May 2024 Developer Diary

[Leeanda]

I think it would be better to do as  @Raphael van Lierop asked and keep this thread for the things that are in this update and  this thread only

There are other threads concerning the trader ,please use them..

Edited May 17 by Leeanda

[Leeanda]

I see my requests are being treated with respect so the trader posts will be moved to a new thread..  

Any future comments not about this Dev diary will either be moved or deleted.

Edited May 17 by Leeanda

[ManicManiac]

I concur... short sidebars are one thing, but when a sidebar discussion starts to essentially hijack a thread (regardless of whether it was intended or not), it's just time to relocate the discussion to another topic appropriate thread.

[Glacia]

Glad to see the new update coming!

Im very surprised, my thoughs on the new things:

1: Cougar

Very interesting to see a new mob dynamic rather than being just another dangerous stuff wandering in circles, since we need to see how it works and feel i can't say much more about this one.

2: Mountain Pass

Seems good, a mix between ash canyon and other more industrial regions. 

3: The Third Tale

I expected to see the end at the final part of the DLC, but anyways im excited to see how the history concludes!

4: Misery Mode

Surprised to see very few people excited for this. This is a whole new fresh game-mode specially made for veterans and people wanting a challenge, something even challenging than Interloper.

Of course it's hard to tell how enjoyable this mode can be without knowing the afflictions and effects, but i feel it's like 'A really CD DA' style mode.

Very excited for this new mode and for surely it's gonna become my main game mode.

5: Cheat Death System

I have to disagree with the hype and possitive opinions on this.

I understand, this is something you can ignore and not use at all, but whats the point?

The core concept of the game lies about the one-live concept, the game even have a pacific and hiper-easy game mode setups to be more enjoyable for different types of players. This have worked perfectly for ages!

Permanent consequences for overconfidence?  We already have Frostbite, clothing breaking forever for taking damage, losing items/damaging them, or just dying, as usual.

I don't think this damages the game in any case anyways, it's just a weird and curious choice, and i share the opinion of @Laika Ivanova, a waste of resources/time considering this update have been in work for months.

 

¿Overall?  Very solid update, i have high expectations.

 

 

[Enigmaecho]

6 hours ago, Glacia said:

Glad to see the new update coming!

Im very surprised, my thoughs on the new things:

1: Cougar

Very interesting to see a new mob dynamic rather than being just another dangerous stuff wandering in circles, since we need to see how it works and feel i can't say much more about this one.

2: Mountain Pass

Seems good, a mix between ash canyon and other more industrial regions. 

3: The Third Tale

I expected to see the end at the final part of the DLC, but anyways im excited to see how the history concludes!

4: Misery Mode

Surprised to see very few people excited for this. This is a whole new fresh game-mode specially made for veterans and people wanting a challenge, something even challenging than Interloper.

Of course it's hard to tell how enjoyable this mode can be without knowing the afflictions and effects, but i feel it's like 'A really CD DA' style mode.

Very excited for this new mode and for surely it's gonna become my main game mode.

5: Cheat Death System

I have to disagree with the hype and possitive opinions on this.

I understand, this is something you can ignore and not use at all, but whats the point?

The core concept of the game lies about the one-live concept, the game even have a pacific and hiper-easy game mode setups to be more enjoyable for different types of players. This have worked perfectly for ages!

Permanent consequences for overconfidence?  We already have Frostbite, clothing breaking forever for taking damage, losing items/damaging them, or just dying, as usual.

I don't think this damages the game in any case anyways, it's just a weird and curious choice, and i share the opinion of @Laika Ivanova, a waste of resources/time considering this update have been in work for months.

 

¿Overall?  Very solid update, i have high expectations.

 

 

If I may offer an alternative perspective about the cheat death, in my years playing I have been killed next to blazing fires by freezing, I have fallen into broken ground meshes, I have been killed numerous times by invisible Bears/wolves/Timbers/moose, there are times when runs end and it’s not because you screwed up and I think this system is nice, idk how it’s gonna work but if we fade to black and wake up somewhere else I’d be happy I have a 245 day run trapped inside the map at broken rail from said broken meshes I know lots of folks good an mountain goat down places like the ravine in the railroad and get stuck too

Edited May 18 by Enigmaecho

[Luca Loquax]

Yay!

