OFFICIAL STORY MODE DETAILS + TEASER

[Raphael van Lierop]

Hello all,

Here's the official post on Story Mode details, as well as the Story Mode teaser! Check it out:

http://hinterlandgames.com/the-long-dar ... de-teaser/

Feel free to post any feedback or questions you may have, and we'll do our best to respond to them in a timely manner.

In the mean time, don't forget to check out our December Update, "Timberwolf Mountain": http://hinterlandgames.com/the-long-dar ... ate-to-tm/

Thanks!

- Raphael

[LucidFugue]

I know you've only just announced it, but calling the story mode "Episode One" and indicating that the content will be released over the course of 2016 suggests an open-ended approach toward ongoing development. I find that quite exciting, because what the team have created has so much potential on top of what has already been realised.

I guess I'm a bit curious to understand how this decision has evolved and where things might go in the future - though I understand not all questions may be able to be answered at this stage.

Was the original intention to develop a story that was smaller in scale and could be achieved in a single drop? I can imagine with the reception the game has received during Alpha your vision could be scaled up to an episodic format (that probably also assists in maintaining a small, core team working methodically on content).

By delivering the entirety of episode 1 to all the backers & alpha players, the team is committing to next year's development off the back of sales already made. Is the viability of an episode 2 dependant upon sales post-release? Or will that be a question that comes up sometime in 2016 when you're ready to consider your plans for 2017?

-edit: just to be clear, I'm assuming any future episode would need to be announced in due course, with a funding method announced alongside it. I'm just calling out that if and when you make such an announcement, I'd be willing to pay for another episode and continued Alpha access through 2016/17.

Thanks for all the great efforts made so far, and I look forward to seeing the game continue to develop over the next year or so. Can't wait to head home, fire up a new game, and prepare myself for an ascent of the mountain!

[43mightbe]

I'm so excited!!! The Long Dark has come such a long way since it first started and that's amazing.

[quinch1199]

I am loving the choice of art style (influenced from Talltale Games titles perahaps?) that quasi-cell animation style is ideal for this title. The trailer is dark, forboding … I’m really interested how interaction with NPC’s will be dealt with.

[Belwe]

Interestingly this video! the thread of the story is to bring the couple separated after the disaster?

at the end of the video we see an aggression that means it mean there will be a possible interaction with an AI?

By google trad

[Belwe]

it leaves me dreaming all this and I imagine after several episodes of additional content that allow the winter weather becomes beautiful Spring is the change in monsoons to finish in an endless summer that would transform all the decor in a barren dessert for a new experience games

By google trad

[bethany]

@LucidFugue: Glad to hear you're excited! We've been planning to develop The Long Dark as an episodic adventure for quite some time, so we're happy to share some information. You might find these early notes from our Kickstarter campaign interesting...They'll give you a little insight into our process from the very early stages of development.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/hi ... sts/607852

[aurora]

The story-mode teaser video is quite disturbing. This seems to get a really interesting story!

[Belwe]

thank you bethany

I read the links

and my dream comes true you made a great job

[Raven 2010]

Story mode finally .... Hmm hope that updates to sand box and story mode won't get priority over the other at least till sand box is "finished" . ik that story mode will probably get updates till this game heaven forbid falls out of relevance I just hope that sandbox will still get TLC when and after story mode hits

[MueckE]

At first, you wanted sandbox just to be for testing and to shut it down with the release of storymode. Now, sandbox has evolved its own charm and you decided to keep it (what's great to hear )

So i guess the basic story was set already a long time ago.

I write this, to explain my concern with what i have seen in the teaser.

I see the main characters beeing afraid and sad, but why? Is it because of the darkness, the blizzards, the wolves and the loneliness? (sandbox) - or is it because the survivors struggle to keep their humanity and became savages (that is what was shown in the teaser) ?

My concern:

Sandbox = survive against nature/elements

Story = survive the terror of other survivors (like it is in the walking dead - story is not about the zombies but how the survivors change)

That would be a completely diffrent game than we know. It still can be great and fun to play, but it just would not be the long dark as we know it.

Could you say a little bit about that?

[harobed1156]

This is really exciting news about story mode and progressive saves. But, I too hope that the Sandbox stays much as it is... I like to make up my own scenarios and challenges.

[djanico]

Wow.. the teaser is amazingly WELL DONE. ** THANK YOU ** for giving us a dark brooding and more realistic approach to the "apocalypse" scenario. If i may ask, please guys do your best to keep that theme going. Im tired of most of these new games giving us a "FPS" style unrealistic approach to survival. I also would love to keep this "Mature rated". Give emotion to the game! Good ones of hope and strength.. dark ones.. despair and "lost" feelings.. sad regrets.. sad scenes that will literally make you cry. (that baby crib in Pleasant Valley.. man that really hit me hard i wont lie).

If i may suggest for story mode, ad the ability to be able to "bury" friends or survivors. Hit it square in "the feels"!

[Sabreknot777]

I can honestly say I am stunned by how good this game is. How responsive your team is. Just bloody brilliant. Thank you and your team for a really incredible experience that you keep improving. It would seem that your decision to come back to the island was a good one. Very, very well done. The Long Dark is #3 on my all time list and I'm an old #$%^er so....

