"Difficulty" Modes

[OrganizationOatmeal]

Hello,

I've put a few hours into The Wild Eternal and I have to say that I'm enjoying it so far. I've just passed through the Palace and into one of the two second areas. I'm forgetting the name at the moment, apologies.

The first area was very enjoyable, and I was having fun exploring the bright and beautiful second area -- looking for the Awakening Tree -- when I realized that there were hazards introduced. The lion, tiger, the snake, and even the elephant to some extent.

I personally find these dangerous, hostile animals to be....counterproductive to the feeling of the game. I want to explore, I want to find all the Tears, the Tributes, and the Shrines, and to listen to every scrap of the Avatar's dialogue. But because of these animals (and my severe anxiety in general, which is probably a huge point tbh) I find myself no longer so enthused to explore...but frightened of a possible tiger attack, or avoiding every snake that drops out of a nearby tree unexpectedly.

I'm no longer exploring freely...I'm just avoiding things.

I was wondering if, perhaps, the developers would consider a mode in which these hazards were removed, allowing for complete exploration with no worry of attack from anything. The only danger being in your own foolishness -- falling from high places or attempting to swim when you cannot.

I understand that this probably comes off as whining, since the game doesn't necessarily punish you for being harmed, as far as I can tell. Losing your items is a small price compared to lost progress, but nonetheless, I do feel like these hazards are severely dampening my ability to enjoy the atmosphere and the exploration of the game. Because I am constantly looking over my shoulder or avoiding trees or anxiously listening for a nearby predator, I'm feeling more tense than fun...which I think is kind of the opposite of what this game seems to want to provoke.

I understand that this may just be me...other players may not be so intensely affected by the atmospheric anxiousness that comes with knowing you could possibly run into something dangerous. But I do hope that this will be considered, because I do feel that myself -- and future players like me -- could benefit from a purely exploration base mode with no possible hazards that simply allows for the journey to be one in which there is nothing to avoid. That would not make it boring for me, nor would it make it "less of a game" for me. I enjoy the exploring and the finding...and would very much like to do so without my heart pounding while hiding from the sound of a predator.

Making it a mode would make it optional, meaning only people who desire the "easy road" would have to take it, while players who enjoy a bit more challenge and danger would be able to pick the normal mode.

I apologize if I'm rambling at this point, but I do hope that my suggestion will be considered. Thanks for reading.

[Woodswolf]

I have pretty bad anxiety too about jumpscares and things, but I've put 40 hours into the game and now I know more about how things work and all that. And really, there actually aren't all that many enemies - you obviously mentioned the tigers and the snakes in the Wakening Lands, but there's also the Pogostags in the Living Hills and a few lions in other places. Overall, there really aren't that many of them to deal with.

The snakes are easy enough to avoid by just looking away from their eyes (and they also scare me when they drop out of the trees like that - thankfully they're only around Kalipa's Teaks). The Pogostags are a similar story, and now that they've been made less demanding in the new patch, they can actually be pretty fun to be around. But if the tigers/lions in particular are stressing you out, there are actually a few things to know that can make them a lot easier to deal with.

For one, once you find a diya, you're pretty much immune to them - whenever you hear one roaring or you're in the area, pull it out and light it, and they can't do anything to you. Plus, dry moss is plentiful, and one piece can last a decent amount of time - more than enough to pass through one of the cats' territories.

There's also the fact that they can't roam everywhere - they're only in a select few locations, and while they usually have a relatively wide territory they can roam in, it never covers anywhere near the entire map. For instance, there's only one tiger in the Garden of Dreams, and its territory surrounds the Queen's Gazebo and Fountain - nowhere else on the map. The lion in the Living Hills has a small territory around its cave, but it usually doesn't roam around - it sleeps in its cave unless you walk nearby, and only then will it stand up and begin stalking you. And while there's one of each in the Wakening Lands - one lion and one tiger - they're in relatively the same area around Rising Canyons, and there are plenty of alternate routes to avoid encountering them entirely.

That said, I also support this idea. It could be considered a "story mode" of sorts. Considering that there are no achievements relating to the enemies (besides Honorary Sillygoose, but the Pogostags are clearly visible 99% of the time, and they can't kill the player - I'd say they could still be included), people who chose to play it instead of the regular version wouldn't be missing out on anything. I am definitely high on the list of people that hate jumpscares - and while I was no longer nervous once I created a mental map of the areas, this "story mode" could help new players have a more relaxing experience. (Because really, wandering around in a dark, foggy valley like you do when you start a new game in the Garden of Dreams is approximately 30 horror movie tropes rolled into one. XP)

[OrganizationOatmeal]

@woodswolf

Thanks for your reply and your advice! I just now found a diya for the first time. When you light it, is it that the lions and tigers will stay away from you? Are they repelled from the flame? Apologies for the extra questions -- I'm not good at running when things are chasing me, so I'd just like to know exactly how they respond when the diya is lit.

