Buffer Memories - question & feedback

[Moonraker]

The concept of the Buffer Memories added with Update 1.33 is really interesting and I was fortunate to get to see a computer during the Aurora. However I'm rather confused as to exactly what the user experience is intended.

From the update notes it states;

Quote

We’ve added new narrative collectibles to Survival Mode, in the form of “buffer memories”. These are the last documents stored in a computer’s memory before all the technology around Great Bear and beyond, was suddenly rendered inert by the mysterious aurora. Now, when the aurora appears at night, you might see some computer terminals display snippets of notes, emails, reports — information that provides more background on the world of The Long Dark. We’ve implemented a first series of Buffer Memories in VIGILANT FLAME, across a series of specific locations. Remember, each location may have more than one memory to offer. You can track discovered memories in the Collections section of your Survival Journal.

EDIT: There was a second Aurora the next night so I checked again. This time there was another separate message.

I think that the ways it works is:

1. Click on the Computer screen during the Aurora when it is alternating brightness and text scrolling  to go into screen view mode.
2. Once there do nothing! Just let the fast flickering slow down on it's own so that the message comes into eventual view and stops moving much. Maybe 30-60 seconds.
3. To view the whole message (as usually the window only showed part of it) then use the Scroll wheel to scroll down the message to view it all, or back up.
4. Then either write down what it says or take a screen shot for each part of the message for reading later (need to redo this as after any action press the view moves back off the screen).

Not sure why the messages are not see in order or at the same viewing. Perhaps they are random and or change over time during the Aurora or during separate Auroras? It appears to be a separate message per Aurora.

After viewing this second time the Journal > Buffer Memories page now shows 2/31 and the Select page shows two computer icons which read 2/4 & 4/4. So 4/4 is not viewed all messages but it is the 4th out of 4 messages. So it has registered 2 messages read and recorded.

Initial comments retained below to indicate my initial confusion and feedback.

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When the Aurora was going on I could see  a scrolling and flashing screen on the computer and an option to click and interact with it.

I did so which swings the screen towards the viewpoint of the player character and also zooms to the screen.

A small mouse icon pops us with the option to Scroll on it and that's all. Any click will return the view to before.

EDIT: The scroll icon doesn't always show when interfacing with the Computer, though it does seem to work (know I think I understand how it works).

It's not possible to read anything with the screen flashing from bright to near normal and scrolling speed from moderate to fast.

Using the scroll it was hard to really know what to do. I tried slowly scroll up and down (mouse middle key scroll on PC) and more rapidly. It didn;t seem to do much other than gradually the screen scrolling and flashing slowed to a point where the message (email in this case) was about readable but not for much time.

The only way I could think to read it was a series of screenshots then read it and hope the brightness wasn;t too bad |(I have all settings Ultra for info).

It was hard to know if there was one or more message as the email was not view-able all on one screen but from screenshots I could work out in the end what it said. Just from viewing in-game it would be tough to even write it down but I guess possible eventually.

The main issue I found it that as the view is focused on the computer screen, then the players view is of the whole screen scrolling slowly then fast with brightness going from normal to really bright.  Personally I found it really hard to concentrate and look at it for long due to this.

For anyone with problems with strobing lights I can imagine it being a potential problem.

After a bit of this there was a message that the Memory Buffer was complete 1/1 so at least I knew there was one message only.

I then checked the Journal > Buffer Memories and selected it.

I expected, like Notes, for there a record of the email message, however there was nothing but a computer icon and a message:

Buffer Memories - Echoes from Broken Railroad - stirred to life by the Aurora 4/4

I am confused by the 4/4 as their was only the one message and the Memory Buffer page shows 1/31. Is there supposed to be a record of messages viewed or am I missing something?

Given the difficulty I had trying to view it, perhaps down to not understanding the mechanics of the scroll prompt correctly, it would be nice to be able to read it and refer back to it once discovered.

I wont post the page to avoid spoilers but can send them directly if it helps explain.

The idea and excitement to come across a remnant message from before the First Flare was great. Just some confusion of what to expect and quite what to do with the scroll prompt and how the player is supposed to record the message etc.

Just my initial thoughts and experience. I could not see a Feedback section so put it here.

[thekillergreece]

I would love if you could help out TLD wikia and post there your screenshots and the texts of the screenshot.

[Moonraker]

7 hours ago, thekillergreece said:

I would love if you could help out TLD wikia and post there your screenshots and the texts of the screenshot.

I would be happy to.

I checked the TLD wikia but not familiar with the correct form of content for pages like this. Currently there is only a sentence of text.

Different wikias tend to have different formats so some guidance of basic sections then I'll post the screenshots I have, plus flesh out the descriptions etc. Also I assume probably another page for the actual messages?

[thekillergreece]

Just now, Moonraker said:

I would be happy to.

I checked the TLD wikia but not familiar with the correct form of content for pages like this. Currently there is only a sentence of text.

Different wikias tend to have different formats so some guidance of basic sections then I'll post the screenshots I have, plus flesh out the descriptions etc. Also I assume probably another page for the actual messages?

I think a user has a way to access TLD files and find it in that way. Not sure.

[Patrick Carlson]

A note on the Buffer Memories: Currently you can use your Journal to track how many Memories you've encountered, and at which locations. You'll see this noted in the line of text for each one you've collected. It will specify a location in the game world, and a number. So you know there is still more to uncover at that terminal during the Aurora. But we're also certainly aware that getting to revisit the text itself in the Journal could be very worthwhile, especially as a Collectible. This was a first pass on a new feature, and as we've stated in previous Dev Diaries, we'd like to build on it going forward. 

[Moonraker]

11 minutes ago, Patrick Carlson said:

A note on the Buffer Memories: Currently you can use your Journal to track how many Memories you've encountered, and at which locations. You'll see this noted in the line of text for each one you've collected. It will specify a location in the game world, and a number. So you know there is still more to uncover at that terminal during the Aurora. But we're also certainly aware that getting to revisit the text itself in the Journal could be very worthwhile, especially as a Collectible. This was a first pass on a new feature, and as we've stated in previous Dev Diaries, we'd like to build on it going forward. 

Thanks for the confirmation. It was just the first one found indicated 4/4 and was not aware at that time that there were more.

Text expressing say, 1 of 4 might be clearer.

Records of the text would be really welcome.

I appreciate it is a feature being further developed and really appreciate the detail and effort to provide some more backstory/ lore, hints to other events and possible caches etc. and look forward to seeing where it goes.

[Patrick Carlson]

10 minutes ago, Moonraker said:

Thanks for the confirmation. It was just the first one found indicated 4/4 and was not aware at that time that there were more.

Text expressing say, 1 of 4 might be clearer.

Records of the text would be really welcome.

I appreciate it is a feature being further developed and really appreciate the detail and effort to provide some more backstory/ lore, hints to other events and possible caches etc. and look forward to seeing where it goes.

Thanks for this. A bit more clarity -- If one text says 2/5 or 3/4, it means there's several others to find at both locations. It's the second of five, to put it another way, not the second one you've discovered. But all this feedback helps as we move forward with this new feature. Appreciated. 

[hozz1235]

On 6/15/2018 at 11:26 AM, Patrick Carlson said:

Thanks for this. A bit more clarity -- If one text says 2/5 or 3/4, it means there's several others to find at both locations. It's the second of five, to put it another way, not the second one you've discovered. But all this feedback helps as we move forward with this new feature. Appreciated. 

Or, if you want to still note which note you've found, you could say something like "#2 of 5"