The Cougar Explained (The Long Dark)

In this video, I break down the recently released Cougar and how it works. Be aware that this predator is extremely dangerous and should be avoided at all cost, unless you are prepared to face the consequences. It can be killed, but your window of opportunity is very small.
Chapters:
00:00 Intro
01:55 Enabling the Cougar
02:51 Encroaching Danger
03:53 Cougar Presence: Sounds and Info
05:57 The Attack and Afflictions
07:23 Cougar Nest and Reducing Risk
09:46 Killing the Cougar
11:27 Rewards: Hat and Knife
12:52 Analysis and Summary
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[@Zaknafein]

The cougar has been temporarily removed, following community feedback. So the mechanics featured in this video may not represent its final state. Stay tuned. Read more here: hinterlandforums.com/forums/topic/45242-temporarily-removing-the-cougar/

[@saxongames895]

@@Zaknafein was there bug issues, mine encroached after only 12 days in Pilgrim and doesn't seem to go away once you leave the region.

[@Zaknafein]

@@saxongames895 probably. Usually there are quite a few bugs post-launch

[@rangerscorpiorac2383]

@@saxongames895 fuck the bug issues they made it shitty, it needs to be redone completely

[@artmanxp]

I figured no one wants an enemy that has no chance at getting at before it jumps you and can really deal with effectively unless your very lucky.😅

[@ZReLiSh42]

Being attacked by a magically teleporting cougar while im in the middle of an open field? Idk man...

[@NotLordAsshat]

Yeah it feels lazy, like the idea of a overwhelming terrifying stalker to them is spooky noises that don't mean anything (in the sense that they could basically just be part of the music track) as well as the complete lack of actually being stalked. Imagine how terrifying it would be to turn around after not looking behind you for half a second and you see a cougar sprinting at you like two feet away from you. Would you be able to react? Not likely, but would scare the shit out of you and be a good payoff

[@Fallocaust]

What's even worse is apparently it can attack you indoors too lol.

[@blobbertmcblob4888]

@@Fallocaust Uses it's cat hands to open the door. Now I'm just imagining a cougar beast with human hands and I'm scared.

[@originalname6372]

@@blobbertmcblob4888 Furries:

[@originalname6372]

While I still it is stupid that it teleports onto you it makes sense. If it were to run at you in an open field it's easy to kill it and not be in any risk, the head on conflict is supposed to hard, getting one shot or you're screwed. But I still feel it's kind of cheap to just spawn it on you :p

[@jackplisken4738]

Hinterland : The Long Dark is no FPS Game Also Hinterland : We hate Campers

[@ShanksOnly]

This is gold

[@agnostic2111]

Best comment of the year.

[@formbi]

Hinterland: we don't have zombies Also Hinterland: brainless wolves and poison wolves (almost literally zombies)

[@cooperallgood4227]

Also hinterland adds rifle variants and a reloading mechanic, "ItS nOt aN FpS, wE dOnT WaNt To sEe pLaYeRs rUnNinG aRoUd WiTh RiFLeS EqUiPeD.

[@gnomaz15]

Yeah because real life winter survival is all about sleeping outside and travelling through the whole state in a blizzard when you have plenty of sustainable resources at your base that could last you months. Immersion, am I right?

[@vikivova]

The fact that I can't see it under any circumstances before it attacks makes me wanna not enable and forget that it exists.

[@jadrankabacovic7101]

Yes. It's a game,. .. If you can not "play" with it and make a difference I don't see the point.

[@joshuahwieland8676]

I was really hoping we could have a chance to defend ourselves before the attack

[@TinyGreyOwl]

That`s why I probably would just disable and ignore it altogether.

[@eliljeho]

They are likely to change it based off of feedback. Still, it's not supposed to be "hunted," we are being stalked.

[@TinyGreyOwl]

@@eliljeho I think "hunt" presumes some chances for the game. At this state it feels more like punishment.

[@mindaugasstankus5943]

Scripted event :/.... so basically one way to deal/kill it and reap rewards if ON. "Second" approach turn it OFF outright. Another "addition" joining scurvy, off from get go for me... joined by cabin fever (barely notice because of my play stile) and RN-f-ing-sprain-gesus...

[@friedmandesigns]

@@mindaugasstankus5943 An " *RN F-ing Sprain Gesus* " t-shirt with just a picture of the TLD bandage icon would be an _extremely_ niche one, but awesome on the one-in-a-few-million chance occasion someone in an airport gives you a knowing smile and appreciative nod.

[@TwizzElishus]

Cougar can be summarized as this: Do you want to gamble your run for a slightly better hat? The fact that a new animal is an optional toggle should tell you that they have zero confidence in that it's a good addition to the game.

[@brianhillman5867]

It took 2 years and is done in the worst way I can imagine, I don't think ill be returning to the game after this.

[@TwizzElishus]

@@brianhillman5867 The cougar was planned before the moose was even in the game (2017). Now I don't know how long they've been working on it, could be more than 2 years for all we know. I'm assuming that they weren't capable of programming it to act like they wanted. So instead of scrapping it or continuing to work on it they just threw a bunch of HUD elements and a QTE together and called it good...

[@jmwall24]

@@brianhillman5867 why not just toggle it off?

[@jc6226]

How bout you guys complain more without even knowing what you are talking about? Wah.

[@NotLordAsshat]

​@@jc6226how about you stop pretending that game developers are without criticism. I don't need to be a chef to know my food is undercooked lol

[@windflier1684]

IDK, the cougar doesn't physically exist inside the world, and not even showing them run towards you before the struggle kind breaks the deal for me, for a game focus on so much about immersion, this doesn't feel immersive at all, at least let me physically see them when they charge at me so it sells the point that the cougar actually exist in this world

[@altashheth451]

IDK, I'd say that's pretty immersive based on real life cougars. You won't see them until they attack. If you do, it's only because they let you and aren't hunting you. Since this one is hunting you, you wouldn't see it until the attack. Frankly it's kind of them to include any warnings at all.

[@rangerscorpiorac2383]

​@@altashheth451naw fuck that I should be able to see it, ambush predator doesn't mean it can't fucking spawn in until it attacks you

[@skysox1280]

​@altashheth451 An animal you can't see psychically at ALL until it's mugging you for your can of peaches is not immersive. Yes Cougars are indeed sly and stealthy but they're not invisible and don't magically teleport.

[@cfredtmbg]

Agreed. It feels kind of unrealistic and cheesy. In a wide open field you should have leave have a slight chance. Feels like an F you.

