Hunting Very Frustrating

[cekivi]

I don't know about everyone else but I've found hunting to be very frustrating in the latest Alphas. In the early builds of the game you could hit an animal anywhere and it would fall over dead. Realistic? No. Gamey? Yes, but not that bad. For several months now the only way to kill an animal is with a head shot which is far, far worse. In "real" life, no sane, ethical hunter will attempt head shots: the odds of success are terrible and the odds of non-fatally wounding the animal are very high.

My second major complaint with the current hunting setup is the bow: I can't use it. I don't have time to practice for hours to learn how the bow shoots. As a consequence, I can't aim accurately to save my character's life. The only time I can hit animals is at point blank range when I take advantage of pathing glitches or after being attacked. I've seen stories on the forums where players have put post-its on their screen to serve as an aiming point. Please bring back the targeting reticle for the bow! This should be a fun addition to the game but it just annoys me every time I use it now. It doesn't even need to be an accurate reticle. Just an open circle or something so I can see roughly where the arrow will go and I'll be a very happy Long Dark player.

A perfect example of how these things frustrate me occurred when I was playing this evening. I was outside and a wolf attacked so I hid in a location it couldn't path to. I then shot it with an arrow and, bleeding, the wolf ran away. Because I couldn't aim, the arrow was not in the wolf's head and so did not kill it. The wolf proceeded to run beyond my visual range and then returned limping. So I shot it again and, with an arrow now lodged in its leg, the wolf ran off again faster than I could follow it. This happened twice more! I put four arrows into this wolf and it didn't die! And, despite having arrows hanging off it, the wolf could still sprint far faster than I could keep up. This was just silly and really not fun for me. It ran so far and so fast that I got attacked by another wolf while trying to track it and, because I couldn't aim, my shot went wide and I got mauled. On my way back after that misadventure I finally found the original wolf dead behind me having run in a full circle back to where I had started looking for it. It still had two arrows still lodged in it

Either make it so animals bleed out faster (or flee slow enough to keep up with!) or change the mechanic so that non head shots can be fatal. The hunting system as it is now remains ridiculous and frustrating.

[MueckE]

I read your post very carfully because i thought that the hunting right now is one of the best things in the game.

I cant say to much about wolves because i kill them normally with a gun or knife.I have to say that i never ever experienced something you discribed. Yes, from time to time a wolf or deer takes two arrows, but never ever more than that. In addition, i also kill them without a headshot with the first arrow - most of the time.

For me it sounds as if you dont use the mechanic proberly. I dont need a dot on my screen. If you sneak up on a deer you can get so close that you cant miss the shot. Yes, sometimes i dont kill it with the first arrow and have to follow, but more often it is an instant kill. Same happens basicly with wolves. The difference here is that you cant get so close without beeing noticed (but almost). But i am totally fine with that because it is a predator and will attack instead of running away. Thats why i use flares, decoys, campfire or just a rock to kill a wolf and with that you have enough time to take aim and kill it right away.

Following a wounded wolf or deer is also one of my favorite mechanics. You have to know the map, you have to watch out for the blood to track and you are in danger of beeing attacked by other wolves or beeing caught in a blizzard -> thats why it is one of the best things in the game.

What i am trying to say is that it is just your experience highered (?) by your frustration and not the fault of the game or a "lack of realism". And no, a shot animal will run super fast if it didnt die right away.

Mabe the blood track could be improved so it is easier to follow a wounded animal, but the hunting itself is better than it ever was in the game.

[cekivi]

What i am trying to say is that it is just your experience highered (?) by your frustration and not the fault of the game or a "lack of realism". And no, a shot animal will run super fast if it didnt die right away.

Mabe the blood track could be improved so it is easier to follow a wounded animal, but the hunting itself is better than it ever was in the game.

Respectfully, I disagree. I've tracked many animals in good weather and had them disappear before I caught up with them. I agree, when this mechanic works it's a lot of fun. When I play though, more often than not, it doesn't work. Also, I've tried sneaking up on deer. Even crouched, not moving, as they're walking towards me they'll still see me and bolt before they're in range of my bow skills. If you can aim the bow, great! I can't and it's really frustrating as a result.

Also, animals do run when wounded but they don't run indefinitely. They'll usually soon stop (due to massive internal injuries) and bleed out. Like I said, I've had wounded animals running circles around me in the game without stopping. I've also never successfully killed a wolf in a struggle even with a fully repaired knife.

[TWM]

Especially with the amount of running being limited now, I feel a mere blood track isn't enough (it's often hard to spot and it tends to dissipate over time).

But it could be ameliorated by adding a hoof and paw spoor. That would make it easier to track.

