Question Thread :: Milton Mailbag

[Sipriano]

Is there an airport in great bear? I say this because the plane that is in timberwolf mountain because the secction of the tail in the side I think it says "great bear airline" and had a logo of a bear

 

Edited September 29, 2018 by Sipriano

[ArcherAC3]

This was an odd idea I had, and not sure how it would work with TLD lore: can we expect functional microwave ovens during the aurora?

It would be great being able to heat that freezing cup of coffee or tea during one of those cold aurora nights when you just don't feel like or can't make a fire, and could use that extra warmth bonus together with some caffeine or tea to keep moving or recover some condition.

Edited September 29, 2018 by ArcherAC3

[piddy3825]

Just curious to see if there is going to be any further development in regards to 3D object manipulation? We can rotate objects when examining them but arent able to do so when trying to "place" an item on a shelf.  I can find a flashlight in game that is sitting upright on a counter but once i pick it up i can only set it down on it's side for example.  Same goes for the rifle.  I can find a rifle propped up on it's side but once i pick it up i can only place it flat.  What about putting items on the top shelf, sure would be nice to utilize that empty space when "decorating" my base.  and one last question, any chance of getting a system to hang stuff from the walls?  Maybe we can get to stack some stuff as well in the future?

[Guenter]

@Raphael van Lierop will you add more guns in future (like crossbow, shotgun (for birds or rabbits), bear trap, revolver (for small defense) ?

[BareSkin]

To the whole Hinterland team: Are you pleased with the positive feedback you get from players? Is there enough to be satisfied as a developing team?

I said several times in my survival stories that I loved the game (and sometimes hated it, which is the same), but never sent direct feedback to the actual humans behind it.

[Sito]

How did you do the texture for the mountaineers hut on TWM? The stonework is awesome! It is absolutely realistic as if a real stone mason placed each stone with just the right shape and fit. Someone must have spent a lot of time to get it just right. Kudos to Hinterland!

On a side note... the mountaineers hut has lights but no wall switch to turn them on or off. Also no power lines and no solar panels on the roof so where is the electric from? And why have motion sensor flood lights? Bears? Moose? Other mountaineers?

[Tylor9261]

I have a bit of an odd question this time for you Sir... In that it's multi-part and my reference is a fan made article, online, known as "In The Ashes Of S.T.A.L.K.E.R."

What can you tell me of project "Raindrop", who were the duo developing it, and what if anything from it made it's way into The Long Dark? It's intrigued me ever since and I would love to know the story!

Edited October 2, 2018 by Tylor9261
Grammar

[neboblizko]

Hello community! Actually here are my couple of questions.

 Have you considered the possibility of adding to the game, a competitive component? For example, to maintain a public leaderboard for survival, but make a limit, play only on the interloper, without regenerating health, without modifications, or something like that. I think that it would be interesting for players to compete with each other.
Also, would you not like to tie a calendar to survival mode? So that the player can see at any moment what day, month, year is. I think it would be interesting to know that Christmas is coming, or that your birthday is on this day.

[ThePancakeLady]

With the recent closures of so many game development studios, I know the industry you are in must be on edge, confused, maybe hurting. 
It is fairly easy to sit back and look at the studios that have been shuttered, and declare "They should have done xxx, they shouldn't have done yyy...". 
I am curious how studios that are still going, and growing view their own histories, and decisions made.

In other words, is there anything that you wish you had done, or not done, during the development of this game, and of your studio? What changes do you wish you could go back and make, and what would the hopeful results of those changes be, in your mind? Hindsight is 20/20, so they say. What advice would you give, using your experience and hindsight, to new start-up devs and studios?

 

Yes, I am trying to pick your brain. My daughter will be going to college, Computer Science. She wants to work with SW, like Mom & Dad, but she does not want to do mundane "boring" work like Mom & Dad. She wants to #gamedev. Our industries are related, but totally different. I have no idea what to tell her to expect.
*worried Mom syndrome*

[Admin]

Please try to keep on track. This is a thread for the posting of questions for Hinterland (and The Long Dark) Creative Director @Raphael van Lierop. Please ensure that what you are posting is a question.

If you see that someone has asked a question that Raph has already answered then you can direct them to the Dispatch where he addressed it with a link. Raph may decide to expand on the question anyway.

If you want to debate someone's question further, start a new thread elsewhere on the forum.

