Jeremiah's Folly (bear hunt) quest discussion (spoilers!)

[FatherFrost]

Hi folks. After two days of struggling with bugs, constant replaying over and over again, backuping every savegame my bear hunt is finally over. And I have some thoughts. If you have yours - please share.
 First of all I think the idea to give player bear hunting experience is good. But in this particular case, it's very poorly executed. And I'm not talking only about bugs - there are lot of illogical things that break the immersion.
 
 1. After the first encounter with the bear you can spend a several days on Mystery Lake doing Jeremia's quests. And there are no any signs of bear presence. Jeremiah is saying that bear is very dangerous manhunter but where is he? Player must feel the fear of his presence. It should be something like The Hunted (part 1) challenge. Bear has to be nearby all the time. But no, all these quests on ML like walk an a park.

 2. Bear attack. It's so dumb. There wasn't any sign of the bear for days but magically he could smell blood from your hand cut (and you inside the cabin btw) and teleported to cabin entrance. Ok, you come out and see the bear in front of you. Your actions? Go back and wait? Wrong. Bear can wait you for month there. Try to dodge and shoot him from the cover. Wrong. Bear is immortal at this stage, you can't kill him. Developers want to bear charge player and give player unique experience to be a prey. That's fine but this moment should be a cut scene. Don't give controls to a player because he can do something unexpected and cause a bug. 
 Here we come to storytelling and immersion part. You've being torn to pieces at the porch of Jeremiah's cabin and he is sitting inside with the gun. And he is definately not a coward. Would he come out and help you? Looks like he doesn't give a shit that his savior is killed at his doorstep. This really break the immersion and world consistency. In my opinion bear attack has to be somewhere on the map when you least expect it. In this case there would be much more suspense than in the dumb jump scare - boom! get a bear in your face!

 3. Tracking the bear. Bear is acting like a train on a rails. Always moving from point A to point B then to point C, et cetera. I replayed this ten times and always the same route. All this quest is so heavy scripted and this is the reason why it's so buggy. Players don't act like developers expect. They do some random stuff sometimes and ruin this clockwork quest.
 
 Really dissapointed in this part. I had to get a unique bear hunting experience but instead I've got exhausting marathon of bugs and bad game design. This is sad because I love and adore TLD. What do you think guys?

[AZHockeyNut]

I went back inside and loaded a flare...he didn't like it. Now days later I cannot find him...oh well loving off fish and deer since rabbits are too scarce...

[LucidFugue]

I think it has promise as a quest. I'm a little forgiving of the bugs because they will get ironed out in time. But Jeremiah's advice on hunting the bear is terrible. If you wait for him to approach and shoot at the last second... Sure, you hit. But you get mauled anyway. If the Bear is supposed to run when it gets hit, that's not what is happening. It's much better to shoot from a distance, up on a hill, and escape the Bear's wrath. You actually don't kill the Bear with your heart. Not using your head gets you killed, just like any other threat in the game.

I wouldn't want to be forced into completing the quest immediately, but I agree that the game tries to make it seem like time is an issue. The game works best when you can play at your own pace and I have been surprised to see so much of the story fall into this "No time to explain, it's too important, just do the thing!" pattern when it's counter to the game's strength. 

[shade_grey]

9 hours ago, LucidFugue said:

I wouldn't want to be forced into completing the quest immediately, but I agree that the game tries to make it seem like time is an issue. The game works best when you can play at your own pace and I have been surprised to see so much of the story fall into this "No time to explain, it's too important, just do the thing!" pattern when it's counter to the game's strength. 

Yep I get that... I just finished one quest from Jeremiah when this clusterfugue happened. Returning to the cabin after a long day foraging to report my progress to Jeremiah and accept the next quest so I can head back to the camp office to get a full night's sleep and get started on it... But no... After Will cuts his hand in the cabin, the bear appears like magic right outside the cabin door. It was past twilight when all this happened and overcast as well so it was dark as a cave. I was tired, hungry, thirsty, and now bleeding. And since I was tired, I couldn't shoot straight even if my (in game) life depended on it, so of course it didn't end well.

[cannajan]

I completely lost the bear, I had 3 'encounters' and was amazingly still alive? (can he actually kill you?) I decided I had to stop following the tracks which I loved, think the tracking was brilliant! so I went off to eat sleep raise my condition so I would survive, I lost alot of clothing in the 3 attacks so I took time to get some more, when I went back to look for the bear, no tracks above the derailment carriages where I'd seen him vanish, checked every location marked on the map twice, no way to recut my hand, so I gave up.  Should I have continued chasing the bear and not worry about condition?

I've started a new save from scratch, the patches have changed things and its fun to see what, I'm also checking out the areas more found stuff I'd missed on the first run, so its all good.

