What is Disharmony in Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora?

Hunting is an important part of the gameplay in Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, but it has to be done the right way, or you will risk getting the Disharmony debuff.

So what exactly is this debuff, and how can you avoid it? We are going to be taking a closer look at the Disharmony condition in Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora in more detail so you know how to avoid it, what causes it, and how to get rid of it.

What is the Disharmony debuff in Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora?

Disharmony refers to a debuff you receive if you hunt the creatures of Pandora and harvest the resources without respect. This includes needlessly and mindlessly slaughtering young animals, direhorses, and ikran. It can also occur if you thoughtlessly and constantly damage the plants of the world.

As well as the aforementioned specific animals, the debuff will also apply if you hunt creatures constantly when it is not needed. Hunting might be an important part of Frontiers of Pandora, but it is not mandatory and should only be done as and when necessary to ensure nature and wildlife on the planet are respected.

The Disharmony debuff is a timeout of sorts, as you won’t be able to use your Na’vi senses when it is active. The limitations on your senses are a huge blow, as you will use them frequently as you play to different things, such as finding weak spots on creatures, following scent trails, scanning the environment, and inspecting plants to find resources.

As well as removing your Na’vi senses, you also won’t be able to call or ride your ikran or soothe any of the wildlife. Your fellow Na’vi will refuse to speak to you too until the debuff is removed due to the damage you have caused.

How to avoid the Disharmony debuff in Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora

There are several ways you can avoid getting the Disharmony debuff as you play, so let’s take a look at how to do so.

1) Use Na’vi weapons rather than human weapons

Using weapons designed and made by the Na’vi is appreciated by the environment of Pandora more than using human guns. Longbows and Heavy Bows are a lot less likely to cause unnecessary, reckless damage to wildlife and plants, allowing you to collect resources whilst still respecting the balance of nature. When hunting, opt for these weapons—particularly the bows—to avoid the Disharmony debuff.

2) Be thoughtful whilst hunting

As tempting as it may be to run in guns blazing when hunting, that is a surefire way to get the Disharmony debuff. Be meticulous, precise, and humane as you hunt so you collect the best quality ingredients and stay respectful to the creatures you are sending to Eywa as you do so.

Don’t be overzealous when you are hunting. If you mindlessly kill the creatures of Pandora or overhunt when it isn’t necessary, then you risk being hit with the Disharmony debuff. That doesn’t mean you can’t defend yourself if you’re attacked by aggressive creatures, as the game won’t punish you for killing in self-defense. That being said, even in these situations, it is still best to opt for weapons that are less bombastic than guns.

3) Be precise when collecting resources 

As mentioned, respecting the plant life on Pandora is also essential, or else you risk the Disharmony debuff. Be mindful as you play and keep an eye out for the various plants that you come across. 

When you’re collecting resources, you will need to do so with precision so the material or ingredient you are harvesting doesn’t get too badly damaged. Damaged materials and ingredients will not only lead to inferior items when they are used in cooking or crafting, but they will also hurt the world around you and lead to Disharmony.

As you collect resources, you will need to hold down the trigger on your controller—or click on your mouse—as you move the directional button/ move your mouse to find the correct position to precisely remove the ingredient or material from its source. You’ll know if you’re pulling too intensely or in the wrong direction as your hand will start to shake as you try to remove it. Move in a smooth, delicate motion, and only pull on the trigger or click the mouse to remove the resource when your hand isn’t shaking.

It’s even easier to tell if you are pulling at a resource incorrectly if you are playing on the PlayStation 5, as the haptic feedback on the controller will vibrate more if you do so. When you are sure your hand is steady, and you aren’t going to cause damage to the plant or resource you are collecting, hold down the trigger button or the mouse, and you will pull it out gently. If you have been pulling at the resource too harshly while trying to remove it, it will be of inferior quality when you remove it.

This isn’t too big of a deal if it isn’t done too much, but if you keep recklessly yanking ingredients and materials from plants as you go, then you will eventually end up facing the Disharmony debuff in Frontiers of Pandora.

4) Be mindful during your time with the game

This is more of a general point than a specific one, but seeing as so many games encourage running and gunning these days, it is worth mentioning. Think carefully as you explore the world in Frontiers of Pandora, as it is easy to not think too much about what you are doing and disrupt the balance between nature and Na’vi.

If it’s possible to use your bow rather than your gun, opt for that route. If you can take a moment to avoid running through the delicate plant life rather than stomping through it, choose that. The game pulls from the themes of the Avatar films on which it is based to emphasize the importance of the preservation of the natural world, so keep that in mind as you play.

The game will start to warn you as you engage in acts that contribute to the Disharmony buff, and the warning isn’t hard to miss as it will flash up on your screen in red. When you see this warning, reconsider the way you are exploring, hunting, and harvesting resources before you get given the buff and have to go without your ikran, your Na’vi companions, and your Na’vi senses.

How to remove the Disharmony debuff

Unfortunately, there is no way to remove the Disharmony debuff. All you can do is wait it out. When you have earned the Disharmony debuff, a small timer will appear on the bottom left-hand side of the screen alongside a red icon. This timer will tell you how long you have to wait until the debuff loses its effect. The timer can be found next to the green timer that appears when you have eaten a meal which provides buffs to your stats.

You will find it difficult to hunt or collect resources effectively whilst the debuff is in effect due to it dulling your Na’vi senses. Not only that, but flying is also out of the question as your ikran will refuse to respond to your calls whilst the debuff is active. Ikran have standards too, you know. 

You will also not be able to access the services your fellow Na’vi provide at the different camps found across the Western Frontier, as they will refuse to speak to you. Talking to the Na’vi can be very helpful, as not only can you buy a range of items from them—including ingredients, mods for weapons and clothing, and meals to name a few—but the ones you meet whilst out and about on Pandora will often give you handy items for no reason other than they want to help.

Losing the ability to talk with the Na’vi can be a massive hindrance to your progression when it comes to crafting better items and food, so try to keep that in mind before you start yanking fruit from the trees and gunning down the Pandoran wildlife.

That is everything you need to know about the Disharmony debuff in Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora. The lessons the game teaches concerning respecting the natural world are surprisingly poignant, as it’s something we could all be doing a bit more of with our own planet. That said, the Avatar films—particularly the first one from 2009—hammered this point home, so it isn’t shocking the video game follows in its footsteps in this way.

From a practical gaming perspective, it makes sense to avoid the Disharmony debuff at all costs, as it will impede your abilities and make pretty much every aspect of the game a lot more difficult and frustrating. So when you are out there in the Western Frontiers of Pandora, be thoughtful, be respectful, and be kind, unless you want to risk the Disharmony debuff popping up constantly and making your life harder.