[Poll] Survival foods to add to the game

[SteveP]

This is a fun poll. There is no guarantee Hinterland would add any of our suggestions. There could be concerns about having too much available tree bark that made it too easy to gather. In what ways can we balance this? Should harvesting bark be a slow process and low calorie for example? What gathered food would add the most risk and excitement? What are the possible risks?

[Boston123]

-1 There is a reason why a big rule of foraging is never, NEVER, NEVER eat mushrooms, even the "safe" ones.

1) They just aren't worth it, calorie-wise. Generally, one cup of mushrooms is going to have around 25 calories. They are like eating air, and add in the calorie loss due to metabolism, and you could actually end up in a deficit. 

2) The chances of identification are always present, and there  are other things that can go "wrong" with mushrooms.

I don't understand why people are in love with mushrooms as a "survival food". They really aren't. Sure, there are varieties that might taste good (really good), but ...... I mean................ I dunno.

-2 There is never a thing as "too much available" tree bark. In order to actually gather an appreciable amount of cambium , you either have to 1) cut down a LOT of little trees, or 2) A REALLY big tree. Its....... gonna be a pain in the ass to gather enough, not just for a meal, but to survive on

-3 Generally, it is too late in the year for pine nuts. The cones will be sealed up tight.

-4 Where are you gonna get the "mussels from below the ice"? Are you really gonna try to chop your way through a foot+ of ice to get some shellfish? Not worth it at all. Asides, you "aren't supposed to" eat shellfish that don't get covered with water regularly, as they die off as a result.

I'd rather smoke meat and fish to preserve them, and make pemmican for pure calories. Or, make soups and stews from meat, fat, bone/marrow and dried goods (flour, grain, pasta, etc)

[starfighter441]

8 minutes ago, Boston123 said:

-1 There is a reason why a big rule of foraging is never, NEVER, NEVER eat mushrooms, even the "safe" ones.

1) They just aren't worth it, calorie-wise. Generally, one cup of mushrooms is going to have around 25 calories. They are like eating air, and add in the calorie loss due to metabolism, and you could actually end up in a deficit. 

2) The chances of identification are always present, and there  are other things that can go "wrong" with mushrooms.

I don't understand why people are in love with mushrooms as a "survival food". They really aren't. Sure, there are varieties that might taste good (really good), but ...... I mean................ I dunno.

-2 There is never a thing as "too much available" tree bark. In order to actually gather an appreciable amount of cambium , you either have to 1) cut down a LOT of little trees, or 2) A REALLY big tree. Its....... gonna be a pain in the ass to gather enough, not just for a meal, but to survive on

-3 Generally, it is too late in the year for pine nuts. The cones will be sealed up tight.

-4 Where are you gonna get the "mussels from below the ice"? Are you really gonna try to chop your way through a foot+ of ice to get some shellfish? Not worth it at all. Asides, you "aren't supposed to" eat shellfish that don't get covered with water regularly, as they die off as a result.

I'd rather smoke meat and fish to preserve them, and make pemmican for pure calories. Or, make soups and stews from meat, fat, bone/marrow and dried goods (flour, grain, pasta, etc)

Agreed, mushrooms are worthless foodwise.

Never even thought of treebark, nor was it ever suggested in RCAF survival courses.  Labrador tea was though.

Which is actually a good idea, how about Labrador tea in the game, a good source of Vitamin C and it actually tastes pretty decent.

[SteveP]

The Inuit harvest mussels from below the sea ice when the tide retreats. It's a thing. There was another item in wishlist for this with further discussion.

 

[SteveP]

Th mushroom identification guide book would presumably be added to the game assuming that books for tips/quotes/knowledge/skills are going to be a thing. Amadou is easily recognizable and was used as a diuretic or emetic or something like that although not considered edible. It is useful as tinder and as a means to carry an ember for several hours. Now wouldn't that be handy!

When found, the 5,000-year-old Ötzi the Iceman was carrying four pieces of F. fomentarius fruit body for use as tinder.

Labrador tea is a seasonal plant and can be toxic depending on the variety. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labrador_tea#Toxicology

Imagine the sounds below the ice when the tide goes out!!

[Dirmagnos]

02:22

"This is the only place on Earth where tides are extreme enough to allow people to dare venture under the sea ice..."

Im not sure we are far enough north for it to work.

[HedwigTheGreat]

I know nothing about gathering food in the wild, but I know that I love food. I'm all for more food! 

