winterstorm

"Something woke you up." Definitely don't miss that any.

Partner and I were just discussing this again over dinner a few nights ago. A lot of the ideas already here are the same as what we came up with. At the very least, I'd love to have the ability to smoke or cure fish to make it last longer.

This was great. I'd definitely consider myself a "non-gamer" (I dabble, but this is the only one I'm serious about), and the reasons it appealed to me were exactly what he described in creating it. I love exploration and survival games, but I can't stand survival-horror, and while I don't mind combat, I'd rather have the option of staying out of it. I feel that The Long Dark provides a perfect balance for players to choose how much combat they want to encounter. It really is a very meditative game, from the peaceful watercolor-like aesthetic, to the excellent sound editing, to the soft and haunting music. I'm glad this game exists, because even when I'm having a difficult time with a run, it's still my calm place.

I do like some of these as craftables, because the harvesting of materials and time invested would make them feel more balanced. I also like the idea of trade-offs and new afflictions; snow blindness would be interesting to deal with. A trade-off for the snow cleats could be that while you run significantly less risk of sprains, you can't sprint while wearing them. A harness could require regular upkeep with scrap metal for the carabiners or risk failure mid-climb (causing an instant fall). A holster could be a very, very rare item, perhaps with a dedicated singular possible spawn point in game. (Somewhere near the Hunting Lodge, or out in Hushed River Valley?) And I like the idea of a lucky rabbit's foot being an extremely rare harvestable from one rabbit in a thousand. I feel like while these do have the potential to be OP, making them either extremely rare or extremely difficult to acquire would make them feel rewarding.

This is a good idea. I know harvesting the charcoal is optional, but needing one piece for a map and accidentally harvesting 20 from a fireplace is definitely an issue. Having a use for the excess would be great.

I would love to have a use for antlers and the ability to harvest them. I'm not sure this would fit with the heavily luck-based gameplay, but it is an interesting suggestion. I like the risk-reward of predators potentially following the prey.

I was in Pleasant Valley, climbing up from the river around a bunch of boulders. I rounded a boulder, came face-to-face with a wolf who had never howled, barked, anything. I yelped, he yelped, we ran opposite directions. I'm just content to know he got jumpscared just as bad. My wife was playing at one point and was traversing the Muskeg. She was being cautious around the box cars because we'd already spotted the wolves that like to travel there. Stuck close to the cars. She got to the end of the train cars...and the bear was just sitting there waiting. She got mauled. Somehow survived and dragged herself to shelter, then died falling through the ice looking for food. That was a short run.

I have a habit of blowing on the screen when I'm lighting a fire, especially at the start of a new game when my firestarting ability is questionable. It works about as well as leaning while cornering in a racing game.

The lighting question got me thinking. I've been spending a lot of time in the lodge in Broken Railroad lately, and I've been curious about the fact that when you light a fire in the fireplace, it illuminates the basement. Gaps in the floorboards, testament to the damage and weathering of the structure? Or unintentional clipping? Either way, I can't complain. It saved me a few torches when I first arrived. (I also have to say I'd be very interested in a procedurally generated challenge mode. Sounds fun.)

In my current sandbox, I have found eight rifles. Eight. And I haven't even visited all the regions yet. I'm finding them in all the expected locations, but also in car trunks, on the beds in trailers, anywhere you could leave a rifle, I've found one.

I hadn't considered the ratings board issue with the topic of addiction; that makes perfect sense. Thanks for answering.

The question about having to use a dose of painkillers per injury got me to thinking, and I don't think I've seen this asked (though I may have missed it). The topic of addiction is touched upon in story mode, and I was wondering if it might be something you'd consider implementing into the player experience at some point. To me, currently, the painkillers as a panacea takes away some of the fear of injury in the game; as long as I'm judicious about my fatigue and footing, sprains are rare, painkillers weigh next to nothing to carry, tend to be plentiful enough to stockpile, and instantly heal the injury. Even the threat of wolves is lessened to worrying more about clothing being ruined. I think it could be interesting to see painkillers used as a temporary fix (you still have to rest and heal the injury, but in the mean time, the pain returns after, say, six hours), or as one that must be weighed against other options (rest or natural remedies) because there's a chance for tolerance or addiction if you rely too heavily on them. I can also see where this might become tedious for management though to some players, so I understand if it's been considered and decided against. I appreciate the time and thought you put into community interactions and especially to answering player questions. Thanks so much.