a spawn of a living species in the game? (for example: would an American Mountain Deer AO spawn come from a Whitetail Deer like how a Whitetail GO spawn would come from a Whitetail Deer?)

[flat quiver]

What the sigma

[lament stump]

I was think that it's a special event style spawn where it appears and roams on your map in a set outlined area although it could be modified to trigger from a kill once you've passed a play time threshold

[pine fern]

Sabertooth Tiger for Bengal

[sturdy laurel]

American Cheetahs (Miracinonyx inexpectatus) would probably work better both in location and taxonomical relation

[lament stump]

ngandong tiger was tiger but big

Imagine a 1,000lb tiger lol

plus smilodon in particular was a new world genus so it'd be the NA maps and Parque

[jaunty forge]

I would name it big moe

[sturdy laurel]

that works. that would also open up a lot more possibilities for more AO species too

[pine fern]

True, but, imagine a Sabertooth but the unrealistic proportions of the one from Fry Cry Primal (the best Fry Cry game argue with your momma)

[sturdy laurel]

i can even start making rosters of AO species for each map if y'all want

[lament stump]

I think I'm gonna go with Cervalces latifrons for the 1st one on Hirschfelden because well, it seems fitting for the largest deer to have ever lived to be on a map whose named is deadass German for "Deer Fields"

[jaunty forge]

5 exists

[pine fern]

Don't make me laugh, it's just 4 and 3 with a new coat of paint in a different geological location

[sturdy laurel]

alright

[lament stump]

well I mean they did get even more bonkers IRL

Smildon populator, the largest of the three smilodon species, was built like a front heavy cross between a bear and a lion

The mature males had fangs that were 11 inches long and weighed up to 1,100lbs and possibly stood up to 5ft at the shoulder due to their long forelimbs

They killed by using their saber teeth to slit throats (its name is literally latin for "Sword-toothed Executioner")

They lived throughout woodlands in South America and would be perfect for Parque

[flat quiver]

Maybe. Maybe sabertooth tiger for puma on Parque cause most sabertooth tigers where South American

[lament stump]

S. populator, the biggest of the three

[jaunty forge]

And superior villain

[flat quiver]

Smilodon populator i love you

[ocean ice]

What about bison?

[lament stump]

the long-horned steppe bison would be perfect for Yukon

and I assume we've all silently agreed MedVed gets a mammoth, right?

[sturdy laurel]

Arctotherium angustidens could live in the mountains/highlands of Parque too. They were giant bears that could possibly weigh over a ton

[jaunty forge]

In all seriousness kreed the far cry games except for 6 are good

[ocean ice]

We need the giant ground sloth somewhere

[pine fern]

Googled it, the sabertooths was in Fry Cry Primal are Smildon populator

[flat quiver]

Giancarlo Esposito villain so I love it most

[jaunty forge]

A fair point

[pine fern]

6 and New Dawn, ND had piss poor writing, I really can't think of a series that does Twins well as villains

[lament stump]

damn then they modeled them kinda small 💀

they're about the size of S. fatalis in that game, which is roughly half the body mass and 35% smaller overall in terms of body measurement

-# it's also odd since it's a South American species in Europe but, eh, game is game

[ocean ice]

There'd HAVE to be dodo birds somewhere

[sturdy laurel]

they spawn on all maps during April Fools Day and can one-shot you if they attack

basically the super turkeys from ark's thanksgiving event

[flat quiver]

Far cry primal is probably one of my top 10 games

[lament stump]

the dodo will find a way, trust me lol

aight ima be incommunicado for a bit since ima write up my plan for Cervalces latifrons in a longwinded comment lol, time to push character restrictions to the limit

[pine fern]

Yeah, in game they're about the same size stood up as Takar so around 6 Feet, the biggest one being about the size of a large cave bear who's covered in arrows and scar tissue

[flat quiver]

I used to DREAM about that game I would play it 24 hours a day I named my pets it was amazing. It’s now becoming nostalgic to me

[sturdy laurel]

they also spawn in HORDES

[sturdy laurel]

i'd also like to present another idea I just thought of for this: Special Event AOs

Basically these are limited time AOs that are species from beyond the Cenozoic (Dinosaurs, Permain synapsids, Pterosaurs, and so on)

How I imagine they'd work is that when a map's normal AO roster is made (Cenozoic animals), a secondary roster of special event AOs is also implemented alongside the normal roster. Then they'd switch on monthly intervals (for example: on Parque, one month's special event AO could be Giganotosaurus, then maybe the next month it would be Carnotaurus, and so on.) I'd imagine the special event AOs being as rare as the normal AOs. I can see y'all not thinking this is the best idea, since I imagine you all would want to stick with Cenozoic species and that we'd need a bigger lodge to fit these special event AOs (though the latter might be needed if things like Woolly Mammoths and Woolly Rhinos are in consideration for normal AOs)

[jaunty forge]

Would a Bigfoot or a yeti be too much?

[ocean ice]

No It wouldn't. Ily Samsquanch

[sturdy laurel]

might need to be something different. maybe a special event species like in Classic or a "Cryptic One"

[jaunty forge]

I’m all for that

[lament stump]

CERVALCES LATIFRONS - The Largest Deer To Have Ever Lived

Location: - Hirschfelden Hunting Reserve, modern day Germany

Body Size: - 250cm or 8'2" at the shoulder | body length of 12' or 3.6m

Weight Range: - 1,000-1,200kg | 2,200-2,600lb

Minimum/Maximum Antler Span: - 190cm or 6'2" | 250cm or 8'2"

Weapon Class: - 9

Scoring: - Scored on paddle size/palmation, tine length, no. of tines, and main beam mass like modern moose and fallow deer

Score Range: - 290-375

Temperment: Defensive; usually flees but will attack when cornered or startled up close

FURS:

• Ancient Tundra: Paleoaccurate furtype that is a graded mixture of dull brown and grey fur to mimic the camouflage it would have needed in ancient European tundra and woodland margins

• Ancient Royal: Furtype with gold fur along the nasal bridge, top of the head, and around the eyes as well as on the torso, stomach, and hind limbs. The remainder of the body (neck, shoulders, chest, etc.) would be covered in black fur, mimicking a King's cape.

• Ancient Spirit Meant to mimic leucicism. Would be a cream offwhite color throughout most of the body, with more weathered fur on the back and shoulders forming a darker, greyish band.

• Ancient Guardian A prehistoric take on the Fabled Ashen and Fabled Scarred furs for moose and tahr G1s. It would have a black band of fur running down the back with stripes that gradually fade into the fur on the sides. It would also be covered with wounds from encounters with prehistoric hyenas, bears, and other predators. They would include a massive claw swipe across the right shoulder, bite marks on the haunches, and scratches on the face from various opponents. This fur would also have a unique, damaged rack with a few chipped and broken tines, scarred paddles, and fractured beams.

ACHIEVEMENT(S):

King Of The Fields: Harvest a Cervalces latifrons

Paddled: Get killed by a charging Cervalces latifrons

No idea if this image will past properly but here's an image of Latifrons' antlers

bruh its a download why

Ima just link the damn wikipedia page where the picture is from lol, it's the specimen held at the museum in Thubingen, Germany

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cervalces_latifrons#/media/File:Cervalces_latifrons_Tubingen.JPG

[ocean ice]

Jfif, idk how to change them to jpeg though

[sturdy laurel]

here i got you

[lament stump]

I like this, this and cryptids could both be special-special events IMO, an off chance that they will come through along with a given AO, appear at any point during its stay, or come through while it's leaving.

Would definitely work since they'd all effectively be in game through portals in space time

Thanks Megatron lol

[sturdy laurel]

you're welcome, and I can help make the special event AO rosters alongside the normal ones

[lament stump]

Feel free to write up a roster of special AOs!

I think 3 or 4 for each reserve in addition to the 2 or 3 (or more lol) base AOs should be good.

[sturdy laurel]

that works. that's what I had in mind anyways

i'll start with the Hirschfelden roster

[lament stump]

also, if you know anybody who has reserve ideas posted in feedback feel free to direct them here, I'm also willing to think up AOs for other folks' suggestions

[jaunty forge]

A reserve set in the appalachians

[lament stump]

American mastodon would be dope ngl

[jaunty forge]

Yeah

America has a lot of prehistoric options

We have T-rex in the hell creek formation

[lament stump]

I added an achievement to latifrons as well

used all but two characters lol

Also what do y'all think of the furs I thought up for latifrons?

-# I just realized we're already past 100 comments omg lol

[sturdy laurel]

Hirschfelden AO Roster

---

Normal AO List:

1. Steppe Lion (Panthera spelaea) or Mosbach Lion (Panthera fossilis) (Class 9)
2. Broad-Fronted Moose (Cervalces latifrons) (Class 9)
3. Steppe Bison (Bison priscus) (Class 9)
4. Deinotherium giganteum (Class 10)
5. Steppe Mammoth (Mammuthus trogontherii) (Class 10)

Special AO List:
6. Archaeopteryx lithographica (Class 1)
7. Rhamphorhynchus muensteri or Pterodactylus antiquus (Class 1)
8. Europasaurus holgeri (Class 9)
9. Iguanodon bernissartensis (Class 10)
10. Torvosaurus gurneyi (Class 10)

[lament stump]

awesome list

[sturdy laurel]

thank ya

next up is Layton

Layton Lakes AO Roster

---

Normal AO List:

1. Hagerman Horse (Equus simplicidens) (Class 5)
2. American Lion (Panthera atrox) (Class 9)
3. Ancient Bison (Bison antiquus) (Class 9)
4. Harlan's Ground Sloth (Paramylodon harlani) (Class 10)
5. American Mastodon (Mammut americanum) (Class 10)

This map doesn't have any Special AOs because not much Mesozoic fossils have been found in the region (the stuff that has hasn't been properly described) that Layton Lakes is in. Paleozoic fossils have been found in said region, but it's mostly aquatic stuff

Next map is MedVed

[lament stump]

awesome so far!

definitely need mammoths on medved just because of the tusks alone (could even tie the mammoth's spawn to picking up the tusks as an idea too)

[sturdy laurel]

yeah

[wanton cloud]

Dude, i went afk for 20 mins and i scroll so much to get to the bottom MY FINGER HURTS

