March 2021 Developer Diary

[ManicManiac]

13 hours ago, BlueMaxW said:

I would love this gametype, though.

There is an indie game like sort of like this... it's called (coincidentally): The Long Drive. 
It's on steam...

Edited March 27, 2021 by ManicManiac

[Stinky socks]

1 hour ago, ManicManiac said:

There is an indie game like sort of like this... it's called (coincidentally): The Long Drive. 
It's on steam...

Very interesting! Thank you for sharing!

[ManicManiac]

52 minutes ago, Stinky socks said:

Very interesting!

Indeed... it feels like it was also at least partially inspired by the movie "Duel."

[Addendum]
I will also mention as a word of caution... that particular game is still very much a work in progress.

Edited March 27, 2021 by ManicManiac

[Hotzn]

Good to see this, thx @Hinterland for the continued effort. Also a shoutout to the folks of olden times and TLD science, e.g. @stratvox and @jeffpeng! Did the survey, but I doubt its results will accurately reflect what the general TLD audience thinks. However, the results might still be interesting.

[ProsPex]

On 3/18/2021 at 5:38 PM, Admin said:

In the specific case of Episode Four, this includes adding a new section of gameplay and a new mechanic we’re experimenting with.

New gameplay and mechanic.... anyone have a clue as to what this may be?

I hope it's being able to "jump" 😀

EDIT: Ok, I just read Raph's reply about a jump mechanic in Milton Mailbag Dispatch 10. So, I guess "jump" is not plausible 😒

Edited April 1, 2021 by ProsPex

[Stinky socks]

2 hours ago, ProsPex said:

a jump mechanic in Milton Mailbag Dispatch 10. So, I guess "jump" is not plausible 😒

"Ha ha ha ha ha ... That's right... You belong on the ground. You should crawl on the ground like the snake you are!  Come, let's fight!!"

[Mroz4k]

So much cool content to look out for! And, the survey - what a wonderful idea! It was very well tailored. Some of the questions there even made me stop and ponder over what I would want, given those options! It was an honor to participate and provide my feedback on the game I fell in love with so long ago.

Even knowing that the survey was just theoretical, and that we may not see most of the options there, it was still really nice insight into what the Hinterland is considering for the future of the game. And, quite frankly, most of the options there has made me excited. 

[odizzido]

QuickTime events in story mode?..... Man I hope they're not what I am thinking of right now..... Those cause me to stop playing a game pretty often.

[Karl Grylls]

On 3/21/2021 at 11:32 AM, DrZ said:

[...] I want to spend many more hours surviving the Quiet Apocalypse. But my revelation how old it is also made me realize that it also will fade into the long dark some day (pun intended). All games do. So while the thought saddens me a bit it is clear Hinterland has to think about the future.

But I also would love to explore more regions and see the game mature a bit more. I would happily spend a few bucks here and there for new content and further improvements for the sandbox. (Tbh, I am not so sure about Wintermute.)

And since I am sure, no matter how good the new content will be, there will come a time when the game will feel old and stale for me. That's why I strongly support the idea of diversifying for Hinterland. When Episode Five comes out TLD will be ten years old or close to it. If Hinterland can come up with a worthy successor that would be ten more years of enjoyment 🙂

So to summarize a path forward that would be viable for Hinterland and great for me as a player could be:
1) Finish Episode Five and push for a bit more maturity within the game mechanics (Sandbox)
2) From then onward release content (DLC) that keeps players engaged and the lights on with some spare change and resources for the next title
3) Find a workable balance between the two streams and within the streams

I know this sounds easier than it is and these are just my two cents. But I could not fully express those in the survey 😉

 

You nailed it for me. I also wanted a place in the survey where we could write little (or tbh not so little) text. At many of the questions i was like "my answer is between A and B, i would like to have the possibility to specify my answer"

But i liked the survey, especially when it came to other projects after TLD. I'm very high on atmosphere and TLD has the best atmosphere. It develops in the long run, but there's where the value is. And yes, i also feel that the game is slowly facing its limits. What could help are new mechanics and more options for the gameplay: deeper crafting (i'm thinking about options to improve gear like in The Last of Us 1), more food items (e.g. a bag of nuts, after you ate them you can use the shells as tinder), birdnests that can be found, more lore pieces that tell you about the worldwide catastrophe and Great Bear as well as the region you are currently in. But most improving imo would be long term ingame-goals. Mapping everything out as an ingame task or the stuff from the Story with the white deer etc.

And things like in the Legend of Zelda Games: You know the goal is the next dungeon, but nobody forces you to go straight to it nor punish you for not doing it. You can just keep exploring the rest of the map. Maybe some parts of the Zelda formula would work in TLD? What comes to my mind is one unique item per region. Just like the better backpack and the climbing shoes in Ash Canyon, the elk satch in HRV, the bow in DP....oh well maybe they have already done it But maybe extending that? I believe it would also be nice when some regions have unique wildlife, e.g. region B has wolves and a bear, but when you want a moose you have to travel to region C etc.

