Monster H̶u̶n̶t̶e̶r FIGHTER

[Shoah Kahn]

What actual hunting is there in these games? In 'World', the player was tasked with finding monster footprints -- a form of investigation that was rather dumbed down, with how Scoutflies worked etc.. In 'Rise', even that footprint gameplay element was removed; leaving only the actual fighting of monsters.

Why are there so few actual hunting mechanics in these games? Why aren't players tasked with Batman Arkham style clue-gathering and some take on piecing together information, in order to uncover monster types, their locations, and movement (migratory) habits of the targets, before embarking on the actual fighting...? If this were a thing, the maps would serve far more of a purpose than the glorified fighting arenas they are. Especially in the case of 'Wilds', with its larger, yet, (seemingly) empty biomes, this would fit perfectly....

Did pre-PC MH games have more hunting than the recent titles have incorporated? It seems like a gaping hole in a series that is meant to be about studying and tracking targets, for it to 99% boil down to running towards a node to mash buttons.

NB: In Rise, with the map icons removed from the map (mods), the game takes on the rather different feel -- even with the game's smaller maps, the monster can sometimes get away if players are not aware of their movement patterns. That is, such a simple modification already imbues a sense of tacking -- a. k. a., hunting.

[Kiririn]

Really makes you wonder why people are praising small details if the game play revolves around sprinting to a map marker.

If older games you had to find the monster and if you didn't mark it with a paintball you would then have to find it again when it ran. The paintballs also wear off after a certain time. In MHGU you also have the ballon guys which, if you saw them, you could wave and they would let you know where the monster was,

[Shoah Kahn]

Originally posted by Kiririn:

If older games you had to find the monster and if you didn't mark it with a paintball you would then have to find it again when it ran. The paintballs also wear off after a certain time. In MHGU you also have the ballon guys which, if you saw them, you could wave and they would let you know where the monster was,

Ah... So, the series did have more hunting gameplay elements than they do now... I see 🤔

Therefore, the question really is: Why did the series not build on the hunting mechanics and sub-systems, over just funnelling players towards nodes which are tracked by seeming real-time GPS telemetry? Seems like quite a deviation from what the series could, should, and would have been... Speaking for myself, I know I'd find "the hunt" far more engaging if it had some preparatory work that would imbue a sense of achievement, over just fighting target after target for little more than progressing a childish storyline.

Originally posted by Stank Ahh Pig:

What you're experiencing has almost never happened. I played the first MH back in 2004, and the best tracking it had was paintballing a monster and hoping the find it in an area. In fact, it was so arduous, that finding monsters sometimes took up to 10 minutes if you missed a paintball.

Well, I'm not saying it has to be compulsory. In tis day and Age of "Modern" gaming and "accessibility", they could simply give players a option to hunter with or without "investigations". That, and I find it "arduous" to just fight monster after monster, traversing maps to do so, for little more than the 'fun' of the grind... I also think that that very formula not being innovated or refined, is why 'Wilds' is getting the wishy-washy reception it has (not the performance issues).

[Ame-kun]

I actually liked the gathering of clues mechanic in MHW, but I seem to be extremely in the minority there, haha. But it's alright, because the real quarry is still out there: ENDEMIC LIFE +_+

And yeah, in older games, sure, if you were like me and took your time getting to the monster, it felt kind of like hunting, but most people just popped a psychodrug which instantly revealed the monster's location on the map. And then in Tri they gave you a partner which psychodrug'd for free, and so on...

[Shoah Kahn]

Originally posted by Ame-kun:

if you were like me and took your time getting to the monster, it felt kind of like hunting, but most people just popped a psychodrug which instantly revealed the monster's location on the map.

Well, that's a good compromise: Those who want hunt, undertake the investigation portion of the game; those who want only to fight, pop the "psychodrug"... An unequivocal win-win.

[kohlrak]

Originally posted by Shoah Kahn:

Originally posted by Kiririn:

If older games you had to find the monster and if you didn't mark it with a paintball you would then have to find it again when it ran. The paintballs also wear off after a certain time. In MHGU you also have the ballon guys which, if you saw them, you could wave and they would let you know where the monster was,

Ah... So, the series did have more hunting gameplay elements than they do now... I see 🤔

Therefore, the question really is: Why did the series not build on the hunting mechanics and sub-systems, over just funnelling players towards nodes which are tracked by seeming real-time GPS telemetry? Seems like quite a deviation from what the series could, should, and would have been... Speaking for myself, I know I'd find "the hunt" far more engaging if it had some preparatory work that would imbue a sense of achievement, over just fighting target after target for little more than progressing a childish storyline.

Originally posted by Stank Ahh Pig:

What you're experiencing has almost never happened. I played the first MH back in 2004, and the best tracking it had was paintballing a monster and hoping the find it in an area. In fact, it was so arduous, that finding monsters sometimes took up to 10 minutes if you missed a paintball.

