Hunting = Trapper, not bored Matrial Artist

[akamas]

I agree. The Fighting-Rabbit-Routine is ridiculous and boring. The devs have done such a fine work evoking the spirit of the New World but they forgot the TRAPPER. The fur trade is such an important element of the colonial era (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fur_trade). The whole french colony in Quebec was founded on the fur trade and nobody ran around actually shooting or bashing beavers or bunnies to death. They set traps. Easy, safe, efficient.

So, how to do it: Develop a skill tree with trapping branching of somewhere. Allows to build increasingly complex traps (higher levels ones need more expensive incredients) with each skill. Better ones have a higher chance to catch (=spawn as carcass in the trap inventory) more valuable animals within a given time frame (Say: Level 1 Trap: Bunny 5%, Beaver 2%, Mink 0.1%..., checked every n minutes). Setting the trap in certain locations increases chances (close to game trail: bunny +1%, close to water: beaver +3%...). Like the idea of lairs (bunny holes, beaver dams, ...) that are fixed objects like tree stumps. Setting a trap close to them should dramatically increase chances. I think a trap should start to work the moment the player is out of vision range (the animals avoid human presence). Raiding other people's traps is certainly possible. It was a major problem ín the real world.

Types of trappable animals:
we have:
bunny
beaver

we should have:
raccoon, wolverine, mink, ermine, marten, bobcat, lynx, muskrat, opossum, fox,
sable...

[dageir]

I do agree that I'd like to see some elements of hunting be more founded on "realism". There's plenty of things to play with. Trapping could be a neat side chain of skills all about getting animals that don't spawn normally.

Good example could be stuff like wolverine fur. Just animals we don't have right now. Certain trap/bait combinations in the correct biome would result in a catch over time. The fur could be an ingredient in inspirationals and the clothing industry.

Edit: Agreed with potjeh. It'd have to be selective elements of hunting in order to avoid the reality that real hunting makes a crappy video game.

So you want stuff to appear "magically" in the trap without having an actual existing animal?

[Snowpig]

better would be more like: you have to herd the animal into the trap. You would need to set up the trap in a good position and use tactics...

[dageir]

Or you could set up a trap where you see the animals tend to be.

[akamas]

So you want stuff to appear "magically" in the trap without having an actual existing animal?[/quote]

Precisely. What's wrong about that? Saves processing resources (Alternative - which is all right with me: have bunny (+sundry other animals) spawn randomly in world (or appear from lairs, I would prefer that), have bunnies move around randomnly in world, check collision with trap "catch area", check likelihood of bunny getting trapped, delete bunny entity, create dead bunny in trap inventory).

And: It only works if no player is in the vicinity.
So: Is a bunny that appears in a trap there before the event?
Answer: Does not matter if there is no observer.

[akamas]

Or you could set up a trap where you see the animals tend to be.

Would be best. But I assume - as of now - animals spawn randomly in the various bioms. If we have a lair mechanic, that - say - dramatically increases animal spawn near a lair, we could do that.

In adition: I think it should take a long time for a trap to catch anything. Trapping is not hunting:
NOT: see animal, set trap, catch animal
BUT: (ideally) check out were animals tend to roam, set up trap, check back much (say hours) later, see if you caught something. That would emulate reality real fine.

We could - and should - still have the other thing: Roam the wilderness, spot animals, kill animal - but that is hunting, not trapping.

[dageir]

As long as the flight mechanic of the animal is not activated dont see why we cant observe the animal entering the trap. Would be half the fun.

[akamas]

As long as the flight mechanic of the animal is not activated dont see why we cant observe the animal entering the trap. Would be half the fun.

If its about the fun: It should definitly have some sound (clonck, squeeeeeek) and make a bloody mess of bunny. Perfectly all right, funwise. I started out thinking about this from the reality angel and kind of overdid the simplicity-thing: In real life a trapper would set up dozens of traps in promissing locations and make his round every few days to see if there was anything in it. Actually seeing an animal enter the trap would be a rare coincidence. But - yea - if you are far off, do not trigger the flight mechanic and have loads of time, why not?

Makes me think: Couldn't we have something like a "hide" mechanic? It could work like a movement-mode, except that it only stays on as long as you DON'T move. While it is on you are invisible to other players and do not trigger the flight mechanism of animals. Of course it should consume some humor, so that you cannot stay invisible the whole time. This would also make hunting more realisitc: find a game trail or lair, hide close to it, wait for an animal to wander by, shoot it.
I honestly hope they do away with the "Stag-Wrestling" etc. But that is another rant.

[akamas]

better would be more like: you have to herd the animal into the trap. You would need to set up the trap in a good position and use tactics...

While that would make a fun mini-game, it is exactly what I don't had in mind. You should not have to actively do anything. That is the essence of a trap. It is passive. It just sits there and waits for someone to blunder into it.

[shaunsred]

Bows. Give us some god damned hunting bows already.