Miscellaneous Suggestions

[conanjaguar]

Got an idea but don’t want to clutter up the forum? Let’s have it with the misfit, random, crazy ideas! I’ve got two to start.

1. Simple(r) arrows: Why must all our arrows have a metal point? For hunting bunnies or just general target practice, why can we not just sharpen the arrow shaft to a point and then harden it in a fire? It would not require a forge, and would only annoy a wolf/bear/moose. But for bunnies... why not?

2. Lighter: I don’t see any logical reason why we cannot have a lighter. At the very least, some of the guards in Blackrock must have enjoyed a smoke now and then. The lighter could be fueled by accelerant or lamp oil, and would degrade 1% per fire. Repairable with an igniter from a Storm Lantern and quality tools.
 

[Kranium]

Lighters are a good idea, which is also probably too overpowered. Super common item (especially in rural areas). I'd go with a Bic lighter. Kind of a short lifespan, non-repairable, degrades to 0% if it gets wet. Hafta nerf it a bit, IMO.

 

I agree with the simple arrows.

 

I want to see tarps in the game. Super common item out here. Used to make a simple shelter or bivvy sack which would be water- and wind-proof, but not hold much heat at all. Craftable into a poncho, which would have the same qualities as a tarp shelter. Very lightweight.

 

The above also brings me to waxed canvas. Candles have been brought up here countless times. Just postulating the idea of: candle (wax) + cloth = waxed canvas. Heavy, durable, waterproof. Make a tarp or outerwear. People have also used fish oil to achieve the same result, albeit a bit stinkier...

[Razum]

I like all ideas, but I think they would be like a niche thing. Lighters are nice and would under these conditions give you some fires before breaking (just like firestrikers) but they would have big impact on immersion in my opinion, since it's just logical that they exist.
Simple arrows would also be just logical. My argument against them is - why? And with that I mean: There are stones why use bow and arrow? But on the pro side I see first: again, just logical and immersion, second: gives skill points in bow and arrow and third: it's always nice to be able to do things not only in one way.

A tarp would be nice. They should have a similar function as snow shelter, but being build easier (you don't need whatsoever many sticks and clothing) but also being less save from storms / wind. As clothing I would say, they would be practical as long as you don't have a moose-hide cloak (which kind of serves the same function but better). Also in late game, you would rather take a warm jacket instead of this thing, which only gives resistance to water and wind. At least when considering how the wind resistance is calculated in the moment.

[conanjaguar]

Another random idea:

This last weekend, we met a fisherman who showed us how to filet a flounder. In doing so, he sharpened his knife on the window of his truck! This would likely require some changes to be made in the way entering a car works, and would need to allow windows to be rolled down during an aurora. It would sharpen the knife by one or two percent, taking as long as with a whetstone. A window can only sharpen a knife or improvised knife, nothing else.

[ajb1978]

I'd go the opposite direction on arrows. We already have Simple Arrows. So let's go with Broadhead Arrows as an upgrade. (I've posted this before elsewhere, so if this sounds familiar...yes this is a repeat.) Basically you craft a Simple Arrowhead, then carry those to a region with a Milling Machine. You use the Milling Machine to upgrade the Simple Arrowheads into Broadhead Tips. Crafting arrows with Broadhead Tips results in Broadhead Arrows, which always kill wolves or deer instantly, regardless of where you hit them. Moose and bears would have a much increased chance of instant kill, but not guaranteed.

Also, Flaming Arrows. 1 Simple Arrow, 1 cloth, 0.1L lamp oil = Flaming Arrow. You must light it first (so -1 match. Edit: Or perhaps allow lighting from a campfire, and of course firestriker. Maybe even allow direct lighting via mag lens on sunny days? I dunno. I haven't thought this one through much.), and once lit it will slowly degrade over time (like a torch), and massively degrade after a shot depending on what you hit. These would basically be craftable Flare Shells, and would have the same effect. i.e. scaring off charging bears.

Edited June 22, 2022 by ajb1978

[conanjaguar]

@ajb1978

I was suggesting simpler arrows than simple arrows, for hunting bunnies until I get to a forge. Call them basic, if you will.

I kind of like the idea of Broadhead arrows, but I feel that they would be much too powerful for such a cheap item. Flaming arrows... eh. Logical, but would probably not scare off a charging bear like a flare shot.