On 3/21/2021 at 10:12 PM, StillNomad said:

1. Paid DLCs. I have rarely bought DLC for a game. Once bought, its mostly be all and end all for me. Content in terms of skins, features, irrelevant superficial extras don't interest me. Exception to this, however, is genuine game content. I've bought Euro Truck expansion packs which offer new regions. I think TLD DLC is something I will pay to use. Having new regions such as Ash Canyon is such a good expansion to the survivor mode and will keep me coming back for more. Medium size content packs for me.

2. Customising the player character: I speak only for myself here. I dont feel the need to have representation in this game. I dont care. I am not insecure in life. I dont mind playing Will/Astrid as the character. I don't think having an Indian looking main character will somehow make me feel more immersed in the game than it already does now. Please spend the studio's precious resources in improving other areas. I dont know why this is even a thing these days. Add more survivor dialog, add funny things the character can say, weird stuff, thoughts spoken out loud, etc. 

3. More wildlife: Boy, this one would certainly improve the gameplay. Carnivorous as well as herbivorous animals would be nice. Hunting and using their pelts for more useful items would be genuinely interesting. Wouldn't mind seeing newer types of vegetation even some specific to certain areas. Also wouldn't mind the harvestable vegetation regrowing their 'harvestables' (blasphemous, I know).

4. Extending / Entirely new story (as paid DLC) This could help extend the TLD shelf life as well as possibly bring in newer players. 

5. Late game: Somehow this is where things start becoming tricky. There definitely needs something that makes late game persistently challenging. The forums already has a lot of topics on this.

6. Don't care for multiplayer. 

7. A novel based on the TLD theme/characters would definitely be interesting. It could be a complete novel, yet with certain questions unanswered (yes, I know. Good luck there), only to act as fodder for a sequel.

This also hits exactly my opinion. Your post as a whole and especialy the underlined parts. More versatile gameplay, deeper mechanics, etc. Would also be nice to access buildings without a loading screen. And the ability to look outside to check if wolves are nearby. But i guess the two latter were never intended when development started.

On 3/27/2021 at 6:22 AM, BlueMaxW said:

Nah. The only way is forward. Once you exit a zone it is in the past. Earthquakes and Auroras and stuff broke it. Tough world, but that's the game we play. Keep in mind, any new zone might well have better loot than what you have on you.... but what are you willing to drop if the next transition requires you to climb?

I hasten to point out that Raph DID NOT announce this as any official gametype. He casually mentioned the idea in a Milton Mailbox a few months back and my imagination has run with it..  I do not work at Hinterland and I am not authorized, qualified or capable of speaking for them. This is pure speculation on my part. 

I would love this gametype, though.

Arcade mode, hell yeah! Ok, it must be an arcade mode based on the generel speed of TLD, but still....

Edited April 2, 2021 by Karl Grylls

[Karl Grylls]

10 hours ago, kchiortu said:

Hi, i just created this account just to say to you to F**k you. I'm tired of waiting. Deleting this game NOW and newer ever again gonna play it. I mean i was waiting patiently... but this is just too much.

no release dates just some crap that oh we have problems... Then hire 100more of developers , makes each episode cost more, i don't care i will buy it anyways, but now. I am really sorry to leave this awesome game, but as i said in first sentence - f u.

I know few friends of mine who did it long time ago and i know more will follow me.

The episodes are free and no episode will cost you anything. Where did you get your information?

And the Story Mode is nice, but tbh the real heart of the game is the Survival (Sandbox Mode). Try it, and you will love this game again, trust me

[Admin]

12 hours ago, kchiortu said:

Hi, i just created this account just to say to you to F**k you. I'm tired of waiting. Deleting this game NOW and newer ever again gonna play it. I mean i was waiting patiently... but this is just too much.

no release dates just some crap that oh we have problems... Then hire 100more of developers , makes each episode cost more, i don't care i will buy it anyways, but now. I am really sorry to leave this awesome game, but as i said in first sentence - f u.

I know few friends of mine who did it long time ago and i know more will follow me.

We're sorry to hear that you won't be playing The Long Dark again. We're glad that you've enjoyed it up until this point, and we're really proud of the work that has gone into the game, and excited for what's to come. We're certainly aware that people are eager for more of the WINTERMUTE Story Mode and as we've said (including in this Dev Diary) we can't wait to share it with you and are hard at work on it.

If you feel like depriving yourself of something you enjoy and call an "awesome game" just because we have not met some timetable you've imagined then that's your choice and you're free to make it.

We are not going to charge for Episodes 4 and 5, and have always maintained that they would be free.

We are also not going to hire 100s of new staff just to finish the remaining two Episodes faster. We want to grow the studio in a sensible and sustainable way, and piling people onto a project just to rush it out the door often leads to future layoffs when the project is complete. 

It's also not true that simply adding people onto a project speeds it up exponentially. An important thing to keep in mind is that adding people to a project doesn't always make it go quicker. If we add people we want them to be able to contribute to making a high quality game, and ensure that we meet the standards that our players have of us.

Everyone involved in The Long Dark, including us, is looking forward to the release of Episode Four and then Episode Five. However, it's not going to satisfy anyone to simply rush things and rest assured we are working on this now.

