Hunting Dogs

[Agarrett]

This is the first suggestion I actually am going to explain in detail. OK, we all know that we want easier ways to get rabbits, now that they are getting rarer and harder to catch. I propose a hunting partner, that serves as a way to catch animals such as rabbits, but more to detect them. Hunting dogs would have a range of scent, with them being in the center, and the radius of the range being Q x 2. A q10 dog would have a range of 40x40 tiles with the dog being in the center. A q50 dog would have 200x200 tiles.

When a dog locates a rabbit or chicken, it will put its nose down to the ground and slowly get closer to the spot, sniffing the ground. When it gets within 20 tiles of the animal itself, it will go into a chase, and the higher the quality of the dog, the faster it moves.

You would not have to rope a dog, instead you wouldn't need to carry anything, and simply use the command fallow, and the dog will fallow within 5 tiles of you. You can rope a dog, but this is simply to hold if back from a rabbit or chicken, the dog wouldn't be able to reach them.

When slaughtered, dogs would provide the same amount of food as a fox, and the same pelt size, so they wouldn't be very useful to breed except to have more help with hunting. Dogs would eat any type of meat or intestines, although cooked meat would provide the highest nutrition. They would get fed out of either ceramic bowls, or metal bowls made of any common metal. Metal bowls have the advantage twice the amount of storage, so you would have to refill it less. Dogs will also kill rabbits when you are not around, and if left alone for 3 minutes with the rabbit, will eat it and that will also count for 1 raw meat. The Q of the dog depends on its food.

When a boar or bear is in the range of scent of a dog, he will bark and growl a few times to warn you, but won't attack the boar.

If happiness ever has a use, you could gain it by being around a dog or hunting with it.

There is a function called "loyalty" that comes into effect when dogs kill 20 rabbits or chickens with you. Once this happens, you no longer have to fence or contain a dog, if left alone out of range for 5 minutes, it will teleport to your HF and stay within 40 tiles from it. If your dog does not have loyalty to you, it will simply despawn the same as any other domesticated animal does when left alone.

Finally, to tame a dog, simply domesticate a fox, or if Jorb and Loftar are really awesome, make a wolf and tame that.

If you guys have any suggestions, I'd be happy to hear them.

[Nepthan]

Would it help you in combat too?

[Agarrett]

I thought about adding that, but that would kind of be another matter, and would take too long to explain in depth.

[rye130]

Dogs are planned but I do like some of the points you made.

I would prefer if dogs would help you find any animal in range and, once the animal started to flee from your damage, to chase it down and kill/slow it down. I think their loyalty should be effected by their hunger and a stat that is bred.

[BadMotel]

I'd thought about this before too, and you put the idea together well. I was thinking about their application in PvP, or as like guard dogs that would protect your hearth, but that would just lead to beast masters and their canine-armies.

[ViciousGamer04]

This was already mentioned before but I am pretty sure the last thread I saw it mentioned it wasn't as elaborate in detail as this one,

Sounds like a good idea to me.

[Bonnie]

TAME WOLF PLEASE. Very good ideas, except it would be awesome if they could fight with you against other animals/hearthlings and obviously the dog could die, it would make markmanship awesome!

[Agarrett]

Maybe for larger animals, once it reaches one, it will slow it down significantly, or stop it completely for like 10 seconds, and once it starts running again, it tries to catch the animal and hold it in place again. The higher the Q the longer it can hold its prey?

[DaMaGe]

Suggested before, good idea though. i like it...

[Robertzon]

Would be epic if this would come,would let him to guard my house from thieves

The boars should be scared of them and run away from you.