Current hunting mechanics are fine and all, given they're not a major focus of the game, but a bit bland. You end up walking left/right for extended periods of time, swinging your weapon and picking up skins and meat your prey transforms into on death. What I suggest is to add much more depth to that. Proposed mechanics would be overkill when compared to the current creatures, so I'm also suggesting a new creature subtype: Apex predators. Essentially the top of the food chain, these creatures would be either massive and powerful, or pack-based. They would be far stronger, but not miniboss-strong. Most of them would be passive towards the player, too, not seeing them as a possible danger. Upon sensing a player, they would stop what they're doing and start growling or otherwise warning them, but would not attack unless hungry (indicated by an icon/effect). Picking a fight with them would be thus optional, unless you decide to walk around them long enough for them to get hungry. Their AI would be slightly more complex, including tracking the player, attempting an escape when wounded and traveling in packs. They would also posses several abilities at once, like good ol' charge and body slam, but also "stealth" "gore" "shockwave stomp" or "roar". Of course dealing with them would require special tools and approach. Traps would play a major role, doing much more than simply dealing damage. Some of them would be aimed mostly at the stronger creatures, but for example snares would work as expected on our current ones. Snares would do exactly what you would expect of them. When attached to an overhang (would work both with blocks and trees) they would hang just above ground level. A normal creature when caught would be pulled up and defenseless. A strong one would have a serious slowdown applied for a few seconds, but would break the trap. Massive ones would be unaffected. Bird nets would be snares for airborne prey. Spring traps would be... well... bear traps. Low damage, but apply a "crippled" debuff that lasts forever on normal creatures, for two minutes or so on a strong one, and tickles a massive one. Would also slow players down for a small amount of time. Spikes would deal meh damage, but would cause bleeding, dealing damage over time (disrupting attacks) and making the creature leave a trail of blood particles that linger around up to 20 seconds. Specialized equipment would be there for these who dedicate their lifes to hunting, making them much more effective. Camouflage net. Requires a few seconds to set up, but makes you hard to detect by creatures as long as you don't move. Is not consumed. Old Spice. Empty a can on yourself to show everyone who's the alpha here. Attracts creatures and causes them to attack even if not hungry. Mating call synthetizer. Clicking with it equipped on an animal will make it walk slowly towards your location. Harpoon glove. One-handed weapon requiring perfect timing to use - if you hit a massive creature while it's flashing red from recently received damage, you will be pulled towards it like with a grappling hook. For a few seconds you can attack "for free" attached to the monster's back before it frees itself. Using it effectively would require either excellent reflexes with a ranged weapon, or getting into melee range of a behemoth. Hm. But it looks cool. Signature tracker. When used while standing still, it will analyze your surroundings, pointing to nearby creatures with a "glow" effect at your screen's edges. Especially useful against stealthy creatures. Of course being equipped means nothing if you use your high-tech sensors just to know in which direction you should run waving a sword around. And that's why stalking real prey requires real mechanics. Several variables affecting your detection range, such as light level, wind direction, movement speed and your health/time since last fight. They can smell the fresh blood on your blade and will be prepared. Attacking without being detected applies a serious damage buff. Attacking as soon as you're detected has a smaller damage buff, but increases knockback and "staggers" your prey (if not of massive size) for a short time. Precision is key. Clicking directly on the creature will amplify the effects of your attacks, giving a chance to apply debuffs. If allowed to, a pack animal will summon more of it's kind. Your attacks must either give it no breathing space, or come from where the creature can't sense you. Deal with it fast, or prepare to be swarmed. Upon death, (new) creatures no longer disappear in a "poof" and summon their drops out of the void. They drop to the ground and getting dem precious chitins means you have to get to the body and spend some time hacking away at it with an appropriate tool. Sure, it would take some time, but would also increase the amount of items dropped per hunted animal. Using a workstation for it (tanning rack, for example) would increase the yield of rare materials. Now, trophies. Decorative trophies are always welcome, like preserving bodyparts for display (trophy rack as a back item! Carry that dragon's head everywhere you go!) or crafting kick-ass fur cloaks, bone spears and teeth cleavers, but what I want to get more in-depth about are utility trophies. Using a medical syringe on an unconscious (or live, if you're suicidal) create would extract some of it's blood. Dead creatures don't provide any. With enough of it, you can isolate their pheromones, or otherwise scent, and craft items granting you complete "invisibility" against these species. Doesn't fool pack leaders, though. You can also place them in specialized emitters to make creatures avoid the immediate area around them. With enough bodyparts harvested, you can craft either a talisman or a totem. Talismans are items that you can wave in front of you to scare the animals into backing off. Totems are placeable and have an area of effect. This is an early draft, suggestions are welcome.
Wow. Big wall of letters, but I read them - I READ THEM ALL! And I agree. It'd be cool to hang a trophy on the wall in your base and when you invite friends, say "Yeah! I hunted this son of a poptop down. It wasn't easy, but I did it!" Also I think a nice thing would be if we could find a stronger versions of animals, alpha male or something, that could reward us with satisfing trophy after VERY HARD fight.
Trophies would be nice and so would creatures not despawning on death so you can skin them. Some of the unique items sound pretty cool but the thick layer of mechanics... Most players aren't going to use them enough to justify putting them in. If they just make general monster battles more fun and vary the mobs to include huge hulking beasts sometimes that'd be enough to make battles in general more interesting. Are they still working on monsters? I thought they were pretty much done with them post combat update.