Thanks.

[Doc Gonzo]

A few years ago I remember you discussing the percentages of players that utilize the various difficulty levels.  I believe voyager was the most popular, followed by stalker and finally pilgrim.  This was before the addition of the interloper difficulty if my memory serves correctly.  How do the percentages look today?  I'd be curious if the game's age, the introduction of interloper and story mode have made any differences. 

[ThatDearGuy]

So much snow, but sadly no skis to be found. Will we one day get our cross-country on in The Long Dark? I mean, this is Canada.

[Smellyfries]

Do you plan on adding pajamas in The Long Dark?

It came to my head thinking that wearing them give you a small bonus to rest. 

Enjoy your guy's day!

[AJosen]

I know you guys are very busy working on so many things, but I have always wondered why the Lee Enfield No.4 Mk1 rifle in game doesn't have the actual bolt that it has in real life. If you would be able to make the rifle in game look more like the real life version it would be a really cool addition to an already amazing game. If you guys intended for the rifle bolt to look the way it does in game I would be interested to know why. Thank you for your amazing game! 

 

[Admin]

Thanks for the questions. We're going to skip this week, but keep the questions coming and @Raphael van Lierop will return!

[Smellyfries]

Do you plan on improving the way fog transitions into the game? At the moment it just randomly appears, even if there are no clouds or anything to really tell it's going to be foggy.

[Guenter]

On 11.9.2018 at 7:59 PM, admin said:

This seems more like a request for work to be done, and less like a question. To manage expectations these should be questions that @Raphael van Lierop can answer in sessions between other game development work. A decent video about making a game in Unity might take days and video creators. I'm sure there's a way to rephrase this to ask if there were any tutorial videos or resources that he could suggest - as opposed to asking us to create a Unity tutorial video.

I was not looking for a tutorial. I also work with the Unity Engine, and create small games for my friends and me. But some days I was thinking how the mechanics, code etc. are looking in huge games like TLD.
I hope you know what I mean, I was just interested how "big game devs" manage their game in comparison to small "hobby" devs, like me : )

[Admin]

Please do not post images created using mods. Also keep this thread for questions. 

 

Thanks. 

[AJosen]

I already asked a question about the lee Enfield bolt which I would love to be answered. But I remembered that you said that at a certain point you would need to stop giving content away for free because you have to earn money somehow. Would it be possible to set up a patreon for people to help financially support you guys further? Potentially offering some form of reward for sponsors? I’d be happy to donate. 

[Avosetta]

Question: 

I think it's being mentioned in Wintermute, and definitely evident to be seen, that the Quiet Apocalypse is more than just Aurora and cold - more specifically 'seismic activity'. Is this something we will see more of in the future of TLD? Maybe new earthquakes or rockslides? 

[Sipriano]

I dont know if question tis again is nesesary but I goingto do it again:

Is there an airport in great bear? I say this because the plane that is in timberwolf mountain because the secction of the tail in the side I think it says "great bear airline" and had a logo of a bear

[Guest]

How do you fine tune, but also add new content to The Long Dark without affecting the existing mechanics and ensuring those mechanics aren't affecting another? In programming that is done through writing tests, but do you guys do analytic heat graphs of player data of where most players die, areas traveled, etc?

Edited October 9, 2018 by Guest
grammar

[NardoLoopa]

Raph, can you talk about how the team decided to render this adventure in Watercolor?  It's rare to see a game that specifically flouts whatever realism the graphics engine can muster in favor of artistic expression.  It certainly works.  The visual style deserves a lot of credit in creating the lonely and beautiful experience of the game.

[Kauffy]

This might stray into request territory, but is there some reason why the player breath effect seems to have largely gone unchanged since the original version of the game? I think it adds an excellent element of immersion for the experience of the cold, but it can also break immersion when your breath appears right in front of you during a howling gale, or (as I think it still does), be visible in near-darkness, essentially blinding you.

I definitely wouldn't want to get rid of it, but it seems like it could be a useful element for the player to immediately determine wind direction when, e.g., circumnavigating a wolf.

[Admin]

Please keep to questions for @Raphael van Lierop. As tempting as it is to answer someone’s question or start a debate this isn’t for that. 

If you know that Raph has answered a question before then a link to the Mailbag where he addressed it would be helpful and fine.