Guaranteed Wolf Scare Torch Trick

LucidFugue

By LucidFugue
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LucidFugue Pathfinder

LucidFugue

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Hi everyone, 

I was experimenting with the return of torch throwing and happened upon a behaviour with the wolves. Not sure if this is already known about but have reported as a bug as well as crossposting here and on Steam forums. Wolves will flee if they so much as touch a lit torch. That makes sense and would make for an awesome reward for beaning a wolf with a torch throw. Except you don't need to do that. They just walk right into them. 

I put together a few clips of my tests on Voyageur, Mystery Lake. Haven't tried on Interloper yet, but I don't imagine this particular behaviour is unique to one experience mode. 

The Long Dark - Guaranteed Wolf Scare Torch Trick

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MarrowStone Pathfinder

MarrowStone

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1 hour ago, JAFO said:

I'd call that correct behaviour, not a bug. Wolves are supposed to not like burning themselves.

Just because you've found a way to exploit the mechanism, doesn't make it a bad thing.

It does make you wonder why they wouldnt just run around it however.

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LucidFugue Pathfinder

LucidFugue

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9 hours ago, JAFO said:

I'd call that correct behaviour, not a bug. Wolves are supposed to not like burning themselves.

Just because you've found a way to exploit the mechanism, doesn't make it a bad thing.

I think the torch burning is correct. But I think the failure to path around torches is not intended. I might be wrong and I have questioned whether this is working as intended. 

 

But if this is the design, I would have much preferred the ability to throw torches slightly farther, but wolf AI that walks around them if they are on the ground. I actually only tested this because I heard it was now skill based. It is, if you have to land a torch near a wolf. But that carries significant risk due to how close the wolf has to get to you due to throw distance. Flares are better, but that's sensible. They're lighter and non-renewable. 

 

But with this exploit, torches are better than ever. You can pull them right out of a fire once more. They don't lose any condition on throwing. You can light one torch from another. I didn't like brandishing, but this might shift the pendulum a little far. 

 

 

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Samsonguy920 Pathfinder

Samsonguy920

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During my Bandit run in Stalker mode, I can definitely say that rocks definitely don't deter wolves. Whacked one on the side and the pup didn't even flinch.

I will keep that torch tactic in mind. I've learned it's good to keep one on me even if I have a good lantern. The list of things torches are handy for is steadily growing.

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JAFO Pathfinder

JAFO

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11 minutes ago, Samsonguy920 said:

During my Bandit run in Stalker mode, I can definitely say that rocks definitely don't deter wolves. Whacked one on the side and the pup didn't even flinch.

Hint: If you're aiming at the wolves, you're doing it wrong...

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Samsonguy920 Pathfinder

Samsonguy920

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Warning: Might be spoiler-y if you haven't had a chance to get into Story Mode, yet.  Continue at your own choice.

 

SDfWlM0.jpg

 

 

In story mode, when first hitting the road to Milton, it was already nighttime. I took the tip about rabbits and stones earlier as a personal challenge and killed a lot of time chasing after the rodents and only got two for my effort.

After the cave, it was darker than pitch, which left me pretty much just my hearing to guide me, and the sight of many wolf eyes facing me. If you've done the road to Milton during daylight, you definitely missed out on a world of scared-pantsless, I can tell you that.

But at one of the bridges I decided enough was enough and built a fire to stock up on torches. I would stock the fire, pull a torch, extinguish it, and so on. In the process I would also throw lit torches out on the road towards the wolf that was stalking me at the time. I just about had a nice half-circle of torches which did a dang fine job of discouraging the canine.  Once I was running out of fuel, though, I knew it was make or break time. So once the wolf once again ran off after noticing the burning torches yet again, I booked it.  It seemed to do the trick as I never felt that wolf on my heels again.

Coming across that church in the dark was the single most magnificent moment of the game. I would have stopped and kissed it but yet another wolf popped up, compelling me to get my butt inside.

In conclusion, I can definitely say wolves don't like fire, and tossing torches even preliminarily as a fenceline is a good tactic.  This is no bug and should be treated as a firm game mechanic.

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JAFO Pathfinder

JAFO

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1 hour ago, Samsonguy920 said:

In conclusion, I can definitely say wolves don't like fire, and tossing torches even preliminarily as a fenceline is a good tactic.  This is no bug and should be treated as a firm game mechanic.

From the Patch2 notes:

Quote

* Fixed issue where Wolves would sometimes not go into their Hold Ground AI state when approached with a Flare or Torch.

So now all fire/wolf mechanics are working correctly.. which they hadn't since v.393 came out.

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LucidFugue Pathfinder

LucidFugue

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I got pounced on by a wolf at the bridge to carter dam last night. Backpedalling with torch in hand. It was a really weird and random encounter. I'm not sure they've ironed out all the kinks. Damn lucky the wolf was a wuss and ran about a second into the struggle. I was bare handed with about 70% condition on interloper. 

Don't know what set the little guy off, but I tossed the torch just before the struggle so maybe that's what scared him? It's just that I haven't had a wolf decide to have a go at me while I'm holding a lit torch and walking away from it. 

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LucidFugue Pathfinder

LucidFugue

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I wasn't standing my ground. As I said, I was backing away. The wolf began stalking me from the far trailer outside Carter Hydro Dam. I had come through the dam gate and began crossing the bridge. 

With the wolf following me, I progressed all the way across the bridge, walking backwards. He probably hit the beginning of the bridge as I was 2/3 of the way across. No aurora in the sky or anything. 

I was contemplating whether to use the bridge as an easy spot to use the torch trick. But I figured it wasn't actually necessary since I was trekking to the camp office via the frozen river. It would be fairly straightforward to lose him on that journey.

I turned to check the height of the snow bank in that direction. Cutting corners by hopping off the side of the bridge puts additional distance between yourself and wildlife that will always path around obstacles.

I had glanced away for a brief moment. He had sped up, and was suddenly getting within aggro range. He pounced within seconds. I tossed the torch because when I saw how close he had got I immediately went for the torch trick. 

I have long suspected wolves speed up when you take your eyes off them, but since it's anecdotal I'm not convinced this actual behaviour. It could just be my perception of how they act. I've seen them change pace to catch up as I'm watching them as well. 

But the way that encounter played out is something I had not really witnessed before. 

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Thrasador Pathfinder

Thrasador

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In my experience they drastically reduced the range at which wolves go from stalking to charging and attacking you at least in Story, and at least at night. I haven't tested it during the day yet, but I fought that first wolf after the first cave in the Story multiple times.

I had known, and had used the torch trick prior to this. 

Due to the far away range at which I could aggro that wolf to charge me at night, and the relatively short range one can actually throw a torch, the ground "trick" is almost necessary now.

In Sandbox I almost NEVER went out at night, that's why I don't have much experience with wolves at night. I believe it even states wolves behave differently at night, so this decreased range thing could be a part of that for all I know.

In sandbox during the day wolves would get relatively close to you and then stop during the standoff phase and stand there for a bit snarling and growling at you before attacking.

At night in the Story, the wolf I scared off the first deer after the cave with a torch, would switch from walking back to the deer after being scared off.... to charge attacking me from quite far away. I would throw a torch towards him on the ground and start backing up. If I didn't back up far/fast enough, or collide with terrain behind me while backing up he would switch to charging me from MUCH farther away than would ever occur in sandbox during the day.

Just a heads up....

Throw that torch and keep backing up, backing up, backing up, backing up....my daddy taught me good...

 

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