Movement System

One of the most important elements of any creature in Beasts of Bermuda are how fast it turns and how fast it runs. These two stats play a very influential role in how different predator-prey or predator vs predator competition match ups will play out. Many different factors can influence these key attributes.

Modes of Movement

All terrestrial creatures have two or three base movement speeds, and some have an additional state in which they are limping.

Sprinting consumes stamina, and is the fastest movement speed. While sprinting, a creature will have a reduced rate of turning over walking or crouching. Both terrestrial and aquatic creatures can sprint. While sprinting, footsteps generated by the creature will be significantly louder.

Walking does not consume any resource and is the movement mode a creature is in by default in the absence of holding the sprint key. It is often quite slow, but a creature will have an improved rate of turning over sprinting. This applies for both terrestrial and aquatic creatures, where aquatic creatures swim either slowly or swiftly, depending on whether they're sprinting or not.

Crouching is the slowest form of movement. While crouched, a creature will receive a further increased rate of turning. While crouching, footstep sounds are significantly reduced.

Many terrestrial creatures also will gradually transition into a state of limping as they accumulate injuries. The exceptions to this rule are the Velociraptor and the Apatosaurus, who both have the Sturdy trait. As a creature becomes more injured, their top movement speed will be reduced. The more injured one is, the lower their top speed. Injury at full accumulation causes the player to always limp, unable to go any faster.

Alterations of Movement Speed

Slopes have an influence on movement speed. All terrestrial creatures with the exception of the Apatosaurus pick up speed while going downhill. Creatures of greater size pick up speed more slowly than creatures of lesser size, but they also carry any increase in movement forwards for much longer periods of time, allowing larger predators such as the Acrocanthosaurus to gain significant speed while traveling downhill. This speed boost can potentially allow larger, slower predators to catch prey that would otherwise outrun them.

Most creatures have a stagger and a trip threshold, however, that will trigger if the creature runs too quickly. The stagger threshold serves no purpose other than to warn the player they are approaching the tripping point where they will fall down. Some have much lower trip and stagger thresholds than others. Most notably, the swift Parasaurolophus can easily trip while running downhill whereas it is not possible for a Velociraptor to trip, regardless of how much speed it picks up. When a player trips, they will receive fall damage.

Some creatures are less capable of traversing up steep slopes than others. The most notable case of this is the Parasaurolophus. It is very sensitive to terrain gradients and will struggle up even modestly steep hills. The Velociraptor, Utahraptor, and Pachycephalosaurus, however, can go up very steep slopes without slowing down. Crouching bypasses this mechanic, allowing any creature capable of crouching to slowly walk up slopes of any grade at or below 45 degrees.

Being overweight will reduce the ability of a player to go up steeper slopes. It also reduces a creature's top speed.

Having raptors or other creatures latched onto a creature's side will slow its movement speed by applying weight damage. The heavier the accumulated weight of all creatures latched to their target, the slower that target will be. This method can be used by a pack of raptors to bog down a prey item that would otherwise be too swift, allowing more raptors to go for the ankles.

When a creature grabs another, it will slow down. The mechanic is identical to that of being pounced, and also uses the weight damage mechanic.

Accumulating injury will reduce a player's top speed.

Alterations of Turn Radius

While movement speed has many different influences, the rate at which a creature turns is much more static. All creatures turn faster while stationary than while sprinting. Crouching improves turn rate.