immersion and wildlife behavior

[polarnomad]

Hey Hinterland,

A few issues have been bugging me somewhat about wildlife behavior in TLD.  All of which are rather immersion breaking, for me at least.  If you have time to look into them, that would be awesome.

1) Animals in TLD spend an enormous amount of time hanging around on ice, even in strong wind.  Here, in Finland, there are plenty of lakes, and plenty of wildlife, but I have never seen behavior of this sort.  I understand that TLD is not supposed to be 100% realistic, but since temperature plays such an important role in the day-to-day activity of the player in-game, shouldn't it also apply to wildlife?

2) While hunting a bear, on ice again, I shot it, it panicked and tore off across an area of weak ice that I had to go around.  The bear weighs many times more than I.  It seemed exempt from in-game rules, which left me feeling a little cheated.

3) Yesterday, I wandered out of The Misanthrope's Homestead and approached the steep drop to the rear of the cabin.  A wolf, prowling around on the ice below, was immediately alerted to my presence and stormed up the hill.  Ok, admittedly this is very subjective, and I may have underestimated the distance separating the wolf and I, but it felt greater, when taking the height into account, than the distance needed to circumnavigate wolves safely on a flat surface.

4) On the Pleasant Valley map, I used the doorway of the glassed porch at the Farmstead as cover to attack a prowling bear.  While doing so I inadvertantly engaged in an amusing dance with my adversary. One step forward across the threshold and the bear was alerted to my presence, one step back and he let down his guard.  Step forward: GRRRR!  Step back: off to searching for berries.  Step forward: GRRR!  Step back... (you get the picture).  The behavior reversal and change of stance were so immediate that it made me laugh.

None of these issues are game-breaking, but addressing them could make the experience just a touch more engrossing.  Thanks for taking them into consideration, if you do.

polarnomad

[polarnomad]

Now I realize this should have been posted in the Alpha Playtest Feedback forum.  Sorry.

[Pillock]

The one that gets me is the way deer run away from you by running towards you. Even through you, sometimes. Rabbits as well, come to think of it. And I don't like the clipperty-clop sound of their hooves, either - they sound like shod horses on tarmac.

[hauteecolerider]

1 hour ago, Pillock said:

And I don't like the clipperty-clop sound of their hooves, either - they sound like shod horses on tarmac.

Yes, they sound very different in nature - more a thudding sound than a clattering sound.

I'll never forget the first time I heard a deer. Before this, I couldn't hear sounds outdoors very well, unless you were standing right next to me I couldn't hear your voice at all. But a few months before this trip, I upgraded to a new digital hearing aid from the old analog ones. This new hearing aid (not so new now) extended my range of hearing in amazing ways. I realized this when I went to Olympic National Park and started out from the Hurricane Ridge Visitor Center to follow the trail to Hurricane Hill. A large mule deer crossed the trail in front of me, stamping at flies that were buzzing around her. I could hear her feet thudding the ground. She went over a small knoll to my right, out of sight. Next thing I knew I heard a kid cry out, then a thud-THUD-thud as the deer apparently spooked and heard her backtrack across the trail in front of me. It was cool for me because I had never heard anything like that before.

And even crossing the asphalt trail, those hooves didn't clatter as much as shod horse hooves do - it's a duller, softer sound.

[Pillock]

In my experience, deer running on fields are near silent unless you are very close to them. And my hearing is fine (as far as I know!).

[On hearing aids, I will never forget the reaction of my 60 year-old Aunt, who had been profoundly deaf since birth, after she had a cochlear implant operation. A morning or two later, she near jumped out of her skin when pouring orange juice into a glass, because it never occurred to her that it would even make a sound!]

[polarnomad]

It really would be nice if wildlife did not run out onto weak ice.  This situation left me frustrated.  Used two bullets, only to be denied access to the carcass.  Woe is me...

Or if they do decide to gallop across weak ice, at least have them fall through.