I bet the cougar is delicious!

Thank you Raph and Devs! 

[Rusty]

On 5/17/2024 at 2:14 AM, acada said:

Oh my the cougar. I did not see it coming. 

Me, repeatedly, in about six weeks. 

[Laika Ivanova]

On 5/16/2024 at 11:19 PM, Raphael van Lierop said:

A lot of people are making a connection between our Cougar plans and Darkwalker. I can see why, and it makes sense! But I can tell you, we didn't really consider Darkwalker at all when designing the Cougar. We were 100% motivated by trying to drive certain player behaviours and create some interesting choices and trade-offs. It'll be interesting to see how much people feel the Cougar matches up to Darkwalker once it launches. 

I will say that there's nothing in Darkwalker's implementation that was used for the Cougar. The Cougar is 100% new code, systems, and content.

If there is anything to take away from the fact that people are drawing this connection then it is that the design choice behind the Cougar will most likely be just as successful. Interesting tho that the similarity was on accident. I'm curious how sound will play into it. That was also a big factor that made the Darkwalker so appealing to me. But you did mention the world giving hints towards the Cougar's presence, that will probably play into the atmosphere I assume. Knowing it's there. Knowing it could be close.

Edited May 18 by Laika Ivanova

[Leeanda]

I'm now curious if the cougar is going to be the only predator not affected by the aurora...  Since it has its own mechanics then I can't see how it will act differently during them...

[Valuable Hunting Knife]

1 hour ago, Leeanda said:

I'm now curious if the cougar is going to be the only predator not affected by the aurora...  Since it has its own mechanics then I can't see how it will act differently during them...

aurora = catnip?

[Leeanda]

4 minutes ago, Valuable Hunting Knife said:

aurora = catnip?

Probably what most would like to happen 😁.   Belly rubs anyone?

[artmunki]

Belly rubs for a cat on catnip? Your hands are heavily scarred, aren't they? 

[Leeanda]

5 minutes ago, artmunki said:

Belly rubs for a cat on catnip? Your hands are heavily scarred, aren't they? 

In real life?  No lol.. I'm an ex dog owner not cats..

In the game ,I think we'd get scarred either way😁

[Kranium]

I can't see an issue with "cheat death" if it's indeed optional. And I like the concept of it for the bare minimum of giving console players an "out" if they run into a glitch or similar scenario.

 

I saw a cougar this morning when I went to feed the horses. Made me think of this thread haha.

Edited May 18 by Kranium

[bascolais]

I don't see, as Kranium,  a problem with the cheat death or misery. TLD has always been made with differents modes and a magnificent custom mode in order to let the player plays as he/she wants.

of course it is time & money for Hinterland, but they did it in this way since years, making the good choices to make a game enjoyable by many different kind of players.

I think this a very good way of making games, even if it significates for the players more time to wait.

Edited May 18 by bascolais
typo

[Laika Ivanova]

10 hours ago, bascolais said:

I don't see, as Kranium,  a problem with the cheat death or misery. TLD has always been made with differents modes and a magnificent custom mode in order to let the player plays as he/she wants.

of course it is time & money for Hinterland, but they did it in this way since years, making the good choices to make a game enjoyable by many different kind of players.

I think this a very good way of making games, even if it significates for the players more time to wait.

From what I can see there isn't a problem with the Cheat Death feature itself, but rather the fact the time spent on it could have beem used somewhere else. The feature is entirely optional, so Permadeath is still a thing, kind off at least due to Cheat Death not being forced. The main problem I see with Cheat Death is the potential usage it's gonna get besides on purpose "Die three times on Misery Mode and see where you go" and the rare actual death in any experience mode. I don't have numbers, but looking at the community it seems like the vast majority will get bored of one save and start a new one before ever actually dying and being able to use the feature.

