Should Predators Ignore Gunshots

[BasileusMaximos]

Is it working as intended that predators eating colonists will just ignore being shot? I had a colonist die because a wolf wouldn't stop eating her even after being shot in the eye.

[BoogieMan]

Was it presently being shot while eating the colonist, or had recently been shot? I'm guessing recently shot since I don't recall seeing a predator attack a person who wasn't alone. Could just be chance on my part though.

In RL predators will typically flee if they get seriously injured during a fight or encounter stiff resistance. A meal isn't worth serious injury. Since it's a game I could see that not apply, however.

Now if it was being shot while this was occurring it would probably be better behavior to either flee or go after the current attacker.

[BasileusMaximos]

It was shot while it was mauling my colonists. Just carried on tearing off the poor girls head...

[BoogieMan]

Maybe they just attack whatever enemy is closest, even if it's not hurting them.

[Limdood]

it has been addressed that the developers are aware of the behavior...i cannot remember if they said they are OK with it, or want it changed.

currently, predators will ignore being shot both while hunting a pawn, while attacking a pawn, AND while consuming the corpse of a hunted pawn (keep in mind pawn in this case refers to any entity, including a rabbit or squirrel).

This both sucks (as it means you can't distract predators off of your vulnerable colonist), and is nice (because it can allow for easy kills of bears and other dangerous predators while they hunt OTHER animals)

[TheMeInTeam]

I don't know if they said either way but it's not okay on grounds of being a vanilla pixel hunt + breaking the criteria for notifications in game.  This is mostly a problem in the more extreme biomes, which lack much fauna (and often have large herds which predators ignore).

That said, shooting predators hunting something else CAN proc a "wolf revenge" or whatever.  It's not a guarantee but I've seen it happen.

[CannibarRechter]

Most any animal, including small to medium size predators, would FLEE at the SOUND of a gunshot. Only a few animals, including some non-predator animals, would become and maintain aggression if actually shot. A wild boar might actually charge you if you shot it. A grizzly might, too. Anyway, this is a game. Fact is, normal wildlife represents no threat to humans with heavy weapons (e.g, 308 rifle, 12 gauge shotgun). Is that what you want to see here?

[BasileusMaximos]

Most any animal, including small to medium size predators, would FLEE at the SOUND of a gunshot. Only a few animals, including some non-predator animals, would become and maintain aggression if actually shot. A wild boar might actually charge you if you shot it. A grizzly might, too. Anyway, this is a game. Fact is, normal wildlife represents no threat to humans with heavy weapons (e.g, 308 rifle, 12 gauge shotgun). Is that what you want to see here?

Yes? What would be better would be if animals avoided my colony all together. Wolves don't just wander into the middle of a populated, bustling area full of humans.

[Snafu_RW]

Most any animal, including small to medium size predators, would FLEE at the SOUND of a gunshot. Only a few animals, including some non-predator animals, would become and maintain aggression if actually shot. A wild boar might actually charge you if you shot it. A grizzly might, too. Anyway, this is a game. Fact is, normal wildlife represents no threat to humans with heavy weapons (e.g, 308 rifle, 12 gauge shotgun). Is that what you want to see here?

Yes? What would be better would be if animals avoided my colony all together. Wolves don't just wander into the middle of a populated, bustling area full of humans.

I suspect you both miss the point: animals /learn/ to be afraid of predators (including humans). Some animals (especially predators) will attack something they perceive as dangerous; most will flee (the classic fight/flight response). Eg the dodo became extinct because its limited biome (certain islands) allowed it no time to recognise humans as predators when they came ashore; likewise other (human-driven) extinction (& near-extinction) events for certain other (sub-)species, including some apex predators for human trophies (under the guise of 'protection' of humans/livestock/land)

Animals that have no violent contact with humans have no reason to learn to be wary (see eg  Monkey Temples in Nepal etc). Nothing to do with the sound of a gunshot (altho that /may/ be perceived by the animal as a close lightning strike, something they may have learned to avoid due to accompanying flames).

See numerous naturalist/explorer accounts over the last 150yrs to confirm the above..

