Timberwolves: If this is "tuned" ...

[TFA303]

I installed update 2.31 while I was safely ensconced at the Weather Station. Part of 2.31 is "Tuned Timberwolves to reduce their presence between Placid Notch and Final Refuge in Sundered Pass." 

While trying to make it from Final Refuge to the vista location, I was overwhelmed by timberwolves. Multiple packs hitting at once, and large packs as well (Stalker Difficulty), gave me a chance to test out the  Cheat Death feature pretty quickly. 

I respawned in HRV with no sleeping bag, but managed to drag my broke body to safety in the bunker as my life ebbed away from fatigue. 

Determined not to have the same thing happen again, I rebuilt my clothes and equipment, made a run to Bleak Inlet to make a LOT of ammo and noisemakers  and collected every Marine Flare and Stim I could find. 

After over a month (in-game) of preps, with the Cheat Death penalty gone, I went back to Sundered Pass. This time, I made it all the way to the vista, but the packs of wolves kept hitting me over and over,  and I died at that lovely spot. This time, I was furiously clicking to fire as I died, so I hit the wrong button and my run ended. 

It's not a bug, I guess, so maybe not a @Player_Support issue, but please count me as one who, even as a very experienced player is finding this aspect of the region so challenging that it's no longer fun. 

I love TLD, but not this part.

[I_eat_only_wolf_meat]

A red flare should provide long-lasting relief, but so will a camp fire if it's not windy.  Just don't let them get too close to you, and you should be able to drive them all off if you have a revolver.  You can also repeatedly throw torches at them from your fire to break their morale if a camp fire is an option.

With a bow, you're probably better off sneaking up and assassinating them.

Keep in mind that having smelly meat or guts and being overloaded or otherwise weakened will make them more aggressive.  You've got to try and deal with them at full health and unencumbered.

[ElSuperGecko]

10 hours ago, I_eat_only_wolf_meat said:

A red flare should provide long-lasting relief, but so will a camp fire if it's not windy.  Just don't let them get too close to you, and you should be able to drive them all off if you have a revolver.  You can also repeatedly throw torches at them from your fire to break their morale if a camp fire is an option.

With a bow, you're probably better off sneaking up and assassinating them.

Keep in mind that having smelly meat or guts and being overloaded or otherwise weakened will make them more aggressive.  You've got to try and deal with them at full health and unencumbered.

User name checks out!  👍

[TFA303]

On 7/28/2024 at 5:33 PM, I_eat_only_wolf_meat said:

A red flare should provide long-lasting relief, but so will a camp fire if it's not windy.  Just don't let them get too close to you, and you should be able to drive them all off if you have a revolver.  You can also repeatedly throw torches at them from your fire to break their morale if a camp fire is an option.

 

My  impression was that only the blue flares worked on Timberwolves - did that change? 

 

Many thanks. 

[I_eat_only_wolf_meat]

13 hours ago, TFA303 said:

did that change

The blue flares may be better, but the red ones work as well.  It's been that way as long as I can remember.

[Leeanda]

Even stones work at a pinch,but you'd need a lot for big packs

[s7mar7in]

18 hours ago, TFA303 said:

My  impression was that only the blue flares worked on Timberwolves - did that change? 

Your thinking is correct, but all "Carried" flares and torches work to "scare" timber wolves.

Thrown marine flares are effective at slightly reducing wolf moral when thrown at timber wolves.

Dropped flares are not effective at scaring or luring timber wolves.

The advice from others in this thread is excellent, do not carry scent items, do carry torch or flare, do use campfire, do use revolver and aim below the wolfs chin as it walks towards you, (timber wolves usually require double tap hitting head or neck / time to bleed out).

It may take a seemingly long time, but the wolf pack will lose moral and go away if you stay calm and keep a carried lit flare.

Additionally, some areas may be scripted to have "special" timber wolf behavior where they act slightly different and will use a "nip and run" attack rather than the more common "choose an alpha wolf and launch a normal attack one wolf at a time"...same rules as above apply. Best of luck my friend.

Edited August 1, 2024 by s7mar7in

[turtle777]

I didn't bother with flares, even though I had plenty for emergency.

Two strategies:

* light campfire, and shot them one by one (requires quite a bit of arrows or ammo)

* find a sniper position that they can't reach, be smelly, and pick them off one by one.

The house buried in an avalanche where you have to enter through the window is an excellent sniper spot.

-t