Astrid

[SnowWalker]

Such an unusual name. One that you just wouldn't just pull out of your hat, unless you were looking for old Norse female names. Or if you already knew someone named Astrid. I just wonder if the Hinterland team just came up with it off the top of their heads, or does one of them know someone named Astrid?

[MarrowStone]

Probably because Astrid is a unique, strong female name to fit a character traversing the frozen canadian wilderness, fighting wolves and bears along the way. They sure as heck wouldnt call her "barbie" so an old viking name would have to do. Vikings are all the craze these days.  It makes her that much more awesome.

Also a lot of our player base isnt just male and would appreciate having a unique female to play as, not some all too common misproportioned doll with a delicate (or seductive) name. (Not to insult anyones names or anything) 

Its a good question and maybe there is more to it than just a design choice. Would be interesting to know. But for now im assuming its because its "cool, unique, and fitting to the theme of the game."

Edited July 30, 2017 by MarrowStone

[selfless]

or maybe you're aware of  "How to Tame Your Dragon"?

Edited July 30, 2017 by selfless

[SnowWalker]

2 hours ago, selfless said:

or maybe you're aware of  "How to Tame Your Dragon"?

Yes I was aware of her but still, very few famous Astrid's out there.

[SnowWalker]

6 hours ago, MarrowStone said:

Its a good question and maybe there is more to it than just a design choice. Would be interesting to know. But for now im assuming its because its "cool, unique, and fitting to the theme of the game."

I'm sure it's that too. I just got to wondering if maybe her name meant more than just a good, strong female name. It's no biggie.  I'm female but I never like to play the female character because, and I think I've mentioned it before...the sounds the female makes during game-play always startle me in tense situations. Drives me mad. Within the story though, I'm guessing that Will is the main character and I'm not sure if we'll have the choice to play Astrid in Wintermute, because.....wouldn't that make for two separate story-lines? I mean, that would be awesome. Sort of like Dishonored 2 where you can play either Emily or Corvo.  So you get two stories in one game to play, one after the other. The difference is though that in Dishonored 2 it's basically the same story with both characters but with Wintermute, it would have to be two different stories. Wouldn't that be awesome though....we get to play first as Will and when it's completely over, play Astrid's story. What she went through while she was missing.

Edited July 31, 2017 by SnowWalker

[selfless]

I believe the intent is to have each character take the lead in different episodes.  Episodes 1 and 2 are definitely Will's story.  Astrid may then be the main character for episode 3.

[MarrowStone]

Just now, selfless said:

I believe the intent is to have each character take the lead in different episodes.  Episodes 1 and 2 are definitely Will's story.  Astrid may then be the main character for episode 3.

Yup, 1 and 2 are will, Astrids story is still being worked on currently.

[MarrowStone]

@SnowWalker, I alternate between the two characters to get a novel feeling every game, both are good voice actors but i have to agree, MacKenzie's is a lot easier listening and less likely to startle you. 

After extensively playing both, ive noticed Will seems to have more varied dialogue as well. I cant remember which, but one of them grunts too loudly when traversing downhill and falling, id have to play to refresh my memory but currently I'm refrainig from playing it more until release to make it feel extra fresh.

[SnowWalker]

16 minutes ago, selfless said:

I believe the intent is to have each character take the lead in different episodes.  Episodes 1 and 2 are definitely Will's story.  Astrid may then be the main character for episode 3.

Really? I've not heard that, but then again I don't Twitter. I've got too much on my plate as it is. But wow, that's so, so, so AWESOME!

[SnowWalker]

17 minutes ago, MarrowStone said:

currently I'm refrainig from playing it more until release to make it feel extra fresh.

I'm playing right now in Voyager and I've got this determined bear who's trying to get me, even though I hid behind a rocky cliff-side to wait till he passed, but he knows I'm there somehow. So weird. I have no meat on me and he was pretty far away when I hid and hadn't seen me, so I'm baffled as to how he knew I was there? I came out of the game to get it recorded, lol. I had to go way down the side of the rocky cliff because when he got here he started climbing up towards me where I was crouched behind a small ridge at the top of the rocky hill. I waited and heard him get back onto the path so I kinda crouch-shimmied around the side and when I got there, even though I'm still down on the cliff side and crouched and can't see him, he turns around and comes back up. He's not aggro, just normal, but he just won't go away. I can't go down either because I'm on a pretty shear cliff side and high up.  Coastal highway is right below me. Good thing it's warm out, lol.

