TALES FROM THE FAR TERRITORY, PART FIVE is here!!!

[Glacia]

Amazing update!

Im curious about how Cougar react to other animals, for a example if a Cougar can attack you inside a bear or moose territory? Same for timberwolves i guess.

This can create some kind of 'Animal Shield' around certain spots on the map if it's true.

[ManicManiac]

...a new boss has entered the arena...  

Edited June 24 by ManicManiac

[Amir]

Day 8 of Misery...

Goodbye Interloper, it's been one hell of a ride.

I'm pretty much just trying not to die! My condition hasn't been more than half... I can't even move to a new safe house, let alone a new region... 

I love it so much, thank you Hinterland.

[artmunki]

My first impressions of the new region are very good.

I was happy to find that the connection from TP to the new region was just where I expected to find it, tho I was a little surprised at how long & winding that route is. Kinda goes with the (far) territories I guess. I've spent a coupla in-game days in the Pass, but I decided to use a semi-lucky sprain as an excuse to duck out, cuz I got myself into a little bit of a spot and just couldn't be bothered dealing with some of the unexpected locals tonight. Fresh head tomorrow will fare better. I hope.

So far the region seems pretty big. It's hard to really judge how it compares with the other regions in the Far Territories, as the topography kinda complicates things, but my impression is that it's bigger than the Zone, and I've still got a lot of ground to cover. The ground I've covered so far is ... kinda stunning tho - this seriously might be the best looking region in the game. Craggy peaks everywhere, cut through by deep rolling valleys and some pretty unique looking waterfalls . A new cave system is gonna take a bit of exploring - certain cues make me think that it's probably the transition to the Zone, but it has more than one entry point in the new region and I only explored part of it - didn't find my way to the Zone yet. The weather seems to be its own thing here. I haven't had any glimmer fog yet so I'm not sure if that's gonna be a presence here too, but generally the conditions seem to change at the drop of a hat - one minute it's clear skies, next you're wading through a freezing cold cloud-bank. Mountain conditions can be very unpredictable, so this seems totally spot-on. And I'm really loving some of the location names too - some lovely poetic monikers scattered around. And one or two surprises already too - one inclusion I really didn't expect. Oh boy!

Overall tho, simply stellar work from the Hinterland crew. I can already tell I'll have my work cut out for me to really get my bearings properly, and I'm not even sure I'm gonna survive the trip, but I can't wait to see what else is to be found. Just wish me luck for the next part tho! 

[RossBondReturns]

One word as I responded to the update video on youtube:

OUTSTANDING!!!

[AdamvR]

Thank you Hinterland for the update! Very much appreciated!

I read the release notes, and I'm a bit confused about the cougar:
- the cougar is listed as an added new threat under the expansion, but it is also mentioned that Misery mode (which is for the 'vanilla' game) makes the cougar non-optional... So is the cougar only added for the expansion, or for all players?

- also, is the cougar restricted to the new region, or can we encounter it in other areas of the Far Territories, or even in the main regions?

Thanks in advance, if anyone could clarify!

[UTC-10]

Zaknafein posted on his video of his early access play testing with the Cougar the following time lines.  He cautioned that this was with limited testing and may be in wrong.  

Cougar Timer:    

Difficulty         Consecutive Days in One Region

Pilgrim                        70
Voyager                      30
Stalker                        30
Interloper                   20
Misery                        10

YMMV. 

 

[twyn1]

Is it okay to post 1st Impressions/Spoilers here or will there be a specific thread started elsewhere? I will just say the new region looks stunning & quite challenging!

[ManicManiac]

@twyn1
First impressions... certainly, of course.  

Specific Spoilers:

Spoiler

I'd recommend using the spoiler text box... out of kindness for anyone trying to avoid as many spoilers as possible.  
Easier now, since we can just use the "eye" icon in upper-right.

Also... feel free to start a new thread to discuss it, if you'd like.
Recommendation: in the Tales from the Far Territory Discussion - Hinterland Forums

Edited June 25 by ManicManiac

[Enigmaecho]

Spoiler

I’m just making my way downtown walking fast aurora blast mapping the new region when i think to myself boy it would suck to encounter Timbers out here and as if I literally manifested them from that thought I slide down a one way hill onto a lake and come around a corner to see 4 green yellow blobs and think to myself hmm 🤔 what’s that for the brain to catch up milliseconds later with Oh no OH NOOO

Well…that was unexpected 

[Enigmaecho]

38 minutes ago, UTC-10 said:

Zaknafein posted on his video of his early access play testing with the Cougar the following time lines.  He cautioned that this was with limited testing and may be in wrong.  

