November 2023 Dev Diary

[hozz1235]

11 hours ago, Amir said:

Thank you for making TLD even better. 

I absolutely love any additions which make the experience more challenging. Scurvy is awesome! 

I've been reading the thread and would like to say a few words.

I haven't visited any of the new regions added in TFTFT (although I'm planning to), and yet I have really enjoyed the new content.

My point is, nothing is forcing me to travel to the new regions (except curiousity), so I can't possibly complain about them. Knowing that those regions are out there is like an added bonus! 

I think everybody has a favorite region, somewhere they feel right at home. We use most of the other regions in order to find useful stuff or as means of travel. We can't love all the regions, we might even hate some of them (yes Mountain Town I'm talking about you🙃).

I understand some players' concerns though, as they're worried that the new stuff might change their favorite region's environment.

Speaking of favorite regions, how awesome is Ash Canyon? I mean seriously, I just wanna live there FOREVER.

Thanks again💙

 

Have you discovered Hushed River Valley (HRV) yet?

[hozz1235]

3 hours ago, Leeanda said:

I can't go into forsaken and there's very little wildlife in transfer pass...  

I'm camped there right now and there are quite a lot of deer and rabbits.

[hozz1235]

2 hours ago, Leeanda said:

Pv is definitely famous for its blizzards😁.  But on pilgrim it shouldn't be that bad in forsaken..

He doesn't play tld very often ,and cases like that are why he doesn't..  to be honest it's not fun for anyone if they're going to get stuck inside with nothing to do for days on end..

Did he spawn in FA?  If not, he may want to stick to the easier areas or ensure he is carrying plenty of supplies and building up caches along the way when he does venture to the more difficult areas.  We certainly want him to enjoy his game time!

[Leeanda]

2 minutes ago, hozz1235 said:

Did he spawn in FA?  If not, he may want to stick to the easier areas or ensure he is carrying plenty of supplies and building up caches along the way when he does venture to the more difficult areas.  We certainly want him to enjoy his game time!

Yes it was a one map challenge,or rather exploration..  

He's not a true fan of tld... no idea where he gets it from.lol.. 

I'll say one thing though,he made a lot of mistakes and somehow got away with them..😁

[UpUpAway95]

2 hours ago, Leeanda said:

Yes it was a one map challenge,or rather exploration..  

He's not a true fan of tld... no idea where he gets it from.lol.. 

I'll say one thing though,he made a lot of mistakes and somehow got away with them..😁

FA is a harder map for a one map challenge than one would think.  It has quite a bit of stuff on it, but the weather can make it tough to explore the map and enjoy doing it.

I don't know the age of your son, but I've found that very young people tend to get frustrated with having to keep track of so many parameters.  The glimmer fog effect just adds to that "tedium", IMO.  Having just one location to avoid it in a zone the size of FA seems rather unbalanced to me and it discourages exploration of the zone and, to some extent combined with the frequent blizzards, encourages staying in and around the hangar for prolonged periods. 

Another thing I really don't like about FA myself is that there's no two-slot (or more) indoor cooking place anywhere in the hangar or airport area and there are few places where a fire outdoors is sheltered for very long.

[Leeanda]

3 minutes ago, UpUpAway95 said:

FA is a harder map for a one map challenge than one would think.  It has quite a bit of stuff on it, but the weather can make it tough to explore the map and enjoy doing it.

I don't know the age of your son, but I've found that very young people tend to get frustrated with having to keep track of so many parameters.  The glimmer fog effect just adds to that "tedium", IMO.  Having just one location to avoid it in a zone the size of FA seems rather unbalanced to me and it discourages exploration of the zone and, to some extent combined with the frequent blizzards, encourages staying in and around the hangar for prolonged periods. 

Another thing I really don't like about FA myself is that there's no two-slot (or more) indoor cooking place anywhere in the hangar or airport area and there are few places where a fire outdoors is sheltered for very long.

He's in his early thirties, but he has never had any patience 😁. I gather he mainly did it so I could see what the place was like more than because he wanted to go there... 

Despite his impatience though he did stick it out longer than expected but we all have our limits..

I did find it odd that the hangar was the only safe place in such a big map.

Am I right in thinking that you can't use campfires in the main hangar?      My son did use the space between the tower to make his fires and only ever got one blown out surprisingly...

[UpUpAway95]

9 minutes ago, Leeanda said:

He's in his early thirties, but he has never had any patience 😁. I gather he mainly did it so I could see what the place was like more than because he wanted to go there... 

Despite his impatience though he did stick it out longer than expected but we all have our limits..

I did find it odd that the hangar was the only safe place in such a big map.

Am I right in thinking that you can't use campfires in the main hangar?      My son did use the space between the tower to make his fires and only ever got one blown out surprisingly...

