What is your preferred play style?

cekivi

By cekivi
in Discussion Archives

What is your preferred play style?   

23 members have voted

You do not have permission to vote in this poll, or see the poll results. Please sign in or register to vote in this poll.

Recommended Posts

cekivi Pathfinder

cekivi

Posted
Posted

I've been on the forums for a while and it seems like everyone is playing the game for slightly different reasons. I was just curious what they were and whether there was a dominant one.

Definitions:

  • Homesteader: You enjoy making a permanent camp and staying in one area that you get to know really well. Looking towards long term survival and unlikely to change maps.
  • Explorer: Play mainly when there's new updates to see what has been added to the game. Willing to take risks to get to hard to access areas and determine the mechanical boundaries (e.g. condition drops due to freezing) of the game.
  • Challenger: You know the game well and play mainly for the challenges; either the achievements/leader boards or the player challenges here on the forums.
  • Nomad: Play mainly for the atmosphere of the Long Dark. You stay in an area for a while and then move on when you don't have anything left to do or want a change of scenery. Also looking at long term survival.
  • Other: Something I haven't thought of :big_smile:
Link to comment
Share on other sites
cekivi Pathfinder

cekivi

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Personally, I started off as an explorer and I will revert to that role for new updates but I find I mainly play as a nomad now. I really enjoy being immersed in the atmosphere of the Long Dark and once a map seems stale I'll just move on and slowly cycle through the various areas.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
illanthropist Pathfinder

illanthropist

Posted
Posted

Oooh that's a toughy, without trying to sound awkward bit's of all but homesteader, depending on my mood.

I've had a few accidents and deaths exploring off the beaten path and seeing how far I can travel.  Been trying to get by without using maps bar one occasion when cheated to find a bunker.

I've a save to knock off some steam challenges, silent hunter etc.

Mostly Nomad I guess, my main current save went further afield for a few days recently but ended up back at trappers for major repairs, still itching to check out TWM and take part in forum challenges when I know the game better.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
SteveP Pathfinder

SteveP

Posted
Posted
38 minutes ago, cekivi said:

I think both of those are consistent with my other categories. At the very least, you won't survive long in the Long Dark if you're not adaptive and proactive! :D

When new features or new maps come out, I tend to want to try them out and explore them. In terms of a general survival strategy, I guess I'd explore until I found enough tools and weapons and then hunker down and focus on crafting fur clothing and at the same time, getting ready for the time I run out of bullets. At first I suppose I would hope for rescue and focus on creating distress signals visible from the air or that will attract attention such as a large signal fire in a high location to be visible at night or to create smoke for daytime visibility. As it became obvious no rescue was to be had, I'd try to find a region where there was plentiful resources especially low risk such as fishing or trapping or collecting consumables from the forest. I'd look at creating a cache of light-weight and endurable food such as smoked meat & fish, cat-tail stalks and inner bark. I'd also focus on creating a method for moving supplies such as a sledge (assuming that becomes a thing) and migrate as necessary if fish stopped biting or game was not plentiful. I'd focus on a forge, knowing that my knife was going to eventually be "used up" so without prior knowledge of the forge, I'd try to improvise a forge (assuming that was a thing). I'd also be looking for new resources and exploring using a few multi-day excursions before returning to base or establish a new base.

A priority would be stock-piling vital resources like firewood or fuel, coal and metal. If the supply of coal or charcoal mysteriously ran out, I'd be focusing on improving my knapping skills. I'd always be on the look out for knappable materials, both man-made (glass, ceramics, tiles) and natural obsidian in this coastal area of Canada near Squamish, or chert near Princeton or chert near northwestern Ontario along the north shore of Lake Superior. In the Maritimes, there are deposits in New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Nova Scotia. That could be a long hike and it would be difficult to find the deposits without special knowledge.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princeton_Chert
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gunflint_chert
http://www.turnstone.ca/rom76ch.htm
http://www.unb.ca/fredericton/arts/departments/anthropology/pdfs/dwblack/mesozoicchert.pdf

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
cekivi Pathfinder

cekivi

Posted
  • Author
Posted
6 minutes ago, hauteecolerider said:

Nomad for me. I always intend to play as a homesteader and stay in one place, really make it like home. Then just as I've got things starting to come together nicely, I get wanderlust. But it's nice to know I've got at least one base in each map to return to. 

My sentiments exactly! Especially with the siren call of Timberwolf mountain... It really is a beautiful map to visit :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Vhalkyrie Pathfinder

Vhalkyrie

Posted
Posted

I'm a hybrid Explorer/Nomad.

On my story thread, I described that I'm a Skyrim-type explorer, and I can't resist the siren's call of areas that I haven't been to yet.  That corner that I haven't been to yet - maybe there's something I need.  It drives me to leave my relative safety for the prospects in the unknown.  I know that I can live well if I just stayed in a safe home.  Every time I venture further I risk "something going oops" (Registered TradeMark).

And that's where the nomad part comes in.  My home bases are merely strategic launching points for me to explore the far reaches for treasure, then bring them back.  Once I've satisfied my curiosity in one area, it's time to move to the next.

I only recently started playing, so I can't say that I meet the first criteria of Explorer (Play mainly when there's new updates to see what has been added to the game.), though I imagine that would be true.  I meet the second criteria though, which is: I created a number of sandbox games where I tested "what-if" scenarios (what-if I had a permafire, what-if I survived on 800 calories per day, etc).