[@cfredtmbg]

@@altashheth451 But a real life cougar can’t materialize out of thin air in the middle of a frozen lake with no cover in sight. That’s not a cougar, that’s a RNG game mechanic. Make it crazy fast and well hidden before it strikes, that’s awesome. It needs to actually exist.

[@RoxUnlimited]

Wish it was a physical animal before struggling. Also wish the text was more immersive. Instead of flat out telling you the cougar is coming they could give messages such as “you have an uneasy feeling in the area” “you feel like it’s time to move on” and then when the cougar is in the region “you feel an unsettling presence watching you”

[@IstasPumaNevada]

That would be much better.

[@cakes1831]

"I feel like I'm being watch by trees"

[@legend131000]

Underrated comment.

[@PurpleBox89]

@@cakes1831 Yes yes yessssssssssss. I hope they take this feedback and implement.

[@lindseymashburn-fonzeroth1806]

Agreed. I was very let down when I saw a timer of all things. I'm fine with indicators, but why would your survivor know it's coming in 4 days? Did the cougar send a calendar invite?? I love the cougar, but I think some more work for the interface might be wanted. Maybe more signs in the real world? I also like these ideas of making your survivor have dialogue to clue you in.

[@tj3423]

I think it's a huge missed opportunity not to make the cougar physically roam the world. I've encountered a cougar irl, and it's incredibly tense and haunting feeling like your being stalked. This implementation feels much too video gamey, even giving you a count down before it shows up. And having to let yourself get attacked in order to hunt it is a really weird reward system, the game shouldn't encourage getting attacked if they want it as a "reaper" type mechanic. But anyone like me who eventually wants the best loot in the game will end up willingly get attacked just for a shot at it

[@recarsion]

Getting too game-y has been a tendency in TLD for many years. Timberwolves, toxic gas, glimmer fog, you name it. Back when they brought in timberwolves I hoped it was just an experiment, but they leaned into it more heavily instead.

[@insanecuckooman8342]

it was easier for lazy devs to do this.

[@blobbertmcblob4888]

"it's incredibly tense and haunting feeling like your being stalked." Because you are. Luckily if you can SEE the cat, then it knows you can see it and under normal circumstances, it's not going to attack.

[@pokka626]

It definitely should be physical in the game world even before the attack, just somehow very hard to see and almost impossible to kill before the attack, and then closing in instead of just randomly attacking out of nowhere.

[@The_Primitive]

When you're in the cougar territory, there should be a *small* chance of you encountering it just walking around, and we should be able to see the cougar running towards our direction when it attacks us. For the random encounters where the cougar is just walking around, it should be able to spot you from very far (so that you can't easily shoot it with a rifle/bow/revolver) and then begin to walk away from you. If you get too close then it will either attack of run away. This should be more fun and immersive

[@cosmicplayz8773]

I thought it would be cool if you could see just a glimpse of it and get a chance to take a shot at it. You can never kill in this encounter, however it does injure it so the struggle is easier.

[@lindseymashburn-fonzeroth1806]

If I had to guess, they couldn't animate it on the terrain in a convincing way. That would also explain why it took so long to come out, they've been struggling with it pathfinding. Because it'd be lame if it just was a deadlier wolf with a different skin. That's why they went with the materializing menace, they couldn't get it to work the other way... It's a bummer for sure, but I like the added flavor in the game. Just wish you could have the heart-stopping moment where you turn and see it bounding over a boulder, seconds for ending you. It's more of a jump scare currently.

[@richgoldendoor4240]

Quite honestly the biggest disappointment feature of the update. I was looking forward to an cougar stalking me, having to watch my back for a silent strong predator, but instead we got a scripted event that has debuffs that simply aren't really worth taking on just for a hat that's a degree warmer than the rabbit one for like 3x the damn weight, and a knife that's only real use is fighting wolves on the ground which isn't something people really needed. The fact that the only way to interact with it is an unavoidable mauling is really really really dumb. People who say "what you want another wolf" are even more dumb because they could have easily put extra work into its mechanics, and pathing to make it so it wasn't just "another wolf." As a feature it makes 0 sense for being in the game. Anyone who wants to camp, and knows they're gonna camp in the late game is just gonna turn it off. Furthermore all it'd make you do is spend 10 days in another region, which at the point you're gonna be staying in a region for 20 days straight, you most likely have the materials to survive anywhere you go, making this a non issue. It doesn't even "add challenge" to the game, theres quite literally nothing about it to challenge you because you have to intentionally let it happen. There is no challenging oh gotta watch out for the cougar, they could be anywhere. Its oh I got this now I'll have a scripted fight on my hand. That's not a damn challenge, that's just annoying... My expectations were there was going to be cougars that would know your location at all times in a region that would stalk, and ambush you... and I have to say man this really makes me not want to play with the feature. I don't camp that long even with my worlds on days in the hundreds, but I was going to intentionally camp to start fighting cougars. It seemse though the devs are incapable of programming physical animals that can be challenging so they had to resort to hurrrrrrr u get attacked when nothing is near you in all directions... They could have made it so it'd use weather conditions like heavy fog to stay out of visible range until they're ready to attack. I guess I expect too much out of devs that couldn't finish the main story before a DLC...

[@cooperclark9086]

i think the only thing I would like to change about the cougar would be that you see it before it attacks. but i would only want it to be like a 5 or 10 second window.

[@julianbell9161]

I see the reason for not having this. This animal is supposed to be a new type of challenge, and even if you are a long dark pro, you still are weak that he cougar. It also gives the ballistic vest a brand new purpose for cougar hunting

[@tomr3422]

and you should be able to get the delicious cougar eggs from the nest

[@will9501]

That's an excellent point on the ballistic vest.

[@blakewalsh9489]

Probably the reason they don't allow this is because their animal AI is super jank and exploitable, they want the cougar attack to be unavoidable not just trivial to block by standing behind a tree or something.

[@clemvidtube]

I get the reasoning behind it, I still think teleportation is not a good mechanic to overcome the issue.

[@cfredtmbg]

I really hate the fact you have ZERO chance to get a shot off or see it before it attacks. That fact alone makes me not want to ever enable it. It just doesn’t make sense.

[@IslandHermit]

"Oh cool, some new content for TLD!". (Watches the video.) (Quietly disables the cougar.)

[@Joe_Real]

I honestly think they should've kept the cougar for part 6, it feels half-baked 1. No way to kill/injure before the struggle 2. Way to obvious when its coming to the region 3. Disappointing rewards for killing it 4. The way it functions is just kinda dumb tbh I feel like most of the work was put into the new region and tale and the cougar was an afterthought. I guess game devs are in agreement that cougars have the ability to teleport lol

[@cryptidofthemarshes1680]

Not to mention it kind of looks like shit. They did not polish it very well

[@madrepityu]

They can't do it, no matter how much time they have

[@Astorath_the_Grim]

Cougars are my worst fear when I'm hiking. Unlike most other animal attacks like bears (most bear attacks are defensive) they will actively hunt you.

