Medved Taiga Update (Askiy Ridge snow and aurora mechanics for Medved)

[prisma skiff]

I’d like to suggest a much-needed update to Medved Taiga National Park. Medved is by far my favourite reserve in theHunter: CotW due to its unique atmosphere and stunning environments.

However I feel it has not kept pace with improvements seen in newer maps, especially after the release of Askiy Ridge. A focused update could really breath some life into it and bring it back to the standard set in newer reserves.

Medved Taiga deserves to be more than a legacy reserve, it really is one of the most compelling maps in the game. A focused update like this would not only improve its visual and ecological accuracy but also keep both new and old players interested in Medved’s unique environment.

Key Suggestions:

1. Updated Snow and Terrain Interactions
   The deformable snow introduced in Askiy Ridge is a game-changer. I wasn’t particularly excited for an Albertan reserve, but was pleasantly surprised at how well Askiy Ridge was designed, it is now genuinely one of my favourite maps in CotW. The trails through the snow add so much to the character of Askiy Ridge and I feel Medved Taiga would benefit immensely from this system, making traversal and tracking in the snow far more immersive.

2. Aurora Borealis Implementation
   The northern lights have become a defining feature of recent northern reserves, especially Revontuli Coast and Askiy Ridge. Bringing the northern lights to Medved Taiga would elevate nighttime hunting, which is a popular feature on Medved, and strengthen the regional character of the map.

3. Correction of Reindeer Subspecies
   After the recent changes to caribou and reindeer I noticed EW has made a critical mistake. Rangifer tarandus tarandus (Mountain Reindeer), are endemic to western Scandinavia. Given the reserve’s Siberian setting, the correct subspecies should be either the Siberian tundra reindeer (R. t. sibiricus) or Siberian forest reindeer (R. t. valentinae). This correction would significantly improve the authenticity of the map.

4. Animal Model Updates
   The musk deer and wild boar models, in particular, are showing their age compared to more recent additions. A visual update would greatly enhance the realism and appeal of hunting these species.

5. Optional: Additional Species
   While not a top priority due to the amount of work involved, Medved Taiga does have a notably smaller roster of species compared to other reserves. The introduction of a new animal, such as snow sheep, Siberian roe deer, mountain hare, or a bird species such as black and/or Siberian spruce grouse would greatly add to the region’s diversity.

[tough perch]

Sable (Martes zibellina)

[prisma skiff]

Sable would be a fantastic addition.

[tough perch]

Siberian Grouse live in the Russian Far East.
The Putorana Snow Sheep range is near Medved-Taiga, but I think Medved-Taiga does not have the mountain biome for them.
The Siberian Roe Deer lives in the most southern part of the Ural Mountains (outside of Medved Taiga)

Note: The Siberian Musk Deer is not found in Yamal-Nenets.

Mountain Hare (Lepus timidus)

long-tailed duck (Clangula hyemalis)

[west marlin]

IM ALL IN FOR THIS

[west marlin]

Another thing is, alongside the Wild Boar remodel. The name could be changed to "Eurasian Wild Boar"

[prisma skiff]

My thoughts are that as Medved Taiga is already a mess of different Siberian regions, that these species are not too out of place here. The Siberian roe deer range extends from the Urals to the Korean Peninsula and significantly further North than both wild boar and musk deer which are already present on Medved.

The presence of the Nenets people on Medved would suggest a northwestern Siberian setting, however musk deer are only found in the Russian Far East, and wild boar really only venture as far north as Siberias far southern extremities as they are really not a polar adapted species. The Nenets historically would not be at all familiar with either of these species. I do agree on a lack of habitat for snow sheep though.

[west marlin]

I’m working on a Silver Ridge Peaks rework post. So if anyone could let me do that I’d appreciate it alot 👍

[prisma skiff]

I should say that this post is more focused on a graphical update to Medved Taiga, rather than another post asking for backfills. The inclusion of Askiy Ridges's aurora and snow mechanics would be absolutely amazing on Medved Taiga and was the main reason for me creating this post. I'm not certain how difficult it would be to add deformable snow back onto an already made map though. It may be that it is a feature that requires the map to be built from the ground up to accommodate it, I would love to hear from the devs whether or not this is the case.

Medved Taiga Update (Askiy Ridge snow and aurora mechanics for Medved)

[mossy berry]

I'm 100% behind the snow deformation, aurora, and updated species.

I also think finally fixing the small cat spooking issue is critical. Lynxes clearing out everything else is detrimental to the experience.

However I'm pretty content with the current species roster, and I think its limited size lends to the desolate but beautiful mood of the map. I'd be cool with either another upland bird or a small mammal like the sable, but much more than that would be too much imo. I definitely wouldn't want waterfowl since besides it being the wrong season for most, the constant quacking/honking would kill the serene vibe.

Askiy is now a great option for a lively snow map, and I'd like Medved to remain as the quieter option.

[prisma skiff]

I agree with this, Medved Taiga’s silent and isolated atmosphere is one of my favourite aspects of the reserve too.

I would love to see snow sheep as I doubt we will be getting a second Siberian reserve in CotW. I really think they should have been included from release, as they really needed to have a mountainous region made specifically to accommodate them. I can see how another large mammal would make the map feel overcrowded and spoil Medveds isolated character.

I also agree waterfowl aren’t necessary on Medved. While Siberia has one of the most diverse populations of waterfowl in the world IRL, most would have migrated south for winter. I also feel that the incessant honking of geese would do much more to ruin Medveds ambience as any large mammal ever could 😂

I will stand by the addition of small game to Medved though. Hare carcasses strewn about predator need zones would feel much more immersive with actual mountain hares being present on the map, they would mostly be present in Medveds less forested, southern regions which are far less populated anyway so it would not feel at all cramped.

I feel even Siberian roe deer would not detract from Medveds atmosphere. They are a relatively small and largely solitary species that would mostly be scattered across the whole of the reserve, so no large herds and overcrowding.

[deep dagger]

When citizens of Far East watch on Medved map. Almost all of them don't understand one thing. Why bears roaming on snow?. If it's a late autumn why ice so thick?. Like in winter. This is not funny. If bears don't sleep in this weather they become very aggressive. Are the bears aggressive? NOT. This is a problem. Not boars not musk deers not snow.....but teddy bears.

[lament ivy]

Do animals get covered by snow on Medved at least? I haven't gone to check yet

[prisma skiff]

This is a CotW problem I think, I doubt there is a single map that is entirely accurate to their real-life locations. Though to me a few maps such as Hirschfelden really stand out as somewhere that could exists in real-life.

Some maps are much more egregious than others, especially to locals actually familiar with these environments (looking at you Vurhonga). Being from NZ I certainly have my personal gripes with Te Awaroa.

Medved is still a stunning map though, and to an individual with zero firsthand experience with anywhere in Russia, it still feels like CotWs most immersive and thematically consistent reserve.