Are Crows OP?
Summary
TLDRThis video explores the unique intelligence and survival strategies of corvids, particularly crows, within the animal kingdom's game-like ecosystem. It highlights how these birds, despite lacking in stealth and physical power, leverage their exceptional intelligence for tool use, teamwork, and manipulation of other species to their advantage. This intelligence enables them to avoid direct combat and exploit more strategic methods for survival, making them one of the most adaptable and successful factions in urban environments. The script also touches on the comparative adaptability of other intelligent species, such as parrots and primates, and teases an upcoming focus on the urban prowess of centipedes, linking this all back to a broader discussion on the evolutionary advantages of intelligence in animals.
Takeaways
- ðŸ Primates, cephalopods, and birds, especially corvids, have high intelligence stats, enabling them to use advanced techniques like tool use and team strategies.
- ð Intelligence in animals allows for alternative progression paths in life that do not rely on combat, reducing risks associated with direct confrontations.
- ðŠ Corvids, which include crows, ravens, and magpies, have remarkable intelligence but average stealth and physical defense stats.
- ð² Corvids' use of tools and teamwork exemplifies their high intelligence, allowing them to solve complex problems and gain advantages in their environment.
- ð§ Stealth is not a crucial strategy for corvids due to their agility and ability to escape threats quickly, minimizing the need for camouflage.
- ð² Mobility and agility are key strengths of corvids, enabling them to dodge attacks and maneuver effectively in three-dimensional space.
- ð Despite their low power stat, corvids can use strategic attacks to manipulate other animals and gain advantages, such as provoking enemies or stealing resources.
- ð Tool use among corvids, such as utilizing hook-shaped sticks, showcases their ability to engage in complex problem-solving without needing specialized physical adaptations.
- ð» Team tactics and mobbing are critical strategies for corvids, allowing them to defend territory and overcome larger predators through collective efforts.
- ð High intelligence enables corvids to co-opt the strengths of other species, a strategy that mirrors human success in leveraging technology and social structures.
- ð Corvids excel in urban environments by utilizing human-made structures and objects, demonstrating adaptability and the ability to exploit new niches.
Q & A
What are the primary benefits of high intelligence stats in the game described?
-High intelligence stats grant access to advanced techniques like tool use, coordinated team strategies, and bartering and trade. This often results in a less risky playthrough as it opens up more options for progress without requiring combat.
Which factions besides primates have high intelligence stats?
-Besides primates, cetacean (seapods), and birds, particularly the corvids (crows, ravens, and magpies), are factions with high intelligence stats.
Why is stealth not considered an important stat for corvids?
-Stealth isn't crucial for corvids due to their agility and vigilance. Their dark or iridescent feathers do not offer significant stealth benefits, especially since they are not nocturnal and their main predators, raptors, have keen eyesight which makes high stealth stats less effective.
How do corvids compensate for their average defense and constitution stats?
-Corvids compensate with excellent mobility and agility, allowing them to quickly reposition in 3D space and dodge attacks effectively. Their ability to avoid danger through mobility minimizes the impact of their average defense.
Why are corvids' attacks considered weak, and how do they make them effective?
-Corvids' attacks are weak due to their simple pecking strike, which deals minimal damage. They make their attacks effective by being clever, using well-placed pecks to provoke attacks from others, thereby creating opportunities for themselves to escape or steal loot.
What unique abilities do corvids have due to their high intelligence?
-Corvids' high intelligence enables them to use tools, engage in team tactics, and perform mobbing. These abilities allow them to bypass certain challenges, capture territory, and defend against predators effectively.
How does the mobbing technique benefit corvids?
-Mobbing allows corvids to chase away predators several times their size by bombarding them with a barrage of physical and sonic attacks from all directions, inflicting heavy physical and psychic damage.
Why are corvids more successful in urban environments compared to parrots, despite parrots' potential advantages?
-Corvids are more successful in urban environments because they excel at using other players or environmental factors to their advantage. This ability to co-opt the strengths of others covers for their own shortcomings and is a strong strategy for success.
Which predators are crows primarily concerned with, and how do they handle these threats?
-Crows are primarily concerned with feline builds and raptors. They handle felines by using the goading strike to provoke and redirect their aggression, and they use the mobbing technique against raptors, effectively defending against both threats.
