UTC-10

Since the episode 3 update, I have seen four instances where a wolf was unable to catch a deer. A couple might be the deer outruns the stalking wolf, but in some the deer and the wolf were running at full speed. Even when the deer did some crazy turns (i.e. evasive maneuvers?) the wolf was completely unable to catch it. This last one, the wolf agroed. Chased the deer at full speed across the field NW of the farmhouse, crossed the road, went up a hill to a rock outcropping, and when I caught up to them I took a screen shot of the deer and wolf running, but not moving, in the manner shown. I shot the deer which died and the wolf then scampered off in fear mode. I don't know if this was working as intended or a bug or something but I did report it on the chance it was an actual problem. Note: I know about previous instances where animals get stuck but the wolves not catching the deer is getting me extremely frustrated.

Although I understand that some players have lost valuable items, so far I have found Lost and Found to mostly do what the devs wanted it to. Mostly... In my limited experience, looking around the farmstead and part of Pleasant Valley, things to be aware of: Things left on the snow, outside of a location or building, can end up in the lost and found box on the farmstead porch. Things in containers, like the drawers in the Pensive pond ice fishing hut, lockers in the Signal Hill control hut, the interior of the Pleasant Valley - Winding River cave, will tend to stay put. I did find a lost and found box in the control hut for things left on the shelves and tables but even that was not absolutely consistent. If like me, you had a stack of ruined (0%) meat (raw or cooked) and 0% canned goods, and they got moved, they are probably toast. Around the farmstead I had quite a bit of ruined raw venison and now it was all gone. The lowest condition item (of any kind) I found in lost and found was 1%. No 0% stuff. I am a bit disappointed to lose all that ruined meat. The wolves worked really hard to supply me with it. Now all their hard work was for naught.

Not going to happen at this point. Not with Episode 3 due to go live and a survival mode update in December. The cooking interface would have to change, new items possibly introduced, new graphics, and ramifications of what it all means in game terms. It has been requested for a long time. I wouldn't mind being pleasantly surprised for Hinterland to actually do something soon but realistically they have more things to worry about, such as bugs and game-play, than a recipe book and recipes.

The first time 4DON was run, it was in the main game. That caused some disarray between journal days and actual days played. For instance, four days represented four real time days so you could play a couple weeks of in-game "days". Then 4DON was made an opt-in game modification since not everyone appreciated the event. Things that were acquired in the event did not carryover or back to the main game. For the purposes of 4DON, every 24 hours from start of the event represents a different "day". Different events on each "day". I do not know beyond that since I did not play 4DON the last time. Also unless something has changed, if you opt-in then you should stay in until the event is over as it was a modification of the game files. I could be wrong, so hopefully someone can correct this.

Prepper caches do not show up on the charcoal maps. The OP has a point since I do think that permanent structures and objects should be something that can be mapped. Of course, the map location of things can be really off compared to the underlying map. On another note, I would like the particular area of the map, when I come back and use another charcoal, be updated with things that are no longer there disappearing and anything that is now there appearing. But that's probably more effort than Hinterland wants to put into that as it is optional whether one maps or not.

More cooking spots would be nice, but I think it would be OP. Since fire starting skill, once leveled, is always on, if there was some kind of handicap associated with the additional cooking surfaces, it would mean that the handicap would always be there. Depending on the handicap, it could become a real pain. We'll see what turns up in Pleasant Valley when Episode 3 goes live. Be interesting what HL has for us with December.

I try think in terms of what the devs would consider fair trade-offs to balance one advantage with a disadvantage. Because the graphic image would likely have to be different to distinguish each type of enhanced campfire, I would not consider it a candidate for implementation anytime soon. An alternate to this enhanced mostly wind-proof campfire might be to reintroduce the old campfire (no ring of rocks around it), make it more forgiving of the underlying surface so it could be laid on a steeper or more irregular surface than previously, and only provide warmth with the collateral effect of warming previously brewed drinks and foods that can be heated, that were placed near it. This old-style campfire would despawn much like fully harvested carcasses do now in the game and/or by the next morning or something. Other features, pro and con, would depend on what it would do to game balance.

Yes I can say that pulling torches from a fire just the way you and I and others do was something that the developers knew that players would resort to. Pulling torches from a fire was exactly the way to get torches without having to craft them before the devs changed them to brands. In part, at the time, they wanted to make players use kerosene to craft torches and pulling them from a fire got around that. And now that they changed them back to torches, we're back to doing just that. You did leave off the part of the post, "they would, in effect become torches." That was the point I was making to ajb1978 about why were brands removed and replaced with torches. There was nothing that said that the devs couldn't have made all those "fixes" to brands which would make them less of a pain, but to what purpose? They made their choice and I, for one, am quite happy they did. Others may disagree.