Cheat Death is good for when the game bugs out and you accidentally die in a long running save, but that specific case sounds more like a band aid to me and isn't the main reason it is gonna be implemented in the first place if I understand correctly. Cheat Death itself isn't bad, it does have some very situational use. I just think it would have been better overall to add something for long term survival or improve the early game a bit more for those that do struggle to learn the game.

That being said, we are talking about an optional feature here that doesn't affect any playstyle or experience of anyone unless they deliberately interact with the mechanic, a good sign regarding the update if you ask me because everything else seems very promising.

[turtle777]

Can't wait to make cougar pies...

-t

[Semple Fi]

Couple of thoughts just occurred…

How long in a nap is “too long”? Around 10-12 days, the average cure time for a bear hide or moose hide?  This would force players to move maps and interrupt dry times - making things much harder, which is the underlying theme of TLD.  

Also - how hard are the cougars going to be to kill? Or to survive an attack? You don’t know they are there until you’re getting mauled, then they’re gone… All the “cheat-death” haters may begin appreciating the provision once the “cougar experience” has taken full effect…

[hozz1235]

25 minutes ago, Semple Fi said:

Couple of thoughts just occurred…

How long in a nap is “too long”? Around 10-12 days, the average cure time for a bear hide or moose hide?  This would force players to move maps and interrupt dry times - making things much harder, which is the underlying theme of TLD.  

Also - how hard are the cougars going to be to kill? Or to survive an attack? You don’t know they are there until you’re getting mauled, then they’re gone… All the “cheat-death” haters may begin appreciating the provision once the “cougar experience” has taken full effect…

Lots of unknowns which we will find out in about a month!  Another one:  once the cougar is "triggered", what will it really take for it to "un-trigger"?  Simply, leaving the zone and re-entering?  Leave and wait X amount of hours/days?

[Enigmaecho]

47 minutes ago, hozz1235 said:

Lots of unknowns which we will find out in about a month!  Another one:  once the cougar is "triggered", what will it really take for it to "un-trigger"?  Simply, leaving the zone and re-entering?  Leave and wait X amount of hours/days?

How it’s worded suggests leaving the region for a considerable amount of time I wouldn’t think it’d be as short as a week or two you can’t even get cartography done on a lot of maps in that timeframe, im thinking more along a month in region to get its attention a month out to loose interest, Raph saying it won’t be like Darkwalker calms worry that it’s gonna be a surprise with no reaction time makes me feel like it may be closer to how moose are, we’ll see specific signs like corpses under bush, clawed trees and hear it long before we see it but once sighted it’ll be on us extremely quick 

[Semple Fi]

1 hour ago, hozz1235 said:

Lots of unknowns which we will find out in about a month!  Another one:  once the cougar is "triggered", what will it really take for it to "un-trigger"?  Simply, leaving the zone and re-entering?  Leave and wait X amount of hours/days?

Good question! And where are its boundaries? How far up the Fire Tower will it follow you? Etc.  

[odizzido]

It didn't seem clear to me....is the cougar an actual creature you can see, harm, and evade? Or is it like an event that happens more like a wolf QTE but just out of the blue?

[Cattleman]

I just want to be able to hunt the cougar... Even if that is a dangerous prospect. And by hunt I mean find and kill it without necessarily getting attacked. If the only way to kill it is to get attacked then I'll be a little disappointed.

[Quinine]

16 hours ago, Enigmaecho said:

(...) we’ll see specific signs like corpses under bush, clawed trees and hear it long before we see it but once sighted it’ll be on us extremely quick 

I dreamnt about the cougar the night after the diary release, and it was something like that ! Mostly the scratches on trees. I hope the reality is less scary than this dream though ! 😱

Since then when I'm playing I'm realizing that I will have to really change my gameplay and switch regions way more often (because my play style is soooooo slow), but yes I'm really curious about the exact delays...

[Vinceofpyrenees]

I am really interested by the six new afflictions of the misery mode. What I wish is other difficulties and the custom experience (that I always choose) will benefit of these new varieties of afflictions.

More varity of health events is always good. For example, a broken leg, coccyx or arm? Yes! Back pain due to too much weight in the backpack during long time? 

Edited May 22 by Vinceofpyrenees