Can we have some characters in survival please?

[vancopower]

First I would like to say Wintermute is awesome, it is a completely different experience from sandbox. It is much more fulfilling experience especially  when you do quests and get rewards than just running around trying to get by.  On the other hand there are many restrictions like not having a bedroll or can't make snow shelter from the beginning kind of limits your play-style at the beginning.  

I was wondering if we could get the best of the both worlds by having the option to put some characters into survival mode.  Why not have some side quests at least. Gray Mother will not survive on Will's supply alone maybe another weary traveler comes along and helps her again . Let's have Milton in survival mode too.  Or at least 2-3 random npc's showing up in random places. I would love to have the trust mechanic in survival or some kind of a barter mechanic. 

[Fyn]

I've always wanted characters in sandbox Mode too, it's just too improbable that absolutely no one else has survived. 

[RossBondReturns]

Milton will eventually come to Survival Mode.

As for all the other things that's up to Hinterland.

[Prestermatt]

Strictly an option?  Ok.

But one of my favorite things about TLD is the complete isolation.  Character interaction isn't what I'm looking for.  I can get plenty of that in other games.  The wolves (and occasional bear) are enough for me.  Whenever anybody suggests NPCs in Survival, I get worried that Hinterland is going to listen and take away the reason I play the game.

[StrayCat]

I totally agree with Prestermatt. The sandbox mode lets you feel the "despair of being all alone", while you struggle to survive. By no way I want this feeling of loneliness to diseappear.

I'd rather have objectives to achieve in sandbox (like the "hopeless rescue" challenge) than interactions with NPC.

[vancopower]

5 hours ago, Prestermatt said:

Strictly an option?  Ok.

But one of my favorite things about TLD is the complete isolation.  Character interaction isn't what I'm looking for.  I can get plenty of that in other games.  The wolves (and occasional bear) are enough for me.  Whenever anybody suggests NPCs in Survival, I get worried that Hinterland is going to listen and take away the reason I play the game.

You are overreacting for no reason. Having few quests here and there will improve the whole experience. My guess is that you haven't played beyond day 50, if you would you will understand that once you got your supplies and gear there is really nothing else to look forward too. It just becomes boring and repetitive. you got your 20 kgs of meat you got 100 lit of water.  5-6 hatchets and knives and these are not the ones you craft but the ones you'll find in the world.  Beach-combing mechanic is too slow  spawning one item every 5-6 days so you can't rely on that to keep you motivated...  

 

I hope that they will include the town of Milton as a place where you can trade with NPC's and those of you who would rather spend your time meditating in loneliness could have your own "I am Legend" Survival experience too

[Mpat120]

If I can ambush them for loot, just like I would a live player, Ok. Just to have some fluff and give me missions, nope.

 

[Prestermatt]

56 minutes ago, vancopower said:

You are overreacting for no reason. 

 

 

No reason?

Like I said, I play the game because of the way it is.  What you describe sounds fun to you.  That's fine.  It doesn't sound fun to me.  Please don't belittle me and my play style just because it is different than yours.

I imagine there are a lot of people here who would agree with me.  I know there are a lot of people here who like the idea of NPCs in Survival, because even in the short time I've been on these forums I've seen a lot of posts just like yours.  Which is why I'm ok if it's an option that can be turned on or off.  Hey, I might even play with NPCs myself sometimes, just for a change.

But I'd be very sad if they put NPCs in survival permanently and took away the very thing that makes TLD so unique.

 

[janz]

I think the NPC or no NPC question is an interesting divider in the community. Both sides shows strong feelings about them to. Especially those who like the atmosphere of isolation (you morbid buggers ) Myself, and others i know who plays this game have feelings more in the terms like vancopower: The first days in game when you have that feeling of alarm is exciting. But once you reach the level where there´s no feeling of emergency anymore, boredom kicks you in the face hard as a mule, and you stop playing.  IMO the best option is to make NPC´s in the sandbox just that. Optional. Or even better, don´t make it optional by default but unleash the power of nerdcraft instead: Mod support with the ability to download user created NPC´s with loads of unlockable storytelling fluff. ooOOooh the amount of semi-good fan fiction you would get! Me gully, would be awesome!

[vancopower]

On 8/7/2017 at 6:30 PM, Prestermatt said:

No reason?

Like I said, I play the game because of the way it is.  What you describe sounds fun to you.  That's fine.  It doesn't sound fun to me.  Please don't belittle me and my play style just because it is different than yours.

I imagine there are a lot of people here who would agree with me.  I know there are a lot of people here who like the idea of NPCs in Survival, because even in the short time I've been on these forums I've seen a lot of posts just like yours.  Which is why I'm ok if it's an option that can be turned on or off.  Hey, I might even play with NPCs myself sometimes, just for a change.

But I'd be very sad if they put NPCs in survival permanently and took away the very thing that makes TLD so unique.

 

First of all I am not belittling you. I am just stating a fact that every player that haven't played TLD more than 50 days (Ingame time ) shares your opinion.  Also "play-style" is irrelevant in open survival games, especially in TLD you play the hand that you are dealt with.  That is what makes TLD interesting and alluring especially to new players like yourself, and I get that which is why I am not suggesting that this "play-style" as you call should be changed. Also the "loneliness" is so embedded in TLD no mater what they do to the game it will still be a great part of it, even if they make a rain of NPC's from the sky the game-play will still be  the same. 

I am a fan of TLD from version 1.0 from the very beginning, and in this time  thousands of people posted just like you:  I will quit playing if they add this or change that but you know what they never did.  And  if the devs listened to them they will still be in version 1.0  today.  Hinterland implements change very carefully and if you know this you will not be quick to react every time someone suggests NPC's . So if they put them in survival mode I assure you with 100% that you will like the change.

[StrayCat]

Quote

But once you reach the level where there´s no feeling of emergency anymore, boredom kicks you in the face hard as a mule, and you stop playing.

...or you start a new game.    When I feel that I am now so much secured that I can easily spend my days in a base, with tons of resources, I  know that my character is now out of danger. The goal of "surviving" has shifted to "living". So I can leave him/her alone, and start a new survivor. 

[henroe32]

In the visual poem thing I often feel like that guy, walking over the cold nothingness that use to be humanity and it chills to the bone, creates immersion, shapes the quiet apocalypse around you and you alone.

[vancopower]

On 8/11/2017 at 10:03 AM, StrayCat said:

...or you start a new game.    When I feel that I am now so much secured that I can easily spend my days in a base, with tons of resources, I  know that my character is now out of danger. The goal of "surviving" has shifted to "living". So I can leave him/her alone, and start a new survivor. 

Yea see that doesn't work for me.  I get really attached to my characters especially if I survived many wolf battles, sometimes a surprise bear. I've explored everything from TM to DP and now what I am suppose to just jump of a cliff. I am sure that Raphael did not intend that the game should be played this way.

I understand that sandbox was only test branch for the story mode but I've played sandbox for years now that's why I would love to see some awesome new mechanics like barter system, quests and so on...