[@alexroselle]

I agree, and while I try to comfort myself that cougar attacks on humans are statistically quite rare IRL, that doesn’t really help 😨

[@nannakurzhaar]

So you think it is quite realistic? There are no cougars where I live (I’m very thankful for that 😅)

[@Astorath_the_Grim]

@nannakurzhaar yeah they are very spooky.

[@friedmandesigns]

You're *MILLIONS* of times more likely to be hurt (and worst-case, killed) by another human (this goes for 99.5% of the Earth's human-habitable above-water locations) than you are to ever see a puma over even 10k hiked miles. I'm in the heart of coug country, had a neighbor with one for years (awesome beast), hike in their confirmed predation area of my State regularly. Unless they're extremely sick, you'll never hear one approaching, if it's any hiking consolation. :)

[@SOBNo1]

My worst fear when hiking is potholes in the road

[@pietreks3409]

I don't understand point of this addition. If you like turtleing, you will just disable the cougar. If you don't like turtleing, this feature won't appear. But if you want the unique item, the fact that you need to allow yourself to get attacked, which is in my opinion just a bad way of obtaining something and doesn't make much sense.

[@cccpredarmy]

I agree. Imo there should be some sort of a challenge to find the sneaky nest and hunt it down. The hunt intself should be ultra hard and you can become hunted in return if you don't pay enough attention. Getting mauled by your own stupid decisions and lack of skill is one thing. Just getting randomly mauled becuase there is an icon on the screen is another. Pretty sure sooner or later people will find a way to cheese through this. Get into area surrounded by rocks so the cougar after mauling won't be able to escape and grant you a free kill... I think Hinterland didn't thought it through well enough

[@pirojfmifhghek566]

"Why would a game come with different difficulty levels if I can just choose the easiest one and breeze through it without any effort? Checkmate, game designers. You're so dumb."

[@drewbert83]

I'm turtling on interloper and I was not given an opportunity to disable the cougar.

[@skysox1280]

​@@drewbert83Same I thought they said theyd give us the option on our save games?

[@alliedanchor8864]

​@@pirojfmifhghek566that's not his point though. Most people are just going to turn it off anyways, and it's not really going to affect experienced players since you're probably going to be moving around anyways.

[@azureemerald7370]

The fact it doesn't actually exist in the world until right after a struggle is a bit of an odd choice to me. I know they wanted this animal to be different from the other predators but I was expecting something more like the Old Bear and how it stalks you in the Hunted challenges. Only not as obvious. It could be a constant presence that you maybe occasionally catch a glimpse of in the trees out of the corner of your eye. Or you sometimes see it run off if you happen to turn around while it's stalking you. Something that really keeps you on constant high alert. The sound design for it is excellent and pretty terrifying! I just wish everything else about the encounter could match.

[@SavvyKelly1]

Yes, I'd love it to be more like the Old Bear! This feels more like the Darkwalker.

[@SaltyRocksPew]

wait, you don't have a chance to defend yourself before it attacks you? That's actually terrible. I can't believe they'd do that, that's so bad.

[@Rubyfireruby]

I want the cougar to be more immersive as a threat, instead of just a countdown and random noises. Here's how it could work, in stages: 1) If you're in the territory too long, your survivor starts to feel uneasy. There could be comments made like "I'm getting strange feelings about this place." or "Something's telling me to move on from here." This could come with maybe an insomnia affliction, where you're feeling restless in an area. 2) After about a few days of this, the cougar actually enters the area, but doesn't start to hunt you yet. This could include comments like "It feels like the trees have eyes..." or "I feel like I'm being watched." You could also start to have 'dreams', which could have a chance to play when you sleep (This could be some sort of mini five second cutscene of cougar eyes in the darkness, or the shadow of a cougar on a ledge). Also, when you're outside at night, you can hear the yowling sounds, but only echoing in the distance. 3) After the countdown ends, the cougar begins to actually hunt you. It spawns in a random area of the map you're in, and is invisible (like the darkwalker). However, as it gets closer, you're begin to hear closer cougar screams and the sound of it moving around you. The cougar music will also play, getting louder and more tense as the cougar nears you. The cougar will appear in the world when it's about 20 meters from you, and pause, about to launch an attack. This could give you the chance to ready yourself or try to fend it off. The cougar will also only appear and attack after sunset, for now. This means if you want to avoid it, you can take shelter inside until morning. However, on higher difficulties and or the cougar has been stalking you for two days, it can attack during the day. 4) If you survive an attack but the cougar lives, it goes back to stage 2 and you have the chance to either leave or risk fighting the cougar again. I think this would be a really cool new threat, but it doesn't give much room for error and I think it should be more immersive to the world. I think an icon would be fine while it's in stage 3, but I think an actual countdown in the game kind of breaks the immersion. I feel like the uneasiness of being stalked and ambiance of a nearby threat would be more interesting.

[@cooperallgood4227]

I think a better way to implement the cougar would be to add "cougar territory" or "hunting grounds" to certain parts of the game based on tree/rock/hill density, so an area like coastal highway would have alot more cougar territory than say pleasant valley, this also would also give a much needed (in my opinion) difficultly buff to regions like coastal highway as you would now have a far more stealthy predator to worry about, Maybe include environmental clues, something like a ravaged moose or wolf carcass to the areas to show that your entering its territory and your no longer on top of the food chain there. Also make it a physical part of the game and give it silent footsteps and have it make no noises before attacking, but make a craftable mask out of birch bark or something that takes up the hat slot that will give you a decreased chance of being attacked (think of the masks that people wear in india to stave off tiger attacks). And when it does get spotted make it charge you so that you have little time to react by equiping/aiming your rifle or bow. This wouldve been a far better way to implement the cougar rather than making it a furry homing missle.

[@vapomaster6967]

I don't like the cougar mechanics at all. He is easely avoidable. Destroying his nest isn't worth it. And most of all I really don''t like, that their is no way of hunting it or engaging it and you only get one way to kill it. No multiple choices or tactics. The hat doesn't improve much. You will still freeze your ass of at the higher difficulties. The knife also has a limited use, since you don't want to engage a wolf up close.

[@pohpy]

Yeah they should just have programmed it like anotther boring wolf with no new mechanics... that would surely make for a great and different experience.. and ofc im beeing ironic.

