Simple Suggestions

[Niteme]

Just a few suggestions from a gamer that grew up on Atari and later a PC in the 80's.  So, an average gamer.  I just did my first playthrough of the game.  All here if you wanna check it out.  https://youtu.be/sEkRWnQIMrs  There are just a few suggestions I felt like tossing to the developers.

-Map Marking
Being able to just make one mark on the map would be helpful.  The right mouse button to put mark on and off.  Or if you want to make it a bit more complex allow people to make multiple marks, but would need to properly select which mark the user wants to remove.

Second, being able to tell where I have been would be helpful, even if it's a 3rd option use the mouse wheel button or option I can select on menu to highlight or shade areas on the map that the user can use to tell where they explored.

Also, can be a reason if have pens, pencils, and markers or burnt pieces of wood or coal items to add in the game.  Make the burnt wood or coal show up like the crow feathers.  So like 5 extra items suggested here.  Maybe pens pencils and markers can be used for marking a location on the map and burnt coal and ask are needed to shade or highlight areas on the map.  


-Controls
The Tab button.  I think it's currently used to remind people of the main quest but make that lame stuff the Q button.  Tab should be used for opening the menu and whatever it was opened as last.  So if I press 'I', (the eye) button and my inventory comes up I should be able to press the tab button to close the menu and if pressed again it opens what it was at last.  Or if I pressed 'I' (the eye) button and then pressed the 'm' key to see my map and pressing the tab will exit out of the map and if pressed again will open my map.  Lots of games do this already so maybe use the time tested ways and a standard that had been used for a decade and a half maybe longer.  From borderlands to fallout and I think doom and battlefield do this. 

Time to get on the Tab is for the menu train and make it nice and easy for people who've played a lot of games and make it easy by making the controls feel natural for other gamers to play yours.  Move what it does now to the 'Q' button and for controller users perhaps one of the analog button presses for it.  IDK maybe a controller user can suggest something.  I never really used it, if you ever see me use the tab button I was trying to open up the menu, every single time.  Better yet, just get rid of that because I'd hit the 'j' button if I wanted to know that info.  Never once did I use that button for what it was intended for.  Not once.  I used every other button as I always study the controls before playing any game that is new to me.  

My auto run didn't seem to work.  Which was annoying.  I had a cat on my lap most of the time so auto run would've been nice like in the fallout games.  Maybe it's something used in another mode.  Only just played the game.  

-Hazards
Although I'm sure it's not a big issue in real life but poisonous insects like spiders, at least inside buildings.  Much like how the wolves don't usually attack humans but you put that in there to spice it up.  Rare the black widow may be, but perhaps it can add some spice.  Would need a way to treat poison too.

If spiders seem to small and rare perhaps rattle snakes.  Like in basements and caves.  Yeah yeah, like the wolves and bears don't hunt down humans in real life, ya might need to add in 'snakes' with your warning.

Also, aren't there tiny holes someone can mess their ankle up on while wandering in the snow?  Not super common but maybe once every 2-3 hours roaming around one map. Perhaps make it an event to happen when roaming around rabbits since they dig holes for shelter.  Much like the falling in the water because the ice broke event.  


-Animals
No squirrels!

How about a hawk higher in the sky to see really far away bodies or areas of interest. 


-WTF
No ice cream in the freezers!  You Canadians are weird and just wrong.   Not even moldy or spoiled ice cream.  So lame.  Although I'd expect moldy or spoiled ice cream to be indoors I'd expect some good ice cream to be maybe in the trunk or some other outside storage.


I think I'm forgetting something and if so I'll make sure to come back and add whatever it was that I forgot, or if I find something else to suggest.  Peace all and thanks for your time.

Edited December 19, 2020 by Niteme

[UpUpAway95]

1) You can make marks on your map by using the spray cans (selecting one symbol from a variety).  This places the mark you selected in the snow (or on the door, etc.) and also marks the location on your map.  Spray cans are found in containers on all difficulty levels.

3) Black widow spiders don't survive the cold too well (they aren't indigenous to the NW area of Canada) and any that are found here are imported from souther climates (usually in grocery produce) or hitching rides on vehicles coming from the US and they only survive in places that are continually heated.  Even the indoor locations in the game are unheated.  Southern Alberta does have rattlesnakes but I don't think they are found in British Columbia or the Yukon.  At any rate, they are cold blooded and not active during the winter.

No comment on the rest.  I'm sure some of your feelings about things might change as you put more hours into the game.

Edited December 19, 2020 by UpUpAway95