discussion Sandbox_Alpha_v.393 - My Problems

[palbi]

So, I finally decided to start this topic, since I have a bright idea, what bothers me in the sandbox game modes.

As for prelude, I started Pilgrim many months ago, I simply was curious of the world, feeling, etc. Played Voyageur a bit, but I was disappointed that wolves and bears was unable to learn, that "that two legged being with the long loud and flashing something in the hand can kill us from distance". Then Interloper came out, and I felt I had to give it a try. Finally, I gave it some 25, and at last I was lucky enough to survive 10 days and crafting my first fishing tackles. At the 42nd day I left this, I felt it was not right in some ways. I started in Pilgrim again, but played it as it was an Interloper. It was quite a fun, but again. I felt it was not right. Then I realized, why. And here comes the main part, consisting of two chapter. (I am relying on more experienced players/testers to agree or disagree.)

1. The characters are inconsistent

In the different game modes you have to fight with your character in the first place! Not with nature (elements, etc.) but with whom you play. I think we need a fully consistent systems for the entire characters, like they made it with tiredness(sprinting). Imagine the situation: you have a character in Pilgrim and in Interloper. About the same clothing, same wind and -20 C. In Pilgrim you can walk through half a Region, and only got chilled, in Interloper after 20 steps chilled, further 20 steps hypothermia. (The funniest one was in Pilgrim, once during a walk the wind started to blow really hard, and the "feels like" counter started to increase!!)

Or: in Pilgrim you can make 24 hours without drinking, no problem, whereas in my first Interloper play, fully slaked, I slept 9 hours and woke up dehydrated and lost 2% condition. And so on. It's crazy, I would say, the "story" is intended to go about human(suffered a plane crash) vs nature. The players, and especially the new ones in the future, will be confused, asking "why?". And they will be right. I do believe, we should get the same characters in every game mode, with the same attributes, and only the nature is changing, milder or harder, depending on game mode.

2. Tools and options

I realized, that no matter if Pilgrim or Interloper, our character will die of starvation/dehydration. Why?

Because once you used all of your hatches/knives/etc. you won't be able to fish. If I had to break the ice, I surely would find (sooner or later) a heavier and perhaps sharper piece of stone, or some pieces of a deer bones, but nothing could stop me to try it.

Because once you used all of your matches, you'll only have the magnifier to make fire, in open places. (I experienced even in Pilgrim, that for 2 days I could not use the magnifier. In Interloper the longest was 4 days, but it's more common in the latter.) We need the other options our ancestors used for thousands of years before matches were developed: flint-stones (could be found in mines and caves) or the method with birch bark + stick; Tom Hanks used in Castaway. (I don't know the name of the method). If I had to make fire, nothing could stop me to try it.

(One little story here: in my childhood, I was 12 maybe, I spent the summer and early autumn at my grandfathers', in a little village. Once, with the local kids, we made a campfire in an abandoned house outside the village. We collected medium sized stones, made a circle, poured them with water. The we started the campfire and cooked bacon. No tragedy happened. The windows were wide open, since there were no windows, just the holes.  This is just about making fire in closed places.)

Summing up, in real life if we have to survive, we try everything and we use everything. At this state of the sandbox most of the players will feel, that the gameplay is somehow confusing, furthermore, what he/she is doing in the game, is not sustainable - or in other words, it can't give the feeling of sustainability.

Well, if you reached this far in reading, all I can do is to thank you for your attention and patience. I'm awaiting your opinions.