[RenegadeReturn]

I'm too exciting to discover the story mode.

[Drazon]

So there will be NPC's?

[bethany]

So there will be NPC's?

Yes.

[Eachna]

Hello all,

Here's the official post on Story Mode details, as well as the Story Mode teaser! Check it out:

http://hinterlandgames.com/the-long-dar ... de-teaser/

Feel free to post any feedback or questions you may have, and we'll do our best to respond to them in a timely manner.

In the mean time, don't forget to check out our December Update, "Timberwolf Mountain": http://hinterlandgames.com/the-long-dar ... ate-to-tm/

Thanks!

- Raphael

What happened with the change from releasing Story mode in December 2015 to instead announcing story mode will exist and giving us a teaser trailer?

Is there a longer post/explanation of the delay somewhere else?

[SteveP]

What happened with the change from releasing Story mode in December 2015 to instead announcing story mode will exist and giving us a teaser trailer?

Is there a longer post/explanation of the delay somewhere else?

This is software development so its best if we are flexible about releases since we want the best quality. Let them take time to make the necessary fixes and improvements and to get story mode ready. I would hate to see them stop evolving this game. I want to see ongoing fixes, improvements and real enhancements! I would definitely be interested in future versions of the game for other seasons or even for another winter scenario.

It would be great if Hinterland opened up the development so that we could have user created maps similar to the way Doom evolved. it can get really messy if not well designed and integrated. Look how much of a mess Train Simulator was when we tried to get things working; endless problems and hunting for missing resources etc. More for hackers than for gamers.

It takes time to manage an Issue/Bug database as well as a lot of time to prepare press releases or to explain internal policies. I'm just very happy that there is lots of work still being done and new maps and enhancements. That's what truly sets this game apart from others. Extensibility!

[pkbitchgirl]

When will the backers who picked the pledge to have themselves immortalised in the game be contacted to send their details in?

Story mode is expected in Spring 2016 but I was never contacted about sending my details in (I regularly checked my spam folder). Is it too late at this point? When I last posted about this someone (don't know if they were someone who worked on the game or another backer like myself) left a comment stating it was up to me to keep abreast of the details of the game.

[bethany]

When will the backers who picked the pledge to have themselves immortalised in the game be contacted to send their details in?

Story mode is expected in Spring 2016 but I was never contacted about sending my details in (I regularly checked my spam folder). Is it too late at this point? When I last posted about this someone (don't know if they were someone who worked on the game or another backer like myself) left a comment stating it was up to me to keep abreast of the details of the game.

We are in the process of gathering information on these backers, and will be contacting them in the near future. We'll have more to share soon.

[LordStarwalker]

Wow story mode looks like it will be fantastic! So, TLD = a deep sandbox survival game + crafting system + story episodes? Yes please, take my money ASAP!

Based on my experience with this game so far and what looks like is coming down the pipe, I'm thinking "The Force is strong with the Hinterland Game Developers".

[bbdowns124]

Great game!

[Eachna]

What happened with the change from releasing Story mode in December 2015 to instead announcing story mode will exist and giving us a teaser trailer?

Is there a longer post/explanation of the delay somewhere else?

This is software development so its best if we are flexible about releases since we want the best quality. Let them take time to make the necessary fixes and improvements and to get story mode ready. I would hate to see them stop evolving this game.

That doesn't answer my question. I understand there are delays and issues. What I'm asking is if they (the devs) wrote a post/release anywhere explaining any of the delays/issues? I can't find one. It's quite possible I missed it, so I'm asking if anyone else has seen one.

As late as the beginning of December, Hinterland Devs were responding to queries on the Steam message boards that they were on schedule to release Story Mode by the end of the year, 2015. Then they missed the target for release and turned it into an announcement Story Mode will exist.

It's normal business practice in this case to provide at least a brief explanation as to what was behind the delay. Not being able to find one just seems odd.

[madrepityu]

What happened with the change from releasing Story mode in December 2015 to instead announcing story mode will exist and giving us a teaser trailer?

Is there a longer post/explanation of the delay somewhere else?

This is software development so its best if we are flexible about releases since we want the best quality. Let them take time to make the necessary fixes and improvements and to get story mode ready. I would hate to see them stop evolving this game.

That doesn't answer my question. I understand there are delays and issues. What I'm asking is if they (the devs) wrote a post/release anywhere explaining any of the delays/issues? I can't find one. It's quite possible I missed it, so I'm asking if anyone else has seen one.

As late as the beginning of December, Hinterland Devs were responding to queries on the Steam message boards that they were on schedule to release Story Mode by the end of the year, 2015. Then they missed the target for release and turned it into an announcement Story Mode will exist.

It's normal business practice in this case to provide at least a brief explanation as to what was behind the delay. Not being able to find one just seems odd.

You're NOT going to have a straight answer or explanation from Hinterland's stuff! They make a slip in speaking. In the beginning they were more informative and humble, but since the game sold well it seems they become a bit high-minded. Basically the stuff members job is to equivocate on the forums.