[lament stump]

we've got ideas dawg lol

feel free to add ideas of your own and direct other people here as well

[wanton cloud]

And im happy for the ideas :D my brains fried rn i cant think of an idea :I

[lament stump]

it's fine lol, take your time

[sturdy laurel]

MedVed AO Roster

---

Normal AO List:

1. Steppe Lion (Panthera spelaea) (Class 9)
2. Woolly Rhinoceros (Coelodonta antiquitatis) (Class 10)
3. Elasmotherium sibiricum (Class 10)
4. Woolly Mammoth (Mammuthus primigenius) (Class 10)

Special AO List:
5. Inostrancevia latifrons (Class 9)
6. Scutosaurus karpinskii (Class 10)
7. Olorotitan arharensis (Class 10)

Next is Vurhonga

[lament stump]

special AOs could also include recently extinct species or subspecies too

Barbary Lion comes to mind for Vurhonga

[wanton cloud]

I did think of an elephant that did live the african savannah, Its called Loxodonta cookei

[sturdy laurel]

Vurhonga AO Roster

---

Normal AO List:

1. Giant Warthog (Metridiochoerus andrewsi) (Class 4)
2. Bluebuck (Hippotragus leucophaeus) (Class 6)
3. Quagga (Equus quagga quagga) (Class 6)
4. Giant Cape Zebra (Equus capensis) (Class 9)
5. African Giant Buffalo (Syncerus antiquus) (Class 9)
6. Palaeoloxodon recki (Class 10)

Special AO List:
7. Gorgonops torvus (Class 4)

Parque is next

[lament stump]

as long as there's some kind of information on weight and the size of the tusks itll be fine

[wanton cloud]

yep thats not gonna come from me :)

[lament stump]

as you make the rosters I'm going to try and go back thru them and make a profile for each one as well whenever I can

also, Smilodon populator and Barinasuchus would work great for a normal and special AO respectively on Parque

who wouldn't love two that hunt you since tigers were such a hit lol

[ocean ice]

Weight: "pretty heavy"

[sturdy laurel]

Parque Fernando AO Roster

---

Normal AO List:

1. Smilodon populator (Class 9)
2. Glyptodon reticulatus (Class 9)
3. Toxodon platensis (Class 10)
4. Arctotherium angustidens (Class 10)
5. Barinasuchus arveloi (Class 10)
6. Megatherium americanum (Class 10)
7. Notiomastodon platensis (Class 10)

Special AO List:
8. Herrerasaurus ischigualastensis (Class 8)
9. Carnotaurus sastrei (Class 10)
10. Fasolasuchus tenax (Class 10)
11. Giganotosaurus carolinii (Class 10)
12. Argentinosaurus huinculensis (Class 10)

Next is Yukon Valley

Yukon Valley AO Roster

---

Normal AO List:

1. Equus alaskae (Class 6)
2. Camelops hesternus (Class 9)
3. Woodland Muskox (Bootherium bombifrons) (Class 9)
4. Woolly Mammoth (Mammuthus primigenius) (Class 10)

Special AO List:
5. Dromaeosaurus albertensis (Class 2)
6. Nanuqsaurus hoglundi (Class 7)
7. Edmontosaurus regalis (Class 7)
8. Pachyrhinosaurus perotorum (Class 8)

Next up is Cuatro

[minor ridge]

A crazy cool idea.
Personally I want to see a stag moose as an AO

And a Tetrameryx

[lament stump]

This would be a great one for SRP

Stag moose could also go on NEM come to think of it since it ranged to the Atlantic coast

[minor ridge]

Rusingoryx would work for blue wildebeest on Vurhonga

[flat quiver]

I gnu you where up to no good

[sturdy laurel]

Cuatro Colinas AO Roster

---

Normal AO List:

1. European Jaguar (Panthera gombaszoegensis) (Class 8)
2. Homotherium latidens (Class 9)
3. Aurochs (Bos primigenius) (Class 9)
4. European Hippopotamus (Hippopotamus antiquus) (Class 10)
5. Merck's Rhinoceros (Stephanorhinus kirchbergensis) (Class 10)
6. Straight-Tusked Elephant (Palaeoloxodon antiquus) (Class 10)

Special AO List:
7. Concavenator corcovatus (Class 9)
8. Arenysaurus ardevoli (Class 10)
9. Dacentrurus armatus (Class 10)
10. Europatitan eastwoodi (Class 10)

Next is SRP

[lament stump]

It's great to have likeminded folks to bounce ideas off of and work with lol

this alone so far for the rosters would've taken me months lol

[sturdy laurel]

Silver Ridge Peaks AO Roster

---

Normal AO List:

1. Harrington's Mountain Goat (Oreamnos harringtoni) (Class 4)
2. American Cheetah (Miracinonyx inexpectatus) (Class 5)
3. American Mountain Deer (Odocoileus lucasi) (Class 8)
4. Giant Short-Faced Bear (Arctodous simus) (Class 9)
5. Giant Bison (Bison latifrons) (Class 9)
6. Columbian Mammoth (Mammuthus columbi) (Class 10)

Special AO List:
7. Ceratosaurus nasicornis (Class 9)
8. Allosaurus fragilis (Class 10)
9. Stegosaurus stenops (Class 10)
10. Camarasaurus grandis (Class 10)
11. Diplodocus carnegii (Class 10)
12. Apatosaurus ajax (Class 10)
13. Brachiosaurus altithorax (Class 10)

Next is Te Awaroa

[minor ridge]

Potential here for a alligator/crocodile AO

I quit like the Smilosuchus one in the bottom right corner

[sturdy laurel]

Te Awaroa AO Roster

---

Normal AO List:

1. Haast's Eagle (Hieraaetus moorei) (Class 2)
2. Upland Moa (Megalapteryx didinus) (Class 3)
3. Crested Moa (Pachyornis australis) (Class 4)
4. Eastern Moa (Emeus crassus) (Class 4)
5. Heavy-Footed Moa (Pachyornis elephantopus) (Class 8)
6. South Island Giant Moa (Dinornis robustus) (Class 9)

This map doesn't have any Special AOs because its Mesozoic and Paleozoic stuff is mostly aquatic. Next is Rancho

Rancho Del Arroyo AO Roster

---

Normal AO List:

1. Tetrameryx shuleri (Class 4)
2. Dire Wolf (Aenocyon dirus) (Class 5)
3. Pleistocene Jaguar (Panthera onca augusta) (Class 8)
4. Smilodon fatalis (Class 9)
5. Scott's Horse (Equus scotti) (Class 9)
6. Cuvieronius hyodon (Class 10)

Special AO List:
7. Tototlmimus packardensis (Class 6)

Next up is Mississippi

Mississippi Acres AO Roster

---

Normal AO List:

1. Carolina Parakeet (Conuropsis carolinensis) (Class 1)
2. Hesperotestudo crassiscutata (Class 4)
3. Jefferson's Ground Sloth (Megalonyx jeffersonii) (Class 9)

Special AO List:
4. Deinosuchus schwimmeri (Class 10)

Next is Revontuli

Actually, Revontuli might be out of the book for this. Finland doesn't really have much in paleontology, and what it does have is mainly aquatic stuff. New England next then i guess

[boreal scarab]

extinct ancestors of current Cenozoic animals is fine, but I don't find dinosaurs interesting.

[lament stump]

Valid, I tend to find medium to smaller dinosaurs on the interesting side IMO, but the main focus is the cenozoics

we're brainstorming rosters at the moment, ideas never hurt 😁

[boreal scarab]

dinosaurs honestly don't match no matter the size

[sturdy laurel]

New England Mountains AO Roster

---

Normal AO List:

1. Giant Beaver (Castoroides ohioensis) (Class 7)
2. Stag-Moose (Cervalces scotti) (Class 9)

This map only has two species because the other species New England has have been in previous rosters. There's no Special AOs too because we only have mainly aquatic stuff from New England. Next up is Emerald Coast

[boreal scarab]

at least my opinion , I would be discouraged

[lament stump]

Cervalces scotti could fit on NEM since it does have fossils in New York

[buoyant venture]

How bout Nothosaurus?

[sturdy laurel]

Emerald Coast AO Roster

---

Normal AO List:

1. Thylacine (Thylacinus cynocephalus) (Class 3)
2. Wonambi naracoortensis (Class 3)
3. Marsupial Lion (Thylacoleo carnifex) (Class 6)
4. Quinkana fortirostrum (Class 6)
5. Megalania (Varanus priscus) (Class 9)
6. Diprotodon optatum (Class 10)

Special AO List:
7. Koolasuchus cleelandi (Class 9)
8. Australovenator wintonensis (Class 9)
9. Australotitan cooperensis (Class 10)

Next is Sundarpatan

[sturdy laurel]

Nothosaurus hasn't been found in Mississippi afaik

[buoyant venture]

For Rev, seeing as Hirsh isn’t coastal but Rev is.

[lament stump]

Koolasuchus cleelandi could also work as a special AO for EC

[sturdy laurel]

Sundarpatan AO Roster

---

Normal AO List:

1. Giant Short-Faced Hyena (Pachycrocuta brevirostris) (Class 5)
2. Equus namadicus (Class 6)
3. Gigantopithecus blacki (Class 9)
4. Atlas Tortoise (Megalochelys atlas) (Class 9)
5. Asian Straight-Tusked Elephant (Palaeoloxodon namadicus) (Class 10)

Special AO List:

1. Indosuchus raptorius (Class 10)
2. Rajasaurus narmadensis (Class 10)
3. Isisaurus colberti (Class 10)

that's all folks

[lament stump]

Thanks for all the help with these rosters!

I'll pick back through them and start making profiles for individual ones starting with the others on Hirschfelden and the ones for Layton

[sturdy laurel]

Nothosaurus also hasn't been found in Finland

[lament stump]

only potential options for Rev are the northen latitude mammoth species and the other taiga/tundra megafauna to my knowledge, but the glaciations largely destroyed evidence of their occurrence

[sturdy laurel]

alright cool. can't wait to see em 👍

[lament stump]

No idea if I'll make profiles for every single one, but I'll try to do at least 2 normal AOs and 2 special AOs based off the most impressive/popular/interesting animals

[buoyant venture]

I’d rather Rev have something rather than nothing. There’s zero flaws.

