Things have changed

[SpaceCat]

OK, maybe it is just me, maybe. I have 260 hours into the game and think I more or less understand it.

The last few days I have had a game that was starved for electronics and other stuff. Then a game that simply had no components (the major one that is not wood). Really, None. I had to trade for every bit that I got. I have now started an absolutely brutal game, which I WILL win, that started in winter with only two bad initial sites.

My observation is that things have changed in the game. What is of interest to me is whether this applies only to high-playhours folks or to everybody.

It used to be that I could visit the construction site or snipers alley and have enough basic materials to keep even Marko busy for half-a-dozen trips. I went there after a siege period (sites are blocked out) and there were mostly empty caches.

For me, I find
a) more difficult starting positions, with fewer locations that are more difficult.
b) less food water, etc. in these starting locations
c) less material in the caches, particularly later in the game, and,
d) stuff disappears rapidly; any site that has folks in it - the supermarket is the most obvious example - has caches that can go to dust in no time. Even places I never visited before are mostly dust. Loot piles like the warehouse had zero components. Odd.

The game is harder throughout for me and I am just wondering if it is the case for everybody.

This counters the (grumble) complainers that the game is not being supported. I have seen it change noticeably over the last couple months. They are sneaking around back there tweaking things.

My current game is a snow start with Emilia, Marin and Boris. Marin starts slightly wounded and I got a free furnace. My only scavenge sites were the destroyed apartments (need two saws to complete) and the wrecked ruins (guy wants food). After doing a Boris to each of them, the Military Outpost opened up. After a couple more trips to do necessary stuff I managed to build a hatchet and sent Emilia to the Outpost. She did good but the locked cabinet had NO FOOD! 15 weapons parts and 3 bandages basically. Good, but the folks were starving.

So, no complaints at all. I appreciate the challenge. I'm just wondering if anybody else is seeing these bleak starting positions and peculiar late game shortages. BTW, everybody is surviving, even Zlata who showed up in a blizzard when we had nothing. She was slightly wounded and had to go out that night to search the second Military Outpost building. She did well but was sad for the soldier she had to kill.

[WaywardPython]

I'm at 150hrs+ and I haven't noticed any of this. Are you working your way up through the difficulty ranks (ie different team starting combinations)? Or are the changes happening regardless of who you start with?

[pazartesi_gorusuruz]

I came across 'loot disappearing' after winters. I think that's what you refer when you say stuff turns into dust.

Like, there is a lot of stuff at some location before and during winter. But if you, a) ignore it for a couple of days b) if you let winter pass, the stuff will disappear. I understand it as we are not the only scavengers and the stuff can be looted by anyone just like us. But you have to leave it lying there for a couple of days.

[ClokwerkRat]

135hrs played but I do not think that is a factor in difficulty. Early on I had a few rough games with sparse items to scavenge. I think this is more character start and scenario driven than hours played.

There is a radio update about people scavenging for anything they can find. I get it mostly during the winter portion. This is a warning that sites may start being scavenged by the NPCs.
I have had a few games with limited resources to scavenge from the start as well. The added scavenging done by the NPCs has not really had any significant effect on my games yet though.

The aspect of game play for me that seemed to be increased in difficulty was bandits and soldiers being more likely to survive initial backstabs from anyone other than Arica and Roman.

My two favorite starts are Marin/Arica/Katia winter (the non winter start is a challenge since one starts ill or seriously ill) and Marko solo.

[Void]

Hm. Well, I don't think the developers are "sneaking in" changes. That would require an update, and as Steam doesn't eat my bandwidth until I say it's alright, it'd be hard to miss.

From what I understand the last patch was not that long ago. I am with you, though. I guess if the developers don't pump out a DLC once a week that means it's "abandoned," heh. Seriously, with the success this release has seen, I find it incredibly difficult to imagine a scenario in which the devs just sort of forget about us.

