maybe a suggestion for sandbox mode?

[Lukin]

Dear Hinterland-Team,

first I would like to say that I really like your game idea: a survival game without zombies, in real environments, good crafting and realistic survival mechanics with outstanding graphics design and so on.

I still haven´t bought your game because it is still being in early access with no story mode even the sandbox mode is fairly finished i think.

I have read a lot of player reviews in which the biggest complaints are that the sandbox mode has no goal. This is what I also think: Why should I try to survive for as long as I can, if I know that I obviously die at the end even I survived for 100 days...

So here is my suggestion for making the sandbox mode more rewarding if you can complete it:

That means I think of a time windows for being rescued from a helicopter maybe.

So I think, that you have to survive at least 30 days or something like that. From the beginning of this certain day there is a random time window where a helicopter may come searching the area for survivors. This can happen randomly from day 30 to day ?? so the player don´t know when it can happen but he knows that it CAN happen. So a goal would exist for sandbox mode to survive. (I think of the game "This war of mine" if you know this one - it´s also a very good survival game where your goal is to survive the days of war which can be over randomly from day 25 to day 45).

So this would be the following ingame mechanic: on a random day you can hear a helicopter coming and randomly patrolling the area - just go outside and wait until he is right above you or to make it more realistic you have to light a fire so it can see the smoke of it. Then the sandbox is over and you´ve completed it and survived sucessfully. You can also miss the helicopter - If then you have to try to survive for further days and wait for the helicopter to come again...

I don´t know much about programming things but I can see that you´re really passionate in improving your game (with continuously bugfixing and new content, ...).

So this is only my suggestion for making the sandbox mode having a rewarding goal. Maybe there are other solutions which would be more enjoyable.

It think this would please the players from having no goals on sandbox mode, and would many other players decide to buy your game.

Cheers

Lukin

p.s. sorry for mistakes in writing.

[Orwell 1984]

Please take a look at the story before you give advice, that may help you to avoid a very negative experience instead of a warmth welcome in the community forums.

Just do it, you will see my reasons.

Although your response that a sandbox mode have no end (only when you die or give up), may also worth some time investing in to look up what sandbox means.

Of course you are welcome on the forums, and we gladly assist you to shine your ideas here, but dont expect any response from the developers if you do not spare the minimal required energy to suggest quality focused additions.

At last, after all the irritating talk, I like the way you think, I can see you wish to add value to the game, and in order to help you to do so, let me bring your attention to the search function of the forums, where you can find awesome ideas, and those may help you to leave here something what the community can think about.

[Lukin]

..sorry for insulting you.

This was only a suggestion for the DEVELOPERS like many others here.

Don´t matter

[Orwell 1984]

Of course it matter !

I am sorry for my harsh language, your point of view is just as important as anybody else's.

Please feel free to share your ideas with us, because the community is eager to hear everybody out related to such a gem like TLD.

If you checked the story, you know there were a geomagnetic storm caused by a gigantic sun flare, and that resulted in a post apocalyptic environment without electricity or working 20+th century technology.

Your remark that the game would have more consumer base if the sandbox mode would have some goal to reach, have an interesting drawback.

There is a large group of people from whom already bought the game whom enjoying the free run without any goals at the end, but if you find it really important to have a goal what you mentioned, please take the time and be creative, find a solution what may be convenient for both type of players, whom enjoy the free run, and whom are in need of a goal except survival itself. (Here is an example, viewtopic.php?f=58&t=4273&p=25435#p25435 )

After 100 days:

Now I realy started to enjoy in game.It is not fear and worries anymore,but only enjoying in game,with carefull steps.I hope every player will realise,that once you learn tips and listen to the nature in game,as well respect it,you can fully enjoy in game.

How do you solve your everyday problems if you face some critic and react like: "ahh, dont matter, forget it" ?

You do not have to do anything else, only to stay calm and think in order to achieve your goals.

Sounds easy right?

No hard feelings I hope!

