Intelligent diffuculty settings for newcomers

[exgamesadrenaline]

I'd say that my first experience with TLD difficulty was not longer than 8-12 in-game hours...

Many of my attempts was try-n-error without any guidance, some sessions was in complete darkness (I liked it alot! True challenge). The main reason of course is that game is still in development, and there plenty things to do with higher priorities.

However maybe this initial hard difficulty is not for all personas and there is another way:

• a few notes scattered near the descent point (someone suggested a guides on this wish list)
  
• or some initial raw map + guides in the backpack + some hints intelligently popup (where i can read those guides)
  
• I like the hardcore simulation, however there are plenty of casual gamers - I'm sure they just want enjoy the story, but not the hard survival (let's say play session for them could be easily 30min-1h per evening)
  
• maybe the game can set a few tresholds for a casual players initially, if player slow on finding critical resources, or other KPI - game can trigger helping-hand events - e.g. summon more loot nearby (in not observed areas)
  
• and if game / location knows that this is seasoned veteran, it can provide more challenge / new procedural hidden obstacles
  
• if passed more than 20 / 40 / 60 ... 200 days + rnd, game can intentionally put more content to the game, for those who want to commit a suicide too bored.

Because after 10 hours of real time, when almost the whole area is explored

motivation and engagement is quickly fading out

(as another user commited suiced in game after 20 days)

[Trandor]

Well obviously the main game will have some clues at the start. But why would you need that in a sandbox? The sandbox is here to challenge players to see how long they can survive given the environment of this map. There's no need to make it easier or harder for particular players. It kind of defeats the purpose of having a sandbox in the first place, doesn't it?

Would it be nice to have more stuff to do? Sure. Could it be more challenging after a certain amount of days? Why not?

But I don't see the point in adding more stuff just because it might be too hard for new players that start with the Sandbox, rather than the main game. And I also don't see the point of adding more stuff simply because people commit suicide due to boredom. The goal of the sandbox is to survive for as long as you possibly can. If that's not for you, play the main game, not the sandbox.

I don't want to sound harsh or anything. But we're talking about a hardcore-survival game. And you want to make the hardest part of the game, i.e. the sandbox (the part that to me is actually what makes this game the most interesting) softer so casual gamers can easily start there? I simply cannot agree.

[gwishades]

i agree i think this game is meant to be difficult and challenging and i don't think a difficulty system could be implemented in this game. yes sandbox mode right now only has so much you can do but after the map becomes larger i don't that will be an issue. also a system of spawning more loot for "new" players could be abused by "veteran" players. so i just cant agree with this either. like Trandor said casual players should just wait for the story mode if they want there hand held....

[exgamesadrenaline]

so casual gamers can easily start there? I simply cannot agree.

millions of casual gamers from apple | android | PC/MAC marketplaces etc. does not agree

anyway devs know what to do,

so if anything from these features will be implemented, it will be great.

thanks

[gwishades]

notes would be a good idea like a survival manual. and for map if you notice in the menu there is a map icon its just not implemented yet. later on i believe your map will be produced by iconic landmarks in the game.

[exgamesadrenaline]

about 20, 40, 60, 200 hours - why i'm asking these features mentioned above in the sandbox mode.

for me as an amateur pilot there is no good survival sim on the market ,

bear grylls and some not so well made games (maybe I'm not looking so thoroughly ; )

so for me additional content in the game is a MUST after 20h was spent.

I think there are so many not so obvious applications for survival sim

Just think about education for youngsters.

Not so many teenage players aware of the reality in the wild and cost of the single error there.

[exgamesadrenaline]

right now i'm already know the routine of the first 24-48h survival,

however the challenge mode later can be expanded with tons of achievements and maybe coop multiplayer

- achivement: yell on wife/husband no more then 100 times when smb do smt lame