I spend a few hours talking this over with my wife and a few friends to flesh it out into more than just a "hey, add this!" without any details or thought process to it, so I hope you all like the suggestion and I'd like to hear feedback about it from the community and ConcernedApe. Enjoy!~ Adding Hunting and Trapping to Stardew Valley Hunting could easily be added alongside fishing, foraging, and all the other skills you can level. There are already frogs, birds, crows, rabbits, and squirrels around, and things like deer, turkey, wild boars, bears, and the like would be easy to add. -Add a new section of forest/woods that serves as the Hunting Grounds, and can also be used for Foraging if one isn’t inclined to go hunting. (Still watch out for predators like wolves and bears, whether hunting or not.) -Movement speed is important, the faster you move, the more noise you’ll be making, possibly frightening game off. -Paying attention to your surroundings is important, not just to keep an eye out for predators, but to avoid moving through brush or stepping on leaves and branches that could make noise and frighten away game. -Perhaps implement a line-of-sight mechanic while hunting, so you can’t see everything around you on the screen, only what is in the direction you’re facing and unobscured by trees or other cover (with a little leeway within 2-3 blocks of you, so you can react if a predator is coming at you) Game Animals could include (not limited to only these) (animals marked predatory may attack you): -Frogs -Small Birds -Squirrels -Rabbits -Turkeys -Chickens (option to kill or keep, if you have the Coop) -Deer (does and bucks) -Bears (predatory) -Wolves (predatory) -Wild Boar (predatory) -Foxes -Raccoons -Possums -Crows -Ducks -Beavers -Badger (predatory) -Bobcat (predatory) -Geese -Pheasant Levels and what you would receive for crafting/bonuses: Level 0 - -Snares: basic traps that can catch tiny, weaker animals, like frogs and small birds. This would allow you to harvest things like; Feathers, Frog Legs, Bird Meat, etc. (50% chance to catch overnight, damaged if nothing caught, must be replaced, can salvage a few random materials from it) Level 1 - -Cage Trap: The standard cage or basket held up by a stick, would allow you to catch small animals like squirrels, rabbits, and chickens. This would allow you to harvest things like; More Feathers, more meats, furs/pelts (squirrels and rabbits), etc. (50% chance to catch overnight, damaged if nothing caught, must be replaced, can salvage a few random materials from it) Level 2 - -Small Bow: Basic low-power bow and arrow that would let you start to take down small game like turkeys, ducks, and others. Not strong enough to take down deer or larger animals however. The bow can have a targeting reticle much like the slingshot, and at first it will waver around, making aiming a matter of timing, and as you level up, the wavering becomes less severe. -Basic Meat Curing Station (crafting station): put meat and salt (make salt a cooking recipe) into this station (up to 5 at a time) to cure them into better versions, worth more HP and Energy, and more money. -Bow and Arrow crafting. Level 3 - -Increased Bow proficiency (less wavering) -10% increased non-meat harvests from animals (feathers, pelts, etc) Level 4 - -Increased Bow proficiency (less wavering) -10% increased meat harvests from animals. Level 5 - -Increased Bow proficiency (less wavering) -Hunter’s Bow: Upgraded bow, enables you to take down larger game like deer, elk, bears and wolves (with multiple hits, added danger, bears take 3, wolves 2) (wavers more than a regular bow, as it has a higher draw strength) -Choose between the following; Hunting Rifle or Butcher Table +Hunting Rifle: No aim wavering, kills anything in 1 shot, but scares away game. You’re only going to get one shot, then all the game will scatter for the day. (This will allow those who don’t hunt as often to have guaranteed, easier results, but will not have the gathering potential that a bow hunter does) +Butcher Table: +50% items gained from caught/hunted game. (Combined with a bow hunter, this could start to see some serious returns from hunting more carefully.) Level 6 - -Increased Bow proficiency (less wavering, regular bow would barely waver now) -Crafting recipes for stuffed/mounted small to medium game as furniture items (no deer/bears/larger game) Level 7 - -Increased Bow proficiency (less wavering, regular bow would have no waver now) -10% more materials gathered from hunting. Level 8 - -Increased Bow proficiency (less wavering, hunter’s bow would barely waver now) -Crafting Recipe for Hunting Rifle (can now craft the rifle, regardless of if you chose the free one at level 5 or not, could be crafted and sold for some profit) -Crafting Recipe for Butcher Table, regardless of if chosen at level 5 or not. Level 9 - -Complete Bow proficiency (no wavering with either bow) -Improved snares and cages (+25% chance to catch small game overnight, total of 75% chance) -25% chance that a snare or cage that catches nothing will not be damaged and so won’t need to be replaced. Level 10 - -Crafting Recipes for for stuffed/mounted game of all types as furniture items. -+25% value to all items gathered from hunting. -Choose between the Following; Tricks of the Huntsman or Double Tap +Tricks of the Huntsman: You’ve learned what attracts and scares away particular game. You can bait the hunting grounds to attract particular animals (like a Salt Lick for deer), but this can also attract predators, so be careful. +Double Tap: Your first shot with a Hunting Rifle will still startle all the game, but you will have a few seconds as they begin to panic to take a second shot at something. (Perhaps do a time slowdown here to allow you to try to line up the shot without needing to panic and twitch-reaction shot it.)
Yes please. It's really the only thing missing from the base game, which granted, is a farming game by and large. Adding a crossbow into the mix would be pretty sweet instead of the upgraded hunter's bow but with the same suggested behavior. As an additional suggestion, perhaps adding "pest-control" type quests in the town's vicinity might be fun. Due to the populated environment, a bow (or crossbow) would be required and recommended so you can still go out that day with your rifle and tag something substantial.