[@notreal5513]

​@@pohpyshould have been like darkwalker once it's in the region it should make a straight line 2 your location and make no footstep noise

[@beau9334]

@@pohpyback in the day devs used to program different AI for different enemies…guess that’s not the case anymore..

[@windflier1684]

@@pohpy when did developing a game can only be about either extremely niche mechanic or copy pasting existing stuff? guess making unique and engaging content is a luxury for game development now

[@madrepityu]

@@pohpy The irony here is that Hinterland can't program/implement basic things after 10 years and who knows how much money/resources behind them. The fact that they cannot make a somewhat realistic cougar AI, pathing and animations is ridiculous. Why would it have to be "another boring wolf"? They should just have programmed it to behave like a real cougar. But they can't. And that's sad.

[@iamthespy9808]

I would have been fine if this stayed exactly the same but the cougar teleported like 5 seconds away from you to have a small chance at defense. Having it be an instant RNG attack feels cheap

[@jravee5994]

yeah i'm really not vibing with not being able to counter an incoming cougar. the fact that an item is tied to killing it pretty much means you have to take a life-threatening hit in order to even get the opportunity. on higher difficulties that is simply out of the question. i understand what they're trying to do with the cougar with discouraging staying in a single region for months on end but mechanically this needs a do-ever i think.

[@reaperluke3518]

Ok ok, I'll just wait 30 days for the Cougar (playing on Stalker/Interloper custom) with the ballistic vest and maxed out defensive clothing and try my luck with shooting it in the ass. Who knows, maybe I'll get the affliction but my health will be fine and dandy. Luckily there's the Elden Ring DLC that will keep me occupied for two months at the very least, so I can wait for Hinterland to rethink some of their dumb decisions about making the Cougar like some Naruto ninja who teleports behind you, whispers "heh, nothing personnel, kid" and cuts your throat

[@GLVSCOW]

Elden Ring DLC has been phenomenal and low lvl pvp has been popping

[@skysox1280]

Cougar seems rushed. I know this game isnt suppose to be realistic but damn Hinterland, magically teleporting animals now?

[@MNewton]

If I were to think less charitably about it I'd say they must have tried to implement it in a few different ways and found it too challenging to get right and then stuck it in like this as way to get it in. With how wonky the bear behaves in the cave in story mode it seems like maybe they have trouble getting behavior to an acceptable state. Or maybe this was just their vision for it IDK. Either way I'll give it a go but I will likely just turn it off. Even if they were to keep it as is I don't like the cougar warning system and since moose sign already exists why not have cougar sign or something like that. The warning seems very gamey in a way that is out of step with the rest of the game outside challenge modes.

[@skysox1280]

​@@MNewton Honestly everything else survival wise(RIP to story players) has been outstanding, but the cougar just seems like a let down. Im sure theyll be a way to cheese the cougar system but just hoping for a Cougar patch in the future.

[@tretchchadtail]

cougars are always a few hundred meters away / nearby, or what the ads say

[@canertwo]

switching off the cougar is always faster than reloading your save!

[@maxsnuffy2159]

This is extremely disappointing. We've been waiting forever for the cougar and now we have this pointless game mechanic. You have to be attacked first before you have a chance to kill the cougar. Have the developers been smoking something?

[@garrettcrabtree5050]

It’s a fairly realistic cougar encounter if you compare it to real life. Cougars are incredibly stealthy and are rarely encountered even in areas with substantial cougar populations. Most hunters have to use dogs to get even close to shooting them. I think this is a pretty cool mechanic in my opinion.

[@northseaempire2964]

This feature could be a special cougar, something like the old bear in survival mode. Maybe an albino cougar.

[@pirojfmifhghek566]

It would've been a pointless game mechanic if they introduced the cougar and it presented the exact same challenge to you as the wolves and bears. The devs are giving you a new challenge mode. This is a new puzzle that you have to solve. You can't re-use the same old strategies. You're not going to be given a kickass cougar hat and knife for free.

[@danpaz9485]

Thats not the point, the fact that u have to purposely get attacked by it instead of it being a punishment by being severely damaged and having ur items wrecked for not being careful and spotting it first is the problem, surely u should be able to spot it even if the landscape is smooth?

[@garrettcrabtree5050]

@@danpaz9485 To comment on your original point, I think that the mechanic would be better if there was a slight opportunity for you to kill the cougar prior to its attack. However, I like that it doesn’t behave like the other predators and how difficult it is to kill the thing for the gear. I understand your point that given the environment of the game, it would be more visible. I think that is something that can be overlooked for the sake of the cougars stealth.

[@eliljeho]

Oh, so I "want" to get attacked? I suppose I WILL be saying "pspspspspsps"

[@TinyGreyOwl]

Yup, remember - this is suppose to be scary.

[@Raven-wq4li]

i cant imagine hearing the cougar theme + the noises at night in the middle of a blizzard... and thats because im a seasoned horror fan. i am SCARED

[@Zaknafein]

If it helps, when I tested it, you could hear the cougar sounds in a blizzard but I never once got attacked. Could have been lucky, though.

[@Anthonyk747]

@@Zaknafein Zak, you are a very lucky individual in most of your videos. I suspect that you don't like it because it affects your difficulty level.

[@williebrort]

I think they should give you a little warning before the final attack of the cougar, like the wolf that barks once before it changes from stalk mode to attack mode.

[@colel9756]

I think the fact that you cannot kill or injure it prematurely is upsetting, sure they could make it move quickly or make it hard to hit, but I’d like a chance to defend myself like against a wolf, before getting major life-threatening lacerations. Also, does wearing armor like the moose hide cloak or bulletproof vest reduce the damage of the attack? Or do you always loose lots of condition and get the lacerations?

[@Zaknafein]

It reduces the chance of severe lacerations for sure. A few times I didnt get it.

[@davidsimpson9808]

I completely agree. It strikes me as ironic that while simultaneously adding a cheat death system to help avoid the frustration of silly deaths they also add an animal that you can't see until it attacks you. Yes you can hear it and are warned of its presence but it's not the same

[@darkwillow1451]

​@@davidsimpson9808you dont hear it. It doesnt exist. You hear noises, sure.. but they are just that. Noises. It spawns in the struggle. Thats extremely upsetting.

[@j.s.c.4355]

Agreed. I don’t know that I’ll play with an animal I can’t see.

[@pirojfmifhghek566]

The challenge of the cougar battle is one of preparation. Do you have what it takes to patch yourself up and fight back after 200lbs of kitty lands on your face? If not, then keep moving and build up your arsenal of weaponry and first aid. At least they're being nice enough to give you a warning in your UI. It would've been more thrilling if you had to scout around and rely on tracks, carcasses, or scat to know if there were hot cougars in your area.

