Messages

1

General Discussion / Re: What's Going On In Your Unreal World?

« on: September 21, 2021, 11:37:58 AM »

Abi is struggling quite badly.

He started Hurt, Helpless And Afraid at the beginning of summer, some two in-game months ago now. He found himself perhaps a day's walk to the west of Reemi with his right arm torn to shreds. He crafted himself a fishing rod, which caught a grand total of two roaches (which were promptly used for bait and lost). He had better lack with trapping, catching a small animal perhaps every 3 or 4 days. He kept going on sheer willpower and crowberries. Eventually the hunger became too much and he ate some wavy grass leaves, which turned out to be wolf pipe; he did not fully recover from the poisoning yet.

Abi's misfortunes are partly my own fault though. For this game I decided to stay in the zoomed in map all the time, except if I walk above the tree line. I can only zoom out when I'm standing on mountains, hills, lichenous pine forest, or cliffs. So the usual strategy of spotting big game from a distance was out of the question, and building a trap fence with only a wooden shovel and a stone axe takes absolute ages. Needless to say, I did not do any trade yet; in fact I have so few tradable goods that I did not even bother searching for villages yet. I specifically wanted to play a forager character, and well, I got exactly what I said I wanted...

But the best thing is this: as you can see in the screenshot, Abi's misery is finally about to end!

2

Suggestions / Re: Full screen map with toggleable information on it - remove classic info boxes

« on: February 22, 2020, 06:31:59 PM »

Something like this: https://prnt.sc/r1wvml, it's from another game, I want to underline the idea. Some info on top, some info on the corners, some boxes that can be toggled, allowing a full visual on the actual map where the game is played.

On a very different subject, which game is this? Looks interesting.

3

Gameplay questions / Re: Crappy tools can't do much

« on: August 15, 2019, 12:46:30 PM »

You can also find a village with better quality tool(s) available for sale, and then use them without picking them up. Many if not most recipes also work when the required tools are on the ground next to you, rather than in your inventory. Then you can use those tools to craft tradeable items (fox traps work very well, but note that their quality is determined by your Trapping skill rather than Carpentry), and eventually trade them for the tools in question once you have accumulated enough. If you are using BAC mod, then all you really *need* is a handaxe; everything else you can make starting from that.

4

General Discussion / Re: How to get burn damage?

« on: May 21, 2019, 10:39:18 AM »

I can't really get my character burnt. Is there a trick to it?

Yes. You can reliably set your character on fire by following these 4 easy steps:

1. Stand next to a tree of any type;
2. Build at least two fires right next to your character. They don't have to be big - a handful of branches will do just fine;
3. Use the Timbercraft skill to gather branches/spruce twigs. Do NOT pick them from the ground once the action is completed;
4. Repeat point 3 above until the fires you have built around yourself go out. At this point flames will spread to the pile of branches which have accumulated at your feet, and you will get burned. Once you've had enough, move aside.

Damage from burns accumulates surprisingly quickly. Expect each injury to do about 15-20% damage. This may be a good thing from the point of view of your experiment, but keep in mind that it is possible to lose the use of a limb from just a single burn. With a disabled leg, you will be forced to crawl; with a disabled hand you will be unable to perform some actions, while others will take several times longer to complete. Your character can also pass out from pain (and be promptly woken up by another burn occurring while they were unconscious). So stock up on food and don't push your luck. But other than that, enjoy!

5

Suggestions / Re: Rules of engagement for adventurers in the wild

« on: May 13, 2019, 10:58:23 PM »

Yes... the tradeoff between realism and playability.

Perhaps a toned down version will be more practical. NPCs may still be wary of an armed PC character which has not built a good reputation with them yet. Instead of a full fight-or-flight response, they could make a comment along the lines of 'I'm uneasy about your weapons, put them aside so we can talk freely'. (And laying down your weapons when asked may be reputation-enhancing in its own right.) Then they could become more tolerant once your reputation is strong enough. For a more nuanced interaction, well skilled and/or well armed NPCs may even be more tolerant to begin with, since they are in a better position to defend themselves if necessary.

