Admin

Hello Survivors,

The team’s been very busy since we released Part Three of TALES, and all the subsequent hotfixes. We have lots to talk about so I’m going to dive right in!
 

QUALITY OF LIFE UPDATE

Between all the work splitting the game, working on TALES content, and the free updates to Survival over the past year and more, we’ve gotten behind in our bug maintenance, and we just weren’t happy to see some long-standing issues still lingering, along with newly introduced bugs. 

The team has spent the past several weeks working through a big list of issues, and they are just putting the finishing touches on a Quality of Life Update which will fix over 150 bugs in the game, across Story, Survival, and TALES. We’re going to keep chipping away at our bug list over time, but hopefully somewhere in this list of 150+ fixes, we manage to hit at least a few of the bugs you’ve personally been struggling with in the game.

The QoL Update is now locked, and the Test team needs a couple of weeks to finalize and verify the bug fixes show up correctly in the release branch, so we’re currently targeting a QoL update launch near the end of the month. For the full list of fixes, keep an eye on Steam, the official forums, or our social channels to be notified when the QoL Update goes live.

And as always, if you encounter a bug and want to report it, please use our Support Portal. Bugs reported there are reviewed, vetted, and then find their way into the main database where the Test and Dev teams can review, evaluate, prioritize, and fix.

TALES FROM THE FAR TERRITORY, PART FOUR

The new Mine region, coming in TALES, Part Four

As with the other parts of TALES (our paid DLC for Survival Mode), Part Four will come with a free update to Survival, and the team is packing in a range of content and gameplay features targeting release by the end of the year. We’ll get more precise with the release date and feature list as we get closer to launch, but to give you a sense of what’s being added, you’ll find:

• the new MINE region, showcasing some new hazards and a new gear item
• the second TALE, following up on Signal Void from Part Two
• several new gameplay tools and mechanics, including the Travois and some new clothing
• and great free updates to Survival, including -- wait for it -- proper coverings for first-person hands!

We’ll release a full list of items taken from the TALES roadmap and more information about what’s being included in the free Survival update as we get closer to launch. It’s a big update and will be a great way to finish the year!

HINTERLAND MERCH STORE VIRTUAL “POP-UP”

Many (so many!) of you have been asking us when we’ll re-open the Merch store. We’re in the middle of redoing the Hinterland website in anticipation of all the new things we’re making, and our plan is to launch a whole new store with new items when that’s done.

In the meantime, by your request, we’re going to clear out some of our existing merch in time for some holiday gifts, as the new store won’t be online before the international mailing cut-off for this year’s holiday season. You’ll be able to grab from a series of legacy items including posters, hoodies, hatchets, and mugs. This will likely be the last time they are available before the new store goes live, so if you like these legacy items, grab them when the Pop-Up goes live (exact timing TBA). 

Once we open the pop-up store we’ll announce the sale on Steam, our official forums, social channels, and our mailing list. If you want to be notified of the sale and grab a discount code, sign up for the Hinterland mailing list. We don’t have a firm date yet, but we’ll announce the details ASAP. 

NEW PROJECTS?

Many of you have been asking us about what we’re working on “next”. Obviously, we’re working on Episode Five, and the completion of TALES, both targeting finalization in 2024. But part of the team has also been hard at work on new things. Why? Because it takes years to create and develop new ideas and new games, and we need to have something new ready by the time THE LONG DARK is finished next year. This is critical to our continued existence as an independent game studio. 

This is especially true now as we can see how tough the games business has become, with independent studios shutting down all over the place, growing pressure on the business models we’ve come to depend on, and other macro shifts in the global markets. Hinterland and our projects exist within this broader context, and part of my role as head of the studio is to make good decisions for our long-term survival. Managing portfolio and growth is a big part of that.

We’re not quite ready to take the lid off our secret internal projects yet, but I will say that there are three in development, all original and Hinterland conceived, funded, and with plans to self-publish, as we’ve done with THE LONG DARK. Two of them are ambitious, large-scale projects that will set the foundation for Hinterland’s future beyond THE LONG DARK. One of them is a smaller project that started out as an incubation with a small external team, and grew to the point where we brought the team and the project in-house so we could support them better and guide development in a more hands-on fashion according to Hinterland creative values and culture. We’ll have more to share about this smaller Hinterland project within the next six months or so. What I will say is it’s a thoughtful, beautiful, linear sci-fi game that is very very different from THE LONG DARK, and being made by a small team. And with this team having come in from outside Hinterland, the development has not impacted progress on THE LONG DARK; it’s just been something that’s been done alongside our other work. 

