Hi, total newbie here.

I am really confused about how the battle mechanics for monsters on islands work.  Specifically, what are the conditions for triggering "countermove"?  How is damage calculated? What does it mean when you "overpower" your enemies' attack?  Where does the random number generator come into it?

I'm having a lot of trouble with running out of energy because I keep losing to monsters on the islands.  Help on how to deal with this would be very much appreciated.  I can't find any help about this subject in the FAQ or elsewhere on the forums.

*Please note, I am *NOT* asking about Battlefield mechanics.  When I am ready to engage with that section of the game I will read the FAQ/ forums on it.

when a monster does countermove, it means it did an attack that negates your attack and lets him hit (similar to rock paper scissors.)

1. bite negates blow

2. blow negates rush

3. rush negates bite

by hovering over these attacks in manual mode on the islands or arena, you can see which attack would negate another attack as it would show up as a green x on the enemy side. this is when "overcoming" the enemies move shows up. if the enemy negates your attack, this is when "countermove" shows up. it will not tell you what attack the enemy is going to use next though.

the other questions i am having trouble answering. basically the computer compares the sum of your characteristics to the sum of the enemies characteristics to determine how the battle goes. you can hover over the question mark next to the word characteristics on your pets page to determine which combination of stats affects which characteristics.

a higher defence compared to damage will lower the enemy's ability to damage you. a higher anti-crit compared to crit decreases the likelihood of the enemy landing a crit attack. the higher the dodge compared to accuracy determines whether the enemy's attack will land or not.

MeanDM, concerning damage calculation, please check FAQ, "General Gameplay questions", question 3 "Any tips on winning the battles?"

As for the random factor, it modifies the damage by up to 50% at the end of the calculation of attacker's battle stats but before comparing them with the defender's stats. So basically it modifies the base attack value with all genetics and effect modifiers already taken into account.

Thank you both, that is very helpful!