Did a test with a whole lot of Triceratops (in enclosures of 4) and some Ceratosaurs (and a few Toros) over their entire lifespan. I've had enclosures with over 25 Ceratos in them with 0 fighting so I don't think population matters. I also don't think comfort matters but I didn't test that.
Here is the short version:
- Releasing a dino with the social and/or humble trait if your alpha doesn't have it already can cause endless fighting. Unless you also give them the strong trait. If your first batch of dinos has a mix it'll be random if the alpha is one with no traits or one with extra dominance.
- Overall a lower dominance alpha was 37-2 against higher dominance challengers. Alphas basically don't lose fights so if they don't have equal or higher dominance to start with compared to all others it's no good. Well, 50% of the time it might be OK. But 50% of the time the fighting will go on forever. If that happens i'd suggest just tranq and sell the alpha. Or move the alpha somewhere else then back. Don't trust them to work it out on their own. Alternatively you can release a strong (and preferably humble) dino in there and they will take alpha for good within 30 seconds. On Germany you're out of luck - pick your eggs wisely. Any dinos that naturally have 25% or 50% social will cause issues if the alpha doesn't have that trait.
- Any initial batch into an enclosure seems to pick an alpha at random - whether you direct release or airlift. First egg isn't necessarily the first to land.
- If the alpha is equal or higher dominance to all others there will almost never be any fighting.
- If a dino has the strong trait it will take alpha instantly and there never will be fighting again.
- If one or more dinos have higher dominance than the alpha (humble/social) but have the same combat stats (not strong) they will fight over and over and over and the alpha will always win. (almost)
The longer version:
- I didn't test "friendly" carnivores since that has nothing to do with alphas (or dominance at all I don't think). If you do want to put carnivores together on NW USA map use the strong trait on the weaker species to match the attack stats. The larger species will probably eventually kill every single one that doesn't have that trait. If they all have it none will ever die.
- When a dino reaches half their lifespan their stamina decreases along with their dominance until a cap of 60% at about 90% to expected lifespan. A dino with X% stamina has X% of their dominance left. Fit and unfit traits have nothing to do with stamina (as far as dominance). Stamina is never recovered. I have no idea what those traits do. Adding more dinos to an older enclosure will instantly cause a fight for alpha - the old alpha will lose right way even though they have the same combat stats. Age factors in somehow.
- It makes no difference the source of dominance just the number. Aggressive/social/humble are all equal. They are all just 15%. Aggressive doesn't affect combat stats or frequency of fighting. It's just the dominance that matters. If you like to make Tylosaurs with a humble alpha, adding aggressive ones should be fine. Might not need to throw away all those eggs. I didn't test Tylos but I'm guessing species doesn't matter for this.
Tolerant doesn't affect dominance so I didn't include that.
These are the 12 enclosures i did:
4x Triceratops in 3x3 enclosure 100% comfort over lifespan:
1st enclosure: No traits, no fighting.
2nd enclosure: All social, no fighting.
***3rd enclosure: Two no traits first, then two w/ social. Lower dominance alpha 3-0 - fighting stopped (not sure why).
4th enclosure: Three social, then one social/strong. Social/strong takes alpha 1st fight no fighting after.
5th enclosure: Two strong first, then released two social. No fighting. Just did this test to make sure two strong won't ever fight.
6th enclosure: Two social, then two strong (only 5% higher dominance). Strong takes alpha 1st fight no fighting after. This fight was a draw in their stats for some reason.
7th enclosure: Two social/humble, then one aggressive and one aggressive/social. Alpha 1-0 (fought the aggressive/social one once in a lifetime) Aggressive doesn't have effect other than the 15%.
***8th enclosure: Two w/ no traits, two w/ aggressive. Alpha 12-1 - finally loses alpha when they are all getting old.
9th enclosure: Two social then one humble/social, one humble/aggressive. Alpha 0-1 - loses to humble/social. One fight between non-alphas. 2nd alpha 1-0.