6

Suggestions / Re: Rules of engagement for adventurers in the wild

« on: May 13, 2019, 02:10:00 PM »

If I may chime in:

An encounter may surprise a lone NPC, and the surprise can potentially be interpreted as a threat - more likely so if the PC wields a weapon already. But I would imagine that a threatened NPC would rather escape than fight, except if he feels he has a good chance to win - for example if he has a high skill with the weapons he possesses, and/or if his weapon is better than yours. Perhaps having them swear at you (so as to warn you away) is a reasonable default behavior when a PC surprises them at close quarters. Then they can become more trusting once you unwield your weapons.

Walking around a village while wielding weapons would similarly make the villagers much less trusting, which can perhaps be implemented by lowering your reputation. Maybe even your trading reputation could be affected, to simulate villagers becoming afraid of having a bad deal imposed on them by threat of violence. On the other hand, perhaps a well-armed PC with otherwise impeccable reputation could become something of a village champion, and be more likely to receive combat-related quests.

I think the idea of villagers recognising items belonging to their deceased relatives is brilliant! If you are seen carrying one, at the very least you should have a lot of explaining to do. Even if you are innocent (for example, you lost your hired hand to a bear attack), you still failed to protect them while they were in your service. I sense a potential here for a quest specifically designed to regain trust of an aggrieved villager, or of a village as a whole.

7

Mod Releases / Re: Community mod BAC: Smith, Cooking, Punts, Survival, Carpentry, Sewing

« on: April 29, 2019, 07:49:04 PM »

Where's the download link? I can't see any.

There is no link as such. Instead, each release is attached as a zipped file to one of the responses - including the one immediately above your comment...

8

Suggestions / Re: Immersion text when being idle/resting

« on: March 12, 2019, 09:59:39 AM »

Or perhaps also some additional information about your stance with the spirits? Say a breeze makes you feel cold, which may be a bad sign. Or a fish jumps out of the water, which may be a good sign. Just something less straightforward than the current 'you feel at ease/forest feels frightening' messages which you get occasionally, but still potentially meaningful.

9

Stories / Re: The Challenge

« on: March 05, 2019, 05:06:23 PM »

I am running a slightly modified version of the challenge now. It's great fun, as it requires a completely different approach than all the other starts available in the game. I am making notes as I go and plan to create a separate thread once the challenge finishes (i.e. summer season starts, or my character dies).

The modifications are that I am using mods, as I installed the excellent BAC mod not long before creating the character and just could not bear removing it. Due to its complexity this mod requires a large set of tools to really take advantage of it, so correspondingly it has very little impact when you start with no tools at all. Then, at the very start you are put on the wilderness map and an indication of your location is displayed; I took the liberty of checking it. My imaginary backstory was that my character Onosho was attacked by particularly greedy robbers while traveling, and it seemed natural to assume that he would know his rough location from the pre-game course of his life. (Turns out I started in western Sartola.) Lastly, I misinterpreted Nekot's rules, and started using the big map (F6) as soon as I reached a village - in fact the rules only allow traveling on the wilderness map, not the use of the world map. But I have been doing this for a long time now and will stick with it.

So far the challenge was bigger than usual but not overly great. Soon after starting I discovered a large area of spruce and pine mires, teeming with cloudberries. That kept me fed and watered for a whole month. As the berries were about to wither I stumbled upon a mountain, from which I noticed a village nearby (you are allowed a peek of the wilderness map from the top of a mountain). It turned out to be a Seal village. In there I found a wounded adventurer, who promised to reveal a location of a treasure if only I recover his trident. I did this, but the treasure turned out to be buried in the ground on an island somewhere off the Seal coast. So I went back to Sartola in search of a metal shovel; I haven't found it yet, but managed to buy an elk fur just a few in-game days ago, so at least I am now fully clothed at last. I have also just passed the midwinter point.

