Zone of Contamination; why?

[kirkmc]

I was happy to find a new region in the latest update, but I think this region is terrible. I choose to play on Pilgrim, in order to have a mellow survival experience. But the new region will kill you in minutes if you're not careful, regardless of what level you're playing. The mechanics are annoying and hard to figure out, and before long, whatever you're wearing on your feet is ruined, and you're gasping for breath. In addition, since the only way you can breathe in dangerous areas is using a respirator and consumable cartridges, once you run out, you might as well just leave the region. What's the point of creating a region just for one little story, which, frankly, in Signal Void wasn't very interesting? Most of Signal Void was fetch quests, and really felt like filler; I don't even know where to start the quest in the new region, but I can't imagine it's more interesting.  I would love to see one or two new regions to spend time in; the zone of contamination is not that.

BTW, I know it's just a game, but I think it's unlikely to have both a strip mine on the surface and an underground mine in the same location in the real world. 

Edited December 8, 2023 by kirkmc

[Acthalla]

I don't hate the region, but I have noticed a trend in more recent regions that they kinda feel like "one-time use" regions: you go visit once to get the thing that's in that region, and otherwise you don't go back.  Forsaken Airfield, ZoC, Blackrock, and to a lesser extent even Ash Canyon just don't feel the same way as, say, Pleasant Valley or Broken Railroad: they're not zones I want to linger in, either because the weather/environmental conditions are annoying to deal with, they're annoying to get to/from, or there's a lack of suitable places to set up a temporary base of operations.

 

I don't think it's a bad thing to have "one and done" regions mixed in with the more general play areas, but I was hoping we'd get a map or two in this expansion where we could feasibly chill long-term.  It's especially vexing when travel to the Far Territories takes so long: even if I don't typically spend long amounts of time there, I can pop into Ash Canyon to gather resources or just for a temporary change of scenery without difficulty.  "Popping in" to Forsaken Airfield or ZoC can take an hour of mindless walking just to get there.

[Serenity]

It's fine. Toxic contamination is harmless. You can cheese it by just taking off your shoes.

And once you figured out the layout and the different parts there is lots on the map. Did you even check out the wilderness parts? It's huge. There are large areas on the sides with cat tails, wild life and caves. It's almost like two maps in one with different experiences.

 

, but I think it's unlikely to have both a strip mine on the surface and an underground mine in the same location in the real world. 

That's not true. There are geological limits to open pit mining and it can be a good idea to convert them to underground mines. Or to get at certain ore veins with tunnels. That happened even in some very well known mines like the Big Hole in Kimberly.

 

[xanna]

2 hours ago, Acthalla said:

I don't think it's a bad thing to have "one and done" regions mixed in with the more general play areas, but I was hoping we'd get a map or two in this expansion where we could feasibly chill long-term

I like what I've seen of ZoC so far, but I strongly agree with this point ^^

I'd love another region that is 'beginner' difficulty in terms of weather and shelter at least, not another that is challenging to this extent. All the new maps have been high difficulty (labelled as 'advanced', or Blackrock and Transfer Pass which are labelled as 'intermediate' but still feel advanced to me), and that feels unbalanced to me. We like the 'beginner' maps too!

For the record, I am a player who plays various difficulties, but more at the challenging end than the exploring end. I player Interloper/Deadworld/Deadman etc. and my own custom brand of incredibly low resources, so this isn't about my playstyle so much as keeping Great Bear a well-balanced mix of different types of region because all regions have their appeal. We've been skewing to higher and higher challenges and another homey region would restore the balance. I have every faith that Hinterland can make a map interesting and unique without making it harshly difficult.

Obviously this feedback is gonna be far too late to affect anyting Hinterland is planning, though!

[PilgrimReaper]

2 hours ago, Acthalla said:

I don't hate the region, but I have noticed a trend in more recent regions that they kinda feel like "one-time use" regions: you go visit once to get the thing that's in that region, and otherwise you don't go back. 

I was thinking the same thing...

[turtle777]

4 hours ago, kirkmc said:

In addition, since the only way you can breathe in dangerous areas is using a respirator and consumable cartridges, once you run out, you might as well just leave the region.

Have explored most of the mine w/o a respirator, because I failed to check every nook and cranny, and started exploring without.

