Food exploits(?)

[kurja]

1.
Food items dropped as decoy attract wolves and bears, yet they do not touch foods simply left outdoors on the ground. What is the mechanic here, does animal behaviour depend on if an item was simply dropped from inventory or dropped using the drop decoy- button? Or something else?

In any case it is very unrealistic and exploit-y to be able to store foods outdoors on the ground and not find it ruined or stolen by wildlife. Does Hinterland consider this a bug/exploit/unfinished feature, or is this intentional?

I'd rather have few buildings here and there randomly have a container outside, like the firewood box at gray wife's place, for storing food in the cold.

2.
Hunger is somewhat inconsequential, as it is; eating ~700kcal before resting pretty much maintains the player indefinitely, while the real-life calorie consumption of trekking in arctic conditions is over ten times as much (yes, really). This "Ramadan Diet" would be fatal very quickly. Does Hinterland consider this a bug/exploit/unfinished feature, or is this intentional?

I'd rather have long-term ill effects from starving, let's just say fatigue to drop at double speed and an hour in "starving" state might drop max condition by some percent which could then be restored by staying above ravenous for 24hrs.

[IrenaAstarosa]

I agree with number 1. Wildlife should be attracted to your food - any food - that you leave outside. That is why in real-life situation you would hoist your food supply above ground; so that bears cannot get to it. If they are close enough to your shelter in the game - they should be attracted to the food. I would probably leave it out of Pilgrim difficulty, but include it in all the others. 

I am not so sure about number 2, mainly because we do not have food fatty enough apart from bears and the occasional fish. People who live in extremely low temperatures usually have a steady supply of fatty meat; like seals, fish, whales, sharks (like the Greenland shark) and so on. I cannot see the calories intake changing any time soon unless the devs introduce such animals and ways of hunting them.

[kurja]

8 hours ago, IrenaAstarosa said:

I cannot see the calories intake changing any time soon unless the devs introduce such animals and ways of hunting them.

Hi,

I don't really see the calorie intake required to avoid starving to be a bug or problem or exploit - how many kcal are needed per day is game balancing / difficulty level tuning. The exploit is that there are no ill effects from prolonged starving.

Can anyone answer the question about dropped food? Are wolves ever attracted to it if dropped using anything but the drop decoy button?

[happybjorn]

Sure, dropping it from the inventory, hotkey, or radial menu makes no difference.  The distance that wolves will detect a decoy from is actually pretty small.  The reason they don't eat your food stored outside is because they don't get close enough to notice it.  

[Samsonguy920]

It should be noted that cooked meat lasts longer when stored outside.  When it is simply placed there, @happybjorn, it is ignored by wolves and bears even if they were standing on top of it.  With what we have now, it would be a huge detriment against the player if predators were able to detect the meat left outside and eat it themselves.  This has actually been discussed many times before, and will likely be brought up some more.

I would be fine with meat left on the ground actually giving off a scent and being able to be eaten by predators.  But with all things in a game there must be balance.  For the above to be implemented, there must be given a way for the meat to be stored so it can not be reached by the predators. Updating snow shelters so you can use them as storage and protecting against predators is one way. Bear bags that you hang from trees is another.  Of course, you can expect Hinterland to shortly afterward introduce raccoons, and watch your stored vittles get slowly stolen or your bear bag dropped down to where a pack of wolves can get to it.

[Fuarian]

Number 2 is necessary for Interloper but there should be some nerfs for it on lower difficulties.

[happybjorn]

11 hours ago, Samsonguy920 said:

When it is simply placed there, @happybjorn, it is ignored by wolves and bears even if they were standing on top of it.

This is incorrect.  You could always try testing it if you don't believe me.  I have...

[kurja]

Tried it, dropped a rabbit carcass from the inventory while stalked by a wolf. He happily ate the bunny.
I'm still unsure if this only works when a wolf is already coming at me, or will the wolves find and stop to eat any meat they come across; say, if you have a wolf following you and you flee past an old deer carcass, or a piece of an animal left there by you earlier.

[Puckway]

From what I know it is like that:

The wolf has to see you drop it. In this case it's something he goes for. If no animal is around and you drop meat it is the long dark version of storing meat outside and no wolf goes after it. 

[Mike in GA]

I can say with certainty that the stalking Wolf will take the meat dropped. Crossing ML to get back to the cabin I hit the decoy and it dropped a quartering bag of deer. The wolf grabbed it and hit the road. 

Not sure if there is a way to prioritize what gets dropped as bait. 

Regarding being hungry/starving there are some in game  actions it can't be done such as studying books when hungry. I think you can still repair clothing if memory serves correct.

When I started playing I had more experienced players telling me that they never eat more than 800 kcal a day. This was after my postings about eating 2000-3000 calories per day.

This is the first run I'm trying that theory out and so far no seriously ill effects. I am actually having a surplus of meat stacking up. I'm wondering if wolf fights take longer to resolve being starved or more damage is done to condition. 

[JAFO]

On 8/31/2017 at 9:25 AM, Mike in GA said:

I'm wondering if wolf fights take longer to resolve being starved or more damage is done to condition. 

Sounds like the kind of research that's right up @Timber Wolf's alley!

[Thrasador]

To clarify wolves will take anything dropped outside that would function as bait if they are within range of you and stalking you at the time and/or are already coming at you. 

However if there are no wolves outside to react to your presence, or even if they are outside and you crouch before exiting the building and they don't see or smell you yet, you can drop all your meat outside and not have it eaten.

I have seen Geltaz do this outside the Gas Station in CH on video while crouching with wolves around.

If they don't see you or know you are there they don't react to stuff dropped that could be bait.

[Timber Wolf]

16 minutes ago, JAFO said:

Sounds like the kind of research that's right up @Timber Wolf's alley!

I doubt that it does, but I might run some tests when I get a chance to verify. 

[JAFO]

1 minute ago, Timber Wolf said:

I doubt that it does

I'd be very surprised if it does..