Link to comment
Share on other sites
LucidFugue Pathfinder

LucidFugue

Posted
Posted

Explorer / Challenger. I have always been been keen to check out a new map every update that contains one, and I'll play it for weeks until I'm comfortable I've explored it fairly thoroughly. 

But my mindset is one of seeking challenges. Whether it is a broad challenge like the ones on these forums, or a micro challenge I set for myself as I am exploring. I'll be out gathering wood or food, and say to myself "You know, I haven't been over that hill. I think I'll check out what's there tomorrow" and that will become the focus of my play. Lots of expeditions to see what's out there, and to make it back alive. 

I'm not nomadic because I compulsively restart - making a new character in Mystery Lake rather than taking my character from Desolation Point and hoofing it over. And I haven't made a  homestead in a long time because if I have more than a few days worth of supplies I've run of expeditions I'm interested in undertaking. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Scyzara Pathfinder

Scyzara

Posted
Posted

Guess I'm a Challenger/Explorer hybrid. More Challenger than Explorer, though. I love exploring new regions and am certainly not afraid to take risks, but I also play between the major updates. At least occasionally.

However, I don't try to last as long as possible any more - really had enough of that during my leaderboard run one year ago. Instead, I'm just trying to have a good time and do various different challenges (not only the steam or forum ones, I also make up many of them just for me personally). Really looking forward to the new official challenge system, btw! :love:

I've probably simply played the game too long to still be excited about playstyles that actually aim at infinite survival.

Unfortunately, I get bored extremely fast whenever I try to play "normal" and make use of everything the game offers to me (abundance of shelter, food, tools, etc.). For a while starting over every 10-15 days worked for me, but nowadays even that doesn't cut it any more... not even on Stalker and not even in TWM or the transition areas.

Hence I don't play "normal" any more at all, but always inflict some additional rules and limitations on myself to keep things fun. As a matter of fact I even prefer challenges so hard that I inevitably die within a few days.

It's definitely the struggle for survival that interests me in TLD, not the length of survival.:winky:

Link to comment
Share on other sites
elloco999 Pathfinder

elloco999

Posted
Posted

I'm a bit of a homesteading nomad, or a nomadic homesteader I guess. I generally have a main base on each map and switch occasionally to get a different scenery.

I don't really play to get a long survival time, but play just for the fun. As it happens I have a very cautious play style that allows me to avoid wolfs and bears for the most part so surviving for a long time is something that happens as a by product :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Dirmagnos Pathfinder

Dirmagnos

Posted
Posted

Nomad would probably be closest.

I move into area, march towards my preferred base of operations, and then start systematically clear area out, dragging everything i find back to base. Once im done, i leave majority of non-spoiling supplies behind and move to the next. Repeat, till i reach final area, that is usually either PV or CH, haul everything there, camp there for a while till i get bored and leave game for month or so. Then do it all over again. Usually one game takes 100-150 days. Dont really care about achievements.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
cekivi Pathfinder

cekivi

Posted
  • Author
Posted
10 hours ago, Scyzara said:

However, I don't try to last as long as possible any more - really had enough of that during my leaderboard run one year ago. Instead, I'm just trying to have a good time and do various different challenges (not only the steam or forum ones, I also make up many of them just for me personally). Really looking forward to the new official challenge system, btw! :love:

You should post some of you personal challenges to the forums! I didn't have the time to participate (I can usually only game for an hour a week) but your 8 screenshots challenge was really cool! I'm curious to see what else you've come up with :geek:

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Scyzara Pathfinder

Scyzara

Posted
Posted
10 hours ago, illanthropist said:

Ooooh not heard of this, do tell!

 Quoting time! :silly:

On 29.12.2015 at 5:10 AM, Bethany Williams said:

This is actually something we've been discussing internally -- not just a harder mode, but "challenge modes" so people can set light objectives for themselves. The the new region provides a clear goal that we find quite satisfying!

On 28.2.2016 at 7:04 PM, Raphael van Lierop said:

The short version is -- no, we don't like Hibernation, yes, we have plans to address it, Leaderboards will probably be replaced by something else that is a more meaningful measure of success. 

11 hours ago, cekivi said:

You should post some of you personal challenges to the forums! I didn't have the time to participate (I can usually only game for an hour a week) but your 8 screenshots challenge was really cool! I'm curious to see what else you've come up with :geek:

Oh, Kraelman's "never enter an interior" challenge is definitely fun, especially when combined with limited health regeneration. Mellow_swe's "Birthday Suit" challenge is also pretty entertaining.

I personally also like rules that simulate item & prey scarcity, e.g. that I'm only allowed to pick up every 7th of each item I find and that I'm not allowed to kill more than one deer per map before moving on. Also a fan of roleplaying-based challenges with a complicated set of rules.

Once posted this 40-60d meta-challenge that simulates a learning process of the protagonist (from coach potato to survivalist), includes 4 different playstyles and gives you the chance to experience early, mid and endgame in a very condensed fashion:

Downside is - as said - the very complicated set of rules that is different for every map. But if you've imagined that stuff yourself (like in my case), you know these rules by heart anyway. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
SEAplane Prepper

SEAplane

Posted
Posted

Other: Base-camper

Maybe its light weight homesteader, maybe it's my risk management mindset, but I find that warm workbench location and stockpile there.  I seem to do it on each map.  Explore for fun, the views, new features or new map.  I don't mind moving around as long I know I've solved 3 days of supplies at that maps base camp, it it's what I secure first in a new area.   Day trips out and back and securing a few key locations make any turn for the worse survivable... mostly.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing