THE LONG DARK SANDBOX UPDATED to v.364, “VIGILANT TRESPASS”


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THE LONG DARK SANDBOX UPDATED to v.364, “VIGILANT TRESPASS”

 

We’ve just updated The Long Dark to v.364, “Vigilant Trespass”. This update introduces several new features and changes to content, outlined below. A full changelist can be found at the end of this message.

Here’s a video that discusses some of the changes introduced in “Vigilant Trespass”.

 

New Experience Mode: Interloper

We’ve added a new Experience Mode: Interloper. Interloper is a highly challenging mode that focuses on self-sufficiency in survival. It is the most “extreme” of the Experience Modes for the following reasons:

* The world becomes more hostile to you as you play. Global temperature drops, wildlife and fuel resources become more scarce, and Blizzards become more frequent.

* There are no Rifles in the world.

* Apart from the Hacksaw and Hammer, which spawn rarely in the world, you need to create all your own improvised tools (ex. Hatchets, Knives, etc.).

* The best Clothing and Food items do not spawn.

* Wolves are more rare, but also more deadly.

* Wildlife becomes more rare over time.

 

New Challenge Mode: Hunted, Part Two

We’ve added the follow-up challenge to Hunted. In Hunted, Part Two, you must track the Old Bear from the Trapper’s Cabin, to its Den. Keep an eye out for tracks and blood drops. The weather may not cooperate!

 

Improved World “Decay” Systems

We’ve made some changes to how various systems work to ensure that, over time, the Sandbox becomes gradually more challenging over time. This is to combat the sense that the game becomes too easy once players have made it past a certain threshold in their survival skill and with improvised gear and tools. The new Experience Mode, Interloper, shows the most extreme version of this updated “Decay”, but we’ve applied it to all pre-existing Experience Modes as well. In general, we tune about a dozen variables differently as the game progresses over time, including (amongst other things): wildlife spawn behaviour, weather patterns, global temperature, and the availability of fuel resource spawns. The rate at which this “decay” occurs depends on the Experience Mode, with Pilgrim and Interloper being on opposite ends of the spectrum. Our intent is that these changes ensure the level of challenge in the game remains engaging over long-term Sandbox games, but consistent with the level that players would expect for that particular Experience Mode.

 

First-Person Presence & Updated Locomotion

We’ve updated all our in-game Light Sources with first-person animations. This includes: Flare, Lantern, Torch, Brand, Matches. Lantern placement has also been modified to work better with first-person hands.

Both Male and Female hands are represented. For now, we are not visualizing custom player clothing or gloves/mittens on the hands.

Please note that there may still be glitches with this system, as well as unanticipated effects to some of the in-game interactions.

We’ve updated our Locomotion animations to work better with the First-Person hands. You will see equipped light sources in hand when walking, though hidden while sprinting.

We’ve also modified the way Sprinting works -- you can no longer sprint backwards, nor sprint-strafe in perfectly lateral directions (though it is still possible to sprint forward and on an angle).

 

Updated Rest & Passing Time Interface

Our last pass on the Rest and Passing Time interface was confusing for players, so we’ve updated both these interfaces.

Now, to Pass Time, you use the Radial > Campcraft menu to select the “Pass Time” option (the icon is a Deck of Cards). You will now get real-time feedback on how Passing Time is affecting your Status, and you can interrupt Passing Time at any time.

Please keep in mind that the previous Warmth bonus during Pass Time was an artifact from the use of the Rest menu, and was not an intended bonus. You can now Pass Time anywhere (i.e. you do not need a Bed or Bedroll).

Rest works as it always has -- you can Rest from the Bedroll or any Bed. Both interfaces have been updated to clarify your current Status, to help you make a better decision about how long you want to Rest or Pass Time.

 

Wolf Decoy Exploit Fix

We’ve fixed the Wolf Decoy exploit. Decoys will now cause Wolves to “retreat” for a period of time, but they will no longer stand there making an easy target. Only Meat (includes Fish and Guts) may now be used for Decoys, and the “Drop Decoy” action will automatically select the “smelliest” (i.e. lowest Condition) meat in your Backpack.

