Idea for New Region

[Celeblith]

This idea just came to me as I was watching American Horror Story (no relation): a derelict ski park region. Hear me out:

The island of Great Bear is a place of sparse peopling. Even so, it was once a destination for loggers . . . and extreme tourists. It is also littered with forgotten ski gear . . . 

A derelict ski park region could contain swaths of forest crisscrossed with paths at varying degrees of disrepair. Some could be covered in saplings and young growths, contrasting with the dense woods flanking them. Others could be in mysteriously good condition, or could wind sharply down steep slopes, or could feature crumbling jumps and half-pipes. The primary shelter could be the ski lodge, and the ski lifts could whir to life during the aurora, allowing access to hard-to-reach areas that would normally only be accessible by making the arduous slog up the slopes. Oh, and did I mention that this would be the wolfiest region yet? Maybe hunting is especially good here and the wolves came following the prey. Or maybe something about the aurora and its effect on this place has drawn them near . . . Guns and ammunition would be especially hard to come by--come on, it's a ski park --making the extreme wolf presence that much more pressing. 

Ski jackets, boots, gloves, pants, etc. could abound. The new region might also come with new gear . . . like ski poles repurposed to function as walking sticks, significantly reducing the likelihood of sprains on the steep slopes of the ski park? A garage could be found somewhere on the park where they used to repair the snow cats, and that's where the workbench could be. Of course, the park wouldn't be exceptionally large as Great Bear itself is highly remote. 

Hope y'all like my idea. Happy hunting 

[Silverhour]

Not a bad idea. There could also be a motel strip nearby, with a random number of accessible rooms that vary between 'indoor' locations and busted open door rooms that don't act as interiors. Add a couple of cars in the parking lots and it might be interesting to explore. Might be a good place to introduce the wily and elusive cougar everyone is clamouring for, instead of (or as well as) making it wolf heavy.

[Spakerman]

Nice idea, some good stuff there. Maybe it's even on the backside of Timberwolf mountain with an access point from the summit putting you at the top of the ski area.

[Celeblith]

22 hours ago, Spakerman said:

Nice idea, some good stuff there. Maybe it's even on the backside of Timberwolf mountain with an access point from the summit putting you at the top of the ski area.

Yes! Love the difficulty of accessibility. 

[JErosion]

A region North of Broken Rails,  featuring the....

Great Bear Island Adventures Center, take the path north and experience rock climbing and breath taking vistas Hush River Valley or Is it the Thrill of the Hunt that you seek, take the road south to the Mystery Lake Lodge(Overlook Lodge would be better as not to confuse with the Mystery Lake Region, but what do I know) and stalk Moose or the ever elusive black bear. Or do you want to hit the slopes? We family packages available to the Great Bear Ski Lodge, just Take the Ski lift up to the top!(caus' a lot of wolves have moved into the valley below, like a crazy amount... way more than the usual numbers) 

[Fuarian]

I really love this! But I think there should be more to it than that. There should be a lodge at the base of the mountain. A pretty big interior location with a large open cafeteria area, a restaurant/bar, a ski shop, a maintenance area for groomers and snowmobiles, a ticket shop. You know, the ideal lodge. Something like this.

On the top of the mountain, a map of the region (duh), several small cabins here and there. 

One thing the region shouldn't have is passive wildlife, you wouldn't find many deer or moose on a ski hill. Maybe some rabbits here and there in the forested parts only. Wolves should patrol the base of the mountain and occasionally the top. And maybe a bear towards the back. There should be a forest in the back side of the mountain where there's more wildlife. 

The weather should be very snowy. Light snow, heavy snow, light wind, heavy wind. Occasional blizzard here and there. Not much fog. 

I really like the idea of the aurora providing access to other areas of the mountain via ski lifts. That's such a good idea. But the question is what happens if you get stuck on there? Maybe jumping isn't such a bad idea after all?

 

[Celeblith]

2 hours ago, Fuarian said:

But the question is what happens if you get stuck on there? Maybe jumping isn't such a bad idea after all?

 

Hmm . . . good point. Now, I'm not suggesting zip lines, but what if there were something similar to zip lines in that you can use them, but they only go one way? 

[peteloud]

All those new features would mean the Hinterland have to double their staff and costs.

I'd rather them just steadily work away at fixing the minor issues that arise and continue their planned development.

 

[Celeblith]

7 hours ago, peteloud said:

All those new features would mean the Hinterland have to double their staff and costs.

I'd rather them just steadily work away at fixing the minor issues that arise and continue their planned development.

 

Well they added HRV so whether it's this or something totally different, I'm sure they've got another region coming down the pipes, yea though it be long down the road.

[Soul Sojourner]

I love this idea! I was thinking the same thing just the other day! I also love the motel idea mentioned!

This leads me to question why there are no sleds anywhere, no toboggans, and no skis, and no snowmobiles. It seems.... wrong. A sled could and should actually be an in-game mechanic. I guess we can just pretend that we pull one around all over the place and that's why we carry so much. Hahaha.

I also question how can any civilization NOT contain bars and liquor. Ha, especially when the liquor could be used as a disinfectant. Though I am fairly certain leaving that out of the game affects "rating." Having any alcohol in a game impacts it, I think.