Cougar Timer:    

Difficulty         Consecutive Days in One Region

Pilgrim                        70
Voyager                      30
Stalker                        30
Interloper                   20
Misery                        10

YMMV. 

 

Might be part of the resume vs load bug but when I came into my save it said it was already encroaching and I had 5 days to dip 😂 curious to see how the game handles custom’s because mines a base interloper with a bunch of stuff tuned up or down

[Sebastian1992]

The new region SUNDERED PASS is quite amazing, like a mix the hushed river valley and ash canyon, also my lovely timberwolfs are here too! With distance my favorite map from the DLC! 😇

[Sebastian1992]

At the same time, so many peace and quiet places, oh I love this map 💓! Well done Hinterland☺️, best update ever!

[Enigmaecho]

FYI custom players, the cougar is tuned to whatever base setting you went with for the run that or all customs are set to loper cause im drawing the kitty after just 10 days guess I’m doing the tale and cartography in stages 😬😂

Edited June 25 by Enigmaecho

[Sebastian1992]

Have I mentioned the cool small cabins? So smart placed and the cave oh my oh deer! Maybe my brain is exploded!

[UpUpAway95]

5 hours ago, Sherri said:

Dude. People are allowed to be different. Some people like more chill gameplay.

Yes they are - and that includes me.  Outside of Misery there is no option other than the "Cheat Death" to increase a save's difficulty without completely starting over.  People are looking at this issue ONLY from the side of people wanting to save a long-term file (and looking down their noses a little bit at those people who do that because they're "cheating" death).  However, the problem I see is with people getting bored as the game gets easier the farther into a file you get (and if one goes into a save expected the file to last 100s or 1000s of days without dying, it is very likely that they've chosen a difficulty that doesn't challenge them to their maximum to start with (or else they likely  would have died before they became attached emotionally to that save).  Cheat death enables people to make their run more difficult as they progress.  It's not ideal (I would prefer to be able to ratchet up the difficulty at any time at least in custom runs).

I'm not being disrespectful or "judgmenetal" - just trying to illustrate the "other side" of this coin.  It's not all about "permadeath" tension - because if one goes into a game expecting the save to out last your boredom threshold, I don't think there's any fear or tension involving dying in that file to be had anyways - so why not allow us some ways to increase difficulty as we go - and this is at least a start in that direction.  Misery mode does it for a very difficult game, why not afford people who start saves at easier difficulties the same opportunity.

In addition, Misery players cannot opt out of allowing the save file to get more difficult as they go.  Should "near death" increases in difficulty be "opt outable."??

Edited June 25 by UpUpAway95

[Grignard_TN]

Can the misery options be added to a custom game?

[Enigmaecho]

1 minute ago, Grignard_TN said:

Can the misery options be added to a custom game?

like an existing save or like make a pilgrim run with misery?

[Grignard_TN]

1 minute ago, Enigmaecho said:

like an existing save or like make a pilgrim run with misery?

Yes,  I mean can you add the afflictions that develop over time on misery mode with a custom start?

[ManicManiac]

Let me take a moment to perhaps talk about a few points you mentioned.

1 hour ago, UpUpAway95 said:

However, the problem I see is with people getting bored as the game gets easier the farther [...] you get   [...] if one goes into a save expected the file to last 100s or 1000s of days without dying, it is very likely that they've chosen a difficulty that doesn't challenge them to their maximum [...]

But you see, it isn't really good form for you to be judging that... every player gets to decided how they'd like to experience the game.  And every player (especially since this is a single player game) can set whatever goals or expectations they want for themselves or their gameplay experience.  Perhaps a player doesn't want to be challenged to their maximum...  Or, perhaps a player getting "board" doesn't really know precisely what experience or combination of settings would hit the "sweet spot" for them (as it were). However, that's up to them to experiment with.  Some players may take umbrage with it being suggested that they aren't "playing on a hard enough difficulty," and that coming off as though they are being told they are playing wrong.  I think that instead of seeming to criticize other playstyles... perhaps you could share the things that you like and find thrilling in how you play.

