Rework For Bighorn Sheep

[knotty marsh]

The Bighorn Sheep we currently have in the game look basically nothing like real ones. The big males have horns that curl way too much (to the point where the horns almost pierce through the animal's face) and the females' horns have way more mass than they realistically should. I'm going to post a few pictures of what they should look like in the game.

Here's what a really big diamond Bighorn should look like

This is what smaller/average sized rams should look like

And females shouldn't have horns that get very much bigger than this. The ewes' horns should be short, thin and shouldn't curve much

[trail vortex]

agree the current models look really weird

[odd moss]

Agreed, Bighorn Sheep are one of my favorite animals and I'm very disappointed by how they currently look in the game

[forest path]

I’d like the bighorn to have the same truracs as the mouflon

[waxen dagger]

https://discord.com/channels/393040947006406657/1074119404285079602

[knotty marsh]

I knew that this was suggested before, but I wanted to suggest it again to bring more attention to this issue

[waxen dagger]

Yes, let’s like both and push both

[knotty marsh]

That sounds like a good idea to me.

[knotty marsh]

Besides the unrealistic truRACs, the overall model of the Bighorn Sheep in the game currently also leaves a lot to be desired. The males look too chubby and obese, these are mountain sheep after all, and they should be a bit leaner with much more noticeable musculature. The faces on both the male and the female look really odd too, the head shape definitely isn't quite right, and it makes their heads look blocky and unnatural (also their eyes look too small). The neck is too short as well, which makes the overall proportions even more strange. I think the biggest problem with them is that the legs are too short compared to their bodies (especially on the ram). These guys climb cliff faces and steep mountainsides in real life, do you really think that their legs would look like this?

(Images are from the COTW wiki btw)

Honestly idk what bothers me more, the bad anatomy or the unrealistic truRACs. If the anatomy on the model was perfect, the subpar truRACs wouldn't be such a big deal. Currently, they only vaguely resemble a real Bighorn Sheep.

[spice goblet]

I hate how chubby they look.

[knotty marsh]

Compare these pictures of Bighorn Sheep to the COTW screenshots I posted. The ones in COTW look like they were created by someone who has never seen what a real Bighorn Sheep looks like.

[knotty marsh]

The thing is, it's not like it's impossible to make a realistic Bighorn Sheep model for a video game. These Bighorn Sheep models were made by a studio called Games In Motion (or GiM), for Unreal Engine and Unity. Look at these models and then look at COTW's Bighorn Sheep. There's no comparison really.

Here's a screenshot of a trophy Bighorn Sheep (in the lodge of course) that I killed in theHunter Classic. Classic is an older game than COTW, and yet their Bighorn Sheep models are more realistic.

[knotty marsh]

Various other games have depicted Bighorn Sheep better than COTW has, like Red Dead Redemption 2, Way of The Hunter, and many others.

My intention here is not to insult COTW's 3D artists. I'm sure they were probably rushed to meet a deadline when they were making the animals for SRP, so I'm not trying to bring dishonor upon them or anything like that. That being said, I think it's time for EW to go back and remaster some of these older species to bring them up to the quality of some of the other species in the game.

[spice goblet]

Yeah!! I like how red dead redemption,a game more about murdering than hunting got it right but not the hunting game!

[knotty marsh]

It doesn't surprise me, Red Dead probably had a bigger production team

[spice goblet]

That’s true,but still….

[sick salmon]

Pls someone save the bighorn, they are the worst looking bighorn in any hunting game

[spice goblet]

I definitely wouldn’t say worst,Roe Deer,Siberian musk deer are literally just roe deer without the horns!

[sick salmon]

Those aren’t bighorn, I said the worst looking Bighorn

[spice goblet]

And yet I’d still beg to differ, old Cabela’s games have some weird looking bighorn.

[knotty marsh]

let's try to get this post up to 100 upvotes so EW knows that we want a Bighorn rework

I also think this post about changing the ordinary Bighorn Sheep on Rancho Del Arroyo to Desert Bighorn Sheep is definitely worth upvoting as well.

https://discord.com/channels/393040947006406657/1110936288066027581

[weary ermine]

@knotty marsh I made a post already , and talked about the disctionction between all species

[sullen rampart]

Looks nice

[knotty marsh]

Let's show EW that we want better Bighorns in COTW!

[knotty marsh]

I was just looking at some pictures of some animals in RDR2 and it made me want a COTW Bighorn Sheep remodel even more. The models and fur textures on the RDR2 Bighorn look much better than the ones in COTW, and RDR2 isn't even primarily about hunting. It makes sense since RDR2 is a AAA title, but it just makes me wonder how great COTW's Bighorn could look if the devs would take the time to make them look good.

Also, if Bighorn Sheep get a rework, I think it would be really cool to get a new multimount called "Head Bash" featuring two male Bighorn Sheep fighting

[sinful nacelle]

RDR2?

Nevermind. Red Dead R 2. Have it but not played it yet. Looks good,

[scenic urchin]

RDR uses a Rockstar AAA engine (RAGE) with completely different rendering and lighting systems than Apex Engine of CotW, it is not possible to compare them..

[spice goblet]

I mean,you can just not nearly as much as one would like.

