Its just one of the factors, but speed would significantly improve on quality of animals and add to the game IMO and its an easy fix.

Anyone else? Thoughts?

I understand where you're coming from. It's just that sometimes it feels good chasing down a deer and punching it to death.

But I would far prefer some effort into the hunt. Make me need to stalk that deer, get close, don't get seen. One of the first things I did when I exited the tutorial dungeon with a new orc warrior that was super slow was beat up a deer. Don't pull out "it''s just a game" when the thing your defending doesn't make much sense from a gameplay perspective anyway.

I am trekking through the mountainous forests, making my way through a blinding blizzard, in my heavy iron enforced mammoth fur armor and cloak with my trusty axe at my waist and bow and shield on my back. suddenly out of the swirling wall of snow leaps a white saber-toothed cat, knocking me to the ground, as it slashes at my chest. As i get back to my feet it has once again left my vision, prowling among the tall pines and thick brush behind the seemingly endless snowy chaos. I hear it to my left, it leaps out at me again! But this time im ready with axe and shield in hand. moments before impact I thrust out not my axe but my shield and meet the beast head on with a devastating blow. This time it is the cat on its back and I, in an eerily cold and efficient manor, calmly and swiftly cover the distance between us in a few powerful strides, bringing my golden bronze axe crafted by the fabled dwarves themselves down upon the back of its neck as it gets to its feet. This proves to be more than enough to put the beast down. Not one to let anything go to waste, I thank the forest for setting its predator against me as I skin the animal and remove its large teeth with which my alchemist friend can brew me some of the finest warming potion I have ever encountered to help battle this intense cold. I then continue on my way down the vally to the river where I know my small hand dug canoe awaits to carry me north to the small fishing village that is my destination. The blizzard is beginning to clear but It is still just morning, I have a long days journey ahead of me.

Ok?

On topic, it took a while for a regular race not gifted with speed to be able to out run a deer. Its fine the way it is.

Well then squat and use a bow, the deer speed doesn't matter while you're stalking it. And it is "just a game" so while you stalk the deer, I'm going to go punch it in the face.

So what, a human wearing heavy armour at about half of his maximum capacity of speed shoulde be able to outrun any animal?

No. Animal speed is fail. They even looked like they were running in slow motion.

That is how I remember things as well but apparently people out-ran deer with a speed of 30 orc. I kind of wonder were they actually faster or was the deer just hopping around erratically so a straight line run could catch up to it.

Not sure how what I said was not on topic in a thread about animals and their speed in the game, other than the little extra not pertaining to the cat being very fast. It may not have been pertaining to the specific thing you and a few others were saying about punching deer but it is no less on topic.

Because it read more like fan fic.

You underestimate the speed of actual animals.

How about yes, no fail.

This is the game where your sword blows hurt the 50 foot long armored flying lizard, in oblivion you could jump off water, your little shafts of wood form a bow hurt giant fictional monsters, where you can easily jump over people etc. You aren't a normal human, once you level up you are beyond what a human can do in pretty much every attribute and skill. Keep your skills low if you want to maintain human capabilities.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDCNebqy2vc

This. I've lived on the edge of where fields and hundreds of acres of woods meet my entire life and can tell you that nobody should be able to run after an uninjured deer on foot and get even remotely close to catching it. They are built for speed and mobility, jumping through or over any obstacle while running/jumping full sprint through thick woods. your not going to come close not to mention while wearing any kind of armor.

I do think they should be faster in game, but have location damage applied realistically to them (as with all things) so that if you set a trap which injured a leg or stuck an arrow in a leg it would hinter the animals ability to move

I cannot disagree with this (see the quote in my sig) but I do think that at the start of the game, whatever the base speed at which we move is, should not be enough to catch animals that are supposed to be fast.. if you have high athleticism or whatever then by all means, chase down that deep and punch it in the face all day long.

i believe hunting is a skill. not everyone can go into the woods and get something especially someone who is dumb enough to hunt with a full set of armor on and with an ax lol. they should put a way so we can set traps or bait animal in or something. also i would like fishing in the game.

ES game =/= reality

Should that apply to Dragon hunting as well?

Are dragons frightened skittish creatures?
No... the dragon's the one doing the hunting.

Since when could any race outrun a deer with base speed? Not even the Bosmer can outrun a deer straight out of the sewer.

lol im just saying i dont want it to easy. but i dont want it to hard either.

I don;t disagree with that, but I must svck at chasing things because I never could chase down deer right out of the sewers.

Games are always pushing towards more and more realism/believablity

This is a high fantasy game. It shouldn't push towards realism that goes against the lore/setting.

Dragons hunting deer, now that'd be interesting.