As for the other bigger projects, we won’t be saying much about them until Episode Five is closer to launch.

SPEAKING OF EPISODE FIVE...

Yes, it’s still in development. No, we aren’t saying much about it yet. It’ll ship in 2024, and I will tell you more about it before the end of the year, including sharing a title and key art reveal, as well as a bit more information about the plot (but no spoilers!). As you can imagine, we have a lot of story to wrap up in Episode Five, and a lot of groundwork to lay for the future of THE LONG DARK IP in how we complete the WINTERMUTE storyline, for games and other projects, so Episode Five will be our biggest yet. I know you’ve waited a long time for this, and I can’t wait to tell you more about it when the time is right. It should be a fitting end to what we hope will come to be seen as a survival epic for the ages. 

THAT’S ALL...

Stay tuned for more info about TALES FROM THE FAR TERRITORY, Part Four, in the coming months, and keep your eyes open for the release announcement for the Quality of Life Update, and the Merch Store Pop-Up. Again, if you haven’t already done so, we recommend you sign up for the Hinterland mailing list, since due to the current social media apocalypse, we’ll be using it more and more to stay in touch with our fans. If you'd like to discuss this dev diary with other Hinterland fans, we encourage you to jump into the Official Forums.

Thanks for reading, and see you soon!

- Raphael

We are working on a Dev Diary containing some helpful news and information, which we are planning to release in the very near future. We will share more as soon as it is available, but we can confirm that it does contain some general info on TALES. 

Thank you for your patience, Survivors! 

20 hours ago, Asinine said:

So, I am somewhat active on the Discord for TLD (which is completely unrelated to Hinterland whatsoever), but we get a lot of new folks joining asking about the Epic version of getting stuck on the loading/warning screens.

I own the game on Steam, but while I had the brief issue (might have been based on the fact that I play on Linux), things were sorted out quickly. Hinterland, could you please state if this is an Epic issue or a Hinterland issue with which you're working with Epic?

I've been trying to point out links here, but there have been folks who can reinstall, or uninstall DLC/start the game/reinstall DLC, and various other workarounds that only sometimes work. I have recently been suggesting everyone submit a ticket, but if anyone official could posit a response more so that would exemplify what to do, that'd be GLORIOUS!

Thank you for reaching out. This is an issue we are working to resolve on our end, and we will provide more information in the near future. 

On 9/1/2023 at 6:26 AM, ManicManiac said:

Recommendation:
File bug reports/trouble tickets with Hinterland Support (link below).

Thanks @ManicManiac! This is what we recommend as well. We're happy to investigate.

Thank you for your feedback! We will be making some upcoming changes to continue improving the way we communicate and connect with our community. We have so many passionate players, and we always appreciate your interest and enthusiasm. There's a lot to look forward to. 

Thank you for your feedback! 

On 8/27/2023 at 3:00 AM, LoneWorf said:

Did the OP manage to get into game? It seems this has been going on for a long time, can see threads on steam, reddit, hinterland (I'm Epic myself) and various other places going back at least 2 years. 

A similiar issue has surfaced. Closing thread to avoid confusion, but we are working to resolve this as quickly as possible. 

On 8/26/2023 at 9:37 AM, Chaos Theory said:

I often think the same. Such a beautiful concept brought to life. I’ve been gaming for forty-four years and TLD is truly one of the best. The fact that you don’t get second chances makes it stand out as a gamer’s game. Thanks you 

Thank you! 

We continue to work toward a resolution for this issue, and we will have more information to share in the near future. We appreciate your patience. 

1 hour ago, Leeanda said:

Thank you @Admin  .

My apologies if I seem impatient , not intended...I know how much you all have going on ...  

I'm just very eager to go and explore the area.

Not at all! Your impatience reads as enthusiasm, which is always welcome. 

1 hour ago, ManicManiac said:

@Admin

Has there by chance been any indication from the team on whether this is something that's in the works?
Has the team given any indication as to the list of possible Accessibility Options they are working on or considering?