I've never been able to get a fire going inside the hangar.  I presume it's due to the possible presence of aviation fuel.  I haven't had as much luck as your son did with my outdoor attempts.  Usually they get blown out in minutes no matter where I seem to put them.  I've gone to stockpiling wood at the fireplace in the broken down house up the runway a ways.  It's a hike from the hangar, but at least the fire stays lit long enough to cook some things.

[Leeanda]

12 minutes ago, UpUpAway95 said:

I've never been able to get a fire going inside the hangar.  I presume it's due to the possible presence of aviation fuel.  I haven't had as much luck as your son did with my outdoor attempts.  Usually they get blown out in minutes no matter where I seem to put them.  I've gone to stockpiling wood at the fireplace in the broken down house up the runway a ways.  It's a hike from the hangar, but at least the fire stays lit long enough to cook some things.

Ah I see.. that makes sense I suppose..  I think he just got lucky with the wind direction, I can't explain how he got away with fires there...  

I do vaguely remember seeing a ruined house with a proper fireplace in it..seemed a bit remote though..

[UpUpAway95]

16 minutes ago, Leeanda said:

Ah I see.. that makes sense I suppose..  I think he just got lucky with the wind direction, I can't explain how he got away with fires there...  

I do vaguely remember seeing a ruined house with a proper fireplace in it..seemed a bit remote though..

It is, especially from the hangar.  It's not so bad from the trailer though, and that's where a get most of my rabbits.  If a glimmer fog sets in, I make a dash back to the hanger.  The place I like best on the map is Justy's Hovel, but one has to get up there first to set the rope and then stay unencumbered to make the trip to and from the hanger easier (in the event of a glimmer fog).  I don't really stay camped too much at the far north of the map or on the island because of the glimmer fog.  Lots of stuff up there, but it's mostly loot and scoot, for me during a one-region challenge.

ETA:  Just checked the map and it says the rope is already there to Justy's (so I'm mis-remembering that part).

Edited November 20, 2023 by UpUpAway95

[Leeanda]

32 minutes ago, UpUpAway95 said:

It is, especially from the hangar.  It's not so bad from the trailer though, and that's where a get most of my rabbits.  If a glimmer fog sets in, I make a dash back to the hanger.  The place I like best on the map is Justy's Hovel, but one has to get up there first to set the rope and then stay unencumbered to make the trip to and from the hanger easier (in the event of a glimmer fog).  I don't really stay camped too much at the far north of the map or on the island because of the glimmer fog.  Lots of stuff up there, but it's mostly loot and scoot, for me during a one-region challenge.

ETA:  Just checked the map and it says the rope is already there to Justy's (so I'm mis-remembering that part).

I'm glad you can manage with the fog,even in small doses..    I know it's a challenge in itself.

The rope is the only way up there?   Id be making multiple climbs lol..   

I do remember the trailer but I think I saw no rabbits there...there were a few  round the tower though,and wolves,it's what my son  mostly lived on while he was there...(even though he had tons of canned food)😅

[UpUpAway95]

55 minutes ago, Leeanda said:

I'm glad you can manage with the fog,even in small doses..    I know it's a challenge in itself.

The rope is the only way up there?   Id be making multiple climbs lol..   

I do remember the trailer but I think I saw no rabbits there...there were a few  round the tower though,and wolves,it's what my son  mostly lived on while he was there...(even though he had tons of canned food)😅

The rope isn't the only way, but it cuts a lot of distance off the trip - making the hangar reachable before getting afflicted by the glimmer fog.

[Leeanda]

3 minutes ago, UpUpAway95 said:

The rope isn't the only way, but it cuts a lot of distance off the trip - making the hangar reachable before getting afflicted by the glimmer fog.

Oh I see. Thank you..    I do prefer short cuts or shorter routes in some places..  let's hope the fog is added to the settings..

[LostRealist]

I know nobody really asked for it, but here's my view: I liked when this game was straight up about survival before a somewhat mystical background.

Now we've got electrostatic fog, running around repairing radio transmitters, poisonous wolves. Feels like a Gauss Rifle and Pseudogiants are to be expected at some point, if you get my reference. We're straying.

I don't like Sci-Fi games. I don't think the game needs more and more outlandish stuff like that, I don't care for it. Unlikely I'll be visiting the new region ever.

[chrislacruz]

I am not sure 'We're' straying.  I understand it may be diverging for you, which I appreciate is a bummer.... but we're straying suggests a concrete bible that must be followed from Day 1 to eternity?

I love the mythical / conspiracy stuff, I have lots of very empty rural maps like HRV, ASh Canyon, PV, Forlorn Muskeg and Broken Railroad, so something different, more industrial is fine for me.  Plus even on the more inhabited maps, much of it is still nothing.