I mean realism is clearly out the window so why does it matter?

[lament stump]

I can brainstorm something for Rev, as I said some interesting ice age fauna racked around up there during interglacials

hell maybe I'll look for birds since it is the fowl map

[sturdy laurel]

eh i just rather have an animal that's been found in or around Finland so that it makes more sense to have it on Rev

that's just me tho

[lament stump]

Pachystruthio dmanisensis might work

it lived quite a bit further southeast, maybe extending North into poland before the major glaciations

was basically a giant ostrich that lived on open steppes along with some more familiar animals like cheetahs, hyenas, antelope, etc.

could be refined to the open tundra area, but I'll figure out something

[sturdy laurel]

I like that idea

Revontuli Coast AO Roster

---

Normal AO List:

1. Pachystruthio dmanisensis (Class 6)

[lament stump]

ngl i find it hilarious there used to be a 12ft tall 950+lb ostrich lol

it being a bird makes me wanna put it onto Rev even more

[sturdy laurel]

yeah

[flat quiver]

Quit talking about me

[lament stump]

alright, im gonna be going for 3 normal AOs and 2 special AOs for each map starting back at Hirsch since I already did latifrons

thanks again for all the help!

[clever gulch]

This would be so amazing

[lament stump]

PANTHERA FOSSILIS - The Mosbach Lion

Location: - Hirschfelden Hunting Reserve, modern Germany

Body Size: - 135cm or 4'6 at the shoulder | 2.5m or 8'4"

Weight Range: - 340-400kg | 748-880lbs

Weapon Class: - 9

Scoring: - Scored by skull length and width

Score Range: - 58-64

Temperment: - Aggressive, will hunt and attack the player

FURS:

• Ancient Steppe Paleoaccurate furtype similar to a merge between a lion and a tiger with a tawny-grey body, white underbelly, and dark brown shading on the shoulders and back along with faint striping down the sides with light yellow eyes.

• Ancient Shadow Stylized furtype meant to mimic melanism with a light grey underbelly, dark grey torso and haunches, and sleek black fur encompassing the head, neck, chest, forelimbs and back. It would also have dark blue irises

• Ancient Winter Stylized furtype meant to mimic a potential winter coat that is the same overall color tone as an egg-white grey wolf. The whole lion would be a cream or off white color with a gray mane and head. This skin would have light blue irises.

• Ancient Maneater Heavily sylized Ancient Steppe fur greyshifted to show its age. This skin is covered in scars and wounds from violent encounters with people. It bears a healed knife wound on its face as well as a resulting blind left eye, two small spear points broken off in its right shoulder, and a lengthy healed gash from a flint blade along its center chest from a series of violent encounters with early humans. This lion will also hunt the player more often than the others, even pursuing the player outside of its delineated range on the map where other Panthera fossilis will not follow. The one working eye would have a greyish blue iris to reflect the maneater's age.

ACHIEVEMENT(S):

Lion From The North: Harvest your first Panthera fossilis

Hunted By The Past: Get killed by a predatory ancient one (applies to fossilis and all future predator AOs)

[lament stump]

Thanks Velikan!

Im gonna be working on additional species profiles for the AOs today, so feel free to check in and read them as you wish!

Also upvotes are appreciated, would definitely want this one pass 100 votes

[clever gulch]

100% u got it bro, we need this in game

[lilac iron]

Great idea ngl could save cotw if they don’t have any ideas

[tight dagger]

@lament stump So as for the weapons you asked for the only thing that comes to mind considering the era are Bone/Stone: •Slings •Spears •Clubs •Axes & maybe a bone bow? But thats all I got if you were looking for themed weapons? 🤔

Not gonna lie a Bone bow would be epic with bone arrows and actual feathers for the fletching.

[elfin spindle]

Irish elk when

[lament stump]

everything you mentioned would be great, going to take a an ss of that so I can keep them on file for later lol

[pine fern]

Bolas could be a nice, although hard thing to add, a temporary immobilizer for creatures class 6 and below

[buoyant venture]

Did we get the best horse ever: The Quagga?

Too much reading, I can’t check😂

[lament stump]

BISON PRISCUS - The Steppe Baron

Location: - Hirschfelden Hunting Reserve, modern Germany

Body Size: - 200cm or 6'7" at the shoulder | 360cm or 12' body length

Weight Range: - 900-1,136kg | 2,000-2,500lbs

Weapon Class: - 9

Scoring: - Scored by horn length, tip-to-tip spread (up to 210cm apart), and circumference at the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd quarters of the horn

Score Range: - 235-270

Temperment: - Defensive; usually flees but will attack when cornered or startled up close.

FURS:

• Ancient Earthen Paleoaccurate dark ruddy brown fur to mimic the earthy coloration that its fur likely had in life.

• Ancient Shedding A second paleoaccurate fur, this time depicting the animal during its spring shedding stage where it sheds its thick winter coat for a thinner summer coat.

• Ancient Battered An old, battered bull that is extremely grey with age and covered with injuries from his many fights. His surviving horn is scratched and chipped, and his body is covered with healed puncture wounds, scrapes, bruises, and patches of missing fur.

• Ancient Skull A prehistoric take on the G1 tahr "skull" fur, with a mixture of white and black fur along the head to mimic the shape and design of a skull. However the design will be ticked up to 11, with a series of stripes and bands extending from a long strip down the back, to mimic the ribs and limb bones of the animal. The remainder of the fur not covered in bone markings is black, and in low light it almost looks like a skeleton.

ACHIEVEMENT(S):

Locked Horns: Kill your first Bison priscus

"Bull"dozed: Get killed by a charging Bison priscus

As an added note I have decided that any of the specified reserve regions will be randomly chosen as a home range for a given Ancient One when it spawns in order to prevent glutting this thread with ideas on home ranges

[zenith kelp]

Pls AO LION

[lament stump]

Already have one in the cards!

Panthera fossilis is gonna be for Hirschfelden and I will include other big cats for other reserves too

[clever gulch]

This is amazing

[lament stump]

Thanks, im flexing the writing muscles here lol

All the species profiles have been pinned by Botchsicle so if you want to go back and look at whichever ones intrigue you the most (ive made three so far) you can feel free to do so

[clever gulch]

Tyyy this actually such a cool idea

[torn valve]

Bump! A after story for maps!

[heady hedge]

Best endgame idea I've ever seen on here!

[tight dagger]

a bola would be nice though a sling is like the first slingshot where you twirl it much like a bola but instead of ensaring game your throwin a rock. Most of the time it was used to stun larger prey and kill small game as the 2nd projectile weapon besides a spear or axe. Bow was 3rd if I recall correctly in terms of primal tech 😅 but dont quote me 🤣

[timid phoenix]

What do you think if we empty the map Vurhonga Savanna of the existing species and fill it with other extinct species that corresponded to that area in relatively recent geologic times, specifically the Holocene, after the last glaciation, starting 11,700 years ago? For the extinct species on the map, the following would be included: Quagga (Equus quagga quagga), Bluebuck (Hippotragus leucophaeus), Cape Lion (Panthera leo melanochaitus), Southern Black Rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis bicornis), and more. I imagine that the environment hasn’t changed much since 11,000 years ago. This way, we make use of the maps.

[jaunty forge]

Feel like it’d be wrong to remove all species from Vurhonga

[timid phoenix]

I mean two maps from different times. Reused map.

[jaunty forge]

Well yeah but the point of the idea was for ancient ones to be a rare occurrence not just filled into a map entirely

What’s the point of hunting a great one if they’re everywhere

[timid phoenix]

My idea is to reuse the map and use a second map with species that coexisted during the Holocene. In my opinion, it makes more sense to present different species that coexisted in the same period, rather than comparing two species that did not coexist, such as Bison priscus (the steppe bison) from the **Pleistocene **with the current American bison from the Holocene. Otherwise, it would be like a cocktail of species from different time periods on a map. Speaking of The Great One in COTW is sometimes contradictory. For example, a Megaloceros is presented as the 'Great One' of the fallow deer, even though they are not the same species, whereas the 'Great One' of the red stag is a red stag with large antlers top, which is also the case with the 'Great One' of the whitetail deer. This is the two last cases with which I agree.

[lament stump]

Thanks Huxley!

I'm gonna be working on species profiles for Layton Lakes today and I'm gonna try to work through the remaining reserves over the coming months when I have free time after my uni classes

[ocean ice]

Shlawg does NOT understand what Zachy-poo is going for

[flat quiver]

Not very demure

[fluid olive]

noice

[lament stump]

Having a reserve entirely full of now extinct animals would be much better for its own game, such as the idea formulated in this thread: https://discord.com/channels/393040947006406657/1120394592265719950

While I usually don't consider it my place to openly correct other people this is after all my idea in my thread, so I do feel the need to point out some mistakes you made.

Bison priscus or the Steppe Bison coexisted with American Bison in Alaska and European Bison in Central as well as Eastern Europe until B. priscus was extirpated from both of those regions between 9,000 and 7,500 YBP (Years Before Present). The holocene started approximately 12,000 YBP, which means B. priscus coexisted with both American and European bison for approximately 30% to 40% of the Holocene as it currently stands.

In addition, my species profile specifies that B. priscus would be placed in Hirschfelden, which is located in Germany and is populated by European bison.

Moreover, the Irish Elk rack for fallow deer isn't a Megaloceros giganteus, it's just supposed to replicate the vibe of its antlers. If it were an actual M. giganteus it would be between a Roosevelt Elk and a Yukon Moose in size, standing roughly 200cm or 6'6" at the shoulder, 230cm or 7'7" at the head, weighing about 680kg or 1,500lbs, and having a total body length of about 3.6m or 12 ft. The antler span would also be between 3.3 and 4.2m or 11 and 14 feet. Overall, the Irish Elk rack fallow deer G1 is not an M. giganteus or any other member of that genus because it is far too small in every metric. It's just a special animal with a stylized rack meant to reflect the fact that modern fallow deer are M. giganteus' closest living relatives.

Finally, I also feel the need to point out that my idea isn't to add an entire species population of these ancient animals, but to have them added as individual special animals that are basically modified G1s but more accessible to casual players.

