Essentially this post goes off a temperature system not really established but has been teased on Trello wish list. I know that Trello page is old but this seems like a very reasonable addition to be added in one way or another, especially with the changing of seasons to be added to U2.
As well a lot of good discussions have gone up about temperature, many of them referencing the old 1.0 antique version system. And building off a improved version of that system.
Use antique/1.0's temperature system, Temperature, Insulation, and Fire, Survival Overhaul - A Mega-Suggestion
As well Seasons, Weather and Dynamic Environments (MEGAPOST) covers a lot about seasons.
Also the big inspiration from the post came from the idea I had of making tents and camps useful in the game rather than a cosmetic thing. I have seen several posts discussing tents and camping supplies as I think fans of survival find that aspect attractive. But realistically thinking why would you stop to set up a tent and cooking pots other than on a role-play server. Hopefully this post can offer an advantage and reason for this aspect of survival that players could actually utilize with the addition of treacherous weather.
I believe with the addition of something like a temperature bar, players will often times need to seek shelter. With towns being filled with bandits and turned (I know mobs will free roam). You might want to set up camp off in the woods behind a hill or secluded area to avoid rain or freezing. Just a guess but gathering the supplies for building a house may be a little harder than in 3.0, so players will need an early game shelter for an early “base” or on the go weather protection.
Posts about tents: Tents in Unturned II, U4 Improvements (part 7), Camping
TLDR: Basically a system of comfort or a state of being rested would increase your endurance against the elements and offer some different buffs as decreased energy loss or consuming less calories. These buffs would be given by passively being in your house, near your camp, or consuming unique foods. Important to note not engaging in these actions would NOT affect you negatively or set you into a state of fatigue, rather just an added bonus to help you survive.
A way to store body heat in reserve. And prepare for the cold rather than letting it control you.
Brief touch on Temperature
Some of this was discussed in Survival Overhaul - A Mega-Suggestion but I thought I would cover it a little for a background to the rest of the post.
My ideal concept for the element management in U2 would be surviving against summer, fall, and spring I think it should really just be not wearing immensely heavy clothing to avoid dehydration and rain. The nights in the wilderness in fall may get quite cold or a few really hot days in summer but for the most part, players would be mostly preparing for winter.
From my brief research it seems in 3.0 just having any shirt in the slot reduces cold affects by 20%, similar to the other slots. Would be nice to see cloths have specific stats for warmth. Example the cold weather clothes would have very clear communicated stats on how warm they are and how much COLD POINTS (I couldn’t think of anything else lol) you need to stay warm and the more points (warmer clothing) you can stay longer out in the snow. With the addition of things like comfort bonus from food and shelter. I like how Elver added these stats to items like +20 slots or +10 armor.
Not too complicated or hyper-sensitive where the player has to micromanage if he/she is wearing a parka in the summer or constantly having to remove gear in fear of overheating.
I think stats on clothes like +5 cold and +5 water resistance, would be nice and clear up what clothes offer more warmth. Or what clothing is better for the rain.
Example I was playing DayZ the other day and was freezing. Made a fire and boiled some tomatoes. Put the tomatoes in my pocket and I started immediately overheating and it was killing me. I don’t want a hyper-sensitive system that has me micromanaging items and cloths in fear my body temperature will dramatically fluctuate. If your wearing a bear fur coat in the middle of a very hot day, yes you should dehydrate faster but that should be it the extreme.
Maybe with a desert biome or map we could see overheating become a more prominent threat but if the map is set in a forest/mountainous area, I think the main focus could be rain, cold nights, and the winter. And some occasionally hot days in the middle of summer would be cool, BUT players shouldn’t be overheating walking around looting for the most part. Maybe specific hot days in summer would require you to cool of by drinking water, splashing yourself, or submerging in water. But I think heatwaves should act like blizzards, not a constant throughout the whole summer but rather an event.
One thing I saw from old posts that made a lot of sense to me was if the player is overheating, instead of removing raw health they rather dehydrate faster.
