Timberwolves

[KinoUnko]

Plenty of threads pointing out the problem with those buggers so I won't repeat them here. 

Here are couple suggestions on how they may be turned into something that feels little more than furry death machines with singular focus of making life difficult for the player.

They compete for territory with black wolves and bears. I don't know if this is the case or not, but so far I've not seen Timberwolves in conflict with anything else, other than myself. I did see a dead black wolf when first entering Bleak Inlet, presumably this is indication that TW are hostile to something other than the player. Black wolves scatter at the sight of Bears. Timbers should stand their ground, have a little scuffle here and there, either drive off the bear  or scatter themselves. This segues to my next suggestion

TW familiarity. They are obviously more intelligent than any other animals in the game, or at least that's the intent I think. That would suggest possibilty of non-zero sum encounters. I'm not saying go rollicking about in the snow with the new fam. Just bribe them with enough venison and rabbits so they ignore your presence. I'm suggesting a bit more than standard bait and run that works with black wolves. TWs should be much less common than black wolves. One pack per region. Player have to observe their patrol route and leave food in their path without aggro. They remember player's offerings, and after sometime may become familiar enough to let the player pass unmolested. There is still a minimum distance that will aggro the TW regardless of how much the player have left for them before. Behaviour here would be similar to approaching a black wolf with a fresh kill. If the player is really really really lucky they maybe saved from a bear by a pack of TWs. 

[Salty Crackers]

22 minutes ago, KinoUnko said:

Just bribe them with enough venison and rabbits so they ignore your presence. I'm suggesting a bit more than standard bait and run that works with black wolves.

I think that it would be interesting if decoys acted to decrease pack morale. It shouldn't lower it too much, but a clever survivor could use a carrot-and-stick approach, both scaring and bribing the pack in order to escape.

[Enigma]

Really nice ideas, maybe make the TW packs observe the player while he kills or cooks, ambushing them or maybe if you are on good terms leaving them alone. And then you have an army.