How to survive wolves as a beginner?

[Flexbyte]

Hi, I'm a beginner and I'm playing Homo Sapiens mode with some settings tweaks (no map, but do keep items on death due to... reasons)

I'm trying to figure out most things on my own. I'm not looking to go to copper age as fast as possible or anything like that, just figure out things one by one at my own pace.

However, wolves are ruining everything. As soon as there's a wolf, basically I'll die. I even made armor from wood and grass, though I see that this armor has disappeared now (where did it go??? did two bites of a wolf destroy it? I thought armor was supposed to not disappear like tools?).

So armor doesn't help. How can one deal with wolves? How many spear hits does it take to kill one wolf? How to enjoy the game and gradually discover next things without wolves ruining it all the time?

I'm not looking to use mods.

Thanks!

Edited October 27, 2024 by Flexbyte

[Krougal]

Improvised armor and crude shield. No, the armor doesn't last long and it doesn't cover head or legs, but it is better than nothing.

You need to hold sneak key (passive shield has only 15% chance) and enemy needs to be somewhat in front of you.

You can use the shield with a bow, if you aren't a hunter or have class recipes disabled, then you likely don't have a bow yet.

I'd carry 3-4 spears.

Also if you stay out of the woods until you are ready, you won't have trouble with wolves. 

I feel your frustration, I was ready to quit before I figured this all out.

Edited October 27, 2024 by Krougal

[Flexbyte]

> Improvised armor

I had one and it's gone now after two hits by a wolf, if armor which requires crafting only survives 2 wolf hits and then disappears it doesn't seem like an improvement at all

> enemy needs to be somewhat in front of you.

Wolves come from a random direction and kill me in 1 hit, there would not be time to have it in front of me

> I'd carry 3-4 spears.

Would that be enough to kill a wolf?

Do wolves respawn after killed?

Thanks!

[Flexbyte]

Basically I seem to be stuck on animal fat by the way

Any animal seems to one hit me

Wihtout animal fat, no armor other than  useless-waste-of-time-disappear-after-2-hits-armor (and I've already taken 100 hits of animals and got 0 fat)

How can you get animal fat as a noob with stone spears?

[idiomcritter]

checking the wiki, wolves appear to have health between 14-15.  and they have a 20 block sense distance..

https://wiki.vintagestory.at/index.php/Wolf

A thrown spear (which does more damage than melee) depending on type (flint) starts at 5 so...

3 spears should do it but

if you are like me, need extra spears to make up for the misses.

also, the wolves will run away mostly after the second spear hit, out of self preservation(?)

you can build pits 2-3 blocks deep, and 2 blocks wide, kinda lure them into falling in..

if you have time enough, pillaring 3-4 blocks high, will keep you out of the wolfs attack range, and you can play the stab game

don't know the frequency exactly, wolves will respawn.  reports (from others) that if you can trap the wolves in a pit, and then just leave them there, it possibly prevents further spawnage

when I base near forested areas, I usually set up a long perimeter fence to keep the wild animals penned in so to speak

as to fat, animal husbandry will allow good harvests of fat, meat, hides, bones.  boar/sow usually have the most fat. start that pig farm

[Thorfinn]

There's my favorite way of dealing with, well, pretty much everything.

It helps a lot to keep your head on a swivel and get on high ground often to look for foes. Ladders are faster, but bears climb ladders, so nerdpoles might be better. At least nerdpoles up 3 blocks, then build your ladder on top of that.  

[Krougal]

While the improvised armor sucks, it is better than nothing. It has 75 durability, 2 hits is exagerating.

Is your sound on? The wolves generally growl when they detect you, so you should have enough time to react.

I don't think wolves give fat either. Pigs are your best bet before you get a bow/better spears. Later deer are great for meat, fat and large hides.

The amount of fat (and other material) you get also depends on the animals weight. So if their weight is good you'll get more, less if it is low.

 

[Flexbyte]

I now managed to catch wolves with a 3x3x3 pit. I found a whole pack, and I managed to lure them in one by one. Multiple of them dropped fat, and medium hides.

Feels really good!!

Also died by a bear, apparently they can escape 3x3x3 pits...

Edited October 27, 2024 by Flexbyte

[Echo Weaver]

As a coward, I recommend running like crazy if you hear a growl and doing something else for a while. Also pit traps as @Flexbyte suggested.

The only bear I have succeeded in killing is one that managed to jump off the roof of my hovel into my fenced garden and was trapped running around in a rage until I stabbed it enough times. Bears are easier to see before they see you, but if they're behind you they're actually quieter than wolves before they attack. 