[Seshins]

Dont take offence to Orwell Lukin, hes pretty much bang on the money. The reason a helicopter won't come is the geo-magnetic event that cuased your crash in the beginning makes all electronic equipment null and void.

I believe the purpose of the sandbox is to truly be an open ended survival experience, there is no happy ending, there is only death and solitude. Survival of the fittest.

[pikkue]

Dont take offence to Orwell Lukin, hes pretty much bang on the money.

Na he's raising a valid point. It's good to track what ppl are doing with the money you gave them hum?

Despite that, Orwell has a frank language, but always is interested in a constructive dialog, so no offense by him.

The reason a helicopter won't come is the geo-magnetic event that cuased your crash in the beginning makes all electronic equipment null and void.

I believe the purpose of the sandbox is to truly be an open ended survival experience, there is no happy ending, there is only death and solitude. Survival of the fittest.

That geomagnatic storm thing makes me desperate sometimes when thinking on things that could be done with electricity, but it's really good that the devs stick to their claims.

Apart from that, ye guess the same with sandbox. No happy end.

The story mode will be different of course, lets wait for the things to come.

[Lukin]

@ Orwell 1984:

ok, in regarding this I would like to say that know the story of the geomagnetic storm, etc..

I was following the development of the game from the early stages BUT in sandbox mode there is no "story" at all - you don´t have other survivors or a certain paths to go.

You´re just alone wandering in open world and try to survive.

My intention for my suggestion for the goal in the survival mode was the the following:

as I mentioned before I wanted to have the game from the first time I heard about it - a survival game without dumb zombies, awesome gameplay mechanics, georgeous graphics, etc. AND an interesting story with the crashed pilot Mackenzie...

The full game with the story mode was announced to be released later in 2014. So it´s nearly a half of a year later and it don´t seems to be released in the next future - the developers are continously improve the sandbox mode which is a good thing obviously.

I hope I'm wrong but there are so many unfinished early access games out there and I hope TLD will NOT be one of this. It would be very disappointing for such a gem as you named it.

I refered only to the circumstances that -as I mentioned- I read al lots of customer reviews - in which the biggest complaints are that there is (still) no goal in the current game and they still not bought the game in fact of this. It´s not only my personal meaning.

So I just wanted to suggest or try to help the developers to refer to this circumstance and wanted to make the game attractive for this people to buy the game and get even more money for further developments. I think this game is worth to be finished and is becoming a classic.

ok, much talking - here is my solution which could make everyone convienient as you mentioned: simple choose one of 2 sandbox modes: one with infinite play like the current one OR one with the chance of being rescued from anyone (don´t must be that helicopter - maybe another random event in a random period..).

so, I hope you understand my thoughts a lit bit.

[Orwell 1984]

Thanks for taking the time to explain.

I totally feel ashamed of how I talked to you, but I just wanted to save you from attacks of the community, and I offended you instead of clarifying what I wanted to do.

Confused -.-

sorry

[Lukin]

it´s ok - but why should the community would treat me bad only for writing a suggestion?

there are so many ideas here - some creative one, some strange i think.

maybe mine is such a strange

i also think, that the developers cannot read everything here - it would drive them insane for sure. So many suggestions and wishes for the game...

[pikkue]

I wonder about Orwell a bit here, not rejecting that post

..in sandbox mode there is no "story" at all - you don´t have other survivors or a certain paths to go.

You´re just alone wandering in open world and try to survive.

You claim wrong facts to be true here, as even in sandbox there has been a geomagnetic storm, thats your story, you write it along by playing.

You gave an answer yourself regarding the question of a "goal":

Survival.

People just somehow dont grasp the idea of infinity, no solutions, just like life.

Regarding the human mind tho, to say having no goal is a deficit is reasonable. But the world does not care about the human mind that much

For all those who dont like thinking further, the story mode is to come (Dont take this as an offense please).

ok, much talking - here is my solution which could make everyone convienient as you mentioned: simple choose one of 2 sandbox modes: one with infinite play like the current one OR one with the chance of being rescued from anyone (don´t must be that helicopter - maybe another random event in a random period..).

so, I hope you understand my thoughts a lit bit.