I started in Voyager. Played in it until the torch trick was 'fixed', among other changes (e.g. intestinal parasites, I believe) which didn't bother me as much, so I dropped my Voyager game and started Pilgrim and never left it. I know that I have gotten bad habits from playing Pilgrim - I mess with the wolves rather than they mess with me - but the pace of the game and the environment in Pilgrim suits me.

I think that if brands were "fixed" so that they could: Be re-lit, be harvested, be burned, and be put into inventory, which would also allow for ruined brands to be disposed of (but harvesting if allowed would obviate that need), they would, in effect become torches. You could differentiate between brands and torches - you can only pull a brand from a fire, while torches had to be crafted - but having two items that could do virtually the same things and be handled very similarly was probably thought as an unnecessary complication so brands were eliminated. I also don't think that a flaming brand was thought to be something you could realistically throw with any degree of accuracy or range when brandishing was changed back to throwing.

Currently the game has electric, gas (natural or propane), and wood-fired stoves. How about a kitchen stove that uses kerosene (or its replacement, lamp oil)? It would provide an alternative to places, like the the prepper caches, draft dodger, and the lake cabin, where there is no visible sign of a utility connection. It would also seem consistent for the houses on Misanthrope and Jackrabbit for similar reasons. Not every house that it might make sense would have one, and it would require the player to have lamp oil to use it. It would only have one setting for its burners unless or until the much requested recipes and more elaborate cooking was ever implemented. A variant would be something like a Coleman camp stove which has two burners and is mostly portable. Uses lamp oil, is relatively wind-resistant, and needs regular maintenance. One major reason against it would be that to have a level stove, there would have to be the capacity to place it (temporarily) or modify the landscape temporarily. The game does not currently allow for that, much, but as long as that problem is understood, the stove could be placed on any generally flat horizontal surface. Of course, we've gotten along with holes in the reality for a long time, so probably something once Story Mode is concluded.

I have the fire master badge so I start at Level 3 fire starting so I don't need to but have gotten into the habit of carrying and using tinder plugs just about every time I start a fire. I now feel a bit funny not using tinder plugs when I start a fire. Before I used tinder plugs to mark paths and just left them in the trash cans, but lately I have been picking them up and replacing them with cattail heads or something else. Sure I can use cattails for tinder, but I am not going to be a purist about it. As long as the paper lasts, I'll use tinder plugs. After that, well... I'll see.

I would guess that if a mental fitness aspect was added to the game, there might be reason for alcohol as a morale booster (you don't feel the pain of the sprain or broken ribs, but anytime you move you stagger all over like when in extremis at less than 5% condition *), or maybe a temporary palliative for cabin fever (i.e. you can sleep indoors if insensible drunk but it resets the "cure" time outdoors to max again among other effects). * While drunk you can shoot yourself or just discharge the firearm, repeatedly, if you handle a loaded firearm or try to clean it or try to unload it. Attempting to craft gives a real possibility that you'll destroy what you're crafting including all materials. Don't forget setting yourself on fire or burning yourself while trying to light a campfire or stove. Ruining your hatchet or knife if attempting to maintain it with a whet stone. I leave out the possibility of amputating a hand or several fingers while chopping wood.

I like that railroad/storm/hurricane lantern but it represents a duplication of light sources albeit with differences. Now if the game differentiated between lamp oil and kerosene (or had gasoline) that might then justify having two lanterns - one lit by a match or burning ember but lasts a long time, is not extremely bright, and the fuel can be readily obtained by cooking fish and the other uses a petroleum-based fuel, perhaps not a scarce as has been experienced in the game (there can be a use for abandoned cars and fueling stations and more jerry cans), but uses a mechanical striker to light it and it burns much brighter. But the game is not in early access (and there is always the problem about how much light does something produce and how large an area does it cover), so a moot point. It would fit into a mix of older and modern technology.

The basic idea is easy, the implementation would be time consuming and extensive. Sleds, skis, snow shoes, containers, permanent shelters, tamed animals, stews and soups, more animal-hide clothing, etc. are all easy concepts but the ramifications of implementations and possible limitations of the game structure kind of say those will be a long time coming.

I see no reason why not other than it was not implemented as part of the game. With limited resources, the devs have to pick and choose what should be a part of or adds enough to the game to justify implementation. I think the devs have a reason for not providing any timepieces in the game. Part of emphasizing how the world has changed due to the aurora's effects. I don't think the aurora's effects were quite as serious generally as MM's stated, but for now that's about as good an explanation as any.

I know that when a blizzard starts, like when I am at Three Strikes, at the fire barrel, or the front maintenance office in Broken Railroad, at a campfire, time for cooking food or making water accelerates relative to the decline in fire duration. Typically it seems to double the speed of cooking or slow fire burn down by about 50%. One relative to the other. When the blizzard ends, times revert to more "normal" rates. I know I have run into similar experiences when in a cave (outside zone) and a blizzard came up while I had a fire up cooking with it. These were all "outside" experiences. I do think that the timers for related activities - fire duration, cooking, and making water - do not seem to completely sync up. Two things like fire duration and making water can initially start with the same time remaining, but by the time the water was boiled, there was more than a couple minutes left to the fire and it was not embers either. As for warming buildings, I would expect that buildings keeping a generally consistent temperature was a game-simplifying decision. Same thing with radiant heat effects. Passage of time can seem quite irregular.

