A little disappointed... Ep4


ElleJoy

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Soooo... I'm gonna just preface this by saying I completely understand the Long Dark isn't meant to be a game for kids and also that I wholly recognize language was already a thing in earlier chapters...

But I have to be honest... I'm a little disappointed that the dialogue devolved so intensely from the first three chapters. I know the setting is prison and these people are more hardcore... But hearing the 'f' word so prevalently when (as far as I recall) there was maybe one use in chapter 3 and none in 1 and 2 was more than a bit jarring and frustrating. I counted at least 10 uses from the first three cutscenes. I realize I sound like a prudish Karen. I'm not really sorry for that. This game is fantastic and so fun to play, and one of the things I enjoyed most was that it wasn't like other survival games (disturbingly violent and filled with swearing). Eventually, when he was a little older, I intended to let my son play..  I definitely can't do that now. 

Hoping this foray into the pervasive cussing was just a Chapter 4 thing and not how the dialogue will be written from here on out. Holding out hope Hinterland realizes they can make a good, quality game without all that.

Or at least that they'll consider a swear filter setting for us prudes lol

 

EDIT : Also... REALLY curious how this much language was even permitted considering the ESRB rating is T? 

Edited by ElleJoy
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I totally agree with you. I think some words were over used far too many times. The rating says "Mild Language," but how mild is Ep. 4? 

The story itself is outstanding in my opinion, but I am also disappointed with this as well. 

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4 hours ago, ElleJoy said:

Soooo... I'm gonna just preface this by saying I completely understand the Long Dark isn't meant to be a game for kids and also that I wholly recognize language was already a thing in earlier chapters...

But I have to be honest... I'm a little disappointed that the dialogue devolved so intensely from the first three chapters. I know the setting is prison and these people are more hardcore... But hearing the 'f' word so prevalently when (as far as I recall) there was maybe one use in chapter 3 and none in 1 and 2 was more than a bit jarring and frustrating. I counted at least 10 uses from the first three cutscenes. I realize I sound like a prudish Karen. I'm not really sorry for that. This game is fantastic and so fun to play, and one of the things I enjoyed most was that it wasn't like other survival games (disturbingly violent and filled with swearing). Eventually, when he was a little older, I intended to let my son play..  I definitely can't do that now. 

Hoping this foray into the pervasive cussing was just a Chapter 4 thing and not how the dialogue will be written from here on out. Holding out hope Hinterland realizes they can make a good, quality game without all that.

Or at least that they'll consider a swear filter setting for us prudes lol

 

EDIT : Also... REALLY curious how this much language was even permitted considering the ESRB rating is T? 

Thanks for your feedback. Episode Four is the first episode with some cursing in it. If you like, please make use of the new Curse Filter we added in the Accessibility settings. 

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3 hours ago, Admin said:

Thanks for your feedback. Episode Four is the first episode with some cursing in it. If you like, please make use of the new Curse Filter we added in the Accessibility settings. 

Ah! I had no idea that was a thing! Thank you so much!

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There are people who work in my lab that use as much, if not more profanity, than those criminals. I hear my PI say "oh F--k off" or "oh, F--k" at least once a day. And one of the grad students drops an f-bomb every time he breaks the tip off a Pasteur pipette and has to fish it out of the vial (which takes all of 10 seconds). I probably use the least amount of profanity of anyone in my research lab, and, in my YouTube videos, there is no profanity, period. So, yeah, the language in Episode 4 is pretty much what you'd expect from a gang of hardened career criminals.

@Admin: I'm sure Paulsoaresjr (my favourite YouTuber) will very much appreciate the profanity filter for his upcoming Let's Play. His entire channel is PG-13 and that'll save him a lot of time editing out cursing. 

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10 hours ago, ElleJoy said:

Soooo... I'm gonna just preface this by saying I completely understand the Long Dark isn't meant to be a game for kids and also that I wholly recognize language was already a thing in earlier chapters...