I somehow completely missed the tiger wandering around the Fountain in the Garden of Dreams! To be honest, I didn't spend much time there after discovering the Tribute nearby, but it's surprising to know that there was a predator I just never saw.

[overdraw]

@OrganizationOatmeal

Thanks so much for playing and for letting us know about your experience with the game, please don't worry about sounding like you are whining or rambling. Everything you are saying makes perfect sense and I'm sorry to hear that the game is creating anxious moments for you.

I'd love to add a completely chill mode for folks who just don't want to deal with any AI threats, perhaps at some point in the future we will have the bandwidth to add that, but for now I hope you can still enjoy the game with its eclectic cast of characters.

If it helps to have some background, the animal threats aren't there to ruin anyone's day; they are there because this is their forest and you are intruding on their spaces, they have their routines and their personalities and we hope that players can learn to live alongside them peacefully ;) Metaphorically the critters represent obstacles and distractions that, when ignored, sometimes make it harder for us to relax than if we were to just pay attention and take some time to figure out how to manage them. Naturally not everybody plays games for the same reasons, and if you are trying specifically to escape from anxiety for a few hours, I realize that our game doesn't always cater to that desire. But it mostly does! And with some time and familiarity the anxiety induced by the critters can hopefully be monumentally reduced.

Thanks for the thoughtful response Woodswolf, as always your tips are rock solid. Some other tips:

• The snakes can only get you if you stare too long or step too close. Tread carefully around their trees and you'll be fine, listen for their rattles and you'll know where they're descending.
  
• Tigers have paths that they like to walk, and a cacophony of bird squawks and chirps can be heard in the canopy around them. In most cases you should be able to hear them coming, or see them watching you from a distance before they engage.
  
• Lions are lazy and tend to sleep in their dens, once you know where they are and how to handle them, they are a piece of cake :)

Again, thanks so much for your feedback!

[Floof]

I fully second this motion - I would also love a danger-free game just to walk around, collect everything, and not have to worry about my anxiety spiking up. I'm glad that a developer has already seen and approved this idea, so hopefully this will be a possibility in the future. ^_^

[chloe]

While I don't suffer from severe anxiety I do get nervous in games where I am in danger. I also would like to see a danger free version where I can explore at will and without fear.

[OrganizationOatmeal]

It's been a long time since I posted here. I wonder if there has been any further thought to this idea? I'd really love to play through the game start to finish. Apologies again that I'm so easily frightened. :/

[löyly]

If a "no threats" mode ever happens, I'll gladly buy this game and recommend it in my curator for peaceful adventures. This is yet another one from my wishlist where I found out after searching the reviews that it's not as chill as it seems from the game description. I love relaxing games with beautiful landscapes and interesting stories, but it's so hard to find any that don't have stressful "surprise threats".

[Sky_Diamonds]

I also feel like the people above. I like to explore and complete puzzles without threats.

[chloe]

As it's been 3 years since the developer responded I doubt a chill mode is going to happen. Best thing is to find another game that suits your game playing style. I unfortunately bought this game so I'm stuck with it. And any future games by this developer I will check it out thoroughly before I buy.

[Sky_Diamonds]

I lost the compass due to falling off a building. Can anyone tell me whether you can get it back and how? or is it gone for good?

[Space is the Place]

Ouh... ok, didn´t knew there was dangerous stuff beyond the thorn vines.

Yeah, gonna have to unistall honeslty, not because I don´t play action games, but If I get a "walking simulator" I expect to play a chill journey.

I don´t really see the point in indie genre games adopting the mentality of a Triple A of "let´s put a little bit of everything in here", no, it doesn´t work, people need to run away from a predatory beast on a walking simulator as much as they need QTEs on adventure click and point adventures or dialogue choices on a platformer.

And yet somehow indie devs keep trying to appeal to an audience that won´t even try their games by adding non-genre features to their genre games. I don´t get it, you´re only scaring away those who actually like the genre.

[johnswazey]

I thought I would add that the beasts cannot one shot kill you unless your health is low so one can run or turn on the oil lamp. Might be an exception to that but not that I am aware of.