[flat quiver]

Devoured

[lament stump]

EQUUS SIMPLICIDENS - Cope's Zebra

Location: - Layton Lake District, modern PNW

Body Size: - 145cm or 4'8" at the shoulder | 250cm or 8'2" body length

Weight Range: - 290-385kg | 638-847lbs

Weapon Class: 7

Scoring: - Scored by weight in kilograms

Score Range: - 290-385

Temperment: - Skittish and highly aware, will readily flee and be easily alerted

FURS:

• Ancient Striped Paleoaccurate furtype that somewhat resembles a quagga, but with a black strip of fur down the back, more tawny base tones, a white underbelly, and brownish-black strips situated along the shoulders, neck, haunches, and legs.

• Ancient Gold Stylized fur based on the rare gold fur type for bengal tigers in game. Its throat, front chest, underbelly, lower legs, and rear will be nearly pure white and fade into the bright gold fur on the main body. The gold body is transected by thin solid black stripes that run off the back and down the sides of the neck and torso. The tail will be primarily white and fade into gold and then black towards its base while the mane will be alternating gold and black stripes.

• Ancient Inverse Stylized fur with a medium brown head and upper neck marked by light brown stripes. From the middle neck to the front shoulder this pattern color shifts to pure white stripes on solid black fur. The mane also follows the color shift, the tail itself is pure black, and a medium white stripe runs centerline from the base of the jaw, down the throat, and all the way along the underbelly

• Ancient Cross Stylized fur with mixed stripes and spots. It has a white underbelly with orange body fur. The neck, head, chest, and shoulders are striped while the back half of the animal is rosette spotted. The mane and tail are both pure black.

ACHIEVEMENT(S):

Earning Your Stripes: Kill your first Equus simplicidens

Unseen And Unnoticed: Successfully kill an Equus simplicidens without alerting or spooking it

[torn gyro]

I would kill to see all the extinct animals alive again they are such a mystery all we have is theory and it makes me so sad

[lament stump]

ODOCOILEUS LUCASI - The Mountain Deer

Location: - Layton Lake District, modern PNW

Body Size: - 135cm or 4'5" at the shoulder | 210cm or 6'10" body length

Weight Range: - 220-270kg | 484-594lbs

Weapon Class: - 6

Scoring: - Scored based off the antler measurements used for modern deer like tine length, beam length, and internal spread

Score Range: - 295-375

Temperment: - Nervous and evasive; quick to spook once alerted, remains weary for long periods, and will retreat to dense brush or steep rocky slopes over long distances once on the run

FURS:

• Ancient Mountain Paleoaccurate fur with a greyish brown body and an offwhite throat patch, underbelly, and rump similar to modern whitetail and mule deer. This also mimics the coloration the animal likely had in life.

• Ancient Marsh Stylized version of Ancient Mountain with darker brown tones replacing the greys on its body. It also has signs of its swamp lifestyle, including caked mud on its hooves and lower legs, and staining on the facial and throat pouch fur to indicate feeding on marsh plants. Moreover, this variant will have a special rack tangled in reeds, cattails, and other swamp flora.

• Ancient Tricolor Stylized skin with black coloration along the skullcap, top of the neck, back, and fronts of the shoulder. The remainder of the head, neck, and chest is a deep orangish brown while the torso, abdomen, haunches, underbelly, rear portion of the shoulders, and lower legs are the light bluish grey color seen on dilute mule deer.

• Ancient Dusk Stylized fur with a rich gold-colored head, neck, and upper back that fades into bluish grey fur that progressively darkens as it goes down the sides to mimic the tones of a mountain sunset. This color grade ends at the lower legs and underbelly, where there is offwhite fur.

#ACHIEVEMENT(S):

Mountain Master: Kill your first Odocoileus lucasi

Hot Pursuit: Kill an Odocoileus lucasi while it is on the run

[wanton cloud]

I look away for 30 seconds... THERES A WHOLE PARAGRAPH

[lament stump]

I type a lot, what can i say 😂

biproduct of being a dual major

[lament stump]

Agreed, we've lost a lot of cool animals to recent extinctions, and the death of the ice age megafauna is a depressing loss to me as well.

[wanton cloud]

Buuuuuuuut, i do like the mammal's you put in here :)

[lament stump]

As a note on this response earlier, I am sorry if I came off as rude or dismissive, I just tend to come across as super cold over text.

A pure coexisting Holocene reserve anywhere, especially Southern Africa, is a super cool idea.

Moreover I plan on two of your suggested species to be on Vurhonga as AOs @timid phoenix.

Quagga and Bluebuck are too cool to leave out imo.

[timid phoenix]

Bison priscus is not the ancestor of the modern Bison bonasus. Resource: bibliography. // Speaking of Great One Fallow Deer, I understand what you're saying. I prefer the same specie fallow dee than other specie or genus. In the pictures, whether it's one raised on a farm (left/top) or the legendary Kádár Buck from Hungary (right). This trophy (right/down) held the top spot on the CIC world list for nearly 20 years and it is truly great trophy, like the Great One! The farmed Fallow Deer of the imagen from cavemanwildlife.com

[lament stump]

Yes, but I'm not arguing that B. priscus is the ancestor of B. bonasus. I'm pointing out that they coexisted until around 7,000 BC or 9000 BP in the Ural Mountains and regions of West/Central Siberia such as the Altai Mountains. Their loss of overlap was due to both species being extirpated from much of what is now Russia as a result of environmental changes and B. priscus in particular declining to the point of extinction.

Also, the Kadar Buck is seriously impressive and I seriously wish it was among one of the G1 fallow racks. The big typical and tineless/spoon racks are impressive, but I feel we're missing another one of this caliber, especially with how weak the saw rack is compared to the others.

[flat quiver]

Yap yap yap

[lament stump]

halt you annoying midget 😂

Le sob emoji appears lol

Any feedback on the two profiles for Layton so far before I start the 3rd one?

[wanton cloud]

Here we go, im ready for this paragraph :)

[lament stump]

PANTHERA ATROX - Solitary Big Game Hunter

Location: - Layton Lake District, modern PNW

Body Size - 150cm or 4'11" at the shoulder | 270cm or 8'10" body length (360cm/12ft with the tail)

Weight Range: - 380-450kg | 836-990lbs

Weapon Class - 9

Scoring: - Scored on the length and width of the skull

Score Range: - 62-70

Temperment: - Cunning, secretive, and aggressive; will initially avoid the player but actively observe their movements; after enough time has passed it will actively hunt the player

FURS:

• Ancient Ruddy Paleoaccurate fur with a reduced mane compared to modern lions. It a light ruddy reddish-brown in color and possesses some faint medium brown rosette spots on its haunches, abdomen, legs, and torso along with a cream or offwhite underbelly.

• Ancient Spotted Stylized fur with a light sandy brown underbelly while the legs, head, tail, and main body are medium to dark brown. The entire body is covered in brownish-black rosette spots, indicating increased patterning and partial melanism.

• Ancient Ghost Stylized fur meant to indicate leucicism. The animal is a slightly greyish white that fades into solid white on the lower legs, paws, underbelly, and face. It also possesses bluish grey rosette spots on the limbs, haunches, and shoulders with some faint striping along the torso and abdomen while the head and neck are left without markings.

• Ancient Aged A stone grey recolor of the Ancient Ruddy skin meant to show a particularly old male. Almost all of his spots have faded away, save for some small ones on his legs. His face is lighter grey and parts of his mane are white. He has cloudy eyes and a broken canine tooth. This individual is also more likely to rush his attack out of hunger.

ACHIEVEMENT(S):

Cat & Mouse: Kill your first Panthera atrox

An Overdue Rest: Kill an Ancient Aged Panthera atrox

Who's Hunting Who?: Evade and ambush a Panthera atrox while it is stalking you

[ocean ice]

What's the AO for fallow deer in Hersheyfielden?

[lament stump]

TROPHY, MULTIMOUNT, AND OTHER TAXIDERMY IDEAS

As a note, assume that all AOs are male unless otherwise specified and this post is specifically for the base game choices. Specifications for all AOs are for males, although female versions of the predators can exist

Multimounts:

Hirschfelden:

Contest of Warriors - an Ancient Battered B. priscus vs. an Ancient GuardianC. latifrons

Big Game Hunting a P. fossilis vs. a C. latifrons

Bonewinner two P. fossilis hunting a C. latifrons

Outmatched a P. fossilis losing the fight against a C. latifrons

Sparring Partners two bull C. latifrons sparring

Layton:

On The Hoof three E. simplicidens in various movement states

Mountain Huddle three O. lucasi in a huddle

Ambushed a P. atrox hunting either an O. lucasi or E simplicidens

Mutual Curiosity an E. simplicidens and O. lucasi each trying to figure out the other

Youth vs. Experience an Ancient Aged P. atrox versus an Ancient Ruddy P. atrox

Mixed:

Overwhelmed an O. lucasi hopelessly sparring a C. latifrons

Cat Fight a P. atrox fighting a P. fossilis

The Ancient Slam all 6 of the base-game AOs on a single extremely large mount

Opposites Attract an Ancient Shadow P. fossilis with an Ancient Ghost P. atrox; one male and one female

Skull and Skeleton Mounts:

Skull and Skeleton mounts would also exist for all the AOs and would be unique depending on whether the given AO model has ascribed skeletal injuries such as contusions, healed broken bones, or chipped teeth, antlers, and horns.

Other Taxidermy:

The hides of the various AOs can be turned into rugs, hung furs, curtains, and clothing to customize your lodges or your character. In addition, the coloration of all of these options will vary depending on which fur(s) you have for each AO.

[lament stump]

I'm doing 3 per reserve, so C. latifrons functions as the one for both red and fallow deer

The idea is one or two of the three are analogous to a living species on the reserve while an additional one is a more removed addition

[lament stump]

PALEO WEAPONS

• Woven sling: Choice of three weighted stones that are considered small (1 and 2), medium(3-5), and large (6 and 7). These rely on head and neck shots to achieve a kill on class 4 and higher animals, but they can reliably disable them to take them out with a different weapon. In addition, its maximum effective range is approximately 50m on class 4 and up, and 75-100m on class 3 and below.

• Ancient Bow: Two arrows types; a smaller lighter one for classes 1-4 and a much heavier arrow for classes 5-10.