It's almost perfectly fine. All areas (except one !) can be traversed by just running through it. I found only one side arm (dead end) where this doesn't seem to work, and luckily, I had the respirator by then. I only use it for emergencies - when the countdown is down to 5 seconds. 

I play Interloper, and entered the region with nothing (fresh start). I'm on day 15, and it's fine. The clothing you get in ZOC is totally OP for Interloper. I plan to live for 50 days just in ZOC. The only real issues I have achieving this are:

- no bedroll (makes sleeping off cabin fever harder)

- no bow/knife/hatchet - I might run out of food, because I can't hunt and harvest animals (they removed ability to harvest with bare hands)

-t

 

[Enigmaecho]

17 hours ago, kirkmc said:

I was happy to find a new region in the latest update, but I think this region is terrible. I choose to play on Pilgrim, in order to have a mellow survival experience. But the new region will kill you in minutes if you're not careful, regardless of what level you're playing. The mechanics are annoying and hard to figure out, and before long, whatever you're wearing on your feet is ruined, and you're gasping for breath. In addition, since the only way you can breathe in dangerous areas is using a respirator and consumable cartridges, once you run out, you might as well just leave the region. What's the point of creating a region just for one little story, which, frankly, in Signal Void wasn't very interesting? Most of Signal Void was fetch quests, and really felt like filler; I don't even know where to start the quest in the new region, but I can't imagine it's more interesting.  I would love to see one or two new regions to spend time in; the zone of contamination is not that.

BTW, I know it's just a game, but I think it's unlikely to have both a strip mine on the surface and an underground mine in the same location in the real world. 

If I might inquire how new to the game are you, asking because the far territory maps can come across as overwhelmingly difficult for no reason but the case is more they are trying to offer a balanced experience for new players and a challenge for veterans. I don’t think tales is something really for new players and not in a condescending way it’s just very involved and if you’re still learning the basics expecting to traverse the entire island and complete SV and BE is a BIG ask considering there’s vet players who only play the base regions from a decade ago or haven’t seen the whole island. Personally I think the region is fantastic, one of the best they’ve done in terms of scope, variability and challenge, half the map is like bleak inlet half the map is like hushed river. the mine is something that’s been long needed there’s talk and talk about how great bear was a major mining community and the majority of the mines are a few hundred feet long on one level and blocked off any other paths. For me I found the vast majority of the gas is navigable without a mask there’s maybe 3 sections you absolutely need it 1 is just loot and dead ends and the other two sections you can just go the long way around to bypass them and the pools of nasty are big glowing bogs they’re super easy to avoid the region isn’t even a week old give it a chance 

[kirkmc]

I’ve been playing for about a year. My current run is 290 days. I have visited every region so far. So I’m not a newbie.

[kirkmc]

17 hours ago, xanna said:

I like what I've seen of ZoC so far, but I strongly agree with this point ^^

I'd love another region that is 'beginner' difficulty in terms of weather and shelter at least, not another that is challenging to this extent. All the new maps have been high difficulty (labelled as 'advanced', or Blackrock and Transfer Pass which are labelled as 'intermediate' but still feel advanced to me), and that feels unbalanced to me. We like the 'beginner' maps too!
 

I totally agree. They are a bit limited by the geography of the existing regions, but they could certainly put something between mountain town and Pleasant Valley. Or maybe east of Pleasant Valley. It wouldn’t even have to be a beginners level, an intermediate region would be quite nice. Something with more discovery and less challenge perhaps.

[kirkmc]

15 hours ago, turtle777 said:

 

- no bedroll (makes sleeping off cabin fever harder)

- no bow/knife/hatchet - I might run out of food, because I can't hunt and harvest animals (they removed ability to harvest with bare hands)

 

I found a bed roll, a knife, and a hacksaw, but I’m on Pilgrim. There’s a cave with a couple of those leaf beds; do they let you sleep off cabin fever?

 

[Leeanda]

34 minutes ago, kirkmc said:

I totally agree. They are a bit limited by the geography of the existing regions, but they could certainly put something between mountain town and Pleasant Valley. Or maybe east of Pleasant Valley. It wouldn’t even have to be a beginners level, an intermediate region would be quite nice. Something with more discovery and less challenge perhaps.

That could be perseverance mills..maybe😊

[xanna]

Tbh, a friendlier place in the Far Territories would be awesome.

