About the Glimmer Fog

[fbr]

So, I think is a nice addition. Insomnia is a new challenge to deal with, and although it's just a mild annoyance for the most part, can be really a danger for the ones who live "on the edge" (i.e. taking damage from food, thirst and cold during the day to recover later on sleep). And it's always good to have new uses for items, such as Herbal Tea.

However, there is a huge flaw: there is basically nothing you can do about the Glimmer Fog. As far as I know, there is a single spot in Forsaken Airfield where you can hide from it, besides the unlikely option to run to another region. So, if the Fog starts at morning, I know I'll have Insomnia. If starts at afternnon, I know nothing will happen.

Since almost always you can't take any proper action, I quickly learned that the best thing to do is to just go on with the life and ignore the Fog completely. And then all creepiness and fun was gone. The only real challenge as a player is to deal with sudden foggy weather, but I don't think the developers idea was to do only this.

A game event is only fun when you can do something abou it (it's called "to play the game"). With Blizzards you have to pay attention to the weather signs, run for cover to light a fire, etc. Even for Auroras you have options, to look for shelter and/or avoid animals more than usual.

So my suggestion is to add something extra to react to the Fog. Perhaps caves could be another safe spot. Or lighting a fire could make you deal better wiht the spooky lights and slows down Insomnia risk (without actually preventing it - it would be an interesting choice in an Interloper run where every match, but also every condition point, counts). Anything that changes the Fog from "ok, it's this time of the day, I'll have that" to "ok, I can/I cannot deal with Insomnia today, what can I do about it?".

Nevertheless, keep up the good work! I know there were some issues at the release, but I'm enjoying a lot the new regions.

[fbr]

BTW, forgot to mention, but the Junker's Paddock trailer seems to be bugged because when I enter it during a Fog, it completely "heals" Insomnia risk AND ends the Fog outside. Since this doesn't happen in the Hangar or the trailer by the Airfield, I suppose it's a bug (however, it could be turned in "something else to do": if you run to a closed area without electronic devices - such as trailers - your Insomnia risk won't increase).

[hozz1235]

I don't remember, you get the effects of the glimmer fog even when you're in an "inside" (transition) location?

[Lexilogo]

1 minute ago, hozz1235 said:

I don't remember, you get the effects of the glimmer fog even when you're in an "inside" (transition) location?

There are very few inside loading zones in Forsaken Airfield so far, but I can confirm you're still not safe from the Glimmer Fog in them. It's only the main airport hangar basement specificially where you're safe.

Anyway, as for OP, I believe Burdock is on TFTFT's roadmap and is probably going to be an Insomnia-mitigating option to add an extra gameplay element to it.

But yes, I agree with you that it doesn't encourage reactivity. Something something Sid Meier quote about games being a series of interesting decisions.

If you're caught out in the open in the Glimmer Fog, what are your decisions? Burdock will help with this a bit, but it's nowhere near as interesting as the decisions you have to make when confronted by a blizzard, where there's the dynamic windchill protection system and wind resistance movespeed that influences what direction you should ideally travel in for example. With Glimmer Fog, especially right now, it's just "leave the far territory or go into the airport basement if you want to avoid it, if you can't you're SOL, just take the insomnia"

Your idea of a fire letting you focus better and slowing insomnia risk would definitely serve that purpose and be a good choice IMO. I think maybe a system of insomnia risk influences could work, like it ticks up higher if you are near activated electronics like car radios, but slower if you are in a cabin without any electrics for example. Then, it becomes something of a system of risk, how many safety measures do you think are necessary to give you a chance of riding out the fog without insomnia?

[Paddyjack]

I did not try it, but would a snow shelter protect against it? It is kind of underground

[DaPepster]

1 hour ago, Paddyjack said:

I did not try it, but would a snow shelter protect against it? It is kind of underground

Tried that, doesn't work.

[TFA303]

Glad to hear I'm not the only one coming to this conclusion. 

The description "find an underground location" made me think that caves or tunnels might work. The presence of a snow shelter right next to a cabin gave me the idea that  a previous occupant of the cabin made the shelter to get away from the fog, but no dice. The basement workshop is your only option in this huge region. 

 

[acada]

I suspect the glimmer fog will have another feature in the future. The hanheld radio. How it works? Will it work only during aurora or the glimmer fog will make it run?

For now the main feature is blueish milk-thick fog. It is crackling too, so it can hide sneaky wolfy, beary sounds.

[Glacia]

17 hours ago, diggity said:

And when I did get insomnia, it didn't really do much.  In fact I just slept thru it as normal, or so it seemed.
So what's the point? It's mostly just annoying, a somewhat cool effect but that's it.

And this quote from the Project Lead is misleading: "...so you can watch the Glimmer Fog roll in from the relative safety of your cozy new cabin!" (Shacknews, Dec 3 2022) There's no hiding from the fog in the cabin, so how is it safe?  What am I missing?

Glimmer Fog it's likely a feature designed around the handheld radio rather than an interesting game mechanic. The glimmer fog activates the handheld radio and at the moment we don't know if Aurora have the same effect.

Likely the glimmer fog it's a mandatory event to trigger the handheld radio (And only the fog, not aurora). This could explain why the fog doesn't have a big impact on gameplay, if it's more of a Tale-related event than a serious feature for the survival.

 

[acada]

I am out of the FA at the moment. But if I remember it correctly, you can see the glimmer fog in advance. I was walking from the airfield NW to the cabin abov the lake. I clearly saw blueish cloud on the ground. I could avoid it if I wanted.

For me the main effect of the glimmer fog is loss of orientation plus loss of hearing. Something like blizzard without wetting and tearing my clothes and freezing my butt off.

[A Lamp]

Although, if it was a global event (aka it can happen outside Far Territory), it would save some time when waiting for the aurora just to open the 2 workshops (+ all future code digit locked doors)

It also makes the flashlight useful during the day (mainly exploring places without any electrical light sources).

About the handheld shortwave, in the roadmap it's said the shortwave can be activated by glimmer fog AND aurora.

But honestly i would like to see it happen outside the FT.

[hozz1235]

21 hours ago, Glacia said:

Glimmer Fog it's likely a feature designed around the handheld radio rather than an interesting game mechanic. The glimmer fog activates the handheld radio and at the moment we don't know if Aurora have the same effect.

HANDHELD SHORTWAVE

During the Aurora, or when in Glimmer Fog, the Handheld Shortwave may pick up errant signals that could lead you to supplies and locations that you wouldn't otherwise find.

[acada]

@diggityDo not imagine it like cloud on the ground. Just when I looked towards the glimmer fog, I saw blue fog. When I looked opposite way, I did not. Something like IRL when you see wall of snow or heavy rain comming towards you.

[Glacia]

On 3/3/2023 at 4:37 PM, hozz1235 said:

During the Aurora, or when in Glimmer Fog, the Handheld Shortwave may pick up errant signals that could lead you to supplies and locations that you wouldn't otherwise find.

My bad, thanks for the info!

Anyways, maybe the signals are different between aurora and the fog, leading to different supplies or information. It's just my speculation though, maybe just the fog it's poorly done and executed as a system.