**Animal Spawn Issue Discussion** (Since Summer and Recent Updates)

[Jimblob]

Is there a work around to force them to spawn, as I keep getting spawned in to area's with very little or no animal's.

Today Great Plains 1 3* prong horn, The Heartland's 1 1* Bison, Big Valley Nothing, Nil, Zilch, Zero.

Relogging just give's me the little or no Animal's. very frustrating.

 

EDIT: Just discoverd I appear to be in a server all by my self, no other player's showing on list.

Edited September 25, 2019 by Jimblob

[C20Dragon]

Had this happen 3 times tonight. Killed about 5 animals & no more spawned. Ran around for ten mins & said the hell with this. I switch servers & the animals spawn right away. They stop spawning again after killing a few. I switch servers again & had animals all around me when I spawned in. I just keep switching servers to fix the problem for me. Eventually it stop glitching & I was able to stay in the same server.

[Herta47]

7 minutes ago, C20Dragon said:

Had this happen 3 times tonight. Killed about 5 animals & no more spawned. Ran around for ten mins & said the hell with this. I switch servers & the animals spawn right away. They stop spawning again after killing a few. I switch servers again & had animals all around me when I spawned in. I just keep switching servers to fix the problem for me. Eventually it stop glitching & I was able to stay in the same server.

As soon as I call my hunting wagon all animals dissapear. Riding for half an hour NO animals 😖 Call my own horse and …………… there they are again? I expect it's deliberately avoiding collecting too much animals. 

Edited September 25, 2019 by Herta47

[The Blue Hare]

4 minutes ago, Herta47 said:

 😖 I expect it's deliberately

Wasn't me. 

[BeggarBarnaby]

I think the sessions just get really buggy I imagine depending on the way that the servers control spawn rates can be pretty temperamental. This update really added a lot of new content and npc's the game now has to balance/ worry about.

[Devohuntz]

I have noticed significant changes in animal spawns.  I rode from St Denis to Van Horn and only saw a few ravens.  Frogs...Gators...Turtles used to be piled up in that area.  Now it looks dull and lifeless.  If R* is trying to make it feel real and overhunted, kudos you did it.

[The Blue Hare]

On 9/25/2019 at 5:20 AM, C20Dragon said:

 I just keep switching servers to fix the problem for me. Eventually it stop glitching & I was able to stay in the same server.

I do the same and it's annoying as hell. but with bigger problems such as not being able to get a camp to spawn when you desperately need to work on your Trader, and other problems oh, I have to put this annoyance into perspective and say please dear God get these other ones fixed

[Born Homicidal]

i don't know where else i've said this but, i think the reason why animals aren't spawning is because animal spawns are ****ed due to how many people are using their camps in that area.

The camps essentially block the areas animals spawn therefore little to no animals what so ever. Thats my theory at least

[chrishart225]

18 hours ago, Born Homicidal said:

i don't know where else i've said this but, i think the reason why animals aren't spawning is because animal spawns are ****ed due to how many people are using their camps in that area.

The camps essentially block the areas animals spawn therefore little to no animals what so ever. Thats my theory at least

Explain Emerald Ranch being empty.

[The Blue Hare]

19 hours ago, Born Homicidal said:

camps essentially block the areas animals spawn therefore little to no animals what so ever. Thats my theory at least

Yikes that's awful but it hasn't been my experience. Lately I've been able to shoot deer and everything else from my campfire. I camp in the Great Plains or Scarlett Meadows. You might try that 🤠👍

[The Blue Hare]

56 minutes ago, chrishart225 said:

Explain Emerald Ranch being empty.

put 21 lazy people in a server and they all go to emerald ranch for sheep to satisfy a daily instead of the High Country to find their own. I am the 22nd person in that server who goes to the High Country for bighorn. I was hunting geese on the pond in the emerald ranch area and saw eight players ride up looking for sheep inside of 30 minutes. I figure that's the crowd that relies on YouTube for everything they do in the game. I was waiting for them to make a big bonfire, wear matching t-shirts, pull out the marshmallows, and sing kumbaya 😆😂🤣🤣🤣🤣

Edited October 6, 2019 by The Blue Hare

[lumper]

If you are a level lower than 90 do you find fewer animals today than you did a month ago?

do you find herds of buffalo at the Overflow near Emerald ranch?