[@sirfishcs]

I understand that hinterland wants to add an additional predator but I don't like how you can't see it before it attacks you. TLD for me has always been on the more realistic side of survival games, especially when you add some mods to tune aspects like carcass harvesting to more accurately depict true animal size without diminishing the balance of the game. However, animals aren't just invisible. A cougar will hunt you unlike most animals but it will also not have an invisibility cloak on it. If hinterland added the ability to see it and slow it but not kill it outright I would be more in agreeable with its addition. It's kind of a niche thing but if you see videos of people fending off actual cougars you see how a pistol or rifle can push them back enough to get to safety. There should be some sort of morale meter that builds up as you spend time in the same region as the cougar that can always be decreased but never removed until you leave the region. It just feels to similar to the darkwalker where you have a time limit and then it just goes straight for you with nothing to do about it besides leave the region and go the nest to kill it.

[@Vaguer_Weevil]

It would be much better if it actually stalked you, watching from high places and hiding behind rocks, always keeping it's distance. Then when it does attack it'll close in real fast, probably still not enough for you to shoot it but there's always a small chance to. I get the feeling it was programmed like this to mask the fact they can't code it to behave this way, if I still find wolves scraping their faces into walls and doing U-turns on a whim, I won't expect even more advanced AI for the cougar. This is probably as good as it'll get in that aspect.

[@coletakkish4389]

Excellent vid! Like a lot of people in the comments, I do wish there were some way to pre-empt the cougar (like maybe the cougar attack is preceded by like 5 seconds where the cougar rushes towards you and you need to listen for footsteps), but I feel like the main thing I wish was added was more environmental cues for when the cougar is approaching and actively stalking you. Like maybe instead of a visible in-game timer telling you that the cougar is approaching, when the cougar begins taking interest in you, you find claw marks on the door of whatever building you slept in most recently, or maybe you'd find a ravaged wolf carcass that wasn't there the night before. I think the in-game notifications are helpful, but are also a little immersion-breaking, so it'd be nice to be able to turn them on or off.

[@nova14414]

Yeah, claw marks on the door would be horrifying to wake up and see honestly.

[@eclipse_434]

Meh, I don't like the idea of having to suffer an attack from a cougar that can't even be seen until it physically spawns in to attack the player. That feels ridiculously unfair and unfun. I would be much more accepting of the cougar if it was physically in the world stalking the player, so the player could counter the cougar's prowling by doing certain actions like listening carefully, scanning the area, tracking the beast, throwing rocks, shooting flares, tossing noise makers, throwing bait, etc. Maybe some modders will fix the cougar's mechanics to the point where there is more of an actual cat and mouse/prey vs. predator dynamic between the player and the cougar. I want to actually see the cougar menacing me in the distance as it keeps far enough away out of reach until it can line up the time to properly ambush me from some grass, bushes, trees, cliffs, etc. I want a substantial interactive cat and mouse dynamic where I, the player, have to constantly utilize evasive techniques and preventative measures to avoid getting jumped by the cougar. I'm pretty disappointed with this new content, honestly.

[@alejandromendez488]

I feel like if they added a 5-10 seconds window of you actually seeing the cougar before it attacks you; even if they move fast and pounce quickly, will still make the experience a lot better being able to defeat it beforehand. Even if it would be extremely unlikely and hard. Also maybe every now and then, have the cougar spawn in the world physically when you either are in the same region as the nest or when you are being actively hunted by it after the 30 day or whatever time slot for it to trigger. Ofc if you spot it in one of these instances it should run away or something seeing as you spotted it during it’s hunt or what not, just so you still find it challenging to kill, could help a lot with the immersion.

[@GuyFromCanada]

I do hope they make it reasonable to defend yourself in the future. Obviously it’s supposed to be dangerous and deadly, and if you’ve seen it it’s already too late. But I think instead of it teleporting on top of you, it teleports relatively near you and begins an attack. Giving you a brief window to defend yourself. I can’t imagine that’s too difficult of a change.

[@darkcarolineriddle]

I would make it so it always teleports behind you or out of camera and screams when attacking. Giving you juuuust enough time if you are really quick and are lucky enough to see where it is when you turn, to grab the rifle and shoot. Just so there is a small window of hope of getting it before a struggle comes. I think that the idea of it appearing out of nowhere is good, it's different to wolves and bears, just gives us at least 3 seconds to react.

[@SaltyRocksPew]

I'd make it like the bear from the hunted where it just spawns near you and you can hear its noises yeah. I honestly have no clue why they thought this was a good idea.

[@Bearmauler]

I just killed one. No afflictions, around 40HP lost. No sounds, jumpscared me AF. Stalker difficulty.

[@Mobius-GS1]

Disappointed in the cougar implementation. I was expecting alien isolation stalking and once you are stalked it could be up high in the mountain looking down on you and soon after its hunting it would then spawn having a time to defend before the attack, this random teleport attacks blows, no wonder they added a disable option.

[@ahmadsb4358]

Finally I'm truly able to meet cougars in my area

[@MNewton]

IDK I'll have to try it out but this is definitely not what I was hoping for. They've been talking about this animal off and on for years but then it comes out and it's basically just a quick time event without a lot of input from you and then some on screen prompts that may as well be lights flashing and klaxons blaring "cougar alert". I wanted a new and more challenging predator to contend with not an event that doesn't even have a corresponding animal in the world. It's cool that you can turn it off though. I suspect I'll give it a go and then just turn it off, which is shame. It really feels out of step with everything outside of some of the challenge modes.

[@SmenDeSmen]

The Cougar is basically a lesser version of the Darkwalker, an insanely unforgiving beast that stalks and breathes down your neck and is difficult to get rid of considering you even get the chance.

[@TheSasudomi]

But the animal is a real thing, that is worse I guess.

[@undercoverj_man]

Think they should do a new scary challenge like the dark walker. I call it 'Dino walker'. This time you are chased by a raptor. 😆. I know many that would play that concept challenge over and over.

[@jacobaderholdt7233]

THIS! This is what I was afraid of them doing, making it like a reskinned darkwalker bullcrap, even tho I like the darkwalker, it is not how this cougar update needed to be handled, like what are they even doin over there bro

[@axious9613]

At least the darkwalker wakes you up if it's close

[@Thorumsu]

At least the Darkwalker *actually* stalks you. You can see and hear where it is. The Cougar just teleports on top of you after making noises in random directions.

