Territory Rules and Info

Territory is defined as a large area around your dinosaur and their pack that must be defended and patrolled. Within Line-of-Sight and slightly out of LOS can be considered for territory space. Generally, territory ownership is to secure all resources (whether it be food, water) or preferable young-rearing grounds within a designated area.

1. In order to claim a territory, your group must meet the group criteria listed in the tier specific rules below. If the criteria is met, your group will broadcast often and patrol their chosen territory. Migratory dinosaurs cannot claim territory unless raising young.
   1. Full Adults only count for territory criteria. A contest ends when a sub-adult or adult dies, or a 4 call is made.
   2. If criteria of claimed territory is lost (i.e you fall below the required number of group members due to logout or death), you lose claim to your territory automatically
   3.  If you or a group member dies or your group forfeits, you must leave that named area and cannot return to it for 1 hour 
2. When chasing out unwanted dinosaurs from claimed territory, the entire (if sub-apex+) or majority (mid tier and below) group must 3 call at the intruder and give them the opportunity to respond.
   1. Territory takes precedent over all ongoing hunts and bodies down. You may temporarily leave a body to kick out another group that meets criteria. If you have a body, you can still be territory challenged. If you lose, the body goes unclaimed and you must leave the area.
   2. A 3 call or ignoring the call entirely is cause for your group to attack and kill
   3. Carnivore territory owners cannot chase out herbivores; they can only chase out other carnivores.
3. Any group that meets the tier specific territory criteria listed can contest for already owned territory. This must be done with all members that are going to participate in the contest present and in sight of the contenders.
4.  Semi-Aquatics/Aquatics can only claim water sources and 2 body lengths of the shoreline as their territory. They cannot claim land, but can be run to the water by terrestrial territory owners. 
5.  Semi-Aquatics/Aquatics cannot aggress terrestrial carnivores on their shoreline unless it is in their Mandatory Behavior (Spino only) - but this does not fall under territory rules 
6. Herbivores cannot officially claim a territory unless they are actively nesting and/or rearing young. While they can claim a food source, they may not continue to claim or defend a depleted food source. 
   1. If claimed territory to nest young, their chosen area can be protected against all predators in LOS of the nesting site, or while roaming with the young (Herbivores nesting must respect Body Down) 
   2. Mandatory behaviors in herbivore profiles allows them to run out certain species (i.e Therizinosaurus do not tolerate other of the same species if not grouped together) 
7. If you are being threatened to leave a territory, you must fight or choose to leave. Having the territory owners chase you without clear engagement and physical contact is not an appropriate way to contest for territory. If staff believes the contestant(s) are purposefully dragging a fight out with minimal contact, they can force a forfeit.
8. After a contest, the winner must always allow the loser to leave the territory. Contests may never immediately turn into a hunt. Whether they will allow the loser to sit their bleed or bone break off is up to the winner. If the losers stick around for longer than they need to leave LOS, they can be hunted.

Tier Specific Rules

1 . Any apex individual or pair can claim territory. Pairs are required to stick together at all times and cannot venture too far from each other's sides for too long a period. 

a. Apexes are required to run out apexes, all sub-apexes, and mid-tier groups that have 4+ members. They can run out individual or smaller mid tier groups as they see fit.

b. Cannot run out low-tiers

2. Any sub-apex pair or group can claim territory. Both pairs and groups are required to stick together at all times and cannot be too far apart at any time. 

a. Sub-apexes are required to run out apexes, all sub-apexes, and mid-tier groups that have 4+ members. They can run out individual or smaller mid tier groups as they see fit.

b. Cannot run out low-tiers 

3. Mid Tier groups territory claim requirements:

a. Allosaurus and Alioramus need 3 members 

b. Utah, Metri, Cera, Meg, Dilo, and Kai need 4 members

c. Pycno, Metri, and Thal cannot claim territory, they are nomadic. 

d. Cannot run out low-tiers

4. Low-tier groups must have 5 member to claim/defend territory. They can only defend their territory against other low-tiers. They cannot be bothered by, or chase out higher tier groups for territory-related reasons 

5. Herbivores cannot officially claim a territory unless they are actively nesting and rearing young. While they can claim a food source, they may not continue to claim or defend a depleted food source. 

a If claimed territory to nest young, their chosen area can be protected against all predators in LOS of the nesting site, or while roaming with the young 

b Mandatory behaviors in herbivore profiles allows them to run out certain species (i.e Therizinosaurus do not tolerate other of the same species if not grouped together)