Apologies for my tangents. Haha

[Celeblith]

7 hours ago, Soul Sojourner said:

I love this idea! I was thinking the same thing just the other day! I also love the motel idea mentioned!

This leads me to question why there are no sleds anywhere, no toboggans, and no skis, and no snowmobiles. It seems.... wrong. A sled could and should actually be an in-game mechanic. I guess we can just pretend that we pull one around all over the place and that's why we carry so much. Hahaha.

I also question how can any civilization NOT contain bars and liquor. Ha, especially when the liquor could be used as a disinfectant. Though I am fairly certain leaving that out of the game affects "rating." Having any alcohol in a game impacts it, I think.

Apologies for my tangents. Haha

No, those are great questions you raised. I never even thought about alcohol. I think with a lot of stuff in the game, when I'm tempted to ask, "Why isn't this in the game? It probably should be," I also think of the question, "Why can't you found the united nations in the game Risk and then not have to take over all the other nations? They did it in real life so why can't I do it?" and the answer, of course, is "Risk isn't about founding the united nations; it's a game, not a simulation." 

One thing that really stuck with me from reading @Drifter Man's 1000 Days in the Dam was when he said, "I see The Long Dark like a tabletop game with a set of clearly defined rules. For example, flare is not an approximation of an actual flare - it is a group of game rules: 1) when lit, wildlife won't attack you, 2) once lit, burns for 1 hour and cannot be extinguished, 3) +3 degree temperature bonus. And so on." It's easy to get lost in carefully constructed worlds, one of whose purposes is to convince you that you are not in fact playing a game, but under the surface of a beautiful and captivating game like The Long Dark is a finite system of inputs and outputs, actions and outcomes, set probabilities, and rules. Drifter Man also said, "'Immersion' is the world (sic) often mentioned in these forums. I find this game 'immersive' in that I forget about the rest of the world when I play it. I don't find it 'immersive' in that I would think I'm actually surviving in frozen wilderness." 

Your assumption that alcohol isn't present in the game for rating reasons sounds correct, though I wouldn't know. Maybe that's a good question for the Milton Mailbag?  And as for sleds, I think that's a great idea. It could very well be that the devs didn't think about them a very long time ago and they haven't been written in since because (and I've heard this as a reason a lot of things aren't in the game) it would involve rewriting the base code of the universe. 

I think some of the immersion is up to us and our imaginations. For example, I favor bases with backpacks because I can put my day-to-day gear in one at the end of the day and pretend it's my day pack  How do we carry 60-70 imperial pounds of sticks and moss without some sort of sled or heavy-duty trail pack? I guess that's for the players to decide--for the time being, at least. 

[Soul Sojourner]

Indeed.

My questions of "why isn't blank in game" could all be solved cosmetically with 0 added gameplay function. As cool as it would be to go into bars and be able to use alcohol and also craft/find and use sleds, I'd feel satisfied seeing sleds laying about or even being able to break down wooden sleds for firewood. Same as with seeing snowmobiles every once in awhile. I get not seeing every type of vehicle out there put in the game, but this is Canada... snowmobiles! As for bars and alcohol, it would be an amazing addition, but if it affects game rating I understand leaving it out. If it doesn't matter, but they don't want to add any of it for balance reasons, bars could be added as un-enterable buildings and alcohol could be in the game cosmetically (like soap is).

I realize it's just a game and not a reality simulation, otherwise I'd have pages upon pages of gripes about how it doesn't line up realistically, haha.

The backpack thing is funny. I always unload my rifle before cleaning, haha, because that's how it should be.

Speaking of reality, this winter is going to be harsh and I can tell already, the signs are there. Last year was the first year in 20 years we ran out of firewood, this might be the second. Hahaha I'm excited.

[Spakerman]

People seem to use “realism” and “immersion” interchangeably a lot. 

The game is incredibly immersive. 

The game has elements of realism but does not strive to be a copy of actual life. 

 

[Celeblith]

7 hours ago, Soul Sojourner said:

My questions of "why isn't blank in game" could all be solved cosmetically with 0 added gameplay function. 

I think cosmetic additions would be super cool  Snowmobiles would definitely make sense, especially in a land that is apparently always winter.

[peteloud]

Snowmobiles, bars, alcohol . . . next some people will be wanting SUVs, Starbucks and hotels.  Perhaps it would be easier to get GTA to add a few snow patches on the roads.

[Cr41g]

snowmobiles would be about as effective as all the vehicles currently in the game... that require a battery

[Celeblith]

3 hours ago, Cr41g said:

snowmobiles would be about as effective as all the vehicles currently in the game... that require a battery

I guess they'd be just for looks. Kinda like how there are clip boards and cups and bowls and stuff you can't move or do anything with in shelters and what not. They serve no purpose but to be looked at. It'd be cool if those things could be moved though.

[Soul Sojourner]

15 hours ago, peteloud said:

Snowmobiles, bars, alcohol . . . next some people will be wanting SUVs, Starbucks and hotels.  Perhaps it would be easier to get GTA to add a few snow patches on the roads.