[@jmmh2472]

The devs could have made up for all the delays by creating a great new predator. Instead they settled with a mediocre timer with fur that most people will turn off. Definitely worth the wait, Hinterland!

[@smartboytom6499]

Looks like Ballistic vest may finally have so use when you want to hunt down the Cougar so you have more protection and lose less health

[@jeremygonzal8603]

Brilliant idea!

[@julianbell9161]

By creating a forced attack sequence, it really does behoove you to take the on the vest. Normally the vest just isn’t worth taking up an accessory spot and the weight it has, but now it become the cougar hunting vest

[@MorkandGork]

fix for the cougar make it like red dead redemption 2 did it. The cougar controls its hunting ground and actively hunts and prowls in the area and you can tell via carcasses and scratches. Either you can choose to enter its territory where the hunter becomes the hunted or steer clear of that area until you wish to play hunt or be hunted.

[@MorkandGork]

The bear roams about the cougar controls its territory in a region near its den you can go hunt the cougar and destroy its den or leave the rewards of that area till you feel the hunt is necessary. I know coding is hard but this current cougar just doesn't give me that feeling of the hunter becoming the prey

[@cooperallgood4227]

I said the basically same thing lol, they essentially made the thing a furry homing missle its not fun or good implementation

[@xharth8136]

I hope they'll remake cougar to be something more realistic and less esoteric.

[@acidreign8551]

Well, i just spent the last few hours trying to figure out this cougar. Pulled up one save. never got any kind of message about a cougar. I assumed it ws not turned on, so no joy. So i pulled up another save. I got no option to either turn it on or off, as soon as i got in game, i got the message that the cougar was encroaching and that i had five days. So i said okay then, went to my stocked up fish hut in ML, started passing time and rolling the days, got the message that the cougar was in zone, started hearing all the sounds. So now i am playing the hokey pokey for a few days, i could hear it, and it sounded very close. Never saw a thing. So i thought to jump out and see if there were any videos and of course found yours. NOW i find out there is no warning, you won't see it coming, it just appears like magic and you got no shot before being attacked. NOW i find out how it works, and i am a bit miffed Hinterland. I got a 156 day toon stuck in a fish shack that i had spent a lot of time maxing skills, making nice gear from hides from hunting. the whole deal, and now i have not only not been given the option of cougar on or off, i am stuck with this cougar thing. So i guess now any saves i have are gonna be just like that one, no option given, cougar like it or not. Not pleased with how this has been implemented.

[@radio4802]

would be way cooler in my opinion if it was physical and would be devastating for oblivious players rather than smth you can't do anything about till it happens

[@JokerDR71]

I don't know man, this sudden attack without warning is too stressful for me

[@nannakurzhaar]

and I was afraid of wolves 😅

[@QilleWolf]

Good thing you have the option to not include the cougar in your saves

[@Bestow3000]

I hate that you can't avoid it or react it in time. You must be attacked and almost die just to ge the hide...then wait for days again for the next one...

[@nannakurzhaar]

@@Bestow3000 well, you can avoid it (but then don’t get the stuff) … it’s for sure nothing for me, I already scared by the rest of the wildlife 😅

[@The_Primitive]

cat jumpscare

[@Zaknafein]

For those wondering why this video is 30 fps and not 1440p, it's because portions of the early access footage was recorded on a different computer. Also, on June 25th I plan to do a Cougar Stream on Twitch. Find me at twitch.tv/StyleZaknafein Update: I always read all comments on my channel, but sorry if I reply late. There has been so many, I am struggling to keep up. I will read them all in time

[@connieellerbe-maycock7115]

Love that Hinterland gave you and Hadrian a shoutout. One more reason to love these Developers. They know their audience and fans.

[@pamlange7289]

Imagine this is the super confident stuff you was talking about... Pre access to the update... Great stuff!

[@jimmyincredible3141]

Do you think the attack is fully random, or is there a more advanced mechanic behind it ? some variation of the darkwalker logic would somehow be what I would expect

[@Zaknafein]

@@jimmyincredible3141 I think its semi-random, based on a few misc variables

[@PixelatedPeach]

What time will you go live?

[@drunkengibberish1143]

I don’t even play the long dark, I just found out about it when the special game mode came out with the invisible enemy that haunts you. Having an enemy that just pops out of nowhere in an immersion game doesn’t seem very fun, and with how gamey the mechanic is… Especially having seen how cougars act when stalking, it would have been neat to see the cougar hiding and trying to get the jump on you.

[@kevinpratt7766]

You didn't get Zak snacks but you got a shout out from the creators. Congrats!

[@Kamamutra]

U have done so much for the long dark community Zak. U desrve to be named you and the 3 others in the traiter of épisode 5. Congrats

[@TheSquidworm]

I'm with all the others saying this is a break from the usual survival and strategy mechanics of the game. Not much strategy with this and does feel cheap

[@Interloper2420]

The sound of the mauling is horrific 😂😂😂😂😂 love it 👌👌👌🤘

[@LaurenMedina-dw3vr]

Thank you for such another informative video Zac! I appreciate how I can click on your channel when a new update for the long dark comes out. Always great content. The cougar looks really intimidating. The fact that you can’t see the attack coming adds to the suspense but that attack is just brutal. The claw and hide both look very useful. Good luck fighting it in your 500 day play through!

[@wojciechbochenek6462]

Nice material and very fast uploaded, just after update. Thanks man, keep it up!

[@farleyboy1968]

I suspect that those who truly want the cougar loot may employ the following strategy. Obtain the ballistics vest and create an additional set of clothes with maximum protection. Ensure that these clothes are an ADDITIONAL set of attire geared towards a cougar encounter. Equipped with lets say the Curator's rifle at level 5 rifle skills and it could prove interesting. I share the sentiment in the community who believe that the cougar should exist in the physical world PRIOR to an actual encounter. I doubt that I ever enable the cougar or will create a profile with the cougar in mind.

[@mwrench4185]

Every update the game becomes more "gimmicky".

[@yintoons7807]

Aw this sucks... I was looking forward to the cougar. What do you mean there are no visual cues before the attack? I expected claw marks on trees,gutted rabbits,fur stuck in bushes etc. The player should also be able to spot it from afar a few days before the brutal attack. It's a shame because the model is gorgeous... Too scripted. Let's hope Hinterland will listen and make it more immersive.