Well, I'm not saying it has to be compulsory. In tis day and Age of "Modern" gaming and "accessibility", they could simply give players a option to hunter with or without "investigations". That, and I find it "arduous" to just fight monster after monster, traversing maps to do so, for little more than the 'fun' of the grind... I also think that that very formula not being innovated or refined, is why 'Wilds' is getting the wishy-washy reception it has (not the performance issues).

I think the issue is that too many people could end up just missing the monster as it area changed for a whole quest. This acutally happened to me and a group a few times in 4. So we learned to wave at the balloon and to look up online what area a monster starts in. Yeah, that was too much for the game not telling you how it worked. Capcom just realized what was going on and this was their solution.

[Shoah Kahn]

Originally posted by kohlrak:

I think the issue is that too many people could end up just missing the monster as it area changed for a whole quest.

Which is kind of how hunting works, no?... At least, that's what garnered growing up, from Attenborough documentaries ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[kohlrak]

Originally posted by Shoah Kahn:

Originally posted by kohlrak:

I think the issue is that too many people could end up just missing the monster as it area changed for a whole quest.

Which is kind of how hunting works, no?... At least, that's what garnered growing up, from Attenborough documentaries ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

The problem is that you can beat on a monster for 30 minutes after 20 minutes of finding it, not kill it, and fail the quest.

[zero]

its very funny how people forgot psychoserum existed.

the game has always given you a "its right here" tool, and then you can never lose sight of it cause paintballs or w/e

a hunt is simply to pursue and kill for sport or food, it's doesn't require the needless tracking unless you do not have the means to find it easily.

[Kiririn]

Originally posted by kohlrak:

Originally posted by Shoah Kahn:

Which is kind of how hunting works, no?... At least, that's what garnered growing up, from Attenborough documentaries ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

The problem is that you can beat on a monster for 30 minutes after 20 minutes of finding it, not kill it, and fail the quest.

What fun is it if you are guaranteed a successful hunt? I know that I am in the minority, but sometimes failure is good motivation.

[Kiririn]

Originally posted by Shoah Kahn:

Originally posted by Kiririn:

If older games you had to find the monster and if you didn't mark it with a paintball you would then have to find it again when it ran. The paintballs also wear off after a certain time. In MHGU you also have the ballon guys which, if you saw them, you could wave and they would let you know where the monster was,

Ah... So, the series did have more hunting gameplay elements than they do now... I see 🤔

Therefore, the question really is: Why did the series not build on the hunting mechanics and sub-systems, over just funnelling players towards nodes which are tracked by seeming real-time GPS telemetry? Seems like quite a deviation from what the series could, should, and would have been... Speaking for myself, I know I'd find "the hunt" far more engaging if it had some preparatory work that would imbue a sense of achievement, over just fighting target after target for little more than progressing a childish storyline.

I personally wish they would lean more into the "hunting" experience or maybe make a separate mode that is for the people that like to zoom. Reduced rewards but you can just zoom to the monster.

You aren't going to make everyone happy with a one size fits all approach.

[Inuakurei]

We don't know how much "hunting" is in Wilds yet. We just played a sandbox demo. Its entirely possible monsters won't appear on maps until identified, like World. Wait and see before jumping to conclusions.

[kohlrak]

Originally posted by Kiririn:

Originally posted by kohlrak:

The problem is that you can beat on a monster for 30 minutes after 20 minutes of finding it, not kill it, and fail the quest.

What fun is it if you are guaranteed a successful hunt? I know that I am in the minority, but sometimes failure is good motivation.

The issue is that it's not a failure due to a lack of skill.

[Ame-kun]

I mean, like I said. It was kind of fun (IMO) to gather scent, tracks, etc to get the monster's tracking level up. The investigations weren't as well implemented, sadly, but it did seem like they wanted to make tracking a more involved process... most people didn't like it, though. And like I said, the investigation part could be really hit or miss, if they didn't 'spawn' enough evidence it felt really lame to have to leave your scouting mission and come back just to look for more traces of the monster you wanted to hunt.

I do miss the funny little balloon ladies, though. It was fun to have alternate uses for the emotes.

[Kiririn]

Originally posted by kohlrak:

Originally posted by Kiririn:

What fun is it if you are guaranteed a successful hunt? I know that I am in the minority, but sometimes failure is good motivation.

The issue is that it's not a failure due to a lack of skill.

If you were a better hunter you would have marked it or used the balloon dudes to help out. I think it is a skill issue.

[kohlrak]

Originally posted by Kiririn:

Originally posted by kohlrak:

The issue is that it's not a failure due to a lack of skill.

If you were a better hunter you would have marked it or used the balloon dudes to help out. I think it is a skill issue.

Game never tells you about balloons. Honestly curious who thought to wave at the balloon to discover this and tell the community. As for marking it, you have to find it first.