Or have you been seeing fewer and fewer animals in the same places?

For me for many months I knew exactly where I woudl find certain animals and now they are just not there, ever, UNTIL TODAY< Read on below.

 

So, I hit level 234 or so today, and once I was done with my daily challenges I was bored so I went to my secondary profile and started a second character, he was at level 8 when I left him back in March.

So ok, I log in, I have around $20, and 20 bars of gold, a cattleman, a carbine, a bolt action, a bow, and a fishing pole.

I have no cards, a tiny camp and a Morgan, to give you an idea.

Ok, so I decide I am goign to see how quickly I can level him up to 100 after all I have learned, I figure in 2 to 3 weeks I can do it.

What I saw was amazing.

Every area I went to while doing my first day of daily challenges the animals were x10

I havent seen a buffalo on my level 230 character in over a month, but today in my level 8 guy, I found a herd where they always were, I went to Shady belle for some fish and found 8 gators, 2 turtles, boars, fox, turkeys, racoons, muskrats, etc.. you name it in great numbers.

I went to Rio Bravo and found HERDS of both pigs and Pronghorns,, condors, and hawks, and eagles, iguana's etc..

It looks to me at first glance that as a new player you have the old spawns we all had.

One example is there is a boar or was a boar in this same exact spot everyday for months down by Shady belle, but lately for the past 4 to 6 weeks, he isnt there and I cant even find a single one in that area anymore, but today with my new character there he was as I always expected him to be.

I went to several areas of the map and in each area I was completely blown away by the numbers of animals.

I have been playing rdr2 since launch and online since March 14th, I am at level 234 or so, so I know the game, I know the maps, animals etc.. I definitely am very familiar with the game in all aspects, so I feel like all the animals I encountered today in the low level character were exactly as I found them when I was a low level player too but now that I am over 150 they have tapered off drastically.

I think it was around this time (150) that I really noticed the lack of animals.

So, I dont know if this is by design, or if my old low level character game never updated, Hmm I should look at that I assume it is updated, I mean it does have all the elements of the Frontiers Pursuit update in place so it had to update at least to that point.

But it seems low level players get the benefit of all the animals to help them level up, but once you get to 150-200 they drop significantly.

I am going to play this level (now 12) character daily after I finish my daily challenges with my main profile, so I will update this if it changes or anything strange happens, but I found this interesting.

I thought it was this way for everyone, I mean I see lw level players in maps I am in, so do they see the buffalo and I dont, that part doesnt make sense to me.

Anyway that was my observation today.

There were so many animals in less than an hour I went from level 8 to level 12 and didnt even run a story mission, which I havent done yet by the way, not even 1, I am going to wait to do them  until I get a few essentials to make it easier for me.

Right now I am capable, but with only PIB, and Iron lung 1 I think, with almost no weapons, etc.. I am not in a rush.

As I had said, I am goign to do it right this time, and be as conservative as I can be.

I have a real solid game plan so it will be fun to see how fast I can do it, I think it will also help me guide newer players who ask for help if I can lay out a strategy that I know 100% will help them level up the fastest way with as little wasted time as possible.

Edited October 9, 2019 by lumper

[C20Dragon]

I don't think it matters if your a high level or a low level. I'm at 270 & yesterday saw tonnes of animals, 8 pronghorns sitting right next to my camp, got attacked by 6 wolves & many more animals all around. I didn't have a problem for 5 hours of playing. I thought R* might of actually fixed it.  Go to play today & couldn't set a camp down & only saw a 1 or 2 animals before they all stop spawning. I kept switching server & still the same no camp no animals. When I actually got my camp to spawn I fast traveled to it, but when I spawned in my camp was already gone. lol

But I'm curious about your theory, I've been waiting for R* to allow us to create a 2nd character (like in GtaO) But I think I will just create a 2nd account on my console and see if there is anything different.

