Moose hide cloak, good for nothing or a necessity?

[Niskavuori]

Howdy;

I'm playing on Stalker and planing to bring some lead, suphur and other stuff to Bleak Inlet. Last time I went there, I died miserably - Timber wolves nibbing my health to zero.
Would a moose cloak help?

 

[Mroz4k]

Dont think it will make much of a difference. It might  help, a little. It provides more protection from animal attacks then other pieces of clothing. It is also renewable in a sense that you can just harvest your cloak and re-stich a new one, without a neccesity to go hunting for more moose. So, if it gets damaged, you are not wasting anything besides a knife durability, which can be repaired with milling machine in turn at cost of some iron, and some hooks/cured guts. Now they dont provide the weather protection of a bearskin cloak, but at the same time they dont limit you down so much on mobility.

So yea, might be a good idea. Depends on your playstyle, really.

[Niskavuori]

19 minutes ago, Mroz4k said:

Dont think it will make much of a difference. It might  help, a little. It provides more protection from animal attacks then other pieces of clothing. It is also renewable in a sense that you can just harvest your cloak and re-stich a new one, without a neccesity to go hunting for more moose. So, if it gets damaged, you are not wasting anything besides a knife durability, which can be repaired with milling machine in turn at cost of some iron, and some hooks/cured guts. Now they dont provide the weather protection of a bearskin cloak, but at the same time they dont limit you down so much on mobility.

So yea, might be a good idea. Depends on your playstyle, really.

Thanks;

I'm trying to achieve my 500 days on Stalker and Cartographer "badges" here. Relaying mainly to bow and arrow. But since the birtch trees are limited I must "be prepared" for my future with a revolver too. I usually go to new area and hunt, leave pelts and guts to dry. And that is my plan with Bleak too. To prep the area for time when I really need my bullets. I think that summarize my playstyle.

What is your recommeded weapon with Timber wolf packs?

[odizzido]

I have limited experience with timber wolves but all of the weapons seemed good to me. Accuracy and speed are your best weapons. I would suggest practicing quick shots and without using the aim button because of the, frankly, absurd AI dodge which only happens if you "aim". Actually, if you enjoy games like UT2004 then that would be really effective training. I bet with a few weeks of solid UT2004 you could mow those wolves over no problem.

Actually I do have one suggestion. Bring multiple weapons. I think the DPS on the pistol is probably the highest, but the reload takes a while. Start off with the pistol, take all six shots as quickly as you can, then switch to the rifle or bow.

Edited February 18, 2021 by odizzido

[ManicManiac]

I think it all depends on one's individual playstyle...

As an upper-torso outerwear item (coats), its major strengths are:
It provides the most waterproof protection - rating at 90%.
It's provides the most armor protection - rating at 25%.

However, it's the 2nd heaviest coat...  and comes in 3rd place or lower in all other categories...
Especially of note, it has the absolute worst warmth/weight ratio - rating at .88* Celcius per Kilogram.

So... I think if the player wants waterproofing & armor, and doesn't mind the extra heft... then the Moose-hide Cloak might be perfect in that particular circumstance.

[Addendum]

I misread the original post.

I realized this post was more about dealing with Timber Wolves, than it was about the merits of the Moose-hide Cloak as a clothing item.

The Timber Wolves themselves (as others have mentioned) can indeed be dispatched effectively with any weapon, in my last run I got to try them all.  Even rocks are effective at distracting them (to avoid being detected in the first place), and breaking pack morale.  If a player is wily... they can stealth around their territory and avoid them all together.  With the exception however, of the scripted encounters...

 

Edited February 18, 2021 by ManicManiac

[Stinky socks]

1 hour ago, odizzido said:

absurd AI dodge which only happens if you "aim"

Perhaps slightly offtopic, but how do wolves figure out you are 'aiming' and how do they know you hold a weapon?

[Niskavuori]

5 minutes ago, ManicManiac said:

I think it all depends on one's individual playstyle...

As an upper-torso outerwear item (coats), its major strengths are:
It provides the most waterproof protection - rating at 90%.
It's provides the most armor protection - rating at 25%.

