Editing FAQ

Common questions about playing '''Primal Idle'''. For deeper detail, follow the links — and see the '''[[Beginner's Guide]]''' for a full walkthrough and '''[[Gameplay]]''' for the mechanics.

== Progress and offline ==

'''Do I lose progress when I close the game?'''
No. Primal Idle keeps advancing while you're away, using the exact same rules as live play. When you return you'll see a '''"While you were away"''' summary of what you earned.

'''How long does offline progress last?'''
'''18 hours''' by default. Time beyond the cap isn't simulated, so check in at least once a day. Buying ranks of the '''Offline Satchel''' in the [[Shop]] raises the cap to '''24 hours'''.

'''Can I run more than one action at a time?'''
Your survivor runs '''one action at a time''' — starting a new one replaces the old. But other systems run '''in parallel''': [[Companions#Hired hands (background gathering)|hired hands]], [[Homestead]] producers, [[Dispatch]] squads, and (later) your [[Tribe]] camp all tick alongside your active action.

== Saving and devices ==

'''How do I save?'''
The game '''auto-saves''' continuously; there's no save button. Creating an account (from the login page) turns on '''cloud saves''' that back up and sync across devices.

'''Can I play on more than one device?'''
Yes, with cloud sync — but '''only one tab plays at a time'''. Opening a second tab shows a takeover screen so two copies never race over your save.

'''It says "two saves found" — which do I keep?'''
The game compares them side by side and '''recommends one''' (by progress — XP, mastery, tames, and so on). If both hold progress the other lacks, it tells you. When in doubt, keep the one it highlights. The cloud also archives older copies (Settings → Cloud save) that you can restore.

'''My dinos' nicknames changed — is that a bug?'''
No. A v0.36.10 update expanded the name pools, which reshuffled existing derived nicknames '''once'''. Your creatures and their stats are unchanged.

== "Why did my action / dino stop?" ==

'''My action stopped on its own.'''
Usually one of: the [[Bank]] had no free slot for a guaranteed drop ("Bank full"), you ran out of a required '''input''' (e.g. no ore to smelt), or you took an '''injury'''. The game shows a banner explaining which.

'''"Bank full" — what do I do?'''
Your Bank limits '''distinct item types''', not quantities. Free a slot by selling something, or raise your slot count (Reinforced/Master Vault in the [[Shop]]/[[Exotic Broker]], or the Storage Hut at your [[Homestead]]). Note some drops '''convert to Amber''' instead of blocking you when the Bank is full — see [[Bank]].

'''Why is my companion's buff switched off?'''
A [[Companions|companion]] only buffs while it's '''assigned''' to its skill's slot '''and fed'''. If the [[Bank]] runs out of food it eats, it goes hungry and its buff pauses until you restock — nothing is lost.

'''A hired hand stopped gathering.'''
[[Companions#Hired hands (background gathering)|Hired hands]] can only gather what '''you've''' unlocked. If a task was biome-locked (coal before the [[Cavern Depths]], etc.), it's stopped until you clear that biome.

== Creatures and combat ==

'''How do I get my first dino?'''
Brew a [[Calming Tonic]] ([[Alchemy]]), stock [[Crimson Berry|Crimson Berries]] ([[Foraging]]), then run '''Tame Glyptodon''' in [[Taming]] (8 berries + 1 tonic). See the [[Beginner's Guide]].

'''Why can't I gather coal / sulfur / other materials?'''
They're '''biome-locked''' — clear the biome that holds them (via [[Expeditions]]) and the option unlocks.

'''Can my creatures die?'''
While '''actively playing''', if a hit would drop you to 0 HP and auto-eat has no food, '''you''' can die — you lose that fight's spoils and one equipped item drops where you fell (reclaimable). '''Offline''', combat always stops safely before a knockout. Camp workers and companions '''never die''' — they only get wounded and rest.

'''How do I unlock Breeding?'''
Reach '''[[Taming]] 50'''.

== Economy ==

'''How do I make Amber?'''
Sell gathered materials from your [[Bank]]. Don't hoard raw junk you'll never process — that's Amber you haven't collected.

'''What should I buy first?'''
Bank slots, then the Offline Satchel. See '''[[Spending Amber]]''' for a full priority list.

== Progression ==

'''What's the maximum level?'''
Every skill runs '''1 to 99'''. Beyond that, power comes from [[Mastery]], [[Breeding]], gear, and the collection systems.

'''Where does the game "end"?'''
The frontier is the [[Sundered Vale]] and the '''[[Rifts]]''' beyond it, plus long-tail goals — [[Mastery]], the [[Museum]], [[Chronicles]], the [[Tribe|Material Ages]], and perfect [[Breeding|bred]] creatures. See the '''[[Endgame Guide]]'''.

== See also ==

* '''[[Getting Started]]''' · '''[[Gameplay]]''' · '''[[Beginner's Guide]]'''
* '''[[Bank]]''', '''[[Companions]]''', '''[[Taming]]''' — the systems behind the most common questions.

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