Persistent Packs

Persistent Packs, also formerly known as Dynamic Rival Packs, is a feature used to naturalistically swap NPC packs in and out of the game world.

• Anniversary Edition
• Classic
• Legacy

In WolfQuest: Anniversary Edition, the Persistent Packs system is a new sub-system working under-the-hood with the goal of creating a more immersive and naturalistic experience. It was added to the game with the release of Early Access 1.1.1 and was available to playtest in the public beta preceding it. With it comes the reimplementation of migration gateways for the player-wolf and their own packmates to travel around between game maps within the Yellowstone National Park setting.

Rival wolf packs and their territories will grow and shrink over time as the player-wolf's pack and all NPC packs compete against each other to dispute their rival neighbors' claimed hexes. Much of this system is invisible to the player, but some change and pack dramas can be noted through observation of the world map, by periodically checking in on the Known Wolves interface, or through direct conflict and competition.

Including the player-wolf's pack, there can be up to six (6) wolf packs per game map according to the Territory Map Colors interface. This is further supported by the Territory config. system already being capable of swapping out established packs with different replacer packs who differ per game world. For example, Wapiti Lake into Mollie's, Prospect Peak into Oxbow, etc.

This system does not affect the player-wolf nor is there any risk of their own pack being displaced or disbanding. It is unknown if either will ever be a concern for the player.

In WolfQuest: Classic, no such system exists. With the exemption of the southern territory in Slough Creek, all stranger wolf packs and their territories are fixed and will never grow or shrink nor leave the active game map for any reason.

In Legacy versions of WolfQuest, no such system exists. With the exemption of the southern territory in Slough Creek, all stranger wolf packs and their territories are fixed and will never grow or shrink nor leave the active game map for any reason.

Growth and Shrinking

• Anniversary Edition
• Classic
• Legacy

In the Anniversary Edition, stranger wolf packs will grow and shrink over time, bringing with it other large established packs coming in and fighting for territory, causing some pre-established packs to be displaced from the game map. A displaced pack will leave and, unseen by the player, likely goes elsewhere to find new territory to claim or to search for a weaker pack to displace, while the remains of their former territory will be overtaken and replaced by a new "outsider" pack. This works on loop in a repetitive, endless cycle of replacers succeeding former established packs over time.

In Classic, rival wolf packs are never displaced and cannot disband. With the exception of Slough Creek's southernmost pack, rival territory never fluctuates.

The player-wolf's own pack territory isn't dynamic and neither grows nor shrinks. Their own pack is never at risk of being displaced nor can it disband.

In Legacy versions, rival wolf packs are never displaced and cannot disband. With the exception of Slough Creek's southernmost pack, rival territory never fluctuates.

The player's own pack territory isn't dynamic and neither grows nor shrinks. Their own pack is never at risk of being displaced nor can it disband.

Legend

• Anniversary Edition
• Classic
• Legacy

In the Anniversary Edition, each pack is represented using standalone colors applied to their respective territories. As of 1.1.0, there are now five colors, although two were previously unavailable up until 1.1.1; prior to 1.1.0, there were only three colors. (Excluding the player-wolf's pack.) Color extends to scents including posts and spores, world map hexes, and all associated compass identification and icons. By default, the game applies colorblind-safe colors which can be changed or customised via the Gameplay tab of the Game Settings interface.

This article does not account for the standard preset and cannot reliably account for custom presets. Color samples available via Territory Map Colors sub-page.

In Classic, packs are not represented beyond the identification displayed in their individual wolves' own health interface. Pack information is generally invisible outside of tutorial hint pop-ups.

In Legacy versions, packs are not represented beyond the identification displayed in their individual wolves' own health interface. Pack information is generally invisible outside of tutorial hint pop-ups.

Known Wolves

• Anniversary Edition
• Classic
• Legacy

Main article: Pack Info/Known Wolves#Anniversary Edition

In the Anniversary Edition, stranger wolves whom the player-wolf has survived or whom survived the player-wolf are remembered and can be identified as "known wolves" in a list shown in the Pack Info interface, and will enable the player to assign a nickname for encountered rival pack wolves which may show up in future encounters.^{[citation needed]} This feature is available in both single-player and multiplayer modes.

In multiplayer, known NPCs are known to the pack as a group, not to individual players. Should one player encounter a wolf, all players will know that individual even if they did not directly encounter them themselves.

Displacement

• Anniversary Edition
• Classic
• Legacy

In the Anniversary Edition, packs can be displaced through a couple of known causes.

