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Keep your distance whenever possible. A Wolf struggle could be the end of your journey.
In-game description

Wolves are iconic wildlife in The Long Dark. In Survival mode and Wintermute they are a primary threat to survival on Great Bear Island and can be found in all major regions.

Overview

Wolves (not to be confused with timberwolves) are a common predatory animal found on Great Bear Island; they may appear alone or in packs of up to four. They hunt rabbit, deer and ptarmigan and stalk the survivor; wolves flee from bear and moose.

When a wolf detects the survivor they will stalk and attack them, potentially resulting in a struggle: resulting in condition loss, blood loss and infection, or damage to clothing. A wolf attack is typically not fatal at high condition, even if lost.

Wolves can be avoided by keeping distance, sneaking (crouching) and not carrying smelly items (raw meat, cooked meat, raw guts). These smelly items can be dropped ("3") as bait to distract a wolf. Unalerted Wolves will also investigate thrown stones which land nearby.

Dead wolves may be harvested for 3.0-6.0 kg of raw meat, 1 wolf pelt and 2 guts. Wolf hides can be cured to craft wolfskin coat. On Stalker and Interloper modes wolf meat carries the risk of intestinal parasites.

Drops

  1. If carcass is harvested
  2. If carcass is quartered.

Behaviour

Wolves feature the most complex behavior of all wildlife in The Long Dark.

As hunters

Wolf pursuit

A wolf chasing a rabbit

Wolves hunt rabbit, deer, and ptarmigan they detect, and stalk the survivor. Wolves will 'bark' when they see a target and start chasing it, sprinting at close distances and killing prey animals on contact. After a kill, wolves will feed on the animal's carcass until no harvestable yield remains ("Ravaged"). Wolves making contact with the survivor will start a struggle.

Breaking a wolf's line of sight, keeping scent low and running may help lose a stalking wolf. Wolves will not approach lit campfires or flares, and cannot travel indoors or inside vehicles. Climbing felled trees, some boulders or rock ledges which wolves cannot climb will cause a wolf to lose interest or flee.

Howling

Periodically a wolf may stop and howl, soon after other nearby wolves will stop and reply. This can be useful to count nearby wolves and gauge their directions and distances.

Interaction

Wolves are found in all major regions wandering, hunting or defending kills. When wolves see, they will issue a bark and begin stalking at a walking pace. Prolonged stalking may result in a wolf giving up or charging the survivor. Aiming (RMB) any weapon (including Stones) will cause a stalking wolf to charge the survivor. For detailed information on behavior see: "AI and Spawning" below.

Aurora wolves

When an aurora begins all wolves will temporarily flee and become aurora wolves: which glow green and are more aggressive, dangerous and erratic. Aurora wolves bark and running in circles almost constantly, charge the survivor at longer distances, do not fear fires ( campfires, torches or flares). Struggles against aurora wolves are much harder and more deadly.

Aurora wolves fear artificial lighting: lights brought to life by the aurora. These include street lamps, vehicle headlights and the flashlight's "high-power" mode (several seconds of sustained "high-power" beam at a nearby aurora wolf will cause it to flee). Gunshots are still effective at frightening aurora wolves, if they are not charging to attack.

Wolf feeding

A wolf feeding on a rabbit

Defending kills

A wolf which recently killed an animal eat it's carcass, reducing the carcass' yields until nothing remains. While the wolf feeds it's sense are greatly reduced. Startling a wolf from it's kill will cause it to flee for a time, potentially allowing the survivor to harvest the carcass. Feeding wolves defending their kill may attack a survivor on Pilgrim difficulty.

Baiting

Some animal products (any meat (raw or cooked), gut, quarters) provide scent to the survivor when carried. Scent increases the radius at which wolves can smell the survivor. This distance is affected by wind (positively or negatively), and these items may be dropped as bait ("3") to lure or distract wolves. If a wolf detects a prey animal while stalking the survivor, it may pursue the animal instead. When approaching bait or escaping with it a wolf may still perceive the survivor and attack if they draw too close.

