Suggestions: New animals, snowshoes/ski's, and more


AkDeath

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Just bought the game on sale on steam, love it so far and I'm only a few hours in. Having grown up in Alaska this game definitely strikes a chord with me, you guys did a great job reproducing the atmosphere of trudging through deep snow in the arctic.

This being an Early Access title, I'd love to give some of my two cents while the game is still being developed.

A few things I'd be interested in seeing in future updates:

  • Larger Variety Of Animals, namely grizzly (brown) bears. Someone in another thread mentioned adding black bears, but they are nowhere near as fearless and confrontational as grizzlies, more often than not black bears will turn and run if they encounter a human. I've even seen my dog chase a few of them away from my house. Grizzly bears would be another predator in addition to wolves but would be encountered far less frequently and would be more aggressive and lethal. You could even have a mother bear with cubs that would have heightened aggression and would attack more frequently. Bear meat could be cooked/eaten and their thick pelts could provide more warmth than any other in the game. I'd also make them tougher to kill than any other animal. Grizzly bears are legendary for their ability to absorb bullets and not die. Read "Alaskan Bear Tales" by Larry Kaniut where he tells of a bear that was found with numerous bullet wounds in its skull, none of which killed it. If there's one idea of mine that I'd hope over all others to make it into the game, this would be it, I think adding another predator to the game would put it over the top.
  • Moose: I'd also love to see Moose introduced since they could be both prey and predator. Moose aren't really known for it but they will attack if provoked or surprised and they have stomped and killed people in the past. They'd provide a large amount of meat and would add another species of wildlife into the mix.
  • Small game: Squirrels, Ptarmigan, Fox, and Wolverines (predator) could also be great additions to the game. All could be hunted and eaten, and the Wolverine could attack and kill. They are known for their otherworldly strength and can hunt much larger game than themselves. There are all found in the arctic and would add some much needed variety to the in-game wildlife.
  • More Foliage. I'd love to see some different kinds of trees sprinkled throughout the landscape just to make it look more realistic. Birch trees in particular would look great and provide a nice contrast.
  • Skis and Snowshoes: why not? Travel in the game can be tedious, and while realistic, it's also realistic that the player would come across snowshoes or a pair of skis during his/her looting. They could both increase the speed of travel on flat land and the skis could increase it greatly on hills. I think both should be somewhat of a rare find but I feel like this game is begging for a mode of quicker transportation. Of course both would degrade with time and have to be repaired. Skiing would also add an element of danger as crashing/dropping off cliffs could result in injury or death.
  • Wolf Behavior Tweak: I know this has been addressed so I'll keep it short. I've already encountered wolves that don't give a damn about a flare and pretty much kill me instantly. I think the wolf attack sequence could be tweaked to add more variety to the fight (allow player to claw at eyes, maybe even bite?) , and I think the wolves aggression should be toned down. I think what could really improve it is to have individual stats for each wolf, so some of them have high aggression while others don't. Overall the wolves just don't feel right. As someone else mentioned having them travel in packs would be awesome and would also make it more realistic when they do attack.
  • Urination/Defecation? Gross, yes, but also realistic which is what this game strives for. How are you going to eat 3 energy bars and a tin of sardines and not take a plop? There could be a discomfort bar that when filled up would cause the character to slow down and become ill if ignored. Players temperature would go down while in the act when done outside. Poop could also alert nearby animals to your scent and add an element of danger when done in the outdoors.

That's all I have for now, I'll keep playing and add more when I think of them. Thanks for the great game!

Edit: Well, it looks like some of my ideas have been discussed, bears in particular. I guess I'll just echo the sentiment that bears would/will be an awesome addition!

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  • 3 weeks later...

All great suggestions, AkDeath, particularly the added wildlife. But I'm glad I did a search for "urination" now, because yes, this was one of my first thoughts, once I'd survived for more than a day. I've spent enough time in the actual woods to know that this simple aspect of life can *definitely* have ramifications for comfort, safety, health. And wouldn't it just be the worst way to die if a wolf snuck up on you in the middle of the necessaries? ;) Personally, I'd *love* to see this as a feature of the gameplay. Not, like, FEATURE feature, but certainly something that can happen, that needs to be dealt with every now and again. Would add to the verisimilitude! -- SRJ

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If/When they introduce bears (I think they've confirmed that they will, but I could be wrong), the difficulty in killing one should be cranked up to 11. The prospect of killing one should involve multiple bullets, and as you note, the possibility of a head shot still not bringing it down. Actually bringing down a bear should be an achievement-level feat.

Of course, I still think wolves are a little too easy in this game, an opinion for which I might find burned at the stake (for warmth as well as heresy).

And +1 to snowshoes. I definitely think there should be penalties to moving in deep snow without snowshoes or skis.

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+1 for both skis and snowshoes. Especially skis.

I was also thinking about some sort of human-powered sledge to carry supplies, say when moving your base from Mystery Lake to the Coastal Highway. You would move slower than usual, but be able to carry a higher proportion of supplies than you would moving at that same speed while encumbered.

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MOOSE! Yes, moose. Lots of moose. I've lived in Alaska for almost 20 years now including a stint off grid. I've seen hundreds of moose and been chased a dozen times by them, but never once have I laid eye on a wolf in the wild. They are rarely seen apart from a glimpse from a distance or a tour bus in the national park. And of course they are pack animals rather than the simple hostile bots of the game, but that's another thread.

When the bulls charge in season, they lower tines out toward you like a rack of spears, and their hackles go up. They're all angry legs and slashing antlers. I once had to dive into devil's club to escape a young bull who was trying to prove a point and did.

Devil's club--now there's another northern treat to add! Imagine a blackberry bush with no berries and thorns that behave just like shards of glass. That's devil's club.

I also like the idea of ski. And don't forget the fatbikes! Best way to get around snowy roads, bar none. A fellow up here rode over a thousand miles to Nome in the middle of winter last year in TEN DAYS. Over a hundred miles a day on a fricking bicycle.

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