Question Thread :: Milton Mailbag

[StrayCat]

May you share with us some of the pictures, drawings, sketches, that helped you design the esthetics of the game ? I was looking at the "fan creations" forums, and thought that it lacked HL's own input... 

[Guest jeffpeng]

I know there is the custom game toolbox (which I am a frequent user of), but I also know that it is hard to create a balanced experience from that, and I guess that's the reason such games don't count towards badges and achievements - which is fine. But I wonder: would be adding two or three more game modes to the game to strongly emphasize a certain aspect of gameplay while making another one much more forgiving a good idea?

What comes to my mind (as those are settings I created and played with the toolbox):
- Interloper-level environment with pacified wildlife, making the ultimate man-vs-environment challenge with rather "realistic" animal behaviour. It's amazing how different you perceive the world when wolves are no threat, but a change in weather can mean death if unprepared
- Basically Staker with Interloper-level punishing wildlife but Voyageur environment and resources and reduced condition recovery when resting, emphasizing on evading and combatting active threats, giving the player the Interloper-thrill of being actively hunted, but with ample available counterplay

[Admin]

13 hours ago, TheRealPestilence said:

Not with a clever suggestion featuring an amazing visual aid.  Also, not if I have to read 9 pages to do it.  Also, you're not my real dad!

While this thread is getting long please do at least read the previous Dispatches as they have answers that may save you the time asking. 

We will be deleting any posts in this thread that aren’t specifically questions so please try to refrain from back and forth. 

Thank you. 

[Stone]

Hi HL, you recently said 'we'll never let you build your own house'. Players can build a structure - the snow shelter - do the team have any desire to extend this to a more robust shelter akin to first nation shelters used in similar cold environments?

Edited July 24, 2018 by Stone
P.s. thanks for the awesome game!

[Fuarian]

Are there any plans to extend on the more passive gameplay systems of the game? Things like massive weather changes, wildlife migrations, overfishing, overhunting, mass blizzards, transition region blockages, collapsing shelters, inaccessible areas (due to snowfall, debris, etc...), cold/warm fronts, falling trees. These things all indirectly force the player to make changes to their ways of survival. Currently I find having access to many ways to survive makes the game a bit too easy. With some careful tuning, some of those things I mentioned could mean the difference between life and death for the player. Potentially forcing them to move entire regions simply to obtain food. Perhaps due to a super blizzard on it's way, or all the edible wildlife have died off or migrated. I've always wanted to be forced to live in inefficient shelters for long periods of time, but currently it makes no sense to do that in terms of survival efficiency. A large part The Long Dark is about going to extremely tough lengths to survive, but currently all I really have to do is wander over to the lake, grab a few cattails and I can survive for weeks on end no trouble. 

I also understand that some people enjoy the exploration aspect of the game and others the survival aspect. That's what voyageur mode would be for, a healthy balance. That where over time you can master survival and thrive. But currently (as an experienced player) it feels too easy to master the elements early on. I want to experience TLD the way you anticipated it to be experienced. But I want to achieve that without getting bored early on or in the late game. Some of the above mechanics mentioned above would counter the boredom a lot of players feel, in my opinion. 

And while I'm here, do you see sandbox NPC's being something achievable in the near future? If not 3D modeled NPC's then what about simulated NPC's? For example; finding a looted building that was not previously scavenged, or seeing a campfire smoke plume in the distance, finding footprints or remains of survivors that are not your own? They would be rare, but make the world still feel somewhat alive. 

-Fu

[petrawiggin]

Will story mode solve all the little survival-mode mysteries such as:

• What was the Disagreement about?
• Was Max making his stand against a bear or something/one else?
• Why did Katie need such a secluded corner in a place so "desolate"?
• Did all the preppers take their supplies with them when they left or were most of them just really bad at preparing?
• Why was Alan hanging out in that cave? And where did he go to die when he left it?
• Did everyone keep so much dog food around to try to keep the wolves submissive?
• Was the aborted construction boom that seemed to be going on on Great Bear (all those unfinished houses) ended by the earthquakes or something else?
• Who set that signal fire, and why doesn't it give off heat or let you cook on it? (It's so mysterious!)
• Are the misanthrope and the draft dodger related?
• How did the vacationers who came to Mystery Lake cook their food since not a single one of the cabins has a stove or even a fire pit?
• Was Matt the lighthouse keeper?
• Where does that broken bridge go!?
• Who in the world ever thought that Pleasant Valley was pleasant!??!?!
• etc. 

Thank you for hours of entertainment!

[MrBlack]

Hello and a standing ovation for your fantastic and inspired work on the game!  

Quick question. 

Is there a chance  I can turn 360 when in a car? 

It would be very helpful when taking refuge to avoid wildlife.  You see, when they go towards the back of the car,I have no way to see them,and it would be enormously helpful if I could see through the rear window... 

[Eirick]

3 things bother me in the game:

●natural night vision;  everyone, after a certain time can "see" in the dark.  Why ours eyes (screen) stay black inside?

●Why  can't we make fire with stone or dried stick?