[cekivi]

Especially with the amount of running being limited now, I feel a mere blood track isn't enough (it's often hard to spot and it tends to dissipate over time).

But it could be ameliorated by adding a hoof and paw spoor. That would make it easier to track.

True. I'd still just like to be able to hit the silly things first

[houservt]

I read this and wasn't sure whether to reply or not; but I'll weigh in. Hunting is a tricky mechanic to balance given some folks want easier, some harder. But from my perspective, I also found myself frustrated with hunting a bit earlier. However, the challenge does make finally getting a kill much more rewarding. That said, after putting 6 shots in a bear and watching him run off at full speed (and with infinite stamina) with all my ammo... it left me thinking that when it comes to hunting bear, the only way to win is not to play, which probably isn't the intent.

However, others seem to do okay (and some think it's already too easy). Since I can manage to get a deer every now and then I'm okay chalking it up to me being a poor hunter and downright horrible with a bow, but thought I'd add my opinion nevertheless.

[cekivi]

However, others seem to do okay (and some think it's already too easy). Since I can manage to get a deer every now and then I'm okay chalking it up to me being a poor hunter and downright horrible with a bow, but thought I'd add my opinion nevertheless.

All input is welcome!

Most of my complaints are with the bow due to the difficulty of aiming. I don't have any problems with the gun aside from animals seeming to shrug off bullets like nothing. Personally, I think more balancing is needed (at least at the Voyager and Pilgrim difficulties). But you're right, it seems like everyone has their own opinion about this.

I'm sure part of this is the fact I am so frustrated is that I only have 2-4 hours to game per week. With that little time, I want a game that's easy to play even if it's hard to master. The no reticle bow can be used with ease if you're playing the game every day but since I can't I just find it frustrating.

[Foxen]

You're not as alone as you might think:

viewtopic.php?f=56&t=7065&hilit=hunting+broken#p41409

[cekivi]

It is nice to not be alone

Regardless, I don't mind hunting being difficult. I just want a set of mechanics that make sense and to have a fair chance for the player to harvest the animal if they do score a hit. Especially with arrows being much harder to make as of the latest update there should be some assurance that resources spent on hunting can be recuperated.

[Jra]

Counterpoint: that's why it's hunting and not shopping. - my pappy

Seriously, a wounded animal will run off at amazing speeds in real life. Then they will go somewhere and lay down and die. However, if you take off like a maniac after them they will run further than they might have if you'd left them alone.

I don't k iw if that's modeled in the game, but I've had more success hitting them and sitting still. Watching which way they went. When they are out of sight I will walk along the trail until I find them or have to give up. Even after giving up I sometimes find them anyway the next day.

The main way to improve hunting, to me, is to make the tracking better. Hoof prints and more blood, preferably tying the amount of blood to where you wounded them. At the moment it doesn't seem to be.

[cekivi]

The main way to improve hunting, to me, is to make the tracking better. Hoof prints and more blood, preferably tying the amount of blood to where you wounded them. At the moment it doesn't seem to be.

I personally would be fine with this solution.

And you're right. In real life chasing an animal immediately almost always results in it eluding you. Hunter safety training in Ontario teaches you to wait 20 minutes before starting to track. However, if I waited that long in game than the trail will be completely gone. Like you pointed out, I don't even know if it would make a difference...

As a side note, if you hit deer in the heart/lungs (the kill zone ethical hunters aim for) with .303 or larger caliber bullet they do sprint off but I've never seen them run for farther than 100m. They seldom even get to 50m. It's hard to run when you have no heart.

[Boston123]

With a "well-placed" arrow, deer have about the same running capabilities as if they got shot with a decent sized bullet.

In this video, the deer manages to run for 30 seconds (it doesn't even make it off the screen), before it stops and bleeds out.

https://youtu.be/1VCYlg9w7dE?t=164

Shot placement should count for FAR MORE, and we definitely shouldn't be going for headshots.

[Tsayers1068]

It's probably worth mentioning that an animal, bleeding or not, would be very easy to track in the snow. Until more snow fell and covered the track up, anyway.

[selfless]

Wolf tracking is extremely better (September Updates). They start with a fast run to the hills, but then slow down, limping along as their life fades until they fall over. All bleeding wounds seem to be equal, be they in the chest with a rifle or in the foot with an arrow. Reattacking may be unwise. Can reset animal to fast running again if not a killing blow.

[cekivi]

Wolf tracking is extremely better (September Updates). They start with a fast run to the hills, but then slow down, limping along as their life fades until they fall over. All bleeding wounds seem to be equal, be they in the chest with a rifle or in the foot with an arrow. Reattacking may be unwise. Can reset animal to fast running again if not a killing blow.