You're right, we're missing shovels and pickaxes too. Mines with no pickaxes, tsk.

[JErosion]

We will never see "Patt's Gold Medal Canada's finest cheap crappy beer "

[XAlaskan_420X]

I like the sound of a ski resort. You know, looking at the world map today I saw an area above mystery lake, where there is no playable map, just mountains drawn. I'll have to look at the map again. I was wondering "I wounder what might go there in the future, if something goes there". Now I am thinking ski resort.

"I also question how can any civilization NOT contain bars and liquor. Ha, especially when the liquor could be used as a disinfectant."
Interesting story: Just today I was playing on my newest save, my character survived food poisoning was hungry and thirsty, starting a fire he said "I could use a drink about now"  . Anyways, I had this idea too of alcohol being in the game and being used as a first aid disinfectant. Maybe it can also be used on raw wolf or bear meat before cooking it so that you could kill parasites before consumption of the meat and thus eliminating the parasite risk.
This one is kinda random. But I would like to see cookies as a food item. I don't care what kind, but I like nutter butter cookies. I want some right now even.

[Soul Sojourner]

I'm just gonna leave these here...

More information/discussion on the subject/idea of a ski resort type area.
I'm willing to bet this is in the works. Fiddy cent, right here right now. 

[Nodixe]

On 9/4/2018 at 9:42 AM, Celeblith said:

No, those are great questions you raised. I never even thought about alcohol. I think with a lot of stuff in the game, when I'm tempted to ask, "Why isn't this in the game? It probably should be," I also think of the question, "Why can't you found the united nations in the game Risk and then not have to take over all the other nations? They did it in real life so why can't I do it?" and the answer, of course, is "Risk isn't about founding the united nations; it's a game, not a simulation." 

One thing that really stuck with me from reading @Drifter Man's 1000 Days in the Dam was when he said, "I see The Long Dark like a tabletop game with a set of clearly defined rules. For example, flare is not an approximation of an actual flare - it is a group of game rules: 1) when lit, wildlife won't attack you, 2) once lit, burns for 1 hour and cannot be extinguished, 3) +3 degree temperature bonus. And so on." It's easy to get lost in carefully constructed worlds, one of whose purposes is to convince you that you are not in fact playing a game, but under the surface of a beautiful and captivating game like The Long Dark is a finite system of inputs and outputs, actions and outcomes, set probabilities, and rules. Drifter Man also said, "'Immersion' is the world (sic) often mentioned in these forums. I find this game 'immersive' in that I forget about the rest of the world when I play it. I don't find it 'immersive' in that I would think I'm actually surviving in frozen wilderness." 

Your assumption that alcohol isn't present in the game for rating reasons sounds correct, though I wouldn't know. Maybe that's a good question for the Milton Mailbag?  And as for sleds, I think that's a great idea. It could very well be that the devs didn't think about them a very long time ago and they haven't been written in since because (and I've heard this as a reason a lot of things aren't in the game) it would involve rewriting the base code of the universe. 

I think some of the immersion is up to us and our imaginations. For example, I favor bases with backpacks because I can put my day-to-day gear in one at the end of the day and pretend it's my day pack  How do we carry 60-70 imperial pounds of sticks and moss without some sort of sled or heavy-duty trail pack? I guess that's for the players to decide--for the time being, at least. 

66 lbs is really not that heavy and even sedentary people can adapt to that pretty quickly. Wildland firefighters  have to complete a pack test where (if I remember correctly) they carry a 50lb pack in the mountains (mostly uphill/sidehill and uneven terrain) for 2 miles in under 4 hrs (so they have to be agile too). I know a lot of people that did the test (literally over 100) and only a handfull were unable to complete it. And the overwhelming majority were completely out of shape the day of the test. My point is that avg people without preperation should be able to handle a 70lb pack when motivated to survive.

[Dawnshift]

On 21.9.2018 at 11:06 AM, Nodixe said:

66 lbs is really not that heavy and even sedentary people can adapt to that pretty quickly. Wildland firefighters  have to complete a pack test where (if I remember correctly) they carry a 50lb pack in the mountains (mostly uphill/sidehill and uneven terrain) for 2 miles in under 4 hrs (so they have to be agile too). I know a lot of people that did the test (literally over 100) and only a handfull were unable to complete it. And the overwhelming majority were completely out of shape the day of the test. My point is that avg people without preperation should be able to handle a 70lb pack when motivated to survive.

Marching gear for field training when i was doing military service was 110 lbs / 50 kg (yes that is without clothes, other gear and weapons). Which is why i found most discussions regarding carry weight highly amusing. I imagine the number is there for balancing reasons only - seeing as tools like bear spear, pickaxe, shovel and water tube or animal fat and bones are (very likely) still to come.

Having a sled as way to transport heavier loads like a animal carcasses could be interesting tho. Protecting the sled and all that. Also maybe an opportunity to rework wood types (introduce logs and moisture status).

And yes i fully support the idea of a ski resort. Good opportunity to have a less 'rundown' enviroment with more aurora interactions (e.g. working lift) or to introduce special tools (fireaxe, blowtorch, water tube).