Everyone’s thoughts on the fire system ?


TheLongDude

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Jw what’s the general consensus about the fire/cooking systems? I know it’s been a little bit since they overhauled this but I’ve noticed I haven’t really sat down and got into a good interloper run in awhile despite the new updates. Maybe I’m just yearning for the old system but I was wondering what everyone else thinks about this? On a side note there’s nothing better than coming back to this game and getting back into the cold. 

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I think the current fire craft and cooking systems are fine as is.  They've come along way since I started playing back in late 2014.  I think perhaps some additions would be good, but I don't think either of them needs an overhaul in their current forms.

For example:
A hand-drill ignition method would be a nice touch (specifically I mean friction fire - the old fashioned way, I know everyone talks about a bow-drill... but I like the hand-drill idea much better).
Cooking recipes would be a welcome addition to the cooking system (like being able to make Grey Mother's Survival Stew - or something like that, where you can gather several ingredients and combine them to make a food item with better benefits than other found foods)

As I said before, I think some little additions would be great but I don't think the systems themselves need to be overhauled.

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Guest kristaok

I like the way it is now, even though I must admit I would like to see the option to Break Down Fires.

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The cooking system is pretty good. There could be a few minor adjustments and things added. But it's pretty good overall.

The fire system however is due for a makeover. It's one of the only major gameplay systems that hasn't been overhauled greatly since LAUNCH in 2014. Firestarting is the main thing that needs to be completely changed. Not only is it boring to watch, it's not realistic enough. Explain to me how I can light a fire with a single match and a log? That makes no sense. You should have to start a fire with tinder, then kindling, then small wood, then larger fuel types. Blowing on the fire should also be a mechanic introduced when lighting fires. As for when the fire is lit, I think you should be able to drag (place) wood directly on the fire with the item placement system and it should go right in and burn. And finally, the heat from a fire should be retained in a shelter for a certain period of time if it's small enough and doesn't have any means for the heat to escape.

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The cooking system is okay with me. It's a little clunky, scrolling through the pots is really slow for example, but it's usable. How you can get intestinal parasites from well cooked meat is beyond me though.

 

As to the fire system, again it's okay. I do think there is too much dependence on matches. I really do feel there should be friction fires which would take the most time and calories to start. But yeah, other than that it's fine. I don't feel they need to do anything with it, but the new cooking system is certainly better than the old one to me so if they have some good ideas then that would be cool to try out.

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Took some getting used to, especially placing campfires, with their large footprint. But I like the new-ish system, quite well. It is nice to be able to have multiple pots of water, a steak or 2, and a can of beans cooking, and being able to darn my socks while things cook. I carry 2 cans with me when I travel, an leave pots and cans back at caves, mines, and stoves that I use often, and for large batch cooking, I tend to return to those places, or cook food on multiple campfires at once. 2 cans is enough to make a good amount of water for travels on just one campfire, and keeps my pack lighter than dragging cooking pots around. 

 

I like being able to multi-task, something we could not do before.

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Guest jeffpeng

I'm a big proponent of the cooking update that came with vigilant flame. Made the game so much richer in so many aspects and I would be happy if HL would further iterate on it and/or add more mechanics to the game that work alike.

On the other hand the thing they did to the entire cooking/boiling/firestarting thing with the Redux Update I cannot stop hating on. It's a seriously half-assed attempt to make the entire thing more self-explanatory, but it's seriously clunky and ineffecient in so many ways. If I could choose one thing in the game to see a decent redesign - that would be it. I can't believe HL is happy with it as it is, so I'm guessing it will happen at some point in the not-so-distant future.

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17 hours ago, Fuarian said:

Explain to me how I can light a fire with a single match and a log? That makes no sense. 

It's implied that your character is doing extra things off camera, based on their skill.  It's kind of like giving instructions to someone.  "Hey, go start a fire. Here's matches and a cedar log."  Then they go off and handle the minutiae of gathering stones and kindling, building the ring, stacking the fuel, feathering tinder on the spot if they are level 3 or above, etc.  Fire is part of the game, but it's not intended to be a campfire simulator.

 

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On ‎6‎/‎4‎/‎2019 at 12:21 AM, Fuarian said:

- It's one of the only major gameplay systems that hasn't been overhauled greatly since LAUNCH in 2014...
- Firestarting is the main thing that needs to be completely changed....
- Not only is it boring to watch, it's not realistic enough...
- You should have to start a fire with tinder, then kindling, then small wood, then larger fuel types. Blowing on the fire should also be a mechanic introduced when lighting fires. As for when the fire is lit, I think you should be able to drag (place) wood directly on the fire with the item placement system and it should go right in and burn.

While I can appreciate your point of view, I have to say I disagree.  I trust the Hinterland team and if they do chose to overhaul it, then fine... but as of right now I don't really see a need.  The system does what it's supposed to do and I don't really mind how it goes about it.

Your first point suggests that it's one of the oldest (unchanged) mechanics in the game... I would posit that it's not been overhauled because there has been no real need to overhaul it.

I can respect that you personally may think it's boring, but what you suggest a little later in your statement outlines a level of micromanagement that I personally think would be boring as hell...  I would not find very fun at all, nor do I think it would have any positive impact on gameplay... instead I think it would just make starting fires a pain in the behind.

As for being not realistic enough... it's been discussed by Raph over and over... and I will paraphrase the best I can.  This is a game that is not trying to be a hyper-realistic camping simulator.  It's meant to be a curated experience where the team has made creative decisions based on how they want aspects of the gameplay represented.  Nothing about the game is meant to be strictly "realistic."  We could talk for hours about how it's not like real-life... and that is literally true of every single video game that has ever been made.  I mean there is even a disclaimer at the start of the game that echoes this, warning you that this is not an outdoor simulator/substitute for real training, and that you should not try to use what you see in the game in real life.

Getting back to the mechanic you proposed.  While yes, this is more or less how you make fire in real life, I think this would be painfully tedious to have to micromanage your fire like this in the game.  This harkens back to the previous point, so I won't reiterate.

 

Edited by ManicManiac
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I like the fire starting/cooking system. There’s a fine line between immersion and tedium.

A fire starting mini game wouldn’t fit the overall style of the game.

I don’t play interloper though so my experience is likely different from others.

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The development team have talked about the game being about interesting decisions. Having processing happen off screen gives you time to ponder and make those decisions. 

The off screen moments have a big influence on the pace of the game. 

I don’t think The Long Dark is about decisions. For me it’s about burglary.

I rob anything; shops, farms, children’s bedrooms, even the dead, I’ve no scruples. It’s my favourite burglary simulator. 👍🏻

 

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