Trouble with the Bell Timer...

[HaywirePhoenix]

Now we all understand why the Bell Timer exists, but damn is it short. I've found cases where there isn't enough time to listen to each character speak before it goes off.

The timer could be 2-3 times longer and it would be perfect.
Synced with the sun would be so cool. Imagine those bells going as it gets dark :o
It never ends.
Missions are failed, progress and items not saved.


I've just quit the game at the love letter level, this is the second pump regulator quest, both of which don't leave enough time to listen to all the dialog and walk between destinations. Forget sneaking. It's currently best to sprint everywhere and skip all the dialog. I got back to the raft in time with the mission item in bag but it wasn't saved.


I'm trying to find out how the timer and see if I can extend it. I'd only disable it entirely if I wanted to proper immerse myself without a time limit.

Devs, just know that we will return to base pretty much as soon as our bags are full which doesn't take long! The storage limit and the constant need to craft prevents hoarding resources anyway. Having enough time to listen to the dialog has to be at least considered.


Update:

It seems the love letter mission took longer than most because the first character that you meet out back on mine has to defeat waves of walkers and we have to start the conversation over several times. I'm thinking maybe this wasn't the intended behaviour.

Horde suspensions work great for exploration, thank you for those!

Thanks for your advice everyone. And pausing the timer during dialog is a great idea.

[[RX-7] Rotary-Raptor]

The game is all about making tough choices. What loot do you bring back vs leave behind? What characters do you help vs attack? How much supplies do you bring with you when you go out vs leave lots of open inventory?

The short timer is just part of that. It forces you to make tough choices about what you want to accomplish on any given day. Sometimes, I only get a sidequest and some looting done, and don't have time to do the main quest. Sometimes I really want to explore a house, but run out of time and need to remember to check it out next time.

Initially, I felt like you, but after a few days I started to understand the intention of the time pressure each day. It heightens the anxiety and uncertainty of each day. I like it.

[HaywirePhoenix]

Originally posted by RX-7 Rotary-Raptor:

The game is all about making tough choices. What loot do you bring back vs leave behind? What characters do you help vs attack? How much supplies do you bring with you when you go out vs leave lots of open inventory?

The short timer is just part of that. It forces you to make tough choices about what you want to accomplish on any given day. Sometimes, I only get a sidequest and some looting done, and don't have time to do the main quest. Sometimes I really want to explore a house, but run out of time and need to remember to check it out next time.

Initially, I felt like you, but after a few days I started to understand the intention of the time pressure each day. It heightens the anxiety and uncertainty of each day. I like it.

I get ya, I like it too. Do you think it would be even more intense if it got dark aswell?

There just needs to be enough time to realistically get through one of the longer missions with lots of dialog.
I just don't believe in rushing through the game. I feel the developers wanted us to listen to the dialog and appreciate the surroundings a little bit. Sprint is a toggle and we have stamina for a reason. Running attracts walkers aswell, so there's an element of stealth hinted.

I can confirm, the anxiety would still be there. My gf grabbed me while I was sneaking around and my skeleton jumped out of my skin!

[tkof1001]

it would be nice if the timer "stops" when dialog is active, ATM if i am doing some dialog intensive mission i listen to the dialog, and restart the map and skip through it :(

[Alexandros]

Yeah that's not bad I think, characters speaking to you (so the NPC dialogues that you can press Y to skip, the game already knows they're different to random passing by trash talking or whatever) should pause the timer (as long as it doesn't cause potential bugs where the timer remains paused even after that and you exploit the glitch). They do rant on and on some times, you can't know before talking to them how long it's going to take, you might find them after spending a lot of time on other stuff, etc. But no they shouldn't increase the overall limit, I think it's good as it is. And yeah you can always go well, I feel for ya bud, but the horde's about to come so tough luck, bye now :d

[HaywirePhoenix]

That's a really good idea. Thanks guys, I hope they pick up on this. Maybe another game mode will offer up some exploration in the future.

