Are animal levels still in effect?

[Kram]

I was wondering if animal levels are still in effect as I've never seen any animals of varying levels. Like a level 12 bear or a level 9 boar. Has the levels been removed since a previous world or are there nodes like other natural resources?

[cobaltjones]

Animals now have max caps (Boar VII, Fox IV, Bear X), but their level can still be lowered due to proximity to civilizations. So it's possible to find a level V boar, but not a level IX one.

[Mashadar]

I'd still like to see a W4/W5 screenshot of an animal that is not its maximum level, other than a deer.
While deers' levels vary a lot, I've never seen a fox/boar/bear that is not their maximum level.

[Kram]

Animals now have max caps (Boar VII, Fox IV, Bear X), but their level can still be lowered due to proximity to civilizations. So it's possible to find a level V boar, but not a level IX one.

Ah I see. So for example, if a boar where to spawn very close to a village it could be level V?

[Sevenless]

I'd still like to see a W4/W5 screenshot of an animal that is not its maximum level, other than a deer.
While deers' levels vary a lot, I've never seen a fox/boar/bear that is not their maximum level.

No screenies but I've killed a lvl 6 boar and my hunter killed a lvl 9 bear. Don't bother with foxes much. I'd say I see about 1 lvl 6 boar per 50 I've hunted. That makes them heinously rare though. My personal though is that if you're going to have 98% of animals the "max" level why on earth bother even having lower levels. If you're going to have a level system, finding a max level creature to hunt should be a reward not the norm.

[cobaltjones]

Yeah I don't know exactly why they changed the animal level system when they did. I remember something from loftar about wanting to remove animal levels all together, but I certainly don't see how putting an arbitrary cap on them helps at all. It also completely kills the usefulness of foxes and severely nerfs boars.

Personally I'm against removing animal levels in the first place. In a game when there's only a handful of PvE opportunities, making them all exactly the same just limits it even more. Level X boars existed to reward players for defeating a more challenging enemy (regardless of how broken the combat system is with regards to hunting, but in theory).