[knotty marsh]

I know that they're different games with different engines. But even if we look past the fur texturing which is more of an engine issue, the RDR2 Bighorn model in terms of proportions is also more accurate and that has less to do with engine. My point is, it's kind of embarrassing that RDR2, a game where the animals aren't even the primary focus, has done much better in terms of making accurately proportioned Bighorn models than COTW, a hunting game where the animals are the main focus and models are more important to get right. That was my main point here.

Yes it is unfair to directly compare them side-by-side, and I'm not saying that COTW's Bighorn model needs to look as good or better than RDR2's in order to "beat" them or something like that. Any significant improvement to COTW's Bighorns would make me happy, they don't have to be RDR2 quality (if that would even be possible in COTW's engine).

[knotty marsh]

this rework would also be a great thing to accompany an update that adds Bighorn Sheep to Layton as a backfill, or any new map that could potentially include Bighorns on it.

My thread about making improvements to Layton: https://discord.com/channels/393040947006406657/1180608449793511587

A popular post about a British Columbia map, which could potentially feature Bighorn Sheep on it: #1123832368118120458 message

[knotty marsh]

Bump

[knotty marsh]

Christmas day bump

[wraith spire]

Bump and a yes bighorn in game look very unathletic make em taller n leaner

[weary ermine]

bump

[weary ermine]

bump

[weary ermine]

bump

[weary ermine]

bump

[proud haven]

1 More To 100!

[weary ermine]

bump

[knotty marsh]

bumping this one back up

[knotty marsh]

Who else really wants to see a multimount with two rams fighting each other?

[weary ermine]

bump

[knotty marsh]

Imagine how epic it would be to hunt a diamond bighorn ram in COTW that looks like one of these giants. That would be so awesome.

[spice goblet]

Yeah,the way the spirals are shaped right now really obscures the size.

[knotty marsh]

bumping this back up

[knotty marsh]

bumping this back up. Hopefully someday these iconic mountain sheep will look as awesome in the game as they do in real life!

[quartz crystal]

Bump

[tulip dust]

yes

[knotty marsh]

who else wants to see better looking Bighorn Sheep in the game?

I mean seriously, these guys look so cool in real life!

[candid anchor]

I do🙋‍♂️

[weary ermine]

Me, me, me, me!!!!

[tulip frost]

Have them headbutt in any rework

[knotty marsh]

A multimount with two rams fighting would be awesome. Having rutting/fighting behavior in the live game would be awesome too, although I'm not sure if it's possible with the game's engine.

[zinc totem]

It would be an awesome immersion to see a couple of rams head butting in the field or bucks clacking against each other as well. 😯

[tulip dust]

yesyes

[boreal echo]

Bighorns don’t even get the big spiral in the horns for diamonds in real life

[weary ermine]

they can, its just very rare, like a great one type of rare

[tulip dust]

bump

[sick salmon]

I kind of feel like it's personal now, like the devs and artists of the game really don't like the bighorn

[tulip dust]

156

[tulip dust]

158

[tulip dust]

162

[tulip dust]

163

[tulip dust]

164

[knotty marsh]

bumping this one back up again since it's been a little while

[tulip dust]

166

[tulip dust]

167

[sick salmon]

bump

[sick salmon]

bump

[simple willow]

^

[sick salmon]

bighorn Sheep seen in Way of the Hunter, Hunting Simulator 2, The Hunter Classic and Wolfquest compared to a real bighorn and COTW's

and a side view also check this one to be able to toggle the spotting help tip https://discord.com/channels/393040947006406657/1138971477459337308

[light needle]

bump

[knotty marsh]

The fact that all of these games managed to capture the horns on the Bighorn Sheep so much better than COTW is just sad.

[sick salmon]

exactly, and the necks and bodies

[knotty marsh]

I think it's about time for EW to revisit the Bighorn Sheep. They've shown that they're still interested in reworking old species, and they're doing so with the Blackbuck and Water Buffalo alongside the Sundarpatan map. Is it really too much to ask for the Bighorn Sheep to get the same treatment at some point?

[weary ermine]

Bump

[terse kraken]

The fact that Hunting Sim did better bighorn than cotw is crazy 😂

[ornate moat]

That is kind of bad that a subpar hunting game that was overpriced did bighorn sheep better then COTW

[terse kraken]

If they ever do get a rework 🙄

They also need to take them off the current plaque and put it on the smaller ones. If a Croc or gator can fit on it. So can a bighorn…easily l.

[wet gulch]

Yes pls

[sick salmon]

Yeah the plaques need a rework, the necks need to fit not the whole head

[terse kraken]

yeah basically that^

[urban pine]

Bap

[obsidian wing]

These would look great with the new remodels EW is bringing to the table now.

[weary ermine]

Bump

[rapid ibex]

Aport the way of the hunter

[obsidian wing]

These pics really show how bad this remodel is needed.

[knotty marsh]

if we get bighorn remodel, I would hope to see them have the more realistic fur shader that the new Blue Sheep are going to have

[sick salmon]

yeah, the brown blanket fur is not good enough anymore

[terse kraken]

^

[knotty marsh]

bumping this up again

[obsidian wing]

If these get a rework hopefully they change the name and possibly their color for the ones on Rancho since they will have the opportunity at that point.