What is the significance of tool use among corvids?
-Tool use among corvids, like using hook-shaped sticks to extract grubs, demonstrates their high intelligence and adaptability. It allows them to achieve results comparable to highly specialized builds without the same investment, showcasing their ingenuity and versatility.
Outlines
ð§ The Intelligence of Corvids: An In-Depth Analysis
This section discusses the remarkable intelligence of corvids, such as crows, ravens, and magpies, which enables them to utilize advanced techniques like tool use, team strategies, and even bartering. Unlike other animal factions, corvids and certain others like cephalopods and birds prioritize intelligence over physical combat abilities. This strategic choice allows them to navigate their environment and survive in more versatile and less risky ways. Intelligence not only opens up alternative paths for advancement that don't involve direct combat but also proves particularly beneficial for birds, allowing them to escape most dangers due to their ability to fly. The video further delves into the specific attributes of corvids, including their mediocre stealth abilities, average defense, and constitution stats, but highlights their exceptional mobility and tactical use of intelligence in combat and survival strategies.
ðïž Corvid Combat and Social Strategies: Mastering the Game
Paragraph 2 expands on the combat and social strategies that corvids, particularly crows, employ to thrive in their ecosystems. It highlights their reliance on intelligence-based tactics such as the 'goting strike' and 'mobbing' to outmaneuver predators and competitors. The video explains how corvids leverage their high intelligence for tool use, capturing territory, and executing team tactics that allow them to defend against or distract larger predators effectively. This section also discusses how corvids' intelligence enables them to interact with and manipulate their environment and other species to their advantage. Furthermore, it contrasts the success of corvids in urban settings with that of other intelligent bird species like parrots, attributing corvids' dominance to their adeptness at utilizing the urban landscape and the strengths of other species.
ð Exploring Urban Wildlife and the Future of Content on Nebula
The final paragraph shifts focus from the animal kingdom to discuss the creator's upcoming content and the platform hosting it, Nebula. It teases a future video about centipedes' adaptation to urban environments, showcasing their ability to navigate the complex landscapes of cities. The paragraph serves as a transition to promote Nebula, a creator-owned platform offering ad-free content, improved UI for easier content discovery, and exclusive series. It mentions 'Let's Play Outside', a series that explores unique animal lives, and other engaging content categories like news and archaeology-focused shows. The video script concludes by highlighting the value of knowledge, both in understanding animal behavior and in staying informed on current events through platforms like Nebula, linking the discussion back to the importance of intelligence in navigating complex environments.
Mindmap
Keywords
ð¡Corvids
ð¡Intelligence stat
ð¡Stealth
ð¡Mobility
ð¡Tool use
ð¡Team tactics
ð¡Mobbing
ð¡Goading strike
ð¡Urban environments
ð¡Nebula
Highlights
Primates' advanced intelligence grants them tool use, team strategies, and trade abilities.
Cephalopods, seapods, and birds also prioritize intelligence over physical damage abilities.
Intelligence opens more progression options that don't require combat.
Corvids, including crows, ravens, and magpies, excel in intelligence among birds.
Corvids' stealth is not enhanced by their black or iridescent feathers.
Birds' agility and vigilance reduce the need for stealth.
Crows' mobility and ability to dodge attacks are exceptional.
Corvids' intelligence enables complex strategies like provoking enemies.
Tool use allows crows to access food sources otherwise unreachable.
Team tactics greatly enhance corvids' survival and dominance.
Mobbing technique enables corvids to fend off larger predators.
Corvids utilize their intelligence for adaptive and creative problem solving.
Goting strike and mobbing techniques are key to corvids' survival strategies.
Corvids excel in urban environments by leveraging other species and environmental factors.
Centipedes also thrive in cities, using their agility to navigate complex terrains.
