Community Feedback Round #1: Mule deer antlers & trophy

[[NRG] Miriam]

For this feedback round, we’d like to focus specifically on Mule deer, especially its antlers, trophy appearance, and overall trophy system.

We’d like your feedback on:
- Mule deer antler shapes and variations
- Trophy quality and visual differences between ratings
- The trophy scoring system for mule deer
- Trophy presentation in the game
- Anything that looks unrealistic or could be improved
- If you have real-life hunting experience, how do the mule deer trophies compare to real animals?

Feel free to share your thoughts, screenshots, and constructive feedback below - and please keep this thread related to the topic.

The first feedback round runs from April 1 to April 14 - and more are on the way.

Thanks!

[Roddy]

❤❤❤❤❤ Thanks Miriam

[Th3struggler]

Hello, I live in the rockies in Colorado and hunt mule deer and elk all the time. I notice that pretty much all your bigger bucks have little "mass" or their antlers arent heavy. Also most bucks end up getting little points (kickers or trash or whatever you want to call them) as they get older in random spots which is one of the things I like most about mule deer. And lots of deer are not 4x4s or 3x3s but 3x4s or 4x5s and so on, in game every buck is either a 2x2, 3x3 or a 4x4 the only variation is the tine length. And I know this isnt about elk but most elk should be a 6x6 or smaller, 8x8s are near impossible to find in normal units. And the dark elk fur colors is pretty... strange. I've seen thousands of elk (I've been hunting them my entire life) and I've never seen one that dark. Overall you guys are doing an amazing job and this is sure to become the best hunting game ever!!!

[ScubaSteve]

My only thought was with the Trophy Scoring Screen. I know you have a Scoring System based on the values or inches of the animals but it would be nice to see a total Inches for Typical Score and Non-Typical Score of each animal we harvest. Seeing a score of 1000 or something is great but knowing we harvested a 200" Whitetail or a 400" Elk would add some realism to the scoring system. Overall great game and can't wait to see where it lands!

[ShadowRider]

Originally posted by Th3struggler:

Hello, I live in the rockies in Colorado and hunt mule deer and elk all the time. I notice that pretty much all your bigger bucks have little "mass" or their antlers arent heavy. Also most bucks end up getting little points (kickers or trash or whatever you want to call them) as they get older in random spots which is one of the things I like most about mule deer. And lots of deer are not 4x4s or 3x3s but 3x4s or 4x5s and so on, in game every buck is either a 2x2, 3x3 or a 4x4 the only variation is the tine length. And I know this isnt about elk but most elk should be a 6x6 or smaller, 8x8s are near impossible to find in normal units. And the dark elk fur colors is pretty... strange. I've seen thousands of elk (I've been hunting them my entire life) and I've never seen one that dark. Overall you guys are doing an amazing job and this is sure to become the best hunting game ever!!!

Actually elk coats can vary depending on climate, like my state they are darker, and I have shot plenty of bulls and cows that are dark like they are in the game. So it depends on location or even time of year,. And it even depends on what forage is available to elk, this will also have a huge effect on their antler size , coat color, etc.. So you being in CO elk will have lighter coats because of the climate and available forage to them. And I 100% agree with the bigger bucks in the game they are too small the antlers need to have more mass. I have a massive 4x4 mule deer and the girth on the antlers is crazy.

[Shook Juan]

We need true random antler generation. Five star racks all look identical with one side being a mirror copy of the other with a little to no variation. There’s not enough variation in mass measurements or tine characteristics, particularly at higher trophy levels. As it stands right now if someone were to post an image titled “five star new mule deer“ than I immediately know exactly what the rack will look like. This highly discourages replayability as there is little to no variety in what animals will look like. In reality real world “five star equivalent“ antlers will have unique characteristics.

[KERNDAWG96]

Boon and Crocket scoring would be nice

[sneakybass]

Heavy main beams and thicker tines, and kickers and bucks as wide as a trucks tail gate 48 inches, go to you tube videos and type in Nevada mule deer bucks or type in huge mule deer bucks so many with great looking antlers copy some of those. I have hunted mule deer In Nevada and have shot two great looking deer In Nevada., and I have seen bucks antlers so big and massive hard to imagine but screwed up my chance to kill a monster buck. Each year the state puts up raffle for the biggest buck and you can win a new truck, I put in a couple of times, but to see the winners pictures going back years ,some bucks where 48 inches wide, could not even imagine. Get your real looking antlers from the dead bucks years ago just copy them from the internet and you tube . I hope I was able to help most are 350 or more class Boone and crocket, I really enjoy WOTH2 for what you guys are doing now.

