Thermal Hot Springs

[Ardawna]

I would love to see thermal hot springs in the game.  Somewhere you could warm up and maybe restore a little health. Wouldn't that be awesome?!

[Ice Hole]

You have been re-watching the best seasons of GOT haven't  you.

 

[Ardawna]

The mechanic could be like sleep or rest.  You could soak in the hot springs for minutes or hours but if you stay in too long, your health goes down instead of up.  Gotta find that sweet spot! 😉

 

[ManicManiac]

Hmm... well there are hot springs in Canada, mainly in the western provinces so I suppose it fits.  I'm just not sure what gameplay value a hot spring would add to the game.  I mean, if it's just a place to warm up... we have caves and structures for that.

It's a neat idea to be sure, I'm just not sure it would have much impact in terms of gameplay.

[Ardawna]

Not just warm up but increase health to a certain degree.  Sorta like Birch Bark tea.  I don't know ... maybe it would just add a nice place to hang out and feel less stress.  Those types of items are important in game too.

Edited June 6, 2019 by Ardawna

[ThePancakeLady]

This was discussed a bit, fairly long ago, in the Steam Wish List subforum. Never really gained much traction there, other than a general QoL wish. It would need to have some counter-balance to it. Only one in the game world, located in an area that is not easy (but not impossible) to reach, forgetting to undress first means wet clothes that would freeze quickly after stepping out... I was in favor of it then, but after a long time, my mind has changed. It would be a nice Modding project when we have Mod support. Or it may be something that is added when we finally see Perseverance Mills, perhaps. But we have BB tea now for condition gain, as well as Herbal tea. We have 2 level caves, structures, and most importantly- fire, for warmth. If a Mental Health & Wellness system is ever expanded upon and fleshed out, perhaps it might have a place for improving MH, perhaps. But there is so much more to that system that would have to come first. or this geothermal spring cave would become a hotspot for people homesteading, and not exploring the rest of the world. If they ever add a "cleanliness" mechanic to the game, yeah, a hot bath to wash our bodies and clothes in would be nice. 

I wonder if our survivors know how to swim? *You faded into The Long Dark by falling asleep in the Hot Springs and drowning...*

I will not dismiss the idea. It still sounds like a wonderful addition to the game, but perhaps not one that would be of benefit to the devs, or many players (gameplay value) for the amount of time needed to do the art, animations, coding, and balancing. Might be better for a new map made by a modder someday.

[ManicManiac]

26 minutes ago, Ardawna said:

Not just warm up but increase health to a certain degree.

I'm not trying being sarcastic at all, but...

It's just warm water... while hot springs are very soothing, I have never put any faith in their fabled "healing properties."  I think most of that can be attributed to the placebo effect.

[UpUpAway95]

It would mean that our character could have a makeshift bath, which should promote healing of the various bites and other scrapes our PC gets.  It would also add a unique area/ecosystem to the map.  They could also add, say, a lichen or moss that could have some different medicinal properties or perhaps use the area near the spring as a source of salt or sulfur (for some crafting suggestions I've seen listed by others).

Edited June 6, 2019 by UpUpAway95

[ManicManiac]

29 minutes ago, UpUpAway95 said:

which should promote healing of the various bites and other scrapes our PC gets

I don't know... I still feel like that idea stems from the "mystical healing properties" attributed by some to natural hot springs... which to me just feels like superstition.

Anyways, from a gameplay standpoint we already have antiseptic and old man's beard lichen (Usnea) for that effect.

Edited June 6, 2019 by ManicManiac

[UpUpAway95]

7 minutes ago, ManicManiac said:

I don't know... I still feel like that idea stems from the "mystical healing properties" attributed by some to natural hot springs... which to me just feels like superstition.

Anyways, from a gameplay standpoint we already have antiseptic and old man's beard lichen (Usnea) for that effect.

I think it's generally been shown that not bathing for long periods of time results in skin problems that are avoided if baths are taken.

[ManicManiac]

@UpUpAway95
I mean, yes of course that's true, but I wasn't referring to general hygiene when I was discussing this subject.  
You were mentioning healing... not cleanliness, so I didn't fully have the context of what you were talking about.

Edited June 6, 2019 by ManicManiac

[UpUpAway95]

34 minutes ago, ManicManiac said:

@UpUpAway95
I mean, yes of course that's true, but I wasn't referring to general hygiene when I was discussing this subject.  
You were mentioning healing... not cleanliness, so I didn't fully have the context of what you were talking about.

Healing from the perspective of a game mechanic... unless they want to add in an affliction specifically associated with uncleanliness.  They could also use it in connection with the "mental health meter" just because having a soak after not being able to bathe for a long period of time would probably imrpove one's morale and well being.

You talk about the mysticism associated with mineral springs, but I can see how such feelings about them developed since the people discovering them probably had not been able to enjoy a good hot soak for some time.

Edited June 6, 2019 by UpUpAway95

[ManicManiac]

24 minutes ago, UpUpAway95 said:

unless they want to add in an affliction specifically associated with uncleanliness

Oh, I hope not... There is only so much micro-managing I want to do in a game.  

