Question Thread :: Milton Mailbag

[TerribleSurvivor]

Will Buffer Memories in the future be a way to reveal secrets (like stashes or prepper caches). A secret place that only becomes accessible after finding out about it.

Additionally, enabling custom Buffer Memories for new games (e.g. loaded via code) would be kind of thrilling. This way the community could add to the experience of any and each Player.

[ThePancakeLady]

Without spoiling the rest of Wintermute... has any thought been given to a Season 2 Story Mode/Survival Mode or a new standalone game, taking place on the Mainland, in a more urban setting? Either continuing as Will & Astrid  or playing as new, unrelated characters? 

[Karl Grylls]

Are you planning to give us the possibility to choose from the radial to consume/produce more than just one item? I suggested it here in 2016 (first point of the list), but i never heard anything of it. I thought this would really make it in the game within the next 2 updates, because it is very easy to put in. At least it feels like that for a non IT-guy.

I can not play very often, so in case you already implemented it: forget the question

Edited July 6, 2018 by Karl Grylls

[wabbitstewed]

I have heard rumors and gossip about a motion picture adaptation of The Long Dark.  This would be a fantastic game to adapt, but there is always an issue with trying to fit or condense content from the source material into a limited time frame.

Are there any plans for a motion picture?  If so, would it be an entirely different/new story concerning The Long Dark?  I completely understand if this is a topic you don’t want to discuss because it could potentially spoil the surprise.  I just think, if done with the same effort, talent, and skills used to develop the game, that a film would be incredibly cool.

Unrelated—How does one get involved with writing a game’s storyline?  How does the writing process usually work (at Hinterland specifically or in general)?  What sort of credentials would someone need to enter this sort of position?

Thanks!

Wabbitstewed/Liz King

[Ice Hole]

Noticing the new crow animations has made me wonder will there will be any further expansion. 

Will crows be able to swoop down and interact with a carcass?

Will there be a need to scare crows away?

Will crows become agitated and nasty  during an aurora and attack the player?

Will crows warn us about an impending cougar attack?

Edited July 7, 2018 by Ice Hole
crow

[Azdrawee]

Why there's no jumping in the game? I kinda understand that it doesn't make much sense, jumping in the snow, but sometimes you can't even walk across a simple obstacle. Are you planning to add that or fix those issues?

[Skelegutplays]

Will we ever see any makeshift guns snd gunsmithing and if yes how would we craft ammunition and will there be many guns to craft or only 1?

[Pillock]

A question about the writing process of Wintermute:

Did you start out with an idea for a story, and then build the game around it, or did you have the idea for a winter survival scenario game, and then come up with a story to fit?

Is the story already written in its entirety, or are you adapting it to include new ideas and to fit with additional game mechanics as you go along?

[TerribleSurvivor]

Are there ever going to be more complex nutrition mechanics in the game? Like a nutrition condition that would affect your body condition recovery based on how well fed your character is so that it would actually make a noticeable difference if you stood above let´s say 1000 kCal consistently? That would add a little more complexity to the game in terms of calories management.

Edited July 8, 2018 by TerribleSurvivor

[Swope25]

I had once turned a old pair of socks into a makeshift pair of fingerless glove. (Mainly because I forgot my good gloves during winter in Missouri) And I got to thinking, what if you could turn this type of clothing, into something new since you can’t find it or are in the verge of freezing. For instance, using the extra pants you have you take the denim off of the pants to make a strange (warm?) scarf, or to make a janky looking vest, or like I talked about, making sock gloves. Basically your turning one piece of clothing into something else, a bare minimum but enough to keep you from getting frostbite in your fingers or face. Would you ever considering adding a new style of homemade crafted clothing into the game? Thanks for your time and have a lovely day.

-sincerely- swope25 

 

[StrayCat]

Will we have more "Canadian flavor" added to the game (I'm looking at you, maple syrup) ? I really enjoy that "proud to be canadian" attitude of HTL (even though I'm french), it creates a whole new atmosphere and makes the game stand out.

[Shy]

Right now most items (and their condition) in containers are generated globally on day 1 of sandbox, and start decaying immediately. 

On day 85 of my Interloper run, most items i find are either completely ruined (0%), or in a horrible condition (10-20%), making exploration pointless.

Can you make so the items were generated when player first enters location, like it was before? 