Fire

Wolves are afraid of fire and generally avoid it if the survivor is nearby at ~3 meter distance: making lit campfires, torches and flares powerful wolf deterrents. Aiming any weapon (including Stones) at a stalking wolf while nearby a lit fire will cause the wolf to flee. Fires should be between the survivor and the wolf for maximum safety. Thrown torches and flares may interrupt a wolf's charge; wolves stopped this way may either flee or continue stalking.

  • Contained fires (fire barrels, stoves, etc) will not deter wolves.
  • Aurora wolves do not fear fires.
  • Accelerating time (sleeping, reading, crafting, harvesting) near a lit fire while being stalked by wolves may be dangerous: either by the wolf moving around the fire to attack, or the fire becoming extinguished by consuming it's fuel or being blown out by a change in wind direction.

Gunshots

Wolves will flee from the report of hunting rifle, revolver and distress pistols, as well as the impact of nearby bullets and arrows.

Stones

Wolves investigate thrown stones which land nearby if the survivor is not detected. If a stone stone lands near or hits a wolf they may flee (even when detected). After investigating a stone, wolves will return to their original position. This can be exploited to scare wolves from a location, animal kill, or move wolves short distances (out of the way to sneak past).

Noisemakers

An exploding Noisemaker will cause wolves to flee (including aurora wolves) at moderate range, and can wound or kill wolves at short range.

Struggle

Wolf attack

Wolves which see the survivor and are within 15 meters will attempt to charge them, resulting in a struggle. When a struggle begins the survivor may select a tool to defend themselves with from their inventory. During the wolf struggle the survivor will periodically take damage to their condition and clothing until they win the struggle, kill the wolf, die, or the struggle is lost.

  • Filling the Struggle Meter within several seconds ends the struggle, frightening or killing the wolf. Filling requires clicking as periodically in quick intervals. If the "Hold to Struggle" option enabled in the accessibility settings, the meter may be filled less efficiently by holding it's input instead.
  • Failing the struggle results in the wolf "winning", causing the survivor to faint, but potentially survive the encounter. Afterwards some items from their inventory may be on ground nearby.
  • Wolves require contact to begin a struggle, making struggles avoidable by fire, terrain or doodads (furniture, trees, etc). Failing to start a fire while a nearby wolf is stalking may allow it to charge.
  • Charging wolves runs as fast as a sprinting player when unencumbered. They charge for 10 seconds (real-time), then flee if unable to reach the survivor. It is possible but unlikely to outrun a charging wolf, usually requiring a Emergency Stim or Go! Energy Drink and favorable terrain.
  • Entering a vehicle or structure will abort a wolf's charge, though the wolf remain nearby.

Weapons

When a Wolf struggle begins the survivor is prompted to defend themselves with tool(s) from their inventory:

  • Revolver: middling weapons at low Revolver Firearm skill, but very effective at high skill (levels 3-5). At high skill and Struggle Meter progression the option to fire the revolver mid-struggle (at the cost of 1 revolver round) appears, instantly ending the struggle and potentially killing the wolf instantly.
  • Hatchet / Improvised Hatchet: moderate struggle progress and damage to the wolf, with high chance to inflict Bleed to the wolf, resulting in it's death over time after the struggle.
  • Hunting Knife / Improvised Knife: poor progress and damage, but almost guaranteed to Bleed the wolf, resulting in it's death over time. Low effectiveness in the struggle itself likely means the wolf will die, but at the cost of more condition and clothing damage.
  • Heavy hammer: moderate progress and high damage, but no bleed. 15% chance to instantly end a struggle, and a 5% chance to instantly kill the wolf.
  • Prybar: high progress but low damage, causes minimal damage to wolves and no bleed.
  • Unarmed ("Desperation"): minimal progress and almost no damage. Almost always result in a struggle-loss (maximum damage taken) regardless of game mode.