 

Beachcombing Gameplay

We’ve updated the Coastlines to have open water. You’ll find that useful things occasionally wash up, but keep an ear out for signs of weak ice. If you fall in the water, it’s instant Hypothermia and your clothes will all be Wet!

 

New Skills: Archery & Mending

We’ve added two new skills: Archery, and Mending. Keep in mind that we’re still iterating on the Skills system, so our plan is to continue tuning and expanding this system over time.

 

Feat Slots

Based on feedback from the community, we’ve modified how we handle Feats. Now each Experience Mode supports a number of active Feats -- 5 for Pilgrim, 4 for Voyageur, etc. During the Sandbox setup, you’ll need to activate any Feats you’ve unlocked so far, and those Feats will be active for that particular Sandbox game.

If you prefer not to use Feats, simply do not activate any of them. Also, please keep in mind that you can’t enable Feats you’ve unlocked in your current game.

 

A Few More Tweaks

We’ve rebalanced Snow Shelters to be a little less effective. Linux users can now Alt-Tab without audio becoming corrupted. We’ve added a warning to help avoid burning partly-researched Books. Cleaning your Rifle no longer improves the Rifle Firearm skill. Cooking Fish now produces a small amount of usable Lamp Oil.

We’ve also fixed several bugs; the full changelist will be published once we migrate the Test Branch to the Main Release.

 

New Languages

Apart from any new text added in this Test Branch (which hasn’t been translated yet), you should find the Sandbox has now been translated into: Portuguese, Brazilian Portuguese, Spanish, Finnish, and Dutch.

 

Middleware Updates

In this Test Build, we’ve updated Unity and also Wwise (our audio engine). We don’t think this will impact anyone, but it’s possible that these updates may have affected stability. You may notice this particularly around graphics, and audio. Please make sure you report any bugs around unusual graphics glitches, audio issues.

 

NOTE ON TEST BUILD SAVES

As noted during the Test Build process, we are not carrying progress from the Test Build back into the Main Branch. This is to prevent any bugs or issues captured in your Saves, from being introduced back into your Main Branch games.

***Please note that current in-progress games from the Main Branch should continue working as expected with Vigilant Trespass.***

Also, please make sure your drivers are updated!

 

*****

 

THE LONG DARK SANDBOX UPDATE v.364, “VIGILANT TRESPASS” -- FULL CHANGELIST

 

NEW FEATURES

* Added new Experience Mode: Interloper

* Added new Challenge: Hunted, Part 2

* Added full First-Person Presence for Light Sources: Flare, Torch, Brand, Lantern, Matches

* Added Beachcombing Gameplay

* Added Archery Skill

* Added Mending Skill

* Iteration on “World Decay” systems across all Experience Modes, focused particularly on: global temperature, weather patterns, wildlife presence, blizzard frequency, and fuel resources

* Iteration on Feats system; players now activate a limited number of unlocked Feats per Sandbox game

 

CRASHES FIXED

* Fixed rare crash when firing Arrows

* Fixed rare crash issue in Fire UI

* Fixed rare crash in Badges UI

* Fixed rare audio crashes

* Fixed crash issues that could occur in the Snow Shelter UI

* Fixed rare crash related to Cabin Fever

* Fixed rare crash when accessing the Log screen

* Fixed rare crash when cancelling Firestarting

* Fixed rare crash when being stalked by a Wolf

* Fixed “Many Campfires” Out of Memory crash

* Fixed crash that could occur when trying to force burn an unread research book

* Fixed rare crash that could occur when firing the Survival Bow

* Fixed crash that could occur when entering a Struggle and holding a lit Flare/Torch/Brand

 

GAMEPLAY TUNING

* Tuned Snow Shelter dismantling resources

* Hacksaws can now be used to harvest Saplings and Tree Limbs

* Updated the Bed and Bedroll interfaces to support Passing Time as well as Rest

* Enabled Users to view status overlay when Rope Climbing - but not the radial menu

* Tuned Hacksaw per-use decay rate

* Fixed Decoy exploit; Wolves will no longer make an easy target!

