- Purchasing the falcon - I will ensure that vendors are set up in Baldur's Gate and Soubar to start.
- The falcon will be exactly identical to the current hawk pet (the model is a sort of generic bird of prey - a sort of peregrine, sharp shinned, coopers hawk mash up), with the added functionality of hunting.
- The falcon can be named, and will use that name when using it as a pet (as you can currently) as well as while it is hunting.
- Areas suitable for hunting will be discoverable through exploration. Skill checks for the Profession:Hunting skill will offer information. There may be NPCs that can point you toward one or two well-known areas as well.
- When in a suitable area the falcon can be released and fly off - it may come back with nothing, it may come back with its quarry (there are 8 potential prey animals at this time), or it may not come back at all. Success will be impacted by a number of things - among them skill(s), falcon level, and weather conditions.
- XP will be awarded, dependent upon prey. At this time the same XP cap for fishing will be shared with hunting.
- The falcon will 'level up' with successful hunts. The level will persist, and will aid in the chance of success with that specific bird (and only that bird). Feedback messages after each successful hunt will share its current level as well as a percentage of progress toward the next level.
- As with all new systems, I will be looking for feedback. Is it too fast, is it too slow? How well does the leveling system work? When its live I would appreciate some testing to make sure the kinks are worked out.
Associated with this I will be adding a "camp knife" tool (name TBD). This tool will be used to process the prey items from this system into meat and other byproducts. The meat can be sold, or cooked, as other meat currently in game. The byproducts can be sold (for now), and perhaps will be useful for something else down the road..
This knife will also be able to process/clean fish - with cleaned fish able to be cooked in the fire as other meat items are now (which I would like to expand upon, another time).
This was a requested system. I am hopeful it will fit some niches of RP, allow for some friendly competition on training up the best falcon, etc.
This is also a work in progress. While most of this has been tested and found to be working, there are pieces yet that are still in progress, so it won't be immediate. A big thanks to Endelyon and Rhifox for helping me along as I blundered through my first system via script!