[sneakybass]

I saw at least two mule deer bucks the antlers came almost straight across and both sides came up with at least ten points to a side at or near 48 inches wide in 1987, I had my chance for several great years for huge bucks but buck fever I guess. They were monster bucks I missed or spooked. BUT you can see two huge monster bucks like this In the museum In Elko Nevada. My hunting chances are over to old now 66years can't pack In any more and had three light strokes.

[sneakybass]

Do a general search of pictures of huge or monster bucks or mule deer, some pictures will pop up. I'm talking real dead deer.

[Takeda Sensey]

I've been hunting commercially for about fifteen years. And, in general, the game displays everything quite accurately. I agree with the guys who talk about antler weight; it's an important point. I think trophies with heavy antlers should be worth more, but they're also less common. And complaints about the animals' coloring are nonsense—what the animal eats is what it looks like. I've never been to Laurentia or Canada; maybe the food supply there is such that the animals' coloring is less vibrant or darker.

[MonacoSteve]

Living in Europe (Germany) and not being an RL hunter, my thoughts on the antler issue in hunting sims (and on a given deer species not living in my country in particular) is based on my general knowledge of nature (I am a Biologist). In addition, have spent innumerable hours during test and play of TH classic and COTW commenting their antler systems. Having said this, I think that nowadays it appears that all good hunting games are able to create racks with the correct species-specific anatomy. However, there are only very few which also can implement true variability within it. In nature, virtually no deer, elk, or moose rack ever looks the same, which makes each antler trophy truly an individual. Therefore, this is my main point here. Variation is a motivation factor that can hardy be underestimated in its importance for players interested in any hunting sim that wants to be more than a simple shooting platform. It is worth all the invested developing time.

[sneakybass]

Originally posted by Takeda Sensey:

I've been hunting commercially for about fifteen years. And, in general, the game displays everything quite accurately. I agree with the guys who talk about antler weight; it's an important point. I think trophies with heavy antlers should be worth more, but they're also less common. And complaints about the animals' coloring are nonsense—what the animal eats is what it looks like. I've never been to Laurentia or Canada; maybe the food supply there is such that the animals' coloring is less vibrant or darker.

The deer I hunt In California by Hurst Castle the antlers are dark chocolate brown almost like they were rubbing ash or something dark some times, I think when shed their skins they rub certain brush or trees maybe to get them that color. But It don't happen all the time where I kill bucks. Once In a great while you get one in camp

[sneakybass]

Originally posted by MonacoSteve:

Living in Europe (Germany) and not being an RL hunter, my thoughts on the antler issue in hunting sims (and on a given deer species not living in my country in particular) is based on my general knowledge of nature (I am a Biologist). In addition, have spent innumerable hours during test and play of TH classic and COTW commenting their antler systems. Having said this, I think that nowadays it appears that all good hunting games are able to create racks with the correct species-specific anatomy. However, there are only very few which also can implement true variability within it. In nature, virtually no deer, elk, or moose rack ever looks the same, which makes each antler trophy truly an individual. Therefore, this is my main point here. Variation is a motivation factor that can hardy be underestimated in its importance for players interested in any hunting sim that wants to be more than a simple shooting platform. It is worth all the invested developing time.

I would not go that far some of these bucks from COTW look like ♥♥♥♥ they look like tree branches and the whitetails look like they were raised on a whitetail farm mutants In Texas whare the antlers are so huge and large for the deer to hold their heads up its gross, I hope WOTH does not go any where near the bucks from cotw. Look at the bucks from Nevada, or the Strip In Arizona Or the Island that only gets one or two tags spending thousands for a draw, or Kibab. Some of the biggest bucks come from their and don't forget about Canada they have huge monster bucks and are heavy weights now weather is just right for them and stable. Please do what I ask for more authentic antlers and horns above.

[sneakybass]

WOTH2 sorry developers for typing to much please go my route to get nice looking authentic antlers and horns. As stated #7 so many great looking bucks to copy and I mean real ones that were alive. I can send you a nice buck picture I shot a 4by4 heavy and killer eye guards, not a monster but close lol 188 class Boone and crocket buck I took In Nevada. Monster bucks are over 230 class. Find them on the internet. I wish you developers the best. What I have seen In fifty hours looks amazing.

[arnoldfuchs0]

Today hello! I´m sorry, i got no muleys and turkeys in my arround nature, so i cant give you a correct report. The animation of muleys looks good and the diffence between antlers also looks good.