[Melizmator]

Level doesn't matter what's matters is the number of players on server 

[James Hickok_1837]

Yesterday was the worst day i had with animals ever.. I couldnt even find ONE !!!! pronghorn for the cripps supply misiion it was crazy !!!! Not even a single one in all New austin. No rabbits, no foxes or even coyote. Only some condors and some crows...... Its getting worse and worse. 

Ofc when im on a mission with a timer set suddenly there a TONS of animals everywhere.     I hate this. 

Gratz on the lvl Lumper - you outleveled me. Im 222 atm and moving slowly to my 300 lvl goal - i lack motivation a bit bcoz the game is getting boring again. 

 

[CosmoKramer]

Yup, I still occasionally get on servers where animals are everywhere, luck of the draw. Evidence for your argument is circumstantial at best. 

[HuDawg]

6 hours ago, Melizmator said:

Level doesn't matter what's matters is the number of players on server 

^This.

 

Once the game gets packed animals rarely spawn.      Doing a bounty seems to place people in solo lobbies.  Also a few other things that can force solo lobbies.

 

 

[Antonia]

i login in a server with 22 people. no animals and cripps is moving. i login in a server with 22 people. full of animals and cripps is stable. i login in a server with 18 people. no animals and cripps is moving. i login in a server with 18 people. full of animals and cripps is stable. It's a matter of server for me and a matter of "please R* fix your game".

[Savage_Reaper]

8 hours ago, Melizmator said:

Level doesn't matter what's matters is the number of players on server 

This. Couldn't have said it any simpler. 

[DNMNetTech]

I start a legendary bounty mission, go hunt and fill up my wagon. Dismiss it and complete the bounty mission. One way I found to have animals. Just no Cripps.

[CosmoKramer]

14 minutes ago, DNMNetTech said:

I start a legendary bounty mission, go hunt and fill up my wagon. Dismiss it and complete the bounty mission. One way I found to have animals. Just no Cripps.

Regular bounty missions work the same, better still if you get the fade-to-black start to the mission (I presume that's the game loading you into a new instance thus respawning the animals). As long as you don't go anywhere near the target area you can hunt and use Cripps. Eventually the game gets wise and gives you a 5 minute countdown to get to the target area and start the mission proper but it takes a while.

[Savage_Reaper]

2 hours ago, DNMNetTech said:

I start a legendary bounty mission, go hunt and fill up my wagon. Dismiss it and complete the bounty mission. One way I found to have animals. Just no Cripps.

I do the same thing. Most times a supply mission will put you in your own server. I have no issue eating $20 by blowing the mission and hunt for the duration of the timer. My buddy and I filled up the camp in one of those missions last night. Until R* fixes the issue, this is what I do currently. And I am 282 and he was on his 2nd character which was in the 30s..........

Edited October 10, 2019 by Savage_Reaper

[Dissention]

Only thing I could add to this conversation is I also don't believe that level has correlation with the animal spawns, but it's some is kind of Nerf/throttle on progress.

As others stated it seems to be the server you are on.  Doing a bounty and stuff does change the server (and seems my camp respawns Every 2nd bounty, except it's rarely ever where It's supposed to be but clear on the other side of the map) and puts you on a less crowded server with better spawns.

On the individual level...

When you are doing anything that has a timer (bounty, resupply, delivery), yep you get thrown on empty server and the  animals seem to spawn at a much higher rate to distract you.  

I also find if I'm lingering on a server for long periods of time and have racked in the big $'s the animals disappear, Gun's get dirty quicker, rains much more and the fog is so thick you can't see.  Especially right before they flash a free room invitation.  Also sometimes I get charged with some random meaningless crime till I change servers.

Then yesterday bounty took me from blackwater, to strawberry, through big valley, past Madam Nazar, to valentine.  Darn thing took like half hour, and timer didn't go off till closed in on the dude, but I just stockpiling along the way and unloaded dupes at madam Nazar. 