I guess for me, it's already big enough for endless survival, I like the changes and challenges as the give me a range of textures to try, and as I said, I don't really want another pleasant valley or HRV as I already have them!

I don't tend to play HRV or Ash Canyon much as I don't enjoy them, but they are there for those that do.  I also suspect from Hinterlands point of view, churning out more and more empty barren regions with no new mechanics would be an awful  lot easier!

Where I would agree with you was if they were filling existing areas with poisonous wolves and changing the feel of the existing regions, hopefully they can navigate that narrow path between pleasing people who like the more storytelling dark apocalyptic vibe and those who just want the pure survival!

[James Hickok]

16 hours ago, UpUpAway95 said:

Another thing I really don't like about FA myself is that there's no two-slot (or more) indoor cooking place anywhere in the hangar or airport area and there are few places where a fire outdoors is sheltered for very long.

That is unfortunately correct. That is why the best places to stay are caves. You can cook even on multiple fireplaces and the fire will never get blown away. 

15 hours ago, Leeanda said:

I do vaguely remember seeing a ruined house with a proper fireplace in it..seemed a bit remote though..

There are 3 cabins in total - all with sinlge stove. 

15 hours ago, UpUpAway95 said:

 The place I like best on the map is Justy's Hovel, but one has to get up there first to set the rope and then stay unencumbered to make the trip to and from the hanger easier (in the event of a glimmer fog). 

You dont need the rope to get to that cabin. The best way to get there from the hangar is to go to the cave below Justys Hovel, near the possible Moose spawn (the best place to stay in the map IMO), get warm and then go outside , turn right and go up. Hovel is a nice cabin tho - rabbits outside, ptarmigans and a wolf. Going from there to the cave or the way back trakes maybe a minute and a half real time. Trek from the cave to the Hangar maybe 2-3 minutes. Easy to travel even in glimmer fog. Its a str8 line from hangar and the enterance to the cave has a big fallen tree near it so cant be missed in fog or blizzard. 

 

[AdamvR]

18 minutes ago, James Hickok said:

There are 3 cabins in total - all with sinlge stove. 

The house you just described (Justys Hovel?) has a double fireplace. Also, the ruined house mentioned by @Leeanda exists, with a double fireplace. If you exit the hangar near the car, and walk in the direction of the control tower, keeping it on your right when just passing it, you’ll cross the runway and a frozen river. Following the same direction you arrive to the ruined house with the fireplace. Nothing else there though…

near the huts I’m also cooking outdoors: by the hangar behind the blue car, on the island there is a shed which is almost fully protected from wind, and also the one with the most gorgeous view on the ridge has some more or less protected cooking place between the barrels. But indeed, nothing like the big stoves of Milton…

I’m usually lighting multiple fires when the weather permits, to get the most out of the calm time. You can quickly cook up quite some bear/moose/fish for the coming days…

Edited November 21, 2023 by AdamvR

[James Hickok]

38 minutes ago, AdamvR said:

The house you just described (Justys Hovel?) has a double fireplace. Also, the ruined house mentioned by @Leeanda exists, with a double fireplace.

Oh yes i stand corrected about the Hovel.

The ruined house i have never used it for cooking just for a waypoint between the fallen chopper and the airfield itself. 

Still i prefer to make 3 fires in a cave and cook everything in no time. 

[AdamvR]

2 hours ago, James Hickok said:

The ruined house i have never used it for cooking just for a waypoint between the fallen chopper and the airfield itself.

yep, it is a great waypoint. In addition, it can also help warm you up if a blizzard catches you nearby.
Other purpose I have not found for it, either, I'd rather not carry meat for long distances (i.e. to cook it there and then move it to a third place).

[AdamvR]

On 11/20/2023 at 1:09 PM, Leeanda said:

I know you have to move around to find resources but he gave up because he couldn't go anywhere for most of the time... at one point he was stuck inside for nearly a week because of the weather.. it's not a place where you can just roam around in when you can't see anything..

The weather is crap there, for sure. I actually like that extra challenge, but understandable, if someone does not.
It can get extra bad if you are going there later in a run, after a few hundred days...
One thing I found helpful is that during the night the weather is usually calmer (what a coincidence... 😉), and often clear with moonlight/aurora. Exploring it at night is quite a viable option. It is usually coldest at dawn, and can be brutal...

23 hours ago, hozz1235 said:

Did he spawn in FA?  If not, he may want to stick to the easier areas or ensure he is carrying plenty of supplies and building up caches along the way when he does venture to the more difficult areas.  We certainly want him to enjoy his game time!

