Outside of Hideout at Night

[everything hurts]

So I didn't make it back to my hideout. Whoops. I've only screwed up like this once or twice before in my time with darkwood (I've had it since nearly the start of early access). And while I love it to death, something happened when I didn't make it back that I'd never seen before. It had officially become night, and then this line of red goopy tentacle-thingys started following me, popped up, and grabbed me. It's obviously meant to be a you're-out-after-dark insta-kill, but is it always this way? Is this just what happens whenever I don't make it back to base? Because in my opinion, I feel as though it would be scarier and more stressful to be wandering aimlessly through the dark woods with the noises that you know aren't "just noises" all around you, just trying to find your way back.

I mean the name of the game is Darkwood, ain't it? So why can't we be out when the woods are dark?

[Null Winter]

This has been a constantly shifting game mechanic. In the earlier versions, you had to return to your hideout to drink from a well at a certain time to keep your character's body from crumbling. After that nightly water break, you were actually free to run off into the woods.

However, the Wizards developed a whole suite of nightly events that are tied to the hideouts and decided that they'd rather keep you in your hideout to experience them. With that mindset, wells were replaced with the bloody miasma that chases you down.

Personally, I preferred the well and the freedom to explore after dark. Unfortunately, there weren't any real rewards for exploring once the sun went down.

[Orphey]

I think it would be cool if the red goopies wasn't chased you instantly and through the walls but it could be a stealth mission when you trying to return to your hideout hiding from swarms of red shiny monsters.

[everything hurts]

Well, it still is early access, so things are definitely still subject to change.

[ZDENDA]

Originally posted by Urban, not Rural:

Well, it still is early access, so things are definitely still subject to change.

I dont like this mechanic either but lets leave Wizards to finishing game and see what they can do with this after wards.

[NeonTerminus]

I would prefer a mechanic that is not a de facto failure state. Outside after dark, you die regardless of where you are or what you're doing. That in my opinion is boring.

What if we kept the same mechanic but gave the player a bit more wiggle room for them to find their hideout? Say the blood cloud thing starts out slow but over time speeds up as it chases the player.

[everything hurts]

Originally posted by Stratomsk:

I would prefer a mechanic that is not a de facto failure state. Outside after dark, you die regardless of where you are or what you're doing. That in my opinion is boring.

What if we kept the same mechanic but gave the player a bit more wiggle room for them to find their hideout? Say the blood cloud thing starts out slow but over time speeds up as it chases the player.

Or as the night progressed, everything would get tougher. There would be a higher quantity of enemies after you, the goopy guys would get faster and there'd be more of them, etc. Instantly getting killed after dusk takes away the stress and therefore the fear factor of the situation since you know you're already done for. Once you know what's going to happen and everything about what's going to happen, there's nothing scary about it. It's more of an annoyance than anything.

[Asch The Conjurer]

Originally posted by ShadyS:

I think it would be cool if the red goopies wasn't chased you instantly and through the walls but it could be a stealth mission when you trying to return to your hideout hiding from swarms of red shiny monsters.

That's basically what it used to be like way, way back but with Black Chompers - try not to get noticed in the pitch black. The only downside is... why go back? If you can stay outside at night, why go home at all aside from crafting? You'd eventually transcend needing hideouts at all because you could just rock around with your fully upgraded axe and pistol and everything.

Originally posted by Urban, not Rural:

takes away the stress and therefore the fear factor of the situation since you know you're already done for. Once you know what's going to happen and everything about what's going to happen, there's nothing scary about it. It's more of an annoyance than anything.

I wish more mainstream horror understood this.
Dying from an insta-kill the first time is freaky. After that it's little more than tedious. That's why I stopped playing Outlast like 1/3rd of the way through: dying instantly was the only ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ game mechanic it had aside from the damn batteries.
And the Amnesia games were the ones that actually woke me up to this prtoblem: it was quite often FASTER to die to a monster and go back to the checkpoint than spend 10 minutes hiding.

[Shrooms]

Originally posted by Urban, not Rural:

Originally posted by Stratomsk:

I would prefer a mechanic that is not a de facto failure state. Outside after dark, you die regardless of where you are or what you're doing. That in my opinion is boring.

What if we kept the same mechanic but gave the player a bit more wiggle room for them to find their hideout? Say the blood cloud thing starts out slow but over time speeds up as it chases the player.

Or as the night progressed, everything would get tougher. There would be a higher quantity of enemies after you, the goopy guys would get faster and there'd be more of them, etc. Instantly getting killed after dusk takes away the stress and therefore the fear factor of the situation since you know you're already done for. Once you know what's going to happen and everything about what's going to happen, there's nothing scary about it. It's more of an annoyance than anything.

This

[RopeDrink]

I don't get the mentality behind wanting to restrict people to a room during gameplay. As an occasional thing, sure - but every night? Why are you making a huge world, then? I attribute similar dislike for this whole thing of 'you must have light'. The older mechanics of cowering in your room and listening to the horrors outside sniffing your house for entrances, or trying to bash their way in while you cowered behind a wardrobe, was far better and exceptionally scarier compared to absolutely having to have lights on, in above mentioned restricted tiny room.

Don't like saying it, but it feels like Darkwood is going backwards.

[Fang]

Oh no...

I'm going to regret saying this, but I'm going to have to agree with RopeDrink.

I'm kinda trying to tell myself that RopeDrink's wrong, but I can't disagree with anything you guys have to say. I just can't deny it.

[everything hurts]

I actually don't use the generator. I've found that using flares works against the ghosts, and really light will just draw attention to you and your house.