Transcripts
they've already lost they just don't
know it get him from
behind stop looking at me attack save it
for the enemy we've lost control of the
command
post primates are notorious for their
incredibly broken intelligent sta which
grants them access to incredible
Advanced Techniques such as tool use
coordinated team strateg IES and even
bartering and trade but primates are not
the only faction in the game with a high
intelligence stat satation seapod and
bird Mains also commonly opt not to spec
into powerful damage dealing abilities
and instead invest into leveling up
their brain power skill tree while this
does seem like a risky choice leaving
the player more vulnerable in direct 1v1
combat in actuality this often results
in a much less risky playthrough as the
player's intelligence opens up more
options for them to progress that don't
require winning in combat this is
especially true of the bird faction as
their ability to fly already allows them
to quickly Escape most unfavorable
combat encounters today we're going to
discuss one of the two main intelligence
centered bird builds the faction that
contains crows Ravens and magpies the
corvid this video is going to focus
mostly on Crows as an example but
generally what I say in this video
should apply to most
corbetts first let's discuss their stats
as well as the abilities and strategies
that exemplify them we'll begin with
their stealth stat which corvids aren't
particularly excellent in the most
popular corvid Skins are either jet
black or pyal neither of which Grant the
user that strong of a stealth bonus in
fact in snowy areas jet black feathers
are actually one of the least effective
choices when trying to remain hidden a
dark appearance is most effective as
camouflage at night but crows and other
corvids are not nocturnal pills so they
aren't really gaining this benefit from
it now granted stealth typically isn't
all that important for Birds given how
agile and Vigilant they are plenty of
other high tier Aven builds like for
example parrots are arguably some of the
least stealthy birds in the game and
they do just fine you could even argue
that corvids are even less stealthy than
their black feathers initially appear as
their iridescence actually makes them
even easier to see for certain other
players typically other birds ultimately
I think it's safe to say stealth is not
an important part of their game plan at
least nowhere near as important as it is
for Ambush Predator builds like the owl
the main Predators a crow needs to worry
about are raptors and because with a
Raptor's Keen eyesight ability it's
unlikely having a higher stealth stat
would make much of a difference anyway
the Crow's defense and Constitution
stats are fairly average for a bird
which is to say not great birds have
hollow bones and their feathers offer
fairly little in terms of Defense
feathers do absorb some blunt force
damage but when it comes to slashing and
piercing damage it's nearly useless and
because of their hollow bones which make
them more vulnerable to blunt force
damage the benefit there kind of cancels
out as well snakes cats raccoons Raptors
and dogs all have a high chance of
taking a crow out in one hit so they
cannot let their guard down when
interacting with any damage dealer
builds given that their play style
necessitates taking some risk Pro
players definitely wish they had more
room for error thankfully their next
stat makes it pretty easy to avoid
damage the Crow's Mobility is a little
above average for a midsized bird which
is to say excellent birds in general are
just extremely agile both on the ground
and in the air making them extremely
hard to land and attack on if they see
you coming some bird builds like geese
and jungle foul require significant
startup in order to get airborne meaning
that they can't rely on their flight to
escape danger if the danger is already
right in front of them crows are not one
of these bird builds and in contrast the
startup on their flight move has some
shockingly broken Frame data and allows
them to quickly and easily reposition
themselves in basically any direction in
3D space almost instantly this makes
their ability to dodge attacks one of
the best in the entire game and makes
what would normally be fairly dangerous
positions such as right next to a
powerful Predator quite safe as long as
the corvid doesn't use any laggy moves
this synergizes well with the Corvette's
combat move set as we'll discuss in a
moment corvids are blessed with many
High stats but power is not one of them
them their ability to deal damage is one
of the weakest in their weight class as
their only attack option is a simple
pecking strike this move has quick
startup and very little end leg but its
damage is egregiously low simply
attacking with this move will deal
minimal damage to anything larger than
an insect most players will be able to
ignore this attack's damage however this
doesn't mean a crow's attacks are
useless it just means they've got to be
clever about how they use them a
well-placed PEC can provoke an attack
and if you're able to move out of the
way quick enough enough the enraged
player will end up being forced to lash
out at whoever just happens to be nearby
and create an opening for the corvid
player to capture an objective steal
some loot or Escape
trouble it might seem like a Jank
strategy but really this is the bread
and butter of corvid gaml and can lead
to massive swings and Advantage the
chance to afflict the enraged status
effect scales with the user's
intelligence stat so the reason this
strategy works so well is that the
