Crafting Options and Game Play

[Shanti]

Currently, crafting seems a bit over simplified, and doesn't work with repairing. I think that we would get a lot more depth in the game with some (maybe easy) additions:

Processing Raw Materials

I think that after harvesting raw hide, or pelts, they should degrade fairly quickly until they are stretched and dried. A simple action at the workbench and some drying time would process the hide:

30 minutes crafting + 1 reclaimed wood + 1 raw rabbit pelt + 24 hours drying time = 1 usable rabbit pelt

1 hour crafting + 2 reclaimed wood + 1 raw wolf pelt + 48 hours drying time = 1 usable wolf pelt

1 hour crafting + 2 reclaimed wood + 1 raw deer pelt + 48 hours drying time = 4 leather

2 hours crafting + 4 reclaimed wood + 1 raw bear pelt + 72 hours drying time = 1 usable bear pelt

I'm not real familiar with how gut gets processed into useful material. What game calls and uses 'guts" for, I have always heard of as sinew. Sinew is just tendon, which has been dried, pounded and then softened (often in the mouth). I understand that the game might want to keep my by the corpse of a downed critter for a certain length of time for the risk / reward balance, but I would prefer to simply harvest the rear legs of a deer, wolf or bear, and carry the extra weight back home for processing. However, field collection of gut / sinew isn't the end of the world. Once back home, 30 minutes on the crafting table + 12 hours of drying time would turn "guts" or "tendon" into "sinew", which would be required for crafting.

Perhaps an increase in raw materials processing should translate into reduced crafting times for items, I feel like that is a game balance item.

More Crafted Clothing Options

I really liked a suggestion from another user on the forum (which I can't find right now for some reason), that craftable clothes should just be "fur hat" or "fur coat", and should include all of the categories for which clothing can be worn.

Furthermore, these items could be constructed of whatever types of furs the character has. Ideally, this would open a fire-starting like dialog box, where I could choose what types of leather & furs went into my crafting. Drop down menus would allow me to specify the outer layer, lining, and perhaps thread type (sinew or sewing kit). Deer leather would be more durable, but less warm. Rabbit would be very warm, but not as strong. Also, rabbit may not be usable for large sections of outer layers (like jackets and pants). Wolf and Bear would obviously be strong and warm, and might make wildlife more likely to run / run at a larger distance.

Repair of Craftable Items

After crafting, I think that I should be able to return to the crafting bench to repair these items. Did my boots need 8 leather for the outer layer, and 8 rabbit pelts for the inner layer, and 2 sinew for thread? Repairing 30-40% might take 4 of each leather and pelts, and 1 sinew, but only take 2-3 hours (rather than the 14 or 20 for the initial project). That way I can live in crafted clothing and keep it up, rather than having to craft multiple sets as I wear through my current set.

Discovery of New Craftable Items

Finally, crafting patterns / books. I think it would be really cool to stumble into the camp office or the trappers cabin (or wherever), and find a book "How to survive off the land", that would detail certain crafting projects. My character may have no idea how to sew fur long underwear until I bump into "extreme survival in the far north" or whatever book goes into the details of crafting some of the more exotic items (like sleds, +1 for sleds). Also, I feel like this could be a way to introduce some of the other great suggestions, like weaving and napping, harvesting stones as tools or a fire ring, or searching for a flint outcropping to make a flake knife or ax. Even a couple of illustrations showing how to set a snare, or harvest sinew might be required to open up more options than just butchering a kill.

Game Play Considerations

I feel like crafting is a mid to late game strategy, and could really be fleshed out to keep the player venturing out for supplies throughout his survival experience. Personally, I would love to see tools become less common finds, and more durable, so that a hunting knife might last me at least a couple of months before breaking, but there might only be one on each map (3 in the entire game). Rather than breaking as condition lowers, perhaps your tools simply become less effective, until they get re-sharpened. Only after hundreds of re-sharpening are they actually ready to break. At this point, the player has largely explored everywhere, and is able to take the time to flake a stone skinning knife, and make his own clothes. Personally, I would love to see the sandbox game proceed through phases like this:

Early Game:

First survival rush - player is rushing around looting pre-collapse foods and clothing. He is able to accumulate more than he needs to survive. Exploring yields rich caches of everything.