20 hours ago, UpUpAway95 said:

FA is a harder map for a one map challenge than one would think.  It has quite a bit of stuff on it, but the weather can make it tough to explore the map and enjoy doing it.

I did a start there in my current (Stalker) run, just to see if it is even doable, and it was surprisingly okay (once you know what you bargain for, and have some familiarity with the map itself). You can find everything, really, but everything is paced out, so it is forcing you to traverse the whole to get settled. Also, the weather is less brutal in the early days, but still challenging for sure.
Starting there without knowing the map would hardly make anyone fall in love with it I think...
I only left, because I wanted to get the technical backpack (although I was also completely OK with the 40 kgs capacity; did not per se need it. just like to visit AC) + also wanted to do the Tales. On my way back actually, I really love that map - as odd as it may sound to some...:)
I hope they make glimmer fog optional, and @Leeanda can also visit it:)

Edited November 21, 2023 by AdamvR

[Leeanda]

2 minutes ago, AdamvR said:

The weather is crap there, for sure. I actually like that extra challenge, but understandable, if someone does not.
It can get extra bad if you are going there later in a run, after a few hundred days...
One thing I found helpful is that during the night the weather is usually calmer (what a coincidence... 😉), and often clear with moonlight/aurora. Exploring it at night is quite a viable option. It is usually coldest at dawn, and can be brutal...

I did a start there in my current (Stalker) run, just to see if it is even doable, and it was surprisingly okay (once you know what you bargain for, and have some familiarity with the map itself).
You can find everything, really, but everything is paced out, so it is forcing you to traverse the whole to get settled. Also, the weather is less brutal in the early days, but still challenging for sure.
I only left, because I wanted to get the technical backpack (although I was also completely OK with the 40 kgs capacity; did not per se need it. just like to visit AC) + also wanted to do the Tales. On my way back actually, I really love that map - as odd as it may sound to others...:)
I hope they make glimmer fog optional, and @Leeanda can also visit it:)

I expected it to be colder,and windier because of all the open space ..I mean I get that but it just seems that even for pilgrim the blizzards and fog combined were just too much..  

I had better weather on both my stalker and shirt loper runs ..   

It is convenient that the best times are during an aurora. ....I wonder why ...lol😁. 

Also thank you...  I'd love to get in there and have a proper explore,and find the last variant...

I'm still hoping to get the miners flashlight on the way too..when it gets fixed for custom..

[stratvox]

The glimmer fog is not something that is very much worth avoiding. It's effect is extremely minor; really it will only be dangerous if you're already down below 10% condition for other reasons. The visibility is the worst part about it; the actual effect on your survivor is very very minor, which is a good thing because it's very easy to find yourself in a location that will not permit you to get anywhere near shelter from it.

The biggest danger from glimmer fog is stumbling into a bear because you couldn't see it.

[acada]

5 hours ago, LostRealist said:

Now we've got electrostatic fog, running around repairing radio transmitters, poisonous wolves. Feels like a Gauss Rifle and Pseudogiants are to be expected at some point, if you get my reference. We're straying.

I dont feel it that way. We had auroras from the beggining which fried all electric things. The aurora is pretty strong to make animals wild. Astrid and her briefcase. It was all hinted from the start that there was something really screwed up on the island All those characters scattered over the island. I feel it like we are getting to the bottom of what happened there. 

But from the new area description I do suspect it will be not very pleasant place and one would not linger there longer than necessary.

[PilgrimReaper]

4 hours ago, James Hickok said:

That is unfortunately correct. That is why the best places to stay are caves. You can cook even on multiple fireplaces and the fire will never get blown away. 

Aren't there two cooking spots at the forge? Honest question, I can't recall.

[UpUpAway95]

8 minutes ago, PilgrimReaper said:

Aren't there two cooking spots at the forge? Honest question, I can't recall.

The forge only has one spot on top.  Same with the forge in Forlorn Muskeg, Broken Railroad, and Desolation Point.

[UpUpAway95]

6 hours ago, LostRealist said:

I know nobody really asked for it, but here's my view: I liked when this game was straight up about survival before a somewhat mystical background.

Now we've got electrostatic fog, running around repairing radio transmitters, poisonous wolves. Feels like a Gauss Rifle and Pseudogiants are to be expected at some point, if you get my reference. We're straying.

I don't like Sci-Fi games. I don't think the game needs more and more outlandish stuff like that, I don't care for it. Unlikely I'll be visiting the new region ever.

I don't think wolves poisoned by mine tailings is sci-fi.  Seems to be like it's a believable consequence of irresponsible operating of a strip mine.  Also, it's DLC; so it's not like it's being added to the main survival game and Wintermute's story should be complete without it.  Uninstalling the DLC is also always an option.