* Cooking Fish now produces a small amount of Lamp Oil (varies based on Fish type and weight)

 

FIXES

* Fixed issue where brandishing the Flare did not increase Fatigue

* Fixed issue where player could drop Decoys when in a Snow Shelter or vehicle

* Fixed issues with drag-and-drop behaviour in Containers

* Fixed issue with Inventory sort icon colliders overlapping

* Fixed issue with audio when dragging scrollbar

* Fixed alpha issue on car windows that caused trees/foliage to not sort correctly

* Fixed floating objects after breaking down furniture in Farmhouse

* Fixed issue with player crashing through top of Snow Shelter after picking up items

* Fixed issue with debug screenshot behaviour

* Fixed issue with Brands providing a Heat Bonus when placed near a fire

* Fixed issue where players could become stuck on a black screen when retrying a Challenge

* Fixed being unable to light Torches from a fire

* Fixed issue where players could add Coal to a fire at an invalid (too low) temperature

* Fixed audio dropping out after a player Alt+Tabs away from the game

* Fixed issue with falling snow passing through walls in Forestry Lookouts

* Fixed issue that caused wildlife to sometimes become stuck on chunks of ice

* Fixed issue with Wildlife trying to pathfind into deep water

* Fixed Flare effects showing through doors

* Fixed issue that caused corpses to disappear when only partially in view

* Fixed issue where players could place Camp Fires deep in mines

* Fixed issue with looping Flare ignition audio

* Fixed floating plates appearing after breaking down certain tables in Coastal Highway

* Fixed inaccurate Calorie cost preview for Passing Time

* Fixed Harvesting UI displaying incorrect requirements when harvesting with bare hands with the Master Harvesting Skill

* Fixed issue with stackable items merging with invalid stacks, when dropped from inventory

* Fixed issue with inaccessible backpack in Timber Wolf Mountain

* Fixed issue with Torches not being lit by other lit (dropped) Torches and Flares

* Fixed issue that prevented the Journal stats from populating when viewed from the Main Menu

* Fixed issue that caused the camera to rotate and pan unexpectedly

* Fixed issue that could cause incorrect camera FOV at the start of game

* Fixed missing cabins in Coastal Highway

* Fixed duplicate rope near Mystery Lake Western Access

* Fixed issue with the Extinguish/Brandish prompts disappearing too quickly

* Fixed issue that caused the Torch effects to become offset after a scene load

* Fixed issue that allowed players to fire the Survival Bow after dropping their last Arrow

* Fixed issue caused by picking up an Arrow and nocking it, while holding the Survival Bow

* Fixed issue that allowed all Bunkers to spawn in Mystery Lake in certain scenarios

* Fixed issue that allowed low detail trees to appear on the Main Menu when running Low or Medium quality

 

Misc:

* Memory optimizations

* Fixed various environment art and world collision issues

### END OF CHANGELIST ###

Thank you for playing, and we hope you enjoy Vigilant Trespass!

The Hinterland Team

 

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For three days I've been re-checking forum and reddit if the patch would be out, since I really wanted to test the new diffuculty, but didn't like idea of going for the beta-build (to get stuck 'cos of a bug or something as frightening). And now, since I had finally given up on the hope it will come this week and only thing I can do is to go for the beta, the steam holds on saying it requires an update. Holy ****. Oh you so made me my weekend.

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3 minutes ago, Drazon said:

For three days I've been re-checking forum and reddit if the patch would be out, since I really wanted to test the new diffuculty, but didn't like idea of going for the beta-build (to get stuck 'cos of a bug or something as frightening). And now, since I had finally given up on the hope it will come this week and only thing I can do is to go for the beta, the steam holds on saying it requires an update. Holy ****. Oh you so made me my weekend.

Glad it arrived at an opportune time for you! And be sure to let us know what you think after you spend some time with it. 