●Are you planning adding more craftable weapons?

Like long stick > polearm we can use again wolf and bear.  Or stick + guts as a slingshot to hunt rabbit more easily.  Rabbits or wolf hat...

Thank you and continue the good work, this game is awesome and I wish the best for Hinterland.

[sir_klumpatsch]

Dear Hinterland, I found a note about plants in Pleasant Valley and this made me think how awesome it would be to have plant pots. You could grow some vegetables or herbs at your base, they'd pause developement if it gets too cold inside and you could cook your own soup with them. Is there a decent chance this could be happening?

[sir_klumpatsch]

I feel food decay is too fast on higher difficulties. Canned beans or beef jerky shouldn't spoil so quickly in a below zero car or an unheated house. Are there gonna be any adjustments yet or is the system done for difficulty's sake? Maybe we could get some sort of hints in the description, like "should be stored outside"?

[Pillock]

I've got a question about the health and afflictions mechanics.

Currently our characters seem to be able to get 'minor' injuries like "bruising", but those don't seem to actually do anything. Are these remnants of past-planned mechanics that have been partially disabled in some way, or do they actually have an effect that's not immediately obvious to the player?

Are there any plans to expand on the health and afflictions mechanics that are in the game already, or even to add new ones? I know there has been criticism of the way parasites and cabin fever are implemented, but personally I think they are really good additions to the gameplay - when your character gets one of those conditions it forces you to change your approach to the game and do something a bit different from the norm while your character recovers, and I think this drives interesting gameplay choices and strategy elements that wouldn't be there without those afflictions.

Pain management, malnutrition, sickness, longer-lasting injuries are all things that, off the top of my head, might afflict a person stranded in a world like TLD's - might we see more of this sort of stuff somewhere down the line?

(Sorry if this looks like more of a request than a question!)

[Admin]

Posts deleted or moved to Wishlist forum.

Please keep your posts brief and questions. 

We understand that some setup may be required to frame your question, but try to be as succinct as possible.

Thank you all for the great questions so far.

[johsemann3]

Will exsisting Story Mode (wintermute) saves be compatible with the reworked story mode?

[Luciën]

Bonjour á Raphael, et son confrères et -soeurs professionelles

Comment-ça va? I am pretty new to the community as a poster, but I am a fond follower of the Milton Mailbag. Speaking of mailbags full of fanmail: do you also have an physical address we can send fanmail to?

On a side note, let me start by mentioning that I've been thoroughly enjoying the game thus far. I am a real pilgrim, I like to challenge the environment and let the cold wind blow in my face. The new cooking mechanism I really appreciate a lot. It very much builds the immersion to have some water boiling as you read a book or destroy some table for wood. I find the game very inspiring, for story telling reasons. Someone posted a list of story based questions that really thrilled me.

Then for my question. I am really happy about the fact that there are quite a few translations around. As a storyteller and a language enthusiast myself I see the value in using technical yet colourful language. Since I am from the Netherlands and have Dutch as my mother tongue, I have selected the Dutch version of the game. Although with the release of the game came many improvements I have noticed numerous flaws in the translation. For instance, I can see how translated buffer memories can be either more poetic or natural written text.

There has been discussion about future possibilities of adding modifications to the game. Is there a way people from the fan base with certain capacities can help build a better translation? I am not per say talking about paid positions, I am just inspired enough and willing to contribute by any means. In that light I am thinking about story (not game) driven let's play in Dutch. 

Keep 'm trucking!

[Forogueman]

Will you be celebrating The Long Dark leaving early acces nearly a year ago?

[jhickie]

Sorry for being too long winded, guess I got too excited. I'll reframe as a question and be more succinct...

Will you guys be adding the thermos I've heard so many people request? I think it would be a great addition.

Thanks.

[Morphe]

I cannot say if this question was asked before, but @Raphael van Lierop, what's your highest day score?

[Smellyfries]

Are you constantly thinking of new names for updates? Did it take a while for you to come up with "Vigilant Flame" for the cooking overhaul?

[KlabauterMann]

Will you or your team btake part in the German videogame fair gamescom.de in August 2018 in Cologne?

[SurvivalXP]

Will the food system be changed again? 

Starving after 3 days is unrealistic

[Admin]

Posts deleted.

As a reminder please keep your posts brief and questions. If someone asks a question please don't respond unless you're directing them to where it was previously answered. If you want to debate a topic go to the appropriate forum and start a new discussion.

Thank you all for the great questions so far.

[FunkyFuggerson]

Are there any other themes you want to try and catch in new regions? Desolation point with its brooding industrial atmosphere, or timberwolf with its harsh, cold, yet beautiful atmosphere.

[Leo13]

Do you have any information to tell us about the motion picture adaptation of the game? Maybe assumptions about the release date or something else

Edited July 28, 2018 by Leo13

[Looper]

How do you see the long term difficulty increased to avoid stagnation / boredom? 

I.e. I really liked the cooking update since it increased mechanics, the need for gear, utility in houses etc.

[sir_klumpatsch]

Are more skills coming to the game? My main wish would be a rope climbing skill.