Post by: JonLeung on June 16, 2006, 07:50:49 AM
Spoileriffic if you don't know anything about them...
They're extremely rare. Good thing they come out between 7 PM and 4 AM (unlike, say, 9 AM to 4 PM bugs that I can't get on weekdays), but that usually means I'm tired when I try to catch one. After walking around for hours, the two times I did run into one I was tired and distracted, so I wasn't even looking at the screen when they attacked me. I don't ever see the attacks, but apparently they cannonball you, (I'm guessing in the face) and I'm cursing and swearing as my in-game character wakes up in front of the house and the tarantula is nowhere to be seen. And after I do get one, assuming I will before I lose my sanity, or regardless if I have one (or my sanity), I'll still have to do the same for scorpions next month as well! >_<
I'm somewhat arachnophobic so I would never be on the lookout for tarantulas for ANY reason, and especially if they did THAT in real life. So I'm doing what I would never want to do in a video game. What's the word I'm looking for? Sadist? Is that what I must be to be playing Animal Crossing: Wild World?
Post by: Kairon on June 16, 2006, 08:01:35 AM
~Carmine M. Red
Kairon@aol.com
Post by: UltimatePartyBear on June 16, 2006, 08:06:51 AM
Quote
Originally posted by: JonLeung
What's the word I'm looking for? Sadist? Is that what I must be to be playing Animal Crossing: Wild World?
Only if you like beating up the other animals with tools and trapping them in tiny spaces by diggin holes around them. Destroying all the flowers they plant and chopping down all the trees would probably count, too.
Post by: JonLeung on June 16, 2006, 08:20:04 AM
Quote
Originally posted by: PartyBearQuote
Originally posted by: JonLeung
What's the word I'm looking for? Sadist? Is that what I must be to be playing Animal Crossing: Wild World?
Only if you like beating up the other animals with tools and trapping them in tiny spaces by diggin holes around them. Destroying all the flowers they plant and chopping down all the trees would probably count, too.
Okay, self-inflicted pain or torture. What is that then? Masochism? Is that it?
Anyone have any tarantula-hunting tips, other than to be more awake and alert?
Post by: Smash_Brother on June 19, 2006, 08:19:36 AM
Post by: JonLeung on June 19, 2006, 09:10:40 AM
At least I know it's possible to get them (well, I knew that before, but I wasn't sure how I'd get them) but I have yet to get them. Next month creeps closer, and we'll be contending with scorpions as well...
Post by: Smash_Brother on June 20, 2006, 08:40:24 PM
1. Get headphones. Makes ALL the difference.
2. Walk around normally and listen for a scratching noise. Don't run. It spooks them just like most insects, provoking the attack.
3. When you finally hear the noise, freeze.
4. If you don't see the tarantula, creep slowly in the direction where the noise seems to be coming from.
5. Tarantulas move on their own, so all you should need to do is stay still and wait until it comes within net range then bag it.
I don't know how possible it is, but try for an open area when you can see clearly if you can. The first two I ran into nailed me because I had already spooked them before I even saw them, but the real key is to listen for the scratching noise and that happens MUCH more easily with headphones (esp. with a DS Lite).
Post by: JonLeung on June 21, 2006, 09:27:33 AM
Yeah, I've been using headphones (mostly because I'm playing too late at night, really) and a DS Lite may be in my future.
I'd figured those tips out myself, except for #5...are you suggesting that I shouldn't attempt to walk up to a tarantula at all? Like I said, the fourth (and last so far) that I saw I was really close...though I can't really tell if it's actually running away or just happening to be walking farther away from me by chance. Before I lost it in the flowers, there was one or two moments when it might have been in net range if only I could've been a step or two closer, but I was afraid of an attack and wasn't sure if it was already looking at me.
Post by: Smash_Brother on June 21, 2006, 09:50:05 AM
I'm positive about #5. I was walking around when I heard the scratching/skittering noise so I stopped then crept closer to the direction it was coming from. I saw it at the edge of the screen: it was moving around kinda randomly and after a few seconds of waiting it came within net range.
As near as I can tell, the best course of action is to never move toward it other than to simply allow it on the screen and wait until it comes to you, using tiny little taps on the d-pad to aim yourself in the right direction.
Post by: JonLeung on June 22, 2006, 04:54:11 AM
Do you think there is a maximum of one tarantula a day, or are they just rare enough that it seems so? The last two or three times (out of five) that I saw a tarantula, it was on my first walk-around on my first boot-up of the day, but never again for the rest of the night.
Post by: Smash_Brother on June 22, 2006, 09:02:06 AM
Post by: nitsu niflheim on June 22, 2006, 11:26:59 AM
Post by: JonLeung on June 22, 2006, 12:33:16 PM
Post by: nitsu niflheim on June 22, 2006, 04:09:20 PM
Post by: Smash_Brother on June 22, 2006, 05:28:50 PM
My friend received one for his birthday and I've held the thing on a few occasions.
