Does snow depth effect npcs combat abilities?

[Arsenic]

My best run of 357 days just died to a Njerp who was dodging every attack I did, while wearing leather shoes in waist deep snow. I had ski's and ~110 lbs on me from what I remember, not realizing there was a war camp on the west end of kaumo lands.

My question is does snow depth effect npc combat abilities? does it effect the players? I never got a message saying something like "the snow makes it hard to attack"

[Bert Preast]

Snow will tire Njerps and other NPCs because they don't know how to ski, while you do.  Tiring them will reduce all their abilities, just as fatigue does with you.

If you're not being swarmed, you can loose an arrow, turn and ski a bit, loose an arrow, and as they chase you they will accumulate more fatigue depending on the depth of the snow.  This is fine if you meet one or two in the wilderness, but if you are attacking their camps or villages you will be getting swarmed.

I prefer to take them on in summer.  They do not seem to be as affected by deep snow as some animals, and having to unequip the ski stick to take a shot pretty much negates the ski advantage.  So I hunt them in summer with a good bow and plenty of armour, backing off before they get close enough to do me much damage. 

Also bear in mind that some Njerps are grandmaster dodgers and swordsmen, and no matter what you do they have a very good chance of deleting your account 

[PALU]

I don't know if snow affects combat abilities directly, but I wouldn't think so. However, as mentioned by Bert Preast, snow conditions (now) affect how quickly the PC, NPCs and animals tire when moving.

It can also be noted that your character's physical skills should be significantly impacted by the weight penalty from all that equipment, on top of whatever fatigue had been accumulated up to that point and while in combat. The more weight the faster your character accumulates fatigue, and all penalties are deducted from your character's physical skills when performed, so a marginally tired grand master dodger would not have much trouble dodging a 50% attack skills suffering from a 60% encumbrance+fatigue+injury penalty. On top of that, combat is dangerous, and a single case of bad luck may be all it takes to shift a significant advantage into a disadvantage or even death.

As indicated by Bert Preast, tiring your opponents to exhaustion before taking them on is the safest way to deal with them when given the opportunity. It's not risk free (an exhausted elk can still get a kick in if you're unlucky, but fortunately elks aren't prone to finish you off even if you're knocked out, unless they literally have to pass over your dead body to move from a corner they've been backed into), but it's as close as you can get.

[GrimmSpector]

My best run of 357 days just died to a Njerp who was dodging every attack I did, while wearing leather shoes in waist deep snow. I had ski's and ~110 lbs on me from what I remember, not realizing there was a war camp on the west end of kaumo lands.

My question is does snow depth effect npc combat abilities? does it effect the players? I never got a message saying something like "the snow makes it hard to attack"

How do you find out about war camps? :-o

[Bert Preast]

War camps are most commonly found in and around Njerp territory, as well as around Reemi and Kaumo lands.  Usually there are a few huts and kotas, and around four to ten Njerp warriors.

[PALU]

War camps are indicated on the F6 map when the cultural overlay is enabled. After some time you may find small circles of the Njerp culture color where there wasn't anything before.
My current character has two of those somewhat nearby during the first winter (starting in spring), one of which is largely in the Reemi territory (if I remember the cultures correctly). My character is settled in between the Njerps and civilization. I haven't seen any Njerps yet, though.

[Bert Preast]

I'm just completing the eradication of the Njerps, and there are a LOT of camps!  Sometimes one or two Njerps can be found wandering close to the camps, and I think that killing these reduces the number of Njerps in the camp.  I killed two the other day, then hit the nearby camp and was surprised to find only three or four Njerps in it.  It's much easier to take them out in ones or twos than taking on ten at a time, so I always bump any wandering Njerps I see.

Something odd happened last night as I explored, looking for any camps I had overlooked.  I saw the purple circle of one on the F6 map; but continued on my way, planning to deal with it on my way back.  A couple of days passed, and now I am on my way back I see the purple circle is gone!  Perhaps a bear or some wolves, or even some robbers took them out?  I've never noticed one just disappear before.  I think I remember where it was and plan to investigate this evening.

EDIT:  On reloading, the purple circle reappeared, and there is indeed a camp within it!

[GrimmSpector]

I don't know about NPCs, but it sure saved my life fighting a bear!