Crossbow won't work to hunt animals like deer/sheep/chickens/etc at all?

[glitchHiker]

For some reason the crossbow has just stopped working for hunting any animal at all!? Wtf is going on with the game? It' always used not worked with 1 or 2 immortal animals in a herd, which I would then just have to take out with my sword. But now it's every deer/goat/chicken/goose/whatever animal could be hunted before that I see. I can still kill them all with a sword or fire, but that's just not as fun and there's obviously something very wrong with the game or with me!?

I know the arrows are hitting their target because I can still hear the "thud" noise it makes when the arrow makes contact with my target. So what's going on? How can I fix this? Is it a bug or something actually wrong with the game, or did they patch something recently that made hunting with the crossbow completely not possible?

I've already tried googling this and it looks like this problem is just unique to me as far as I can tell!? :s ANY help is really appreciated. Thank you :)





Edit: Just wanted to add that they still work for damaging enemies in any fight, Just not when hunting animals outside of a fight.


Edit 2: Maybe it's because the current crossbow I'm using is only level 10 and I'm at level 18 now? Maybe the larger discrepancy between the crossbow's level and My/the random animal's levels is the cause? I have the 'enemy upscaling' option active, could that be it? Does that affect the regular animals as well?

[hazmat74]

I think people kill game because you can loot them. I Axii'd a deer once so I could hack it and see what happens. Totally lootable.

[glitchHiker]

Jesus Christ!! Really? I don't even know where to start with this...

I was asking a legitimate question about a legitimate problem with a LEGITIMATE MECHANIC within the game. I said nothing about canon and honestly I reall don't care about whether or not crossbows or hunting are "canon." And I especially never said anything about playing this game as a hunting game.

And why does it matter if I hunt animals WHILE playing thru the main story and side quests/contracts?? This is an OPEN WORLD GAME! I'm hardly the first to take my time playing through an open world game and doing side quests/activities and ignoring the main story for a while. Again, not saying I'm just hunting the whole time, I've been spending most of my game time the last little while doing side quests and Witcher contracts to level up. Is that wrong?? Does that mean I have a low IQ? Or is it just the hunting that means I have a low IQ?

If you really must know, the reasons I do it are (1) for the raw meat/goats milk/chicken legs/eggs and whatever FOOD items that can be stored in bulk, weightless, and used in the middle of battle. I realize their health Regen is negligible on their own, but when stored and taken in large numbers - and given a bit of stalling time while fighting - they can be effective. And before u try to say "well that's what oils/potions are for and they fit the Canon/lore and therefore should be your only method of health Regen if you wan't any hope of playing this game the RIGHT way and ONLY way to play... ie: MY way." Ya well (2) I hate constantly messing around in menus and making potions and stopping before every fight, or reloading a save to just before a fight, all to apply oils/potions - that I'm just supposed to know which I need for each battle... That's the exact OPPOSITE OF IMMERSION, at least FOR ME. Does that mean I have a loe I?? I also don't play on max difficulty. If I see a herd of deer or goats on the way to my destination and I want to kill a few for their meat and stock up a bunch of meat and other items like fur which are valuable in large amounts and have a low weight, then that's My CHOICE. It's also a LOT more immersive than constant menu navigation and inventory management, and makes the game feel more real.. I really don't care if that's not what the character would do in the books or what any of you would do. And I especially don't care if it's considered "canon." And if the devs didn't want us doing that then they wouldn't have made it an option.

That's just the way I prefer to exist in this world. And don't think this is all I do or I go out of my way to do it. It's just a side activity. I DO NOT play this game "like a hunting game... What a ridiculous and just pointlessly STUPID thing to say. And I'm supposed to have the low IQ?

I also like the fact that this rpg actually gives u a good and valid reason/incentive to hunt (on the side of course), unlike games like Skyrim where the only benefit are some worthless and relatively heavy pelts that don't benefit anyone. And also where food isn't needed with instant healing spells that don't require constant flower picking and menu navigation/inventory maintenance.. And therefore I can spend more time in the lush forests in this game that the devs clearly put so much time an effort into crafting. Then they become more than just side scenery and/or eye candy.

Again, this is just MY preference. The way I prefer to play MY game that I paid MY money for that really shouldn't bother you or anyone else on the planet. And what part of my previous post made you think that hunting is ALL I do?? And I especially don't understand why that means I have a low IQ? Some of you didn't even know u could loot them... And I'm the one with the low IQ here??

Instead of offering help or attempting to figure out the problem, you all decided to mock and insult me instead. Wow this a pointless waste of time...

[ACJCLIGHTNING]

Originally posted by glitchHiker:

Jesus Christ!! Really? I don't even know where to start with this...

I was asking a legitimate question about a legitimate problem with a LEGITIMATE MECHANIC within the game. I said nothing about canon and honestly I reall don't care about whether or not crossbows or hunting are "canon." And I especially never said anything about playing this game as a hunting game.
ect.....

Im gonna have to agree with you here. That was uncalled for. It is a legitamate question, legitamate bug, and a legitamate way to play. hell ive gone "hunting" before and had fun. the name calling and insults were DEFINITELY uncalled for, especially since it effects you in no way what so ever.

OP, It sounds like some kind of bug. Maybe try leaving to a different zone and coming back. I remember killing a deer with a bow a week or so ago. Like you said though, maybe it stopped. next time Ill give it a try and see if its a problem in my game too.

[ACJCLIGHTNING]

Holy mother of ♥♥♥♥ dude, who ♥♥♥♥ in your cereal this morning.

