Skill Tree option and Real life environmental struggles...

I'm not a fan of a tree - unlocking kind of thing.

What I think would be more realistic is after reading about a skill, having the option to use that skill.

For example, Will Mackanzie has never started a fire with a battery before. He reads about it in a book at the safe house, now that option is unlocked in his fire-starting abilities.

Then, as he practices it more, he can do it faster and/or do it with less material.

I like that, taking what I put and working around it. I like that idea!

I like that, taking what I put and working around it. I like that idea!

Great minds.

I agree with you both @RockinRaine & @robdoar , skill trees would definitely not work, nor should they be present, in a simulation type game such as this. I would love it if the game indeed used some sort of system to unlock certain skills once you "learned" them and allowed you to become more proficient through increased use.

I've been posting the same thing. :-) MORE great minds!

@robdoar @LoganG I agree with both of you, now lets think of stuff, plan it out.

@RockinRaine & @robdoar & @LoganG

I have to agree here as well. The unlocking of certain skills is a must, but not if you have to kill 5 Furry Rabbits before you get a skill increase.

This doesn't happen in RL so in this Sim it shouldn't either. When i go hunting, i get better EVERY time i do something, be it trapping, or stalking and catching by hand, or shooting a rifle, or throwing a knife. It has to be earnt but not by doing a certain number of things.

If this is thrown in there, the un knowledgable people in the Art of survival, will go straight out and try and kill those 5 furry rabbits, to get another notch up on the hunting metre, and they will completely miss what the game is all about, and inevitably they will die in a short time.

I don't enjoy unlocking things. I think those skills should be brought to the game by the player.

For instance, all the elements to perform something, such as build a shelter or start a fire can be present in the game but not explicit. There is a small mason jar in a shed somewhere out there in the cold that has a small amount of gas someone used for a lawnmower or weedeater. You could start a fire by simply finding dry sticks and some moss for kindling, and then spend the next bit of time working that into an ember or start a fire but if you happen to find that small bit of gas you have some accelerant to save your energy and time. It relies on the player's own skill and problem solving skills as you could go through the whole story and miss the gas in the jar.

Let's say you need a shelter. All the parts are in the world for everything from a very simple shelter to something a little safer, warmer, and robust. You'd have to find these parts on your own. Some sticks and branches from some firs will work great but what if you ventured out one time and found a tarp instead that kept you warmer and drier. Just some thoughts. I don't like skill points and upgrades in sims.

@Joshua_Barbour

I like that opinion! Thanks for sharing with me, I like the idea. Now, tell me what you think of the real life environmental struggles!

real life environmental struggles

!

Please give an example. I'm not following.

@robdoar

"Thicker snow means slower walking, running and sometimes tripping, stamina so you don't run forever, maybe even how fast can you close a door before the enemy gets to you. That is about all I have on my mind at the moment."

Go ahead and list more, I went heavy on the running aspect...

Maybe if your heart rate is too high certain tasks become more difficult such as nocking an arrow or friction starting a fire. I would also like to see the character get momentarily dizzy if he tries to exert himself while too hungry or thirsty. And perhaps the more experience you have doing things, the greater number of times you have successfully completed a task, the less you will suffer negative effects.

I know not all of this stuff can be implemented but it would be cool.

I'd like to see core body temp have an impact. We know about the ambient temp, but I'd like to see people become slugish and less aware as core body temp reaches low levels.

@robdoar

I think that Alan addressed this somewhat in the Reddit AMA stating there would be indicators such as sluggish movement based on Will's condition.

I would also like to see the character get momentarily dizzy if he tries to exert himself while too hungry or thirsty.

Looking at the TLD How Far Will You Go To Survive video (the opening segment), I like how the vision and walking goes very wobbly [dizzy].

[bBvideo 560,340:tunvagel]

It reminds me of the old games where if your character drank too much, the controls and viewing became very difficult to balance -- you really had to work at just keeping the character heading forward or even just trying to reach for the most simple objects.

I read this whole discussion and a thought popped into my head. I've read a few stories/real life events with survivors and when they got their feet wet, on accident, they had to start a fire quickly or risk hypothermia, or frostbite.

I would like to see an aspect like that, you're character doesn't see a thin sheet of ice in a small water pool, or something. You're foot crashes through and you have to get back to fire, or start one before you freeze, having your feet cold would affect the dexterity of making a fire.

Reading this thread, one thing really leaps out at me:

You guys are going to love the Firestarting system in the game.

Only if it's exactly what I want.

X-D

Reading this thread, one thing really leaps out at me:

You guys are going to love the Firestarting system in the game.

STOP !!!!! Teasing us please ?? ;-P

Man, some of these ideas(especially with the fire) sound awesome! I really think the idea of learning new skills through reading about them, or interacting with npc's would be an excellent way to handle things. As for proficiency, I know from personal experience that something like starting a fire with a bow drill can be extremely frustrating to learn. having the environment effect your mood, which in turn effects your skills is a really cool idea!

As for proficiency, I know from personal experience that something like starting a fire with a bow drill can be extremely frustrating to learn. having the environment effect your mood, which in turn effects your skills is a really cool idea!

And trust me, when your pissed off and frustrated, trying to light a fire with a bow drill, and you get more frustrated, you WONT be starting fire that day hehe But you are 100% correct though . . Thats why you need to keep your cool.

What gets me though about this game, going down in a plane crash, and at that time, there, then, you have no idea of what has just transpired, but because the game is about survival, you break the first rule about survival, YOU DONT LEAVE the Vehicle, Plane, Helicopter, so when the rescuers come looking for you, they always have a starting point, the crash site. Up here in the harsh North Australia, so so many people (tourists) have perished, because they broke the first rule of survival and left there car looking for help, when help could be coming down the road any time . . . . BIG no, no !!!! But this game makes us start off thinking the world is still OK but because its a Survival Game, we have to go out and survive ?!?!?!?!!

Maybe the DEVs will come up with a reason that fits into the story, as to why Will cannot stay at the crash site, perhaps a pack of wolves attacks or he sees a nearby shelter and figures he will still be close enough. A chain of events could occur after he the initial that forces him further away.

Regarding skills, I don't like the idea of gaining points and allocating them to skills/skill trees. Feels artificial. I favor an approach of you-slowly-improve-specifically-what-you-use.

I'm not sure if I agree or disagree about the requirement to learn skills from books. If that would be required only for some skills, which ones should they be, and why? What if you already know that in real life? It still looks like the game is holding an "invisible wall" between you and any ability you need to learn from a book.

And is that "read a book to unlock a skill" really different than "kill 5 rabbits to improve your archery skill"? Looks like we gamers naturally move back to familiar gameplay mechanics, while this game seems to embrace a certain minimalism. Yeah, reading a book makes more sense, but when you think about it, in the end both are unlocking mechanisms. And for this game, any unlocking mechanism would feel contrived, I'm afraid.

And what could be those skills so complex that would require reading first, before you can perform them AT ALL? Speaking Chinese? Airplane engine repair? Growing pot? Java programming?