One major cause likely involves continued fighting and casualties felled to the fangs of wolves or the teeth and claws of other animals. If this system also introduces NPC breeding, rival packs would likely have to go through the same ordeal as the player-wolf and their pack by raising a new litter of pups each year to continue their pack's growth. As of 2.0.0, while rivals' young pups are never seen in-game, their patrols and territories will have growing pups or young hunters during their relative season amongst rival yearlings and adults.

Packs whose territory is too small for a prolonged period of time will be forcibly displaced and removed from the game world. Another pack may move in to replace them, or existing dispersals on the map may bond and form their own pack to replace the displaced pack.

Disbanding

If one half of the breeding pair in a rival pack dies, the remaining breeder will have a short amount of time (30 in-game days according to a developer comment^{[citation needed]}) to replace their fallen co-leader. Should they fail to find a new mate, what's left of their pack will disband.

At this time it is unclear whether the wolves originating from a disbanded pack will leave the game map or join another rival pack, or whether they will simply drift, roaming across the game map and risking death with their continued presence or extended stay in their former territory.

Gallery

• Anniversary Edition
• Classic
• Legacy

Anniversary Edition Gallery

Contributions for Persistent Packs in the Anniversary Edition are welcome in this gallery!

Rival Pack 4 (Superstition) has been displaced. This may be evident by their neglected, fading, or gradually-stolen hexes.

WQ-AE Dynamic-Rival-Packs Newcomers.png

Newcomers have cycled in. They are taking over PACK #'s territory, empty hexes and/or contending with neighbors' staked claims.

Trivia

• Anniversary Edition
• Classic
• Legacy

Anniversary Edition Trivia

• Despite the player-wolf and their packmates being unable to overtake a home hex, it is likely that this restriction will not apply to NPC-vs-NPC encroachment.
• When the Persistent Packs first launched, it changed limitations for NPC packs and added randomised replacer packs.
  • Post-update, it supported five (5) packs in preparation for the then-upcoming saga, and following the launch of the 2.0.0 saga update, it was further increased to support seven (7) total packs -- two (2) held in reserve, with up to six (6) active on the game map.
  • Prior to its implementation, there was a limit of one (1) replacer pack dependent on the Territory config. setting per game map. Established packs could not be displaced or disbanded.

References & External Links

Anniversary Edition Wolf Packs
Family & Packmates	Single-player	Breeding Pair	Player-wolf • Mate
		Offspring	Pup • Yearling • Adolescent — Adult (disperser)
	Multiplayer	Packmates
	Shared	Companionship • Fondness • Home Sites • Territories (hexes, scent posts)
Activities	Commands • Courtship • Hunting (scavenging) • Pack Info (known wolves, roles)
NPC Packs & Wolves	Rival	Established (stranger wolves, predator wolves) • Territory (home hex) • Wolf Packs
	Neutral	Disperser Groups (dispersal wolves)
Locations
Amethyst Mountain	Established	Rescue Creek • Lamar Canyon • Wapiti Lake • Mollie's
	Replacers	Pending Data
	Dispersers	8 Mile • Beartooth • Biscuit • Canyon • Cinnabar • Hayden • Hoodoo • Madison • Pahaska • Prospect Peak • Quadrant • Rosebud
Slough Creek	Established	Junction Butte • Prospect Peak • Oxbow • Crevice Lake
	Replacers	Baronette • Bison Peak • Frenchys • Hornaday • Silver Tip • Wolverine Creek
	Dispersers	Avalanche • Beartooth • Castle Creek • Emigrant • Fishtail • Fridley • Lake Surrender • Lebo Peak • Quadrant • Rim • Slip n' Slide • South Fork • Toadflax
Tower Fall	Established	Unknown • Placeholder
	Replacers	Unknown • Placeholder
	Dispersers	Unknown • Placeholder
Hellroaring Mountain	Established	Cottonwood Creek • Geode • Coyote Creek • Buffalo Plateau
	Replacers	Unknown • Placeholder
	Dispersers	Unknown • Placeholder
Lost River	Expansion	Established	Van Winkle • Elevation • Templeton • Badlands • Lucky • Lost River
		Replacers	Allison • Big Timber • Caldera • Campfire • Crazy Peak • Grant's • Stinky's • The Beans • Vogel
		Dispersers	Avalanche • Calamity • Desolation • Eclipse • Elements • Ghost • Renegade • Requiem • Rogue • Salvage • Shadow • Solace • Stardust • Stargazer • Stormcloud • Sulfur • Tumbleweed • Windstorm
	Classic	Established	Lost River • Van Winkle • Elevation
		Replacers	Pending Data
		Dispersers	Calamity • Delta • Desolation • Eclipse • Ghost • Renegade • Requiem • Shadow • Stormcloud • Tumbleweed • Windstorm