[Flexbyte]

For me it seems when I hear a growl it's already too late. It's growl, single bite, death. Sometimes it's growl, frantically reaching for ctrl to run but accidently hitting shift+ctrl at same time, death.

But I got some medium skins curing and also some resin so I'll have armor soon which will hopefully fix the single-hit problem.

[Echo Weaver]

58 minutes ago, Flexbyte said:

For me it seems when I hear a growl it's already too late. It's growl, single bite, death. Sometimes it's growl, frantically reaching for ctrl to run but accidently hitting shift+ctrl at same time, death.

But I got some medium skins curing and also some resin so I'll have armor soon which will hopefully fix the single-hit problem.

We may. be Vintage Story soulmates 

I usually don't die to a single wolf hit anymore, and I haven't prioritized armor. I think it must be the extra HP from good nutrition.

Edited October 28, 2024 by Echo Weaver

[Krougal]

I've never bothered with lamellar, seems like a waste of resources. Granted leather does take quite a bit of time, but it's decent armor at least.

You'll get a feel for the wolves and they won't bother you anymore. At first they were giving me fits too, now I go "Meat is back on the menu boys!" and make orc sounds when I run into them.

The shields ability to block is far more powerful than any armor in this game(well maybe not steel plate, but even my new steel chain is somewhat underwhelming)

Edited October 28, 2024 by Krougal

[Thorfinn]

If you don't have the patience to carefully scout out the area, sprinting everywhere like you just left a party at Hunter's works quite well. You can usually run right past wolves as close as 3 or 4 blocks away, often without aggroing them. About half the time you can even jump right over them without getting bitten. Bears are just as clueless. The new Face-huggers seem a little more aware and corner a lot better than anything else, but you can still easily strip them off in bushes or uneven terrain or tree trunks every 4 blocks or so. The Ugly Pluckers seem about the same as wolves, but unlike wolves, if you get too close they might get a couple volleys before you get out of range. They are the biggest threat to someone with the sprint key duct-taped down. And even that is fixed by 3 poultices or so.

Edited October 28, 2024 by Thorfinn

[Maelstrom]

22 hours ago, Flexbyte said:

Also died by a bear, apparently they can escape 3x3x3 pits...

Yes.  Bears can climb 3 block heights.  Either make the pit 4 blocks interior height, or put a bit of a lip around the inner top block of 3 block deep pit using stuff like tool racks, trap doors or a bit of chiseled block.  Additionally, bears require a two block width to fit through.

[Thorfinn]

58 minutes ago, Maelstrom said:

Additionally, bears require a two block width to fit through.

Near as I can tell, so do the new Face-huggers.

[Stranger92]

Hey, have a question to all shield-wielders: how does it help you?
For me wolves tend to just clip their heads into me and bypass my shield altogether.
Same with moose and basically any four-legged enemy.

[Thorfinn]

IME, you have to be facing them and then do the active block. Doesn't really fit my game style, so I don't find shields terribly useful.

[Stranger92]

I'm facing them and I do active block. Does nothing to stop them. They still shove their head behind my shield and inflict full damage. 
I'm fairly sure that shield has a physical model and should be between your model and attackers model (otherwise it would hardly work with directions). And as wolf model is virtually inside your model, shield does nothing unless you are extremely lucky.

This is never the issue with drifters and locusts, for example, which strengthens my suspicions.

[Flexbyte]

I can handle wolves mostly in the meantime, using a tin bronze spear and tailored gambeson armor (helmet/body/legs). A single wolve is no problem at all with this. A pack of 3 is hard unless I manage to do them 1 by 1.

I never tried a shield (my left hand is already reserved for lantern). Of course I play a modified homo sapiens game, the shield might be useful against the story enemies

Edited December 12, 2024 by Flexbyte

[LadyWYT]

10 hours ago, Stranger92 said:

Hey, have a question to all shield-wielders: how does it help you?
For me wolves tend to just clip their heads into me and bypass my shield altogether.
Same with moose and basically any four-legged enemy.

You need to be actively blocking and facing the enemy head-on to get the most out of your shield. The effectiveness also depends on what kind of shield you're using; better quality shields will block more incoming damage and last longer. I'll also note that it helps to wear armor when using a shield as well, as that will further mitigate any damage that wasn't blocked by the shield.

I'm assuming though that you're referring to the crude shield for early game defense against hostile wildlife. In this case, the same logic applies as above--you want to be facing the attacker and actively blocking in order to get the most out of the shield. It's certainly not going to soak up all the damage, but the idea is that it mitigates enough to allow you to survive the encounter. Pair with improvised armor to increase your survival chances a little more.

