Deer run only 30 yards then stop after missed shotgun blast?

[stray_cur]

Now that I've had to actually hunt a bit (wolves not helping like they used to), I was surprised that the shotgun blast made the deer (or group of deer) hardly run away at all - like 30 yards then carry on as usual. Miss - not a problem, just line it up again.  Or hit one, then the next one, then the next one.  Shouldn't they be outta there?

[Pillock]

Yeah. In my experience, getting close to real deer without spooking them is pretty difficult. They usually run about half a mile before you've even had time to say "Bugger, he must have seen me"... even if you're trying to be as quiet and stealthy as possible.

Where did you find the shotgun, by the way?

[stray_cur]

Yes, hence the whole point of those 'hunter outposts' -- great place to lay low, be patient and get a deer. -- but as it stands, why bother with all that?  With a little tweak or two to deer behavior, hunting could be a little more nuanced, challenging and thus rewarding.

First run, post update (stalker), I didn't find a shotgun in ML, (I must have overlooked it?) which made for a real interesting (and fish full) experience.  Second run, on the lakeside trail.

 

[cekivi]

@stray_cur: you mean a rifle, right?

And yes, all animals should run off from a rifle shot. Bears and wolves that aren't charging should also be frightened away (at the cost of a bullet). A shot is a very loud unnatural sound. Wildlife doesn't like it.

[continuity]

Bow hunting is also a bit weird, If I miss a Deer I expect it to run for the hills and not look back, but it runs 20 yard, then slowly walks back to an arrow in the face.

Like this fellow:

http://i.imgur.com/she1rIO.jpg

That was the 3rd arrow I shot at him (ok i'm a bad shot), but he kept trotting off then coming right back for more.

[stray_cur]

Yeah, that ain't proper.

[stray_cur]

Well, a single wolf just downed 3 deer for me on ML (27 steaks) -- so,,, I jumped the gun thinking that element of the game had been 'fixed'.
For the first time I chose to override the actual game and took it upon myself not to harvest them, treating it as a 'bug' or 'broken feature' - as it seriously cheapens the experience.  (I'm also not reading any of those skill books -- which is a sort of override, but not as blatant.. they still burn good).

2 tweaks to improve the hunting experience:

- Less (close to zero) wolf assisted kills
- Deer run farther away from sound of rifle blast
(and perhaps less wildlife with lower respawn rate)