ITS A SINGLE PLAYER GAME, IF YOU DONT LIKE HOW HE PLAYS, IT DOESNT EFFECT YOU AT ALL.

HOLY ♥♥♥♥ DUDE.

Guess what dude....Sometimes....I turn on witcher....and walk around looking at the environment..*GASP*

Sometimes....I even take screenshots....

Not even doing any quests!!!!!!

Maybe sometimes....I will even go look for places that would make good paintball locations(yes, absolutely have)

I once....Went around killing all the dogs and cats in toussaint..........

I even spent a good amount of time trying to drop down and ride on top of a forktail...

I know, I know, Since im not questing im am idiot(already 100% the game btw).


Dude seriously. Chill the ♥♥♥♥ out. Your Being ridiculous. It is an open world game. That means emergent gameplay. That means that if someone wants to arrange bodies on the floor in the shape of a dickand laugh about it, they can. Hunting in the forest is something I have done occasionally too, just because the witchers forests have more detail than almost any open world game.

The lore of the game does not trump the gameplay. Gameplay does not yield to the lore. I am someone who defends story's in games, and that they are a vital part, but as much as you and I hate it, there are people that will have skipped every cutscene in Witcher 3. In fact, I personally know someone who did just that.

And. that. is. ok.

And if you really care so much about lore, Geralt hunted several times in the books for non-monster prey. Usually helping Milva.

So chill, Stop the namecalling, and stop acting like the witcher is a telltale game where there is only one way to play, and lets all enjoy the thrills of modern gaming and the beautifully crafted masterpiece that is the witcher. A game so good that you can have fun playing through an expertly crafted storyline and quests, AND have fun hunting and exploring in witcher's amazing world and forests.

And if your still annoyed, watch a video about Bartle's Taxonomy.
People play games for different reasons.

[v0]

Just install some mod where crossbow does real dmg and continue doing whetever you feel like. My $0.02.

[Gaaah]

I'm having exact same problem, google led me here. Deer won't die no matter how many times they get hit(by my crossbow bolts), whilst signs and bombs work just fine.

Have you found a solution by any chance? I really need those raw meat in my death march playthrough.

PS. Couldn't help but notice, that answer above is just ridiculous, I feel you bro. that guy has some serious mental problem.

[fiffy]

i know what the problem is! turn off enemy upscaling in gameplay options. it gives animals tons of health

[SoulBiscuit]

Oh dang man come on you gotta play the game perfectly the way the lore tells you to!!111
I demand that you never hunt, Geralt would never do that. Also please only do side quests if they feel like they fit the lore.
Remember to complete quests as QUICKLY as possible, no looting anything. Geralt wouldn't go out of his way to dig through boxes.
Please remember to stop before doing any action and think "does this fit the lore in the game??? i need to BE geralt."
Now excuse me while I cherry-pick your argument and respond solely to one or two sentences instead of reading any of the surrounding detail.

Originally posted by glitchHiker:

I was asking a legitimate question about a legitimate problem with a LEGITIMATE MECHANIC within the game. I said nothing about canon and honestly I reall don't care about whether or not crossbows or hunting are "canon." And I especially never said anything about playing this game as a hunting game.

How dare you. How dare you ask a question. This is disgusting. How do you not know that the canon of the Witcher demands that you have no problems with mechanics?? You realize that mechanics aren't even canon, right? How can real life have a mechanic? Geralt would never use the Steam forums. Stop playing this as a hunting game, go back to Skyrim. Go back to Skyrim. Assassin's Creed. Roasted.

Originally posted by BuzzardBee:

It matters because this is not an open-world RPG like Skyrim
...
If you'd bothered to explore that OPEN WORLD

This guy knows what's up, he's the hero we need on this forum. Always answering those dang questions with some infallable logic. Love you, man.

[robwarrior]

old thread i know. Simple answer tho. If enemy upscaling is on the deer will become alot tougher also. Turn enemy upscaling off to kill deer 1 hit

[GarnetDivine]

Originally posted by BuzzardBee:

1. Why are you killing animals? Geralt is a monster slayer, not a hunter of game. Maybe they changed it because they realized some people were expending their energy in some damn fool way they never intended for the game. There's something very wrong with you indeed.

Maybe you should consider buying one of the Cabela's games in the future.

2. Crossbows are not canon to the witcher saga. They were thrown in to TW3 for some unknown reason. But so be it. They have very limited usefulness. They are best for underwater fighitng since you are unable to use anything else there to defend yourself and in boats for the same reason. They are also useful in trying to bring down flying monsters. That's it.

3. If the problem is unique to you then it might be an indication that perhaps no one else is trying to treat this RPG as a hunting game and that maybe you should stop doing that instead of trying to find some way to fix something that is not broken.

4. They are intended to do damage to enemies. They're just not as effective as other means such as your swords, magic, bombs or oils. They're not intended for killing animals. This is not Assassin's Creed. It's The Witcher.

5. Higher leveled crossbows will do more damage -- but to enemies, not animals. If you insist on playing the game as it was not intended, you're going to be a very frustrated little boy.

Jesus what a stupid ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ post to devote energy into typing, lmao.

[NOTHINGFACE]

I know this post is two years old but I couldn't help but laugh at how crazy BuzzardBee sounds lol. Holy crap.

[McGeeZac]

Geralt can kill a cow with his bare fist. You use crossbow? Are you going too much of an upgrade here? I am flabbergasted.