Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Rexfelum]

Okay, I'm guessing that the phrase "An ambush!  Drive them out!" is some sort of default declaration.  "Curse them!" happens for goblin ambushes, and "Curse all friends of nature!" happens for elves, right?  It makes sense that there would be a default phrase, just in case the code runs into something unexpected.

I would sure call it unexpected when my pack animal got ambushed by a named grizzly bear.  That's what triggered the ambush declaration, and there's not a sentient creature with it.

Um?  I'm on a fortress reclaim, so I've gotten used to weirdness already with friendly (crippled) goblins hanging around several z-levels away, but this is a new twist.  Nothing modded in this game; just a 31.12 fort brought up to 31.16.  A check of legends mode shows that it's an enemy of the nearby goblin civilization, but not my own.

I had no idea grizzly bears could be stealthy.

--Rexfelum

[puke]

you've never met one, then.  they're actually pretty shy and will disapear into the underbrush and be nearly invisible from anything but a few feet away.  i'm danm glad i've never met a curious or hungry one.

[Rexfelum]

Heh, heh.  I wasn't talking about real life, but no I haven't met one.  I've met coyotes, deer, owls, a porcupine, and a moose or two, but no bears of any sort despite living in the right biomes.

However, the question is: are grizzly bears specially programmed to "ambush" in-game, or is this some sort of phenomenon that can happen for any animal?

--Rexfelum

[LealNightrunner]

I believe anything that is discovered while sneaking will trigger an ambush notice, though I've never seen it for anything but the usual suspects (Gobbos, elves, kobolds).

You could check announcements.txt and see what events might trigger that line.

EDIT: And hide all your picnic baskets.

[Vehudur]

I've gone bear hunting.

It's quite something, to be hunting something perfect capable of eating you.

And yes, I think it's anything that is sneaking.

[Urist Imiknorris]

Was this a reclaim? I've seen "An ambush! Drive them out!" coming from as-yet unrevealed parts of the former fort, caused by forgotten beasts finding the friendly goblins that were left in the fort upon its death. A named grizzly may have the same effect on a reclaim.

Also, to add to your list of messages, kobold ambushes yield "An ambush! Skulking vermin!" and wild animals/hidden beasts (which don't seem to appear anymore) yield the "Drive them out" message. Except [MISCHEVIOUS] creatures (gremlins), which have a different message that I don't remember.

[fivex]

Was this a reclaim? I've seen "An ambush! Drive them out!" coming from as-yet unrevealed parts of the former fort, caused by forgotten beasts finding the friendly goblins that were left in the fort upon its death. A named grizzly may have the same effect on a reclaim.

Also, to add to your list of messages, kobold ambushes yield "An ambush! Skulking vermin!" and wild animals/hidden beasts (which don't seem to appear anymore) yield the "Drive them out" message. Except [MISCHEVIOUS] creatures (gremlins), which have a different message that I don't remember.

Gremlins give "A gremlin! Drive it away!"
Also according to the wiki, goblin abushesgives you "A human has sprung from ambush!" if it is lead by a human

[Rexfelum]

Was this a reclaim?

I'm on a fortress reclaim

Yup.  So it looks like it all comes together.  Thanks, folks.

I was fairly certain that wild animals don't yet have predator/prey code set up, so that wouldn't explain the alert.  If predatory animals get to "ambush" just like dwarf hunters, that would change things.

I've gone bear hunting.

It's quite something, to be hunting something perfect capable of eating you.

I haven't tried to kill any critters, but it's interesting enough to stare into the eyes of a predator.  A predatory bird very likely couldn't take you out, but the look it gives you when you stand a few feet away is amazing.

--Rexfelum

[Akura]

EDIT: And hide all your picnic baskets.

Pic-i-nic. They're pic-i-nic baskets.


And if you think Yogi is a pain for taking your pic-i-nic baskets, wait 'till Boo Boo gets into your booze stockpile...

[fivex]

EDIT: And hide all your picnic baskets.

Pic-i-nic. They're pic-i-nic baskets.

This is wrong.

[Urist Imiknorris]

I was fairly certain that wild animals don't yet have predator/prey code set up, so that wouldn't explain the alert.  If predatory animals get to "ambush" just like dwarf hunters, that would change things.

Giant cave spiders used to be invisible on embark in 40d. They ambushed exactly like your grizzly bear. This was removed with the cavern system of 31.xx.

[Akura]

EDIT: And hide all your picnic baskets.

Pic-i-nic. They're pic-i-nic baskets.

This is wrong.

Obviously, you do not watch classic cartoons. That is how Yogi Bear pronounces it.

[Urist Imiknorris]

It's pick-ah-nic.

[Vehudur]

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Was this a reclaim?

I'm on a fortress reclaim

Yup.  So it looks like it all comes together.  Thanks, folks.

I was fairly certain that wild animals don't yet have predator/prey code set up, so that wouldn't explain the alert.  If predatory animals get to "ambush" just like dwarf hunters, that would change things.

I've gone bear hunting.

It's quite something, to be hunting something perfect capable of eating you.

I haven't tried to kill any critters, but it's interesting enough to stare into the eyes of a predator.  A predatory bird very likely couldn't take you out, but the look it gives you when you stand a few feet away is amazing.

--Rexfelum

You'd bet a big enough bird could kill you.  Talons + neck = bleeding out.  Proceed with caution.

Of course, the bear, if you don't kill it with one shot will charge you, maul you to death, eat you (maybe, but probably not), crawl away somewhere and then sleep it off.  If you got lucky, it might die of blood loss, but probably not.

Obviously, in this situation, you shoot it while it's charging you.  Easier said than done.

[Rexfelum]

I haven't tried to kill any critters, but it's interesting enough to stare into the eyes of a predator.  A predatory bird very likely couldn't take you out, but the look it gives you when you stand a few feet away is amazing.

You'd bet a big enough bird could kill you.  Talons + neck = bleeding out.  Proceed with caution.

Don't think for a minute I haven't thought of it.  Not even considering predators, I've stared at enough scavenger birds ("But they're scavengers, not predators!  They don't kill things!") to become disconcerted.  Imagine collapsing in a desert, then looking up to see a bird larger than your head looming over you.

In a fair fight, I just expect to be able to keep something that size at arm's reach (instead of neck-reach) more easily than I would a bear, even if it were one of those nasty enough to crush my arm bones.

--Rexfelum