Sandbox Events

[ShawnB]

Hu? Sounds like an oxymoron right. Just here me out. But first let's look at the 3 main game components. 

Sandbox. What we all know and love. Definitely where most people will spend more of there gameplay time. LD feels like a sandbox game at its core.

Challenges. Great idea, lots of potential but once I beat a challenge I will probably only play it 2 or 3 more times. I played hopeless rescue once and will never play it again.

Storymode. I'm gonna binge play this once it comes out. Really looking forward to this. But again after I beat it I'll probably be done with it (assuming it is a linear story).

Can some these game components be combined into a Sandbox event mode? If so, this would definitely maximize my gameplay hours before I move on to another game or activity.

How would this work? Well let's look at some examples and ideas. All these examples start with "You are enjoying a regular sandbox game when..."

"Hopeless Rescue" turns into this: you can craft a radio with this knowledge system in the hinterland road map. Once that is complete the RNG one days decides you hear a message from a rescue party. Now que the Hopeless rescue Challenge but in your current sandbox and race across the map to a random location. When you get to the end maybe the rescue has moved on, maybe they leave a stash for you, maybe they rescue you and you have an option to end the game.

"The Hunted" turns into: the RNG decided the angry bear is on your trail one day. He attacks, all weapons are destroyed and now que the hunted challenge in sandbox with some tweeked mechanics.

"Medicine Man" (not my idea): RNG one day puts a sick NPC in you path. You can take his gear or take him back to camp to care for him/her for a few weeks. Maybe they die anyway, tell you where a stash is or becomes your ally.

"Robbery": NPC jumps you in the night and takes all your supplies. Maybe you can track them down, maybe not. Eitherway your routine will be shaken up as you re-gear and you get the same excitement you find in those first few days of a new sandbox.

The point is these events would have relatively simple mechanics but significantly alter gameplay for several weeks. Minimal scrip, minimalcutscenes and easily integrated into the current world.

I think this would add lots of late game entertainment when your survival routine starts getting boring and too easy. Also great replayability because these events would always be encountered under different conditions each game. Also, The events would be rare enough that you would not encounter them all in one game unless it was very, very long.

Challenge mode and story mode would still have there important and very entertaining place but blending some of their parts into sandbox would add so much more.

Thoughts anyone?

[Rusty_Old_F250]

I really like the idea of the medicine man and the robbery would sure shake things up! But maybe instead of robbing you in person, he/she ransacks your base, with a possibility of you catching them in the act? "Do I leave my ____ at base while I go away for several days, or do I carry it with me?"  

Sam

[Tbone555]

i like it... but then i sort of don't at the same time. it doesnt seem like the traditional way of the game

[ShawnB]

I know what you mean Tbone but I think it would still stay true to its roots if these events were rare and simple in nature. We don't want NPC running around everywhere in this game and turn things into a shooting/fight club. These events would have to be rare, maybe one every 60 days or so. Challenge mode would also be a good test ground to ensure these events are balanced and match the flavour of the game. You would also have the option to turn events off in a sandbox.

[vancopower]

3 hours ago, Tbone555 said:

i like it... but then i sort of don't at the same time. it doesnt seem like the traditional way of the game

This idea is awesome what is not to like? However it will have to go under heavy balancing, if one event repeats more often it would make the game so lame it will became the next "arrow to the knee". What I suggest is this there should be 2 types of events ones that are repeatable and the ones that are not, just one time and that's it. Why? because for example you get the hunted event and then you kill the bear and after 1 week another bear attacks you it would be lame. Since you "bearly" survived the first one.  Also for the rescue since this event is longer it might happen that another one triggers just as soon as this one is done which is also lame. So the best way here is one time big events and repeatable small events like trading NPC or 2 raiders something like that. Another option would be as soon as events happen they loose priority to be picked again until other events trigger but again this leads to forming a pattern which after a while it would be boring to play. The best way is one time events, however every event is new content and that costs time and money so... it will be a while before we can experience this feature. However I am certain that at least they will put repeatable rescue event (In case you fail it) since sandbox or not this game needs some kind of  ending. This is not minecraft creative mode TLD has a purpose as I posted so many times it is the only real survival game, and what is the point of surviving for so long if your hardship never ends. 

