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jakku

By jakku
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pikkue Pathfinder

pikkue

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(the one that got you pikkue all worked up for nothing ;))

*sigh

Let's leave it as it is, you stated your remarks, I stated mines, this is an internet forum and we got real things to do ;)

Btw,

after the next updates, the sandbox will cover about 19 sq km [almost double the current game size]. And the current bug fixes, animal AI fixes and tuning, not having to test for three separate modes (there are also over 1225 tunable variables and growing

THIS is really great information :) Looking forward!

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elloco999 Pathfinder

elloco999

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The current sandbox covers about 10 sq km -- after the next updates, the sandbox will cover about 19 sq km [almost fours times the current game size].

Great info admin! Thanks for posting.

But you might want to brush up on your math skills ;) Another 9 km2 is a lot of new ground to explore! Really looking forward to that!

Anyhow, with double the game size about to come out soon, a bit of patience will likely be needed... and no I don't think weekly detailed updates or task bullet lists are needed (they take a lot more than a few minutes to post - they also have to be organized, and a lot of material would still need to be kept secret). We're getting steady regular MAJOR updates every 3-4 weeks... We may "want" more updates, but we don't "need" more updates...

Even though some people here are asking for more updates, I don't think anyone was talking about more updates to the game, rather more information from the devs.

And while I completely agree that weekly posts (to not to call them updates) are not needed (or even wanted by many), especially not if they are only bullet lists of what's been done. But a bit more information coming our way would be nice. It wouldn't even have to be actual information about the next update or planned content, but things like questions for us to ponder about, little teasers etc help keep the community engaged. Things like the infograph you just posted are exactly the kind of things I mean.

Quite often, the thrill of seeing how much more has been put into each new major update is jaw dropping enough... and the devs always give a warning when testing tweaks are almost done and a new version is about to be released to everyone, so you can still finish up your current runs.

I absolutely agree with you on this. Every time there is a new update and I read the changelist I'm surprised and amazed at how much they have done. It's unbelievable how much Hinterland is able to deliver every month and still keep the alpha running so smooth. The TLD alpha is actually less bugged and more polished than several released high budget AAA games I've played. That's an incredible feat!

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Raphael van Lierop Pathfinder

Raphael van Lierop

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Hello all,

Totally hear you regarding the lack of communication. I'm sorry that you feel you've been neglected. Mainly all the updates we've been posting have been related to the Sandbox Updates, and we post those here in the Alpha Updates forum, and also on Steam.

Just to be clear -- since we ran our Kickstarter campaign ending October 2013, I've handled all the community and social media for Hinterland and The Long Dark myself. So when you see someone "posting on twitter 24/7", that's usually me checking my phone late at night, after a day working on the project. Not looking for sympathy, but just explaining that as a small team we always prioritize our efforts and our assumption is that our time is best spent improving the game.

But, we also think we can be doing a lot more with community than we have been able to! So, to that end, after a long search, I've finally found someone I feel comfortable handing off our community and social media to -- Ryan Arndt, who is going to be helping us out as Community Ambassador. You'll be seeing him around the forums, and he'll be taking over most of the social media posting/replying duties as well.

This is a great comfort to me, as I know you'll get the support you deserve.

We also have some big plans for a new website that will be much more devblog focused, with more development updates, some editorial content, etc. So this will provide more insights into the various exciting things that are happening over here at Hinterland.

In general, my philosophy about sharing progress is to drop a hint now and then, but I don't like giving it all away before the update launches. I prefer the surprise you feel when you first play Coastal Highway or find a new Gear item. I know you are impatient for information, but I don't see the value in posting a weekly update on progress. In the past, we posted very regular updates on Kickstarter and the feedback we got from the community was "it's too much! post less often...we only want to hear from you when you have *big* announcements". So, we took that to heart and that's mainly been our MO since then. I also don't like posting that we will try to get something in and then find out we can't make it for whatever reason.

So far, we've established a pretty good record of releasing a MAJOR update every month or so, with multiple smaller updates in between. We've already shared that the next update is going to increase the size of the Sandbox from 10km/sq to 19 km/sq, with a new region. There's a lot more going into that update and you're just going to have to wait to see it! So in general, I think we've proven that we update regularly, the updates are substantial and high-quality, and we don't intend for that to change at all.

Thanks again for your patience. I'm also going to post a formal invitation to Ryan elsewhere in the forums.

As for the dev team, we'll still be active in the forums but in a more "curated" way. We'll come in and participate in activities with you, answering questions and whatnot, but really look to Ryan to be your main point of contact if you need anything quickly because he'll be around pretty much all the time.

We'll also likely be pulling in some other community help over time. And, I must not neglect to mention our wonderful SCOUTS who have helped a ton with the community interaction on this project. They are part of the bedrock of the community and I look forward to seeing them involved as we continue moving forward.

Thanks again for your continued support.

- Raph

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Bill Tarling Pathfinder

Bill Tarling

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But you might want to brush up on your math skills ;) Another 9 km2 is a lot of new ground to explore! Really looking forward to that!

102km = 10kmx10km = 100

192km = 19kmx19km = 361

I had merely rounded the 192km up to 202km for simplicity sake when I said four times the size based on the chart info. Of course the devs may have meant the total map are would be double the current amount (which would work out to approx 142km) ;)

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elloco999 Pathfinder

elloco999

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Great news about Ryan joining the team! But now I am curious as to what happened with Emily Claire..?

I agree with your philosophy of not giving away too much before the actual update. It is indeed a great experience to find these things out for yourself when a new update is released!

