PlayerPawn

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Everything posted by PlayerPawn

  1. So I got response back to my ticket. Apparently they understand the scope of the issue and my concerns that the support article didn't indicate this were unfounded. In their response they clearly communicate that their "workaround" is the removal of story cinematics which, if you watch them, shows fairly important story beats. I'm not sure why it seemed so effortless to communicate that to me directly but their support article, which appears to have been updated, still refuses to acknowledge this directly. They still claim it's inconsequential title cards and a few black screens when they know that's only a half-truth, and half-truths are still intentionally misleading. This really would have never been an issue for me if they were just up front about it, instead of pretending that this "workaround" is at all acceptable.
  2. The article does mention that it's a problem that they want to address in a subsequent patch, so I don't feel they view it as a permanent solution, but a workaround to the issue. However, what I'm not sure on is if they understand that all MP4's are causing this problem, since their article does not address that at all. It makes me think that they don't actually know the true scope of the problem for which this "workaround" was designed for. Edit: I submitted a ticket describing the scope of the issue. I didn't originally think it necessary since they were aware of the problem, but after writing out my response, I realized it's possible they didn't understand the scope of it.
  3. The problem is that any MP4 that plays will result in this issue. When I followed the instructions to delete all the videos in the folder, I was able to get to the main menu and resume my old story mode game, which saved right before the ending of episode 3. When you activate the door at the end of the tunnel, it triggers the ending scene of episode 3, which is an MP4. Not surprisingly, this resulted in the game going to a black screen just like it did previously with the opening title cards. This means that in order to make the game functional, they're asking you to remove content that is important to the story, which I feel we can objectively say isn't a solution or even a workaround. This is why I have a problem with the support article, because it acts as some kind of solution for story mode when it's not. It also doesn't explain that you'll need to delete the cinematics folder to prevent this problem from happening in other areas of the story mode too, as it suggests that you'll only be removing inconsequential title cards and such when that's not the case. I do agree, this is on Hinterland to fix since it is their product at the end of the day. This problem has been known to them in some form or another since at least the first week of January, as you can use the wayback machine on the main "Issues and Troubleshooting" page to see the "Black screen after disclaimer" article appears at that time. It's also clear to me that they knew this would be an issue for Windows 7 users as the support article I've been going on about specifically references the Episode 4 build, which released today. At the very least, they need to make it clear that this "workaround" requires you to remove important story content from the game, so at least people can make a more informed choice on if that's something they're okay with. Personally, I think the article shouldn't suggest this as a "workaround" for the story mode at all and instead, make it specific to people having issues getting past the title cards when attempting to play survival mode only. I personally don't understand how one of the most common media formats in use today is causing such problems for this length of time in one of the most popular game engines out there. I don't want to give anyone grief though, as I am merely an outsider looking in. I know the production during the pandemic must have been a unique and extremely challenging time for everyone on the team at one point or another. All I can hope for now is an actual fix and not the ill-advised "workaround" they currently have posted.
  4. Apparently there is a Unity engine bug that is preventing MP4 files from playing under certain conditions, which is why the game appears to hang after the disclaimer screen, because the intro following that is an MP4 that causes the engine to just stall. I play on Windows 7 and supposedly, the only fix is to remove all MP4 files (basically pre-rendered videos) from the game in order to play it. However, this isn't a good workaround as it's removing important narrative beats as well as the epilogue from Episode 4. I'm guessing this problem is also affecting PS4 users as well, but you're not alone. I hope this can get resolved soon.
  5. I'm one of the unlucky people who is unable to play the new episode because of the Unity engine issue that is stopping MP4 files from playing on Windows 7 machines. The support article states that you need to remove all MP4 files found within the directory specified, if you want to play any of the episode. However, that means you're also effectively removing what appear to be important cinematics from the episode, including the epilogue. But it gets worse, because if someone new is just starting, the entire introduction of Astrid and Will, as well as the events that landed them in Great Bear in the first place are removed from the first episode. It also removes the episode 3 ending cinematic as well as an important story beat about Astrid's background. I get that this is a Unity bug, but I feel that workaround needs to be clear and honest about how this will impact the user experience and be upfront about how they will be missing important plot points until the issue can be properly resolved. At present, the support article makes no mention of this, which means you're not letting users make an informed choice on how to approach this issue. I don't believe this was left out intentionally, but I think it's only fair that you update the support article to let users know what is being removed from the game in order for it to function until a proper fix can be deployed.
