A few things (that others mentioned before me)

[Walker]

1) Jumping. Yes I understand, jumping in no way adds to the atmosphere. It serves no purpose In-game... so far. But every game where I can't jump (I'm looking at you KotOR) makes me feel restricted. I can understand why I wouldn't be able to jump knee deep in snow, but inside the buildings? On the road? Also - jumping at the wrong time could lead to death (slippery ice anyone?). I wouldn't called it mandatory feature however.

2) Vitamins. I don't know if you plan on adding scurvy to the list of hazards. But having some source of vitamins (well not oranges, maybe) would be nice thing to have. It could either be medicine items or food items (or both).

3) Buckwheat Kasha. I don't know if Canada has it(during winter I mean), but I find it odd that any house that was cleared out (clearly) in a hurry, would not have any basic food in the cabinets, fridge... I mean, I get it they're evacuating, and yes it would take a long time to get to a "safe spot", but taking food that requires a stove and water? I doubt all of them own a portable stove, or a trailer. Goes for any other "craftable" meal.

Kasha goes well with meat. And could be another "heated food".

4) Wolf traps (in wild). Finding chewed deer in the wild, sure. Stealing prey from wolves, sure. But wolves (especially in Valley or Highway) are in large numbers. It would make sense finding wolf traps with dead or immobile wolves inside. It would allow player to not kill wolves outright, unless they really have to, and still get their coat. =)

5) Candles, maybe? 7-8 hours of light, lit just before going to sleep? Assuming they won't burn down the house, they could help deal with stumbling around in search of the firewood. And they can be craftable too =)

6) Shovel. I would like to bury the dead (where it's possible). The crows draw me towards the bodies I already searched, and whoever these people were Before, they're probably deserve burial at least. I mean I could burn them, but where do I find so many boats?

7) Journal.txt I would like to read what I've jotted down during the game, without logging in. I mean the Log is avaliable why not Journal as well?

8) Map. I'm thinking making it as a craftable item, whose accuracy will depend on the percentage of exploration of the area and time one spends on it. So if you found all zones in the area, and spend like 12.5 hours on the map - it's 100% accurate. Of course people would want to track their location, but I'm thinking it would take away from immersion. So instead, I'm thinking, maybe making a marker pop up on your location. But it will take time, since the character will attempt to find his current location on the map. So if you're in the middle of the woods (which lack any recognizable characteristics) or in the middle of blizzard, you won't be able to determine where you are. The marker won't move with you however, unless character is delusional =)

9) Face mask. It hurts just looking at the poor characters with their white freeze burned faces. I mean maybe we're just not seeing them wrapping their face with the scarf...

10) Hallucinations. I remember reading about people seeing something that looked like people when they were hiking, it was combination of light reflecting off the surface of snow, clouds, oxygen deprivation. Since Story mode might have a Sanity bar (or Will... if you will) seeing things would make one really question if he's doing alright. I mean sound hallucinations are present already (running deer sounds like a person walking).

11) Taking a bath. Yes I know that plumbing doesn't actually work. (and we don't use toilet (and it doesn't work)) But we could melt snow, and heat up the water, then pour it in the bathtub. Clean up, warm up, and improve rest even more. =)

12) Optional rescue in Sandbox. Yes the Sandbox itself meant to be going for as long as the sanity remains (and after it's gone). But what if comes a point when you don't just want to delete your save file, what if you want to start a new sandbox with a new character and say start on a different difficulty in a different zone? It would be nice If you could do something to be rescued, and finish Sandbox mode for this character with a happy ending. I realise that The Long Dark kinda speaks for itself =). But it would be very depressing to some Immersion enthusiasts, who wishes to part ways with his character on good terms, and not imply that they've committed suicide.

I feel like i've written this post before....

[Dirmagnos]

1. Dont really see the point of jumping. At least as long as player can sprain legs/wrists by simply walking in straight line on even surface without any hazards present. Theres plenty of ways to die already without adding completely idiotic deaths from broken leg by jumping off 20 cm high ledge.

2. Not really sure that its a problem, at least at this point. It would take months of lack of any C vitamin for scurvy to develop. Plus, we got rose berries that are loaded with vitamin C.

4. Wolf traps would be quite logical step up from snares. They are not that hard to make and could be made from already available resources. Altho their usage would be limited, wolves are smart animals and once one get caught they will start avoiding the area for a while.

5. Candles and tealights or something similar would go a long way.

6. Burying the dead in the snow would be pointless, Wild animals would dig them up anyway. Plus, harsh weather and winds tend to bring those up. Id prefer game mechanics that would bury/uncover bodies(and possible other stuff), by simply spawning/despawning them, after serious blizzards.

8. That kind of map would be kinda pointless. If you find all areas, then why would you need a map ? Id prefer map and compass being spawnable items, that player can find(just basic topographic map with no additional markings of any kind). And something like a notebook in addition, that would allow player to make notes and markings that appear on map(like discovered locations or resources or poi) and allow to track his progression, like placing markers on corpse locations(map), keeping track on found/stashed supplies(map+notebook), etc

10. Sanity ??!!? Youre in the great outdoors not in an abandoned mental hospital. Maybe some kind of value of boredom or something, but sanity sounds completely absurd in this situation.

11. Bath. A piece of cloth and a bucked of warm water. All that normal person needs to stay clean in current situation. That americanized version of survival, where lack of toilet paper leads to eminent death is the last thing this game needs.

[Walker]

1. I take it you never had "Phantom Space Bar syndrome"? That movement of the left thumb, when you hit a small wall, or seeing a very small gap you can jump over...

What if one wants to fade into the long dark this way?

4. It would do wonders for all the people who keep finding themselves in the middle of the wolf pack hunting grounds.

8. Okay I agree, I'm thinking adding notes to existing map then. Compass does sound good, but will it work after the Event?

9. So after finding up to 40+ dead people, in various state of decay, frozen and eaten. After battling harsh weather, wild animals. And failing to find both actual living people AND a way back home. One gets bored, and not actually afraid that he will die. Not actually get paranoid, having delusions. Not losing his/hers resolve to keep on going... The more you know.

11. I'm not calling it mandatory. I'm calling it optional. If the game will introduce Hardcore mode, when you required pooping... Well that's where the shovel comes in =D But really we have no buckets in-game for reasons that elude me =)

[Dirmagnos]

1. I dont use space bar for jumping. 8) Jump off thecliff if youre into that stuff, thats already in game. And i had plenty of time of "fading" by falling off cliffs or that narrow ledge on dam, with that damn gap in it.

8. Why wouldnt compass work ? Birds tend to navigate using magnetoreception and crows seem to do just fine in the game. So either effect wasnt that strong(and compass is fairly simple tool) or it faded away or were dealing with something like pulses.

9. Most people are repulsed by seeing corpses, unless were talking something on massive scale, like mass graves. Not terrified. Confusion is probably far better angle, like "wtf is going on". Anxiety, depression, sure, but insanity... i just dont see it. Weather was always there(and it was winter even prior to Event), animals as well, its not like were dealing with a zombie apocalypse in the middle of a major city.

11. Under normal conditions youre just a normal human being, but in Hardcore mode you need to take a bath and get laid every few days to keep you going ?