We do, but still this is not agreeable, as a sandbox game becomes superfluous when involving an end.

The goal is to play

The minecraft concept

(Apart all that, welcome to the forums btw(: )

[Lukin]

be with you - seems i´ve played too many games with an ending

ok, from that point of view I totally agree with you - I have to see the sandbox mode as a journey with only one 'goal':

to stay alive as long as I can but finally die alone in the cold wilderness.

you´ve convinced me - maybe it´s like riding a motorcycle where the goal is to ride and not reaching any destination.

let´s hope hope the story mode will be finished at any time - I can wait for this.

Maybe sandbox modes are not my preference.

So let´s close the discussion with the words from Orwell 1984:

'As soon as you find the right questions for the problems you are facing with, you will figure out that the problem was you the entire time.'

[pikkue]

be with you - seems i´ve played too many games with an ending

ok, from that point of view I totally agree with you - I have to see the sandbox mode as a journey with only one 'goal':

to stay alive as long as I can but finally die alone in the cold wilderness.

you´ve convinced me - maybe it´s like riding a motorcycle where the goal is to ride and not reaching any destination.

let´s hope hope the story mode will be finished at any time - I can wait for this.

Maybe sandbox modes are not my preference.

So let´s close the discussion with the words from Orwell 1984:

'As soon as you find the right questions for the problems you are facing with, you will figure out that the problem was you the entire time.'

<3

Yes, really looking forward to story as well, sandbox usually isnt my kind, too

Regards to austria!

[harobed1156]

Please take a look at the story before you give advice, that may help you to avoid a very negative experience instead of a warmth welcome in the community forums.

Just do it, you will see my reasons.

Although your response that a sandbox mode have no end (only when you die or give up), may also worth some time investing in to look up what sandbox means.

Of course you are welcome on the forums, and we gladly assist you to shine your ideas here, but dont expect any response from the developers if you do not spare the minimal required energy to suggest quality focused additions.

At last, after all the irritating talk, I like the way you think, I can see you wish to add value to the game, and in order to help you to do so, let me bring your attention to the search function of the forums, where you can find awesome ideas, and those may help you to leave here something what the community can think about.

[offtopic]Are you an employee of Hinterland? I don't recall seeing an announcement that you'd been appointed as a moderator. You often use the word "we" when chastising new members and I assure you "we" are not all that rude.[/offtopic]

[Ryan CM]

Please take a look at the story before you give advice, that may help you to avoid a very negative experience instead of a warmth welcome in the community forums.

Just do it, you will see my reasons.

Although your response that a sandbox mode have no end (only when you die or give up), may also worth some time investing in to look up what sandbox means.

Of course you are welcome on the forums, and we gladly assist you to shine your ideas here, but dont expect any response from the developers if you do not spare the minimal required energy to suggest quality focused additions.

At last, after all the irritating talk, I like the way you think, I can see you wish to add value to the game, and in order to help you to do so, let me bring your attention to the search function of the forums, where you can find awesome ideas, and those may help you to leave here something what the community can think about.

[offtopic]Are you an employee of Hinterland? I don't recall seeing an announcement that you'd been appointed as a moderator. You often use the word "we" when chastising new members and I assure you "we" are not all that rude.[/offtopic]

No, he is not a moderator and has received a warning about this kind of behaviour as it does come across as speaking as the developer, which is not appropriate. However, that post was made before the warning was given, and as such is understandable why it was that way.

In future, if you see behaviour that you think may be cutting it close to violating our forum guidelines, please flag it rather than using the forums to call people out. It helps keep things more orderly for the dev team as well.

Forum guidelines are here: viewtopic.php?f=3&t=4210

Thanks for your support.

This thread is now locked.