Perseverence Mills must be in Lower Great Bear (around from Desolation Point?) since its not part of the TFTFT, but I guess we'll find out exactly where next year! Episode 5 HYPE!!

[Leeanda]

16 minutes ago, xanna said:

Tbh, a friendlier place in the Far Territories would be awesome.

Perseverence Mills must be in Lower Great Bear (around from Desolation Point?) since its not part of the TFTFT, but I guess we'll find out exactly where next year! Episode 5 HYPE!!

Agreed...   I was just thinking generally rather than tft...   both new maps are leaned more towards stalker/loper.

[UpUpAway95]

20 hours ago, xanna said:

I'd love another region that is 'beginner' difficulty in terms of weather and shelter at least, not another that is challenging to this extent. All the new maps have been high difficulty (labelled as 'advanced', or Blackrock and Transfer Pass which are labelled as 'intermediate' but still feel advanced to me), and that feels unbalanced to me. We like the 'beginner' maps too!

Obviously this feedback is gonna be far too late to affect anyting Hinterland is planning, though!

I wish they could adjust more things in the difficulty settings to make zones easier or harder depending on whatever difficulty the player chooses.  Baseline Resources should also include things like shelters.  That is, if a region is set to the easiest difficulty, the game could add in shelters that aren't there on the harder difficulties.  This use to happen to some extent in Mystery Lake, where the number of fishing cabins that appeared burned or intact varied with difficulty.  Sadly though, the newer zones don't appear to have any similar mechanic.

Of course, weather is somewhat adjustable in Custom, but as I keep saying the ranges on those sliders should be expanded on both ends so that there is a more obvious effect when pushed to the maximums on either end and more flexibility to allow for different player choices.

 

Edited December 9, 2023 by UpUpAway95

[xanna]

For me it really isn't about difficulty, it's more about.. 'niceness'. Even if ZoC was as 'easy' as Mystery Lake, with warmer weather and fewer blizzards, less fog and less deadly wildlife, an open-cast mine still isn't my idea of a nice place to spend time. Mystery Lake is a holiday destination, Pleasant Valley, Mountain Town and Coastal Highway are communities.

ZoC's appeal is that it is interesting and different and dark and requires cool mechanics, certain kinds of planning and figuring out, things that are appealing - very appealing - in a game but not IRL. Other regions are appealing because they are just nice places to be. I'd like more of those, even if they are blizzardy and full of nasty wolves. Just for the balance.

I hope you get what I mean.

[Laika Ivanova]

8 minutes ago, xanna said:

For me it really isn't about difficulty, it's more about.. 'niceness'. Even if ZoC was as 'easy' as Mystery Lake, with warmer weather and fewer blizzards, less fog and less deadly wildlife, an open-cast mine still isn't my idea of a nice place to spend time. Mystery Lake is a holiday destination, Pleasant Valley, Mountain Town and Coastal Highway are communities.

ZoC's appeal is that it is interesting and different and dark and requires cool mechanics, certain kinds of planning and figuring out, things that are appealing - very appealing - in a game but not IRL. Other regions are appealing because they are just nice places to be. I'd like more of those, even if they are blizzardy and full of nasty wolves. Just for the balance.

I hope you get what I mean.

What I like about ZoC is that it really is not hard. It has unique gameplay like the poisened areas (or as I like to call them: Fart Clouds). All of those one can easily walk around, or if you don't mind the condition damage to your footwear; just hold W and walk through. It certainly has a dark vibe to it which is nice, but it isn't challenging. As you said, it requires a bit of planning and thinking, but beyond that the map is just as good to live at than any other. Personally I like it a lot.

[LostRealist]

On 12/8/2023 at 4:52 PM, Acthalla said:

I don't think it's a bad thing to have "one and done" regions mixed in with the more general play areas, but I was hoping we'd get a map or two in this expansion where we could feasibly chill long-term.

Couldn't agree more here. I like FA and ZoC for what they're worth, but they're too cumbersome and/or dangerous to stay there long term compared to many of the "older" places.