There is a thread on reddit about the issue 

 

[Skap]

I don't know if this has been asked before and I'm sorry if it has, but you've mentioned before a "TLD 2". I've seen you mention it several times when asked about implementing seasons into the current game. And I realize this is probably several years into the future and it's way too early to tell, but I was wondering if you had any ideas(even vague ones) about how different you'd want to make such a "sequel" compared to the original game? I'm asking about anything from gameplay mechanics to the artstyle here. 

[Looper]

Will you remake the temperature system so that:

• water freeze outside
• meat freeze outside

It seems illogical that carcass and clothes freeze but raw pieces of meat and water don't.   

[ajb1978]

I'm curious about how the bear spear is intended to operate.  Is this going to be a thrown weapon?  A short-ranged thrusting weapon?  Or is this more of a "set spear vs. charge" passive attack (to use old school D&D terminology) where you basically plant the end in the ground at the last second and let a charging opponent impale themselves before they can slow down to avoid it?  (Or maybe all three?  That would be pretty wicked.)

[FireCraft78]

I've started many sandbox parties but everytime I travelled all the regions and then I don't know what to do, I have much food etc, I could survive many days without doing anything. So I stop the party here and start a new one. People would say that I just should try on a harder difficulty but it's not my play style : I like to have a lot of stuff and don't stress for food or whatever. Thus I've always wanted another end to sandbox parties than dying. That's why I'm asking today, if you've ever thought about making a sort of winning end that would mean you survived / finished the game ? The best example is the challenge where you have to fire from the Timberwolf Mountain to be rescued. I would like to see something like this, here are some ideas :

-you have to found mechanicals parts to repair your plane (they can randomly spawn all over the map, one in each region)

-there is a boat to repair on coastal highway or desolation point

-you can alert a rescue team as in the challenge

- or even just put a time objective (that could be deactivated) such as 6months so that you passed the winter.

So that's it, just wanted to know if you thought about adding an alternative end to death in the sandbox mode ?

[Cr41g]

12 hours ago, FireCraft78 said:

- or even just put a time objective (that could be deactivated) such as 6months so that you passed the winter.

as a time objective this is pretty short... I am already well past this on my quest for the 500 day trophy... which is more than 16 months

[BESt]

It's there any chance that we get Ep 3 this year?

[Admin]

Please try to keep this focused on asking questions directed to @Raphael van Lierop and the game team. You can debate in other threads, but we want to keep this easy to scan and grab questions out of.

Thanks.

[huntergathers]

How do you feel about adding a thermos for hot drinks to the game, or a hot stone for the accessories slot as a kind of temporary warmth boost you could carry after warming it up at a fire? I really like the warmth bonus mechanic, but it is generally something that's hard to hang on to long enough to use more than once in a while, so I'd love to see more ways to take advantage of it and make more out of fires.

[collinblaster]

Have you considered adding more primitive survival options and aspects to the game? Specifically, what has always taken me out of the game's immersion is the lack of primitive firestarting options (bow drill, hand drill, ice magnifying glass) and options for making stone knives and arrowheads (flintknapping), as well as needing a workbench for a lot of things that don't really need a workbench to make (clothes, arrows, etc)

[horsechex]

1)  What games are the Hinterland team playing in their off-time?  

2) What non-game media helped inspire or inform Hinterland and The Long Dark? (Excluding those referenced in opening quotes, that is.)  

3) Most of the music in Survival seems to be from in-game triggers (condition, time, etc, though I could be wrong).  Any plans to add more ambient music to Survival, similar to Wintermute's more persistent musical presence?  I'd imagine it'd be challenging without the narrative control Wintermute provides, so curious if it's in the cards.  

4) What's one feature you'll never add (due to balance, techstack, game vision, etc) but holds a special place in your heart, so you wish you could?  

[nc1025]

When will episode 3 be coming 

[Awestin1993]

This question is pretty important for me! 

I just want to know if you plan on placing future titles of yours also within Canada?

As a proud Canadian, i love to see our country represented a bit more, so many talented artists in Canada yet so few are spreading Canada itself. (which they're under no obligation to)

 

I just hope, if it's another survival game, that it's set in Canada again!

[OldLadyGamerOG]

Will the Nomad challenge ever be updated w/new locations and possibly random starting points?