Summary of Buffs
In U2 I hope to see like stated above in the Trello post a temperature system that isn’t just your burning now your freezing, but a progression through the stages. The ability for the character to delay being too cold or too hot for much longer through things like warm clothes and campfires, before they start taking damage. Trying to stray away from Yukon’s fire hopping method. I think this could make things more immersive for people who enjoy that aspect of survival while actually being less time consuming than 3.0.
Generally the idea is that, yes players will have heat sources and warm clothing to stay in an ideal temperature range before taking damage. But I don’t think a player should feel like they are tied to a leash and have to be around a campfire 24/7. I think with the addition of things like foods and tents, a player can choose to extend the time they are out in the elements. I am speculating fires will need a supply of logs and time to set up. As well as needing a item to light the fire, players won’t be as carefree with their fires like in 3.0.
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Cold Weather Clothing - Not really a buff but the first line of defense against the cold and warmer clothes hold your body temperature at bay. Similar to 3.0’s Yukon getting colder icon but we would have a clearer idea of how long that may last maybe translated through a bar (Like 1.0 antique) or some sort of clothing stat (e.g. Red Parka +10 cold weather).
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Well Rested - A buff given to players from passively being in there home or near their tent. Could slightly decrease stamina drain and caloric loss for a limited time after. Similar to the stats in 3.0 like cardio and survival but it would be time limited (not replacing those skills). Combined with campfires or sources of heat could increase the time the buff is held. Maybe an icon can be present like the bleeding or freezing icon to indicate your buffs?
- Hearty Meal - Certain unique foods and drinks could offer resistance to cold weather and extreme heat. For the sake of comparison, high end foods in 3.0 really didn’t have much of a use, and where often worse than just raw lettuce. So I think adding a utility buff behind them on top of them just being good food, cooking could be a lot more useful in survival along with the cooking skill.
(obviously we don’t have stats like this in Unturned so would just provide us with the buff discussed above.)
- Tents and Buildings protection - In 3.0’s Yukon to stop from freezing to death a player could hide in a house or sit next to a fire. I think in U2 houses or in this case tents, should instead of stopping hypothermia in in its tracks, would reduce loss of body heat by 10% to 50% depending on the rarity of the tent, still requiring a heat source to warm your body temperature. I am guessing something like a makeshift lean-to and a small military survival tent would be the end of the two extremes. As well as protect you from rain.
Comfort/Rested State
So essentially this state will be an added bonus to your other wise normal state. I am not too big a fan of adding in a fatigue system (for sleeping) or anything that requires the player to be in or next to a bed for the sake of it or after a certain amount of time (previously suggested post). But I think tents, beds, and your own house could offer additional resistance to elements like cold, rain, and heat for a period of time, on top of clothing.
I take some inspiration from elements of Rust, World of Warcraft Vanilla, and Red Dead Redemption 2. These games are all different and each have a spin on being rested either being in a comforting zone or consuming unique food recipes. Rust offers a comfort bonus by being near rugs and campfires that reduce calorie loss. Wow classic offers increased experience for extended time for being in cities or inns, as well as stat buffs for eating food. Rdr2 offers buffs to your cores from special stews and drinks. I enjoy these elements as they communicate the idea of comfort through a game where you can not feel it yourself. Always enjoyed the vibe from Wow classic, which isn’t even a survival game.
But what could Unturned take from these aspects? I don’t just want this added cause other games have them and think it will make U2 better, but the idea and atmosphere behind them give off that certain vibe. I think U2 could do it better and give off a unique feel from these titles and other survivals. That cozy vibe of campfires and good food. I think we can all remember foods and places from old games, movies, or books that give us that vibe of coziness. Like the atmosphere of the Shire from The Lord of the Rings.
I believe a lot of survival games leave out this aspect and a genre that focuses on thriving in wilderness survival, aspects like warming foods or comforting camps that could be translated well through buffs to help combat the elements. Especially with the addition of changing seasons. Most games just have beans and bottled water, and leave out wilderness survival.