[wraith spire]

I agree make em look like desert Bighorns

[orchid charm]

I agree. A lot of the animal models look pretty lousy

[knotty marsh]

These guys really deserve a remodel, they're one of the most iconic species in North America and it does them a disservice to leave them the way they are currently.

[thorny wing]

We need this

[sick salmon]

Help the bighorn sheep, I was so exited when SRP came out because Hunting Bighorn Sheep has always been a dream of mine but in CotW they don’t even look real

[knotty marsh]

200 upvotes! Let's go!

[orchid charm]

Bump. I'm thinking of having everyone fill out a tier list of what animals need a revamp the most

[knotty marsh]

Come on EW, show the Bighorns a little bit of love!

[silk rampart]

Bighorn male and female from Videogame Trophy Hunter 2003. How nostalgic!

[orchid charm]

Bump

I sincerely believe EW badly needs to rework many animals

[tulip frost]

Not to gte off-topic but I wish I could still buy and run these on PC

[knotty marsh]

Here's an example of what a small/low level Bighorn Ram should look like in COTW.

Credit: Jim Peaco, National Park Service.

It would also be nice to have a rocky taxidermy stand option for Bighorn Sheep, Ibex, Mountain Goats, Tahr, etc.

[weary ermine]

For everything, mule deer, bear, elk, etc.

[sage dome]

Bump

[knotty marsh]

It's been over a year since I originally made this post. Come on EW, show the Bighorns some love!

[sage dome]

bump

[weary ermine]

Fannin sheep could be Uncommons for Stone Sheep, and could be Melanistic rare for Dall sheep, and instead of Melanistic a dark almost stone sheep variant would be cool in my opinion

[silk rampart]

Note: A **Bighorn **can be Desert Bighorn Sheep, Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep or California Bighorn Sheep while **Thinhorn **can be Fanin Sheep, Dall Sheep and Stone Sheep.

1. Dall Sheep 2. Fanin Sheep 3. Stone Sheep

[weary ermine]

I think Fannin could just be uncommon for stone sheep imo instead of them having to make a whole new species

[silk rampart]

The species is Ovis dalli known as Thinhorn Sheep and this species encompasses the two notable subspecies: Dall Sheep (Ovis dalli dalli) and Stone Sheep (Ovis dalli stonei). Within each subspecies there are variations as I would call them. Within Stone Sheep there is Fanin Sheep, Black Sheep, Liard Sheep and Mount Logan Sheep. From Dall Sheep there is another possible variation: Kenai Sheep.

For me the name Bighorn Sheep is a confusing name because I don't know if it is Desert Bighorn or Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep to specify a subspecies if we want. The Bighorn Sheep is a generic name. In SRP and the Rancho del Arroyo it gets Bighorn Sheep refers to a species without specifying the Rocky Mountain or Desert or California subspecies. It seems in both maps it is same species, but people want differentiate the species in two subspecies Desert Bighorn Sheep for Rancho and Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep for SRP.

[weary ermine]

There are 4 species that make for the Sheep Grandslam, Dall sheep, Stone sheep, Rocky Mt Bighorn sheep, Desert Bighorn sheep. All we need in game is these 4, like the 4 Ibex in Cuatro Colinas. I think you are overcomplicating it.

[silk rampart]

In Cuatro Colinas there are only two subspecies: Western Spanish Ibex (Gredos Ibex) and Southeastern Ibex (three variations: Beceite, Sierra Nevada and Ronda). This is a bit complicated as you said.

[obsidian wing]

I think they could use some variations of the Fannin sheep for rares for Stone Sheep and some variations for Dall Sheep rares

[weary ermine]

I literally did that like 4 messages up lol #1131615912705937428 message

[obsidian wing]

Didn't see that🤣

[knotty marsh]

I would definitely support splitting the Bighorns in the game into two subspecies: the Desert Bighorn Sheep on Rancho and the Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep on SRP. However, that's not what this thread was originally meant to be about.

[sick salmon]

bump again

[knotty marsh]

bumping this one back up again

[knotty marsh]

Bump for better bighorns

[sick salmon]

Bump

Bump

[knotty marsh]

please show the Bighorns some love, EW!

[knotty marsh]

if rabbits and ducks can get a rework, why not one of North America's most iconic big game animals?

[glad pawn]

Honestly bighorn is one of the worst models for North American species really hope it gets some love

[spice goblet]

Definitely not, but I like the enthusiasm

[glad pawn]

? Not going to get some love? or not one of the worst models?

[spice goblet]

It’s not one of the worst. Maybe top 13 worst for NA

Elk, mulies, blacktail, grizzlies, coyotes, and caribou are infinitely worse in every way

[glad pawn]

I mean coyote and grizzly bear are bad, mountain goats need a better coat, elk could use some love but aren’t as bad off imo, caribou aren’t great but the racks arnt the worst mule deer are in better shape than the sheep rack wise tho they got some weird ones, blacktail r just old

[spice goblet]

Caribou look like if someone was legally blind on the team while designing them.

#1305292916499152958 message

[glad pawn]

I said the racks are ok the proportions are whacked for sure

And the shovels need some love, either way this topic is about bighorns and I was really only trying to boost the post not start a semantics argument

[knotty marsh]

come on EW, show these sheep some love!

[sick salmon]

bump

[carmine quiver]

@weary ermine

[weary ermine]

What?