4x Ceratos in 3x3 enclosure 100% comfort over 90% lifespan: (2 identical enclosures)
***1st enclosure: First two no traits, 2nd two humble. Alpha 2-0. Then a humble took alpha without a fight somehow. No fighting after.
***2nd enclosure: First two no traits, 2nd two humble. Alpha 11-0.
Tested out unfit with Toros: 4x in 3x3 enclosure 100% comfort over about 1/2 lifespan:
***Alpha unfit, 2nd humble/fit, 3rd humble, 4th social. Alpha 9-0. Seems like unfit vs fit doesn't matter at all for combat or dominance.
So the enclosures with an alpha with less dominance but equal combat stats (marked with ***) were 37-2 against higher dominance challengers total. 50% of the time it wasn't bad and 50% of the time it was. It's only 6 tests but maybe it's just a 50/50 chance that an alpha will almost always win against equal opponents. 2 out of 3 times the alpha "lost" it seemed automatic so not sure what exactly is happening with that.
Noticed how the stamina stat was working and released 1 young Tric with no traits into Tric enclosure 1 and 2. They both took alpha instantly from the previous alphas who had it 68 years. The older dinos were at 60% stamina, so the extra 15% dominance in enclosure 2 didn't matter at all. Alphas almost never lose so this being 2 for 2 implies age factors into combat somehow. Either that or maybe dominance does as these 2 new dinos were 46 dominance and 33 dominance higher than the current alphas and 68 years younger. I didn't test if a +30% dominance (or even 45%) dino could win against an alpha - only +15%. Not sure if it would make a difference and doesn't really apply. Instead of a social/humble or social/aggressive you would use humble/strong.
Triceratops: Expected age of 73. No traits. Base dominance = 114
Age: 38, Dominance: 112
Age: 46, Dominance: 99
Age: 48, Dominance: 96
Age: 52, Dominance: 89
Age: 55, Dominance: 84
Age: 57, Dominance: 82
Age: 61, Dominance: 75
Age: 63, Dominance: 72
Age: 66+ Dominance: 68
Here is the short version:
- Releasing a dino with the social and/or humble trait if your alpha doesn't have it already can cause endless fighting. Unless you also give them the strong trait. If your first batch of dinos has a mix it'll be random if the alpha is one with no traits or one with extra dominance.
- Overall a lower dominance alpha was 37-2 against higher dominance challengers. Alphas basically don't lose fights so if they don't have equal or higher dominance to start with compared to all others it's no good. Well, 50% of the time it might be OK. But 50% of the time the fighting will go on forever. If that happens i'd suggest just tranq and sell the alpha. Or move the alpha somewhere else then back. Don't trust them to work it out on their own. Alternatively you can release a strong (and preferably humble) dino in there and they will take alpha for good within 30 seconds. On Germany you're out of luck - pick your eggs wisely. Any dinos that naturally have 25% or 50% social will cause issues if the alpha doesn't have that trait.
- Any initial batch into an enclosure seems to pick an alpha at random - whether you direct release or airlift. First egg isn't necessarily the first to land.
- If the alpha is equal or higher dominance to all others there will almost never be any fighting.
- If a dino has the strong trait it will take alpha instantly and there never will be fighting again.
- If one or more dinos have higher dominance than the alpha (humble/social) but have the same combat stats (not strong) they will fight over and over and over and the alpha will always win. (almost)
The longer version:
- I didn't test "friendly" carnivores since that has nothing to do with alphas (or dominance at all I don't think). If you do want to put carnivores together on NW USA map use the strong trait on the weaker species to match the attack stats. The larger species will probably eventually kill every single one that doesn't have that trait. If they all have it none will ever die.