• Atlatl Spear: A thrown spear with a heavy knapped obsidian blade, designed expressly for hunting large and dangerous game (classes 7-10).

All of these weapons can be customized with hide strips, teeth, and pieces of horn, bone, or antler from various AOs. In addition, the bow and atlatl both have unlockable skins that can only be purchased after you have killed an AO. These variants are made of bone.

SPECIAL LIMITED SKINS

The sling's special skin is named Dawn's Glow and is woven from the tail and mane hair of an Ancient Gold E. simplicidens. The center of the sling is made from the hides of an Ancient Gold E. simplicidens and an Ancient Dusk O. lucasi. It uses bone pellets made from their limb bones.

The bow's special skin is named Maneater's Bane. It is ruddy and bloodstained in color and ornamented with the claws, teeth, and broken arrowheads taken from the Ancient Maneater P. fossilis. It is made of the Maneater's bones and bound with strips of its hide. This bow also uses special arrows whose shafts are made from the bones of an Ancient Aged P. atrox.

The atlatl's special skin is named The Warrior's Spear, and its throwing lever is made of the surviving horn of the Ancient Battered B. priscus while the shafts of the throwing spears used as ammunition are made of the tines taken from the antlers of an Ancient Guardian C. latifrons

THE SPECIAL SKINS ARE UNLOCKED AFTER THEIR REQUIRED AOs ARE KILLED

[sturdy laurel]

@lament stump have you done Jefferson's Ground Sloth yet?

because if you want you could base the paleoaccurate fur type off of this. it's my most recent art piece (i combined one of my paper drawings with digital, since i make both digital and paper art)

[lament stump]

I haven't done Megalonyx yet but I will definitely base the paleoaccurate fur off that artwork!

I figured it could be placed on one of the reserves that would be otherwise lacking an AO since it was so widespread. It's also a perfect fit given that I'm mainly focusing on pleistocene and holocene mammals for the AOs (I'm doing three for each map to start and likely more later).

I was thinking it could go on NEM with Castoroides and the Stag Moose

[sturdy laurel]

yeah

[lament stump]

Now that I have 6 base game AOs picked out I'm gonna randomly hop between reserves and do a few different ones here and there

[torn valve]

Bump

[timid phoenix]

Here is my argument as to why I do not support this idea: I believe that the game COTW should remain true to the representation of currently existing species. It is unrealistic for extinct species to appear in a contemporary context, which does not align with the original philosophy of COTW. I hope that COTW does not end up being an incoherent mix of extinct and current species; that's what the other game, PRIMAL, is for. I continue to defend my previously mentioned idea: each map and the species inhabiting it should correspond to a specific geological time. I do not want COTW to end up becoming Call of the Past. This is my criticism of this idea.

[crisp wharf]

I sort of agree with you. While I do fantasize about how COTW would look in a universe where Pleistocene Megafauna survived, as it stands I would rather an entire game dedicated to hunting the various extinct species of the Cenozoic Era (We do have several dinosaur hunting games with a notable example being Prehistoric Hunt which is why I specifically mention the Cenozoic Era)

[tight dagger]

Compromise endgame separate game mode dlc? Its just my thought, Far cry did something similar to this and honestly I love the idea. I'd pay 29.99 for this to be a dlc.

[torn valve]

Having it as dlc would be a great idea

[sturdy laurel]

Could be a DLC

[lament stump]

A compromise like this could definitely work.

Im still going to be working on species profiles sporadically through the semester

[ocean ice]

There'd have to be some sort of cave/hut thing as a lodge just for the AOs

[tight dagger]

I figured this would be the best course since I noticed a few that were at odds with it mixing with the current game so a separate dlc game mode similar to how far cry did with their dlc's were they were separate game modes from the core game. This would allow more opportunities and less restrictions as well.

[lament stump]

Just wanted to let yall know this thread is still alive, im just busy with uni right now and dont have much time to work on it

[mossy sleet]

Bumpity bump

[faint python]

this would be a great game by itself, but just take a second to legitimately try to think about if this would play well or even work in COTW and you will see it doesnt really fit within the game

[flat quiver]

Fake news

[sturdy laurel]

imagine two Arctodus Ancient Ones fighting 👀 (this is my most recent art piece btw)

[lament stump]

would be epic, I might have time to do another AO species profile tomorrow, uni's super busy lmao

[minor ridge]

The one on the right just told the one of the left a funny joke

[sturdy laurel]

lmao

[lament stump]

they do look like they're either two buddies chatting at a bar or are about to kill each other lmao

[sturdy laurel]

"Did you hear the mammoths are migrating here soon?"
"Yeah"

[lament stump]

the duality of bear

[sturdy laurel]

y'alls wishes are my command

they enjoy Texas Roadhouse

[ocean ice]

Now we need one of them fighting in the ring

[lament stump]

40 likes, this has gained more traction than I thought it would

[astral stag]

I can remove every single one of them so we can start over if you would like

[lament stump]

halt 😂

don't you dare 💀

I'm gonna try to do a species profile for a planned one for Vurhonga tomorrow, Rusingoryx atopocranion

[lament stump]

As an update for y'all I will have time to do the species profile for Rusingoryx atopocranion later today, i'm just working on assignments at uni right now.

[lament stump]

RUSINGORYX ATOPOCRANION - The Savanna Siren

Location: - Vurhonga Savanna Hunting Reserve, modern Botswana

Body Size: - 150cm or 4'11" at the shoulder | 250cm or 8'2" body length

Weight Range: - 220-250kg | 484-550lbs

Weapon Class: - 6

Scoring: - Scored on horn length, tip to tip spread, and the dimensions of the bosses

Score Range: - 30-34

Temperment: - Skittish, social, and alarmed; skips attentive entirely and goes alert/alarmed very easily. If it notices a threat like the player it will make a loud warning call that alerts/alarms all nonpredatory animals within 300 meters. When fleeing it will make a similarly loud call that spooks all nonpredatory animals in the same radius. In addition, it will automatically gravitate to and travel with herds of blue wildebeest.

FURS:

• Ancient Livid Paleoaccurate fur meant to mimic its real life coloration. The entire animal would be a moderate bluish grey with some darker stripes or bands along the shoulders as well as a black tail, mane, and face like a blue wildebeest.

• Ancient Dusty A take on the Ancient Livid fur that is more tawny and pale in coloration with dusty sand distributed across the animal's body.

• Ancient Crowned A take on the Crowned furtype for blue wildebeest that entails almost identical coloration to the aforementioned skin but with additional gold fur encompassing the upper shoulders, top of the back, and lower legs.

• Ancient Cobalt Stylized furtype with a deep cobalt blue face, mane, tail, and shoulder stripes and a lighter cerulean blue body. It also has an offwhite colored underbelley and black rings of fur around the eyes.

ACHIEVEMENT(S):

Odysseus: Kill your first Rusingoryx atopocranion

Siren's Song: Identify the warning call of a Rusingoryx atopocranion

Master Stalker: Kill a Rusingoryx atopocranion without alerting it

One of These Doesn't Belong Here: Spot a Rusingoryx atopocranion in a herd of blue wildebeest

[lament stump]

As a note about Rusingoryx, the dome on its head was analogous to the crests of hadrosaurine dinosaurs and the dome allowed it to produce loud mooing, honking, and lowing noises as well as hefty bellows.

It could have potentially reached sounds in excess of 120 decibels

[lament stump]

It was also smaller than modern wildebeest, interestingly enough

[crisp wharf]

Speaking of wildebeest, Megalotragus priscus, an animal commonly referred to as "Giant Hartebeest" may have been closer to wildebeest and in life may have resembled a wildebeest-like animal with gigantic horns, they also only went extinct 7500 years ago

[lament stump]

Very interesting

[lament stump]

bump

[lament stump]

bump

[mossy sleet]

Lump

[ocean ice]

Rump

[lament stump]

bump

[lilac iron]

thump

[mossy sleet]

Gump

[astral stag]

Forest

[torn valve]

Run

[ocean ice]

Walk

[lilac iron]

Sprint

[mossy sleet]

Wireless

[ocean ice]

T-Mobile

[mossy sleet]

AT&T

[flat quiver]

Mint mobile

[lament stump]

bump

[lament stump]

bruh 💀

yall hijacking my stuff while I'm busy with Uni

I do have another species profile planned for the coming days though. It's for Parque, and it's gonna be way crazy

[lament stump]

typing up the new species profile tonight, hope y'all are ready for it!

[lament stump]

BARINASUCHUS ARVELOI - The Southern Dragon

Location: - Parque Fernando Game Reserve, modern Argentina

Body Size: - 170 cm or 5'7" at the shoulder | 600cm or 19'8" body length

Weight Range: - 1,600 - 1,750kg | 3,520 - 3,850lbs

Weapon Class: - 10; heavy dangerous game rifles recommended

Scoring: - Weight in kgs

Score Range: - 1,600 - 1,750

Temperment: - extremely aggressive and extremely territorial; will almost always charge when provoked, startled, or alerted and often does so without warning; extreme caution is advised

HIDES:

• Ancient Marsh Paleoaccurate skin with an olive green body containing interspersed brown and grey highlights like a modern crocodile.

• Ancient Basalt Stylized skin with a dark grey body, tail, and head as well as a stone grey underbelly and legs. The feet, head, and back as well as the ridges of its primary scutes are a deep fiery orange.

• Ancient Gilded Stylized skin with a solid black body, tail, legs, and head with bright gold highlights on the jaw, nasal ridge, brow ridges, back, and the ridges of the main body scutes/

• Ancient Crimson Stylized skin that is a modified version of Ancient Marsh. Instead of green, the animal is grey but with ruddy crimson scales running down its neck, back and tail as well as encircling its eyes. Moreover, its eyes also have deep crimson red irises. Its muzzle, throat, and forelimbs are a brighter crimson from the blood stains left behind by its prior kills.

ACHIEVEMENT(S):

Dragon's Bane: Kill your first Barinasuchus arveloi

Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust: Shoot and kill a charging Ancient Basalt Barinasuchus arveloi so that it dies as it kills you

The Butcher: Spawn an Ancient Crimson Barinasuchus arveloi

The King's Duel: Shoot and kill a charging Ancient Gilded Barinasuchus arveloi with the .470 DB King

[mossy sleet]

What do they look like?