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3 minutes ago, shw said:

...sad, but small amount of bugs go to release...

If you want to report something, please go ahead and make a post in our regular tech subforum so we can follow up on it. We know that even as the player base expands beyond the Test Branch to more systems, there could be issues. And we'll work to solve them, as always. 

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1 minute ago, Patrick Carlson said:

If you want to report something, please go ahead and make a post in our regular tech subforum so we can follow up on it. We know that even as the player base expands beyond the Test Branch to more systems, there could be issues. And we'll work to solve them, as always. 

i already posted all founded bugs in https://hinterlandgames.atlassian.net/projects/TLDP/ (for test brunch). Regular tech subforum has no feedback from developers and very rarely examines (for example, so many post about graphic glitches in TWM).

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Wow it's finally out, thank you! This is the most exciting Update since Pleasant Valley was introduced, it was very hard to sit on my mouth during testphase and to not tell people about Interloper, the new weather system or in general that the game is getting tougher.

And it is true what Raph said in the video, Interloper is so hard that it took me several tries to overcome just the first 10 days and once I managed to get to 47 (and die) I didn't try again, because it takes so much effort to survive that I wanted it to "count" in the official release the next time I go for it. So, now the real challenge begins :D

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Wow this update is awesome. It kind of makes the world alive and complete. I've always wanted that for TLD. No more boring days you race against time to hoard up as many resources  as you can. Also the beach-combing mechanic is awesome. Inspires players to travel.  Fish oil WOW that makes fishing as useful as hunting, especially in the new mode  where everything is so scarce and no rifles? Really? was that necessary? You should at least put one rifle just for fun. Yea only one rifle spawns in the entire game go find it if you can :) 

 

Thanks for this Massive update

 

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2 hours ago, vancopower said:

Wow this update is awesome. It kind of makes the world alive and complete. I've always wanted that for TLD. No more boring days you race against time to hoard up as many resources  as you can. Also the beach-combing mechanic is awesome. Inspires players to travel.  Fish oil WOW that makes fishing as useful as hunting, especially in the new mode  where everything is so scarce and no rifles? Really? was that necessary? You should at least put one rifle just for fun. Yea only one rifle spawns in the entire game go find it if you can :) 

 

Thanks for this Massive update

 

Now it becomes useful to cook the fish. I always ate them raw before :D

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Am i the only one have some serious FPS problems with this patch ? I was playing 60-50 fps last patch but with this one im playing 20-30. Do i need new pc or this patch need update ? (Asus Gtx760 AMD Fx X8 8350 8gb RAM Windows 7 64 bit) 

Note : What the f? I'm seeing 17 fps some places in forest Mystery lake.

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1 hour ago, Artech said:

Am i the only one have some serious FPS problems with this patch ? I was playing 60-50 fps last patch but with this one im playing 20-30. Do i need new pc or this patch need update ? (Asus Gtx760 AMD Fx X8 8350 8gb RAM Windows 7 64 bit)

I have issues, too ... strange "artefacts" while moving and stuttering movement while walking and turning around. Previously i had issues only on large maps, like PV, but Hinterland got this fixed during the time, but with latest test-branch and now the release performance is really bad again and not only in large maps but in all maps.

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Just a heads up to anyone loading an old save; clear out anything you have stored in fishing huts and dump it on the ice before updating.  In my save, most of the fishing huts in CH have reset, but just the drawers and cabinets.  Luckily I keep most of my stuff laying out on the shelves, but I would have lost over 30kg of meat if I hadn't checked and quit before the game had a chance to save.  The far left fishing cabin nearest the water also resets since the interior is now completely different.  So far nothing else seems to have reset, but I'll keep an eye out.

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5 hours ago, aurora said:

I have issues, too ... strange "artefacts" while moving and stuttering movement while walking and turning around. Previously i had issues only on large maps, like PV, but Hinterland got this fixed during the time, but with latest test-branch and now the release performance is really bad again and not only in large maps but in all maps.

I hope devolopers give a sh*t cuz i can't report a bug cuz new report system buged too?!?

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