[Tbone555]

i like ShawnB's idea. if these events were extremely rare, and happened to you at random, it would be really cool.

i just don't want to see something like farcry primal, where you can run around doing whatever and then just go up to side activities and activate them whenever you want. while that works for a game like farcry or gta, its not very long-dark-esque. (thats a word now. adding it to my dictionary.) and it would completely ruin the feel of the game. but if this could be balanced out, dishing you an event randomly and rarely, making the events non-repeatable, i think it would be awesome. they need to be non-repeatable because otherwise it doesnt make sense. there aren't two old bears, and you can't climb TWM twice just to get the flare gun and signal for rescue, because once you have the flare gun, you have it. period. so repeating that challenge within the same sandbox wouldnt make any sense. these events should only be playable once per character. once you complete it, its completed. but then once you start another character, you can do it again with them. 

[Nasdaq401]

Yes yes yes and yes.  Similar to fallout and the random encounters/events.  Would be AMAZING! I know the dev team could think of some brilliant things 

[fog4000]

Love it! Especially the "Robbery" idea. Additionnaly I would imagine that I you don't track the thieves they go around and visit other buildings more often. But what happens when you catch them? I don't think killing other people is long-dark-esque (yes I acknowledge this word as well).

[ShawnB]

I agree that non-repeatable events would be the best way. The events would also have to be flexible in how they would integrate with a sandbox you have lived for months. For example the hopeless rescue would not have the mandatory TWM summit rush. Same with the hunted and Trappers Hut rifle. Rather, in any given sandbox you would have to prepare for possible events. Like having back-up equipment, weapon stashes, sub-camps to speed up travel, and save special equipment for special events like the flare.

NPC interaction would definitely be a challenge for these events to keep things long-dark-esque.

Having a reward that I have complete 100% events in one game that takes 500 or 1000 days to complete would not only entertain me most of the time but keep me motivated to live on during boring stretches. I tend to get bored as I approach 100 days survived and just off myself.

[Tbone555]

2 hours ago, ShawnB said:

I agree that non-repeatable events would be the best way. The events would also have to be flexible in how they would integrate with a sandbox you have lived for months. For example the hopeless rescue would not have the mandatory TWM summit rush. Same with the hunted and Trappers Hut rifle. Rather, in any given sandbox you would have to prepare for possible events. Like having back-up equipment, weapon stashes, sub-camps to speed up travel, and save special equipment for special events like the flare.

NPC interaction would definitely be a challenge for these events to keep things long-dark-esque.

Having a reward that I have complete 100% events in one game that takes 500 or 1000 days to complete would not only entertain me most of the time but keep me motivated to live on during boring stretches. I tend to get bored as I approach 100 days survived and just off myself.

nice to see that my word is catching on xD

and i agree entirely. i think that the current sandbox is a little too plain, and you need something to actually live for. you know how many times i walked up and tried to pet good-ol yogi the bear because i was bored?

[ShawnB]

I just finished another thread with a Short Story and Player Challenge. This type of story could naturally evolve from a sandbox event. Only about 60 seconds of cut scene would be required (to get you to the tree line in this story), something ambiguous enough to be independent from your location. Sleeping inside would randomly que this event once per game. The whole TWM player challenge might actually be forced upon you, or it would force you to another region, or force you to use an emergency stash in the area. Point being every time it is experienced it would be different depending on your disposition leading up to the sandbox event.

NPC interaction is the obvious challenge if you decide to confront the thieves.

[Hotzn]

On 12.5.2016 at 6:05 PM, ShawnB said:

Hu? Sounds like an oxymoron right. Just here me out. But first let's look at the 3 main game components. 

Sandbox. What we all know and love. Definitely where most people will spend more of there gameplay time. LD feels like a sandbox game at its core.

