Hunt - How to use it effectively?

[Miradus]

I've just recently gotten the hunt skill to a decent point and I'm trying to use it when out and about in the wilds.

I see where someone has ridden by on a bug. I'm skilled enough to see that they were only lightly burdened (awesome). But do I really have to walk into each room and type 'hunt' to see where they went? Is there some way to "hunt insectoid" to follow just a specific set of tracks?

They spammed pretty much from Morin's to Allanak and I couldn't keep up with them on foot. Other than areas that have one way in and one way out, or just assessing if someone has been through my general area ... I'm having a hard time figuring out a use for hunt/tracking.

[Jihelu]

You do have to use it over and over.
Also though.
Hunt usually, depending on class, unlocks some really nice things for you in the future!
So keep doing it.

[JackGibbons]

I've just recently gotten the hunt skill to a decent point and I'm trying to use it when out and about in the wilds.

I see where someone has ridden by on a bug. I'm skilled enough to see that they were only lightly burdened (awesome). But do I really have to walk into each room and type 'hunt' to see where they went? Is there some way to "hunt insectoid" to follow just a specific set of tracks?

They spammed pretty much from Morin's to Allanak and I couldn't keep up with them on foot. Other than areas that have one way in and one way out, or just assessing if someone has been through my general area ... I'm having a hard time figuring out a use for hunt/tracking.

That may not be as awesome as you think.

Someone more veteran at long term tracking can step in here, but I've used it across maybe a dozen or so rooms trying to find where the spider that attacked me ran off to, now that I'm back with friends to get it. You just hit hunt once or twice in each room and follow the trail as it comes in and goes out. I don't know if you can do it fast enough to catch up to someone in real time, since they can move out of the room about as fast as you can 'hunt', and you may have to look for tracks more than once to keep on the trail. You might be expecting too much from it.

But I look forward to learning from the other replies.

[nauta]

I use hunt to find people to interact with.  It's kind of lame and meta, but I get lonely.

[manipura]

...your character can't tell how burdened someone is by their tracks.
You do have to type hunt in each room, because outdoor rooms especially are rather large.  Essentially you're following someone/something's tracks over a fair sized area.

Um, you would want to be using hunt when you are hunting someone down.  Maybe you're trying to catch up with someone.  Or someone you're traveling with got lost and you have to find them.  Or maybe someone you crossed paths with in the wilds is a shithead and you're going after them to attack them or something like that.

You might be looking for a certain type of animal in a certain area.  Once you find it's tracks in a room you can hunt it down.

For someone playing a hunter/outdoorsy type, hunt is an essential skill. (my opinion)

[JackGibbons]

...your character can't tell how burdened someone is by their tracks.
You do have to type hunt in each room, because outdoor rooms especially are rather large.  Essentially you're following someone/something's tracks over a fair sized area.

Um, you would want to be using hunt when you are hunting someone down.  Maybe you're trying to catch up with someone.  Or someone you're traveling with got lost and you have to find them.  Or maybe someone you crossed paths with in the wilds is a shithead and you're going after them to attack them or something like that.

You might be looking for a certain type of animal in a certain area.  Once you find it's tracks in a room you can hunt it down.

For someone playing a hunter/outdoorsy type, hunt is an essential skill. (my opinion)

I think part of his question is how can you catch up with them if they can move faster than you can find the tracks (unless you're really good and get them on the first try consistently). Plus you're dismounting/mounting each room and they don't have to, unless you're trying to move stealthily in which case you may not have a mount at all. Or you're an elf and don't use them.

[IAmJacksOpinion]

There's no way mechanically to speed it up, but intuition goes a long way also. Most players move in straight lines. Or follow marked paths. Unless they're wandering around looking for something to kill. So, with a little practice you can cut it down to every three rooms instead. The danger being that if you miss a turn you have to go back. And only so many sets of tracks "fit" in a room...

[Miradus]

...your character can't tell how burdened someone is by their tracks.
You do have to type hunt in each room, because outdoor rooms especially are rather large.  Essentially you're following someone/something's tracks over a fair sized area.

Um, you would want to be using hunt when you are hunting someone down.  Maybe you're trying to catch up with someone.  Or someone you're traveling with got lost and you have to find them.  Or maybe someone you crossed paths with in the wilds is a shithead and you're going after them to attack them or something like that.

You might be looking for a certain type of animal in a certain area.  Once you find it's tracks in a room you can hunt it down.

For someone playing a hunter/outdoorsy type, hunt is an essential skill. (my opinion)

What does it mean then when some of the tracks are "light"? I don't see that all the time, just on the occasion.

A more realistic implementation of hunting would be you dismount and "hunt" for tracks, but once you've picked up a trail you can follow it (perhaps with a slight additional delay) as you move and from the back of your mount.

Since they did include weather impact on the duration of tracks (realism) then I had just hoped there was more to it that I hadn't figured out.

[Kankfly]

When footsteps are light, it probably means they are moving... very carefully, and don't want to be found.

[Delirium]

"Light" tracks do indicate something specific, yes. It's pretty logical, and you can also figure it out through some in-game experimentation.

[Desertman]

If you want to learn how to better hunt people in-game on an IC level, find someone in the actual game to teach you how to be a hunter.

Find out IC.

(I've used hunt to track and catch up to many people in the game. This is absolutely a technique you learn through actually doing it in the game and one someone might be willing to teach you if you seek them out in the game.)

[Miradus]

If you want to learn how to better hunt people in-game on an IC level, find someone in the actual game to teach you how to be a hunter.

Find out IC.

Ironically, that's sort of what I was trying to do.

I thought that someone else roaming around in the same wilderness I was might know something about it that I didn't.

[Desertman]

If you want to learn how to better hunt people in-game on an IC level, find someone in the actual game to teach you how to be a hunter.

Find out IC.

Ironically, that's sort of what I was trying to do.

I thought that someone else roaming around in the same wilderness I was might know something about it that I didn't.

Please find them in the game if you want them to give you information about the same area you are in with your character currently. Not only is it more in line with the rules, but you will likely enjoy the experience more. The GDB isn't a good place to do that.

[RogueGunslinger]

Hunt is one of my favorite skills in the game. I used to find it fairly useless. But it's great for tracking criminals to their hiding holes, or to hunt down the RPT group who got ahead of you, or to figure out if there's been any combat in a room, or to make sure you're not being followed. It's not great for hunting someone who's actively trying to evade you, but it does have multiple great uses.

The best way to use hunt is to know the major paths people take in the wilderness, and to know shortcuts. That way you don't have to spam it in every room.

[Miradus]

Please find them in the game if you want them to give you information about the same area you are in with your character currently. Not only is it more in line with the rules, but you will likely enjoy the experience more. The GDB isn't a good place to do that.

Of course. Notice I didn't include the area I was in, or the time, or any identifying features. I've clued in to the rules pretty quick.