  6. Based on my own person experience, two things have generally caused microstuttering in this game for me. First is setting those sliders at the bottom of the graphic settings above their Ultra preset values. You shouldn't need to put them up anyway, since there is no discernible visual difference from what I've seen when at their Ultra settings. Second is the SSAO. Try disabling SSAO completely or putting it down to its lowest value and see if it the stuttering stops. Hope this helps you out.
  7. From an outsider who hasn't really been witness to what this team has in store, it can make ones with active imaginations speculate many things, even if they are a bit far-reaching. When I wrote that, it was before Episode 3's release and going purely off the story in-game, there isn't much to grasp onto and say with certainty that this is what's happening. While the Lost idea of a time-skipping island was a wild speculation on my part, it was something that I found to be an interesting concept that is not completely without merit. One could look at these events that transpire in the game and say that it's grounded in reality with a few twists; wolves with glowing eyes during and aurora event, a mysterious man who Will happens upon at critical points in his journey, computers and other electronics humming to life during an aurora, and so on. However, all we know for sure or more precisely, all I know for sure, is that this is a geomagnetic event that caused in part, the ultimate demise of Great Bear. When you pair the religious figure of Methuselah to a man who just happens to appear at critical points in your journey, and couple that with the wild events going on, it wasn't too far a stretch for me to start brainstorming ideas, admittedly sometimes a bit too wildly. Again, I know nothing of the story's conception and development, only what is in the game. This story appears to be focusing on the human condition and morality and a genre that's also heavily focused on those aspects is science fiction. While a time-skipping Great Bear seems outlandish- and in all likelihood it is- there is nothing that states anything concrete about what's really happening outside of a "geomagnetic event". Then these characters just raise more interesting questions that people like me can only speculate on until the full story is revealed.
  8. Hey Fuarian, you're a mod over on /r/TheLongDark! Anyway, yeah, Seraphim is the highest order of angels which I remember from the movie Dogma. I also looked it up again to make sure that was indeed correct. I actually mentioned the religous undertones going on in a Milton Mailbag a while back. Here is a copy/paste of what I wrote:
  9. The thing is, I don't know that they understand what is happening. To them, it might have just been a nasty storm that took them down or maybe a malfunction of the plane itself, but they don't know it's the apocalypse, at least I don't believe they do. Will and Astrid seem to be in the same boat on this. While the people in Great Bear might have a different understanding of things, given the nature of the region depicted in the game, mainlanders like Astrid, Will, and likely all the crash survivors are probably unaware of what's really happening. Given that context, they probably act more in line of "things will get better" rather than "this is the end".
  10. The last "Locals" note is found in the building atop Signal Hill. However, that building is locked until you complete "Coming Storm". All the other notes can be found prior to completing Coming Storm.
  11. I took a screenshot during one of the cinematic flashbacks which shows Astrid's ID badge. It says "Seraphim: Sleep Research Centre". She is clearly a researcher but the fact that it's sleep research makes me wonder what the hell is going on in Great Bear.
  12. Not sure if it matters or not, but the filenames of those images reveal the characters names and even an area name. Also, a shout out to @Raphael van Lierop for a very well said retrospective on your (and your teams) last five years. You've created an experience that is unlike anything I've ever played. It's always amazing how we can have dialogue with you and you take the time to answer people's questions and listen to their stories. I also enjoyed your NoClip interview, though it left me wanting more of that 'behind the curtain' look at how this game is developed. I'd like to personally thank you for continuing to follow your dream because believe it or not, it inspires me to continue reaching for mine. Hope you and the team are doing well!
  13. Hey Raph! What is the process of looking for someone to make original music for your game or did you already have Sascha and Cris in mind? Do you kinda just let them do their own thing or do you take a more active role in shaping the musical experience? Aside from TLD, what would you say is your favorite game soundtrack, from any gaming era? Thanks and have a good weekend everyone!
  14. In previous mailbags, you've mentioned that Hinterland uses Max and Maya for your modelling and animation which you mention is pretty standard in the industry. However, big companies like Epic Games and Ubisoft have very recently joined the Blender Foundation's Development Fund which helps further develop the free and open-sourced 3D modelling/animation program, Blender. Has Blender ever been a consideration for implementation at Hinterland, or is it something that is on your radar at all? I ask because a massive update is about to drop for it and it seems to be getting a lot of attention and with Epic and Ubisoft joining the development fund, I'm curious if the industry is slowly starting to adopt Blender as a replacement to the industry standard. It's also free and has no licensing fee's, but I'm not sure how big a dent those costs make in the overall budget.
