suggestion Cancelling Harvesting to yield some resources (+ the question of microharvesting) ?

[AdamvR]

This topic has come up in other threads too, but I wanted it not to get lost, so started its own thread.
I do see the point of having to finish the harvesting task and animation to open and dress a carcass initially, in order to get closer to the meat.
Yet, if I'm setting out for a larger harvesting task (e.g. a whole moose for 3-4 hours), when blizzard hits after the second hour and I cancel the remaining task to run to shelter, I believe some of my work should have yielded resources (both from a reality and gameplay perspective) - and I should not be having to start over.
[btw, I'm really enjoying that I can experience the environment, e.g., getting dark, snowfall, during the animation!]

There is an obvious-looking workaround to set out multiple, smaller chunks of harvesting, so that less is lost if cancelled.
With the length/shaky camera movement/"too explicit" nature of the animations this seems less of a fun way to experience TLD I think...
[Yeah, I'm a wuss, not denying, while very much welcoming the immersion, this change also immediately altered my behaviour to try harvesting in as few steps as possible, and/or do it in a dark cave with smaller game/looking away during]

I'm not yet 100% decided what option I would suggest as best (therefore the thread to learn others' perspectives), but I believe the current situation could be finetuned.

On microharvesting - which is somewhat related:
I agree with the intention (if there was one?) to somehow limit the possibility of cooking 100 g chunks to level up cooking quickly.
(although I found that tedious myself, and rarely resorted to it).
In general I would love the option to split / cut / (+merge if same condition?) continuous types of resources into smaller (larger) entities. (e.g. to carry some flour and oil with me).
Even if there is a minimum size for a piece of meat to yield cooking experience (0,5 kg? 0,25kg?) / partial experience based on size (?)

Thanks in advance, if you choose to contribute your thoughts!

Edited December 13, 2023 by AdamvR

[UpUpAway95]

The more I think about it, the more I favour "forced quartering" of larger game (including deer) with a shorter time to quarter a deer being implemented (with the appropriate animations).  Then, allowing unfrozen/thawed quarter bags to be harvested by hand as before.  The travois makes hauling the quartered bags to a safe location much easier than before and we can no longer harvest them directly into steaks by hand when fresh killed anyways (except if killed by a wolf), so there really is no reason to attempt to carve even a deer into steaks in the field as long as the time it takes to do it is adjusted/shortened a bit.  Since the amount of meat of the ravaged prop deer is minimal, harvesting for a couple of steaks makes sense there.  This just leaves the deer killed by wolves in a bit of a limbo.  I think the amount of meat left on the deer could be the deciding factor whether the player will be allowed to harvest steaks or be forced to quarter (say, under 3 kg = allowed to harvest steaks directly and, if still unfrozen, by hand).

People have found a way to micro-harvest already, so there's apparently no stopping the determined (other than removing the OP benefit of reaching cooking Level 5) - and then some would probably still do it.  I don't and I may not "like" that others can - but what they do to "cheese" their own runs is totally up to them.

[Only The Lonely]

I definitely think that having to view a harvest animation every time consumes a lot of real time.  I can understand getting rid of the micro harvest to level up cooking, as I am sure that is not something the developers had planned.  Something about being at level 5 cooking on day 3 or so just doesn't feel right when it takes over 100 days to max out some of the other skills.  But, being able to set what you want to harvest and it's applicable time makes sense to me.  If the other skills matched what you were able to do with harvesting, then you should be able to partially mend a coat by stopping the task (increasing the percentage by 1 perhaps), and the same with gun cleaning, sharpening, reading books in 1 minute increments, etc.  Harvesting is the only one that has allowed you speed through cooking as a 1-1 ratio of experience.  

In my humble opinion, cooking should be the same as harvesting... total time.  That would equalize the skill to match the others.  Harvesting experience is calculated by total time harvesting, not by amount harvested; you receive no additional benefit from using a knife vs. your hands - and some contend to only ever use your hands when possible because it takes longer and levels the skill faster.  Cooking should be the same... total time cooking, not by item.  Especially with all of the new recipes that can take over an hour.  If you cooked 75 teas you could be at level three in about 12 in-game hours +/- (I know there are other factors like water needed and supplies gathered).

I think you should get more cooking experience from cooking a 1KG steak vs a 0.1KG steak, and perhaps more if you use a pan or pot vs. just the cooking surface.  And if you are implementing a recipe, that could factor more as well.

Sorry, not to rant on about cooking, but I really do feel that it is the root when it comes to micro harvesting and harvesting in general.  If you received cooking experience through time and not by item, microharvesting would be a non-issue in almost all cases.