Um, back to the main topic though. I do not have nearly as many hours logged, but generally I do experience one or more of the shortages you've mentioned towards the end. Components and electronics are the most common problems. If I'm running low on wood or fuel I just start adding a hatchet to my scavenging kit. Trade covers most of the other shortages. As for starting locales and scavenging sites, I think random is just random. I've come across some pretty raw deals there.

[fragallrocksmjw[uk]]

Ive found that once I've collected say 250 junk materials they disappear and I have to trade for them. Wood remains however.

[fragallrocksmjw[uk]]

Always frustrating if you've been saving for a still and the traders been recently.

[SpaceCat]

It sounds like other folks are seeing thing.

Back when I first started playing I could count on items staying where I put them forever.

Then a pile disappeared from cottage back in November. Then I noticed the folks at the supermarket would filch my stuff.

Recently I have had a series of really challenging episodes where I don't know what to expect . The oddest was the one that I referred to on a 40+ day game where for about the last 20 days I could not find a single component in the field and had to trade for any that I got.

Cool. They are evolving the gameplay.

[WaywardPython]

Still find it hard to believe they're updating the game without our noticing, unless it was somehow built into the last update. I haven't noticed any of my stash piles disappearing or diminishing, but I'm not always very observant about such detail. I thought maybe these were things built into the higher difficulty levels, but maybe not.

It's an interesting possibilty that stash piles start diminishing when the radio announces that people are looting anything. Otherwise, what would be the point of that announcement?

(Come to that - slightly off-topic, sorry - what about the announcement about meat being from dubious sources? Has anyone noticed that having an impact on the game?)

[ClokwerkRat]

[quote=ursulahx;616198900647234313
(Come to that - slightly off-topic, sorry - what about the announcement about meat being from dubious sources? Has anyone noticed that having an impact on the game?) [/quote]
Meat from dubious sources means an increase in price for raw meat and canned meat from traders similar to the medical supply, coffee and tobacco related shortages.

[Gladius]

It depends on the location, whether or not stashed items disappear. I use the "shelled cottage" to store things I don't want to have in the base. This is safe throughout the whole game. You can't do that at the "supermarket" for example.

[Gladius]

From my experience there are certain frame conditions hardcoded into a scenario. It's set if you start in winter or not. It's set at what day the "outbreak of crime", "curb on crime", "cold days have passed" happen. Also at which day certain locaitions are blocked. On top of that the game will randomly create a certain ressource shortage. The one time you have to deal with wounds and getting bandages that are then insanely expensive. The other time it will be hard to get enough parts, etc.

[SpaceCat]

Gladius, interesting thought. I'm pondering.

Meanwhile, I had a stashes at the Shelled Cottage get "raided" twice in two different games.

As for behind the scenes changes by devs - there was a period of a few days when the time for digging a pile by hand went to about 3 hrs 45 minutes. Then it changed back to the 2 hours it had beed from the start.

I play this game for some time nearly every day - yes, I must live a sad life - and I notice that things that used to be aren't anymore. There used to be only one shelled cottage. Now there are two. Things like that. Personally I find it comforting that the devs are babying it along and tweaking gameplay.

[mystafyi]

Originally posted by Gladius:

From my experience there are certain frame conditions hardcoded into a scenario. It's set if you start in winter or not. It's set at what day the "outbreak of crime", "curb on crime", "cold days have passed" happen.

I tend to agree. I am thinking that the end of war date is determined by a soft date set by the scenario, but modified by rng or possibly actions taken in game, not sure, still testing.

[Gladius]

In my current game, I had just a fifth survivor joining. I had so much food on storage that the game was a secured success. I could have spent the rest of the game with 4 at home, without going scavange. So the game mechanics appear to adjust to how you are doing. If you play with two survivors and you're on a way down to hell, then there tends to be a third survivor joining.

[Vardis]

Components disappeared from all locations 15 days into my last playthrough. Fortunately I had the garage to buy more, and had stashed stuff at the start of most locations. It seems like different categories of stuff go missing at different times. Eventually all I'll find are gunpowder and shell casings.