As a byproduct I believe zones that offer comfort also enhance the atmosphere of zones that don’t, like the snowy wilderness or harsh rainy nights. Adding to that survival aspect. Although U2 may not look as realistic as some other survival titles, I think it can offer a great deal to survival through aspects that exaggerate comfort and its own art style.
Bases
In Wow classic a feature I really enjoyed was after a long expedition coming back to the tavern and emptying my bags, crafting my materials, and cooking my foods. Returning to the tavern it notifies you are rested and gives off the feeling of relief like your getting something off your back. I think something similar can be said about Unturned 3.0. After a big loot run or battle with players, getting in the safety of your home and cleaning your inventory.
I think this can also be complimented with a base giving the player a comfort bonus that reduces your calorie loss (while in the base) and and a stacking bonus (against heat/cold) for when he/she goes back out into the elements. I always like these types of bonuses that give off the impression that you are thriving. Or preparing before going on a loot run or adventure.
Perhaps specific things like better fireplaces, AC units, and decor like rugs and beds would increase a base’s comfort bonus output similar to certain clothes offering more protection from the cold. Rust shares this with campfires and rugs, but isn’t really anything that lasts with you and you have to be really close to these objects.
I know people have suggested house customization in the past and just recently a post came up about painting houses. Perhaps these paints or cosmetic items could help the comfort pool.
Tents
So I have seen a couple posts in the past bringing up tents but most seem to just be a suggestion for tents to be something you just put down for the fun of it. Some cool ideas have come out of the comments of those posts but I thought I make a post for it.
I would like to suggest they be a utility item you can set down along with a campfire to be granted the comfort buff while warming by the fire or cooking a meal, while out looting. The comfort buff similar to that of your base, your camp acting as a little mobile base.
I think little lean-to’s with nothing more than a tarp and some rope can be set up and offer the Well Rested buff within a radius . An if in the radius you could be protected from rain. The reason for the radius is to simplify things so that players don’t have to position themselves directly under the tarp and stay put, allowing to move around a little and getting the point across. Similar to the radius campfires give off heat.
(Forgive my artistic skills, but an idea to have a slot for tents/tarps to be rolled up on top of hiking or military backpacks. Hopefully a slot dedicated on the pack outside of the inventory to make room for items on a loot run.)
They can be set on your back pack and carried with ease and placed like other place-able objects. Along with a campfire and maybe some other little tents from friends you got yourself a cute little camp. But instead of just some cringe LARPing it could offer warmth when away from your base on long loot runs, with the addition of things like winter, being out too long would cause your character to freeze and instead of 3.0’s tedious Yukon campfire hoping. We could set up camp, cook some food chill for a second near the fire and be rested/warmed for a good while. My idea is this feature would not be a chore but something you could benefit from while doing things like cooking, while adding to the survival feels. Something you could do to actually avoid a chore like the constant battle against the cold, a way to avoid that battle for a little longer.
I re-downloaded DayZ because I was watching a video of a guy stopping and setting up a campfire and a tripod cooking pot. He was warming by the fire as his water boiled with chicken in it. It gave off those wilderness survival feels, and I feel with things like winter and rain storms, setting up camp would have more of a purpose. I believe this is something that survival game enthusiasts enjoy about survival.
Tents/lean-to’s as well will act as a barrier to rain, if your character has been wet for too long. Or if fires go out in rain as well the lean-to can protect you and the fire. Instead of running into town filled with zombies you could set up camp in the wilderness to dry off. I brought this up as in DayZ I often get into rainstorms in the woods and have to seek shelter in town. With the addition of rain and possible snow storms, this feature could play a useful role in U2.
As well as discussed earlier tents would offer some protection against the cold by decreasing your temperature loss by 10%-50% depending on the tent, requiring a heat source to still warm you up. I am guessing with a lot of the gear in the game, military end loot will be best. Having a purple small one man military tent would be the best of all the one man tents.
