Why do animals go out on the ice?

[Packet802]

Doesn't make any sense. I'm not an outdoorsman or anything but it seems to me deer and rabbits wouldn't go out there, there's no food for them to find there. Since they wouldn't go there wolves wouldn't hunt there either. I know it's pretty convenient for game play hunting purposes and I'm taking advantage of it as probably everyone else is but it doesn't make sense, I'd rather see more realistic behavior. Is this going to be adjusted in future updates?

[ChillPlayer]

As explained in the intro text to TLD, due to a geomagnetic disaster wolves (and therefore probably all animals) went crazy and do no longer behave as in nature. Maybe the bunnies are just disoriented and are looking for their mama when they go out on the ice

[Packet802]

I thought the geomagnetic disaster was just being used to explain the wolves attacking humans. If it also effected other animals then there should be a lot more dead deer and bunnies lying around if they are so confused they forgot where to find food. The wolves hunting bunnies by Jackrabbit island sure aren't confused about it!

[ChillPlayer]

Guess at some point you can just accept that it's a game. Without the bunnies there probably wouldn't be deer either and then there wouldn't be any wolves on the ice too, rendering half of CH pretty empty and dull. So personally I don't mind some confused hoppers on the ice

[Hotzn]

Without the bunnies there probably wouldn't be deer either

Chill, most of what you say and do makes perfect sense, but here I am mystified - do deer subsist on rabbits?

[starfighter441]

Without the bunnies there probably wouldn't be deer either

Chill, most of what you say and do makes perfect sense, but here I am mystified - do deer subsist on rabbits?

Bambi, checking on his friend Thumper...

[cekivi]

Without the bunnies there probably wouldn't be deer either

Chill, most of what you say and do makes perfect sense, but here I am mystified - do deer subsist on rabbits?

Bambi, checking on his friend Thumper...

This is getting funny

If you want to rationalize it animals will cross bodies of water (frozen or not) to get to better foraging on the other side. The deer on the ice (and by extension rabbits I guess) could just be moving from one feeding ground to another.

Now, as for why they'd move in broad daylight when they're completely exposed to predators... that explanation I'll leave for someone with a better imagination

[illanthropist]

The path of least resistance, don't animals have quite large grazing territories, pretty sure I've seen several stories about deer rescues falling through frozen lakes over the years, they probably don't understand that there is zero chance of becoming roadkill right now

[Scyzara]

Now, as for why they'd move in broad daylight when they're completely exposed to predators... that explanation I'll leave for someone with a better imagination

Well, to be honest one has to admit that TLD lacks real undergrowth so deer don't have a feasible place to hide during the day anyway.^^

The same is true for rabbits.. the poor guys don't have any rabbit holes and thus can't behave like real rabbits - indeed they rather behave like hares.

No real rabbit would ever try to outrun a wolf in the open, they would dart into their holes and not come out again for a few hours.

I guess deer and rabbits in TLD both lack hiding options for gameplay reasons. Easier hunting targets and stuff.

[cekivi]

Another odd observation: why are the rabbits in their summer coats? They should all be white as the snow...

And good point Scyzara about the lack of brush/undergrowth. I wonder if it may be added into the game later? Would probably take a lot of extra programming though to have the animals use brush for cover though

[starfighter441]

Another odd observation: why are the rabbits in their summer coats? They should all be white as the snow...

And good point Scyzara about the lack of brush/undergrowth. I wonder if it may be added into the game later? Would probably take a lot of extra programming though to have the animals use brush for cover though

Then they would be Snowshoe Hares, not rabbits. Cottontails stay brownish grey the whole year round.

[cekivi]

Ah. I had always assumed that "rabbit" was a nick-name. Cottontails are not native to most of Canada (really only found in the southernmost portions). However, most people call hares rabbits for simplicity.

I guess they may be cottontails if we're in southern BC but if the game is actually set in northern BC than they should be hares.

[toebar]

Another odd observation: why are the rabbits in their summer coats? They should all be white as the snow...

2 options:

Rabbits (European and cottontail) don't change colour-- Snowshoe hares do.

Or, it's winter when it is supposed to be summer-- Hares molt their coats in response to day length, not temperature.

[toebar]

Ah. I had always assumed that "rabbit" was a nick-name. Cottontails are not native to most of Canada (really only found in the southernmost portions). However, most people call hares rabbits for simplicity.

I guess they may be cottontails if we're in southern BC but if the game is actually set in northern BC than they should be hares.

Cottontails are not native to BC at all--they're an introduced species from eastern NA. But you're moreorless correct, they're generally only found around Vancouver and on Vancouver Island