Mid Game:

The player has accumulated everything he needs for day-to-day survival, and must plan exploring trips to find the final caches of stores, as well as all the crafting recipes. The player must accumulate the raw materials to craft the things he needs to survive. At this stage, pre-collapse food is exhausted, and clothing begin to deteriorate or get used up. The smart player will use the last of his pre-collapse reserves to get a head-start on his survival crafting.

Late Game:

Pre-collapse tools begin to wear out. Bullets are spent, and defense must be hand to hand or with a spear. Everything the player uses day-to-day is hand crafted. Late game basically continues as long as the player has pre-collapse medical supplies, or is able to sustainably live off the environment.

End Game:

The player has exhausted at least one resource around him, (most likely medical or food), and is able to survive as long as he is lucky enough not to get an infection he cannot recover from / get too injured for his food store to survive.

[bethany]

Nice feedback! The processing of raw materials makes for some interesting considerations. Thanks for posting!

[brenton_nichol]

Currently, crafting seems a bit over simplified, and doesn't work with repairing. I think that we would get a lot more depth in the game with some (maybe easy) additions:

Repair of Craftable Items

After crafting, I think that I should be able to return to the crafting bench to repair these items. Did my boots need 8 leather for the outer layer, and 8 rabbit pelts for the inner layer, and 2 sinew for thread? Repairing 30-40% might take 4 of each leather and pelts, and 1 sinew, but only take 2-3 hours (rather than the 14 or 20 for the initial project). That way I can live in crafted clothing and keep it up, rather than having to craft multiple sets as I wear through my current set.

You're already able to do this with craftable clothing. You do it from within your inventory rather than at a crafting table, and you need a sewing kit.

I like the rest of your feedback - some good thoughts.

[dedevache]

Hi!

Talking about crafting... since one or two updates we can take a torch directly from fire, but we still can do it from work bench... is it voluntary or an oversight? If it is voluntary, is there any differences between the two types of torch?? I did'nt noticed...

Thanks

bye

[bethany]

Hi!

Talking about crafting... since one or two updates we can take a torch directly from fire, but we still can do it from work bench... is it voluntary or an oversight? If it is voluntary, is there any differences between the two types of torch?? I did'nt noticed...

Thanks

bye

It's intentional that you're able to take them from the fire and craft them at a bench. There are no differences between the torches, regardless of how they're crafted.

[dedevache]

Hello!

Because we spend a lot a time walking in the snow (if not all the time!!!). It could be a great idea to be able to craft snowshoeing (or rackets, not sure of the traduction from 'raquettes' in french) at the work bench. We could use "cured guts" and maybe the same wood as for bow, the "cured maple saplings".

This equipement could save energy (calories and exhaustion).

Tanks to think to this suggestion.

[Aduron]

Discovery of New Craftable Items

Finally, crafting patterns / books. I think it would be really cool to stumble into the camp office or the trappers cabin (or wherever), and find a book "How to survive off the land", that would detail certain crafting projects. My character may have no idea how to sew fur long underwear until I bump into "extreme survival in the far north" or whatever book goes into the details of crafting some of the more exotic items (like sleds, +1 for sleds). Also, I feel like this could be a way to introduce some of the other great suggestions, like weaving and napping, harvesting stones as tools or a fire ring, or searching for a flint outcropping to make a flake knife or ax. Even a couple of illustrations showing how to set a snare, or harvest sinew might be required to open up more options than just butchering a kill.

I like this a lot! I think a bush pilot might know that craft items are possible, but not really be an expert in doing it. Maybe there should be a skill for making each item which starts very low and either goes up slowly by trial (and error! which would be essential) or quickly by finding a "snare setting book". The better you are at making something, the higher its condition/chance at working. That way, you could maybe make things right from the beginning, but it would be risky if you hadn't found the book yet.

If NPCs are added, there could also be people with knowledge that they would share, for a price.

edit: Also, +1 to your processing ideas, but maybe have them take the same amount of time (not shorter as you have it). I especially like the quickly-degrading-if-not-stretched part.