f-in timberwolves

[Eldrad]

The timberwolf packs in story mode are broken compared to the rest of the game.
1. There's no way to predict when or where they will attack you.
2. They can't be tricked off your trail.
3. Usual fear tactics don't work.
4. You can't even kill them.

I've shot dozens of hits into the pack, laying many of them down to rest, but more spawn to continue the attack. There doesn't seem to be any -reliable- way to lower the attack status bar other than hiding inside. But how do I know that they're going to attack me other than, I'm definitely too far from inside to run away. Should I drop the survivor and run to the nearest interior structure? I know that damaging the pack with hits from the pistol, or rifle is what I'm supposed to do, but they run around too quickly to hit.

Sincerely,
- a fan

[Seriously Unserious]

I know the encounters you're talking about and had issues with them myself. I also had normal timberwolf encounters as well and those went the way they should. The issues seem to come from the scripted timberwolf encounters. It is possible to kill off the pack, which seems to be the only sure way to clear the scripted ones off.

The worst broken scripted survivor rescue t-wolf encounter I had was near Molly's farmhouse. I was fighting off the timberwolves and then the bear decided to show up and scared off the timberwolves, which automatically broke pack morale, but they kept coming back and reengaging to the point I couldn't go anywhere, and because the bear was still nearby and was being attracted to my gunshots, I couldn't fight them off properly either. Going inside didn't help as the survivors would be waiting outside every time. The worst one was at one point, I had a wolf somehow end up below the snow near the river and it could somehow still attack me from underground, but I couldn't attack it. I had to save scum the hell out of that encounter before I could finally get it over with.

What you're supposed to do is put the survivor you're rescuing down, then fight off the pack, and then continue on your way to the community centre.

I truly hope Hinterland takes the hint and fixes those scripted encounters so the timberwolves work properly. I like the challenge of the normal timberwolf encounters when they happen (though I still prefer to avoid them or snipe them with the rifle while they have no idea I'm there).

[Seriously Unserious]

Originally posted by The Long Dark:

I don't remember having any issues with the Timber Wolf encounters in the game, not so much as what you folks are describing. You'd almost wish that if a Timber Wolf pack encounters a bear, that as a pack they'd try to take it down until one of them gets killed, which is when they'd break off and retreat.

How cool would it be if you're trying to fend off the wolves, and a bear wanders over by chance, and scares them away or gets attacked by it? Too many possibilities, but keep at it and eventually you'll clear those rescue missions.

I actually had a pack of timberwolves encounter the bear that hangs out near the Cannery Residences. In that case, the pack just lost morale instantly and got scared off, then behaved as a t-wolf pack with broken morale should behave until they've recovered.

[wilky]

I remember having issues with the timberwolves in PV on Episode 3. Normally I think you're supposed to scare them off by throwing a blue Marine flare at them. But in my game, about 60 seconds later, the same timberwolf pack would return, and there would be no "attack bar" the second time. I am not sure if this is a bug, but I remember having to savescum my way through some of the outdoor sequences with the timberwolves. I found the marine flares were unreliable to scare them off in story mode, and I had to keep emptying my revolver into them to kill 'em off.

[Eldrad]

Originally posted by wilky:

I remember having issues with the timberwolves in PV on Episode 3. Normally I think you're supposed to scare them off by throwing a blue Marine flare at them. But in my game, about 60 seconds later, the same timberwolf pack would return, and there would be no "attack bar" the second time. I am not sure if this is a bug, but I remember having to savescum my way through some of the outdoor sequences with the timberwolves. I found the marine flares were unreliable to scare them off in story mode, and I had to keep emptying my revolver into them to kill 'em off.

Any flame/flare will keep them from coming close, but it doesn't diminish the attack bar. They approach and hesitate until I point a gun at them. Because there are 3-5 wolves attacking, there is always one waiting to jump if I move away from the flame/flare. Yes, actually hitting them with bullets is the only way to lower the bar. Killing one or many of them is often not enough to stop the attack. Alternatively, if you can make it to shelter indoors, the attack will immediately end.

It's really hard to shoot them because they don't move predictably - other than away after you point a gun, and towards if you're not pointing a gun.

[Seriously Unserious]

Originally posted by The Long Dark:

Originally posted by Seriously Unserious:

I actually had a pack of timberwolves encounter the bear that hangs out near the Cannery Residences. In that case, the pack just lost morale instantly and got scared off, then behaved as a t-wolf pack with broken morale should behave until they've recovered.

That's pretty cool and i can't believe their behaviour is realistic as you said. I don't know enough about wolves and how they operate, but it's awesome the fair amount of realism in this game.