[UpUpAway95]

6 minutes ago, Only The Lonely said:

I definitely think that having to view a harvest animation every time consumes a lot of real time.  I can understand getting rid of the micro harvest to level up cooking, as I am sure that is not something the developers had planned.  Something about being at level 5 cooking on day 3 or so just doesn't feel right when it takes over 100 days to max out some of the other skills.  But, being able to set what you want to harvest and it's applicable time makes sense to me.  If the other skills matched what you were able to do with harvesting, then you should be able to partially mend a coat by stopping the task (increasing the percentage by 1 perhaps), and the same with gun cleaning, sharpening, reading books in 1 minute increments, etc.  Harvesting is the only one that has allowed you speed through cooking as a 1-1 ratio of experience.  

In my humble opinion, cooking should be the same as harvesting... total time.  That would equalize the skill to match the others.  Harvesting experience is calculated by total time harvesting, not by amount harvested; you receive no additional benefit from using a knife vs. your hands - and some contend to only ever use your hands when possible because it takes longer and levels the skill faster.  Cooking should be the same... total time cooking, not by item.  Especially with all of the new recipes that can take over an hour.  If you cooked 75 teas you could be at level three in about 12 in-game hours +/- (I know there are other factors like water needed and supplies gathered).

I think you should get more cooking experience from cooking a 1KG steak vs a 0.1KG steak, and perhaps more if you use a pan or pot vs. just the cooking surface.  And if you are implementing a recipe, that could factor more as well.

Sorry, not to rant on about cooking, but I really do feel that it is the root when it comes to micro harvesting and harvesting in general.  If you received cooking experience through time and not by item, microharvesting would be a non-issue in almost all cases.

Leveling up by weight is simpler than time, since times shorten as you level up.  Basing it on weight has been proposed many times though and it still hasn't happened.

[Only The Lonely]

UpUpAway95 same with harvesting.  As your skill increases the time shortens... making you have to harvest more to gain the exp.  Also, my thought is they already have the mechanic worked out, and they would need to apply it to cooking... although I am not a developer or programmer and I'm sure that is way easier said than done.

[UpUpAway95]

4 minutes ago, Only The Lonely said:

UpUpAway95 same with harvesting.  As your skill increases the time shortens... making you have to harvest more to gain the exp.  Also, my thought is they already have the mechanic worked out, and they would need to apply it to cooking... although I am not a developer or programmer and I'm sure that is way easier said than done.

Yes, it could be done (not really saying it couldn't) and I do see where you're coming from.  Still, I think they would have gone with weight a long time ago if that's the direction they were wanting to head with it all... and I still think "forced quartering" just now "fits" better since we've always needed a tool to quarter and we now need tools to straight up harvest anyways.  I have noticed that they've also added a maximum time you can spend harvesting a carcass in one go if you're not actively keeping it thawed by a fire and the carcass shows that it's freezing as you go.  No more harvesting a freshly killed bear with one's hand for 12 hours straight (which was possible if one wanted to take that sort of extreme chance on the weather).  Now, the harvesting will turn red when you exceed the 'freezing time."  Quartering now just makes more sense.

[Only The Lonely]

I concur.  Totally makes sense IRL application.  You would never process an animal in the field... that would occur at a base.  

 

21 minutes ago, UpUpAway95 said:

No more harvesting a freshly killed bear with one's hand for 12 hours straight (which was possible if one wanted to take that sort of extreme chance on the weather).  Now, the harvesting will turn red when you exceed the 'freezing time."  Quartering now just makes more sense.

 

[odizzido]

I voted other for both. Doing a task should always yield results. This is how it should work:

Cooking skill should be gained based off of the weight of meat cooked. 1kg of meat gives 1000xp to cooking, 100g of meat gives 100. This will allow for "micro harvesting" without changing xp rates

Harvesting gives xp the same way as cooking. Additionally if it takes 20mins to cut a piece of intestine and you spend 19 mins cutting then next time you go to cut the intestine it should only take 1 min to complete.

[GuardianCreature]

personally i like the harvest animation... but when your trying to break down a carcass into the smallest sizes possible that animation gets boring really quickly. plus it makes the butchering of pretty much everything take FOREVER. i spent about 10 minuets extra just waiting for the animation to end while i was cutting up a bear carcass into itty bitty bits. some of thoes bits i didnt even get because i somehow managed to get 0.1 kg and it just vanished instead of going into my invintory. 

i think the harvest animation should happen the first time you break down a carcass and then it should go back to the little wheel thing. 

[odizzido]

Having an accelerate time button would work, or a cancel animation button.

The animation would also be less tedious if you didn't see it as often because you're having to constantly kill to get enough food.