[mossy sleet]

Like big ol’ gators

[lament stump]

yes, but they could gallop and hunted multiton elephant-like creatures

[mossy sleet]

So speedy big ol’ gator

[lament stump]

yessir

[heady hedge]

Not as old as some of the creatures here but Dire Wolves would be really cool to catch on occasion running with regular wolves in Yukon and Medved.

There's a theory that dire wolf DNA is still present in some places. This idea is mostly based on old Trapper's stories from Alaska's back country. Wolves as large as black bears that would hunt grizzly bears, supposedly the pack of normal wolves would surround and confuse the bear and the "King Wolf" would go for the kill.

Most scientists believe these are just exaggerated tales or slightly altered Native legends. Either way, they would be very interesting

Oh also, #1283110423465431100 was my first idea for these (I REALLY want that pistol)

[lament stump]

Hey Huxley, thanks for stopping in. Dire wolves are in the cards and I currently plan for them to be on Yukon, but it might be a while before they get a species profile.

Thanks for the suggestion (and the interesting information)!

[heady hedge]

Bein honest, I really want the pistol but you gotta admit you go slow stalking through them tall pines on Yukon and you start hearing growling from a single BFW? Gonna be fun

[heady hedge]

Just read that back for some reason and DA** you can tell I came from the South

[crisp wharf]

Dire Wolves were more south, making them suitable for maps like Rancho, Silver Ridge & Mississippi, plus they belonged to an entirely different genus: Aenocyon dirus

This is because of a DNA study in 2021 that found dire wolves to be divergent from other wolf-like canids with their last common ancestor existing happening over 5 million years ago

Aenocyon was the original genus for Dire Wolves before they got moved to Canis, so the DNA study moved them back

[heady hedge]

I did say theory at least.

And since you brought up Mississippi Acres, I wonder if they've put any thought toward Red wolves? They certainly aren't averse to endangered species and I actually think it could make a southern map a bit more interesting

[lament stump]

there may be too few red wolves for inclusion, not gonna lie

Total wild population is 15 animals now. Used to be 16, but one was hit by a car recently

[elfin spindle]

Mb

[heady hedge]

Well that kinda sucks, speaking as someone who lived in the southeast US most of their life, ain't much interesting here

[lament stump]

they could theoretically do it under the idea that it's a managed population

I believe there's a couple sanctuaries with around 30-40 animals total that are captive, but I'm not sure

[elfin spindle]

Reds are a big no

Very endangered. Yes other animals in the game are endangered but people aren't actually going to go out and shoot a tiger. But they can shoot a red wolf

[heady hedge]

Let's be honest, the chances are if they tried they'd either confuse them with a regular coyote or somebody's dog.

BTW, you shoot somebody's dog in the south and I can almost guarantee you'll get shot

[elfin spindle]

Yup. Seen lots of people confusing them for a coyote and shooting them

[heady hedge]

Tbh, now I'm just thinking howd the coyotes look

[crisp wharf]

While Red Wolves wouldn't work, given the topic of this thread I think a species of ground sloth could work for Mississippi, and weather it ends up being the Jefferson's Ground Sloth (Megalonyx jeffersoni) or the Harlan's Ground Sloth (Paramylodon harlani) I do see ground sloths working out on Mississippi

[heady hedge]

"Ah, yes, I have made much mistake. I see."

[lament stump]

bump

[lament stump]

bump

[elfin spindle]

two bumps twenty minutes apart 😭 brother desperate

[ocean ice]

bump

[lament stump]

brother, 12:48 AM not PM lmao

I did the first one just after midnight

[ocean ice]

Shlawg can't tell time

[lament stump]

I am gonna try to do another species profile this weekend while I have a bit of time

Still deliberating on what I'm gonna do for species/reserve though

[elfin spindle]

Two bumps in one day 😭 brother desperate

[lament stump]

😂

[civic harbor]

This would suck so much to accidentally run into

[lament stump]

For real

Scarily enough, it only went extinct along with other South American sebecids around 12 million years ago as South America's climate changed due to it moving further north. Had it remained stabled in latitude without much in the way of north/south shifts its entirely feasible that large terrestrial crocodilians could have survivied into modern times

Imagine Conquistadors coming across these lmao

[civic harbor]

That would’ve been a fire exchange to see, they probably would’ve been labeled dragons

[lament stump]

first guy to kill one heralded as the hardest dude to have ever lived lmao

[mossy sleet]

What Zach?!?

[lament stump]

what lmfao

it's a hypothetical

these surviving is just if dragons were real

[mossy sleet]

No you saying the guy will be the hardest dude lol

[lament stump]

not like that bro lmfao

like badass/cool 😂

You gottaget your head outta the gutter lmfao

[mossy sleet]

Ik I was joking lol

[lament stump]

bump

[heavy bloom]

I actually love this idea! It's definitely leaning more on the side of fantasy, but I feel like it being a special occurance like this makes it sound incredibly interesting
I was gonna suggest the idea of making Deinosuchus hatcheri the Ancient One counterpart to the American Alligator (as both are alligatoroids), but I quickly realized that a massive crocodilian with a 15-ton mass at maximum wouldn't translate into the game well at all lol

[lament stump]

Yeah it would be extremely difficult to make that workable, but it's definitely a great idea.

This partly why I am most stick to cenozoic mammals and animals that weigh less than 3 tons, although there is currently one exception with Barinasuchus arveloi.

There will be other heavyweights in the future, and I may try to see if I can figure out a way to work Deinosuchus hatcheri in, but we'll have to see.

[heavy bloom]

Brachychampsa montana could be a cool one too, the only thing is that visually it's not too different from modern alligators aside from the dentition

Though I suppose you could give it more striking coloration (like what juvenile crocodilians have)

[lament stump]

This is true, especially since I usually make 4 different skins for each AO, so I could go really off the walls with a few of them to make it more unique.

[ocean ice]

@timid phoenix you are NOT a skibidi sigma

[sturdy laurel]

Idk what map it would work for but imagine a Tyrannosaurus rex special AO creeping up on you at night like this (my most recent art piece)

[lament stump]

Very interesting and definitely something I want to try, but I'm also unsure about location.

Maybe Layton?

[sturdy laurel]

perhaps. that or maybe Silver Ridge because rexes have been found in the Colorado/Wyoming area where SRP is

[heavy bloom]

I feel like when it comes to large dinosaurs, they'd probably do best as their own game
Unless you treated them like crocodiles, where the ideal way to take them down is the brain or neck, while lung shots will kill them but more slowly

theHunter: Primal but more CotW-esque gameplay-wise and with up-to-date dinosaur reconstructions could be really cool imo

[civic harbor]

I want this SO much

Actively trying to get my academics set up for a vertebra paleontology degree

[lament stump]

awesome!!!

Overall I agree that most dinosaurs justify their own game, especially the largest ones. My focus for this is going to be cenozoic mammals going forward but I will go further back in time here and there for some interesting big ticket animals.

[timid phoenix]

Why do you say that? Could it be just because of a single downvote?

[ocean ice]

It's because you are not a skibidi sigma. I do apologize if this distresses you, but the truth must come to light.

[lament stump]

bump

[civic harbor]

Bump

[lament stump]

69 upvotes ladles and gentlespoons, we have achieved greatness

[minor ridge]

Nice

[civic harbor]

Nice

[elfin spindle]

Uh huh

[lament stump]

damnit bebal! 😂

put the vote back, it's the funny number

[civic harbor]

WOOO BACK TO 69

[elfin spindle]

Wrong

[lament stump]

lmao

[stoic rivet]

great idea would love to see this

[lament stump]

bump

[lament stump]

bump

[mossy sleet]

https://discord.com/channels/393040947006406657/1271285696492994662

[civic harbor]

Bump

[civic harbor]

Bump

[lament stump]

bump

[torn gyro]

What does the Bump thing do?

[elfin spindle]

Bring it to the top of the feedback thingy

[lament stump]

I plan on doing another AO profile soon, im just a massive workaholic and keep burying myself in schoolwork lmao

[civic harbor]

Ong

[lament stump]

bump

[civic harbor]

Whoops

[ocean ice]

Huh

[civic harbor]

Missed a day mb

[lament stump]

bump

[mossy sleet]

Did I hear a bump?

[elfin spindle]

5 days and every message since has been bumps 😭 just delete at this point smh

[mossy sleet]

💀

[lament stump]

hush😂

[mossy sleet]

🤫

[elfin spindle]

I can't talk tbf. Look at top of the feedback thing😛

[civic harbor]

Bumpin it

[lament stump]

Im going to be making a new profile tonight in collaboration with @jaunty forge for her suggestion thread for a Hawaiian reserve, which can be found here: https://discordapp.com/channels/393040947006406657/1287174854553899018

[elfin spindle]

Talk about a snooze fest

[lament stump]

😂

[civic harbor]

WOOOO

[lament stump]

LARGE-BILLED MOA-NALO: - The Maui Nui

Location: - Na Pali Wilderness Reserve, modern Hawai'i

Body Size - 91.5cm or 3'0" tall

Weight Range: - 5.50 - 6.82kg | 12.1 - 15lbs

Weapon Class: - 1

Scoring: - Scored by weight in grams

Score Range: - 5,500 to 6,820

Temperment: - Curious, defensive, and skittish; will investigate unfamiliar noises but flee into the underbrush or nearby marshes when startled. If cornered it will go aggressive like a capercaille and will peck and bite the player.

PLUMAGE:

• Ancient Mulch Paleoaccurate skin with dull brown plumage and some black highlights, reminiscent of a modern pacific black duck.

• Ancient Undergrowth Stylized skin similar to a modern kea parrot, with mossy green feathers, a black head, and teal-blue wing feathers.

• Ancient Bronze Stylized skin comparable to ancient bronze, but with a metallic luster to the feathers with a gold head and silver primary wing feathers.

• Ancient Piebald Can be a version of any of the three other skins with white patches of feathers.