Camping This post shows off some different tents. Maybe having better or larger tents, you could receive a longer well rested buff. Example, A tarp lean-to compared to a factory made tent looted from a town.
Food
I want to right off the bat state I do not want unique foods, beverages, or concoctions to affect your health pool in combat. I don’t want to see foods and drinks that make you tougher to damage as this is present in rdr2, making the game very exploitable.
Although I like the idea rdr2 has towards food in general, not the execution in combat. Any meat or common food can be cooked and replenishes your cores depending on the food, simple. BUT meat coupled with certain herbs or stews made with other ingredients give you gold shields and cores. Rdr2 is not a survival game so it doesn’t have food and water bars, rather health, energy and dead eye.
With U2 we could have high level foods or foods with more advanced recipes offer the Hearty Meal Buff. This on top of being nutritious meal could give you a resistance against elements (cold or hot) and give you a little additional stamina buff.
I know some great posts have already gone up on food and how they could be measured in calories and players being able to store more food in calories compared to 3.0’s 100% bar, so I won’t get into that. With things like meats and stews offering more calories than something like raw lettuce we will see a greater desire for players to cook compared to 3.0.
Metabolism Overhaul - A (meh) Suggestion
(post worth looking at that goes about calories and conserving them and even hinting at bases giving the reduction in calorie loss. But is worth noting I am not to much into nutritional stats rather just interested in calories)
Also Advanced cooking and farming referenced an idea of advanced foods offering strength buffs.
But skimming through posts I didn’t see to much on foods offering buffs affecting cold weather or offering extra endurance. Items that come to mind that could offer these are stews and soups with various ingredients, spiced or seasoned meats, or coffees/teas offering simple heat buffs.
The idea I have for food is that food would just be cooked and eaten normally without having to worry about fats and proteins or eating certain foods or complex recipes. Rather players just worry about calorie intake. BUT players who gather the supplies and cook these recipes would benefit not only from increased calories but a buff for endurance and weather.
Having coffee or tea on the go would prove useful and allow players to stay out longer or reduce the time they have to stop for warmth. Warm stews and food could offer this as well but advanced recipes could grant the HEARTY MEAL buff.
(Always liked this item in wow, I don’t know why but it gave off that vibe.)
This idea kinda connects to a post I made ago about character progression and your kit. The ability to become a walking Swiss army knife with tools and items to assist you in your survival. With U2 having advanced survival compared to 3.0, we should have tricks and items to assist us in this. I think games that have tedious and frustrating mechanics tend to be ones you can never escape mechanics rather doomed to kneel to them at lvl 0 to lvl 100. But players (at least me) get a lot of satisfaction out of using the environment and my surroundings to prosper in a survival game.
Campfire Concealment and Upgrades
Right before posting this I was thinking I should add something about concealing the light from your fire as this would be a concern for a lot of players especially at night. I was thinking we could have an option to dim the fire for less heat output and less wood consumption. Maybe using the cool new U2 feature of scrolling options while looking at something like the car or lockers.
As well many avenues could be taken like physical barriers or hole campfires. I know digging won’t be a thing but perhaps instead of crafting a normal campfire you could make one that when placed visually appears as it is in the ground. Maybe with the new skill system this could be an unlock-able skill in the survivor skill tree. Or walling your fire with stones or log wind walls to make the light not illuminate your whole camp.
(Maybe a nice little menu to place and remove camp equipment on and off your fire? Also look at my pumpkin, isn’t that nice.)
Conclusion
A cool aspect I feel all survival fans enjoy is that gritty outdoors wilderness survival with campfires and cooking pots. I think some of these suggestions allow for that “role-play” to play out naturally in gameplay and serve a purpose in the game. Adding to U2 being more about survival. I think a suggestion like this for 3.0 would be silly as players don’t need to stop and eat, cook, or warm up. But with survival features that have been discussed and suggested in the past like dangerous weather, I think tents and camps on the go could offer an interesting, useful, and unique mechanic to U2 and the survival game genre.