[SteveP]

On 2016-03-16 at 5:54 AM, Dirmagnos said:

02:22

"This is the only place on Earth where tides are extreme enough to allow people to dare venture under the sea ice..."

Im not sure we are far enough north for it to work.

There are places with extreme tides such as Newfoundland, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick however it doesn't get cold enough to make ice on the ocean. In this post-apocalyptic world there is plenty of ocean ice on Desolation Point.

I don't know if it would be difficult to implement; it would be a lot like a cave environment but with light penetrating through the ice and a vast underground network of small passages you'd have to crouch to make it through. Getting back to your opening would be difficult unless you left markers or played out a rope behind you. You could also find  yourself trapped by rising water!

It gives me shudders just to think about! I hate small places and have nightmares about being trapped below ground and stuck. Did you guys watch the video? Comments??

[Dirmagnos]

Well, if in those areas it doesnt get cold enough for sea/ocean to freeze over, then they cannot be used as examples, since in areas where LD takes place ocean do freeze over near the shores. All those areas had good thick ice layer even be4 the event.

[SteveP]

4 hours ago, Dirmagnos said:

Well, if in those areas it doesnt get cold enough for sea/ocean to freeze over, then they cannot be used as examples, since in areas where LD takes place ocean do freeze over near the shores. All those areas had good thick ice layer even be4 the event.

Don't forget that the apocalyptic event has made everything very cold. I believe the game setting is Northern Vancouver Island which would not normally have winter this cold. Only in the Arctic do we get much sea ice.

[SteveP]

Don't forget to enter "poll" in the search box to find other polls especially in Wishlist forum! Most forum members have not voted in these interesting polls! Enjoy! Please add your own ideas with a [poll] in the TOPIC title.

[Vhalkyrie]

Mussel harvesting would be amazing!  It would be really cool to see low tide in Coastal Highway and Desolation Point.  It wouldn't be without risk.  Depending on how far you are out from the tide line before high tide comes back in would be deadly!  Another environment feature to kill you.  ^.^

[Dirmagnos]

8 hours ago, SteveP said:

Don't forget that the apocalyptic event has made everything very cold. I believe the game setting is Northern Vancouver Island which would not normally have winter this cold. Only in the Arctic do we get much sea ice.

It doesnt matter how cold it became after Event, sea was frozen over even be4 it.

[Dirmagnos]

8 hours ago, Vhalkyrie said:

Mussel harvesting would be amazing!  It would be really cool to see low tide in Coastal Highway and Desolation Point.  It wouldn't be without risk.  Depending on how far you are out from the tide line before high tide comes back in would be deadly!  Another environment feature to kill you.  ^.^

Considering accelerated time in the game, player would have 3 minutes real time max to get down, find mussels, harvest them and get to hell out be4 tide rides in.

[SteveP]

46 minutes ago, Dirmagnos said:

Considering accelerated time in the game, player would have 3 minutes real time max to get down, find mussels, harvest them and get to hell out be4 tide rides in.

Considering accelerated time, then we move at the pace of snails while walking. Function trumps slavish realism when it comes to a game. I think accelerated time works well while sleeping or doing lengthy activities. It's like the fast clock during model railroad operations where we have to compromise because of the inaccurate scale of our layouts.

http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/88/t/196940.aspx

http://www.layoutvision.com/id27.html

In greater detail from the National Model Railroad Association: http://www.gatewaynmra.org/1999/designing-model-railroad-operations/

And a series of video articles on fast clock and model railroad operation design.

 

[Dirmagnos]

What exactly have model railroad operations to do with harvesting mussel from under the ice ?

[SteveP]

3 hours ago, Dirmagnos said:

What exactly have model railroad operations to do with harvesting mussel from under the ice ?

Accelerated time. In MR it's known as the fast time clock. The fast clock is used in model railroad operations to account for the compression of distance on a model railroad. It's not without problems since switching operations in a classification yard take real time to do so many modellers have to adjust the schedule to permit sufficient time for classification and switching.

Quote

Function trumps slavish realism when it comes to a game

 

[Vhalkyrie]

I just think the tidal effect would be a cool deadly environment addition.  I lived several years in the Pacific Northwest, and every year there were tragic incidents of people drowning when the high tide came rushing in.  I'm certain that if it were added as a game mechanic, it would catch many players unaware while wandering around exposed seabeds for a free lunch.

There's many creative liberties with the accelerated time, so I'm sure they could make the tidal cycles believable without necessarily being a "tide simulator 3000".