[Traps] Not worth it?

[Excess]

So, traps are pretty costly in terms of materials, and they only last one use. Not to mention that you have to wait for it to work.

Considering all of this, plus the mentioned-somewhere-in-this-forum sure-proof technique to slay rabbits before they can escape, I feel that traps are useless.

What I propose to balance this, and would love for everyone to suggest improvements, is this:

1) Traps should have a duration percentage like tools, thus being reusable (7 times? 10?)

2) In order to use a trap, one would have to combine it first with a carrot. An empty trap wouldn't catch a thing.

3) Perhaps, in the future, one could combine it with seeds in order to catch birds?¹

4) Give the rabbits a chance (75%?) to survive your axe swings, so they would be harder to catch.

¹ Just think of the posibilities: feather hats, an army of trained crows, sending messages to other players, use them as an ingredient in a dark voodoo ritual to invoke Maxwell and have him answer you why are you here, ONE question per ritual.

Edited September 8, 2012 by Excess
added "thoughts on crows" to title

[Toaster Fu]

I definitely agree about the traps, before I even learned about the exploit I never made traps, just cost to much for what they are. And a pet crow, even if it didn't do anything, would be awsome.

Edited September 8, 2012 by Toaster Fu
You didn't see anything ;)

[Excess]

[...] And a pet crow, even if it didn't do anything, would be awsome.

Just revolving over our heads. Maybe flying slightly further on one direction indicating something interesting, like berry bushes. Or distracting the spiky swamp tentacles (spiketacles?) while you try and hit them.

[Toaster Fu]

Sadly their isn't a mouth watering smiley, but if their was one I'd use it. :)And henceforth the swamp tentacles shall be know as spiketacles.

[Malsqueek]

I also agree that the traps are borderline useless based upon their expense.However, I'd rather see the traps have 3 to 4 uses per, and need to be baited independently, and still not stack in your inventory.That way, they are still somewhat resource intensive to make, they still require a time investment and observation, as well as taking up enough space in the inventory that developing a farm is still going to be a high priority. But, they will stop being a thing that you drop as rapidly as humanly possible.In terms of the bunny exploit, I'd rather see bunnys not have a "collide" response with the player. They are fast and small, and should not be able to be blocked by anything except a trap.

[Excess]

In terms of the bunny exploit, I'd rather see bunnys not have a "collide" response with the player. They are fast and small, and should not be able to be blocked by anything except a trap.

I don't think they collide. The exploit is based on the predictable route the bunny will take, rather than slowing/blocking him.Either a probability of escaping the attack is implemented or the escape movement is randomized, rather than jumping in a straight line. I would rather see him hop around in a zig-zag pattern, but the probability thing is easier to code.

[conghal]

They definitely collide pretty often when I do it, you've just got to line it up right and then you can get them whenever they're more than an inch away. I don't think it should be impossible to kill them by attacking when they're far enough away, but it should be a lot harder than it is.

Also, in case anyone hasn't noticed, it's possible to lure them away by dropping a carrot (it would be nice to be able to drop just one if you have a stack, by the way!) and then you can attack them while they're eating it (feels a lot more balanced, you have to be patient and if you get too close too Soon they run off).

I've started a new game without killing the rabbits by attacking and it's kind of great how challenging it's been. I was trying to take out some spider nests and they got through my log armour, had low health and was getting super hungry but I didn't have a huge stack of morsels, only monster meat. So after just barely making it through a night, I spent most of a day running through unexplored territory trying to find enough flowers and berries to be able to eat monster meat without dying before I starved, all while trying to decide if I should use the last of my grass to make a trap or to make the last piece of rope I'd need for more log armour.

All that to say I think it should be impossible to kill a rabbit unless they're eating a carrot that you've dropped or maybe if they've strayed super far from their holes (and you get lucky?). I think traps should keep working the way that they do (no re-use or bait) but that they should cost just a little bit less. Two sticks and four grass? One and three? That way you could still be responsible and spend a day or two gathering resources, setting traps on top of holes, and stocking up. It'd be trickier and more involved than just attacking a dozen of them, but probably still immediate enough to be fun.

[Excess]

Also, in case anyone hasn't noticed, it's possible to lure them away by dropping a carrot [...]

**** traps altogether, this is how I'm hunting from now on

[...] (it would be nice to be able to drop just one if you have a stack, by the way!)

Check out this guide I made about the in-game controls, I think you'll find something very useful there Edited September 9, 2012 by Excess
Added misterious link the the controls guide I made

[conghal]

Oh sweet, thanks. Hunting with carrots is awesome, but I like that you can drop traps at night or whenever and then do other stuff and come back.

[iisjreg]

...catch birds...sending messages to other players...

THIS

(also, 1st post!)

[Michael M]

I find that when you have a following of pig men the only way to actually manage to acquire rabbit meat is with a trap since the pig men will eat any meat they find and will eat it immediately. Otherwise yes, traps are quite useless.Obviously if they were to remove the ability to catch rabbits without a trap, they would become quite useful.Also I feel you should be able to trap birds with traps/berries.

Edited September 11, 2012 by Michael M

[perspectivedesigns]

I have the same problem. The best solution might be to make the pigs only eat rabbit meat if you give it to them.

[Excess]

As of right now, I had the pigs stole the morsels from my inventory in several occasions. I killed the rabbit, picked up the morsel at the same time the pigs started chewing, saw the morsel show up in my inventory and immediately disappear from it. Darn pigs are fast.

I don't mind them stealing food from me. It fits. They initially abandon their town and fellow pig-men for a single piece of meat. I have even seen them do that for a piece of a fellow pig-men dead body's meat. So yeah, they are a filthy, cannibal, cheaply bribable and aggressive race who would equally punch a tree's sprout or a whole herd of pissed off beefalos. Of course they'll eat your rabbit off your hands.

They aren't "part of your entourage". You are part of theirs. And they share everything with each other. Never forget that.

You can always make them go to sleep with your flutes, if you want to be a selfish traitor and have the whole rabbit for yourselves. Just remember that the next time they heroically stand by the spiketacles, taking the hits so you can run safely to your camp. When that happens, it won't be the pigs eating your rabbits when you are hungry what bothers you. It'll be the guilt, eating you inside out; and no amount of carrots will ease that hunger...

[Toaster Fu]

I feel so empty.