Keeping warm was never much of a problem. I carry a stack of torches and make sure one is lit at all times. While I was still out in the woods I would cut down a young tree every evening, to make sure that the fire will last until I wake up, then use it to light a torch first thing in the morning. While foraging I would light a smallest fire next to a clump of berries, and the fire (and once it burnt down, the embers) would keep me warm surprisingly well. I only got really cold when walking longer distances.

As it got colder, one fire was no longer enough to keep me warm. So I took to lighting three fires instead, with great results. Once the berries withered, I could no longer keep myself warm by foraging next to a fire, so instead I started gathering branches next to a fire. The first time I tried that, my own fires promptly set the pile of branches alight and I was badly burnt as a result. From that point on I avoided further burns by immediately picking up the freshly gathered branches - except that one other time when I forgot to pick them, and got burnt again. Burns are surprisingly serious and potentially debilitating: I lost the use of one arm for a week as a result. Do not set yourselves on fire. I did this so you no longer have to.

Then I found some Sartolais villages. One had an axe for sale; the other, an elk fur. Both were well stocked with grains. So I borrowed the axe to make some fox traps, which I used to buy a bag of grain. I ground it into flour, and sold the flour (and some small items) for two bags of grain, which I ground again. Once I bought up and processed all the grain from this village, I moved to the one with the fur on sale and continued the process there until I was able to afford it. Fittingly, I finally bought it on the last day before midwinter point.

So here I am now. Many more (mis)adventures remain.

10

General Discussion / Re: Some new player's feedback

« on: July 23, 2018, 08:49:11 PM »

Yes, the inability to repair fabric clothes is annoying. But on the other hand, it only takes 20 spruce twigs to build a rainproof shelter...

11

Gameplay questions / Re: Eastern wilderness

« on: July 10, 2018, 04:35:52 PM »

From what I found, animals and plants are about the same. No NPC villages/settlements, traders did show up eventually at one survivor's area. One survivor had his shelter and few possessions taken over by robbers.

Thank you. From what you say, it is a workable idea.

Losing the settlement to a robber raid did not happen to any of my characters yet. In your experience, does it happen with any regularity or were you just very unlucky?

12

Guides and tutorials / Re: Skill Training Guide

« on: July 09, 2018, 02:31:25 PM »

Training dodge is possible, and I had good results with the following approach:

First, run down a stag, elk, or njerpez until they are breathless, or trap a bear and stone it to within an inch of its life.
Second, stand in their way and wait for them to try to attack you, then dodge the attack.
Third, repeat point 2 up to several hundred times...

Even in their weakened state, your training partners will land an occasional hit on you. Wear fur and leather armor for added protection and repairability.

As an added bonus, breathless njerpez would eventually let their weapons drop out of their hands, and you can pick them up for free. In this way you may even be able to come back another day for more training with a now unarmed partner. In theory you can do this sort of repeated training with a trapped bear, but in practice a barely alive bear would eventually either die after you throw one stone too many at it, or injure you so much that you can no longer dodge reliably.

Downsides are that you can still be unlucky and receive a disabling/fatal wound, and you cannot schedule this type of training - you just have to take the opportunity as and when it presents itself. Also, it is difficult to run anything down with a slow character.

13

Gameplay questions / Re: Eastern wilderness

« on: July 09, 2018, 12:17:07 PM »

Thank you. Just to be sure, the wild plants/animals were still available?

Shame about the lack of villages, an occasional quest would be nice to break the routine.

14

Gameplay questions / Eastern wilderness

« on: July 08, 2018, 10:17:24 PM »

I have just started a new character and I am planning to eventually settle somewhere in the big uninhabited region east of Kaumo: set up a farm, perhaps keep some animals, do some hunting/trapping in the winter and then take a pile of furs and dried meat and sell it. Has anyone on the forum tried this before? Is the gameplay different in any substantial way, except of the obvious isolation - or are there still some vagabond settlements there?