However, it's the 2nd heaviest coat...  and comes in 3rd place or lower in all other categories...
Especially of note, it has the absolute worst warmth/weight ratio - rating at .88* Celcius per Kilogram.

So... I think if the player wants waterproofing & armor, and doesn't mind the extra heft... then the Moose-hide Cloak might be perfect in that particular circumstance.

Personally, I like to run light... so it's not good for my playstyle.

Thanks,

Now prepping Desolation Point and just thought, that I should have taken my Moose cloak instead - I mean, how many blizzards can happen in a row with 1h intervals... I have a very strong feeling, that it is actually designed to DP and these weather patterns they have here.
 

[ManicManiac]

@Niskavuori

Happy to help

I also updated my previous post... I initially misread it.

Edited February 18, 2021 by ManicManiac

[Niskavuori]

1 minute ago, ManicManiac said:

@Niskavuori

Happy to help

BTW Manic;

How do you play, when "running light"? I mean what do you bring with you and what gear do you use as clothing? That is something I'm really curious about. I tend to drag too much stuff with me...

 

[ManicManiac]

@Niskavuori

Well, I tend to frequently pare down my pack.  I prefer to leave as much at smaller encampments that I can easily travel to and use as stop-over points.

As for what I carry with me... I call it my Bare Essentials Kit.
It varies a bit (depending on whether or not I've found all my ideal gear)

I usually only carry the following around with me:

On 11/12/2019 at 4:23 AM, ManicManiac said:

What I've pared down as my bare essentials kit is generally:

Whatever clothing I'm wearing (I tend to prioritize warmth/wight ratio - so while my clothing isn't the warmest possible in some slots, it's still relatively light... for example Wolfskin coats aren't as warm as Bear or Moose, but it is quite a bit lighter while still being fairly warm)
1 standard bedroll
2L of water (which for me is a comfortable night's sleep and plenty of water for the next day)
1 night's "stopover" food (bare minimum to get a good night's sleep - used only as last resort)
1 bandage
3 unprocessed lichen (as they are "lightest" when not crafted into wound dressing)
1 knife
1 pack of cardboard matches
1 torch (to make best use of said cardboard matches)

***Optional, but ideal***
1 piece of emergency coal
1 fire striker (as emergency backup in case I absent mindedly use my last match, and to enable ignition source selection for lighting aforementioned torch)
1 magnifying glass (to take advantage of clear skies for "free" fire)
1 lantern (fully fueled when possible)
1 set of fishing tackle (for emergency repairs or fishing)
1 pry bar
1 recycled can
2-4 stones for distraction/wolf deterrent.

The kit does vary of course based on what I've managed to find (so end weight does fluctuate a bit), but this is generally my ideal setup for roaming.  Anything else I may need is always sourced from whatever region I happen to find myself in, and stored at whatever "stopover" points I setup (documented in my journal). 

Using this, I can usually get down as low as 18-20 kg (depending on the circumstance) and still feel I have what I need to survive... leaving me plenty of room to pick up more gear and supplies along the way.

[Addendum]
Now if I am going out with a particular task in mind (like hunting)... then I'll just add the appropriate tool for that job.  Also, if I do end up needed something while I'm out, I can usually pretty quickly stop by one of my many encampments and pick up whatever I might need (be it food, water, weapon, or tool).

Edited February 18, 2021 by ManicManiac

[Niskavuori]

Thank you, ManicManiac

Reading your list of bare minimums realy opened my eyes. Since I'm already prepping areas, usually one place next to a crafting table, why not prepare a couple of more in each area? And do I really need a Bearskin bedroll anywhere else than while sleeping in Stone Church or Fishing Huts? That is already -2Kg, and leaving my pot, an extra -1kg.

Thanks again!
And greetings from Finland. We had -25 C this morning...

[odizzido]

2 hours ago, Stinky socks said:

Perhaps slightly offtopic, but how do wolves figure out you are 'aiming' and how do they know you hold a weapon?

It's when you press whatever the aim button is for you. Mine is space but I don't think that's the default. I don't think they care if you're holding a gun, even if it's pointed directly at them, it's only when you press that aim key that they react. At least from what I recall. And it can change at any moment too if you have forced updates.