[obsidian wing]

I voted for Bighorn. Out of the list it needs the most love. Let's give the Bighorn some love on the list. There will always be a chance for Wolves, Mule Deer and Moose later on. Mule deer can happen when the Great One comes. This is our chance for Bighorn, let's not waste it 🙏

[sick salmon]

I just hope most of the animals in the list get some love

[knotty marsh]

I agree. There's a lot of animals that could use some work. Caribou/Reindeer, Bighorn, Gray Wolf, Grizzly Bear, Blacktail Deer and Wild Boar are some of the most important ones to rework imo.

both elk species also desperately need some work

[knotty marsh]

bump for better bighorns

they desperately need a rework ASAP

[knotty marsh]

hopefully we can get this post up to 300 upvotes by the end of this year. Let's show EW that we want better bighorns in the game!

[knotty marsh]

I'm really hoping that we get a Bighorn rework sometime in 2025

[knotty marsh]

Christmas day bump 🎄

[knotty marsh]

bumping this back up again

also, if you haven't already please go check out my other posts about reworking other animals:

#1197014102158086164
#1184642607196946482

[knotty marsh]

who else agrees that these beautiful sheep (both male and female) deserve to look this good in the game?

[woeful mauve]

Split the subspecies too

[knotty marsh]

I agree, that would make a lot more sense than the way it is currently

[woeful mauve]

I was so annoyed, even pissed when they weren't for Rancho lol

[weary ermine]

Yes check out my post https://discord.com/channels/393040947006406657/1177764786566594581

[knotty marsh]

Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep vs. Desert Bighorn Sheep. As you can tell, the Rocky Mountain subspecies has longer fur and is usually a bit darker in color. I think making this distinction would be a great way to set the Bighorns on SRP and Rancho apart, plus it would be a nice extra touch of realism.

plus I think the two subspecies also have slightly different horns (from what I can tell). The distinction could be sort of like how the game has both Blacktail Deer and Mule Deer (which are different subspecies of the same species)

[weary ermine]

Desert's can have darker fur, but they are skinnier/shorter fur

[knotty marsh]

hmm, good to know

[knotty marsh]

Yay, 300 upvotes! Hopefully EW will rework the Bighorns in 2025!

[woeful mauve]

Woops didn't actually press upvote sorry

[knotty marsh]

I'm just glad that we got to 300 upvotes before the end of the year.

[woeful mauve]

Wait they did it for the turkey Im sure they could do it for any species ingame

[glad pawn]

Unfortunately the only retroactive thing about that was changing the name to Merriam’s turkey, the other models were released with new maps and weren’t a retroactive change. But hopefully they’ll do it if another map gets bighorns on em, they’re so bad atm.

[knotty marsh]

bighorn bump

[sage dome]

bump

[knotty marsh]

bumping this back up again

[knotty marsh]

🐑 sheep bump

[sage dome]

🐑

[knotty marsh]

bumping this up again

[knotty marsh]

bumping again

[weary ermine]

This ram looks sweet

[knotty marsh]

bump for better bighorns

[azure agate]

I think the models are to thick and all that they have to do is just thin them down a bit

[sick salmon]

look at the necks and heads

[knotty marsh]

335 upvotes, hopefully that means EW has seen this and is looking at ways to rework the bighorns. They deserve to look much better than they do now.

[knotty marsh]

This is a perfect example of why Bighorns desperately need a rework. I just killed this one today while trying to get kills for the Medium March challenge, and it was a large level 4, almost diamond. It just looks atrocious. The horns curl inward so much that they literally cover its eyes entirely. No sheep is gonna survive with horns that completely cover its eyes, their vision is literally one of their most important senses! Their headgear is for fighting, it isn't meant to blind them!

Also, because their proportions are completely wrong (their necks are too short and their heads are too big in comparison to their bodies), the horns of the bigger rams clip through their shoulders when they turn their heads much at all. Seriously, what a clunky modeling job. I'm sure the team was probably rushed to meet a deadline when making the animals for SRP, but that was several years ago! There is no good excuse for why these beautiful animals should still be looking this ugly in this game.

EW has shown in more recent times that they can model animals with horns quite well, with notable examples being the Tahr, Yak, and Blue Sheep on Sundarpatan. They also went and reworked the horns for Water Buffalo very nicely. I think it's time for them to go back and revisit the Bighorn Sheep, because the bad model and TruRACs for them makes me never want to hunt them again.

[knotty marsh]

gonna keep bumping this up until EW does something about it!

[silk rampart]

Their eyesight is no joke. They probably spotted you before you spotted them.

[silk rampart]

The horns of the bighorn sheep female in COTW are very large; their size should be reduced.

Replace the Rocky Mountain bighorn with the desert bighorn in El Rancho, please. 🙏

[knotty marsh]

That's right. Both the males and females in the game need some work.

also the subspecies distinction for them would make a lot of sense.

[knotty marsh]

This is an image of Planet Zoo's new Bighorn Sheep that's coming out with their next DLC. This is only a teaser image but it already looks way better than the Bighorns in COTW.

[carmine condor]

I play Planet zoo alongside COTW, and was quite disappointed when I saw how good the Planet zoo Bighorn look compared to the COTW bighorn.

