New Dogs

[xAncalagonx]

Absolutely want to see the Beagle for rabbit hunting.

It could track, mark and retrieve rabbits and would be the perfect dog choice if they are planning to allow us to use dogs for rabbits next (which seems to be what they stated in the newsletter).

I would be very thrilled to take out my .22LR for a rabbit hunt and have a beautiful tri-color beagle with me

[Akemaru]

Absolutely want to see the Beagle for rabbit hunting.

It could track, mark and retrieve rabbits and would be the perfect dog choice if they are planning to allow us to use dogs for rabbits next (which seems to be what they stated in the newsletter).

I would be very thrilled to take out my .22LR for a rabbit hunt and have a beautiful tri-color beagle with me

They plan to add rabbit retrieving for the lab

[Knut]

They plan to add rabbit retrieving for the lab

That doesn't mean that a beagle couldn't do it, either.

Maybe he'll be less good at detecting and bringing waterfowl than the labrador. But he'll be better at detecting and bringing rabbits.

Plus that a labrador could just highlight the presence of birds/rabbits like it currently does for the player. But a beagle would, when given the command, chase off after those rabbits and chase them in a circle back to the player.

[Akemaru]

They plan to add rabbit retrieving for the lab

That doesn't mean that a beagle couldn't do it, either.

Maybe he'll be less good at detecting and bringing waterfowl than the labrador. But he'll be better at detecting and bringing rabbits.

Plus that a labrador could just highlight the presence of birds/rabbits like it currently does for the player. But a beagle would, when given the command, chase off after those rabbits and chase them in a circle back to the player.

True, but if they add a dog just for rabbits then I would prefer a lurcher or Parson Russel which move quicker than a Beagle and do not have a "soft" mouth. Also a Parson is good for air scenting & tracking foxes, my RL Parson Terrier is a complete nutter (headstrong) when he gets the scent of a fox when we are out in the fields/woods.
IMO after they initiate the short survey we will see a breed used for tracking bigger game

[xAncalagonx]

We need ALL THE DOGS!

Then you can just choose the one that you like the most, like a Russell rather than a Beagle for rabbit hunting

Project priority for rest of 2015 - Adding all the dogs!

[Knut]

True, but if they add a dog just for rabbits then I would prefer a lurcher or Parson Russel which move quicker than a Beagle and do not have a "soft" mouth.

I simply cannot acquaint myself with the idea of a dog fetching and killing the prey for me. I also don't really like the idea so much in reality, but that's not so much the point. I especially find the idea not at all appealing from a gameplay perspective. How could that work in this game? You give the command "fetch" and the dog sprints off and comes back with a dead rabbit you just have to harvest with the huntermate? That sounds like very boring autopilot mode for me.

That's why I think that a dog that is specifically bread and trained to chase a rabbit, hare or fox in a circle back to the hunter, who then needs to shoot it himself, is the better idea. And for that you actually need a slow moving dog, that persistently follows a trail, is constantly vocalising while doing so and allows for the prey to use their habitual passes while still not getting a chance to rest or hide, because the dog is still on their trail.

This could work as a game mechanics in my eyes. But only if it's not atuopilot and success guaranteed. So the dog would have a chance to chase the prey back to you. But maybe not in perfect shooting distance. And maybe he'd follow the prey off into the distance because it refuses to flee in a circle. And then you'd be left with the choice of waiting for your dog to abort and come back or go after him and find him.

The suspense of sending your dog and waiting for its return, while all the time hoping that it will work out alright this time could make an interesting game mechanic in my eyes.

A lurcher doesn't really offer any possibility for that, or I am not able to envision it, at least.

Project priority for rest of 2015 - Adding all the dogs!

Hahaha, I'd love that!

[Raven_DK]

Voted for the Blood Hound. It would allow for useing the dog for an entirely different type of hunting

[FR_Bugs]

Voted for the Blood Hound. It would allow for useing the dog for an entirely different type of hunting

+1 Raven_DK, and it would help us to track by the way

[Best0hunter]

too early for a new kind of dog , better to work and improve the dog we got , behavior and interaction ,reward etc, give him more life +1 for the (German or English Pointer) in the future

[Akemaru]

True, but if they add a dog just for rabbits then I would prefer a lurcher or Parson Russel which move quicker than a Beagle and do not have a "soft" mouth.

I simply cannot acquaint myself with the idea of a dog fetching and killing the prey for me. I also don't really like the idea so much in reality, but that's not so much the point. I especially find the idea not at all appealing from a gameplay perspective. How could that work in this game? You give the command "fetch" and the dog sprints off and comes back with a dead rabbit you just have to harvest with the huntermate? That sounds like very boring autopilot mode for me.

That's why I think that a dog that is specifically bread and trained to chase a rabbit, hare or fox in a circle back to the hunter, who then needs to shoot it himself, is the better idea. And for that you actually need a slow moving dog, that persistently follows a trail, is constantly vocalising while doing so and allows for the prey to use their habitual passes while still not getting a chance to rest or hide, because the dog is still on their trail.

This could work as a game mechanics in my eyes. But only if it's not atuopilot and success guaranteed. So the dog would have a chance to chase the prey back to you. But maybe not in perfect shooting distance. And maybe he'd follow the prey off into the distance because it refuses to flee in a circle. And then you'd be left with the choice of waiting for your dog to abort and come back or go after him and find him.

The suspense of sending your dog and waiting for its return, while all the time hoping that it will work out alright this time could make an interesting game mechanic in my eyes.

A lurcher doesn't really offer any possibility for that, or I am not able to envision it, at least.

Well, I was speaking strictly from a UK perspective as we are limited to what weapons we can legally own and where/how they are used so we tend to use dogs for rabbits.
Even then we are restricted to the maximum of 2 dogs when hunting any mammal.
off topic: A recently introduced law makes it illegal for your dog to chase and/or kill a cat and as we all know cats and dogs are sworn enemies, unless raised in the same household.

From a game perspective it should be easy enough to program the rabbits to evade the dog so that it is not successful every time, e.g. cotton tail outstrips/dodges the dog, eu rabbit bolts down the nearest burrow. But, I am very happy that the Lab will eventually be able to retrieve rabbits, that is the only reason I bought one!

How many animals run in a circle to evade a dog that is chasing it?
Foxes tend run in a straightish line away from a dog only deviating when the terrain dictates or they know where an old den is. Hares run a zigzag course away from the dog.

Project priority for rest of 2015 - Adding all the dogs!

Even 2 different breeds for each type of hunting would make for some variety!