Wildlife & Traps.

[akodo1]

Wildlife!

Top Predators.

Wolves. I really really like the wolves. Better AI is needed. (attack from behind, attack with the pack, encirclement, lone wolf only attacks when you are weakened, when confronted will sometimes run off vs just sitting there waiting to be shot, etc) I think it would be neat if there were alternate fur patterns and a large, medium, and small body. Body size also linked to different behaviors. Big = more aggressive. Small = notices you easier, more likely to trail you.

Bear. Great choice.

I'd suggest adding one or two more top predators in.

Mountain Lion. Rare creature, only appearing on certain maps, and then in rare spots. Hangs out in mountains above valley paths/frozen rivers, also hangs out in trees. Pounces on deer or players.

Wolverine. Drawn to traps (even without prey animals in it) and wreaks them. Drawn to carcasses, carcasses from wolf kills, carcasses that just auto-populate on some maps, and to carcasses from player kills. Acts very aggressively, harder to fight off than wolf.

Big game animals.

While there are other big game animals out in Canada, deer/elk are by far the most common. Deer/elk. Everyone calls them deer. Can't really tell if they are supposed to be a mule deer or elk. Either is a fine choice. No real need to differentiate which they are supposed to be. Maybe in future maps taking place in more mountains switch from deer to big-horn sheep, but as a whole deer/elk being the main thing, like wolves, is really great.

Deer/Elk. I think most males loose their antlers in winter, but maybe magnetic field screwup effected them too. Either way, I'd love to see a lot of antlerless (female) deer.

Moose. This is the one big game animal I'd add. It would be a rare creature, mainly appearing near the lakes/streams. It would act aggressively toward you if you got to close. It could be hunted and would produce double what a deer would.

Medium/Small animals.

Fox. This creature would exist to hunt rabbits and leave corpses. People could exploit it like they do wolves, but as the rabbit has so little resources it wouldn't be nearly the level of gain. Reason for inclusion is two-fold. First, I think it's just fun. 2nd, in 'easier' areas, and areas where there aren't wolves around it would be a good way for a player to get a rabbit so they can get a gut to make a trap to start getting more rabbits. Can be hunted, can be trapped but much less likely to be caught than rabbit, would yield fur, guts, meat same amount a rabbits.

Beaver or Muskrat exists as another animal to trap. Seen at frozen river edge and lake edge, disappears (goes under ice). Lakes/Rivers instead have 'mounds' of wood/reeds that you cut into with hatchet (or something similar) with a small chance of catching one it it's den, but mainly that's a spot where you set your trap. Provides fur, guts, meat in very similar quantities to rabbit.

Grouse - Rock ptarmigan or Spruce Grouse - exists for variety and an animal that can be hunted a bit easier than rabbits. Does not provide any fur/hide, and half the meat of a rabbit.

Skunk - exists for variety and fun! This is an animal that if you get to close can act 'aggressively' in that you might get a blask of skunkspray! This would give you temporary blurry vision and staggering around, and then a condition that fades with time, but until it does you can't do any hunting or trapping. Can be trapped (rare) and hunted. Gives fur, meat, gut similar to rabbit.

General rework of what animals give. Instead of giving species specific hides, it gives generic hide or fur. Just like wolves and deer give more meat than rabbits they'd also give more fur (wolf, rabbit, etc) or hide(deer) (Bear would be one of the few animals that provides both). It wouldn't matter what kind of creature the fur for your mittens or coat came from. Obviously the number of fur bits to craft wold be be increased for bigger items.

Traps

Bear Trap Classic leg trap seen so often in movies/TV. a trap you can't craft only find. Rarely found. Can catch any animal. Wears with use. Can be repaired.

Wolf trap . a trap you can't craft only find. Rarely found, but more than bear trap. Can catch any animal deer or wolf size or smaller. Wears with use. Can be repaired.

Deadfall trap - small. Crafted with 2 cedar or fir log plus stick. Doesn't need workbench to craft, can be crafted in the field. Can trap but less successfully than snare. When trap is used, it can be broken down to components.

Deadfall trap - large. Crafted with multiple cedar or fir logs and multiple saplings. Can catch deer. Balancing factor is the amount of logs needed, the weight of the logs is enough so that special planning has to go in. Do you drop everything from your pack and just carry the trap components (risky)...or do you have to make multiple trips to your trapping spot? Low chance of success. (1 deer per week if put in area with deer)