  15. You've talked about game streaming in the past and it seems your stance has been one of wait and see. With the reveal of Stadia and your attendance at E3 this year, I was wondering if your perception has changed on the matter. Follow up question: What are your thoughts on owning a game digitally vs. owning a physical copy?
  16. Over the last few years, a spotlight is ever growing on the practices by big triple A companies around, among other things, crunch time. As a studio that is more independent, what are your views on crunch and mandatory overtime to meet a deadline?
  17. The new pain mechanic for sprains, how does that affect a character negatively? Does it tie into the overhauled aiming system or some other system?
  18. * [Enviro] Updated flags to animate. The most underrated update this update. 🤩
  19. I never really thought about the privacy aspect of it, but I understand your position on the matter. Thanks for taking time to answer my question.
  20. What are your thoughts on putting up some behind the scenes videos on Hinterland's YouTube channel? Games are a big undertaking and I'm always in wonderment on how a team, small or large, is able to create something from ostensibly nothing. Like how did Cris Velasco and Sascha Dikiciyan come to a decision on the musical style to use? How do the sound designers, programmers, and engineers bring the world to life with sound? How do level designers and artist collaborate, or how do programmers deal with systems that overlap each other? I've always enjoyed a behind the scenes look at how games are made because it puts a face on the people who make the game you enjoy playing so much.
  21. I think the current format is doing what it's supposed to be doing, so I have no issue with how these Mailbags are presented. One thing I've always wanted was to get some behind the scenes looks at the making of this game. I'm not asking that you divulge company or industry secrets, but it's always a cool thing to see people behind the scenes making what you've spent countless hours enjoying. I have to imagine there is some footage floating around somewhere in your studio that hits this mark. I don't know, I love to see how things come together and the people that make that dream a reality.
  22. Is this apocalypse affecting other areas other than Great Bear? I know Will makes a comment about the weather being unusual before he and Astrid set off, but that seems to be the extent of which we're told about the greater world outside of Great Bear in regards to this apocalypse, aside from the financial crisis going on.
  23. So in religious texts, Methuselah is thought to have incredibly long life, or is sometimes even portrayed as immortal in various creative works. There is also a book called: Forever Young: A Cultural History of Longevity wherein the author posits that Methuselah is actually a symbolic link between the creation of man and the great flood, which could draw some parallels of Methuselah in the game. He himself says this has all happened before, which makes me think he's been witness to a previous "rebirth" of civilization (creation) and is now witnessing its downfall (the great flood). Considering that Methuselah in the game seemingly is all knowing and appears in the right locations at the right time, I would wager a guess that his presence is either divine or even predestined. Maybe even time travel, depending on how sci-fi this story goes. I honestly felt Great Bear might be like the Island on Lost, shifting through time. I know it's probably spoiler territory to ask but, is there any truth to anything I said?
  24. I can also confirm that changing my SSAO setting to Medium (from High) allows me to maintain a stable FPS with every other setting set to the Ultra preset.
  25. I don't have this exact issue, but I noticed since the redux update that various locations, including Grey Mothers house and the Orca Gas station, the FPS will just dip for no real discernible reason. For example, I can look at Orcas Gas Station while standing between the last set of pumps and get 60fps. Once I move a little closer, the FPS just dips to around to the low 40's to high 30's. This can be replicated around the entire station, where a seemingly invisible threshold is present and once passed over, will trigger a drop in FPS. Lowering my graphical settings gets rid of this particular issue, but I've been able to play on Ultra settings since release with a stable 60fps, so I'm not sure what happened to cause this particular problem. I've dropped a support ticket with Hinterland shortly after the release of redux but as I understand it, Hinterland has an unusually high load of support requests right now, so I'm hoping there will be some resolution to this. I don't really mind having to turn down the graphical settings, though it is a bit annoying considering that graphically, the game hasn't really changed between the last update and the redux. There was another issue I brought to their attention where I'd get frame stutters, even at low quality settings. I'm able to maintain a stable 60fps indoors at Orca, but the frames skip frequently and it's put me off playing the redux until it gets sorted. I know they're busy and I hope sometime soon I can enjoy the Wintermute overhaul.