Ever walked around, in game, with an unlit torch equipped (in hand) and matches in your pocket? That was the equipped "revolver" of its day. You learn quickly that there is a balance between immediate availability of something and inadvertently using up a resource. I understand what the problem is, but it still boils down to a trade-off - immediate availability versus inadvertent use - and one that the player has to make.

The mountaineer's cabin has a +10 C (at least in Pilgrim) interior temp over outside ambient air temp. Of course, there is no windchill inside. So it can still get pretty cold inside the cabin based on ambient temp but given you were in the cabin, had a fire in the fireplace which the most violent blizzard could not blow out, was fed, hydrated, and not suffering from an affliction that could cost condition (such as food poisoning), your demise seems inconsistent with normal game play. If you were stumbling around, then your condition was likely like 5% or less. While you can die from condition loss due to exhaustion especially in extremis, if you went to sleep that pretty much puts an end to exhaustion and that condition loss. One way that you could have died from exhaustion, in this circumstance, would be if you inadvertently selected or carried out pass time instead of sleep. With pass time, you'd not be resting so would continue to be exhausted and lose condition that way, about 1% per hour, until your condition reached 0 and you 'faded into the long dark'. Don't know what killed you, but this would be one possible way it could happen, given the stated circumstances.

None that I can recall. Forlorn Muskeg seems to be the closest source of appreciable amounts of coal.

The game used to have a "clock" albeit as part of the game log. I made a lot of use of it. Then it got changed (was removed) and I adjusted to the change. So rancid0 you're doing exactly what I do since we don't have a watch or clock in the game. A watch might be more trouble for Hinterland to implement than it might be worth. There is hasty time that can occur in any number of ways which would make coordinating the passage of game-time and that of the watch or clock maybe a bit of a puzzle. If it becomes important in game-play of story mode, I am sure we'll get something but otherwise not.

As a possible substitute for the "no tinder needed" maybe there is a case for an enhanced campfire that has better wind resistance. Starting at Level 3 where the "no tinder needed" benefit kicks in, the player may then have the option to "build" a better campfire. So this "enhanced campfire" replaces the "no tinder needed" benefit. For starters, at Level 3, you can build a campfire that has a 90 degree arc (45 degrees left and right of where you're facing when you construct it, plan carefully) where wind by anything short of a howling blizzard would not affect the campfire as far as blowing it out. The player spends 30 game-minutes constructing it and, obviously, it has a different graphic (so not a trivial thing by devs requirements). It appears out of nowhere when the time is spent. At Level 4, the campfire has a 180 degree arc (90 left and 90 right) and requires one hour to construct. Again, anything short of a full blizzard would not put out the fire. At level 5, the campfire takes 1-1/2 or two hours to construct and either has a 270 degree arc or maybe still a 180 degree arc and is now proof against blizzard winds from the protected side. Naturally the campfire appears in the middle as usual, the footprint of the enhanced campfire is also restrictive like how a snow shelter can be placed in only certain places, and it does block you from walking over/through it conversely it does not hinder animals. This might actually beg for an option to deconstruct the enhanced campfire with nothing but charcoal to be salvaged, perhaps. Of course this is not a trivial issue thing for the devs to implement so I highly doubt it would show up anytime soon.

As best I can figure and I walked up and down the road leading to the crossroads village, the community hall would probably end up on the map south side of the crossroads village and on the map west side of the road. It might replace the always burned out house that's across from the crossroads store or be somewhat further away from the river nearer the snow road that leads to the Barn.

My crashes recently have always been back to desktop. I have to restart TLD then resume the save game. Since I now email the crash.dmp, error.log, output_log.txt, and (now) the Unity crash files, to support@hinterland etc. , generally before restarting the game, I figure that ensures that the old crashed application (Unity) has been cleared from memory. Restarting TLD should be enough to get a fresh setup of Unity in memory without whatever memory structures that crashed but I keep on bombarding Hinterland with my crash files anyway. I don't reboot my computer when TLD crashes. I might give that a try if the crashes to desktop become more obnoxious. I also see an audio problem, aside from the times when a raging blizzard is absolutely silent, where when I break branches, and I break a lot of them, I will come across instances where the progress circle has completed its rotation but the sound of a breaking branch continues for a few more seconds. I wonder if this might also be a transient issue due to memory management. It is mostly annoying for now.

I would like the devs to give us a slightly better capacity to pick up our feet. Being unable to walk down a dock because part of the dock is tilted so a beam is an inch or two higher or not being able to step over a railroad track (of course you can shift left or right and get past the obstruction) can get a bit annoying.