[knotty marsh]

yeah it's amazing that PZ did them so well, they've had their own fair share of bad animal models over the years but they actually are doing quite good with most of them now.

[carmine condor]

The horns on these models look so good, it can't be difficult for EW to make a similar model to these.

[knotty marsh]

I mean yeah. They just need some love.

seeing how well EW did with the Blue Sheep on Sundarpatan, they could definitely make the Bighorn Sheep look great if they just put some effort into making them look better.

[knotty marsh]

obviously the two species aren't exactly the same but still a similar body shape.

[carmine condor]

It shows they know how to make sheep models, they just choose to neglect Bighorn Sheep

[knotty marsh]

yeah, that and I also think they were a bit rushed with the animals for SRP, which would explain why Bighorn, Rocky Mountain Elk, and a few other species that came with that map were a bit worse than we hoped for. But they really should go back and rework them now, it's kind of sad to play SRP now and see how some of the species on it look compared to some of the newer species.

[carmine condor]

Yeah, most SRP animals have lackluster models

[knotty marsh]

RME, Bighorns, even Merriam's Turkeys could use a rework, they are the oldest type of turkey in the game and it shows

[knotty marsh]

Here's an example of what I think diamond Bighorn Sheep should look like in COTW. This is a picture that I found on Reddit of a five star ram in Way of The Hunter

[carmine condor]

WOTH def has the best Bighorn model of any game

[knotty marsh]

I think it's definitely one of the best.

[wraith spire]

It's mint they look sleek and athletic not chubby like the ones in this game

[carmine condor]

bump

[spice goblet]

The Planet Zoo Bighorn Sheep model looks phenomenal.

[knotty marsh]

I completely agree, they are living proof that a modern game with a moderately-sized dev team can certainly make a good-looking Bighorn Sheep model. WOTH sort of already proved that but this just proves it further, it's not just older games like theHunter Classic or huge AAA titles like RDR2 that can have good Bighorn models. At this point, EW really has no excuse not to show this species some love in the game. Hopefully they will do it pretty soon because it's honestly quite embarrassing to see how they look in COTW compared to other modern games.

[carmine condor]

For anybody wondering, this is how theHunter: Classic's Bighorn sheep look. EW made these in 2014 (?) And they look significantly better than cotw's Bighorn which came out 6-7 years later.

[silk rampart]

The Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep of Montana and Alberta are giants. Their horns have worn-down tips and an impressive thickness, with curves that go well beyond a full curl. Here’s a reference photo. Photo credit: Tony Bynum.

[silk rampart]

Is there a possibility in the future, in addition to TrueHorn, of remodelling and creating California Bighorn Sheep for Layton Lakes, Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep for SRP, and Mexican Desert Sheep for the Rancho?

[knotty marsh]

It's possible if we're able to convince EW to do it. But I think a Bighorn remodel to just make them look better in general is a good place to start, and then maybe a subspecies distinction can come later on to further distinguish the different varieties of Bighorns in different regions.

[carmine condor]

Bump

[carmine condor]

Bump

[sick salmon]

bump

[knotty marsh]

Bump for better-looking bighorn sheep

[gray vortex]

the next map probably has dall sheep so maybe EW sees their chance and rework bighorn to pair with it. just like they have done with the cinnamon teal and the ferruginous duck . maybe they then even give a remodel to the mouflon curse they are all fairly similar

[knotty marsh]

that would be a really nice update. I think adding the long-requested Dall Sheep along with doing a Bighorn rework would be greatly appreciated by most of the game's fanbase.

[knotty marsh]

bump again

[frank carbon]

I will match this bump ➕1️⃣

[knotty marsh]

bump again for better bighorns. EW, please rework this species!

[silk rampart]

If they want to rework many species, they won't have time to create new models for other species. These requests will delay the progress of the new map project. Don't you think?
Me too, I want to see good models in COTW. Red Stag is the king of models.

[knotty marsh]

to be honest, we have so many animals in the game already that getting one or two maps with fewer new species won't hurt that much, if EW wants to take the time to rework older ones. Like what they did with Salzwiesen Park, there was only a couple of new species and we got improvements to the Red Fox (and a Great One for them) with that update.

Assuming that the next map will be an Arctic Map with lots of new species, I would be okay with getting a map after that which has fewer new species, if it meant that older species like the Bighorn Sheep would get some improvements with that update.

[silk rampart]

And then, some players protest the existence of many recycled species.

[silk rampart]

With the next map, I hope yes

[knotty marsh]

well, considering that this post has 350 upvotes, I think it's safe to say that a lot of players want a Bighorn Sheep rework. I think most of those people would be willing to get a map with slightly fewer new species if it means that we also get a remodel for the Bighorn Sheep.

I mean if EW is really concerned about backlash though, maybe they should do another community poll, and ask players what their opinions are. Ask players a question like "would you be satisfied with a new map that has fewer new species, if it means that a lot of old species on other maps would get a rework?" and then use the feedback from that to make a decision about how to handle it.

I think that would be a good way to handle that issue

[silk rampart]

They did the survey a little while ago. I think there was a question as you mentioned.

[knotty marsh]

well, I hope that they're using the feedback from that survey and putting it to good use.