Edited July 31, 2017 by SnowWalker

[Thrasador]

Where there's a will, there's a way. If I have to choose between a cliff and a bear mauling, I'd choose the cliff every time.

I recommend taking off clothes so you don't tear them, and do your best to shimmy down the rocks. As long as you can find a path that has terrain under you at all times, i.e. not a cliff that bends backwards under you and twords the cliff...meaning no dead space with no terrain and dead air, you can make it. Even slight drops of a foot or two is ok. You may sprain something and possibly take a little condition damage....but that is better than a 90% condition loss most likely(and bleeding, and sprains, and torn clothes). Plus if you go through him and get mauled, there is no guarantee he won't still be blocking your path after the mauling....meaning you are dead for sure...

I'd just look for the safest looking path down the cliff. You can even move sideways along cliffs as long as you keep the directional button twords hugging the cliff...You won't just fall off a cliff unless you hit a gap where you are no longer touching cliff....then you fall till you hit something solid again....

Here watch this video of this knucklehead who ended up having to go down a VERY steep cliff as inspiration for what can be accomplished in the game with cliff hugging....

 

[MarrowStone]

Id definitely choose the cliff over the bear, they walk towards you even when you dont have any smelly items just for being near them, meaning its hard to move around them when dealing with natural barriers as well. If you have coffee id drink it before the descent because i believe tiredness and what footwear you have affect sprained ankle chances. (It could just be superstition though too since i havent proved it but it feels like it.)

Also, back on topic about Astrid, in the trailer she seems to want to go into hiding, i wonder what they got themselves into. 

Also i just realized the three active members in this thread have almost identicle profile pictures... spooky. Selfless is the odd man out, but still.

Edited July 31, 2017 by MarrowStone

[SnowWalker]

9 minutes ago, MarrowStone said:

 

Also, back on topic about Astrid, in the trailer she seems to want to go into hiding, i wonder what they got themselves into. 

Thanks. I wasn't worried about getting away though. I've been playing this game for way too long. I was just curious as to how he knew I was there. He never saw me and I didn't have meat, but he definitely kept coming up that hill whenever I tried to move over it, and at first I waited and didn't move at all till he should have been way past me. Anyway, I just waited him out for quite awhile and he finally left, lol.

As for Astrid, yeah, I'm very curious about what's her story too and how bad could something be that you'd want to go so far north and remote? All I can think is 'murder' hahaha. What on Earth could make her want to hide so badly? Exciting!

Edited July 31, 2017 by SnowWalker

[MarrowStone]

Perhaps she failed to succesfully operate on a crime-lord's family member... Maybe she is on the run from the law for suspected murder.... or maybe its murder, yeah its definitely murder.

Ive had the bear at the small pond by trappers cabin spawn underground before. Was absolutely terrifying having an invisible bear block your path and then pop out of the ground in front of you as it charges. Other than that, only time ive been attacked was climbing timberwolf mountain and this bear wouldnt letme get around it and It was too windy to light a torch.

[SnowWalker]

37 minutes ago, MarrowStone said:

Perhaps she failed to succesfully operate on a crime-lord's family member... Maybe she is on the run from the law for suspected murder.... or maybe its murder, yeah its definitely murder.

Yeah, I was at Unnamed Pond once, checking through the hunting blind and no one was around at all....all of a sudden a bear seemed to just spawn near that hill you climb to get to that little cabin. I was looking in that direction and he definitely just popped in, lol. I shot him and killed him from the blind in two shots. I had a gun this time too but I had plans which didn't involve sticking around and trying to shoot/fight a bear, lol.

Astrid might be just running away from the death of a loved one. Something she just can't deal with and needs to be far away and alone. Maybe like with the death of her own child? That could really screw with your state of mind, your rationality and judgement. If that's it, the disaster that's about to happen is going to abruptly distract her grieving, at least, a lot of the time. She could find in herself the will to live and survive despite what's happened to her before. The aftermath could possibly, actually, help heal her heart......if that's it.

Edited July 31, 2017 by SnowWalker

[SnowWalker]

1 hour ago, Thrasador said:

Here watch this video of this knucklehead who ended up having to go down a VERY steep cliff as inspiration for what can be accomplished in the game with cliff hugging....

Btw, was that you? Hahaha. That was awesome. I knew I could shimmy down the cliff and I've done it many, many times but I was too stubborn to go back down. Darn bear. A big storm lets loose right after bear gone and I just ran up the opposite hillside to those little cabins up there by the lookout double-climb. That's where I am right now but I quit for the night. I want to head over to FM and be there for after Wintermute launch.

