Feeling Territorial

[xc92u3]

AwEsOmE!! This is aWeSoMe!!!!!!
Hooray for really big packs locking you in the borders...
OH MY GOODNESS keep up that good work Dave!!

[Misaki Chan]

Oh my gosh this game is coming so far so fast- makes my heart melt a little!
This has become such a realistic experience for so many younger players, and I can already tell that Ep. 3 is going to be such a giant hit. I can already smell Ep. 4 in creation in the future (;

[Paradiigm]

This is great! I just got an update to my game, is that what this is? Or no?

[Neamara]

I just got an update to my game, is that what this is? Or no?

No, the release of WolfQuest 3: Anniversary Edition is not imminent. Today's update addresses an issue with Monday's patch update, which was noted over on the Steam News hub but hasn't yet been published to the patch notes/change log thread.

• EDIT

Looks like Dave has just posted today's patch notes.

[Hirundo]

All of this sounds really amazing and makes the game even more realistic.
I really can't wait for this to come out!

[Paradiigm]

Ah, thank you for that info Neam!

[Flamesky]

I'm really looking forward to the new version of Wolfquest and buying the next episode! You have a lot of good updates and new features for the game. Would the packs in Amethyst Mountain be the same in the new version, or will we have different stranger wolves with different levels of aggression? (Since the Druid Peak pack is now defunct in Yellowstone). Either way it will be fun to find out. I like interacting with stranger wolves in the game and I heard that there would be some changes to that in WQ 3.

[DawnWings]

When you encounter the roaming stranger wolves, will it trigger the "social arena" screen thing were you interact with them by selecting options from a menu like the current game, or will you interact in a more naturalistic way like with the other animals in the game, like being able to chase and bite them or them chasing and biting you?
This will probably be the deciding factor whether I buy the new game or not, because the "social arena" mechanic bothers me a lot.

[Lebron BMT]

If you're worried about the feasibility of player wolves maintaining such large territories and having fun with it, perhaps just being present in your territory could count towards defending your territory? I think similar logic for NPC wolves and stranger wolf territories would be good too. Of course, howling and territory marking would provide significant boosts to territorial claim and keeping stranger wolves out as well.

I really like the idea of their being trade offs between having smaller territories and therefore less stranger wolves getting within range of player wolves and pups and possibly attacking your pups/player/mate--but having less prey to find and hunt in your smaller territory--versus having larger territories that encompass both lots of prey but also lots of potential stranger wolves if not defended and marked. This dynamic is amazing and would be a great addition to the game if you can find the happy medium.

[Polynesia]

Instead of having the game randomly configure your territory every time, it would be better if territories were completely dynamic and up to the player. The only rule should be that your territory has to encompass your den site. You wouldn’t have to worry about frustration, because each player will only maintain as much territory as he can. This will reflect realistically in the game because you should expect multiplayer to have much bigger territories than singleplayer, since bigger packs have more expansive living space. You should also expect a player’s territory to shrink a little if he loses his mate.

The most awesomest thing is that you can choose what to include on your territory depending on you, your mate, and current circumstances in the game. If you have a social mate who helps you take down bigger animals, you might want to claim areas where elk and moose are commonly found. But if you and your mate are lone hunters, it might be less risky and more useful to claim areas where small prey (like beavers and hares) are more abundant. You can even adapt your territory WHILE you’re playing the game; you might start as a social hunter, but if your mate dies, you can adjust your territory in favour of small prey, and readjust if you find a new mate. Even if you pick the same den every time you play Wolfquest, you can choose what size and shape your territory will be.

Based on my experiences, the more things you leave up to the player, the higher replay value the game has. It lets people be creative and adopt personalized survival strategies and I can see this being so much fun!

Some ideas which are related to this:

- Instead of puppies being confined to the tiny area in front of the den (which will be impossible with 8 puppies anyway) give them the freedom to explore certain sections of the territory if an adult is present. Maybe a 25 meter radius around the den? (The predator cam would be adjusted so you have enough time to reach the target puppy.) The shy puppies may stay at the den, but the bolder ones may follow you around more often. It creates an incentive to keep your den-site strongly marked, so predators stay away.

- There could be territory hotspots, like elk grazing grounds, especially in spring when calves are born. These areas are more likely to be disputed over because of the very high reward.

- If the stranger packs will follow the new spawning system (meaning they will always be somewhere on the map and won’t just appear in front of your wolf), then could we be able to see them from a distance, showing different behaviours like:

- group howls
- interacting with each other (play bow, tail wagging etc)
- eating from carcasses
- scent marking / patroling together as a pack
- sleeping / resting
- lone members hanging out on their own (this would help you take a mate from a stranger pack)
- I’m not expecting this with the release of Wolfquest 3, but maybe in the future we could even see stranger packs hunting prey / interacting with other animals.

[Windstrider]

^ Definitely seconding those ideas!

[MazelAngel]

I've loved wolves since first grade and have done a lot of research myself. So, yes, when I first saw the territories I was surprised about how small they were. I just elected to ignore it. I'm seriously psyched about the larger territories and more realistic dispersal behavior :)