Perhaps a better bow? Compound, recurve, et cetera? Or perhaps a longbow?

[ajb1978]

On 6/21/2022 at 7:57 PM, conanjaguar said:

@ajb1978

I was suggesting simpler arrows than simple arrows, for hunting bunnies until I get to a forge.

But why? You can't use arrows until you get a bow, and maple saplings take two days longer to cure than birch, on top of the 5 hour crafting time to make the bow. So as an absolute bare minimum if you don't waste a single second, you're looking at 6 days 5 hours before you can be shooting arrows of any sort. On the other hand starting from day 0, hour 0, you can be chucking stones at bunnies and getting food/hide/gut without having to wait or craft anything. Heck by chucking stones at bunnies you can literally already have crafted a rabbitskin hat and mittens at least 15.5 hours before any maple saplings even are done curing. 3 days for the pelts but that's superseded by 5 days for the gut, add on 3.5 hours to craft the hat, 5 hours for the mittens. If you're efficient, you can have the hat/mittens 5 days 8.5 hours in, which is 15.5 hours before the earliest possible maple saplings can be done curing. Or 6.4 hours if you're using fishing tackle. (Edit: These are not truly feasible numbers because it requires time to actually kill the rabbits, harvest them, etc. But given that the alternative of harvesting maple saplings is dependent on finding a tool in order to harvest said saplings, it kind of evens out.)

Either way, you have your mittens and hat before you can even think about bow-hunting, putting you nearly a week ahead of the curve. And early game, a week is everything!

Upgraded arrows I think provide more interesting gameplay than downgraded arrows I don't think anyone would ever use, given that there's an abundant and free alternative available with zero wait time. Plus if you miss with a bow/arrow, you've degraded your bow/arrow. If you miss with a stone...you just pick the stone back up and try again.

Although upgraded bows would be a nice touch too though. A compound bow that allows you to draw and hold it for a lot longer (hold weight vs. draw weight). Combine broadhead arrows with a compound bow and you've got a supremely deadly weapon that can compete with a rifle any day. (Albeit one that requires a bit of effort and travelling to some dangerous regions to reach its full potential.) Heck, in real life a good bow and arrow won't just stick into an animal, it'll punch a hole clean through it. So even if by some chance your shot doesn't drop the beast immediately, you can at least retrieve your arrow right away, before setting out to track it. Not that it'd get very far anyway. Broadhead arrows are devastating.

Edited June 23, 2022 by ajb1978

[conanjaguar]

11 hours ago, ajb1978 said:

Broadhead arrows are devastating.

Well then, maybe they shouldn’t be craftable? Perhaps they should be found in whatever new region comes for Episode 5.

 

11 hours ago, ajb1978 said:

But why? You can't use arrows until you get a bow, and maple saplings take two days longer to cure than birch, on top of the 5 hour crafting time to make the bow. So as an absolute bare minimum if you don't waste a single second, you're looking at 6 days 5 hours before you can be shooting arrows of any sort.

You have a valid point here. However, as @Razumsaid,

On 6/17/2022 at 1:18 PM, Razum said:

just logical and immersion, second: gives skill points in bow and arrow and third: it's always nice to be able to do things not only in one way.

And, to my knowledge, there are only three regions with a forge: Desolation Point, Forlorn Muskeg, and Broken Railroad. Forlorn Muskeg, especially, is the 2nd closest thing Great Bear has to Hell (Bleak Inlet coming first). Travel time to these regions would likely take a couple days, unless you start and stay in them.

In summary, I would just like an alternative option to stones and revolvers. On Interloper, there are no guns, so a bow, the flare gun, and stones are all you get. Basic arrows would allow us to shoot rabbits to level up Archery while traveling to a region with a forge to make or find arrowheads.

[conanjaguar]

I’ve been thinking...

If we can’t get simple arrows, then how about a slingshot? It would chuck rocks with more accuracy than just throwing them, and stun the rabbit for two additional seconds, as well as having a 10% chance of killing it outright.

Weight: 0.5 kg.

Materials: One each of: Reclaimed Wood, Cured Gut, and Cloth.

Description: A makeshift slingshot, cobbled together from whatever materials are at hand.