Containers of various types [POLL]

[SteveP]

Would you favor the addition of various types of containers to the game?

Do you feel they would enhance the game? Or contribute to unnecessary clutter/complexity?

Which is more important? realism or simplicity?

Finding useful containers is often an important task in TV survival scenarios just like in real life. Is this degree of survivalism important to the game?

What makes this game interesting for you personally and in general for users?

[SteveP]

All of these make the game richer and more realistic; it adds to the cachet of survivalism and adds new dimensions to the game and strategy. It introduces new trade-offs and critical choices. For experienced players, it may prove to be a hassle. Change is not always welcome. New players would probably find it just one more natural part of the game; its something we worry about in real survival scenarios especially when faced with a limited selection of choices. How many empty plastic bottles do you want to tote? They make noise and are cumbersome to carry, especially individually. Add a nice haversack and empty containers are less of a nuisance. You would of course, need to think about carrying a fry pan if you plan to eat out on the ice or snow.

Please have fun debating; I think it's rather academic at this time and stage of the game; think of this as what you'd like to see in the next iteration of the game. ;-) These ideas will make good candidates for the next wish-list/want-list.

 

[ArcherAC3]

10 hours ago, SteveP said:

For experienced players, it may prove to be a hassle. Change is not always welcome. New players would probably find it just one more natural part of the game; its something we worry about in real survival scenarios especially when faced with a limited selection of choices.

Funny thing, when I first played The Long Dark with the 60 minutes trial on the console - which already made me fall in love with the game and buy it - I had this thought that I had to find some type of recipient to collect and to boil water. It felt a bit weird when I drank a full soda can and was left wondering where the empty can went so I could fill it with water or something xD.

Experienced players would probably argue and say it's a bad implementation because it would "change their playstyle" (even if ever so slightly) - but I don't think any real cool feature will be added to the game if people are so afraid of changing the way they play.

So, trying to look from a new player experience - who just crashed their plane into the northen Canadian wilderness for the first time - this recipient implementation would be very welcome, if not also natural to the game.

I'd also like to see thermos for carrying that coffee around. It bothers me quite a bit how you can sprint, fight wolves, climb ropes and all without spilling coffee all over your backpack.

[Mortan1234]

some of these already exist. there are already toolboxes in the game which can spawn tools in them and can hold any item (given that weight is not exceeded). and some are not necessary such as containers for water and oil. water comes in the form of water bottles and oil comes in the form of a jerry can, which can both be either placed on the ground for storage or in a preexisting container. 

a way to increase backpack space (carryweight) would be really cool, perhaps by crafting an improved wolf skin backpack. maybe i just like the crafting mechanic too much, but then again i always get so many wolf skins and have not much else to do with them after i make 2 coats. something else to craft out of wolf would be nice.

[SteveP]

Container poll still open!

[Wasteland Watcher]

The more realistic the game gets the more I like it. 

Also, since the sandbox is a survival simulator there should be either help notes or a manual (accessible from game menu) that states anything unrealistic (for example: no need for water, oil containers) so some of us don't realize we don't need a pot and shovel to gather snow for boiling water.
When I first played I kept hearing my character complain of thirst and looking in my inventory didn't see any containers for gathering snow so didn't think about water being accessible from the 'camp fire menu.'

[JAFO]

12 hours ago, Wasteland Watcher said:

since the sandbox is a survival simulator there should be either help notes or a manual (accessible from game menu) that states anything unrealistic (for example: no need for water, oil containers) so some of us don't realize we don't need a pot and shovel to gather snow for boiling water.

Heh.. during the TLD half-price sale just before the big price increase, I bought TLD as a gift for a friend. He later told me he spent half an hour trying to figure out how to cook food and melt snow in the pot and pan on top of the stove in the Trapper's Cabin!

[Wasteland Watcher]

3 hours ago, JAFO said:

Heh.. during the TLD half-price sale just before the big price increase, I bought TLD as a gift for a friend. He later told me he spent half an hour trying to figure out how to cook food and melt snow in the pot and pan on top of the stove in the Trapper's Cabin!

Haha nice to know it wasn't just me having that sort of problem the first time they played

 

[SteveP]

Has anyone noticed that as you gather fish oil from cooking your catch, that you tend to accumulate a lot of small bottles of kerosene? You'd think they'd be combined with the contents assuming the condition of the oldest one. I wish I had the luxury to pack a dozen small unused empty containers! Fuel is fuel and its going to get used up pretty quick, probably on starting the next fire or making a torch.

[SteveP]

One of the most important uses for a container: CARRYING FIRE!!

[Miniwizard]

I'm not really in favour of using containers for 'carrying stuff'. I actually think that the containers themselves could have a fair bit of weight to them, but that any small in-game container (the metal boxes, plastic boxes, knapsacks etc) could be picked up and moved to a new location - or even just right clicked and moved (once empty).

My main use for containers would primarily just be for stick storage. Not only is it unsightly to drop stick piles everywhere, (cluttering up the world with items) but it becomes a pain to pick them back up again (individually) and awkward as hell to know how many you have. Being able to move or place a few self-crafted containers near your preferred fire spot or stove would hugely enhance things by removing a lot of tedium.

Perhaps a couple of reclaimed wood, a deerskin and guts can make a nice simple basket/holder for a decent amount of sticks. Or various pelts/skins can be stitched together to make small bags to sort other items in.

 

As a far simpler suggestion:

Perhaps sticks can be bundled together in groups of 20, (crafting menu: bundle - req. 20 sticks + line) and action>unbundle when you want to later use them. Seeing a couple of bundles lying on the floor then gives you a quick idea of how many sticks you have stored, and lets you pick them all up nice and quickly when needed.

[Miniwizard]

As a follow up to my previous post, and after a decent amount of searching to find a suitable image, this is pretty close in basic construction to what I was previously envisaging in my mind.

(though obviously in-game it would be something much cruder looking)

A couple of hours of time to build using maybe 4-6 reclaimed wood, a cured hide, and some cured guts to bind it together.

A fixed position, crafted container (that can afterwards be destroyed as most furniture to regain the wood, but lose the hide and guts).

It could be crafted using mechanics similar to placing/constructing a snow shelter - but has a small footprint (slightly larger than the occasional wooden crates/chairs) and can be placed indoors (as simple storage for sticks or other items) or outside (could put all your cooked/raw meats into it). Once placed, it can't be moved, or picked up - it simply acts as a furniture object that can be interacted with as storage.

It allows for the storage and organisation of items (for the many places that have zero or inadequate storage ability - eg, in a cave, outside a building, outside your snow shelter, next to your stove)

Yes, it's hardly essential to survival, but it gives the player additional things to do when hunkering down somewhere, and allows them to manage their stores of essential items. Using storage also allows the player to quickly assess/view their items rather than having them strewn all over the floor as individually rendered interactable objects.

 

[SteveP]

If you were to add the ability to transfer coals to start a new fire, that is not so different from carrying a brand or torch.

On some levels, the shortage of matches can make life very difficult so these ways of carefully conserving fire should make the game very much more interesting! ;-)

I like to see these neat survival tricks employed; there are times when you only have a single match so saving fire is an important priority!! The thing about a fire carry, is that you can add more tinder from time to time to conserve your ember. This level of realism would make a great addition to the game!!

[techActual]

I'd just like player crafted containers to help organize things a bit.. It's really basic thing IMO, I don't see the harm in it. If anything I'd like the option to move things like the cardboard boxes or metal boxes in game back to a base, place them, and fill them with loot. Maybe use charcoal to write on the exterior.. Might be asking too much late in development but heck, this is a wish list sub forum.