Challenges. Great idea, lots of potential but once I beat a challenge I will probably only play it 2 or 3 more times. I played hopeless rescue once and will never play it again.

Storymode. I'm gonna binge play this once it comes out. Really looking forward to this. But again after I beat it I'll probably be done with it (assuming it is a linear story).

Can some these game components be combined into a Sandbox event mode? If so, this would definitely maximize my gameplay hours before I move on to another game or activity.

How would this work? Well let's look at some examples and ideas. All these examples start with "You are enjoying a regular sandbox game when..."

"Hopeless Rescue" turns into this: you can craft a radio with this knowledge system in the hinterland road map. Once that is complete the RNG one days decides you hear a message from a rescue party. Now que the Hopeless rescue Challenge but in your current sandbox and race across the map to a random location. When you get to the end maybe the rescue has moved on, maybe they leave a stash for you, maybe they rescue you and you have an option to end the game.

"The Hunted" turns into: the RNG decided the angry bear is on your trail one day. He attacks, all weapons are destroyed and now que the hunted challenge in sandbox with some tweeked mechanics.

"Medicine Man" (not my idea): RNG one day puts a sick NPC in you path. You can take his gear or take him back to camp to care for him/her for a few weeks. Maybe they die anyway, tell you where a stash is or becomes your ally.

"Robbery": NPC jumps you in the night and takes all your supplies. Maybe you can track them down, maybe not. Eitherway your routine will be shaken up as you re-gear and you get the same excitement you find in those first few days of a new sandbox.

The point is these events would have relatively simple mechanics but significantly alter gameplay for several weeks. Minimal scrip, minimalcutscenes and easily integrated into the current world.

I think this would add lots of late game entertainment when your survival routine starts getting boring and too easy. Also great replayability because these events would always be encountered under different conditions each game. Also, The events would be rare enough that you would not encounter them all in one game unless it was very, very long.

Challenge mode and story mode would still have there important and very entertaining place but blending some of their parts into sandbox would add so much more.

Thoughts anyone?

Creative idea, I like it. Might be difficult to put it into practice though.

[beechel]

Ohh, I really like these ideas - I echo what other people say about them being rare and random - that would be most fitting - I can just imagine living through the seasons -stockpiling food for the coming winter - going to my stockpile base to load up my sled and haul ass back to my winter base -  and the place has been ransacked.... brilliant 

[ShawnB]

13 hours ago, Hotzn said:

Creative idea, I like it. Might be difficult to put it into practice though.

Some events would be hard to put into practice, I agree. Some would be very simple. 

Robbery for example.

- 5% probability to initiate event every sleep cycle when equipment in house is greater than 60kg and after you have spent 24 hours in that house over a week period.

-Event starts with human struggle cutscenes (like a bear) during a sleep cycle. Auto-lose. Add in some script from the robbers and maybe some animation while you are half conscious, like when you are under 10% condition, to explain what is happening. Cutscenes over.

-When you wake up all you stuff is gone and you never see the robbers again.

Easy. It would shake up late game play a lot plus it would impact player behaviour regardless if the event happened or not.

I know nothing about creating video games so I might be ignorant to say that adding this would be easy.

Any other ideas out there that would be easy to put into practice?

[Hotzn]

14 minutes ago, ShawnB said:

Some events would be hard to put into practice, I agree. Some would be very simple. 

Robbery for example.

- 5% probability to initiate event every sleep cycle when equipment in house is greater than 60kg and after you have spent 24 hours in that house over a week period.

-Event starts with human struggle cutscenes (like a bear) during a sleep cycle. Auto-lose. Add in some script from the robbers and maybe some animation while you are half conscious, like when you are under 10% condition, to explain what is happening. Cutscenes over.

-When you wake up all you stuff is gone and you never see the robbers again.

Easy. It would shake up late game play a lot plus it would impact player behaviour regardless if the event happened or not.

I know nothing about creating video games so I might be ignorant to say that adding this would be easy.

Any other ideas out there that would be easy to put into practice?