[Volatile]

@cannajan

I managed to get through this part by cheesing (recommended as of now until the quest is fixed): make your way to the "possible Old Bear's location" on the map, the game should automatically save progress when you're near it. Crouch, find a vantage point, try to locate the Old Grissly and shoot it from a safe distance (to avoid unnecessary tackle). When you shoot, keep your eyes peeled for a blood splatter. When you see it, confirm the hit by opening your journal and check out the progress indicator (it should read 1/6 for your first hit). Confirm the bear took flight, too. If he's not around anymore, move on to the next designated area. This is a HEAVILY SCRIPTED (albeit poorly) QUEST, and you have to do it 'to the letter' to avoid bugs. If you shoot and the counter doesn't acknowledge it, quit and reload your save. Keep at it until it registers. 

After shooting it six times, the bear dies (finally) and you get to keep all the meat plus the Old Bear's ear. Return it to Jeremiah. 

GAME BREAKING BUG (on Xbox One) past this point: auroras are disabled for the duration of the Bear Hunt quest (Jeremiah's Folly), and it won't come back after you're finished with the bear hunt. This is said to be fixed by Patch 4 which unfortunately is not yet available on Xbox One. Pending approval. 

[Pringo13]

Hi guys I am on my last encounter with the bear and have run out of rifle ammo. Can I still complete the task? I have hunted literally everywhere and can't find any more rounds. Help!

[Hotzn]

15 hours ago, Pringo13 said:

Hi guys I am on my last encounter with the bear and have run out of rifle ammo. Can I still complete the task? I have hunted literally everywhere and can't find any more rounds. Help!

You can get axtra ammo in one of the side quests I think. The Lake Gunshots quest maybe?

[Carbon]

Meanwhile the love of your life - the entire reason you are in this mess - is off somewhere either dead or dying while we do fetch quests for people. Ah well...if the game doesn't care about her, then nor do I. I think I'll replay it without any urgency about Astrid in my mind at all.

[Hesha]

I completed the quest today, and I partially agree with the OP. Of course it is silly, how the bear teleports to the cabin, but honestly, I was already dreading to have to go look for him...

I was taken by surprise when the bear appeared in front of Jeremiah's cabin, but I have no issue with how the game treats this encounter. The OP might have been mauled by the bear because he didn't react quickly enough, but the game DOES allow you to react - much better than a cut scene, which I would have hated and considered super patronising. I have made it a habit to always have the Distress Pistol in my hands when I move about and so it was almost out of reflex that I shot the bear square in the face with it, sending it off squealing. Great that the game allows for this to happen and doesn't railroad you into getting mauled.

The chase is very different from what Jeremiah promises it to be, but I knew that before it happened. Despite all the "no time, no time" and "I have to hurry" the game lets you take your sweet time - and I don't mind. And it is railroaded - but I don't really mind. What would the alternative be? The bear going off in a random direction and you having to look for it? The tedium!

One question, though... after you return the bear's ear to Jeremiah, can you still complete his letters-quest? Can you still gain trust with him? Because when I click him now, nothing happens.
Also: What is that box in the ground that he manipulates once Mackenzie leaves the cabin? I had my bedroll deployed in front of Jeremiahs bed and couldn't see a thing!

[Ruruwawa]

2 hours ago, Hesha said:

One question, though... after you return the bear's ear to Jeremiah, can you still complete his letters-quest? Can you still gain trust with him? Because when I click him now, nothing happens.
Also: What is that box in the ground that he manipulates once Mackenzie leaves the cabin? I had my bedroll deployed in front of Jeremiahs bed and couldn't see a thing!

I also could not interact with Jeremiah after turning in the ear.  It seems like a bug.

Re the box:

It's actually set below the floor under a trapdoor.  He has a radio transmitter stashed down there -- with power! -- that he operates.

[RossBondReturns]

You want the best advice for the Bear Quest...here it is....don't follow Jeremiah's Advice. I tried actively not to get mauled...but in the end I did get mauled 2 times.

That said most of my shots were at range because Will can think for himself and Jeremiah's advice is really really dumb.

And for the record yes....most of the time the Bear does run off if you shoot him.

Also you don't have to get in one shot per location either...if you can manage 2 go for it.

[Mr.McThump]

I'm stuck. 4 encounters, 4 hits, now can't find Smokey anywhere.  For a week in game, straight,  i wake up, leave trapper cabin and make a big circle hitting all the possible bear spots, no luck. If I've hit him 4 times, will he only spawn at 2 last locations? Or can you encounter a 2nd time at a previous location? Getting frustrated. Gonna take a break and go find this forge and his hide out. Be back in a few days.

[RossBondReturns]

13 hours ago, Mr.McThump said:

I'm stuck. 4 encounters, 4 hits, now can't find Smokey anywhere.  For a week in game, straight,  i wake up, leave trapper cabin and make a big circle hitting all the possible bear spots, no luck. If I've hit him 4 times, will he only spawn at 2 last locations? Or can you encounter a 2nd time at a previous location? Getting frustrated. Gonna take a break and go find this forge and his hide out. Be back in a few days.