Preparation

Struggles are best avoided, but are sometimes inevitable:

  • Carry Bandages: Blood Loss is common and deadly (30% Condition loss per hour).
  • Carry Antiseptic/Old Man's Beard: Infection is also common, so bring Antiseptic or Old Man's Beard Wound Dressings.
  • Fatigue affects struggle progress.
  • Many clothes offer protection from struggles (the "Protection" stat). Each point of protection reduces struggle damage by 1. Only the 'outer layer' of worn clothing provides protection (further from the player, on the 'paper doll' UI).
  • Remove fragile clothing before a struggle: wolves can damage or destroy low condition or fragile clothing like Wool Ear Wraps.

Weakness

Wolves are more aggressive towards survivors weakened by specific Afflictions or statuses: causing them to charge from ~50% greater distance (~21m vs 15m normally). This is especially dangerous since it can allow attacks in situations where a wolf would normally flee (e.g. when carrying a lit Torch and sprinting towards a wolf). These effects do not stack. These conditions are:

  • 20% or less Condition
  • Exhausted (0% Fatigue)
  • Overencumbered (carrying weight above maximum)
  • Blood Loss
  • Sprained Wrist/Ankle

Hunting

Wolf may be killed by any weapon (except Stones and Fire-Hardened Arrows). All weapons cause bleeding, which is certain death for the animal over time; but injured wolves may still attack. Wolves may be injured or killed during struggles with Tools; this poses serious risk to the survivor, their tools, clothing and medical supplies. If not killed instantly a wounded wolf typically flees at a sprint, then slows to a walk in order to attack again.

  • Wolves only bleed on the ground when fleeing. After slowing to a walk blood will not appear on the ground, however the animal will continue bleeding and will eventually die. Blood drops will again appear if the wolf starts running again (subsequent gunshot, thrown lit flare, etc).

Critical hits

Critical hits cause the animal to instantly die after being hit by a shot. The following table contains the critical hit chance based on the location that was shot on the animal.

Bleeding wounds

All shots from weapons which hit a wolf cause blood loss; or a chance after a struggle if the player used a knife or hatchet. Wolves lose condition at a rate based on where they were shot. Multiple shots cause additional condition damage from impact, but do not bleed out any faster. A wolf bleeding from multiple wounds will use the highest bleed out value.

Bleed Out

Strategies

  • A simple strategy wolf killing is to shoot its head with a ranged weapon. This is made easier by first distracting the wolf so it will stand still for a clean shot:
    • Baiting: dropped smelly items with attract nearby wolves, who will try to reach the bait.
    • Firetrap: while the wolf is trapped by a fire, line up a clean shot. Such as dropping a lit torch while a wolf is following the player.
    • Hunt the hunter: Scare deer/rabbits towards a wolf, or lure a following wolf to one. Dispatching the wolf after it kills the prey results in two animal carcasses for only one shot.
    • Ambush: crouch to sneak into the path of an approaching wolf.
  • Wolves may also be engaged in struggles, though this is far more dangerous than using ranged weapons. See Struggles (above).

AI and Spawning

Wolves exhibit multi-modal behavior based on whether they have detected an entity, the entity's type and distance, and their current stance.

A fixed number of wolves are present per region (living and dead), generated at wolf spawn points which they wander close to. Each spawn point can only house one wolf at a given time, though others may spawn at neighboring points. As in-game time progresses wolves may move between points. The number of active wolf spawn points, and the availability of some increases based on the difficulty setting.