[Thrasador]

1 hour ago, SnowWalker said:

Btw, was that you? Hahaha. That was awesome. I knew I could shimmy down the cliff and I've done it many, many times but I was too stubborn to go back down. Darn bear. A big storm lets loose right after bear gone and I just ran up the opposite hillside to those little cabins up there by the lookout double-climb. That's where I am right now but I quit for the night. I want to head over to FM and be there for after Wintermute launch.

Nope, not me lol. I just did a search on YouTube for "The Long Dark descending cliff" and found that. I watched it and decided it was appropriate to show how to get down a cliff in the game. I wasn't trying to be mean, but he was sort of a knucklehead head....as he also died by sleeping in the Mountaineer's Hut without a fire at the end of the episode. I like to think I am better at the game than that guy, lol...

[SnowWalker]

55 minutes ago, Thrasador said:

Nope, not me lol. I just did a search on YouTube for "The Long Dark descending cliff" and found that. I watched it and decided it was appropriate to show how to get down a cliff in the game. I wasn't trying to be mean, but he was sort of a knucklehead head....as he also died by sleeping in the Mountaineer's Hut without a fire at the end of the episode. I like to think I am better at the game than that guy, lol...

Haha, yep but I have to admit that way back when, I died the same way I didn't even know then that you could die inside shelter so I just slept all night in Mountaineer's with a three hr fire, died. Live and learn.....or maybe I should say, die and learn

Edited July 31, 2017 by SnowWalker

[Thrasador]

3 hours ago, SnowWalker said:

Haha, yep but I have to admit that way back when, I died the same way I didn't even know then that you could die inside shelter so I just slept all night in Mountaineer's with a three hr fire, died. Live and learn.....or maybe I should say, die and learn

Not to continue derailing the thread, but I did too. I actually froze to death harvesting a deer, because a blizzard started (as they often do when harvesting in the beginning). 

That being said, if you listen to the last several minutes of the video in the Mountaineer's hut,  he states that he's worried about sleeping there, because "that's how he died last time." Then proceeds to set the sleep timer for like 10 hours straight with no fire, instead of sleeping in smaller increments and/or going out and getting some wood first....

So more evidence of being a knucklehead: "Failure to learn from previous deaths..."

[cullam]

13 hours ago, SnowWalker said:

I'm female but I never like to play the female character because, and I think I've mentioned it before...the sounds the female makes during game-play always startle me in tense situations.

Interesting. I pretty much always play as Astrid, because I find Will's grunts to be in too close a frequency range to a wolf growl, so I find it much clearer to tell what's what, if I'm playing with additional noise in the background (like watching a movie or something)

[selfless]

I've played with the voices turned off for close to a year now.  The only time I have noticed their absence is the random sprained wrist/ankle (without them its just a pop up in the corner).  Wonder now if it will still be an option during the Story...

[Timber Wolf]

23 minutes ago, selfless said:

I've played with the voices turned off for close to a year now.

Same here.  After playing the game for so long, the voice only serve to annoy me now.

[SnowWalker]

7 hours ago, Thrasador said:

if you listen to the last several minutes of the video in the Mountaineer's hut,  he states that he's worried about sleeping there, because "that's how he died last time." Then proceeds to set the sleep timer for like 10 hours straight with no fire, instead of sleeping in smaller increments and/or going out and getting some wood first....

To be fair though, he was already dead, and he knew it. He refuses to play in anything but Interloper, and for someone who's not familiar with 'The Long Dark' and Great Bear Island....that's a big mistake.

He's very funny though....he says in the second video....So the game says to you 'Hey, you've got hypothermia, you must stay inside (above freezing) for 24 hours....Then..... 'Hey, you've got cabin fever, you must stay outside for 24 hours.'

Edited July 31, 2017 by SnowWalker

[SnowWalker]

3 hours ago, cullam said:

Interesting. I pretty much always play as Astrid, because I find Will's grunts to be in too close a frequency range to a wolf growl

That is so true. I found that too, that also used to freak me, but I got used to the sounds that are his alone. Not hers though...her sounds make me jump out of my skin.

Edited July 31, 2017 by SnowWalker

[SnowWalker]

3 hours ago, selfless said:

I've played with the voices turned off for close to a year now.  The only time I have noticed their absence is the random sprained wrist/ankle (without them its just a pop up in the corner).  Wonder now if it will still be an option during the Story...

I tried to do that too but I can't figure out how to change that in the options.