But I have to be honest... I'm a little disappointed that the dialogue devolved so intensely from the first three chapters. I know the setting is prison and these people are more hardcore... But hearing the 'f' word so prevalently when (as far as I recall) there was maybe one use in chapter 3 and none in 1 and 2 was more than a bit jarring and frustrating. I counted at least 10 uses from the first three cutscenes. I realize I sound like a prudish Karen. I'm not really sorry for that. This game is fantastic and so fun to play, and one of the things I enjoyed most was that it wasn't like other survival games (disturbingly violent and filled with swearing). Eventually, when he was a little older, I intended to let my son play..  I definitely can't do that now. 

Hoping this foray into the pervasive cussing was just a Chapter 4 thing and not how the dialogue will be written from here on out. Holding out hope Hinterland realizes they can make a good, quality game without all that.

Or at least that they'll consider a swear filter setting for us prudes lol

 

EDIT : Also... REALLY curious how this much language was even permitted considering the ESRB rating is T? 

 

8 hours ago, Pencil said:

I totally agree with you. I think some words were over used far too many times. The rating says "Mild Language," but how mild is Ep. 4? 

The story itself is outstanding in my opinion, but I am also disappointed with this as well. 

honeys... your kids know the f-word from like age 8 if you're lucky... don't whine about it being used in a kinda grown up game,

further: no fortnite/cod kid will ever get to ep4 before they are 20+

not enough instant grat to be found here -

just be happy and enjoy xD

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5 hours ago, camel said:

 

honeys... your kids know the f-word from like age 8 if you're lucky... don't whine about it being used in a kinda grown up game,

further: no fortnite/cod kid will ever get to ep4 before they are 20+

not enough instant grat to be found here -

just be happy and enjoy xD

First of all, my son doesn't know that word and he's 8 because we don't swear in front of him. Regardless of if/when he hears it, we plan to teach him to be respectful about swearing, as it isn't a necessary nor intellectual way of going about life dropping cusses everywhich way. That being said, there was very little reason for it to be added into a T rated game and I'm well within my right to offer feedback. If someone's opinion is different from your own that doesn't make them wrong, and it doesn't equate to whining. Might wanna consider having some respect when you disagree, instead of being condescending and rude about it.  

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I do think the use of strong language was a good call distinguish the prisoners from the rest of the cast. As well as distinguish the two goons from Mathis as being idiots. I do agree though that it was excessive in places. By having a few well placed rude colloquialisms you can communicate the type of speech a character uses without actually including them in every line. Not to mention bring more attention to lines that they are used. With the goons in particular it was tricky to pick out what was just chatter and what was progressing the plot.  Also my Russian friend a colloquialism is only as strong as it's intent and in U.S.A/Canada there is so much foe aggression and postorism. As well an aggressive need for small children to prove that they are big boys now that even the most vulgar of language becomes nearly ironic. Leaving simple swears that were popular in ones youth more effective since it shows a sense of simple mindedness and reversion. Which may or may not have been something you picked up on during your language studies. There is a saying that I find to be quit accurate sometimes. "In some places English completely disappears, In America  they haven't spoke it in years."

Edited by RegentRelic
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1 hour ago, ElleJoy said:

First of all, my son doesn't know that word and he's 8 because we don't swear in front of him. Regardless of if/when he hears it, we plan to teach him to be respectful about swearing, as it isn't a necessary nor intellectual way of going about life dropping cusses everywhich way. That being said, there was very little reason for it to be added into a T rated game and I'm well within my right to offer feedback. If someone's opinion is different from your own that doesn't make them wrong, and it doesn't equate to whining. Might wanna consider having some respect when you disagree, instead of being condescending and rude about it.  

very sorry you felt that way

obviously tld is meant to be played by small children

hope your 8yo enjoys the night walker or being mauled to death by a bear like all those other kids do

nightmare material is O.K., things they hear on the way to the playground: no no no...

naughty devs, trying to make the "people too bad to stay on the mainland" sound/appear that way

24 minutes ago, RegentRelic said:

I do think the use of strong language was a good call distinguish the prisoners from the rest of the cast. As well as distinguish the two goons from Mathis as being idiots. I do agree though that it was excessive in places. By having a few well placed rude colloquialisms you can communicate the type of speech a character uses without actually including them in every line. Not to mention bring more attention to lines that they are used. With the goons in particular it was tricky to pick out what was just chatter and what was progressing the plot.  Also my Russian friend a colloquialism is only as strong as it's intent and in U.S.A/Canada there is so much foe aggression and postorism. As well an aggressive need for small children to prove that they are big boys now that even the most vulgar of language becomes nearly ironic. Leaving simple swears that were popular in ones youth more effective since it shows a sense of simple mindedness and reversion. Which may or may not have been something you picked up on during your language studies. There is a saying that I find to be quit accurate sometimes. "In some places English completely disappears, In America  they haven't spoke it in years."

i agree

an old lady or a trapper may have different speech patterns than a bunch of murderers and criminals locked up in canada's version of alcatraz

little excessive or not

good call to add the roughness to the new antagonists 

in addition:

imo the decision to include human antagonists really mixes things up, we play vs nature for years now, having something to work against thats not wind, cold or bears is a nice change

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16 hours ago, Admin said:

Thanks for your feedback. Episode Four is the first episode with some cursing in it. If you like, please make use of the new Curse Filter we added in the Accessibility settings. 

Well there's this problem fixed then :D

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6 hours ago, camel said:

very sorry you felt that way

obviously tld is meant to be played by small children

hope your 8yo enjoys the night walker or being mauled to death by a bear like all those other kids do

nightmare material is O.K., things they hear on the way to the playground: no no no...

naughty devs, trying to make the "people too bad to stay on the mainland" sound/appear that way

i agree

an old lady or a trapper may have different speech patterns than a bunch of murderers and criminals locked up in canada's version of alcatraz

little excessive or not

good call to add the roughness to the new antagonists 

in addition:

imo the decision to include human antagonists really mixes things up, we play vs nature for years now, having something to work against thats not wind, cold or bears is a nice change

Why do you feel the need to be so condescending? Do you really need to have the power trip here? I acknowledged in the very first paragraph of my post that this wasn't a game for kids. If you took ten seconds to read it thoroughly instead of deciding what I said didn't meet your criteria of acceptance, you'd recognize that. 

My issue with the language stems from the fact that it wasn't utilized in previous episodes and was therefore an unexpected issue which, had I known it was going to be a thing, would have effected my purchase. Thankfully there is a filter, which I have put to use and I'm able to continue. Which I also acknowledged in this thread.

The game isn't rated M, it's rated T. There are specific guidelines to how the ESRB rates a game and I'm careful with what I play because I don't care for the language in M rated games. That is my personal preference. Sorry if my personal preference offends your sensibilities enough that you felt the need to be rude to strangers on the internet? I guess everyone needs to think like you for the world to function. 

Again. Disagree all you want. Maybe next time learn to do so with a little common courtesy. I expect you'll respond obnoxiously again. You may have the last word if you need it that badly. I've said my piece. 

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7 hours ago, RegentRelic said:

I do think the use of strong language was a good call distinguish the prisoners from the rest of the cast. As well as distinguish the two goons from Mathis as being idiots. I do agree though that it was excessive in places. By having a few well placed rude colloquialisms you can communicate the type of speech a character uses without actually including them in every line. Not to mention bring more attention to lines that they are used. With the goons in particular it was tricky to pick out what was just chatter and what was progressing the plot.  Also my Russian friend a colloquialism is only as strong as it's intent and in U.S.A/Canada there is so much foe aggression and postorism. As well an aggressive need for small children to prove that they are big boys now that even the most vulgar of language becomes nearly ironic. Leaving simple swears that were popular in ones youth more effective since it shows a sense of simple mindedness and reversion. Which may or may not have been something you picked up on during your language studies. There is a saying that I find to be quit accurate sometimes. "In some places English completely disappears, In America  they haven't spoke it in years."

I actually don't disagree here. It would've made sense, had the intentions been thoroughly character based. The problem I have is two fold.

The first is that it wasn't just Mathis and his goon squad. The caller (don't wanna spoil) was also swearing quite frequently, which gave me the impression this was a decision to amp up the 'adult' levels, rather than a choice to make bad people sound bad. Sort of like when a show changes primetime slots to a later slot and they decide to ramp up the violence/language because the kids are in bed. There's no real reason to and it doesn't further the plot, but they can so they do. Only problem with TLD doing it, is the game's rating didn't change... But the filter does help (though it misses quite a few words haha) so there's that at least.