Senses

  • Sight: Wolves see 30m forward in a 45° angle from the center of their head, reduced to 15m if the player crouching. Line of sight blockers (trees, hills, structures) reduce this further, but not by time of day or weather (fog or blizzards).
  • Smell: Wolves smell regardless of terrain in a 45m radius from the player or dropped smelly item. The "Scent Indicator" UI element shows an estimate of current player scent, increased by carrying more smelly items (raw or cooked meat, fresh hides, fresh guts, rabbit carcasses). The player has a minimum smell radius of 5m which increases up to 75m; strong winds can increase or decrease this radius +/-15m.
  • Sound: Wolves can hear rifle/revolver/distress pistol reports at 100m, and projectile impacts of all weapons at 20m (all bullets, arrows, and stones). Discharges and nearby impacts cause wolves to flee (except stones), unless they are attacking.

Stance

  • Eat: (not detected) stationary wolf which has killed a rabbit, deer or received bait. May detect their surroundings at reduced levels, but will not rotate unless alerted.
  • Alert: (detected) stationary wolf which may rotate to face the player. If detecting the player while feeding on a carcass, if stalking but unable to approach due to a lit flare or campfire, or if two wolves have detected the player (the Wolf who's spawn point is further from the player's current position, will stop stalking and start growling). Will attack if approached (>15m).
  • Idle: (not detected) mobile wolf walking slowly with occasional stops, howling or rotating to walk in different directions. Idle at their spawn point, or returning to it.
  • Jog: (detected <30m, or prey any distance) mobile wolf investigating nearby sounds or smells (thrown store, dropped decoy). Jogging wolves chasing rabbit/deer which become unloaded (e.g. player region transition) instantly catch and kill their prey.
  • Run: (detected >30m) mobile wolf which runs for 15 minutes (in-game) on detecting a weapon report, impact, loses a struggle, detects a bear/moose, detects a carried bearskin bedroll, equipped wolfskin coat, a lit flare or torch is thrown at their feet, or is struck directly with a thrown stone.
  • Charge: (detected <15m, or <30m for rabbit or deer) the wolf will move until hitbox collides with their target. Contact with the player begins a struggle, or a rabbit/deer kills it instantly. If a wolf charging the player does not make contact after 10 seconds (real-time), they will flee for 5 minutes (in-game)(e.g. player is in an inaccessible location). Charging wolves ignore held lit flares/torches unless thrown, and may ignore weapon shots. Wolves immediately charge if a detected player aims any weapon. (Note: a charging wolf is as fast as a sprinting unfatigued/unburdened player).
  • Struggle: (detected <1m) begins a wolf struggle.

Unique Wolves

Several wolves in The Long Dark are unique and have been affectionately named by the community. Unlike regularly wolves, unique wolves may only be encountered a specific spawn point(s), but are statistically and visually identical to normal wolves.

  • Unique Wolves will not respawn once killed.
  • Unique Wolves do not spawn in Pilgrim mode, or the first 12 hours of Voyageur ('Grace Period').

Fluffy

Fluffy is a wolf encountered inside the workshop of the Last Resort Cannery in Bleak Inlet. To encounter Fluffy the electronic door must be unlocked and opened: it's key-code can be found on a note at Echo One Radio Tower, and the keypad interacted with during an Aurora at night at the Cannery. Due these requirements, Fluffy frequently is encountered in her more dangerous 'aurora wolf' form, with her unusual indoors home, and entry point opposite the Gunsmithing Workbench/Milling Machine, she frequently ambushes survivors from behind while dangerous electrified wires are present on the floor.

In early versions of The Long Dark (0.124) Fluffy was found inside of the turbine room of the Carter Hydro Dam. Players initially reported her presence as a bug due to this unexpected location; however, she quickly developed a cult following on the Official Hinterlands Forums for her reputation of murdering unsuspecting new players. "Fluffy" was not officially named or mentioned in the changelog when added, but after being named by the community she was officially mentioned in changelog 0.127. She seems to have gained access to the dam's interior through a broken window from the Winding River. Fluffy was removed from Carter Hydro Dam in Survival Mode in version 1.00 (August 1, 2017) during the Wintermute release, because her AI could not pathfind the new interior map. In Story Mode: Episode Two her corpse can be found inside the Carter Hydro Dam. The November 2019 developer diary stated that Fluffy would return, and as of the Errant Pilgrim update Fluffy resides in the Last Resort Cannery.