 

24 minutes ago, UpUpAway95 said:

You talk about the mysticism associated with mineral springs, but I can see how such feelings about them developed since the people discovering them probably had not been able to enjoy a good hot soak for some time.

Oh yeah, it's absolutely understandable... especially considering the time in which those associations started (which was long before mankind understood anything about pathogens).  A lot of ancient concepts have still managed to carry over to the modern day... like the idea of chicken soup helping to cure a cold - that is a holdover from "medieval medicine."  Specifically the concept where people believed that adjusting the presence of the 4 elements in the body would restore health.   (of course, that's not how biology works)

 

24 minutes ago, UpUpAway95 said:

use it in connection with the "mental health meter"

I mentioned this in another thread, but it I think it bears repeating: I'm not sure how well I would like something like that in this game.

I mean for a Lovecraftian / horror type game, a sanity/mental health meter works fine as a core gameplay mechanic...  I know for a while there was an idea about having something like a photograph or some kind of personal belonging that was meant to give kind of a "will to live" buff or something to that effect.  That the more you used it the quicker it would get worn out... but I think that idea went to the wayside a few years ago.

We do have the cabin fever affliction, but that is an arbitrary condition dependent solely on time spent inside vs. outside (the specifics are not important so I'm skipping them here).  Even with that, there are no mitigating factors at all... it's a firm metric. 

My bottom line here is: Something like a "mental health" or "morale" mechanic would take a lot of nuance to keep it from feeling like a negative consequence instead of just part of the human condition that it truly is... (I'm not wild about the idea of having to deal with a depression simulator)

 

Edited June 6, 2019 by ManicManiac

[Ardawna]

I know that there is not a mental health mechanic in TLD but for us, the people running the character through everything this game throws at us, there certainly is.  Stress is a real thing and our bodies do respond to stress in physical ways.  A hot spring would help relieve stress, at least, I'm pretty sure that is why the Japanese snow monkey's use them.  Relieving stress is a form of healing.  Giving or bodies a chance to relax and recover.  Also, like a tea, it would give you a warmth bonus for a bit of time.  

True, these things already do exist in the game.  We do have the birch bark tea now (and don't we all just love that!!!).  What would a hot spring add?  Well, depending on it's location, it could add an incentive for a destination, a reason to trek into a hostile area that otherwise might be avoided.  I don't know, I think having a quiet, stress free place is a bonus in a game that is relentless and harsh all the time. It gives the players a chance to have a little control and take a break from the intensity of this wonderful game that we all love.

Just my thoughts and wanted to share.

[Khan_Drichthyes]

To add a risk factor, consider these three words:

Brain eating amoebas 

Not sure if they even survive in hot springs.  It just popped into my mind (see what I did there?), after we've had a few cases reported in North Carolina in the last few years.

Of course, this would open the possibility for....

BRAIN EATING AURORA AMOEBAS!!!!🤯

[Willy Pete]

I suggested this a while back, the biggest issue that came up logic-wise is that geographically Great Bear has coal mines. In order to have hot springs you need magma. Put these things together and you've got a bad time.

If you were to ignore logic, however, I think it could still fit. You wouldn't be able to get water from them, and they would make any clothing you wear wet when you get in, but providing a sort of pseudo-shelter could be cool.

[Ardawna]

Hmmm, well you could take all your cloths off before getting into the pool.  The really, really nice thing would be that you could get warm without having to build a fire.  That's a huge bonus in a place like HRV where the hostility meter is high and the resources are few. 

[Yavind]

On 6/6/2019 at 6:03 PM, Ardawna said:

I would love to see thermal hot springs in the game.  Somewhere you could warm up and maybe restore a little health. Wouldn't that be awesome?!

That sounds like a good idea. If Hinterlands is going to add hot springs to the game, hot springs should be super rare and hard to find. I have something I want to add on your idea.

pros:
* You restore heat like you would with the hottest bonfire.
* Restore small portion of health
* example # 7 out of # 8 hot springs found. You actually have to get 100% wet in the spring to get the "found" text of the hot spring( achievement badge when all springs are found: "Bathmaster" )

cons:
* All the clothes you are wearing gets 100% wet.

Edited October 9, 2019 by Yavind

[Yavind]

And another pros for bathing in a hot spring:

*Removes all smells

[Ardawna]

On 10/9/2019 at 12:46 PM, Yavind said:

That sounds like a good idea. If Hinterlands is going to add hot springs to the game, hot springs should be super rare and hard to find. I have something I want to add on your idea.

pros:
* You restore heat like you would with the hottest bonfire.
* Restore small portion of health
* example # 7 out of # 8 hot springs found. You actually have to get 100% wet in the spring to get the "found" text of the hot spring( achievement badge when all springs are found: "Bathmaster" )

cons:
* All the clothes you are wearing gets 100% wet.

I agree that the location would have to be really remote and maybe even hard to get to/find.  I love the Bathmaster idea!

I realize that this is maybe unrealistic but hey, a gal can dream right?  Definitely a wish list item.

[gnomegnine]

I think this is a great idea! maybe one or two located in HRV?