Game "Improvements"


hozz1235

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With the release of Elegy, mods have mostly become unusable.  Some may applaud this, while others are frustrated.  I know HL has expressed that they may pursue "official" modding but until that time, I wanted to start composing a list of "features" that mods provided so that (fingers crossed) HL might implement in one form or another.  Here's some of my favorites:

  • Remembering break-down item - say I ripped up some curtains with my hands, the next time I'm attempting to break down some curtains, the game would default to my hands
  • Being able to remove fuel from lanterns
  • Consolidating identical items (such as when I have (20) 100% cups of coffee)
  • Break down cans - convert unused, empty cans to 1 metal
  • Pre-select struggle weapon - defaults to whatever weapon you pre-select
  • Show map location - I mainly used this when making guides and/or showing my location on a screenshot
  • Remember the last thing I cooked - Great when trying to make lots of coffee so we don't have to scroll through our other food items to find the can of coffee

That's all I can think of for now.  I would think these would be fairly easy to implement since the code has essentially already been written by the modders.  Then again, I know very little of game development and modding...

Edited by hozz1235
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@hozz1235
Interesting list of items, suffice it to say I like the game pretty much as is.  However I'd gladly give you my general thoughts on your list. (I'll have to keep it short, as I don't have much time at the moment):

On ‎11‎/‎9‎/‎2019 at 1:15 AM, hozz1235 said:

Remembering break-down item

This would be a neat feature.  I know when I opt to harvest a carcass by hand later if I go to harvest something bare hands is still defaulted later - so it would be neat to see that behavior cover more territory (so to speak).  I think this would be a good compromise, it remembers the last thing you used... but still give you the choice for selection.  I like that.  It would be good for fire starting too... not just for breaking things down.

On ‎11‎/‎9‎/‎2019 at 1:15 AM, hozz1235 said:

Being able to remove fuel from lanterns

Absolutely and over in Mailbag Dispatch #34 Raph mentions, "Yeah, we do need not just a "fuel management" but a "liquid management" system/interface. We've discussed it a fair bit. Not sure where it sits in our internal roadmap but we'll get to it eventually."

On ‎11‎/‎9‎/‎2019 at 1:15 AM, hozz1235 said:

Consolidating identical items

Considering our inventory is not organized as inventory slots, but rather simply by weight capacity then I'm fine with things not stacking.  Besides, I'm sure they have a rationale as to why somethings stack and other's do not.

On ‎11‎/‎9‎/‎2019 at 1:15 AM, hozz1235 said:

Break down cans

I had this on a wish list of mine, long ago... but I've since come to realize that metal is so very abundant that I'm fine with not being able to scrap cans for metal.  Considering we have had at least one player survive 10 in-game years on interloper... I feel like it's safe to say that there is no shortage of metal for long survival runs.  :) 

On ‎11‎/‎9‎/‎2019 at 1:15 AM, hozz1235 said:

Pre-select struggle weapon

I'd be in favor of this, where it not for how many times I've needed to make a split second tactical decision on how to handle that particular fight.  I was once beset by three wolves in rapid succession.  The first one I knifed, but the other too I need to get them off me as quickly as possible so as not to die...so I selected the hammer for the other two.  If my weapon had been locked in by some kind of pre-select... I would have been very dead.  So, I prefer being able to choose on the spot for each encounter.

On ‎11‎/‎9‎/‎2019 at 1:15 AM, hozz1235 said:

Show map location

I personally would not enjoy this at all.  It's just a preference.  I would be in favor of this being an option for those who would want it... but I absolutely would not like it if it were just added to the game as a permanent map feature.  I felt it took away some of the enjoyment in the story mode for me, but in that context I understood why it was there.  I just wouldn't want it in my survival experience. 

