Would you want a game 'seed'?

[Stone]

If you're unfamiliar with the term, a 'seed' is a string like "341e2rrr3tg42" or "wolvesatemysocks" that a game world-builder can use to determine variable elements of the game world consistently. For instance, in TLD that 'seed' might determine which items, structures and wildlife spawn where, including the player, but crucially it means any world built from that seed would be 'identical'. (I hope thats a fair description) I've no idea if TLD currently has such a mechanism. 

My question is, would you like to be able to play off a seed? This would mean you and a friend could start a game in the same place with exactly the same resources / wildlife, etc. It would also mean you could 'replay' a game.

[Khan_Drichthyes]

I think it would be neat to generate a seed after a character dies.  Playing on that seed, all of the previously visited and looted buildings/locations would be missing whatever your previous character took.  Anyplace you stocked with items would retain those items.

Also, you'd be able to find your corpse, with everything he or she carried.  -Maybe a few food items devoured by scavenging animals.

[Khan_Drichthyes]

Follow up to my train of thought on the subject:

How to explain why your New Character's entry into the game is well after "The Event" and the survival attempt of the previous character...

Bunker.

Your second character had been prepping a bunker before "The Event," and was able to reach it as everything went nuts.

Naturally, it wasn't provisioned well enough to get through the winter, thus your exit into the frozen wastes. 

The difficulty would be the same as the game it was part of.  If you died on Interloper, you continue on Interloper.   Also, the amount and composition of remaining gear & provisions in the bunker would be based of the difficulty level. 

Would it be a new, unique bunker?  Would it be one of the known possible bunkers, that either didn't previously spawn, or just wasn't discovered yet in the previous run?

There's an opportunity for a cool beginning cutscene in character POV.  "The Event" begins.  You're in a small cabin when everything electric start going nuts, resulting in an out of control electrical fire.  This would of course explain the burned out cabins you find in your journey.  You grab your ready-pack (You've been prepping for unexpected bad things, after all, so wouldn't you have something ready for a quick departure?).

You make your way into the wilderness.  Your GPS goes dead and your compass starts spinning crazily.  You have to go by memory.  A pack of Aurora wolves chase a deer nearby.  You spot the bunker.  You hear a roar!  The Old Bear, in the throes of the Aurora, runs you down.  While he is mauling you to death, the big jet passes overhead to crash into Timberwolf Mountain.  This manages to scare off the bear.  Near death, you stumble toward your bunker.  You make it inside before your vision goes dark.

This explains the gap in time between "The Event" and your 1st Character's death:  Recovering from your wounds.

[Stone]

...sooo... Is that a yes.. or a no?

[Khan_Drichthyes]

More like a variant idea, based on your suggestion. 

[Spakerman]

I like the idea of the “seed” as a way of challenging your friends to do better than you did. Or to start as a group of people all playing the same seed to see who lasts longest... even post it on the forums for a community challenge. 

 I see the appeal of getting a second chance at the seed yourself but I think it takes away from it already knowing exactly what’s in the summit containers, or what’s in each safe or where each tool can be found. 

[Soul Sojourner]

I like the idea of seeded areas/games as well, but as a different game mode/experience, unconnected from the current survival, challenge, and story mode.

After seeds and random generation, the next logical step is map tools and player created/designed areas/levels/games... haha. Maybe in The Long Dark 2!  

[gnomegnine]

On 9/4/2018 at 8:34 PM, Soul Sojourner said:

Maybe in The Long Dark 2!  

The long DOSk