- When a dino reaches half their lifespan their stamina decreases along with their dominance until a cap of 60% at about 90% to expected lifespan. A dino with X% stamina has X% of their dominance left. Fit and unfit traits have nothing to do with stamina (as far as dominance). Stamina is never recovered. I have no idea what those traits do. Adding more dinos to an older enclosure will instantly cause a fight for alpha - the old alpha will lose right way even though they have the same combat stats. Age factors in somehow.
- It makes no difference the source of dominance just the number. Aggressive/social/humble are all equal. They are all just 15%. Aggressive doesn't affect combat stats or frequency of fighting. It's just the dominance that matters. If you like to make Tylosaurs with a humble alpha, adding aggressive ones should be fine. Might not need to throw away all those eggs. I didn't test Tylos but I'm guessing species doesn't matter for this.
Tolerant doesn't affect dominance so I didn't include that.
These are the 12 enclosures i did:
4x Triceratops in 3x3 enclosure 100% comfort over lifespan:
1st enclosure: No traits, no fighting.
2nd enclosure: All social, no fighting.
***3rd enclosure: Two no traits first, then two w/ social. Lower dominance alpha 3-0 - fighting stopped (not sure why).
4th enclosure: Three social, then one social/strong. Social/strong takes alpha 1st fight no fighting after.
5th enclosure: Two strong first, then released two social. No fighting. Just did this test to make sure two strong won't ever fight.
6th enclosure: Two social, then two strong (only 5% higher dominance). Strong takes alpha 1st fight no fighting after. This fight was a draw in their stats for some reason.
7th enclosure: Two social/humble, then one aggressive and one aggressive/social. Alpha 1-0 (fought the aggressive/social one once in a lifetime) Aggressive doesn't have effect other than the 15%.
***8th enclosure: Two w/ no traits, two w/ aggressive. Alpha 12-1 - finally loses alpha when they are all getting old.
9th enclosure: Two social then one humble/social, one humble/aggressive. Alpha 0-1 - loses to humble/social. One fight between non-alphas. 2nd alpha 1-0.
4x Ceratos in 3x3 enclosure 100% comfort over 90% lifespan: (2 identical enclosures)
***1st enclosure: First two no traits, 2nd two humble. Alpha 2-0. Then a humble took alpha without a fight somehow. No fighting after.
***2nd enclosure: First two no traits, 2nd two humble. Alpha 11-0.
Tested out unfit with Toros: 4x in 3x3 enclosure 100% comfort over about 1/2 lifespan:
***Alpha unfit, 2nd humble/fit, 3rd humble, 4th social. Alpha 9-0. Seems like unfit vs fit doesn't matter at all for combat or dominance.
So the enclosures with an alpha with less dominance but equal combat stats (marked with ***) were 37-2 against higher dominance challengers total. 50% of the time it wasn't bad and 50% of the time it was. It's only 6 tests but maybe it's just a 50/50 chance that an alpha will almost always win against equal opponents. 2 out of 3 times the alpha "lost" it seemed automatic so not sure what exactly is happening with that.
Noticed how the stamina stat was working and released 1 young Tric with no traits into Tric enclosure 1 and 2. They both took alpha instantly from the previous alphas who had it 68 years. The older dinos were at 60% stamina, so the extra 15% dominance in enclosure 2 didn't matter at all. Alphas almost never lose so this being 2 for 2 implies age factors into combat somehow. Either that or maybe dominance does as these 2 new dinos were 46 dominance and 33 dominance higher than the current alphas and 68 years younger. I didn't test if a +30% dominance (or even 45%) dino could win against an alpha - only +15%. Not sure if it would make a difference and doesn't really apply. Instead of a social/humble or social/aggressive you would use humble/strong.
Triceratops: Expected age of 73. No traits. Base dominance = 114
Age: 38, Dominance: 112
Age: 46, Dominance: 99
Age: 48, Dominance: 96
Age: 52, Dominance: 89
Age: 55, Dominance: 84
Age: 57, Dominance: 82
Age: 61, Dominance: 75
Age: 63, Dominance: 72
Age: 66+ Dominance: 68