[frank carbon]

I disagree, but I think we can find a balance, refreshing a model is also way easier, as you have the rig and base model even in many cases. They make new models for a bunch of plants and other stuff on maps as well, making models doesn't take that much time, the rigging, programming and all that takes a lotnmore

[frank carbon]

In my experience they really do, takes some time tho.

[knotty marsh]

I agree that we can find a balance. I was more so talking about a hypothetical scenario where we have to choose between one or the other, but that doesn't necessarily need to always be the case.

[frank carbon]

I agree, in my experience you have a realistic view of the game and similar wishes as I do.

[knotty marsh]

look at how majestic these animals are in real life. EW, please show the Bighorns some love!

[knotty marsh]

bump again

[knotty marsh]

Here's what I think smaller male Bighorn Sheep should look like in the game
(image credit: National Park Service)

[knotty marsh]

If Bighorn Sheep get a rework, would you support backfilling them onto Layton Lake?
React with 👍 if you support it, react with 👎 if you don't.

[weary ermine]

More Sheep = More Fun

[obsidian wing]

I support only if they reduce the rabbit population to make it work. The Elk population is already to low.

[knotty marsh]

I mean they could just remove the rabbits from the mountain areas so that they're only in the lower elevations. That would be a bit more realistic and would make room for more animals in the mountains.

[knotty marsh]

If you would like to see Bighorn Sheep added to Layton, then I suggest checking out my idea for how to improve Layton, which includes backfilling species such as Bighorn Sheep:
#1330035521510178846

[sullen meteor]

Even Planet Zoo's bighorn look leagues better than cotw bighorn

[knotty marsh]

True! Also that is an awesome-looking screenshot.

[obsidian wing]

Looking at all the mountains on the new map I'm hoping they are on the species list with a rework

[spice goblet]

Reminds me, I need to build something for Dall Sheep.

[knotty marsh]

I mean Alberta and British Columbia do have some Bighorn Sheep in their mountains (not very far north though) so it's possible that we get Bighorns on the map. I feel like they're gonna have Dall Sheep instead though, maybe Stone Sheep or Mountain Goat too if it's not a purely arctic map.

Bighorns do live in some places that get a lot of snowfall IRL, so there's a possibility that the new map will have them.

Here's some more Bighorn rams in the snow. I'm not expecting the new map to have Bighorns personally but if it's in BC or Alberta then it's still possible.

[knotty marsh]

not going to lie, a snowy map with Bighorn Sheep would be pretty awesome in COTW

[obsidian wing]

I mean honestly it wouldn't make sense not to utilize this opportunity to rework them if the new map is Canada like we think

[knotty marsh]

Bighorn Sheep in the snow would be awesome to see on the next map

[knotty marsh]

More bighorn sheep in the snow

||Photo by Kenneth R. Whitten||

[sick salmon]

Cool

[knotty marsh]

bump for better Bighorns

[silk rampart]

Four peaks with 4 subspecies of Sheep like Cuatro Colinas. Who knows

[weary ermine]

Desert sheep wouldn't be an option, even Rocky mt bighorn might be a stretch, but who knows 🤷

[digital anvil]

This would be outstanding for a grand slam mount as well

[silk rampart]

California Bighorn Sheep, not Desert Bighorn Sheep

[weary ermine]

I always forget about those 😂

[silk rampart]

All right 🙂

[weary ermine]

Thank you for showing me, I enjoy learning about animals and stuff, you're very smart

[silk rampart]

Here we can learn a lot daily, I know something and I don't know anything.

Here is my old book. I'm passionate about Sheep and Goats.

The key difference is the rump (continued line of tail). The California Bighorn Sheep has a more splayed horn conformation with a less pronounced curl.

[winged tartan]

yes

[knotty marsh]

I hope that we will get this rework soon, the Bighorns really need it

[knotty marsh]

These beautiful sheep deserve to look as magnificent in COTW as they do in real life.

Also, please EW, make this into a multimount in the game!

[sick salmon]

Make it an actual interaction like in classic

[sick salmon]

War Is Over

[proud haven]

We got our beautiful remodel!

[silk rampart]

RM Bighorn Sheep, In Alberta Without Fault

[silk rampart]

It looks much better than before

[burnt slate]

New face

[silk rampart]

And new horns. It is much better now!

[knotty marsh]

I am so happy that we're finally getting this much-needed rework! I can't wait to hunt the new and improved Bighorn Sheep!

This bighorn model looks SO much better than what we had before! The horns look more realistic, the body proportions look way better, and it just overall looks more like a real Bighorn Sheep. Thank you, EW!

I can't wait to hunt Bighorn Sheep in a snowy environment like this! It's going to be so fun.

not going to lie, I really wasn't expecting to get Bighorns on the new map because I was under the assumption that the map would be set somewhere further north. For once though, I think EW actually listened to our feedback when we said that we wanted a Bighorn rework, and they sure did deliver!

I can't wait to see the improved Bighorns in-game! Let's celebrate 🥳 🎉

My reaction when I saw that the Bighorns will be getting a remodel:

[silk rampart]

Alberta is the state of RM Bighorn Sheep

[knotty marsh]

hopefully now that we've gotten this rework, we can also get a subspecies distinction for them in the future as well:
#1177764786566594581

[silk rampart]

Yes, replace it with reskin Desert Bighorn in El Rancho 🙏

[knotty marsh]

If they do the subspecies distinction now, we'll have Rocky Mountain Bighorns on two maps and the Desert Bighorn on one map. That makes sense because the Rocky Mountain Bighorn has a larger range irl.

