Got the game in 2023 - Some Thoughts

[kamyFC]

I just got the game in 2023 after watching lots ofvideos by some gaming channels - 'Old Guy Gaming', 'Kitten', 'MittsYT', 'Kage848' (Thanks to all of them. They work so hard for less views and many have 6-7 seasons of playing Subsistence)

After playing for a month, I thought of sharing some notes with the community.

I just love the idea of being alone in such a stunningly beautiful world. The beach area is stunning and so is the water. The way the seasons change is amazing. Snowy winters are incredible to look at.
I played a test game on Easy with hunters disabled. Easy works for me, as I don't want too many Wolves and Bears - its unrealistic. Spotting a Wolf or a Bear should maybe happen once a day and must be the highlight of the day. They are as common as bunnies, which is ridiculous!
At the start, the tension is real! You need to get going from the start to find stuff and focus on your first night camp. The pressure to get stuff in first couple of days is nerve wracking. I built a base on an Island in the Birchwood lake and I'm absolutely loving it.

What I see is that, we need to practice constant and vigilant situational awareness. We also need to master time and risk management. Some strategic thinking with short and long term planning is also key to thrive in this game.

As I wanted to know more about the developer and his thought process, I went through the updates in Steam from 2017 to the latest Alpha 60 update. The release notes are filled with images, functional and technical details that are very interesting and informative. The amount of detail on every feature is incredible. Features are developed with so much thought and creativity. The dev does make some mistakes but has been rectifying them with fixes.

I think the Seasons update (Alpha 50) was the developer's most impressive update. Every type of foliage and tree visually transitioning through the various seasons just blew my mind. I have not seen such a weather system in other survival games.

I must say, this is truly a labor of love. And my respect for the developer is immense.

There are some constructive criticisms, that come to my mind and I will list them here
*** Loot boxes are immersion breaking. This has to change.
*** Food and water demands are absurd
*** Very expensive to build stuff. The materials to build are found in loot boxes complicating things further.
*** Wood Chopping can be made easier after you progress for a while. Chainsaw?

*** No Mod support. Do we have steam workshop content that can be can be imported in the game world?
I play a survival game called Empyrion Galactic Survival (https://store.steampowered.com/app/383120/Empyrion__Galactic_Survival/).
The blueprints created by users can be imported in game, in exchange for resources.
You want a simple 3x3 base? Don't want to build? Pay up and import them from the workshop. Saves a lot of time. But maybe this is unrealistic. But still, I feel by not having modding and an active workshop, you are stifling the growth of the game.

*** Some tools to help with the grind would be nice. What do you think about the AI companion in the "Sons of the Forest"? Something like that would be awesome here. Give the AI companion commands to fetch some wood, or do some fishing. Not sure how it would work here.

Sorry for the long message. I'm just blown away by the work that has happened so far. But I hope the developer can lay out his vision for the next 2 years, so we get some idea on where this game is going. That kind of communication may also help in sales.
I look forward to reading your thoughts.

[TheCaptain]

"I'm just blown away by the work that has happened so far. But I hope the developer can lay out his vision for the next 2 years, so we get some idea on where this game is going. That kind of communication may also help in sales.
I look forward to reading your thoughts."

Im gonna be straightforward and honest. I have asked the Dev many a time just to communicate or at least share a road map without avail as have many others. He certainly doesnt value his supporters. He doesnt care about communication and certainly doesnt care about feedback on the game. He has his beta testers that he uses and he will only implement a suggestion if it suits his liking no matter how many times supporters make a direly needed suggestions that they can all agree on would benefit the game's popularity and development. Steam charts show this game is dying a slow death and the only person to blame is the Dev. Some friends and I each all have more than a thousand + hours on this game and we've lost interest because of the Dev's sloppy attitude. We have stopped playing and honestly we have all agreed that we most likely wont play it again unless the Dev starts pulling up his pants and does some decent updates. Update intervals are becoming further and further apart and updates are also getting lackluster, so i wouldnt be too hopeful for Subsistence. You will only get disappointed. The die hard supporters and beta testers will naturally be upset at what i just stated but the proof is in the pudding. The reason i check on the forums every now and again is because i still have hope that things will change for the better, i genuinely hope it does,

[Virago]

Originally posted by kamyFC:

I hope the developer can lay out his vision for the next 2 years, so we get some idea on where this game is going.

You won't be able to see the finished product in two years. There is a long roadmap ahead that'll take at least 5/7 more years. I just hope i'll still be alive by the time it leaves early access 😁

[Brew_Gamer]

I too, had very high hopes for this game and, for the a good while, this game was number 1 on my play list. More than 1800+ hours in play time. I really like the visuals and the world is quite stunning... to say the least. I also enjoy the building aspect of the game and have spent countless hours build very impressive bases that could easily support 10 people with food, medical supplies, and water. And have played easy, normal, and hard modes.

Yet, I have also fallen out of love with this game. Especially given the last update with a 4-wheeler and the pay-for-use skins. The game has had so much potential since its release, yet it goes completely untapped. I don't need a 4-wheeler, I just need some balance to recipes, better farming with a bit more diversity, better animal husbandry (as anyone in a survival situation would do) to be able to breed rabbits and hatch chickens, and I would also love to not be an absolute glutton, eating every 5 minutes, and probably dying of diabetes or scurvy in the forest.

But, I know not to put stock into those changes, not to hold my breath, so that I might be pleasantly surprised when he finally puts out some worth-while content patches.

I would love to see better communication with CG on Steam, but I don't allow myself to get my hopes up.

All in all, I did enjoy my time playing this game and definitely got a playable game with the money I invested into it. I hope to see it continue, or at the very least be opened up for modders to come in and fix the issues with their own content.