I will also note though that the tradeoff to using a shield is that it will increase your hunger rate, and remove your off-hand slot as an option for holding a light source. In the later stages of the game, neither one is a particularly big deal, but early on the hunger penalty can pose issues if you have problems securing food sources.

[Stranger92]

As I mentioned: I'm facing head-on and using active block. And it works: if the wolf is far enough. But if it clips through the shield, the damage comes in full, no matter where I face or do I use active stance or not.

On the bright side: I do not need a better shield, as this one does not get damaged in battle. It survived 5 fights with wolves with only a tiny dent... I didn't, though.

[LadyWYT]

54 minutes ago, Stranger92 said:

As I mentioned: I'm facing head-on and using active block. And it works: if the wolf is far enough. But if it clips through the shield, the damage comes in full, no matter where I face or do I use active stance or not.

On the bright side: I do not need a better shield, as this one does not get damaged in battle. It survived 5 fights with wolves with only a tiny dent... I didn't, though.

Which shield is it? It occurred to me that I forgot to mention damage tiers earlier. Wolves have tier 2 damage, which if I recall correctly, means that you'll need tier 2 armor/shield to really make their attacks trivial. Lower tier equipment is still better than nothing, but won't be nearly as effective against higher tier enemies.

[Stranger92]

On 12/13/2024 at 2:35 AM, LadyWYT said:

Which shield is it? It occurred to me that I forgot to mention damage tiers earlier. Wolves have tier 2 damage, which if I recall correctly, means that you'll need tier 2 armor/shield to really make their attacks trivial. Lower tier equipment is still better than nothing, but won't be nearly as effective against higher tier enemies.

Yes, it's a crude shield, you are correct. But I notice the hard distinction when it does and doesn't work in the similar situations.
Attacking wolf is far enough: shield gets damage, I get mild damage.
Attacking wolf is in my char model: shield gets no damage, I get full damage.
That's basically what I'm saying. I know it would not work as good as a steel shield would, and I know armor and good weapons are better protection than a crude shield. The problem is: I don't have steel, or any other metal for that matter save for copper, and I definitely don't have leather or linen in enough quantity to make armor out of it. So I just want the shield to work at least as it is supposed to.

At least it works with bighorns, as apparently they do damage as soon as they touch you (i.e. ram you), and thus the shield absorbs the damage. Small consolation, but it's something.

Edited December 14, 2024 by Stranger92

[LadyWYT]

1 hour ago, Stranger92 said:

Yes, it's a crude shield, you are correct. But I notice the hard distinction when it does and doesn't work in the similar situations.
Attacking wolf is far enough: shield gets damage, I get mild damage.
Attacking wolf is in my char model: shield gets no damage, I get full damage.
That's basically what I'm saying. I know it would not work as good as a steel shield would, and I know armor and good weapons are better protection than a crude shield. The problem is: I don't have steel, or any other metal for that matter save for copper, and I definitely don't have leather or linen in enough quantity to make armor out of it. So I just want the shield to work at least as it is supposed to.

At least it works with bighorns, as apparently they do damage as soon as they touch you (i.e. ram you), and thus the shield absorbs the damage. Small consolation, but it's something.

Gotcha. There could potentially be clipping issues, but it still sounds more like it's just an equipment factor. The crude shield will slow things down, but otherwise isn't very good at really stopping attacks(aside from rocks thrown by drifters). It'll give you a better chance to stay alive when attacked, but you'll almost certainly be injured in the process. My general approach to wolves and other hostile wildlife is to avoid them when I can, and otherwise attack them at range, one at a time, when I have to deal with them. Early in the game, the shield and improvised armor are my last resorts, and if there's more than one hostile animal the chances of survival are slim.

The only other thing I can think of that may be happening here(as far as I'm aware, anyway), is that when you get hit by something, the game randomly decides which slot you take damage: head, body, or legs. If you don't have armor in the slot that it chooses, then you'll take the full damage from the attack. According to the wiki, the crude shield only has a 90% active block protection, so it's still possible for an attack or two to end up getting around the shield and hit you in one of the other slots.

[Stranger92]

Your tactics sound reasonable, but almost inapplicable in the dense forest. You can neither spot a wolf in time, nor - quite often - run away from one.

I know, I know. Avoid dense forests until you have decent armor and weapon. But sticks are so abundant there...

Btw, this combo of 90% protection + random slots + (and I just noticed it today) the fact that shield is hard to aim when enemy is below you at least one block might also make a difference here... I will pay more attention to the encounters conditions when possible.