[silk rampart]

I am very interested in hunting a diamond Bighorn Sheep and how it looks

[knotty marsh]

me too, I can't wait to see what a diamond bighorn will look like now

[knotty marsh]

I made this suggestion nearly two years ago in summer of 2023. It's so surreal seeing a Bighorn Sheep rework finally come to this game after so long.

not to mention the wolf and mule deer reworks that we also seem to be getting

it's been a long time coming, that's for sure

[obsidian wing]

Will it even be worth it if we don't get Stone Sheep. If they end up not being on this map i would say they have no intention of adding Stone Sheep. Im still holding out hope they are on there if not the Stone Sheeps future looks pretty dim

[silk rampart]

Remodeled Mule Deer?

[knotty marsh]

I'm not worried about that too much. If enough of the community wants it, I think we can still get a map with Stone Sheep eventually.

[knotty marsh]

the ones in the trailer look slightly better I think. It's hard to say for sure, but I think it looks like they also got a bit of a rework

[silk rampart]

Stone Sheep has the same model as Dall Sheep and the same horns work in both, which makes less work for EW.

[obsidian wing]

That's my point, they already said BC was to close to Layton and here we are with Alberta. You think they will be on board with BC now. I think that's a pipe dream. If they aren't on this map they are probably toast and I would have to haters that said it was to close to Layton to thank for it.

[obsidian wing]

Stone Sheep are actually larger with more fur types.

[knotty marsh]

who said that BC is too close to Layton? Was it EW or was it just a bunch of random people?

[silk rampart]

For the game, it is perfect well.

[obsidian wing]

What will all the mountains be for if they don't add them. Manitoba elk live in south eastern Alberta. So all those mountains are for just Bighorn and Mountain Goat only?

[silk rampart]

It is possible

[amber citrus]

SRP mountain hunting is also kinda lackluster so this may be a snowy Canadian SRP but with more small game

[obsidian wing]

A bunch of community member. That was one of the main excuses for an Artic map and Africa map over BC.

[knotty marsh]

or... and hear me out here, I know this is a revolutionary idea... but maybe we can get both? Everyone can get what they want.

it doesn't seem like COTW is going to die anytime soon, we've got at least a few more years of support coming. A lot can happen in that amount of time.

[ornate moat]

As far as I am concerned Layton Lakes being in the Pacific Northwest shouldn’t have ruled out Northern BC considering that Layton is a US Reserve

[sick salmon]

I feel like with the new models rancho will be more appealing for me even if the poor sheep are roasting in their thick fur

[obsidian wing]

I agree but I know you seen multiple people hating on BC because it was to close to Layton. I seen it in multiple social media platforms because they didn't want NA.

[gray vortex]

2 years for the bighorn remodel, 2 years for https://discordapp.com/channels/393040947006406657/1181053623602520195. so i can expect my trophy lodge rework to happen next year 😂

[obsidian wing]

I would love that but i assume the hate will only intensify after this release if we don't get some better species in the unnamed list.

[knotty marsh]

people don't want NA maps anymore because EW oversaturated the game with too many sub-par NA maps before they really knew what they were doing. NEM and Mississippi Acres (and Rancho to some extent) are perfect examples of that. If EW had done their research and used those maps as an opportunity to bring in some more unique animals, I don't think we'd see as many people banging their fists on the table saying stuff like "NO MORE NORTH AMERICAN MAPS 😡 "

the truth is, North America as a continent is full of potential for a hunting game, EW has just failed to capture that in this game

[gray vortex]

No, no more whitetail maps. we have like 5? 6? every time just whitetail and moose is boring.

[jolly goblet]

i mean, unless you go incredibly far north or parts of Alaska, there's not really anywhere in North America that won't have whitetail deer

[knotty marsh]

that's my point though. By failing to bring us stuff like Coues Deer on Rancho, more waterfowl on Mississippi, more new small game on NEM, etc. we now have tons of maps where the most interesting animals to hunt are the exact same deer, moose, and bear that are on so many other maps already.

[silk rampart]

Does it mean that is the newly remodeled Whitetail Deer? Or did I misread the phrase

[gray vortex]

whitetail just takes the place for other new animals.

[jolly goblet]

they're incredibly widespread and are arguably one of the most popular target species for hunting, so naturally they'd make an appearance

that being said, like you said Fuzion, I do agree on there being a need for more unique species on various maps instead of their focus being mostly on whitetail deer

[gray vortex]

they already remodeld them so i dont think so

[silk rampart]

For me, Whitetail in NEM and Mississippi is sufficient because where they are more abundant in the USA.

[knotty marsh]

this has reinforced a misconception in the minds of the playerbase that North America has nothing new to offer this game anymore and EW should only make maps on other continents (unless it's the long-waited arctic map), which is a false dilemma.

