Much potential!! ... but needs improvements


qrisjin

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This game has the potential to be so much more with improvements. I think I understand the spirit of the game is to be minimalistic and REALISTIC without being too tedious to play. So to improve upon the true-to-life facet:

  1. Can opener - really shouldn't degrade at all. When's the last time you wore out your can opener at home and had to buy a new one?
  2. Crowbar - again, really shouldn't degrade at all. You could realistically take apart an entire cabin with no more than a few scratches the the finish.
  3. Environment - increased interaction in terms of being able to 'harvest' say wood from a crate, stool, or chair.This wood could potentially be split into kindling with a good sized knife or the hatchet.
  4. Beds - they have blankets. Harvest them for warmth or crafting.
  5. Fire - realistically shouldn't decline in duration from cooking, melting, boiling; fire will last as long as there is fuel and will deliver heat the entire time regardless of what it is being used fore.
  6. Time - I understand it is sped up but we are still exploring the world in our own 'real time', this creates an unrealistic discrepancy.
  7. Calories - loss happens unrealistically fast. Or is it because it's happening at the rate the game time is running at? Either way the amount of food eaten during a day is massive! Not true-to-life.
  8. Eating - it is indeed possible to walk and eat, just not in this sim.

I realize this is still alpha so maybe some of these things are on the list. Actually, I would be nice to see what the developers intend to change in the future; what specific goals do they have for game play?

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I agree on a few points you made. Harvesting from things such as chairs, crates, etc. and the ability to gather cloth from beds was also a great idea. As far as degradation of equipment like crowbars and can openers, I understand where you are coming from. However, I do not completely agree. This is a game, pure and simple. The devs chose to implement a level of degradation in order to complement the gameplay. It makes for a more challenging experience and forces on you to constantly be doing something whether it is looking for new tools or parts to repair your old ones. To be perfectly honest, a game that simulated real life would be really bad. You would probably never survive a wolf attack, your aim with a rifle would never be 100% spot on, you wouldn't have a vast knowledge of crafting or repair, you definitely wouldn't be able to tell what the weather was, you wouldn't be able to track your exact hunger, thirst, health, and fatigue, and when you die, you are dead. No more "The Long Dark." It would vanish from your hard drive. That's why video games are fun. They give us an experience of particular scenarios without all the troubles involved, and create unrealistic challenges in order to promote gameplay.

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Ive played for a couple of hours now and while I do agree that its a game, it does tries to be fairly realistic.

And the point the OP makes are the same things I run into when playing. I understand the need for your tools to degrade over time, but most items degrade too fast compared to the amount of days spend in the world.

Given that it decreases 1% point every time its used the crowbar gives 100 uses at best. The hatchet has the same issue, any good hatchet can be abused like crazy without ever breaking down. These are tools designed to be abused repeatedly and shouldnt break at all, perhaps just get less efficient of time.

Also, I really feel time is moving too fast compared to all other actions. Right now it feels like Im just eating all the time.

I think if time is sped up, the amount of calories burnt per day should be equally tuned down so the amount of food seems more in proportion to the length of the day. While Im at it, the amount of meat from a deer is really low. It really should be closer to 20 to 30 kg per deer. Caloric value is really close tho. :)

While I agree the game shouldnt be as realistic as possible, and speeding time up is clear indication of this, there are aspects making it harder as real life would be.

So in short:

Decrease the amount of wear based on the material and function of the item.

Decrease the nutritional needs proportional to the amount time is sped up to keep it in balance.

Slow down time. A lot! Walking uninterrupted along the track shouldnt take over a day.

Double the amount of meat per deer to be closer to realistic values.

And now Im going back into the snow! ;)

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