[Suggestion] Polar bears are damage sponges

82 votes

Just died three times to the same polar bear who was basically camping my body.
I do the only way of fighting them, the old bull fighting technique. Each of the three attempts, I head shot him with the 1 shot rifle 2 times for 1200. I switch to shotgun, see a bunch of yellow 300 crits. all the while I'm bullfighting him.

He runs by me, still facing the other way, and somehow I still get hit.

Takes 2 hits by a bear that can climb flat mountain sides, so a hunter's bluff is pointless for solo.
I'm wearing polar armor... how am I that squishy.

Bears need to be looked at for solo at least.

Under consideration Suggested by: Gyfford (12 Dec, '21) • Upvoted: 07 Dec, '23 • Comments: 9

Comments: 9

03 Jan, '22
DarkmanSigma
1/2
Agreed,
Polar Bears are farcically overpowered compared to everything else.
Regular bear can be killed with a single shotgun blast to the head during a charge and both rifles will kill a normal bear at any range with a single shot to the head.
Magically, a Polar Bear will take 6-8 shots to the head to kill which is asinine.
IRL Polar Bears are killed with 12 gauge slugs, .45-70 shells, .30-06 or .308 rifle rounds (which is the round used in the game for both rifles, 7.62x51 NATO).

This forces players to use ridiculous tactics like mining into rocks and building platforms on cliffs (which the bears can climb to anyways, because to hell physics).
The 'Matador' method is horrendously unreliable as the the Polar Bear can turn mid-charge to hit you (again, to hell with physics).
The Polar Bear can tear through concrete foundations!? (WTF does the zoo near my home keep them in a concrete pen?)
03 Jan, '22
DarkmanSigma
2/2
If the game want to include a bunch of 'realistic' features (thirst, hunger, temperature, frostbite, pneumonia, sprains, dysentery, weather, exposure, air, etc.) then animals should take more realistic amounts of damage and die with dignity.
Having these overpowered meat tanks to 'be a challenge' is insulting, as lazy design almost always equals +damage/+hp/+armor to make up for a lack of meaningful design to create a real challenge.
Then to top it off, the literally make one spawn on the building site for the mission Influx: Construction. Thus, you have to kill the damn thing to build your barracks, then run like hell, before it respawns, aggros and destroys the base and you with it.
Then you get an XP penalty. And a Deep Wound. And another, and another.

This punishes players by requiring that they use lame, unfulfilling 'tactics' to even remotely stand a chance.
I have spent over 170 hours playing, and the Polar Bear BS is the most cheap and unrewarding aspect of the game.
02 Jun, '22
KSKDaredevil
True. The Polarbear I fighted literally got 5 Shots with the shotgun (and I have the Talent which boosts shotgun damage) in the Face and didnt even blink with an eye. This is overpowered and disgusting. Moreover those Raidbosses will destroy every Hardmode or Hardcore Game when you play alone and even when playing with friends! There need to be a rebalance patch in my opinion!
30 Mar, '23
Zac
Polar bears are awful! I usually play solo and have no trouble with other fauna unless they are in large packs. I shot a polar bear eight times with the shotgun in the face and in two swipes it took me down. Now all my gear is stuck in the arctic next to this bear boss. I I have lost all desire to finish the mission now.
08 Apr, '23
cmopatrick
I've gotten to where I won't go after exotic veins in polar bear territory unless I've got at least a bolt action, 2 hunting, and a shotgun, all fully loaded and with upgrades. And if I'm not after exotics, I don't go into their territory at all.
20 Apr, '23
Mickhael
Also my opinion.
Polar bear is a huge predator, except sperm whale and elephant seal, the biggest predator on earth (land predator).
You can't compare with a normal bear.
So in my opinion if you can avoid a polar bear, is better to do that. If you can't, better to be prepared. And that toreador behavior is not really a good approach with them.
Stay at distance and use your hunting rifle and aim skills. If you haven't, don't go there and after that complain.
31 Oct, '23
Ramon
Even worse when multiple polar bears tag team you. its bad enough with wolves, at least you have a fighting chance, but not with polar bears
07 Dec, '23
Tim
They could buff the animal damage resistance skill in the solo skill tree or give it a couple extra ranks like 5 instead of 3.
23 Jan
Ray
I think there should be an option for the predators to retreat when wounded like deer. IRL even a predator may decide to retreat versus attack, so have odds set that dictate the fight or flight of a predator. Also, when animals take a rifle blast to the head, they should be dazed or something and not just tank the damage and keep charging full speed.