[@4k8t]

Good information and advice. I brought my updated ongoing Pilgrim game up and didn't see any option to enable or disable the Cougar. I poked around the settings just in case it was hidden under some menu. I can see how it could be an option when starting a new game but Hinterland did say it would be an option with ongoing saves. I also take it that the Cougar as an event will be a threat even for Pilgrim games (presumably IF ENABLED). I recall people have suggested things like a wolf that spawns and hunts down the player wherever the character is. Sounds like the Cougar is going to be a manifestation of that concept except that the character cannot proactively hunt the critter. Not my speed. Good luck to everyone else. ETA: With the update, I found that the Cougar would be arriving in four days as I had already spent six days or so on Timberwolf Mountain. Must be a bug for such a short grace period. Also scurvy is now active on my game. Apparently I needed to initially LOAD my game rather than RESUME it to get the ability to make a choice. Hinterland knows and is working on a fix for both. I do not care to have any face time with the Cougar. Really I don't.

[@evgenykopunov5459]

So sad to see Hinterland do the "Subnautica Below Zero" - where it becomes apparent the developers don't understand what made their game so appealing in the first place. Instead of pushing for immersion and better progression they added an over-produced mess of a campaign and now this arcade-y events with an invisible cougar, which has a calendar and a teleporting device. Sad life.

[@ewdd12]

Going to be real this seems really poorly implemented.

[@adventurer7579]

An example of devs not knowing what the community wants Let's just hope they listen

[@aussiehighlands2715]

For those of you who are disappointed about how to cougar works yeah me to, but instead of it just teleporting i have an idea: instead of it just outright attacking you at random, the chances dip up and down in certain areas, if its a large open field were your looking around a lot then the threat will be basically nonexistent, however in a more bottlenecked area, or just generally an area with a lot of structures the cougar can "hide" from you and can jump you when your not looking. See in zomboid the same thing happens with zombies, while you can be decked out in tons of gear and have a lot of food, good materials complacently can take you easily. atleast thats something more balanced instead of it instantly jojo teleporting behind you ....

[@zDRAG_]

What a horrible implementation. I left the cabin at BR and got instantly attacked by the cougar. Lost about 70% of my health, ok np. However 2 seconds later it attacked me again with no Animation and i died.

[@Burkutace27]

If Red Dead Redemption taught me one thing, is that you NEVER see the cougar

[@iforgotmydamnname6325]

I haven't played the Long Dark for 5 years now, and cougar introduction is the only thing that made me interested in this game again, since that halloween event. Shame it got temporarily removed for rework, but when they re-add it, i shall run around, squealing like a little girl from a kitty

[@kd01564]

<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="183">3:03</a> are you kidding me!? I really want to take some pictures of this thing woth the in game camera that's in the next part. They better change this.

[@JoseEaglesky]

I agree.. They better change this a BIT, not to say a lot..!!

[@TinyGreyOwl]

Ok, this one was a major disappointment. I'll break it down. First - you outright get GUI element with timer. Instead of actual clues: tracks, blood stains, ravaged carcasses or claw marks on trees/structures. It kinda looks cheap. Second - at this state cougar feels like punishment that forces players to nomad lifestyle (yup, I'm looking at you scurvy and cabin fever). What actually would get people to explore - meaningful rewards like unique loot. Hinterland already took a step in the right direction so score to them. Third - awaiting for a guaranteed beating doesn't get my adrenaline up. Knowing I only have a slim chance and hearing vague sound of paws behind rushing straight for my ass would make me excrete a brick wall. Let me scare it away for a brief moment and prolong tension (look up Alien - Isolation) or kill it if I get lucky. Fourth - possibility of magical revival after death. This is "ok, we made some new mechanics and we can't polish them properly so have a respawn system". Overall I feel like studio is exhausted on TLD and starts to run out of ideas.

[@tomr3422]

balls of yarn randomly left out, the toilet paper unrolled off the tube and on the floor - and you cant even get the delicious cougar eggs from the nest

[@revelation_jeff2951]

Agreed. A brilliant designer, burnt out on his old game and desperate for change, has made some horrible design decisions that violate the core game's established logic.

[@danieljankowski1411]

This comment is a pinnacle of modern TLD. Great that someone pointed it out!

[@eclipse_434]

Modders will have to fix this epic mistake and continue to pioneer content for the game as the devs do not seem to respond to the players' interests.

[@briankloefkorn5593]

It’s awesome you got to help playtest misery mode! I’m looking forward to seeing content about that coming to the channel.

[@MichaelRosenblum_Emp500]

I think multiple cougar settings would be cool :) For example: one cougar set up can be this one… Another cougar set up would have it roam the world (like the bear) BUT when it starts stalking you it won’t make any noises! I think about a realistic type of ambush in which the player has no idea what is coming and actively have to prepare for the cougar to charge them. The cougar should also stalk other animals over the player if given the chance IF the player has harmed the cougar and the cougar escaped. (The cougar is a predator after all and doesn’t want to attack a target that will hurt it)

[@JoseEaglesky]

Maybe..

[@darkwillow1451]

Bad implementation. Very disappointing after waiting for it for so long. Its just bad. We wanted a hard cunning animal present on the map.. not an affliction. You should be able to see it. Just make it always attack from behind. Let it exist on the map, give the player a chance. The afflictions are fine, we get it, its dangerous.. but goddamn dont spawn it directly in a struggle out of thin air.

[@jadrankabacovic7101]

It would be very rewarding feeling to spot it in the distance or see him after following his steps in snow. It could be achievement to see him :)

[@marygatdula2744]

Holy crap! I thought the bear and wolf attacks were bad! I never want to face this one!

[@nova14414]

Honestly to me moose attacks are worse than bear and wolf attacks. And cougar is worse than all of them combined.

[@mokecreator3482]

THERE WERE NO COUGARS IN THE MAIN GAME

[@jacobaderholdt7233]

im so disappointed. As someones who loves this game and bought the expansion with the main excitement being for the cougar, this is just awful. The implementation of it poofing into and out of existence is lame and lazy design, when everyone wanted the animal i imagine they wanted it as an actual animal, not a fucking quick time event struggle, this feels like cabin fever but worse and i hate cabin fever, I wanted an actual animal like the timberwolves that u can actively hunt and kill, not this. love your content Zak, thank u for the info on the new update. (After this update, makes me want to use my computer space for other stuff not gonna lie, was really let down from the cougar as that was my main excitement for this game and it feels butchered.)

[@JohnSmith-kz7rd]

agree 100%

[@gaborkantor6147]

I see it as an opportunity for the ballistic vest to shine

[@Bounty_Hunter0000]

And they finally added visible clothing! Previously if gloves/mittens were equipped, character still walked around with bare hands.