The second issue is that this isn't the first time these types of characters were introduced. In chapter one Mack interacts at length with the same breed of creeper and while he's definitely a ruthless brute, he manages to convey that without dropping F bombs. Same with the end of episode two, when you first encounter Mathis. 

It all gives me the impression of a preteen first exercising their 'adultness' by throwing cuss words into their sentence structure on the playground, meanwhile knowing they'll get their mouths washed out with soap at home. It was a strange direction to take, for Devs who seemed to take great care in effective dialogue structures in the previous chapters, particularly because their writing is one of their greatest strengths. Before, the swearing was minor, but it had effect. Now it's just sprinkles on a cupcake... Useless sugar flavoring the already sweet. Glad I can filter it, but still a shame they went that route. Hoping episode 5 won't follow suit, cause it really isn't necessary for the game to be good.

Edited by ElleJoy
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48 minutes ago, ElleJoy said:

Useless sugar flavoring the already sweet. Glad I can filter it, but still a shame they went that route. Hoping episode 5 won't follow suit, cause it really isn't necessary for the game to be good.

and as you said you can filter it.... which should be pretty much the end of the discussion for those of us that don't mind

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1 hour ago, ElleJoy said:

The caller (don't wanna spoil) was also swearing quite frequently

As I was playing the episode I thought this was supposed to be a clue to her back ground. Notice that she does mellow out over the episode which I think is supposed to endear us to her. I was to disappointed that she wasn’t Katie to really care about the new character.

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5 minutes ago, RegentRelic said:

As I was playing the episode I thought this was supposed to be a clue to her back ground. Notice that she does mellow out over the episode which I think is supposed to endear us to her. I was to disappointed that she wasn’t Katie to really care about the new character.

VERY SMALLISH SPOILER AHEAD ||

Yeah - I was a little surprised by her reveal, as well. I was expecting more of a tough, mother-bear kinda character (I actually, like a lot of folks, thought she was Molly LOL). I can't say I dislike her, but I definitely wasn't as endeared to her after her reveal, given how timid, scared and unprepared she seemed.

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9 hours ago, Cr41g said:

and as you said you can filter it.... which should be pretty much the end of the discussion for those of us that don't mind

 

9 hours ago, Bimbobjoejr. said:

I didn't think too much of it, since I use profanity..... waaay more often than I should. But I feel like that would make sense here since it's all criminals and such. But if some have an issue with but there's that profanity filter, I think it'll be fine.

 

6 hours ago, Admin said:

Thanks for the feedback. As mentioned, players can make use of the new Curse filter under Accessibility settings. 

Reminder to keep interactions respectful on the forums. 

please admin/mod

close this one

people who are unable to read patch notes can read about the filter here

let's take care of serious issues 

Edited by camel
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As someone who was also somewhat upset about the change in the level of "cussing" as the story continued, it helped to read the feedback from all sides. Not everyone brushes off multiple uses of the "F" word, but I understand the possible reasons behind it, such as filling out the convict personality and preparing for a darker storyline.

Learning about the filter was helpful and I don't consider that a "non-serious" issue.

I am perfectly able to read patch notes, but was so excited to get to play this new chapter that I neglected to do so immediately.

Admin & Mods -- Thanks for the info on the filter, much appreciated!

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On 10/7/2021 at 11:12 PM, ElleJoy said:

First of all, my son doesn't know that word and he's 8 because we don't swear in front of him. Regardless of if/when he hears it, we plan to teach him to be respectful about swearing, as it isn't a necessary nor intellectual way of going about life dropping cusses everywhich way. That being said, there was very little reason for it to be added into a T rated game and I'm well within my right to offer feedback. If someone's opinion is different from your own that doesn't make them wrong, and it doesn't equate to whining. Might wanna consider having some respect when you disagree, instead of being condescending and rude about it.  

The profanity filter should be used by you. Have fun and good luck.

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