He should be somewhere on the path around Loggers.

[Thrasador]

17 hours ago, Mr.McThump said:

I'm stuck. 4 encounters, 4 hits, now can't find Smokey anywhere.  For a week in game, straight,  i wake up, leave trapper cabin and make a big circle hitting all the possible bear spots, no luck. If I've hit him 4 times, will he only spawn at 2 last locations? Or can you encounter a 2nd time at a previous location? Getting frustrated. Gonna take a break and go find this forge and his hide out. Be back in a few days.

You have to approach the location he went to next from the direction of the last place you shot him. Where did you shoot him? On the rails? I think he heads to the logging camp or clear cut next....so go back to the rails (or wherever you last shot him) and walk in the direction of the logging camp, and then to the clear cut (or vice versus depending on whichever way he ran) like you were chasing him the whole time and never took a break at Trappers....

Ideally you'll remember what direction he took off in after you shot him. Theoretically you were supposed to follow his footprints and blood trail to the next location....like you never took a break....

That should make him pop. If the game randomly saves on screen, then you know you are close.... it means the bear just appeared, so eyes peeled and get ready to shoot him....

There is another thread where someone had the same issue....

 

[Niskavuori]

A possible solution!
Go back to the latest spot you were mauled. You should be able to see your own blood stain in snow. Start tracking from there again.
This worked for me. Even after TWO full days and all kind of wheather while my caracter was healing, eating and fixing his clothes.
PS. After all, this is a exercise for tracking, I think...

[nicko]

Yay I was 5-6 went walking a bit ( had enough bullets still - 1 left) - the game auto saved. which made me think, ok the bear scene again. cool. got him. few runs to harvest the fat bastish. need food im starving.

[yarogor]

dropped game in this quest - got a bug when this bear attaks me no matter what. 

And without this bug - this quest is very dissapointing and frustrating. Invincible teleporting bear make swith off game after I saw this at the first time.

Some time after I tried to complete this quest  again and when I realise that I got bug - I desided to drop the game. Sad.
Waiting so long for story mode and get this? Eh...

[Basaoul]

well i did just finish the episode 2 and im very happy about the game BUT i did scare when the old bear were at the cabin's door but all i do was to took off my clothes on the ground get mauled and bandage+antiseptic 4 times cuz i got him run away 1 time and killed him the last time  so that was cool i did it in 30min real life not a big deal

[TreeBeard]

I finished off the ol' bear last night, and ate his liver with a glass of cianti... well, I would've if I could scavenge some.

Anyway, not being a bear hunter in survival mode, here's my pros & cons:

1. Totally agree with OP - having the bear occasionally pop up while you're doing the previous Jeremiah quests would be scary & add more depth to the story. Or maybe just having him occaisionally turning up near the Trappers Hut, so you have to stalk cautiously around that area? Plus that would add more credence to the current scripted element where it is waiting for you outside the cabin.
2. I liked that you had to track him from location to location, and that he was always scripted to be at the next location as long as you went back to where you last shot him - this helped my hunt because I started mine late in the evening and really needed to get some rest & re-stock / prepare before I could get started proper. Additionally, there was a massive blizzard the next day (not sure if that is scrpited?) but I only had the chance to get one more shot in on the bear before having to hole up in a cabin. Plus, I'm not a speed-gamer, I like to move at my own pace (another reason why I like this whole game). I think if you try just plough through the hunt like you would a level on a platform game, then yeah, you're not gonna get the best out of it.
3. Never had any issues with bugs... I play on PC, so maybe that is why (less buggy than xbox & PS as I'm led to believe). I liked the auto-save before each attack, because I had to reload a couple of times - once for a double wolf attack whilst going between locations (and I had my head down looking at bear tracks ), and once because I fell off the tree I was perched on to take my shot and sprained my wrist (Will is such a dumbass!  ).

On the whole I really enjoyed the bear hunt, and it made it all the more satisfying to chow down on that sucker. Although it did make me realise one annoying thing about the game, but I will post it in its own thread (or chack to see if it has been questioned before), as it is unrelated to the hunt itself. 

[ingrobny]

On 6.8.2017 at 2:31 AM, FatherFrost said:

Ok, you come out and see the bear in front of you. Your actions? Go back and wait? Wrong. Bear can wait you for month there. Try to dodge and shoot him from the cover. Wrong. Bear is immortal at this stage, you can't kill him.

I shot him in the head with the rifle when i exited the door, but i had to reload first, because the bear surprised me, but after i talked with Jeremiah again i had my rifle ready and went out the door, shot him in the head and he ran away and no you can't kill him with one shot, 6 headshot when he is very close, like Jeremiah was saying, wait until you see the whites in his eyes, after he runs away you can see on the map where he can be.