Why do bandits instantly butcher your animals instead of slowly eating them?

[Div]

I'm fine with my dogs being in danger of getting eaten but it's a bit much that any random bandit can come along and instantly coup de grace your little canine buds after a fight.
Could they either eat the animal limb by limb or at least have a progress bar for butchering to give me time to wake up from my nap?

Combined with their permanent 15% stat penalty from never reaching elder and lack of any utility (I'd like if they could lick wounds but I'm not gonna hold my breath), my bonedogs seem like they're more of a liability than anything. Is there any reason to keep them around other than roleplaying and their fast attack animations?

[Zalzany]

I don't think there was a reason to get them ever minus role play, I mean there is a mod for a pack for them... But in the game I instant kill them all time I just pick the hide off them that will instant kill them, that or meat. not sure if that works anymore though use to be how you killed a downed one, I think maybe finally got to kill them first then skin them. No clue been awhile and seem to always be dead for me never really looked if it said dying or dead before I search for meat and hides anymore...

[Ymedron]

They instantly die if you take any of the materials out of their corpse. Not sure how you could change that, unless you make it so animals can lose limbs too. P sure a bandit would just slit the dog's throat and grill it up so there's no risk of it waking up and causing trouble. :o

[Div]

Originally posted by Ymedron:

P sure a bandit would just slit the dog's throat and grill it up so there's no risk of it waking up and causing trouble. :o

I just don't see why starving bandits are a greater risk to your party members than monstrous, blood-sucking spiders or cannibals. A butchering attempt should immediately wake up an unconscious animal as long as it's still above its KO point.

[Ymedron]

I suppose it depends. A blood-sucking spider would start eating you while alive, and would probably just scarf a dog up like that.
A starving bandit is a great threat to your animals but not so much to your humans. You're as much a threat to any enemy faction's dogs. -shrug-

I think animals should only get knocked out once its below its KO point, while temporary knockouts should just make it fall over for a lil while as if it was crippled, but still unlootable/able to defend itself. But that would mean a new mechanic I guess...

Maybe they should kidnap the animal and go somewhere to camp and butcher it so you have time to rescue it?

[Div]

Originally posted by Ymedron:

Maybe they should kidnap the animal and go somewhere to camp and butcher it so you have time to rescue it?

That's what I was suggesting in the OP. Cannibals do that, and it's at least an interesting way to lose a character if you fail to rescue them in time. But having someone just come up and instantly kill a party member defeats the point of the whole "losing a fight isn't the end" thing.

[Ymedron]

True true- I interpreted the 'progress bar' as them butchering on the spot but some kind of new mechanic to show them killing the thing. :U! my thought was more that the duration they spend carrying the animal around is your window to save it, and when they get to wherever they might want to camp is where its game over for your pup.

[Div]

Well I did suggest both, actually. I don't care how it'd be done, to be honest. As long as you have some kind of opportunity to save your animal.

[yippeekiay]

I've had to put my dogs to sleep (temporarily I may add) as they little swines keep playing with limbs & won't fight or follow orders when they find any despite being adults. They can resume life when the bug is fixed i.e. they are recognised as grown up lol ;o)