[amber citrus]

I live in south Alabama and these are some photos I took when I was in one of the bayous on the Tensaw river and share these because I wanted to show just how off Mississippi acres is from the region they are trying to portray which is the deep south

[gray vortex]

instand of whitetail they could hav add sitka deer to the new map. i dont even think that whitetail fits a snowey map

[ornate moat]

Its Alberta, we don’t have Sitka Deer, just their larger cousins the Mule Deer

[glass narwhal]

Yeah there are like 3+ Maps you can probably squeeze out for more species on North American sure it's annoying having multiple maps on one continent when you can have more on others that need it but it's still a prime hunting place for many species

Just gotta pick good locations so we don't have another abomination like nem

[knotty marsh]

where this puts EW is between a rock and a hard place. It creates an unnecessary paradox where a large portion of the playerbase is from North America (which also has some of the best hunting opportunities in the world) so they want to throw those people a bone every now and again, but there's also a lot of uneducated people who think that the game has already explored everything that NA has to offer, based on what they've seen from the maps we have so far. EW is now in a situation where they probably want to depict NA better but it's too late to really do that because much of the community wants something different and more exotic now, again under the false impression that this great continent has nothing left to offer.

[gray vortex]

oh okay nevermind, i just read this somewhere in this discord 😅 but still whitetail takes a slot for an animal that could have been added instand

[glass narwhal]

I still see alot of people request tule elk now that manitoban elk are getting added, a California map is perfect for a North American location if they want exotics we can do Florida invasives or a Texas game ranch there's alot of potential for great species rosters if ew does it right

[amber citrus]

This is a purple gallinule it’s a game bird that should have been added on Mississippi

[obsidian wing]

British Columbia was better for the game. I stand by that 1000 percent

[knotty marsh]

I completely agree, it had more potential for variety and to stand out from the existing map roster, but it just isn't what we got.

[glass narwhal]

I mean to be fair what we got is still really nice ew might not have given us everything we wanted but it's still a nice location to go for and I'm glad they actually did pretty well with most of the species being added they look absolutely stunning

[gray vortex]

my theory is that they made this map to remodel a bunch of animals

[knotty marsh]

but I'm not going to just hang my head and say "oh the new map sucks" when we still are getting a lot of cool new species and some much needed reworks (namely Bighorn Sheep and Wolves)

[silk rampart]

If it were British Columbia, yes. Surprisingly, it's Alberta — the second province with the most abundant white-tailed deer in Canada, after Saskatchewan.

[glass narwhal]

Kinda hope they go back and give rancho it's coues deer so we aren't bloated with whitetail maps

[amber citrus]

I think the map will be good but BC would’ve been a fan favorite

[silk rampart]

Yes, please, replace it

[knotty marsh]

I totally agree. At the time that Rancho came out, everyone wanted a second map for Whitetail. This was back in the days when Layton was still the only map with them and Whitetail were also the only Great One. But times have changed and I don't think anyone would really mind if the Whitetails on Rancho got replaced by the Coues Deer

[glass narwhal]

I mean yeah to be fair nobody really hunts whitetail on rancho we have way better maps anyway

Kinda hope they go back and give the older maps the love they deserve maybe new species backfills or returning species

[silk rampart]

Coues Whitetail makes happy everyone, I sure

[frank carbon]

I could see them add new rares for em

[knotty marsh]

Imagine if EW were to add a leucistic variant for the Bighorn, as if to say "so you all wanted Dall Sheep? Here's your Dall Sheep!"

I don't think they'd do that, but that would be one heck of a way to troll all of us

[silk rampart]

EW cannot fool me with it. Dall Sheep is one and Leucistic Bighorn is the other one.

[knotty marsh]

I was joking lol

[silk rampart]

It seems COTW does not have the two new furs Isabelline and Piebald (?)

[knotty marsh]

those would be awesome fur types to have in the game

[severe bobcat]

Does it look like BigHorn got a remodel with the new Alberta Map?

[knotty marsh]

I'd say that they definitely did, this one in the most recent trailer looks very different from the previous Bighorn model. It looks much more realistic now.

[frank carbon]

It looks fantastic, I can almost accept no stone sheep with that rework

[sage dome]

almost..

[knotty marsh]

The new Bighorn Sheep look absolutely incredible! Thank you to EW for making this rework into a reality.

[wooden tendon]

👏

[amber citrus]

Only thing that would make them better is if the tips were more busted up

[carmine condor]

So does this thread just phase away

fade away now?*

[knotty marsh]

I think I'll probably just leave it up to show that EW does (sometimes) listen to player feedback, but after Askiy Ridge is released I'll probably just leave it to fade away into obscurity. Not gonna delete it though, people deserve to be able to see that EW chose to actually listen to our feedback. I figure that it might help to prevent some of the doomposting that tends to happen whenever a new DLC comes out and it doesn't have everything that everyone wants.

[weary ermine]

at least theyre rounded and not sharp

[amber citrus]

Yeah true and they’re not bad but for realism I would like a few horn models that have broken tips

But still a major improvement

[amber citrus]

Best looking horns I’ve seen credit to scarecrow

[sage dome]

I USED TO PRAY FOR TIMES LIKE THESE 🥹

[severe bobcat]

Cant wait to check them out on SRP

[tulip frost]

https://tenor.com/view/mission-accomplished-gif-9140868

[weary ermine]

https://discord.com/channels/393040947006406657/1386492564999377126

[tender valley]

Pretty nice work on the tip of this horn (211.44)