Branch as Weapon

[katiebour]

Don't you hate it when you're walking around bare-handed and desperate on Interloper, and a wolf starts running at you?

Wouldn't you love to pick up that nearby Branch and use it as a club?  Sure, it breaks into Sticks after one use, but at least you can fend off the wildlife.

[mystifeid]

Or maybe a chance of fending off the wildlife. Already, starting a fire scares off wolves. I'm not sure I could handle having another surefire way of dealing with them.

[katiebour]

True (although starting a fire requires a firestarter of some kind, which when you're starting off on Interloper, you don't have...)

I'd mostly like to see it as something that ends a wolf struggle more quickly, with a maybe 2% chance of wounding them (extremely low, as all wounds are fatal to wildlife.)  The wolf runs away and leaves you with less damage than a protracted bare-handed struggle, and gives you time to escape (or find another Branch) before it comes back to finish you off.

[Ape88]

In relation, a good walking stick would help avoid sprains and could be used as a weapon.

[mystifeid]

6 hours ago, katiebour said:

(although starting a fire requires a firestarter of some kind, which when you're starting off on Interloper, you don't have...)

Yeah, for one or two hours max.

6 hours ago, katiebour said:

(extremely low, as all wounds are fatal to wildlife.) 

I've wounded plenty and come the next day found them right as rain...

Anyway, bare-handed struggles - with no weapon - can be fatal so it wouldn't be hard to be more effective than that and while it might be nice to introduce a new basic weapon, I can't see any of the mechanics of the struggle, such as the duration, being changed very much.

Then the question becomes: is a branch more or less effective than a crowbar, hammer, hatchet and knife? Even a crowbar has a good chance of making the wolf bleed out. If a branch is less effective than all four then your wounds will probably prove to be fatal in the start of an Interloper game when you have no bandages, antiseptic or Old Man's Beard dressings. This is a time in the game where the best methods of dealing with wolves will most likely always be evasion, running and backing away. There are exceptions such as when you walk around a corner smack bang into a wolf or disturb a wolf while it is eating a kill and have it charge from a distance. Then you will die. But I'm pretty sure that a good chance of death is by design so any provision for the reduction of risk will likely never happen.

[vancopower]

There is no chance in hell of fending of a hungry wolf with a branch, throwing spear and hitting it well that is another story

[pigbull320]

Don't like the idea really. Takes away from the "I REALLY NEED A FUCKING GUN AND KNIFE HOLLY SHIT I HEAR A WOLF" aspect I love so much. Never before has a game made me shake so much after a wolf encounter. I think we all know the feeling of going into the dam with no weapons or knife and hearing fluffy's howl. "FUCK FUCK WHERES THAT RIFLE, CHECK THE STAIRS SHIIIIIT START A FIRE IN THE BARREL START A FUCKING FIRE IN THAT BARRRRREL NOOOW!" Camping at the top of the steps waiting for her to come around the corner if you managed to find the rifle.

This is the only game that's made me jump or panic trying to spam click my mouse. I tend to look away from my screen and expel all my energy with both hands clicking the mouse to no avail.

[vargata]

On 05/02/2017 at 3:05 PM, pigbull320 said:

Don't like the idea really. Takes away from the "I REALLY NEED A FUCKING GUN AND KNIFE HOLLY SHIT I HEAR A WOLF" aspect I love so much. Never before has a game made me shake so much after a wolf encounter. I think we all know the feeling of going into the dam with no weapons or knife and hearing fluffy's howl. "FUCK FUCK WHERES THAT RIFLE, CHECK THE STAIRS SHIIIIIT START A FIRE IN THE BARREL START A FUCKING FIRE IN THAT BARRRRREL NOOOW!" Camping at the top of the steps waiting for her to come around the corner if you managed to find the rifle.

This is the only game that's made me jump or panic trying to spam click my mouse. I tend to look away from my screen and expel all my energy with both hands clicking the mouse to no avail.

or it could add even more to that feeling. while a big branch or stick could by chance fend off the wolf, by chance they should just grab it and tear them off of your hands. could add to the struggle of fighting the wolf. just imagine, you hear a wolf. what you do? run. he might run after you might not. if they do you could look for a big piece of wood. when he reaches and attack you, start hitting it with the wood. if lucky, he will abandon you and look for less challenging food but if not he would try to take it from you so start smashing your mouse. if successful, you can again start hitting him with the branch, if not you are there weaponless and he jumps on you, get into the second sequence of struggling... i would really like to see this happening. add that how useful it could be when 2 or 3 wolves attack you...

[cekivi]

welcome to the forums @katiebour

[Bjern]

Maybe the ability to throw stones too? Wouldn't fend off a bear at all - would only make it angrier - but an accurate shot at a wolf might make it run off for a bit, similar to a flare. The trouble would be you would have to aim and hit the wolf, and if you missed it then it would attack.

Just an idea anyway.