Corvette's intelligence stat is
ridiculously high for a non- primate
build corvids are t with parrots for the
highest intelligence stat in the entire
Aven faction and in addition to enabling
the goting strike move set having high
intelligence grants corvids access to a
lot of other powerful techniques too
including the ability to use tools tool
use is one of the most notoriously
powerful abilities in the entire game
and in Crows this is no less True by
using hook-shaped wooden sticks crows
can score kills on grubs that are
normally safe from everything except for
woodpecker attacks and given how many
expensive Niche perks woodpeckers need
to spec into in order to perform these
sorts of drilling attacks the ability to
bypass all of that investment while
still gaining the same rewards is a huge
Boon to the crows but High Intelligence
has far more benefits than just allowing
crows to copy the success of hypers
specialized builds arguably the most
important benefit is team tactics this
is what allows baboons to fight off
Lions what allows ants to bring down
tarantulas and what allows wolves to pre
upon bis when crows work together they
can capture territory and control points
of interest that they'd otherwise be
helpless to defend they can even rescue
each other from what would otherwise be
guaranteed lethal attacks using a tactic
called mobbing mobbing is a strategy
most commonly seen in Birds consisting
of bombarding a single Target with a
barrage of both physical and Sonic
attacks on their own these would be easy
to shrug off but when you're getting
pecked at and screeched at from all
directions at once it inflicts heavy
physical and psychic damage this is what
allows social corvids like magpies and
crows to successfully chase away prors
several times their size Ravens on the
other hand tend not to really need the
help as they're large enough to handle
most opponents oneon-one but can still
team up in order to lock down a good
source of
carryon alternatively they may even Ally
themselves with wolf players leading
them to a carcass and letting them do
the work fighting off their competition
before sharing in the rewards anyway
that's a basic overview of the Corvette
build now let's talk about their
matchups the Corvette matchup chart is
heavily dependent on how effective their
goating strike and mobbing Tech
techniques are against a given Target
luckily because of how high the
Corvette's intelligence stat is the list
of targets goating strike works against
is quite long it is best against builds
with lower intelligence stats things
like vultures things like reptiles and
things like rodents what's more this
technique even works on one of the
corvids two primary threats feline
builds deadly as cats are they're often
quite reactive and easily aggroed so
goting strike is the perfect tool to
redirect their ferocity this move is
admittedly less effective against the
Corvette's other main concern Raptors
however thankfully the mobbing technique
is quite effective against Raptors so
for both of their main threats the crow
players have options the only builds
these techniques aren't that effective
against are other high intelligence
builds such as monkeys and parrots
because of their extremely strong social
bonding and top tier intelligence stat
parrots are highly resistant to psychic
damage and do not turn on each other
easily in fact when pestered by a corvid
they are likely to defend each other
fiercely using their own more powerful
beaks and louder shrieks oneon-one
they're fairly evenly matched so it
tends to just come down to size but in
groups corvids tend to have difficulty
forcing parrots away from an objective
as for monkeys their higher HP allows
them to more easily ignore the pecking
attacks of a crow and they're used to
getting their tails tugged all the time
by their own party members so a crow
doing it is unlikely to provoke
punishable response crows and parrots
have an interesting Dynamic I've said in
previous videos that I believe parrots
to be the more viable build they have
higher dexterity with their beaks their
sonic streak attack is incredibly
effective they're more social and
arguably more intelligent even and yet
of the two most intelligent bird builds
there's no denying that in the city
biome corvids are much more successful I
think the reason for this is that even
though parrots are indeed more powerful
on their own and are better at using
most tools than crows are crows are
better at using the most important tool
other players from provoking attacks and
redirect aggression to using passing
vehicles to deal damage for them and
unlock high value loot corvids are the
best of the best when it comes to using
other build strengths to cover for their
own
shortcomings and if the human build's
dominance is any indication co-opting
the strengths of less intelligent builds
is one of the strongest strategies you
can possibly execute in the game and
it's for this reason that corvids sit
proudly in s tier speaking of builds
with a high success rate within the city
biome another creature that thrives in
cities is the centipede
with their quick Twitchy movement and
flat shape they have no trouble weaving
through all of the nooks and crannies
common in urban environments this is the
subject of my next video which will be
out on YouTube in a month or so however
if you like to watch that video right
now you can access it a month in advance
on nebula the sponsor of today's video
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intelligence helps it avoid being used
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