Those pesky wolves around Milton

[yarimari]

This was in survival mode. I had been out mapping and looting around Milton and was encumbered to the point I couldn't sprint. My home base was Gray Mothers house and I was by the bridge between the town and the farmhouse when I heard a wolf bark (about 100-200 meters from my base and nearest shelter). I had a rifle but no bullets so I brought out a flare, but it didn't do much and the wolf jumped me. Then, of course, another wolf got me just after - and then a third! I was down to 5 % condition after the struggles and I was sure I would die. I dropped almost everything from my pack on the ground so I could move faster and stumbled forward. I could barely see or walk because my condition was so low (if you've ever had really low condition you know your character is tripping all over themselves and the vision fades into black). Somehow I managed to make it into my base and grabbed a bedroll I had put on the ground. My condition was now down to 1 % so I didn't even risk going up the stairs to sleep in the bed. Drank some tea (I had already fixed the bleeding and infection afflictions before) and went to sleep. Miraculously, I survived! I lost some of my clothes in the struggle, and had to spend a full day recovering, but I survived! Never before have I been below 5 % condition and survived, and definitely not 1 %.

I found the wolves dead a few days later and grabbed everything I could as compensation. I made a nice coat out of them as well and enjoyed a few days of peace before they respawned. After that, I always make sure not to carry too much just in case I need to sprint away from a pack of wolves.

[BareSkin]

Good story, thanks for sharing!

Yes this place is usually very wolfy. After a few statistics, I understood I was dying mainly cause of wolves. So now I very often stop and listen for their footsteps, wait for them to pass or turn their back, and if needed make a big detour.

[NardoLoopa]

Coming back from under 5% is harrowing.  Well done.

I do wonder if wolves know when you're encumbered.  I've never found running from them to be a good idea (I usually just walk away, sometimes facing them), but it does seem most deaths start with "I was over encumbered when . . . "

[Doc Feral]

Milton is particularly dangerous because of limited line of sight, and many obstacles that slow down wolves so they end up being so close to one another. I had my share of three on one battles as well.

[stratvox]

I have had success running from wolves, but you'd better have good speed and a big sprint bar when you do.

[DaveMcD]

I recently came back from 0% and survived a wolf attack on interloper in the burnt out shack near the fixed prepper cache in Pleasant Valley. This is where I learnt that the stoves don't count as a scary fire as far as wolves are concerned. I seriously thought I was dead as it hit zero but the "you have faded into the Long Dark" msg never came up and I realised I must be just hovering above proper zero and it was rounding display issue. I quickly bandaged myself up and ran to the prepper cache, ate everything and slept. I've been a little too afraid to continue that run as it was my first decent interloper run so I've been up-skilling in new runs and playing deadman instead

[NardoLoopa]

6 hours ago, DaveMcD said:

This is where I learnt that the stoves don't count as a scary fire as far as wolves are concerned.

Really?  While at the Crystal Lake fishing hut, I often hear the wolf bug-out when he's close to my burning pot-stove.

Congrats on coming back from the brink.  I can imagine the 'drunken' stumble towards the prepper hatch.  Had to be exhilarating.

[DaveMcD]

Someone with more knowledge might chime in,  but I think the wolves are bugging out in that scenario over not being able to path to you rather than the fire.

As for the stumble, thinking back I mainlined a stim as soon as I could and sprinted to the cache.