The concept of a pettable spider is definitely an odd one but a pleasant reality.
Post by: Caliban on June 23, 2006, 05:30:30 AM
Yesterday I caught 2 of them within 30 minutes, they are so freaking easy to catch. I did see 3 Tarantulas, but I only saw the first one when it attacked me and I didn't hear anything because there were other characters walking around and so there was too much ambient noise to hear it and notice it, so it just jumped at me lol.
Here's how I caught the other 2, once I spot one at a distance I circled around it until I was facing it's rear and that way it can't see me, so I just grab my net walk at normal speed towards it and zap, it's in the net, and as I walked towards it it didn't even move. I did the same thing for my 2nd Tarantula.
Also yesterday I caught some other interesting stuff, I caught a SeaHorse, a ClownFish, a Mosquito, a Darner Dragonfly, a Bird Wing Butterfly, a Moth, a Rainbow Stag, and a FireFly . So is there anything else that is interesting to catch? A Shark perhaps?
Post by: Bloodworth on June 23, 2006, 05:42:11 AM
Yes! There are sharks. Haven't caught one yet, but some of my friends have.
Post by: Caliban on June 23, 2006, 07:13:08 AM
Post by: Smash_Brother on June 23, 2006, 11:32:32 AM
I think you got lucky, Cal. The only time I caught my tarantula was when I heard it before I saw it (and before it saw me). The other times, they were both behind trees so I never even had the chance to see them before it was already too late.
Post by: Caliban on June 23, 2006, 05:28:52 PM
Do they really have a fin coming out of water? lol that is so cool, I can't wait 'til I see one.
Post by: Smash_Brother on June 25, 2006, 04:20:33 PM
An update: the 2nd tarantula I caught was just sitting there on the beach when I came upon it and I literally just crept up on it via small D-pad taps and netted it.
I'm guessing tarantulas have "aggro" range which means that, if you come within a certain range while moving at walk or run speed, they'll stop and just stare at you like this one did.
I also swear I've had one come down from the trees at me...
Post by: Caliban on June 26, 2006, 05:38:50 AM
Post by: Smash_Brother on June 26, 2006, 08:29:10 AM
I've caught a 3rd now. It seems that either they wander around on their own or they stop and stare at you. I'm not sure if I spooked the 2nd one or something but the 3rd one patrolled like the first one did, and they don't seem to see you if you stand still, like the T-rex in Jurassic park.
I'm not sure if you get bitten if they accidentally bump into you, but I wouldn't be surprised if this was the case.
Post by: Bloodworth on July 04, 2006, 06:38:12 PM
Post by: Caliban on July 04, 2006, 07:32:35 PM
Post by: Bloodworth on July 05, 2006, 07:09:34 AM
Post by: Smash_Brother on July 05, 2006, 11:50:47 AM
On one hand, the "sit and wait" strategy has worked a few times. On the other, it has also failed a few times.
I did get lucky and caught the first scorpion I saw, though. He was slowly following me and I just waited until he came within range and netted him.
Post by: Smash_Brother on July 11, 2006, 12:21:41 PM
They "aggro" (or become aware of you) if you walk or run anywhere near them, meaning they'll sit there looking at you. Get any closer than that and they'll leap at you.
If you see one in advance, remain still but ALWAYS keep pointed toward it via small taps on the D-pad (small taps are absolutely key).
They seem to head south most of the time. Sneak behind it using small taps. If it's facing your direction, don't move. If you never move, they seem not to aggro on you.
If it has already aggroed on you, walk away and creep back in.
They seem to move, pause, move, pause. Via small D-pad taps, you should be able to get close enough to net them so long as they haven't seen you.
I'm not sure what happens if you let one touch you when you haven't actually aggroed it but I assume it will bite you.
That's all I've learned so far.
Post by: Bloodworth on July 12, 2006, 05:22:18 PM
I only have one bug and two fish left until I'm done with July. (I got the banded dragonfly this morning. WOOT!) And my goodness, the rhinocerous beetles* are making me rich. I've paid off an 848,000 bell loan in less than a week. And I even had one trip to Nook's that was worth 85,000.
*There is no "rhinocerous beetle" in the game, but the large beetles on coconut trees are all different species of rhinocerous beetle.
Post by: Smash_Brother on July 16, 2006, 07:50:16 AM
I too have made buttloads of money in July alone. It makes it so immensely easy to make money that trying to pay off a loan in the winter is like self-mutiliation by comparison.
Post by: Bloodworth on July 16, 2006, 08:50:19 AM