In my previous post, I was referencing your post when you spoke about how you were trying to do the mission and the bear happened upon you because of your gun shots. I wouldn't have been floored to have seen all that happen, as if things couldn't get worse. The rush you'd have if you got out of that alive and managed to save the survivor would have been pretty awesome!

It definitely would have been if it hadn't broken the game. Once I had Timberwolves attacking with no attack bar, single t-wolves attacking like they're normal wolves, and t-wolves getting under the ground somehow, the only path was the save scum though, and that was very frustrating as it robbed me of an interesting story and experience.

Originally posted by Eldrad:

Originally posted by wilky:

I remember having issues with the timberwolves in PV on Episode 3. Normally I think you're supposed to scare them off by throwing a blue Marine flare at them. But in my game, about 60 seconds later, the same timberwolf pack would return, and there would be no "attack bar" the second time. I am not sure if this is a bug, but I remember having to savescum my way through some of the outdoor sequences with the timberwolves. I found the marine flares were unreliable to scare them off in story mode, and I had to keep emptying my revolver into them to kill 'em off.

Any flame/flare will keep them from coming close, but it doesn't diminish the attack bar. They approach and hesitate until I point a gun at them. Because there are 3-5 wolves attacking, there is always one waiting to jump if I move away from the flame/flare. Yes, actually hitting them with bullets is the only way to lower the bar. Killing one or many of them is often not enough to stop the attack. Alternatively, if you can make it to shelter indoors, the attack will immediately end.

It's really hard to shoot them because they don't move predictably - other than away after you point a gun, and towards if you're not pointing a gun.

In the bugged t-wolf encounters, especially the scripted ones, going inside does not help. They just resume the attack as soon as you step back outside. I know because I tried when I got that bugged encounter at the farm. I tried by going in and out of the barn, and then tried again by going into Molly's basement, passing time for an hour, then exiting, only to have the t-wolves back on the attack. The only thing that ultimately stopped them was killing every last one of them. Even if they got scared off and scattered, they'd somehow "just know" where I was, even if I'd moved far off, they'd just homing missile in on me and the survivor and we'd be back on again.

and yes, shooting t-wolves is way harder then shooting normal wolves. t wolves will evade your aim, and other members of the pack will attempt to blindside you from the sides/back while you're focused on the one in front who'll be dancing around drawing your attention. You need to anticipate where they'll be and lead their movement with your aim, and if you can manage that, then you can still hit them.

Another strategy I've used with success is to find a place where they can only come at me from 1 direction, such as a bridge or cave. Then they have no choice but to try a direct frontal attack and you can pick them off more easily. Also, with firearms, near misses will also demoralise the pack, just not as fast as wounding them will, and killing them demoralises the rest of the pack the fastest of all. Even beaning them with rocks will demoralise the pack, so if you have nothing else, keep a pack full of rocks on hand to at least have something. A little beanball practice never hurt anyone, except the wolves maybe! Too bad Will's not a retired MLB pitcher or him with a bag of rocks would mean those hapless t-wolves would be really in for a bruising experience.

[velvetworm]

Playing several years since this was posted; thrown marine flares work to demoralize the timberwolves. I just throw when they are close, then pick it up, then throw again. BUT the same bug persists where I will break up a pack, and they'll come right back without a morale bar. Impossible to get rid of in that case. I haven't had luck with going inside, sleeping, and trying to leave again - still right outside. I've shot a Twolf several times and haven't been able to kill it.

[Seriously Unserious]

Originally posted by velvetworm:

Playing several years since this was posted; thrown marine flares work to demoralize the timberwolves. I just throw when they are close, then pick it up, then throw again. BUT the same bug persists where I will break up a pack, and they'll come right back without a morale bar. Impossible to get rid of in that case. I haven't had luck with going inside, sleeping, and trying to leave again - still right outside. I've shot a Twolf several times and haven't been able to kill it.

I've had this bug too, usually when getting certain scripted t-wolf encounters in Wintermute, ep3. I've found if you shoot them, they will drop, and slaughtering the pack does deal with this bug. Also, if you can position yourself where they can't find or see you (crouching in such a place helps), they should eventually reset. At least since Blackrock was added, they seem to reset after a while if they can't get at you.

I've rarely gotten the no moral bar bug in Survival Mode, nor did I see much of it in Ep4, as there were not really many scripted t-wolf encounters that could bug out like that. The worst offender for me is the scripted t-wolf encounter that happens in Ep 3 when rescuing the plane crash victim near Molly's farm house. Those ones seem to ALWAYS glitch out, and the bear that frequents that area always seems to get attracted by the kurfufle the t-wolves cause which for me is usually what bugs them, as the bear causes their morale to break, which seems to conflict with the encounter script, which tries to cause them to return and resume the attack, but the scripted attack was sort of ended when their morale broke, and the bear's usually still close enough to cause some of them to go back into fear mode, and round and round it goes until I've killed every last one of them, and there's none left alive to bug out.