That makes sort of sense but it goes back to the hunting mechanic not being clear. If you attack again does the game reset the "exhaustion" timer or does the timer get shorter each time (i.e. death by a thousand cuts)? Will an bleeding animal eventually fall over (I keep seeing the tired animal making circles - I can't tell if it's near death or regaining stamina)? Will any bleeding wound eventually result in death even, like you said, being shot in the foot with an arrow versus in the chest with a gun?

[selfless]

Wolf tracking is extremely better (September Updates). They start with a fast run to the hills, but then slow down, limping along as their life fades until they fall over. All bleeding wounds seem to be equal, be they in the chest with a rifle or in the foot with an arrow. Reattacking may be unwise. Can reset animal to fast running again if not a killing blow.

That makes sort of sense but it goes back to the hunting mechanic not being clear. If you attack again does the game reset the "exhaustion" timer or does the timer get shorter each time (i.e. death by a thousand cuts)? Will an bleeding animal eventually fall over (I keep seeing the tired animal making circles - I can't tell if it's near death or regaining stamina)? Will any bleeding wound eventually result in death even, like you said, being shot in the foot with an arrow versus in the chest with a gun?

Other discussions on topic:

WOLF BLEEDING OUT

viewtopic.php?f=74&t=8040#p46013

Limping wolf seemed reborn after second hand-to-hand encounter...

KILL A BEAR WITH A FLARE?

viewtopic.php?f=74&t=8268

I killed a bear with one arrow to the back and a lit flare to get him running again...

Killed another bear at DP with an arrow to the leg cuz he couldn't get far enough away from me to switch to walking mode...

[cekivi]

I had actually seen your bear with a flare post and just assumed it was a very funny (and hopefully soon to be patched) glitch

I didn't know that the regenerating wolves had already been encountered. I agree with the original posters that having a wolf reset its stamina if it is attacked again is very silly/buggy.

As for killing bears with arrows to legs... well, that's plainly ridiculous! It might scare off a bear but there's nothing you can hit that would cause it to bleed out from a wounded paw. If anything, it will just make the bear mad

[cekivi]

What I would like to see to "fix" hunting is very simple: reliable, consistent mechanics so that we, the players, know what to expect and don't get surprised (or in my case frustrated).

I would propose the following changes to make hunting consistent:

1. Hitting bone, paw, etc. will scare animals (may anger bears) but will NOT cause bleeding/death. This includes heads and legs of deer and bears.
   
2. Hitting the guts will cause the animal to run very quickly and, if chased, will continue to run. Animal will eventually expire but it will take roughly 2-3 in game hours (longer if it sees you in the first 2 hours). Animal leaves some blood but blood is mixed with green bile from guts.
   
3. Hitting the lungs will cause an animal to run but it will tire and expire within 15-30 in game minutes. There will be lots of bright red blood.
   
4. Hitting the heart will cause an animal to run but it will expire within 5 in game minutes. Lots of blood.
   
5. Gun only: hitting the heart/lungs with a gun is an "instant" kill (animal expires within 1 minute)
   
6. Only gut shots will cause an animal to continue running/regain stamina if surprised while tracking or shot again in the guts/non-lethal area.

These changes will give the player immediate feedback on state of the animal (amount and colour of blood), encourage ethical hunting (less likely to take bad shots in poor weather), reward players who are good shots, makes the gun useful again (cannot get instant kills with bow), animals will behave more realistically, and, since the "rules" are now consistent, it will avoid player frustration and odd animal behavior.

[vimrich]

I basically don't bother following a wounded animal. I used to chase wounded wolves endlessly and never got one that way. Blood trail ran out, and the wolf ran up a slope too steep to follow and then I'm stranded and still only at 60% after the battle anyway.

I've had far better luck going away for a while and coming back to where the shot landed. Blood trails are useless in most cases, and has the effect of the animal running away (usually into the side of a cliff where you lose the body completely). If you go away, the wounded animal will tend to circle back and be in the general area of where you first shot it.

Also, hunting in broad flat areas seems to be best. Gives you the best chance to spot the body after you leave and come back in a hour or so of game time.

Also, I highly recommend PV for hunting practice. I've been there for a 100 days or so and you get practice a lot on deer. I finally got my first one-shot deer kill with a bow!

[cekivi]

I've also always had my best luck hunting (and surviving) in Pleasant Valley. I've started a new game on Mystery Lake. Once I've gotten some better equipment I'll head over to PV and see if I can figure out more of the hunting mechanic.