 

IDK.  Can't prove it but still think it's intentional on their part to get you to do other things or slow money making

[PVPNOOB]

Ambarino snowy mountains used to be good for me but now I find nothing there, what I can say is now everytime I have been in Big Valley there have been loads, give Big Valley a try, but yeah this damn bug where the camp won't spawn has basically made me give up with Trader

[lumper]

21 hours ago, C20Dragon said:

I don't think it matters if your a high level or a low level. I'm at 270 & yesterday saw tonnes of animals, 8 pronghorns sitting right next to my camp, got attacked by 6 wolves & many more animals all around. I didn't have a problem for 5 hours of playing. I thought R* might of actually fixed it.  Go to play today & couldn't set a camp down & only saw a 1 or 2 animals before they all stop spawning. I kept switching server & still the same no camp no animals. When I actually got my camp to spawn I fast traveled to it, but when I spawned in my camp was already gone. lol

But I'm curious about your theory, I've been waiting for R* to allow us to create a 2nd character (like in GtaO) But I think I will just create a 2nd account on my console and see if there is anything different.

Ok, Thanks for the reply and information, 

I hadnt thought of server status and animals, but that does make sense.

I cant really quantify that either as I cant control the servers I go to and how many I bounce between doing various missions.

I am going to keep an eye out and see if I can replicate the conditions but now that you all have me thinking server numbers I am not sure I can really tell.

Ill log in later with my low lever player and go back to Heartland over flow, I have not seen any buffalo there for weeks on my main profile, but with my new player as I said , I found a herd immediately, Ill go back and see if I can do that again then do some server hops and keep looking.

I do question my original thought now though and to be honest, it was just my observation and my thought was wow this new level 8 character seems to find animals anywhere he goes, but as I said now that you all brought up servers and how many connected players at any given time are on, that does make sense to me, so who knows.

Thanks everyone that replied, I appreciate the feedback

[shiverz]

I come to find that servers that are heavily populated by players, typically have more animals. You'd think it would be the other way around but I guess the spawn rates are set higher when more players are present. 

[lumper]

So, I thought about what everyone had said and today I went in to the game.

I invited a player to my posse and he and I did a few missions, I was in Heartland over flow when I remembered the Buffalo, so I told him my theory or I should say my findings the other day, I said, it is only the two of us on this server so based on what everyone told me, there should be Buffalo , so I rode over to where they should be and sure enough, a herd of Buffalo, lol.

So yeah, I do believe you all were correct in assuming that the number of players on the server may have a direct impact on the number of spawning animals, it  does seem that way anyway.

I was pretty excited to see Buffalo again today.

The other day I started a bounty missions just so I could hunt and fulfill my daily challenges for Cripps and the Trader role, it was nice, no people and  decent amount of animals everywhere I went.

 

[Born Homicidal]

yeah like I've told others, its not based on players, its based on camps and how many people are camped in that area.

 

People are using their camps more than they ever have in the past because now they have purpose, so when people want "better" hunting areas they put their camp in key locations along with 20 other camps eventually thinning out the animal spawns because they can't spawn period.

Also i believe the game places you in lobbies near other/the majority of players so when you first try to put your camp down it either doesn't let you  or there are 10 other camps in that general area.

Before no one cared about their camps, so they would just leave it wherever even in the middle of the dessert, or up in the hills because they were irrelevant.

[KylesDad7]

What I've noticed, is that not only are there more animal spawns, but they spawn in greater numbers, when I'm on a mission, than when I'm in Free Roam.

[Madrigalian]

I have nothing constructive to add.  But I wanted to join you guys in saying that this "feature" in RDRO is extremely frustrating.  I road around for two hours the other night trying to hunt and saw almost nothing the whole time. And this was in a prime hunting area.  And this, btw, is the other thing that I find very annoying.  Some areas and regions have constant wildlife to hunt, or at least usually does.  Places like the Big Valley, up on the north end.  Lots there to hunt.  Then you go down to say New Austin or around Armadillo and there is literally next to nothing to hunt, 90% of the time.  Sure, I don't expect to see deer everywhere, elk, wolves, etc.  They don't really fit the region.  But to also have almost no Boar, Rams, Prongs, cougars, or really anything else... hell, I haven't seen a cougar in free roam down there in months. 

Rockstar needs to seriously look into the balancing of animal spawns in the game.  Top to bottom.  My opinion.