ACHIEVEMENT(S):

The Lost Fowl: - Kill your first Large-Billed Moa-Nalo

Patchwork: - Kill a piebald Large-Billed Moa-Nalo

Curiosity Killed... The Duck?: - Kill a Large-Billed Moa-Nalo that wandered towards you out of curiosity

Moss-covy Duck: - Kill an Ancient Undergrowth Large-Billed Moa-Nalo

Duck Around and Find Out: Get attacked by a cornered Large-Billed Moa-Nalo

This is also posted in Ash's awesome suggestion thread for a Hawaiian reserve, which I will link herehttps://discord.com/channels/393040947006406657/1287174854553899018

[civic harbor]

Absolute gas

[lilac iron]

Bump

[civic harbor]

Thank you so much almost forgot

[lament stump]

bump

[ocean ice]

Bump

[ocean ice]

There HAS to be a mission where you track an ancient human, and the tracks say 'Homo Erectus'

[elfin spindle]

I used to be called that in high school

[civic harbor]

Bump

[civic harbor]

Bump

[lament stump]

@sturdy laurel I know you're probably just as busy with school as I am, but do you think it's possible for you to make some drawings or other artwork showing off the concept skins that I have made for AOs thus far? I think some visuals would definitely help people conceptualize what I'm going for and I know you're capable of making some pretty damn good artwork.

[sturdy laurel]

Possibly. Probably won’t be for a while tho

[lament stump]

Alright, just wanted to ask. I figure I probably wont be back to regularly making AO profiles until December anyways, so you won't be that far behind if you do decide to add some artwork to this thread!

[sturdy laurel]

Alright cool

[civic harbor]

Bump

[lament stump]

bump

[civic harbor]

Thanks had to get a new phone

[ocean ice]

Real

[civic harbor]

Bump

[civic harbor]

Bump

[ocean ice]

oh same, what'd you get?

[civic harbor]

iPhone 14

[ocean ice]

ah, I got a Samsung Galaxy something

[lament stump]

boop

[civic harbor]

I wouldve gotten it dw lol

[civic harbor]

Bump

[civic harbor]

Bump

[civic harbor]

Bump

[lament stump]

as a general notification to anyone keeping track of this thread I'll try to do another species profile soon but I'm still tied up with schoolwork

[civic harbor]

Bump

[civic harbor]

AWESOME

[quasi quiver]

i disagree partly. i think some of them are too much, but some could easily still exist in small populations. for example, the mountain deer. of course, you would have to make it extremely rare, and stay within the confines of the game's original 9 classes, but i think this could fit right into the game, so long as the devs didn't go too far off the rails

[faint python]

I can see that, but I am arguing against having crazy extinct animals such as the Irish elk. I know that this game isn't the most realistic but it trys to be at least true to life, and extinct species just do not fit this game. If they made a COTW primal that would be really cool but the don't fit in this game

[civic harbor]

Cough https://discord.com/channels/393040947006406657/1120394592265719950 Cough

[faint python]

Exactly, this makes way more sense than adding non existent animals to a somewhat realistic game

[lament stump]

part of my (very vain) hope is that this thread in conjunction with the one gnob linked will show there's still a community for a prehistoric hunting game

fingers crossed we get something like that

[civic harbor]

As well as https://discord.com/channels/393040947006406657/1146040492493123604 i hope they see theres a large community for this

[faint python]

A cotw style prehistoric game would be great

[quasi quiver]

fair

[mental monolith]

Irish elk?

[civic harbor]

A kind of Megaloceros

[civic harbor]

Bump

[devout rivet]

please tell!!

[ocean ice]

Terror birds?

[lament stump]

@devout rivet @ocean ice I technically have several scary ideas, but the one that I decided to post was Barinasuchus; its species profile is a up the thread and needs some scrolling to get to, but is otherwise accessible

[lament stump]

bump

[civic harbor]

Mb running late today

[sturdy laurel]

Happy National Fossil Day for my fellow Americans! Even though it's not an international event, I say it should be celebrated everywhere, so Happy Fossil Day to all!

[sturdy laurel]

The GOAT that is Purussaurus?

[sturdy laurel]

Oh nvm it’s Barinasuchus. That works too!

[lament stump]

three ton galloping cursorial crocodile = nightmare fuel lol

[sturdy laurel]

Yeah

[elfin spindle]

horrible feedback thread just delete it already smh

[sturdy laurel]

Whoa now hold your horses what’s the trouble?

[elfin spindle]

My horses are held

[lament stump]

🐴

[mossy sleet]

He just joshing around lmao

[lament stump]

or even horsing around
-# hehehehehehe

[mossy sleet]

Hmmmm….honsing around

[civic harbor]

Bump

[civic harbor]

Bump

[lament stump]

only 8 away from 100 upvotes!

[sturdy laurel]

LETS GET IT TO 100 FELLAS 🗣️ 🔥

[civic harbor]

WOOOOO YEAH (bump)

[civic harbor]

Bump

[civic harbor]

Bumping early cause I’ll be out all day

[lilac iron]

Bumping late

[civic harbor]

Hey that’s my job 😔 (bump)

[lilac iron]

Bump to out bump the bumper

[lament stump]

the great bumpening has arrived

[civic harbor]

Bump

[civic harbor]

Bump

[lilac iron]

Bump

[civic harbor]

Bump

[mossy sleet]

Damn, almost at 100

[lament stump]

yup, just 5 away!

[civic harbor]

Awesome sauce

[civic harbor]

Bump

[lament stump]

97! three more to 100!

[civic harbor]

ONLY ONE MORE

[civic harbor]

WOOOOOO ONE HUNDRED

[sturdy laurel]

100 🗣️ 🔥

[lament stump]

YYEEAAHHHH!!! 🔥

its actually 101 now, epic

I have no idea when I will next have time to make a species profile; it will either be tonight or in several weeks as things wind down at uni for me

Thanks for the support y'all!

[civic harbor]

WOOOOOO (bump)

[civic harbor]

Bump

[civic harbor]

Bump

[lilac iron]

Bump

[civic harbor]

Bump

[lilac iron]

Bump

[civic harbor]

Bump

[civic harbor]

Bump

[stoic rivet]

bump

[lament stump]

bump

[civic harbor]

Bump

[wanton cloud]

I gotta get in this... (Bump)

[civic harbor]

Bump

[civic harbor]

Bump

[minor ridge]

Broad fronted moose would be a good Ancient One

[lament stump]

Hello Treegardern! Cervalces latifrons was the first AO species I made, specifically for Hirschfelden since it's a European species.

#1276987171038953503 message

Here's the link for the message profile if you're interested. This is the format I use for species profiles going forward, and the other two initial profiles I did have since been pinned. Feel free to drop in more suggestions as you get ideas, any help I can get is appreciated!

[lament stump]

110 🗣️ 🔥

[lilac iron]

Mammoth would only be right for medved gotta do it🤷

[elfin spindle]

^^^ there's also mammoth tusks already on the map so i can see those being apart of that whole shabang

[lament stump]

that's part of the plan, gonna focus medved and other cold weather maps over winter break; Christmas spirit lol

[lilac iron]

New England is fall so let’s do them

[civic harbor]

Bump sorry abt the day I missed

[lament stump]

all good!

[civic harbor]

Bump

[civic harbor]

Bump

[civic harbor]

Bump

[scenic barn]

for Te Awaroa best would be MOA

[civic harbor]

Bump

[lilac iron]

bump

[civic harbor]

Bump

[civic harbor]

Bump

[civic harbor]

Bump

[civic harbor]

Bump

[civic harbor]

Bump

[lament stump]

bump

[lament stump]

bump

[civic harbor]

Thanks for covering for me Bump

[lament stump]

120!!!

[civic harbor]

Bump

[civic harbor]

Bump

[pine fern]

Bumpium

[mossy sleet]

Hmmm…. I smell something….smells like a…. BUMP

[civic harbor]

Bump

[pale pagoda]

Grey wolf can have the Dire wolf as its AO even if they aren’t that closely related.

[wanton cloud]

Gray wolves and dire wolves are related closer than any other wolves

[lament stump]

I thought the dire was reclassified as a gigantic jackal due to genomic analysis

[wanton cloud]

true, They are related to gray wolves more than other wolves, but they are related to jackals as well.

[lament stump]

im gonna put it on Rancho personally cause the Southwest and Mexico is where the vast majority of them lived

[wanton cloud]

wait i got my diagonosis wrong >:( they are related to jackals more than gray wolves

[wanton cloud]

The honse was right once again... >:(

[lament stump]

am nerd 🤓

best part is this emoji looks exactly like me lmao; I have the buck teeth and the glasses 😂

[wanton cloud]

You dont say...

[civic harbor]

Bump

[stoic rivet]

bump

[heavy bloom]

I'm late to this, but yeah this is correct, Aenocyon dirus (dire wolf) was reclassified to be most closely related to jackals, and iirc was an evolutionary offshoot from other canids (hence not being within the genus Canis)

[civic harbor]

Bump

[jaunty forge]

So I have news

Bumping doesn’t do anything cause if the devs have already seen it and gone over it then that’s the end, bumping just kinda keeps it alive for the sake of having more people talk about it

[wanton cloud]

oh, well. bump

[civic harbor]

Yeah but if enough people end up interacting I’m sure somethingll happen (sorry for the ping mb)

[lament stump]

noted; gonna see if I can hammer out some species profiles over thanksgiving break though

[jaunty forge]

No it really doesn’t work like that

[lament stump]

honestly this makes it more encouraging to do feed back since I no longer feel obligated to hit what is basically a like goal lol

[jaunty forge]

Good

[civic harbor]

I’ll probably keep bumping feels nice to have more people see it and it’s no time out my pocket

[civic harbor]

Bump

[lilac iron]

Bump

[civic harbor]

Bump

[lament stump]

130!

[civic harbor]

Bump

[pine fern]

Bumpero

[sturdy laurel]

fun project/challenge im gonna be doing in COTW if any of y'all are interested (posting it here because it is related to paleontology)

[lament stump]

Awesome!!

[sturdy laurel]

@lament stump Christmas AO? 😂

[lament stump]

lol, I love it haha

[sturdy laurel]

thanks

[heady hedge]

A whole map dedicated to ice age/prehistoric species would be completely out of character for EW but tbh I'd legitimately pay 20$ or more for it, even a whole new game would be an instant purchase for me

[lament stump]

I'd absolutely buy a game that's a reboot of primal with mainly cenozoic animals in a damn heartbeat. Also this should be less dead here soon because I'll be on break shortly so I'll have the time to think up what animals I can choose for a given reserve.

