Is hunting/combat supposed to be really hard?

[ToothedMammal]

I'm not sure if this is a skill issue on my part or just added difficulty from me playing VS on a Steam Deck and having to use the analogue sticks to aim my spears.

I have yet to win a fight with a wolf, I tried to pillar up last time but I wasn't able to aim my block placement fast enough and ended up making a short platform for the wolf to kill me on

Edited February 28, 2025 by ToothedMammal
added context

[Thorfinn]

Until you get a little better at it, I'd suggest going somewhere safe and building a pillar 4-high with a ladder on the third block on all 4 sides. Practice jumping up, catching the ladder, climbing up, and not running off the other side. The 4-high pillar and 3rd block ladders are important in case you happen to activate a bear. Then build a similar structure or two somewhere near the wolves, and if you have too many problems, run back to your Irish friend, Pillar O'Safety. If you are lucky, you might get to lob a spear or two at him from there.

[gilt-kutabe]

If you want to avoid cheese strats: early game, you’ll generally want to avoid predators. They’re a lot higher up the food chain than you, you’re not really meant to be able to take them on at this point. The very basic armor and shield can save you if you’re ambushed, but consider taking the chance to run rather than fighting back, if you think you can get away. When fleeing, dropping down cliffs and jumping holes can gain you distance, the AI will tend to go around such obstacles in my experience. Animals swim a lot faster since the last update, but you can still try drowning them in deeper bodies of water. Dive down until they follow you, they seem to have a hard time figuring out how to go up again. Like Thorfin said, safe houses or a ladder up a tree is quite useful. Once you have a shield, armor (not the improvised stuff, around-the-house armor like gambeson and lammelar should suffice) and metal weapons, they’ll still be dangerous, but you can deal with them if you’re careful. Separate them, use the terrain to your advantage, etc. Ranged weapons are your biggest advantage. Try to get used to them, how they handle, how fast they can be fired off, so on. High tier armor, like plate, isn’t necessary, but can make bears and packs of wolves a lot easier. A shield really helps against single enemies, try to have one ready in case you miss your shots and need to melee. But at the end of the day, pillars save lives and are your easiest way out of a sticky situation.