[Enigmaecho]

I dunno everyone likes their flavor of tea but I am loving both the new regions Im on 430 in the run and have started doing my 100 days in each region challenge and was easily on 55 at FA when ZoC dropped im 31 days into the zone and have it all mappped working on finding the safe nooks and crannies in the backcountry and setting up the stone caches, gotta get everything prepped and inventoried before the facility drops and I can cart all the lead to the ammo forge presumably in the last region 👍

9 hours ago, LostRealist said:

Couldn't agree more here. I like FA and ZoC for what they're worth, but they're too cumbersome and/or dangerous to stay there long term compared to many of the "older" places.

 

[artmunki]

On 12/9/2023 at 12:41 PM, xanna said:

Perseverence Mills must be in Lower Great Bear (around from Desolation Point?) since its not part of the TFTFT, but I guess we'll find out exactly where next year! Episode 5 HYPE!!

Given the main route you take throughout Wintermute's storyline - MT-ML-PV-BR - Perseverance Mills would seem more likely to end up being somewhere above/beyond BR on the world map, on the other side of the TWM/AC range, to be accessed via BR (Mule Bridge maybe?) and possibly even AC (only in Survival of course, and depending on final position). And I don't know if this was mentioned somewhere in Wintermute or if my brain just farted it up on its own, but I have an abiding notion that it's on or near the coast which, if not just a brainfart, could actually be the opposite coast to DP, over on the other side of the island from the coastline we already know. Plus the Wintermute story hasn't properly visited any coastal regions yet - Astrid's part of the tale ended as she reached CH, and I think Will's story sorta skipped from ML to BR (been a while since I played story mode tbh, so my memory's a bit rusty), so it seems like Astrid maybe caught a boat from the coast while Will took the overland route. If the story's gonna end with Will & Astrid finally meeting up and getting off the island (not saying it will end that way, but it's not too unlikely), sailing off into an aurora from a coastal community would seem a fitting way for them to go.

[Yimnam]

I agree we need more Pleasant Valleys and Mystery Lakes with cozy cabins to settle and nice places to hunt, because all my runs are from Mystery Lake Camp Office as best main base and it slowly becomes boring. I like to have nice place to call home waiting for me and I would like some new.
But I like new mechanics and places. I'm more annoyed by Forsaken Airfield where it's hard to go for quick hunt without being completely lost in fog. I once spent ingame month sitting in island cabin and hunting on rabbits, waiting for weather to get out of airfield, because any day without glimmer fog was blizzard. Contamination zone is hard, but manmade hideouts make it pretty fun. And hunting is less important when you have as much canned food as in Milton.

[hozz1235]

2 hours ago, Yimnam said:

I agree we need more Pleasant Valleys and Mystery Lakes with cozy cabins to settle and nice places to hunt, because all my runs are from Mystery Lake Camp Office as best main base and it slowly becomes boring. I like to have nice place to call home waiting for me and I would like some new.
But I like new mechanics and places. I'm more annoyed by Forsaken Airfield where it's hard to go for quick hunt without being completely lost in fog. I once spent ingame month sitting in island cabin and hunting on rabbits, waiting for weather to get out of airfield, because any day without glimmer fog was blizzard. Contamination zone is hard, but manmade hideouts make it pretty fun. And hunting is less important when you have as much canned food as in Milton.

A whole MONTH without sunshine??  Wow, worst case of RNG I've ever heard of!

[Yimnam]

On 1/25/2024 at 6:27 PM, hozz1235 said:

A whole MONTH without sunshine??  Wow, worst case of RNG I've ever heard of!

I know! There is absolutely NOTHING to orient yourself. All my runs on airfield were being lost in the middle of nowhere, dying from hypothermia. It's pretty cool challenge, but it's pretty annoying when you want just hike and sightsee.

[turtle777]

On 1/25/2024 at 9:59 AM, Yimnam said:

because all my runs are from Mystery Lake Camp Office as best main base and it slowly becomes boring.

Try Broken Railroad - living there for 50 days. It's a pretty good end-game retirement place, you just need to do occasional wolf extermination.

-t

[Yimnam]

17 minutes ago, turtle777 said:

Try Broken Railroad - living there for 50 days. It's a pretty good end-game retirement place, you just need to do occasional wolf extermination.

-t

I liked it at first but area feels too small and narrow and to far from everything for home.

[hozz1235]

On 2/6/2024 at 9:38 AM, Yimnam said:

I liked it at first but area feels too small and narrow and to far from everything for home.

Agreed.  The Hunting Lodge is viable, but definitely not my first pick.