[magicbush]

Most any animal, including small to medium size predators, would FLEE at the SOUND of a gunshot. Only a few animals, including some non-predator animals, would become and maintain aggression if actually shot. A wild boar might actually charge you if you shot it. A grizzly might, too. Anyway, this is a game. Fact is, normal wildlife represents no threat to humans with heavy weapons (e.g, 308 rifle, 12 gauge shotgun). Is that what you want to see here?

Yes? What would be better would be if animals avoided my colony all together. Wolves don't just wander into the middle of a populated, bustling area full of humans.

I suspect you both miss the point: animals /learn/ to be afraid of predators (including humans). Some animals (especially predators) will attack something they perceive as dangerous; most will flee (the classic fight/flight response). Eg the dodo became extinct because its limited biome (certain islands) allowed it no time to recognise humans as predators when they came ashore; likewise other (human-driven) extinction (& near-extinction) events for certain other (sub-)species, including some apex predators for human trophies (under the guise of 'protection' of humans/livestock/land)

Animals that have no violent contact with humans have no reason to learn to be wary (see eg  Monkey Temples in Nepal etc). Nothing to do with the sound of a gunshot (altho that /may/ be perceived by the animal as a close lightning strike, something they may have learned to avoid due to accompanying flames).

See numerous naturalist/explorer accounts over the last 150yrs to confirm the above..

I actually find your argument a bit off. Animals don't really learn to be afraid of us, as much as they just are naturally because of our size and other factors. Why I say they don't learn is because if that were true the animal offspring would have no clue and it would effectively "reset" that behavior each generation. They are not like humans where the parents can tell their offspring about these dangerous mushrooms or bears or whatever.

[Snafu_RW]

I actually find your argument a bit off. Animals don't really learn to be afraid of us, as much as they just are naturally because of our size and other factors. Why I say they don't learn is because if that were true the animal offspring would have no clue and it would effectively "reset" that behavior each generation. They are not like humans where the parents can tell their offspring about these dangerous mushrooms or bears or whatever.

Animal predators in the wild are 'taught' by their parents (social animals such as wolves etc) once weaned, or tend to be rarer because they're left on their own (eg reptiles, snakes); this mortality rate is offset by the larger initial gene pool (eg egg clutches) the latter tend to produce. Birds do similar things, altho they may fall between the two..

[Kryptos901]

Yeah, there have been some experiments on animal intelligence showing that baby domesticated cats learn basic...cat skills(?) faster if they see another adult cat do it first, and even faster if their mother does it first.

And animals most definitely learn to be afraid of humans. The dodo example from earlier is not a good one, though, because it wasn't humans that hunted the dodo to extinction, it was the rats, cats, dogs and other predators they brought with them that the dodo didn't naturally defend against (by, for example, building nests high up in trees like other birds do). Many natural behaviors of animals are an instinctual defense against predators. That's why cats bury their own waste, that's why most animals are afraid of loud noises, and that's why most birds stay up in the sky. Take away the predators, and the fear goes away too.

[Shurp]

It is unrealistic for lynxes and foxes to attack humans, let alone cause serious injury to them.

It is unrealistic for lynxes and foxes to vanish in a puff of devmode smoke.

I think these two unrealisms balance each other out nicely.

[Snafu_RW]

The dodo example from earlier is not a good one, though, because it wasn't humans that hunted the dodo to extinction, it was the rats, cats, dogs and other predators they brought with them that the dodo didn't naturally defend against (by, for example, building nests high up in trees like other birds do).

My understanding was that the dodo's extinction was mainly caused by 'local' whalers needing food (meat, eggs) for their crews (& passing their reccommendations around  to other captains for good food spots), but I'm perfectly happy to accept rats & other immigrant predators may have had a significant effect..

[SpaceDorf]

I think you move off topic to.much.

The question was if Predators on the hunt
Should ignore Gunshots.

At the moment Predators ignore any amount of damage and pain until their chosen pray is consumed or they die.
And every attacked pawn or animal just let it happen. Even ignoring training or settings of aggressiveness.

This breaks my suspension of disbelief so hard that I gladly use mods that change this behaviour.

I think hunting should change to something similiar like a social fight, so that the Predator can be knocked out of it and becomes a target.

The same should hold true for tamed animals.
I don't think your starving warg cares to whom that tasty muffalo belongs

Edit

On the other hand, what did you expect when you feed the animals with human meat