Snow Shoes and large animal traps

[Concerned Survivor]

There NEEDS to be an easier way to get around the snow and check trap lines.  Snow Shoes and cross country skies should, no, need to be in this game. It would add a whole different survival style in the game and would definitely improve the trapping element.  Tracking through the snow, checking traps, and defending your kill is what it should be all about. 

[Tbone555]

i can get behind this. +1. need to be a rare find tho. 

[Euphemism]

I've thought about snowshoes many times. Seems totally on point from a world and theme point of view.

I don't these are dropped, I think these are crafted. Perhaps some cured saplings, reclaimed wood, cloth, and cured gut.

[Carbon]

12 hours ago, Euphemism said:

I've thought about snowshoes many times. Seems totally on point from a world and theme point of view.

 Indeed, but not from any practical point of view.

[Boston123]

11 hours ago, Carbon said:

 Indeed, but not from any practical point of view.

Why not?

I've made a pair of improvised bear-paw-style snowshoes in about half an hour of work.

..... People on this forum have the awful habit of both 1) underestimating how simple some aspects of survival are, and 2) overestimating how complex some things are.

[cekivi]

Welcome to the forums @Concerned Survivor and @Euphemism

And I would add to your comment @Pillock that the opposite is done as well

 

[Carbon]

13 hours ago, Boston123 said:

Why not?

 There is no snow depth factor at all so exactly what need is there for snow shoes? So while the environment seems to give them context and relevance, they would serve no purpose in-game.

[Pillock]

6 hours ago, Carbon said:

 There is no snow depth factor at all so exactly what need is there for snow shoes? So while the environment seems to give them context and relevance, they would serve no purpose in-game.

Exactly. They could perhaps allow some kind of minor buff to walking speed, or a reduction in the chances of sprain injuries, but that's about it. 

As for skis, the game's physics system doesn't include anything to do with friction, which would be vital for them to work convincingly in the game.

[Carbon]

5 hours ago, Pillock said:

As for skis, the game's physics system doesn't include anything to do with friction, which would be vital for them to work convincingly in the game.

 Not to mention how it would mess with the time/distance/size scale of the maps. Skis would be of some use in certain maps (downhill/flats) but would more often than not be something one would have to carry up steep slopes or rope climbs.

 Many have said that in custom mode, altering the rate of time passing - slowing it - makes the game quite a bit easier; the longer days allow further travel and more activities to be done (not considering fatigue, which is an important variable). One would assume that skis would effectively do the same thing when used, allowing one to travel farther faster (with speed of travel being one of their benefits).

On 6/3/2018 at 7:03 PM, Boston123 said:

..... People on this forum have the awful habit of both 1) underestimating how simple some aspects of survival are, and 2) overestimating how complex some things are.

 Perhaps, but they also have the habit of putting reality before the world as presented in the game.

[Euphemism]

On 6/3/2018 at 3:30 AM, Carbon said:

 Indeed, but not from any practical point of view.

I'd say the buff would be a decrease to fatigue and an increase in walking speed. But a significant penalty to sprint. Running in snowshoes is not fun or practical.

[TerribleSurvivor]

Would be some nice addition to late game when you actually dont need to sprint that much anymore!

[SenorFreebie]

In my view, adding winter-sports equipment like this would be amazing, but would require a radical overhaul of the entire game. Let me explain:

There are a variety of different kinds of snowshoes. Those designed around floating, to stay above deep snow, and those with crampon like claws for climbing.

The former type would require snow-depth be a relevant meta in the game. Which MAY require introducing dynamic snow, which means the entire level design would have to be thrown out and started from scratch. But this would have some interesting effects. Snow-depth is never an even phenomenon, and would fluctuate with weather. Go out without snowshoes (or skis) in clear weather right after a blizzard, and find yourself post-holing and barely able to move, unless you can figure out where the wind blew the snow. Weight also affects float. So you could have smaller and larger snowshoes, which came with better handling or better load carrying, respectively. This portion, I believe would be beyond the scope of the kind of development Hinterland are doing.

As for crampons and the climbing type of snow-shoe. Currently ingame, the characters are able to walk on angles surfaces, and climb at far faster rates than are reasonably possible, with gear, or without it. Character weight, and luggage weight are huge determining factors here too, but let's stick with this aspect for now. Snowshoes, like the MSR line, or general crampons could double or quadruple your speed going up a snow embankment, and increase the maximum angle you could go up. [EDIT]I mean to say here; in order to implement these items, speed going uphill without the gear would need to be reduced steeply[/edit] The game could make walking up icy creeks literally impossible, without slipping and spraining, without these tools, to add complexity to navigating certain bits of terrain, such as going to the area above Forlorn Muskeg. And finally ... they could be a defensive tool as well. Wolves and bears may not be able to follow you up such a steep embankment, allowing you to escape them.

Next up; skis, without the float consideration. Reduced fatigue over flat terrain, slower movement up steep hills, and RAPID descents without injury risk would be major boons for equipping skis. Additionally, spreading the load would allow you to traverse weak ice.

Additionally #1; Walking sticks / ski poles. The former can be crafted from branches. Slight reduction to fatigue when walking, particularly with heavy weights. Major reduction to risk of injury when going down hill. Slight increase in ability to go up hill. Increases speed heavily for skis, and slightly for snowshoes.

Additionally #2; Pulks could allow the ability to pull heavy loads, such as a freshly quartered kill, across flattish terrain for long distances with reduced fatigue.

To implement the above, you would need to create the equipment, crafting rules, mechanics etc. then play through every existing world, thoroughly and do a level editing pass. But that COULD be worth it. The main issues to be resolved would be, determining if it's still possible to travel between areas without this equipment.

 

[SenorFreebie]

I thought a bit more about this, and there's a few other items and gameplay concepts that could be added:

First off, slipping, rather than just having random injuries would be more convincing. Slipping could turn into tumbling on longer, steeper surfaces. Slipping would generally just result in bruising, unless you build speed and ram into something, but tumbling would litter gear across the place, and cause injuries. While in a slipping state, you could self-arrest with a quick time event similar to wolf defense.

Poles would make a useful arresting tool.

An ice axe would make an excellent one.

This would further encourage players to be careful about the terrain they utilise, and cause them to seek better ways to traverse it.