Blizzards, Wolves and Fluffy

[ChillPlayer]

I think many know that you can utilize Blizzards to check out notorious wolf infested places like Derailment in ML without encountering any wolf. It doesn't work when you are outside close where the wolves are when the Blizzard starts but when you are inside a building and leave into the blizzard, there won't be any beasts around.

What is strange though, I believe that this also linked to Fluffy's appearance inside the Dam. It happend to me twice in a row during the Hopeless Rescue challenge. I was inside Camp Office and noticed a blizzard is most likely going on outside. I took the chance and went to Derailment (wolf free) to pick up the Rifle and went inside the Dam. Both times I checked both floors and there was no Fluffy.

Strange as this might be, the second time I've spend some hours inside the dam and the Blizzard outside was long over. I almost crapped my pants when I left the little storage room right of the control room on the upper floor (with the tresor inside) and saw Fluffy strolling away towards the stairs. He didn't notice me and I could escape the dam without a fight.

I always thought the story of Fluffy is that he went through the broken window into the dam and got trapped there. Apparently this is not the case anymore (if it ever was), the vanishing of wolves due to blizzards seems to affect Fluffy too. Anyone else noticed this or can provide another (confirmed) explaination for this?

[Berniyh]

Or maybe you just went to the dam too early in the game?

Since for some hours after starting a new game there are no wolves and also no Fluffy.

Unless you're playing on Stalker of course, but I don't think you can choose for the challenges.

[CheetoGo]

 It's probably not a canon part of the game. It may just be because Fluffy and wolves have a very similar script inside of them, the Wolf Disappearance may just be causing a side effect with Fluffy.

[CheetoGo]

 It's probably not a canon part of the game. It may just be because Fluffy and wolves have a very similar script inside of them, the Wolf Disappearance may just be causing a side effect with Fluffy.

[ChillPlayer]

9 hours ago, Berniyh said:

Or maybe you just went to the dam too early in the game?

Since for some hours after starting a new game there are no wolves and also no Fluffy.

The first time it happend I checked first the Rifle spawns around the Lake area which was strange by itself: When I got to it via the Lake Trail there were 3 deers and not a single wolf on the Lake. After I entered some houses suddenly the deers were gone and at least 3 wolves were patrouling the area. The Challenge starts 3h or 5h before night so I figured they come out when dusk is nearing.

The second time though I was greeted by a wolf at Max' Last Stand right when I left Trapper's, 1h into the game max. While I can't explain the above I can 100% confirm that I saw at least one wolf before I went into Camp Office both times.

In any event, something truly strange is going on with wolves spawns in general when doing the Hopeless Rescue Challenge. I didn't pay particular attention to this when I did a Stalker sandbox play to familiarize myself with the recent changes, so I can't comment on that yet.

[beechel]

I have to say I have had two visits to the dam where I have not seen Fluffy, one was a day in and the other 20 days in... I can't be certain but I am pretty sure the weather was 'not great' but not full on Blizzard on either day - yet still he was not there. 

[ChillPlayer]

I think the "grace" period without any wolves appearing at the start of the game does not apply to Stalker. I spawned yesterday in Stalker directly above camp office and went straight to Derailment which was already guarded by a wolf.

[Scyzara]

3 hours ago, ChillPlayer said:

I think the "grace" period without any wolves appearing at the start of the game does not apply to Stalker.

You're right, wolf spawns are only delayed in Voyageur mode. It's part of the "give Voyageurs an easier start" package to make the two modes more distinct. And to narrow the difficulty gap between Pilgrim and Voyageur a bit of course.

That being said, Fluffy has never been missing in one of my games as far as I remember. He did, however, not always spawn in the basement. Once I entered the basement from the lower dam and couldn't find Fluffy downstairs, but he was still there... just waiting upstairs in the control room.^^

[cekivi]

@beechel Re: Fluffy

Fluffy is random on Voyager. While Fluffy is often in the dam they're not always in the dam. You'll always see Fluffy on Stalker mode.

Additionally, since wolves do not spawn for the first 24 hours in Voyager entering the dam in that time period also prevents Fluffy from spawning.

[ElvisHunter]

21 minutes ago, cekivi said:

@beechel Re: Fluffy

Fluffy is random on Voyager. While Fluffy is often in the dam they're not always in the dam. You'll always see Fluffy on Stalker mode.

Additionally, since wolves do not spawn for the first 24 hours in Voyager entering the dam in that time period also prevents Fluffy from spawning.

Unless I missed something it's a little shorter. Also - In my experience you can enter the dam before wolves spawn and still have Fluffy spawn. 

On 2/25/2016 at 7:52 PM, Raphael van Lierop :

there is a "grace" period of 12-hours of game time in Voyageur before Wolves spawn

[ChillPlayer]

2 hours ago, cekivi said:

@beechel Re: Fluffy

You'll always see Fluffy on Stalker mode.

nope, as I said Fluffy wasn't in the dam twice in a row when I entered during a blizzard and I always play on Stalker

[cekivi]

Admittedly I may be wrong. I'm going off an old update list.

In my own playthroughs I've always seen Fluffy.

[beechel]

To add to my initial post- no fluffy day day 1 and day 20 and no blizzard either time, I was playing in Voyager both times.  In addition, I have to add that I have only ever encountered Mr Fluffikins upstairs, but then that is not saying much... I have only ever ventured downstairs once (the day 20 play through) so it may be that on the other time I did not encounter him he had spawned downstairs... I don't generally spent too much time hanging around in the dam to find out!! 

 

[ChillPlayer]

18 hours ago, cekivi said:

Admittedly I may be wrong. I'm going off an old update list.

In my own playthroughs I've always seen Fluffy.

I am sorry but in fact I might've been wrong lol. The two instances I described where Fluffy was missing were during the Hopeless Rescue Challenge and I have no knowledge of if Stalker rules apply there. In ordinary Stalker plays I also always encountered Fluffy in the dam as far as I can remember, so this might be in fact limited to Challenges, will test this some day.

[ElvisHunter]

When it comes to challenges I think almost all bets are off. I've seen a wolf pop into existence at a full run 20 meters in-front of me. Did he beam down from the wolf mothership in orbit? The wolves in challenges behave (for me anyway) in ways that are far more unpredictable than their sandbox counterparts. 

[cekivi]

True. I've noticed in Hopeless Rescue that wolf behaviours are really unpredictable...