[heady hedge]

I'd legitimately be more interested in the whole new game but it wouldn't change my mind or stop me from buying a map for CotW. I'd want it to be a normal sized (or bigger) map and introduce a rifle and outfit like Emerald Coast did. Something similar but not exactly like this, will take that 1895 those. A .405 would be amazing

[lament stump]

ladles and gentlespoons I am back and am currently writing up a species profile in the spirit of a recent discovery

[lament stump]

HOMOTHERIUM LATIDENS - The Tundra Stalker

Location: - MedVed Taiga, modern Siberian Russia

Body Size: - 110cm or 3'7" at the shoulder | 200cm or 6'7" body length

Weight Range: - 180-200kg | 396-440lbs

Weapon Class: - 9

Scoring: - Combined length and width of the skull

Score Range: - 42-46

Temperament: - Observant, skittish, and cunning; it prefers to hang around good cover with visibility over a frozen lake or field where it can make the best use of its extraordinary senses. When it detects the player it will flee for dense brush and may circle around to prepare an ambush when chased. The chance of this happening increases significantly if the cat is wounded.

FURS:

• Ancient Tundra A paleoaccurate fur meant to replicate the summer coat that these cats likely had with short dull tawny brown fur with moderate rosette spots fading to a cream/white underbelly.

• Ancient Frost A speculative fur meant to replicate H. latidens' potential winter coat comprised of long, shaggy greyish-white fur with very faint spotting.

• Ancient Blue A stylized fur that is primarily bluish-grey throughout with black rosette spots. It is darkest at the head and along the back, color grading to a lighter tint at the lower legs, paws, and underbelly.

ACHIEVEMENT(S)

The Familiar Beast: Spawn your first H. latidens

A Game of Wit: Kill your first H. latidens

A Cold Death: Be killed by an Ancient Frost furtype H. latidens

Blizzard Mirage: Spot an Ancient Blue firtype H. latidens during a snowstorm

Fangs & Bullets: Kill an H. latidens as it is attacking you

[heavy bloom]

Homotherium latidens would be an awesome addition ngl (artwork by Julio Lacerda)

[lament stump]

I figured it was a solid way to jumpstart this again after that mummified cub was found in Siberia 😄

[heavy bloom]

I assume you've already covered Megaloceros giganteus?

[lament stump]

not to my memory; did Cervalces latifrons instead for Hirschfelden iirc

I plan on throwing it in though, dunno if I'll do it for medved or not though

[heavy bloom]

Irish Elk
Megaloceros giganteus
"Europe's Lost Titan"

Potential Reserves: Hirschfelden, Cuatro Colinas, maybe Medved-Taiga (though afaik it hasn't been found that far north)

Class: 8

Max Weight: 700kg/1,540 lbs

Trophy Type: Antlers

Fur Types:

• Ancient Boreal: Paleoaccurate coloration, featuring a tan body, dark shoulders and back, with a distinct "line" drawn from the shoulders, extending along the flank

• Ancient Woodland: a more orange-tan coat with faint spots along the torso and haunches (referencing Fallow Deer)

• Ancient Spruce: a darker, more grey variant. Similar to Ancient Boreal

• Ancient Piebald: An incredibly rare variation, featuring random patches of white fur across the body

Senses: Overall good senses, exceptional hearing

Behavior: Skittish, Dangerous when wounded or provoked up close

Habitat: Prefers a mix of scattered forests and open areas

Recommended Equipment: Antler Rattler, Class 8 Ammo

Achievements:

• A Titanic Reemergence: Locate and Spot an Irish Elk

• World's Finest: Harvest an Irish Elk and pass the Harvest Check

• Back to Your Roots: Hunt an Irish Elk with a bow and pass the Harvest Check

• Irish Elk Talk: identify an Irish Elk call within 25 meters/27 yards

• The Great Horn's Revenge: get knocked out by an Irish Elk

Artwork by Gabriel Ugueto (1st image), Mark Witton (2nd), and Cristian Bacchetta (3rd and 4th)

[heavy bloom]

ah wait i dont think it was found in Spain, Cuatro wouldn't work

Could maybe bend things a little and include it in Cuatro, Medved, and/or Revontuli anyway

In the cases of Cuatro and Revontuli, its known irl range is at least close to those

(Megaloceros is my favorite extinct mammal and I'm sorta kinda obsessed with it lol)

[lament stump]

not obvious whatsoever lol

I'll definitely have to include it since it is like, the emblematic European prehistoric deer

[sturdy laurel]

The Scimitar-toothed Cat!

[sturdy laurel]

For the holiday season:

[austere lion]

I like this idea because it would make more sense to complete the map completely. There is no reason for that at the moment.

[lament stump]

as an update for yall im gonna be making some species profiles shortly, likely over the remainder of this week

[still egret]

This is a cool idea.

[lusty swan]

For te arowa concept for 2 ancient ones could be the haast eagle class 2 or 3 or the Moa bird class 7 or 8

[oak wolf]

Jefferson's Ground Sloth was a Late Pleistocene mammal that ranged from the Yukon to Mexico. So it would fit with the Yukon, Layton, SRP, and Rancho Del Arroyo maps. Jefferson’s ground sloth, Megalonyx jeffersonii, were large relatives of the modern two-toed sloths and three-toed sloths. However, unlike modern sloths, which spend most of their time in trees, the ground sloths spent all of their time on the ground. Length: 2.4-3.0 m (8-10 ft); Weight: 1000-1100 kg (2200-2425 lbs); Status: Extinct.

[lusty swan]

Amphicyonidae is an extinct family of terrestrial carnivorans belonging to the suborder Caniformia. They first appeared in North America in the middle Eocene (around 45 mya), spread to Europe by the late Eocene (35 mya), and further spread to Asia and Africa by the early Miocene (23 mya). They had largely disappeared worldwide by the late Miocene (5 mya), with the latest recorded species at the end of the Miocene in Africa. They were among the first carnivorans to evolve large body size. Amphicyonids are colloquially referred to as "bear-dogs. Amphicyonids ranged in size from as small as 5 kg (11 lb) and as large as 100 to 773 kg (220 to 1,704 lb)[6] and evolved from wolf-like to bear-like body forms. Fossils have been found in New Mexico,Colorado,Florida and Nebraska . So the closest reserves it could be placed in is Layton lakes ,rancho, silver ridge peaks and Mississippi anchores. With this ancient one being one of the most aggressive after being found

[still egret]

This would be great as part of a “cryptid” hunt that reveals an ancient one. For species per map maybe between 1 to 2 per map. And nothing too out there like a T-Rex. Like Aurochs, Antique Bison, and others.

[sturdy laurel]

bump

[sturdy laurel]

aren't the idea for ancient ones meant for them to be like great ones anyways

[lament stump]

yep, intended like that from the start!

just more accessible and progression based

[sturdy laurel]

ah

also if you don't mind @lament stump, is it ok If I could do my own take on AO rosters for the maps sometime? I'll probably make them in my forum and then just repost them here

[lament stump]

sounds good!

[sturdy laurel]

alright cool! i'll try to make each roster for each map feel unique from one another, even if two maps would've had the same extinct species

[timid phoenix]

I see that lately the Great One, such as the pheasant and red fox, are mostly fantasy or imaginary animals. I don’t think the developers will introduce these candidate species mentioned here to be designated as Great One.

[sturdy laurel]

@lament stump I'm working on the Layton Lakes AO roster, and I have species from both the Pleistocene and Miocene so far, so it gave me an idea: maybe the older an extinct species is, the rarer of an AO it is? Like Pleistocene/early Holocene AOs would be the most common AO species, Pliocene/Miocene AOs would be rarer, and so on. Thoughts?

[lament stump]

That could certainly work! I'm in favor of the idea personally. I believe I have three pleistocene animals for both Hirsch and Layton each so feel free to focus on earlier species for the rarer ones.

[sturdy laurel]

alright cool!

Layton Lakes Ancient One Roster

Details

This is my take on the possible AO roster that could be on Layton Lakes. All of these species have been found in either Washington, Oregon, or British Columbia, and they come from the Miocene to the Pleistocene epochs

Pleistocene/Holocene Ancient One Species

1. Western Dabble Duck (Chendytes lawi) (Class 1)
2. Cascade Mountains Wolf (Canis lupus fuscus) (Class 6)
3. Hagerman Horse (Equus simplicidens) (Class 7)
4. Western Camel (Camelops hesternus) (Class 9)
5. Harlan's Ground Sloth (Paramylodon harlani) (Class 10)
   Pliocene Ancient One Species
6. Washington Short-Faced Bear (Plionarctos harroldorum) (Class 5)
   Miocene Ancient One Species
7. Hipparion forcei (Class 6)
8. Zygolophodon proavus (Class 10)

[lament stump]

#1276987171038953503 message

#1276987171038953503 message

#1276987171038953503 message

Awesome roster! Here are the message links for my other species profiles so far for Layton. It seems we had the same idea with Equus simplicidens haha.

[sturdy laurel]

thanks!

[glacial fiber]

This is fire

[still egret]

We need another spin off game. Not like TheHunter Primal but more like Carnivores.

[gilded kindle]

It’s a shame that The Hunter Primal had such a short life span

[still egret]

Again just take the premise of Carnivores and apply to a spin off game for TheHunter. Planet full of Permian, Mesozoic, and Cenozoic life that is used for big game hunting and scientific research.

But in terms of the idea for Ancient Ones, I think the basic idea of them being 1 tier above great ones is a good idea. But I feel like it should be tied to a mission or maybe a radio call from the ranger telling you that someone spotted an unusual looking member of a species that you should follow up on. It will give you map coordinates or a marker that will be on display and it’s up to you where you want to follow thru. Ancient Ones should definitely be battle scarred in a unique way along with a unique coat.

[crisp wharf]

Speaking of Carnivores, the community behind those games has been making some pretty cool standalone mods on a community made engine, though those mods can take a while to be made

[bronze lantern]

Carnivores? the nostalgia is real

[gilded kindle]

It’s even more ironic that they left Primal to work on Classic, which they then stopped development on basically two years after. 😅😂

[still egret]

True. I wish EW would make their own version of Carnivores. Would be sick to play.

[sturdy laurel]

gonna be making another one soon