You've indeed build a solid track record regarding the updates. I applaud Hinterland on this accomplishment.

There's a lot more going into that update and you're just going to have to wait to see it!

I can only say: O, goody goody goody! I feel like it's christmas every month when the update arrives.

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Raphael van Lierop Pathfinder

Raphael van Lierop

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Nothing happened to Emily. She was primarily helping us with PR and was never heavily involved with Community, and she was a contractor who went on to work on other projects. Emily's involvement with us was primarily around the Kickstarter time frame. We love Emily, she'll always be part of our studio's founding story, and I make sure to get together with her for pancakes every time I'm in Toronto. :)

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elloco999 Pathfinder

elloco999

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But you might want to brush up on your math skills ;) Another 9 km2 is a lot of new ground to explore! Really looking forward to that!

102km = 10kmx10km = 100

192km = 19kmx19km = 361

I had merely rounded the 192km up to 202km for simplicity sake when I said four times the size based on the chart info. Of course the devs may have meant the total map are would be double the current amount (which would work out to approx 142km) ;)

I know it's been while since I was in school and it's late and I should have been in bed 2 hours ago (but because of the great new info in this thread, I'm not), but I'm pretty sure it's:

10km2 = sqrt 10 * sqrt 10 = 3.16km * 3.16km

Or:

10km * 10km = 100km2

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ChillPlayer Pathfinder

ChillPlayer

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Now I am even more anxious to see the new update. I hope you announce the date 2-3 days ahead so I can inform my boss that I need some days off. Also need to book a vacation for my wife and kids, so a headstart would be really great :D

Indeed great news about Ryan, as the community is growing a CM will become more and more necessary. I believe that this announcement and the post from admin and you Raph will calm the sea so to speak and with the next update people will be too busy playing, giving you more time to code amazing stuff ;)

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elloco999 Pathfinder

elloco999

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Nothing happened to Emily. She was primarily helping us with PR and was never heavily involved with Community, and she was a contractor who went on to work on other projects. Emily's involvement with us was primarily around the Kickstarter time frame. We love Emily, she'll always be part of our studio's founding story, and I make sure to get together with her for pancakes every time I'm in Toronto. :)

Ah, okay. Since she's listed on the Hinterland website as being part of the core team I thought she would still be actively involved.

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TattooedMac Pathfinder

TattooedMac

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Yes they are. But some to do list could be fun! Something like that:

Phase 1: Next update v.184

Add bears done

Fix stuck wolfs working

Add Bow

Phase 2: Next update

Add Binoculars

Wolf rework

New Map

I think it will work very well, because it's alpha + all already have early access. Don't need put on list all bugs and fixes, just some important visual bugs and new stuff. More excitement, more hype, more people, more found bugs and better support for developers.

And being the game The Long Dark is, this will take away from the fun of discovery, and finding out the hard way (by dying) that something has been included, OR they have changed something.

This is also a double edged sword, which a lot of players screamed about, when they went walking on thin ice, and fell through, when on a 50+day run. But this is the way I like it.

Expect the unexpected, and that is what keeps a game like this, interesting and exciting . . . . . So don't expect any [spoil]spoilers from the Development team, because it just isn't going to happen.[/spoil] On the other hand, a roadmap of sorts, when they reply to threads, is the best you will get, but as Bill stated, even though they say they are working on it, doesn't mean its going to happen.

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pikkue Pathfinder

pikkue

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Please dont release before the beginning of february... gotta do stuff for my exams.. D:

...So when you see someone "posting on twitter 24/7", that's usually me checking my phone late at night, after a day working on the project..

Aswell I apologize for this, tweetet a few times with you cuz it seemed to the only way to contact you, but you being alone the man behind the community management til now is bringing the whole thing to a personal level.

Appreciating your work, go on bro!

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jakku Survivor

jakku

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And being the game The Long Dark is, this will take away from the fun of discovery, and finding out the hard way (by dying) that something has been included, OR they have changed something.

This is also a double edged sword, which a lot of players screamed about, when they went walking on thin ice, and fell through, when on a 50+day run. But this is the way I like it.

Expect the unexpected, and that is what keeps a game like this, interesting and exciting . . . . . So don't expect any [spoil]spoilers from the Development team, because it just isn't going to happen.[/spoil] On the other hand, a roadmap of sorts, when they reply to threads, is the best you will get, but as Bill stated, even though they say they are working on it, doesn't mean its going to happen.

My idea was bad.. I've liked ideas later my... No need weekly updates blogspot, some news can be bloged in two weeks or something...

By the way info shared earlier of bigger map was awesome! Thank you.

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Ms Nutcracker Pathfinder

Ms Nutcracker

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Thanks so much Raph for telling us that!! As for me I am patient and any update news is good! Keep up the hard work! :)

I rather the team work on the game then spending time answering all our questions. :)

Thanks again for all the hard work!

I apologize on behalf of others who have become impatient and demand our answers be met. We are very impatient and need to learn to be patient and understanding. As the product might be slower to release if the led designer has not answer his pm every day. :(

So we are sorry and we will be more thoughtful of your work. After all we are not the ones designing it. So sorry for complaining so much.

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jptawok Prepper

jptawok

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We'd like to provide a roadmap of sorts. We're just figuring out the best way to do it. Like I said above, now that we have some more help on the team we can spend time figuring out how to do more than "just" working on the game. :)

Please keep it vague! If you happen to add a.. "hermit", or terrifying new wildlife, just tell us there's "new AI" or something like that... I want my first experience with any new aggressive/interactive AI to be in game, not on the forums/reddit.

Cheers, and thanks for the amazing game!

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