1 hour ago, hozz1235 said:

I think we all know by now that HL will only release news on new features once the work has mostly been done and they plan to release.  Asking doesn't seem to be an exception to this. IME.  Not that I blame them!

We understand it's important to plan ahead, to get excited about new features, and it's always great to know what's coming in the game. It's why we created the Roadmap for TALES, and why we share new information as often as possible. 

We are constantly working on improvements, updates, and exciting new features for THE LONG DARK. Sometimes, changes are made based on development realities, and we want to make sure that when we do share news, it is as accurate as possible. 

You are always welcome to ask questions, and we will try to answer them with the most up-to-date information available. 

Welcome, and thank you for playing! 

Thank you for the suggestion! 

Thank you for your suggestion! 

23 hours ago, bysinda said:

I have

Thank you for filing a ticket. We appreciate the opportunity to look into this for you. 

On 8/21/2023 at 5:52 PM, SpanishMoss said:

Don't worry, I filed a ticket before even making the post!

Thank you!

On 8/21/2023 at 12:53 PM, Enigmaecho said:

Just checking again for clarification on the “bad luck” comment is support not looking into remedies for those saves not having the hunters revolver and miners flashlight?

Happy to clarify! We are absolutely investigating reports, however, many instances of missing items (in general) are simply because items either haven't been found yet, or they are set to spawn infrequently. We are more than happy to help in those cases where items not spawning are the result of a bug or issue with the game. 

Thank you for your kind words, and for your support! 

We don't currently have a date for Part Four, but we will share more news as soon as it is available, including information on the new content and features. Thank you for checking in! 

20 hours ago, SpanishMoss said:

Indeed it was quite the beast! 

Hi @SpanishMoss! If you haven't done so already, we suggest reporting this via the Support Portal: http://hinterlandgames.com/support

We certainly don't want were-Rabbits wandering Great Bear Island! Thanks for posting. 

We want to re-open the store just as much (or perhaps almost as much) as you want to visit it! We are working on making some adjustments, and we will have more news to share in the future. In the meantime, we are actively working toward re-opening it, and our community will be the first to know. 

On 8/17/2023 at 1:48 PM, SlippedGear said:

For finishing the Darkwalker challenge, there is both a positive/negative effect feat - You are less Fatigued at night, but more Fatigued during the day.

I think it would be nice to have all the challenges open up some interesting positive/negative feats, like (these are just suggestions and would be for the regular survival game using the feats slots):

Whiteout - You find more items in containers but have less backpack space (lower weight limit) to carry the items you find.

The Hunted Part 1 - You have increased stamina for running/climbing but after the normal stamina meter is empty, you deplete your condition.

The Hunted Part 2 - You have increased skill bonus to stones, bow, rifle, and pistol accuracy but you have a significant loss of stamina for running/climbing.

The Hunted Part 3 - You and your clothing are less susceptible to animal attacks but more susceptible to weather and fall damage

Hopeless Rescue - Your will to live is damaged, and you lose condition faster but normal food items (not recipe items as they have their own separate effects) restore a small amount of condition on consumption.

Nomad Challenge - You are less susceptible to Cabin Fever but more susceptible to the cold temperatures outdoors.

As The Dead Sleep - You are at peace with the inevitable, so your condition drops significantly slower but is much harder to restore as stims and teas restore very little condition.

Tales: Signal Void - You can activate the glimmer fog effect at any time anywhere but get the insomnia effect interfering with condition recovery for much longer.

I know for those who do not use feats, this would make no difference to them. This would incentivize some players to complete the challenges for the additional feats.

 

Thank you for your suggestions! 

Thanks, @conanjaguar! 

On 8/19/2023 at 10:26 AM, Himbraut said:

Well Hinterland,

its saturday - I started the day with continue recording TLD for youtube. Same position, same bear, same thing happened. This instant bear drives me crazy but today I did it without screaming and waking other ones up ❤️

We'll consider that a "win"! (Hopefully you have better luck with bears in the future!) 

On 8/16/2023 at 1:59 AM, nahanni said:

I drew Franklin (the warden) from episode 4. My favourite character next to Mathis, love his design, especially his 'stache.

I hope to draw more but the wildfires make life uncertain right now. A lot of evacuations and also internet/cell service has gone down in some places. It's been a nice distraction though, thinking up new ideas and trying them out.

This is fantastic. Thank you for sharing!