That's actually pretty ingenious. I would like that. However, a lot of players would go berserk if you take away their accumulated stuff...

[vancopower]

27 minutes ago, ShawnB said:

Some events would be hard to put into practice, I agree. Some would be very simple. 

Robbery for example.

- 5% probability to initiate event every sleep cycle when equipment in house is greater than 60kg and after you have spent 24 hours in that house over a week period.

-Event starts with human struggle cutscenes (like a bear) during a sleep cycle. Auto-lose. Add in some script from the robbers and maybe some animation while you are half conscious, like when you are under 10% condition, to explain what is happening. Cutscenes over.

-When you wake up all you stuff is gone and you never see the robbers again.

Easy. It would shake up late game play a lot plus it would impact player behaviour regardless if the event happened or not.

I know nothing about creating video games so I might be ignorant to say that adding this would be easy.

Any other ideas out there that would be easy to put into practice?

Very nice idea except if I may the part about 5% probability trigger. I would recommend this:

Every time you go to NPC to trade, the probability of you getting robbed increases. People talk and traders are no exception someone will notice that you have nice furs and clothes and try to get them for themselves. Here is the mechanic: with every item you trade the probability of robbing event increases by 5% until you get robbed. Every  night the system checks if the robbery will happen and if not it falls down by 2% every day but unlike the illness system this is hidden so you never know if you are close to being robbed.

[ShawnB]

Sounds good, it would be cool to see trading in game vancopower. And like you said definitely keep these numbers hidden if not totally secret on how the mechanic specifically work.

As for going berserk Hotzn, I would definitely be among one of those players. Doesn't mean I wouldn't want it.

When starting a sandbox you would always have the option to turn events on or off.

 

 

[cekivi]

Neat ideas. You don't need the robbers to fight with you directly. Players loot lots of buildings. The "robbers" probably won't even know that they're robbing someone. When NPCs are implemented that would make for some very tense interactions especially if it starts from the viewpoint where both parties are innocent (i.e. you think you're robbed, they think you're a thug/thief). 

[ShawnB]

I agree that if NPC come into play they shouldn't be clear cut bad guys, and that both parties could be consider innocent as you said.

There are plenty of other events that could be implemented in the sandbox. This could also include Challenges that we already have in game like the hunted and whiteout.

The main point of this thread being that any type of sandbox event would really spice up late game gameplay (100 day-ish) which I think TLD desperately needs.

The end game is too easy but making it harder needs to include unpredictable aspects to keep things interesting. Not just rebalancing current game mechanics like having less animals, less loot, etc.

[stray_cur]

Sounds great.  Incorporating challenges into the sandbox is much better than weirdly isolated one off challenges.  They can be naturally optional in some cases too.  You don't have to go for the 'hopeless rescue' or deal with the NPC if you don't want to.

[Crimson Foxx]

8 hours ago, ShawnB said:

I agree that if NPC come into play they shouldn't be clear cut bad guys, and that both parties could be consider innocent as you said.

There are plenty of other events that could be implemented in the sandbox. This could also include Challenges that we already have in game like the hunted and whiteout.

The main point of this thread being that any type of sandbox event would really spice up late game gameplay (100 day-ish) which I think TLD desperately needs.

The end game is too easy but making it harder needs to include unpredictable aspects to keep things interesting. Not just rebalancing current game mechanics like having less animals, less loot, etc.

I like this thought. How many times have you looted a cabin and wondered ' wow i do hope the owner of this stuff isnt still alive and will walk in the door and shout ' hey! what the?...!' LOL so we are also guilty or stealing/ransacking other surviving NPC's stuff. They are not all bad people and nasty heartless theives. They are just like us, trying to get by and survive this apocalypse.

Maybe a twist or random challenge is that some of the places we loot create annoyed survivors ( NPC's) who come looking for us, tracking us and we have to come to some kind of truce or exchange to appease them and not get into an actual fight. I remember in the game trailer Hinterland did show what looked like a fight to the death outside a cabin that the male version of the player watches and even intervenes. So there is always a risk it could turn nasty with NPC's.