Dead fluffy

Fluffy in the story mode

"Scruffy"

A wolf which appears inside the cave in north-eastern Desolation Point with multiple deer carcasses and often a frozen human corpse, leading to the cave unofficially being called "Scruffy's Cave". Scruffy can be particularly effective at jump-scaring survivors, since their cave is usually pitch-black with numerous side tunnels and stalactites.

"Sketchy"/"Glitchy"

A wolf which appears inside one of the two ice cave networks in Hushed River Valley; which of the two caves Glitchy will spawn is randomized per save. "Glitchy" has this name from their erratic behavior: likelihood to flee or attack the player through otherwise impassible cavern walls, or to bark/howl from out-of-bounds.

"Demon" Wolves

"Demon" Wolves were a Halloween-themed wolf variant found in the now-discontinued "4 Days of Night" seasonal game mode. They were distinct in having glowing red eyes and fleeing from survivors who recently consumed n Pumpkin Pies, but otherwise behaved similar to regular Wolves. When a Demon Wolf died their eyes lose the glow effect, making them indistinguishable from regular wolves.

Gallery

Update history

  • HOTFIX 20 January 2020 (Update):
    • [AI] Stags now animate correctly after being felled by a Wolf.
    • [AI] Polished Stag and Wolf animations and transitions.
  • HOTFIX 30 October 2014 (Update):
    • All wildlife spawns are now more dynamic, and will change over the course of a game. Wolves, Deer, and Rabbits all refresh on different intervals, reflecting their relative mobility and travel/migration patterns.
  • HOTFIX 2 October 2014 (Update):
    • Wolves no longer run from deer.
  • HOTFIX 5 September 2014 (Update):
    • Wolf feeding animation alignment improved.
    • A Wolf Attack now results in Blood Loss and Infection Risk (vs. immediate Infection, as before). Infection Risk is reduced by applying Antiseptic. Wounds can become Infected up to 24 hours after they have been inflicted.
  • HOTFIX 22 August 2014 (Update):
    • Wolves will now stop to feed on fresh Deer kill. The amount of meat that can be retrieved from a carcass is affected by how long a Wolf feeds on it.
  • HOTFIX 13 August 2014 (Update):
    • Added new Wolf turning animations.
    • Complete overhaul of Wildlife Spawning system. Wildlife will now spawn only if there is valid population remaining per a 24-hour period. Fresh carcasses (ex. Wolf kill) will decay (due to predation and the elements). It is now possible for a spawn region to become depopulated.
  • HOTFIX 31 July 2014 (Update):
    • Fixed problem with wolf sliding while playing its howl animation.
    • Wolf Struggle: Non-critical VO will not play during the struggle.
    • Wolves: Fixed some unreported issues related to wolf attacks interrupting gear inspection, eating, drinking, and fire starting.
  • HOTFIX 9 July 2014 (Update):
    • Tuned the Wolf struggle to make it a bit more challenging.
    • Updated all Wolf spawn regions, and added new Wolf and Deer spawn regions to the world.
    • Added NoSpawn trigger zones around in-world locations that should be safe from Wolves. You will no longer wake up to a wolf attack in the Hunter’s Blind.
  • HOTFIX 2 July 2014 (Update):
    • Updated the Wolf model (for real this time).
    • Significant overhaul of Wolf attack interactions. Added Struggle gameplay.
  • HOTFIX 20 June 2014 (Update):
    • Updated the Wolf model.
  • UPDATE 12 June 2014 (Update):
    • Added to game

Trivia

  • Wolves are most aggressive in Stalker difficulty, but deadliest in Interloper.
  • The Wolf model and animation rig has undergone numerous updates and complete overhauls since Early Access.
  • Wolves are featured in many of The Long Dark's UI (user interface) elements, such as a walking Wolf on some Loading Screens.

References

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