Maybe one day.

[Brew_Gamer]

P.S. I love Empyrion! I have an ungodly number of hours in that game and even host my own servers from time to time. That is a game that is done right. And it continues to get even better with their updates and the amazing mod community.... especially Reforged Eden.

BTW.... I downloaded your Kamy-Cafe to check it out.

[kamyFC]

Originally posted by Cap✪ ︻芫 4--:

I'm gonna be straightforward and honest.
We have stopped playing and honestly we have all agreed that we most likely wont play it again unless the Dev starts pulling up his pants and does some decent updates. Update intervals are becoming further and further apart and updates are also getting lackluster

Thank you for your honesty. Talking about communication, I guess the dev was very communicative in 2016, 2017. But seems to have lost interest or maybe his priorities have changed. No one will know.

Also, what according to you is a decent update?
For example, how do you rate Alpha 50 (Seasons and Winter) vs Alpha 60 (Vehicle Construction)?

[kamyFC]

Originally posted by Brew_Gamer:

The game has had so much potential since its release, yet it goes completely untapped. I don't need a 4-wheeler, I just need some balance to recipes, better farming with a bit more diversity, better animal husbandry (as anyone in a survival situation would do) to be able to breed rabbits and hatch chickens, and I would also love to not be an absolute glutton, eating every 5 minutes, and probably dying of diabetes or scurvy in the forest.

Thank you. Your suggestions are essentially balance changes that are important to aid gameplay. Even if the developer uses an entire sprint (6 month period) working on improvements rather than new features, it would benefit the community.

[kamyFC]

Originally posted by Brew_Gamer:

P.S. I love Empyrion! I have an ungodly number of hours in that game and even host my own servers from time to time. That is a game that is done right. And it continues to get even better with their updates and the amazing mod community.... especially Reforged Eden.

BTW.... I downloaded your Kamy-Cafe to check it out.

Agree. Empyrion is incredible! The start is pretty spectacular when u r alone on an alien planet. There is a true sense of wonder as you explore the strange world and gather resources.
Once you have a capital vessel, have all the resources you need and visit some planets it gets 'samey'
But exploring the galaxy is fun. These kinds of games need a long running campaign mode that will keep interest going - There has to be an incentive to keep exploring.

[TheCaptain]

Originally posted by kamyFC:

Originally posted by Cap✪ ︻芫 4--:

I'm gonna be straightforward and honest.
We have stopped playing and honestly we have all agreed that we most likely wont play it again unless the Dev starts pulling up his pants and does some decent updates. Update intervals are becoming further and further apart and updates are also getting lackluster

Thank you for your honesty. Talking about communication, I guess the dev was very communicative in 2016, 2017. But seems to have lost interest or maybe his priorities have changed. No one will know.

Also, what according to you is a decent update?
For example, how do you rate Alpha 50 (Seasons and Winter) vs Alpha 60 (Vehicle Construction)?

Well to be frank, a decent update would have to keep to what was promised in the first place. To sort out the loot box issue,Terrible AI,implement falling trees,fix the terrible balancing of the game, WAY Less predators but more realistic and dangerous behavior (Wolf packs that hunt and howl and try to encircle you at night, Bears that smell meat from far away and come to investigate( Predators could be made way less but more formidable, behavior wise like in The Long Dark. This way you can keep the level of danger with the added thrill. Less unrealistic recipes, your basic quality of life things like better farming and tools to aid in farming, Better ambient noise, Furniture/Decorations actual log cabin building parts as opposed to the generic plank structures. With a name like Subsistence you would expect that living off the land would be more farming orientated with elements of hunting. Having actual farming plots rather than a simple small plant bed. a certain level of realism is to be expected(obviously not complete realism, as its just a game) but things that would make more sense. For example, I would rather have a quad bike air dropped in, as to unrealistically making one from scratch from materials gathered in the wild. I would have certain conditions be met, for example it could be done that you get a special sat phone or walky-talky that can only be obtained by Destroying the fortress.( This could be made more challenging with better responding AI and it would make attacking fortresses be more worthwhile, as lets be honest...The loot sucks)

It would create a doorway for a little back story(To give the game more depth). For example you could be an informant or a witness to something serious that a major corporation did back home in the city, and you break away to the wilds of Alaska or Canada to escape assassination or as part of a witness protection program only for them to catch up with you. ( That would also make sense that they would be given the better gear, being supplied by a major corp....The Quad for example). It will also create opportunity for high quality gear to be implemented, like for example the highly requested rifle scopes among other things.

i get that the Dev is limited by the engine in some aspects but little changes like that and to add a back story would only serve to make the game more interesting in my personal opinion. Interest generates sales. I honestly HIGHLY doubt that this is his full time job and i think he should just be honest with his supporters(and should have been from the get go) and to his potential supporters. Its evident by the quality of updates and the length in-between. Ive seen plenty other games with single Devs push out way more content than CG.

[Brew_Gamer]

Dan with the fantastic answers. I agree with air dropping a quad and an amazing story line as written above. And I agree, there are a number of single devs that work extremely hard on pushing quality updates and bug fixes while maintaining the integrity of the game & story. AI has always been questionable in this game and needs an overhaul. For me though, the paltry drops from hunting animals is unrealistic to say the least.

This has to be one of the most enjoyable discussions I have seen on this game in quite a long time. Thank you all for an enjoyable conversation without all the usual BS. You guys rock. lol

While I enjoyed the game, it needs some serious love and attention before I can fondly revisit this game.

[Brew_Gamer]

And I am also a fan of Kage848 and a member of his discord. Decent quality videos with a pretty chill community.