The Long Dark is a survival game that takes no prisoners when it comes to hunting animals. One of the most elusive woodland creatures to catch are the rabbits and this guide will show the way on how to farm them.
The Long Dark is a survival-simulator developed by Hinterland Studios that was released on September 22, 2014. The adventure takes place within the tundra at the heart of Canada after crashlanding a plane due to a geomagnetic storm. Players take control of the bush pilot of the downed aircraft as they explore the wilderness and take mother nature head-on. Players will need to micro-manage the overall well-being of their avatar by overseeing; calorie intake, wind chill, hunger, fatigue, and body temperature. Thus, there are also environmental threats such as; freezing, falling down, and predators that players must be aware of. Everything the players need to survive must be found and crafted from scratch throughout the wild.
Everything is randomly generated with every playthrough. Therefore, no two players' experiences with The Long Dark is going to be the same. Even though players will still need to obtain; firewood, medicine, food, water, and tools the starting point for every player to find these things will be original. Much like other survival games, the tools and miscellaneous equipment will break down over time, and players will be in constant need of materials to repair them or just simply craft new ones. Time is also an important factor since it determines the overall weather effects and temperature changes that can cause damage to the player. Luckily, The Long Dark does come with different difficulty settings that can ease frustration or add some new challenges.
How To Farm Rabbits In The Long Dark
Out of all the woodland creatures, the most sought-after is the rabbit. These quick little varmints can be tricky to get a hold of and for the most basic of nutritional and crafting needs, they're essential. Luckily, rabbits tend to respawn fairly quickly in this game and they come in big numbers. They provide the best resources for players starting their campaign with The Long Dark. However, beginning players will have about the same luck as Elmer Fudd regarding hunting rabbits without proper tools handy. This guide will show the way on how to effectively farm them and what to do with them.
Using Stones
Understandably, players won't have much to work with at the beginning of their journey. The bare basics of hunting will be whittled down to having nothing, but a stone. There is a particular method to catch a rabbit with a stone, however. The first thing is that players will need 2-3 stones (weighing at least 5-7.5 kg). When they see a rabbit the first thing they need to do is 'crouch' and slowly creep up to it. Rushing up too close will scare the rabbit off and there will be no way to catch it. Once players crawl up to a few feet from the rabbit's proximity, throw the stone behind it first. The rabbit will (most likely) run toward the player and this will be the opportunity to throw the second stone square on the rabbit's noggin. This won't "kill it", but just stun it. Once this happens, players will have about 5 seconds to run up to it and finish it off.
Build Snares
Once players have gathered enough resources, they'll be able to craft a snare. Snares can sometimes be used once (if they break) and they cannot be repaired. However, players will be able to collect 1x reclaimed wood pieces and eventually build new ones. Given the fact that everything is randomly generated in this game, there's not really an ultimate spot to place them. So, during the playthrough, players will need to be observant of their surroundings and take note of where they see the most rabbit activity. Usually, areas that are heavily forested will most likely generate a high number of rabbits to hunt down. Once a few snares are built, pepper them through heavily populated areas and wait. It can take several days for a rabbit to get snatched. It's also important not to spam snares in just one area because that'll reduce the rate of them respawning, so try and spread them out required surrounding areas.
Bow and Arrows
Once players get their hands on a bow and arrow, using it for rabbit hunting is widely considered the most ideal. The method is fundamentally the same as stoning, however, the player needs to keep track of the wind direction. So, as always, crouch and creep up toward the rabbit, aim the arrow and shoot it. Hitting the rabbit anywhere will kill it instantly. The arrows can be reused for future hunting needs as long they don't break. Also, bow hunting is most effective at night, because the rabbits don't have very good vision and players can get a little closer to line up a shot. The best way to do this is sneaking up either behind or beside the rabbit. Look for visual clues with their behavior, most notably when their ears "perk up" listening to their surroundings. That's a clear sign that it's about to bolt.
Harvesting rabbits give 0.8-1.5 kg of meat, a gut, and a pelt. A warm rabbit skin hat and mittens can be made from their pelts however, their calorie intake isn't the best in the game. Since the sheer quantity of rabbits gives plenty of opportunities for players to build up on meat in their inventory early in the game, players should have a good start. Thus, the carcass of a rabbit can actually be used to bait or distract predatory animals (especially wolves) during harrowing situations.
The Long Dark is available on Xbox One, Macintosh Operating Systems, Linux and Microsoft Windows