Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

[GreenBeing]

So I was listening to this Rock, Paper, Shotgun podcast. The dude was talking about TLD and how he was loving it, but that he had build up so many supplies that he actually had some free time. The conversation then went on to him wondering what the point was, that he wished that there was a goal beyond mere survival, rather than just working against your eventual and certain death. This reminded me of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs (pictured):

Now here is my best try at assigning TLD elements into it:

BASIC NEED: PHYSIOLOGICAL - just like the original; food, water, warmth, and rest

BASIC NEED: SAFETY & SECURITY - becoming proficient in the game, crafting tools and supplies, building up surplus supplies, learning the maps, learning to hunt, learning to overcome and/or avoid predators

PSYCHOLOGICAL NEED: BELONGINGNESS AND LOVE - obviously, this need gets short shift in the game, and that fact is reflected by Cabin Fever.

PSYCHOLOGICAL NEED: ESTEEM - sketching maps, gaining feats, gaining achievements

SELF-FULFILLMENT NEED - creatively arranging your gear at a base?

In my current games, I have been kept very busy just trying to complete the above tasks under "Esteem". Once those are completed, I am not sure what I will play for. If you think that the above pyramid has some merit, what activities could be added to the top of the pyramid to keep you playing with goals that go beyond mere survival? This is a game about survival after all, so maybe that is enough?

[Fuarian]

This is why I wish the game had a rudimentary but not too overcomplicated wellbeing mechanic.

[GreenBeing]

34 minutes ago, Fuarian said:

This is why I wish the game had a rudimentary but not too overcomplicated wellbeing mechanic.

I am assuming that you mean psychological well-being? (since Condition represents the physiological) From what I have read about survival situations, your mental state can deteriorate without you even noticing. The next thing you know, you are making irrational decisions or have poor motivation. For this reason, I don't think that there should be a "meter" for well-being, but I am all for expanding the options that we have to prevent it or deal with it once we need to. I heard about a game where you could find cross-word puzzles and actually complete them in-game. It would be nice if we had additional ways to mitigate cabin fever. Maybe a Wilson soccer ball? 

[cullam]

I've found that as a game ticks past the 100 day mark, my psychological well being becomes a huge survival factor. I've had lots of games get to that point, but have never hit 200. Between boredom and inattention, I manage to get myself killed, when it should be easy to survive. 

[Kedge]

You ever play This War of Mine? Incredible survival strategy game. I would quite enjoy not only surviving, but keeping myself occupied and together. I totally agree! Coming across crossword puzzles, allowing us to read books before burning them-if at all, instruments are a stretch but there's bound to be an old guitar laying around, finding paper to draw or write with, etc. This War of Mine also had addictions such as cigarettes and coffee that could lessen tension and mood for your character(s). Alcohol also could combat sadness momentarily and so on. While I don't think TLD is going to be giving us whiskey, I believe an addition such as this would not only keep things interesting, but further immerses the player. 

[Smilezz_g21]

Trying to collect enough supplies for my person to live 30yrs has been my goal and its been a real challenge cause things are so limited

[Hotzn]

5 hours ago, Smilezz_g21 said:

Trying to collect enough supplies for my person to live 30yrs has been my goal and its been a real challenge cause things are so limited

Are you talking about the game or RL?

[Smilezz_g21]

The game time. So that would be 10950 game days. Reason is from story mode the guy looks to be in his 30s so 30yrs would put him at 60

[GreenBeing]

On 12/19/2017 at 8:18 AM, Kedge said:

While I don't think TLD is going to be giving us whiskey...

Well, the stumbling around mechanic is already in the game (pre-death lurches), haha. While it might raise your mental spirits for a time, it has one serious drawback. From Myth Busters:

Quote

 

Explanation: Since at least the 18th century, St. Bernard dogs with barrels of brandy famously attached to their collars have been warming snow-stranded travelers in the Alps. But does alcohol really raise your body temperature? The MythBusters got out their snifters to get to the bottom of this myth.

Turns out, just one alcoholic drink could make you feel warmer, but it actually lowers your core body temperature.

How does alcohol employ this rule of opposites? Alcohol may make your skin feel warm, but this apparent heat wave is deceptive. A nip or two actually causes your blood vessels to dilate, moving warm blood closer to the surface of your skin, making you feel warmer temporarily. At the same time, however, those same veins pumping blood closer to the skin's surface cause you to lose core body heat - the heat you need to survive, especially if you're stuck in a snowdrift . This effect could lead to fatal hypothermia.

So a snifter of brandy may make you feel hot, but you certainly won't be that way for long.

 

I wonder if alcohol would help with frost bite, while raising hypothermia risk?

[exeexe]

there could be missions like going to the timberwolf mountain only wearing x kg of clothes and with a selfmade bedroll from beerskin. Then you could brag about it on the radio when there is northern lights, and you could browse which users had done what, then when you die, you are no more listed in the mission list that is available to you during northern lights.