Wood-free parts of ML

[octavian]

There are certain parts of at least ML where there are no sticks, branches, limbs, nothing.

Now, it could be argued the player is not supposed to be in some of those areas of the map but not in all cases, what about this one?

[JErosion]

yeah i came across a couple of barren areas, like on top of certain ridges and that area in back of the lake trail that you have to go through if you want to check for the medical bunker, rabbits and wolves will spawn there but wood does not

[octavian]

and that area in back of the lake trail that you have to go through if you want to check for the medical bunker, rabbits and wolves will spawn there but wood does not

This what that, the screenshot, that pocket area between tunnel collapse, Dave's and medical bunker D

[elloco999]

I can think of two reasons why there are area's that have no sticks/ branches and tree limbs:

1. There are already so much sticks/ branches and tree limbs that adding more would make it too easy to get wood.

2. Spawning sticks/ branches and tree limbs in every place where there are trees would mean a ton more objects for the game to process, render, keep track of etc. It may be a performance issue.

[octavian]

@elloco999:What if the number of sticks, branches, limbs was kept the same but have them distributed more evenly across the map(s)? Would that be a good idea or a bad idea, and why?

[elloco999]

I think it would be a good idea mostly. Why? Because it's a bit too easy to gather large amounts of sticks right now.

I'm based in Trapper's and I was collecting sticks whenever I didn't have anything better to do. I filled two metal boxes with 100 sticks each and after that I just started dropping them on the floor near the stove. Yesterday I decided to drop them outside in 100 stick piles to have a better idea of how much I have. Turned out I had over 700 sticks on the floor...

Around Trapper's you can collect 30-40 sticks a day easily while mainly sticking to area's that have none to low wolf traffic. If the sticks would be more spread out it would take more time to gather the same amount of sticks. And it would mean finding sticks everywhere there are trees, which makes sense.

I do think though that area's that hardly see any players should have less sticks than area's that get more players. So the area above the medical bunker, where you generally only go to see if that bunker has spawned in your game, should not have more than a few sticks laying around. But the area around the camp office should.

[octavian]

I think sticks, branches and limbs should be evenly distributed across the maps where there are trees. At the moment it is indeed a bit ridiculous. And I also think areas that hardly see any players should not exist. As I've said in my why-is-ML-the-best-level-design-in-recent-gaming topic, ML is amazing, but few know it.

Why not use the entire map, why have dead areas that hardly see players, I don't get it. That area around medical bunker D is really nice, if nothing else why not plop a hunting blind on top of the small hill in the middle there and tweak a bit the wildlife that spawns there. Have a rifle spawn there so you more or less have to check it out.

Or the massive hill between river north, river south, derailment, camp office, and food bunker A at river north. That's completely barren. Again, an area that hardly sees any players. Why not make it obviously accessible, sprinkle some sticks, branches, limbs, add some mushrooms and rose hips, add some sort of structure on top of the hill, between the two massive boulders, add a new place for the bunker to spawn, and players will have a reason to visit it, camp it, make a base there. It's an awesome location.

Unless the geometry of ML is frozen, I seen no reason to leave it like that, it would be hugely unfortunate, all that work, and the amazing results, marred by places where nobody ever goes to because there's really nothing there :?

[Nemesis]

While I agree with all of the above, it seems a bit strange that it is ML that is in focus when PV is huge and barren by comparison.

[octavian]

While I agree with all of the above, it seems a bit strange that it is ML that is in focus when PV is huge and barren by comparison.

I don't feel it's strange, I focus on ML simply because that's the map I know best, the map I enjoy most, about which as I've said numerous times that I feel it's the best level design in video gaming in recent years, and ultimately the map I play most often. Out of 1000 hours half were spent in ML, I'm sure.

Everybody is free to discuss any other maps, I don't feel I can do that in an honest, informed fashion because I don't know them that well. ML, I can talk about it forever It's a really, really good map. The others, I feel no reason to play them as much, I don't really like them.

But even if I can write fifty pages on why I think derailment should have a place to make fire, so what? Is that going to change something? No. Even if my feedback is taken into consideration, it's not worth more than someone else posting a single line saying they do not want a place to make a fire at derailment.

Nobody's going to say, okay, let's have a serious discussion about this, let's have a debate where you actually apply critique in an effort to break the argument just so it can develop and grow, find out the flaws, come up with something better.

If there is nothing I can do to make ML, at least in my perception, better, I certainly can't make CH or PV better because I can't argue for them as effective as I can for ML.

Also, ML is a template for the other maps. ML has barren areas, so do the other maps. ML has accidental geometry that leads to amazing routes to be discovered, so do the other maps. If I had any power or influence to make these routes intended and developed, it goes without saying this would also apply to the other maps. All these discussions are more or less daydreaming anyway, nobody is going to say, oh my God, let's tweak the geometry of map X, just because some random guy on the Internet said something :lol:

[elloco999]

While I agree with all of the above, it seems a bit strange that it is ML that is in focus when PV is huge and barren by comparison.

I'm talking about ML here because I haven't left ML since the update that gave us this new mechanic. So I can't speak off how it works on other maps. But I never said it should be changed specifically for ML, when I say sticks and branches should be in all area's that have trees I do mean on all maps.

[octavian]

Too bad someone who posted decided to delete their post, they made some good observations :? but it's not my business why they changed their mind. Or maybe I'm selected as a foe, in any case, yes, ML is most balanced I feel.

[vimrich]

I too most liked ML. I'm holed up in PV right now. The main thing PV has is open view so less likely wolf ambush. I'm trying to learn how to hunt with the bow at least reasonably. Day 169 and still not very good. ML was way more interesting, but too easy to come up on a wolf without good sight lines. Sure you can take precautions, but if you WANT to get good distances and practice shooting, the hills and ridges are too much.

The wood mechanic does force you out of the farm though in PV, so that's good. You have to trek a little bit to get to good wood locations. Gives you a reason to explore.

[octavian]

ML was way more interesting, but too easy to come up on a wolf without good sight lines.

That's a small part of what makes ML interesting, none of that, let's avoid wolves forever kind of occupation.

[JErosion]

I too most liked ML. I'm holed up in PV right now. The main thing PV has is open view so less likely wolf ambush. I'm trying to learn how to hunt with the bow at least reasonably. Day 169 and still not very good. ML was way more interesting, but too easy to come up on a wolf without good sight lines. Sure you can take precautions, but if you WANT to get good distances and practice shooting, the hills and ridges are too much.

The wood mechanic does force you out of the farm though in PV, so that's good. You have to trek a little bit to get to good wood locations. Gives you a reason to explore.

I find Mystery Lake to be the most balanced in terms of hunting and wood gathering. You can survive for a long time if you start on Mystery Lake. Pleasant Valley is a different animal. Because its so much larger and so much more sparse than the other two regions its far more difficult. And with the changes made with Deep Forest traveling PV became more difficult. It makes me wish that they would allow one of the houses at Seeker's Ridge not be burned down. Not so much for the loot, but rather for the way station a house there could provided.