[cronic0_0]

And also try not to worry too much about the bill timer if you have some zombies guts on hand rub some on yourself and walk back to the boat when the bell rings but do not run it will mess up your disguise and do not let zombies see you putting it on

[Alexandros]

Originally posted by cronic0_0:

And also try not to worry too much about the bill timer if you have some zombies guts on hand rub some on yourself and walk back to the boat when the bell rings but do not run it will mess up your disguise and do not let zombies see you putting it on

Yeah but the point is you're basically supposed to gtfo if the bells ring, not sit around trying to do missions (which you can't if they're for NPCs anyway). There are ways to manage if you mess up and they do ring but it's always better and less risky to finish your business before.

And I did that mission discussed in the OP last night, there's enough time for sure, the first NPC is met like right out of the boat and the others aren't too far away. For being different factions they sure stay way too close to each other, heh, probably on purpose to make it possible to finish in this manner. They talk a lot but it was a surprisingly easy and condensed mission, I had more trouble with the first pump (not because of time but because I wasn't used to handling human enemies yet), at least with the choices I made. Plus there are so many people shooting zombies there that no, stealth and going slow isn't necessary for most of it, only the last part where you get the pump.

I dunno how some people's first thought when encountering difficulties is to want to change the game to suit that, as if everything should be possible and easy to do the first time even if you're not careful and clearly make mistakes or not prioritize the right things for your own progress.

When I died in the first pump mission (almost at the end even, I didn't know that the humans would aggro even when they saw me out of their camp because I killed some of them, I thought maybe the remaining forces wouldn't know it was me who did it, haha, so they shot me down from their fortifications as I was running past with the pump in hand to get to the boat thinking all is well, lol) I didn't think damn, I should look at the config files to see if I can make humans easier to deal with or make me harder to see, I just thought I should play better and change my approach.

Just play, failure is fine. Either restart the level knowing you wasted the last half hour if you really want to see it through optimally, which will be easier now you know how it all goes, or take the loss (and the gained loot and whatever else you learned about how to play the game better as a gain) and figure out how to get the pump without that quest line now that it's gone. The NPCs are more often than not very clear in telling you that it is somehow time critical specifically so you don't think you can do their quests bit by bit through different days, which you can't, it's always today or never.

[HaywirePhoenix]

Originally posted by cronic0_0:

And also try not to worry too much about the bill timer if you have some zombies guts on hand rub some on yourself and walk back to the boat when the bell rings but do not run it will mess up your disguise and do not let zombies see you putting it on

Thanks, I do keep my eyes peeled for zombies with guts hanging out. Can't see, to extract from any old walker.

[HaywirePhoenix]

Originally posted by Alexandros:

I had more trouble with the first pump (not because of time but because I wasn't used to handling human enemies yet), at least with the choices I made. Plus there are so many people shooting zombies there that no, stealth and going slow isn't necessary for most of it, only the last part where you get the pump.

I dunno how some people's first thought when encountering difficulties is to want to change the game to suit that, as if everything should be possible and easy to do the first time even if you're not careful and clearly make mistakes or not prioritize the right things for your own progress.

Just play, failure is fine. Either restart the level knowing you wasted the last half hour if you really want to see it through optimally, which will be easier now you know how it all goes, or take the loss (and the gained loot and whatever else you learned about how to play the game better as a gain) and figure out how to get the pump without that quest line now that it's gone. The NPCs are more often than not very clear in telling you that it is somehow time critical specifically so you don't think you can do their quests bit by bit through different days, which you can't, it's always today or never.

I hear you. I know people can tend to make requests for tweaks to suit their skill level. This isn't one of those occasions. I don't have issues with the difficulty. It's hard to describe because I'm talking about a different type of gameplay. I find myself wanting to take a bit more time to immerse myself in the game and take it all in to feel like I'm really there. It's too easy to be in a rush to complete a game but once you've completed it, it will be over.

Since this isn't a multiplayer game and not competitive, it's okay to play however you like. The devs seem like they're looking for feedback and ideas. And since I'm quite inspired by the game I felt like sharing some of mine.

I had the same experience with the humans, man they could hear a pin drop! Walkers are totally different: I found myself banging my weapon against a car to try and lure one, or flashing the torch at them, even throwing shoes. With humans, if you fumble with the bow or go to stash something and miss the backpack they hear that sht. They're so on edge, but to be fair, I know why!