[@Zaknafein]

That was a while ago, but yeah great addition :)

[@thoughtsanddreams2555]

It would be cool if they had a werewolf in the game as an optional toggle. Have it be the same mechanics as the cougar but harder to kill/only forged silver bullets can kill it. And if you get bit during a confrontation, there's a whole lycanthropy mechanic of trying to find the cure with rare wolfsbane flowers, or else you'll permanently be a werewolf. It could have its own pros and cons like wolves now permanently fear you/respect you, higher hunger drain but lower stamina drain, but during the full moon/aurora borealis you'll wake up the next morning in a random location next to a carcass, and your clothes are ripped/dropped if you didn't prepare accordingly. I feel like that would create a lot of dynamic and fun play throughs.

[@dearcastiel4667]

My best guess is that they couldn't come up with a good enough AI for the cougar so they made it a cutscene instead (I mean, look at bears and wolves and tell me they're not missing some coding chromosomes...). Probably part of the reason the darkwalker is invisible, it's less a headache to code him in if there's no model that has to move around in a realistic way...

[@outdoorsjoe1]

Thank you so much for the heads up! I will definitely do this now!

[@recarsion]

You've heard of cabin fever, now get ready for region fever

[@fangorn23]

"its an event that triggers" well thats dumb. cougars are fast and sneaky but they dont literally teleport up your butt.

[@Tomato_Dragonzord]

I wish they gave at least 1 second to react before struggle, give us an opportunity for some sick 360 shots. Also, you hang out in a completely open, vast area, e.g. nearby PV's farmhouse, looking around all the time and there's a chance that all of sudden a cougar kind of just teleports to you? Sounds a bit immersion-breaking.

[@SurvivorMike]

Excellent overview on the Cougar! Interesting spawn time statistics as well.

[@gotterkalt936]

Thank you very much for this guide. Will definetely use this knowledge in my run

[@ineedscissors6176]

I was hoping the cougar would be something vaguely similar to how you’d catch cannibals in The Forest just staring at you sometimes and then bolting off into the woods when you notice and then ambushing you later (you’d have to keep an ear out for footsteps otherwise they’d come right at you from behind or the sides.) I’m obviously not expecting the cannibal AI from Hinterland but some of those paranoid feelings popping up would’ve be awesome. Instead it’s a cutscene ;(

[@CarterShorten-yb2ik]

interloper players been real quiet after this one

[@gemini7248]

I will play interloper occasionally with one ear while I listen to music. Not gonna be a thing anymore after this lmao!

[@ianmills6260]

​@gemini7248 I am just gonna fuck off the second the see that warning. Not worth the hassle unless you have the bulletproof vest

[@beau9334]

Cause they trying not to get spotted lmao

[@jigglynorris2559]

They're still gonna find something to complain about

[@fknutz4400]

Yeah trying to hide from this monster

[@ZeroFoxtrotGolf]

Quick update, dropped my first cougar today. Location Drift Island, Forsaken Airfield, 159 days into the run. "Only" took about half of my health on Voyager mode, no first aid needed afterwards. Was wearing rabbit fur hat and gloves, wolfskin coat, deer skin pants and boots. Normal clothes underneath. My guess was the furs and hides countered a good portion of the damage. Almost didn't get the cat. Shot it with the Enfield at the last moment after the attack.

[@madsparx4741]

On one hand, ive always wanted a "stalker" type enemy in TLD, without doing The Hunted challenge (I feel like the bear shows up too much to have good tension, the bear just feels the same as my car insurance, a looming and slightly annoying threat i temporarily get rid of by spending something valuable... Or I just suck lol) so i love the concept of the cougar, a looming scary hunter thats in the regular survival mode, and makes me less complacent once i get past the 100 day mark, but the execution seems... Not that great. As others have stated the fact that it basically just teleports on you is stupid (tho technically a cougar attack would probably feel like that irl), I haven't played the new update yet so I can't really give actual experience with the cougar so maybe it'll be exactly what i wanted (along with the rest of Tales), a looming threat that affects me the longer I survive, much like how the Tales gives me something to do after I have everything i need and a good base but idk we'll see. Good video btw

[@greedygravy3739]

The amount of people defending this implementation is kind of weird to me. For a 40 dollar price tag would you not want something more than spoonfed info on the cougars movements and a jumpscare with little to no player interaction? Wouldn’t you want an actual animal that interacts with its ecosystem? The fact it was optional should tell you that they aren’t confident in the animal being a good addition to the game.

[@heygidihey4649]

Great content Zak, thank you.

[@nathaneldridge157]

I think this is an attempt at capturing just how elusive they actually are. however I really think they should only be active in their nest zone and it should be an actual animal you can find before it attacks you or a queue where you can hear it coming in for the attack and then you have a few seconds to react to not get jumped on.

[@indoctrinationtheory1468]

Thanks for the update Zak, the cougar attack looks brutal! I know there's a lot of discussion regarding the implementation at the moment. My own take is that the UI hints should be kept to a bare minimum - not a massive fan of on-screen indicators as they're way too immersion breaking. I can understand why they're there (accessibility) but having the option to toggle them off and rely on audio cues would be good. Environmental clues (wolf/deer corpses spawning in during the encroachment window etc) would be good as well. I'd also quite like to see the cougar timer reduced if you're in the region containing the nest, or a neighbouring region.

[@piotrsyczak]

Just killed my first cougar. I was wearing tactical gloves & jacket and fight ended without lacerations, only health loss about 50%

[@BlinDefender]

Depending on your skill, you should have a (small) chance to notice the cougar before it attacks you; maybe be able to see some tracks or scat if it is near. Or even see it coming if you are facing the right way.

[@MayBug1]

My cat and I sat and watched this, I think something might have awakened in him. Help....?

[@nannakurzhaar]

😂

[@ZeroFoxtrotGolf]

I am not a fan of the cougar being an event. It should be like any other creature in the game, a physical entity that can be found wandering more difficult terrians. That being said, it should be creature with an extremely high level of perception, agile pathfinding abilities, and terrain dependent making it something that is very hard to ambush. My original plan on dealing with the cougar was going to be to try and lure it into a bottleneck and minimize its approach options. Looks like the new strategy is to just find an area with minimum cover, have a high condition, and wait to take an ass whooping. I am not playing on a high difficulty, so I do have access to the rifle and revolver, so I will most likely use one of those. I am fully tricked out in animal skins, all in high condition, so I am hoping they absorb a portion of the damage. 4 days until the cougar's arrival. Current run is at 155 days.

[@HW-ow9zp]

man the cougar looks rowdy although the timers seem like you wont encounter it unless you forget or are trying to run into it. looks tough! cool for the game. cheers Zak

[@deadsoldiertr]

Now we should let Matto (DarkViperAU) play The Long Dark so he can get jumped by a cougar again. 😁