Until Hintlerland fixes that script, I'm pretty much resolved to the fact I have to save scum and cheese my way through that encounter any way I can to just get it over with.

[velvetworm]

I finally got through that last survivor (wade) near Molly's farmhouse. When the wolves came I brought the victim to the barn structure right nearby and built a fire in there. I slept in there and a blizzard came though, then slept again. That reset them. Then I made a beeline for the road in the middle of the night, and traveled along the road to the community centre. No wolves.

[Seriously Unserious]

Originally posted by velvetworm:

I finally got through that last survivor (wade) near Molly's farmhouse. When the wolves came I brought the victim to the barn structure right nearby and built a fire in there. I slept in there and a blizzard came though, then slept again. That reset them. Then I made a beeline for the road in the middle of the night, and traveled along the road to the community centre. No wolves.

My last time dealing with them, I set up next to the log retaining wall, NW of the farm house, couldn't make it any farther then that before the t-wolves were on me, and use that wall to limit how they could come at me and due to the low visibility from all the snow banks, set up with the revolver as it's faster to shoot and just put bullets into them until they stopped coming.

The sweetest scripted encounter that run was with the first victim you rescue right at the plane. Got as far as Draft Dodger's when the t-wolves came, so I put down the lady, whipped out my rifle, first shot, long range, down goes t-wolf #1. 2nd shot, long range, down goes t-wolf #2, t-wolf #3 tries to juke me by running laterally past me, I set up my shot in his line or movement, bam! Down goes t-wolf #3, 3 shots, 3 kills, t-wolf #4 make the smart choice to just nope out of my sharpshooting and ran off to wander down the river in an area I'd never need to go to. Just left that one be and he eventually despawned.

[nautofon]

Uh-oh. I first played episode 3 shortly after its release. When I came to Draft Dodger's with the first victim that time, I fended off a first wave of timberwolves just fine.

Then, seconds later, a second wave hit, this time with invisible timberwolves! Attack music played, the wolfs made their noise, I took damage and everything—but no morale bar and no visible wolves at all. I gave up, reloaded an earlier autosave and was able to get back to Thomson's with no further hostile encounters.

That's episode 3 timberwolves for you I guess.. ? Hope they fixed this one...

[Rhapsody]

Maybe this is where splitting story development from sandbox could pay off.

[Seriously Unserious]

Originally posted by nautofon:

Uh-oh. I first played episode 3 shortly after its release. When I came to Draft Dodger's with the first victim that time, I fended off a first wave of timberwolves just fine.

Then, seconds later, a second wave hit, this time with invisible timberwolves! Attack music played, the wolfs made their noise, I took damage and everything—but no morale bar and no visible wolves at all. I gave up, reloaded an earlier autosave and was able to get back to Thomson's with no further hostile encounters.

That's episode 3 timberwolves for you I guess.. ? Hope they fixed this one...

I had that happen once with the Molly's Farmhouse crash victim rescue script. They triggered, the bear was near and got attracted to all my gunshots, so I used him, keeping far enough the bear wouldn't agro on me, but would keep scaring off the pack and breaking their morale continuously. then I make it to the farm house, figured I might try going inside, but forgot in Ep 3, they lock the kitchen door from the enclosed porch, so I'm stuck there and the wolves don't despawn or break morale (this was back before time would eventually break morale). I eventually start shooting them, and whittle the pack down to the last one, and pack morale breaks for the umpteenth time and the last one runs off for a bit, but he doesn't despawn, and seems to magically know where I am at all times, so before I can really get my victim organized to carry on back to Thompson's, I hear the wolf barking like he's agroed on me again, but didn't get any pack attack encounter start howl, just the wolf back to aggressive. I can't see him anywhere, but can sure hear him nearby.

I then get a brief glimpse of him on the river ice - or rather way below the river ice, then he goes under land and I lose sight of him under the rock and snow. He's able to see, attack and damage me, but I can't hit him because the ground blocks my shots. Needless to say, at that point, I had to reload to my last save and try again. That put me back to me being on the porch with 3 or so of theme left. I had to repeat that several times to get a pack wipe, which I figured at this point, the encounter was so bugged, a pack wipe was the only way to end the encounter and move on. I lost count of how many times I had to save scum that broken encounter.

I think the animals going through the ground, even in caves, has been fixed since then, as I haven't seen that happen, not even the ice cave wolf in HRV that used to get stuck in the walls on me all the time back in the day.

Originally posted by Rhapsody:

Maybe this is where splitting story development from sandbox could pay off.

That's a possibility. I think they need to first sort out some major bugs that split appears to have caused, but once that's done, it should definitely help.