 

1 hour ago, UpUpAway95 said:

I would prefer to be able to ratchet up the difficulty at any time at least in custom runs

With "Cheat Death," I feel like you kind of already have that option.  If we want to get things more difficult in the early game... we could (just for example) cheat death twice and then live with the extra hardships that go with it, knowing we don't have any room for any future mistakes.  

 

1 hour ago, UpUpAway95 said:

I'm not being disrespectful or "judgmenetal" - just trying to illustrate the "other side" of this coin.

I understand what you're trying to get at... I do.  However, it also seems to make others feel like you're kind of ragging on how others choose to play.  That's where it gets to be problematic.

 

1 hour ago, UpUpAway95 said:

if one goes into a game expecting the save to out last your boredom threshold, I don't think there's any fear or tension involving dying in that file to be had anyways

Why do you assume this what they are thinking... or what they going for?  Again, I don't really think it's really anyone's place to judge that.  I say that because the way you choose to word things and express yourself can really read that way sometimes.

Look, I assume you don't mean any harm... and it seems to me that you are just trying to talk though an idea.  But again, when you make statements that read as though you're being prickly about other playstyles... I can't say that it's surprising that other folks might bristle when they feel you're kind of ragging on how they happen to like playing.

Rather than going back and forth... let's take this side bar to the PMs.  Feel free to message me directly if you'd like to discuss it further.

Also, feel free to add your ideas about "cheat death" mechanics/options and other methods you'd like to see for player-controlled difficulty alteration over in the Wish List subform.

As for this thread... let's let it alone now.

Edited June 25 by ManicManiac

[twyn1]

My game (vanilla Pilgrim) is telling me the cougar is gonna visit in 2 days! Whee!

LOVE the new region, but it does NOT love me back ... in the past day (game time) I managed to get stuck on the edge of a cliff, thinking it was a clear pathway (goated down to the tune of many sprains and damaged clothing), drank "bad" water (that I swear I cooked to potable status) & got dysentery,  left the rifle & ammo up in the weather station , where they can just stay for now ....

Spoiler

Perilous Crossing Bridge!!!! I almost wet my drawers crossing it - I'll go back only if I absolutely must!!

But I'm loving it!!

[UTC-10]

I an a Pilgrim player on Timberwolf when the update occurred on day 2942. 

I was in Pleasant Valley for a while before I went to Timberwolf on day 2922 and on 2929 went to Ash Canyon, so say 7 days on Timberwolf.  Stayed in Ash Canyon from 2929 to 2936, so again 7 days in Ash Canyon.  Have returned to Timberwolf on 2936 and it is now 2943 so another 7 days on Timberwolf.  At this point (day 2942/2943) the game warned me that the Cougar would arrive in 4 days.  The warning showed up on my map.  

I had to go to Ash Canyon to find something I left behind and the Cougar warning does not appear which would be as expected since I am not on Timberwolf.  It is now day 2944.  When I get back to Timberwolf, I'll know how many days until the Cougar arrives.  

So I am not sure how the game actually counts days in region.  It looks like I have spent about 14 days on Timberwolf including before the update, 7 days on Ash Canyon.  And this is on Pilgrim.  I had been in Coastal Highway, Crumbling, and Desolation over the previous scores of days before crossing to Pleasant Valley (and then to Timberwolf).  

When I left Ash Canyon and entered Timberwolf, I had a persistent banner on the screen "Cougar Encroaching" which does not go away from the time I reentered Timberwolf until I crossed into Pleasant Valley.  At that point the Cougar will arrive in three days notice on the map also disappeared.  

These are my observations of how the Cougar event seems to be shaping up in my ongoing vanilla Pilgrim game since the update.  I await the fix to allow me to disable the Cougar and fix (disable) scurvy on my game.  

It is not clear at this point how long it takes to attract the Cougar's attention.  Nor how long to lose its attention.  

[Sebastian1992]

The timberwolf fight! I love it🐺! I know the most people don't agree with me, they are annoying or they stop the game flow, but I love this really! Look at my profilpicture 😅

[Sebastian1992]

5 hours ago, ManicManiac said:

...a new boss has entered the arena...  

Oh yeah! Maybe I stay longer in Sundered Pass for science, with tasty cougar soup 😅 and of course finished tales part three 💪

[Sebastian1992]

Ice fishing hut, with timberwolfs
💓. Yeah this is my map

Spoiler