On ‎11‎/‎9‎/‎2019 at 1:15 AM, hozz1235 said:

Remember the last thing I cooked

Hmm, I've never really thought about this... I suppose it's because I'm not prone to carry around so many "cookable" items that this was ever a problem.  I'd be fine with this being an optional setting, but I'm fine with the system as is.

 

:coffee::fire::coffee:
This was a good list.  Thank you for sharing.

Edited by ManicManiac
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Quote

Break down cans - convert unused, empty cans to 1 metal


I used this once. It makes sense but I don't think it's great for balance reasons. There is tons of scrap metal in the game, but you need to invest some time to saw it up. That's how a lot of mechanics works. Spend time. Get something. Breaking down cans made getting scrap too easy

Quote

Show map location - I mainly used this when making guides and/or showing my location on a screenshot

Only as an option. I really dislike the map arrow in Wintermute. Makes things way too easy

But a big yes to most the rest :) I especially want remember break down items and proper fuel management

Edited by Serenity
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I would agree with all of these except "show map location".  Story mode gets a pass because it's a different experience entirely, but in Survival mode we shouldn't have access to a GPS.  If you get turned around in a blizzard, that could very well be your ass right there.  That's really the only time I'm ever at risk in Survival mode anymore.  Just last month I nearly lost a 400+ day run  (Edit: Nope, I remember now, it was day 4 of 4DON during the perma-blizzard.)  after getting lost in a blizzard, then falling through the ice on CH.  I stumbled onto the logging camp which blew my mind because I thought I was way over by Misanthrope's.  In Story mode I could have just reloaded an old save if I'd died anyway, so at that point you may as well give the player a GPS as well.  In Survivor mode, not having that GPS provided an experience Story mode can never offer.  So for this...I say no GPS.

But everything else, spot on.  Maybe require a hacksaw in your inventory to harvest scrap cans, so it's not so OP.

Edit 2: And I've posted this elsewhere but it fits the conversation.  A feature I would really like to see added is crafting stick bundles, to serve as a single firewood item worth however many sticks are in that bundle.  A 40-stick bundle is worth adding 40 sticks to a fire in terms of both heat and duration, and weighs as much as that many sticks would.  But it's a single item, so you don't have to murder your mouse just to build a fire.

Edited by ajb1978
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When I look at using cans for metal I start wondering how much of our metal is steel vs aluminum. It may make the game too complicated to worry about it, but aluminum arrows might be cool. Or other ideas for it. Also just looking, it seems that aluminum melts at 660 degrees and steel is like 1500. Apparently you can melt down aluminum without too much trouble...
 

 

 

Anyways I won't go any further than this since I am not the one making the game.

 

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@hozz1235
Correct...  but I'm not sure why you are confused. 

- I am good with the game as is (meaning I accept and appreciate what Hinterland chooses to do with their game).
- Then I gave you my thoughts on the ideas you put forth.

So, to put it together... I do like some of the ideas you put forth, but I'm good with the game either way.
 

:coffee::fire::coffee:
Another way to say it, "I'm good with the game, but I also think some of your ideas are neat." :) 

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Guest jeffpeng

I'm all for quality-of-life improvements. I'm not really big on mods when it comes to change the balance. So I guess I would applaud "Remembering break-down item" and "Remember the last thing I cooked" as those really are just repetitive things that get annoying rather quickly. "Consolidating identical items" would help with the rather crowded inventory. Removing fuel from lanterns is probably a fringe use case, but it makes sense.

On 11/8/2019 at 9:45 PM, hozz1235 said:

Break down cans

Nah. Scrap metal is abundant as it is.

On 11/8/2019 at 9:45 PM, hozz1235 said:

Pre-select struggle weapon

No harm in that I guess, however: does it really matter? It's not like you spend 50% of your game entering struggles (or if you do: you're doing it wrong :D)

On 11/8/2019 at 9:45 PM, hozz1235 said:

Show map location

Generally against that as stated in 

but as also stated there maybe we should think about if that stance is really fair. But I don't wanna repeat that discussion here.

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