I'm glad The Long Dark has no building buildings

[armageddon]

This is honestly what kept me playing it and consider it a true survival game. Every other survival game has to have base building to the point it doesn't feel like survival anymore. Valheim, Medieval Dynasty and Green Hell have fallen into this problem. I don't even consider Minecraft anywhere near survival at this point. The feeling of crawling into a rundown house and fidgeting around for any space for comfort and warmth is just more cozy and survival like than building a whole city for you to live in. TLD leaves the place a mystery, uninhabitable and unconquerable. By building buildings the magic is lost. The most the game ever should have is organizing items you found scavenging in whatever safehouse you dragged yourself into.

When you build buildings in the game it feels almost like you're becoming god of that world and it lose that survival aspect of being a lone human fending off against the elements. It's much more enjoyable to be in the raw element of nature created by faceless gods - forces of nature that you can't comprehend.

[Lucipher]

I totally agree. Although, safe house customization is something I am looking forward to!

[James]

Agree. Each place has its own charm/terror/resources/accessibility. A tiny bit of customization (like MrReboot says) could be welcome, although I really don't need it. Like to use what's there and not. But yeah, curious as to what Hinterland comes up with in terms of house-flipping.

[MadBone12]

Yes, I really dislike building in survival games. One of the best things about TLD for me is that we have very little impact on the world itself. We are just passing through and need to use what is already there to survive.

I am concerned that safehouse customisation will change that too much but I guess we will see.

[PowerOn]

I never play survival games with "base building", except ARMA3 where sometimes help other guys build a "fortress", anyway survival in that game has another meaning.

But this year to stop play TLD again and again until TFFT part 5 war released I get the Early Access of Winter Survival.

In that game you can build a thatched hut with branches and grass or with wood planks - but use this material don't give any benefit.

But the game have a random scripted event at night when a bear came and damage your hut, if don't repair he can broken inside and kill you, so you need rebuild, what cost much materials and fast you learn that the small you keep the hut better, just to allow put a bed and some storage boxes.

I end put 300+ hours in that "so so" game, and end enjoying the build aspect - you have not incentive to buy "castles" and "fortress".

Unfortunately the only good thing that game have - the wolves fights; was "nerfed" due players complains that they are "too hard" and changes make very easy kill wolves - just need block the wolf jump and pock then with the spear, or just outrun then if you are not tired.

[Lyles]

That's why I love TLD too.
Basic shelter like the snow shelter, maybe a basic tarp with a large hide and some sticks is all you need as building aspect.
For me, it's also the reason why you keep travelling instead of conquering an area and staying there, getting bored.
As for safehouse customization I hope it will only impact cosmetic, or maybe put a table or shelf to order things instead of dropping your stuff on the floor, but not being able to craft workshop or forge for convenience.

[konzacelt]

Uh...I don't think anyone is arguing for building whole towns here. Or even building your own single cabin. And I would agree with you on your basic premise. But I think what people are asking for are some simple options for structures that are in line with basic levels of logical reality...within a fake game world of course.

For instance, being able to create some sort of rudimentary container to store things in a space that happens to only have a tiny drawer for storage. Instead of just unloading all of your materials on the floor that you have to sift through every time you need something.

Or using a single screw or nail to attach the cupboard door back on, or closing an ajar refrigerator door, so you can actually use them for putting things in.

Or even being able to drag a corpse outside the cabin because...well...no one would not do that in that kind of situation.

[MadBone12]

Originally posted by konzacelt:

Uh...I don't think anyone is arguing for building whole towns here. Or even building your own single cabin. And I would agree with you on your basic premise. But I think what people are asking for are some simple options for structures that are in line with basic levels of logical reality...within a fake game world of course.

There have been posts of people asking for the ability to build entire structures, including cabins (don't recall recent ones though). Whenever I see those, I really hope that HL ignores such requests. If this became a game where you built bases and that was a key feature, I'm honestly not sure I would be able to play it again.

[konzacelt]

Originally posted by MadBone12:

There have been posts of people asking for the ability to build entire structures, including cabins (don't recall recent ones though). Whenever I see those, I really hope that HL ignores such requests. If this became a game where you built bases and that was a key feature, I'm honestly not sure I would be able to play it again.

Well that's unfortunate indeed! It must be the vast minority then, I'm not sure I've seen those. But I think it's safe to say HL isn't going to go that route.

[MadBone12]

Originally posted by konzacelt:

Originally posted by MadBone12:

There have been posts of people asking for the ability to build entire structures, including cabins (don't recall recent ones though). Whenever I see those, I really hope that HL ignores such requests. If this became a game where you built bases and that was a key feature, I'm honestly not sure I would be able to play it again.

Well that's unfortunate indeed! It must be the vast minority then, I'm not sure I've seen those. But I think it's safe to say HL isn't going to go that route.

I understand why this gets asked (though not very often). Building a base is pretty common in many survival games, Mist, The Forest, Green Hell, Stranded Deep and others. I tend to lose interest in those games pretty fast. I wouldn't mind some minor customisation to existing bases in TLD but I'm not sure how far HL intends to stretch it. Time will tell!

[Barry Wheeler]

I don't want building buildings in this game either, but I have to say, I wouldn't hate an option to craft some kind of a camping site. You know, have your hammock, your tent, a fireplace, bush kitchen etc. put in place, maybe craft a little shelf for cans of food etc.

It's a shame there isn't a proper camping simulator out there, the kind where you don't need to kill a horde of zombies to be left in peace for 5 minutes!

[DaneBarclay]

Give me a tent and a Primus stove and I'll be happy.