[Stinky socks]

Hmm. TLD player base generally consists of patient group of individuals. Not sure where these outbursts of emotion are coming from?😁 hinterland, rest assured, stinky still love you!

[Megaloceros]

42 minutes ago, Stinky socks said:

Hmm. TLD player base generally consists of patient group of individuals. Not sure where these outbursts of emotion are coming from?😁 hinterland, rest assured, stinky still love you!

I have seen a couple of players like him on this site, and I find the intensity of their frustration so baffling. It is odd how personally some players take developmental setbacks or wait times or buggy features, and how unsatisfied they can be with objectively sensible limitations. 

Then again, the videogame industry is absolutely filled with players such as these; luckily, I love The Long Dark community because it seems to attract such patient, non-toxic players who are truly interested in discussing the game and experiencing its development (yourself among them, I love getting notified of your posts, though I don't always agree with them!). 

[darkscaryforest]

19 hours ago, Admin said:

It's also not true that simply adding people onto a project speeds it up exponentially

Reminds me of a quote from Fred Brooks, "What one programmer can do in one month, two programmers can do in two months." Sometimes things are so technical and specialized that the overhead of communicating or time to figure out where to allocate talent optimally isn't worth it

Edited May 28, 2021 by darkscaryforest
make wording marginally less confusing

[Karl Grylls]

17 hours ago, Megaloceros said:

I have seen a couple of players like him on this site, and I find the intensity of their frustration so baffling.

On the other hand, it's quite understandable. The Episodes were delayed how many times and for how long? IIRC all of them should have been out now (regardless of covid). And considering that many other studios have disappointed their fanbase before, the players are now quite sensitized. I think our friend from above is one of these, due to the overreaction ("episodes each cost more".... "because hundreds of devs were hired"...) yeah, as i said, understandable, but no reason to rush to far.

Edited May 28, 2021 by Karl Grylls

[Stinky socks]

Well yeah, that's understandable I guess. There are plenty of other games to play meanwhile though!:) I have like a few months worth to play just from epic freebies alone! 

Cyberpunk2077 has been delayed quite a few times too, same goes for Dying Light 2, at least they came up with December date now.

Look at the bright side, when you do come back to TLD for episode 4 and 5, it'll be like something fresh again! Pretty sure they'll finish it off with a bang! 

[Karl Grylls]

1 minute ago, Stinky socks said:

Look at the bright side, when you do come back to TLD for episode 4 and 5, it'll be like something fresh again! Pretty sure they'll finish it off with a bang! 

I hope so! I want Episode 5 an epic long journey with the most "Long Dark Feeling" ever!

[Stinky socks]

Well, hinterland mentioned they are still working on it. Maybe they are trying to implement ray tracing and dlss and it's taking a bit longer than usual?

[StumpRumpel]

God this game is looking so well done! I absolutely love the environments you and your studio has crafted. It strikes such a perfect balance between believability and playability! I have much hope for the future of Hinterland, ALL of you have so much potential and have more than successfully proven yourselves! I'm happy to say that this game justified me purchasing it on multiple platforms so I can play it whenever and wherever I want. Thank you for creating such an amazing experience!

[Karl Grylls]

My theory what also delayed the episode's progress is how successful TLD has become. Originally it was designed to be on iPad only. Than the game outgrowed the capacity of the iPad and they made it a PC Game. It became more and more popular, and fans wanted more.

To keep up with the growing fanbase, they made console versions. First XBox, then PS4, after that Switch and Switch lite. Player's asked for Merchandise (IIRC). There is a movie coming up also.

And of course some exxternal factors like covid. And the telltale closure. Ok, they decided to delay the episodes because with the people they got from the telltale studios, they wanted to make the game just better, which is fine for me.

So i belive that nobody could forsee how big this game would get and the success overbeared the devs.

Edited May 30, 2021 by Karl Grylls

[peteloud]

I hope that when HTL make a major release, i.e. a new region, a new episode, or a Halloween Challenge, that they are not all done in a very short space of time, as happened a couple of years ago.

I would much prefer to see major releases spaced out by a few months.  It seems that each release is followed by increased activity on the game, and in the forum,  which lasts several weeks or a few months then dies down.  Carefully spaced releases could keep activity at a more steady level.

I would prefer to see the Halloween challenge replaced by a Xmas Challenge.  I like the idea of there being a Santa's Grotto in a remote cave from which a couple of new bits of equipment are available.  I would also like the see Santa's Grotto in a randomised cave such that not everyone has the grotto in the same cave.

 

 

[mfuegemann]

Hello Hinterland,

is it possible to get a short update where You are in regards to Episode 4 development phases?

production    <---
testing
optimization

Something like "still in production" or "already testing" would be enough.
Thank You.

[mfuegemann]

Hi Lohaan,

no sarcasm involved. Just genuine curiosity.

I am not active on Twitter and will not be.

[Lohaan]

43 minutes ago, mfuegemann said:

I am not active on Twitter and will not be.

I'm only there to check for updates. You don't need an account to read it. 

 

[mfuegemann]

Hi Lohaan,

thank You for the link, at least I have a better understanding of the current state now(testing phase).
It is a bit unfortunate that the updates on this site are so scarce, though.