BucksNBuffalo wrote:
Fletchette, would you be so kind as to let us the same?
It's a simulation of a simulation...Or maybe it's a simulation of a game?
As to realism compared to IRL hunting....It depends. As you pointed out, the effectiveness and predictability of calling the large game (deer, etc), is far from reality. And obviously the tracking system has no basis in reality. And for the most part, the animal density is higher than reality.
That said, there are aspects of the game that come close hunting IRL. For Example:
With the exception of the open-topped blinds, waterfowl hunting is pretty realistic. I'd give it an A-.
Small game hunting, like rabbits, isn't bad. Particularly shotgun hunting for cottontails, snowshoe. I'd give it a B+.
Turkey hunting isn't terrible, except it's usually done from the ground, leaning against a tree, rather than in stands or towers. I'd give it a B.
Pheasant hunting is not bad, although you can see them on the ground easier in the game than IRL for most places. So I'd give it a B+.
Pig and bear baiting isn't bad, so probably a B+ or realism. (Setting the number of bears aside of course).
Now for the large game, like deer, if you didn't use callers, then setting up in a tree stand or blind and just waiting for a deer to walk within range is pretty realist. Of course IRL we usually setup on known trails, feeding, or bedding areas, but because of the animal density in the game if you wait, an animal will eventually wander within range. So for stand or still hunting, without using callers, I'd give it a B-.
Now out West, (Central Montana), I hunt for Mule Deer, Elk, and Antelope by glassing and stalking. So again if you skip the tracking and callers, then glassing and stalking deer and elk isn't too far outside the norm for IRL. In fact sometimes the in-game animals are better at spotting you from a distance than they are IRL, while at the same time getting really close to them is far easier than IRL.
As far as the AI....Well, it depends. IRL animals can be really dumb too. I've had deer walk around under my stand for 20 minutes will I chain-smoked, and they never knew I was there until I yelled at them to MOVE !!! I've walked right into them on my way to a stand, and they freeze staring at me for minutes, just waiting for me to move again. As long as I don't move again, they don't move, at least not right away. They just can't figure out what you are. I've gotten into staring contest with them from stands too. They stand there tilting their head and trying to figure out what you are. In the game, they usually flee after a few seconds.
And of course gun shots spook the animals in the game far more than they usually do IRL. In the game, every animal within render runs for 200m after a shot, even if they were already 200m away. This usually doesn't happen IRL. IRL, I've shot a deer that was 40 away, and if it dropped, the other's near it didn't run. They just lift their heads, look around nervously, and eventually walk away. I've been in a stand with deer under me, when someone shot from a few hundred meters away, but the deer I can see don't just take off running. They just go on alert and look around, because they don't know what they heard, or where the sound came from.
So for these species, if you didn't use callers and tracking, I'd say the "simulation" factor is OK. Maybe a B overall. But of course most of us do use the callers and tracking, BECAUSE IT'S A GAME, and they reduce the simulator score to probably a D.