New Survival Mechanic: Fatigue/Sleep
Sojo
Florida, USA Join Date: 2015-09-20 Member: 208061Members
Florida, USA Join Date: 2015-09-20 Member: 208061Members
I know several people have suggested sleeping quarters or functional furniture like a bed, but I don't think anyone has suggested adding a fatigue/sleep mechanic as well to add another layer of immersion to the Survival game. I personally don't like how we stay awake 24/7 (or whatever this planet's cycle is) and never get tired. I think it would be a fun opportunity for more in depth gameplay.
Though we will probably get furniture for decoration one day, even a bed or bunk, what I would like when we get these things is for our character to have to actually go to sleep regularly. We could have a new status bar called Fatigue that would slowly diminish while we were awake and faster while we exerting ourselves (swimming, mining, etc), but not as much while driving a sub or just standing around. If we ignored it and didn't sleep we would eventually fall asleep and probably die depending on where we were.
This is currently partially simulated in that sitting on a bench pauses your hunger meter and I think your O2 meter? If this fatigue/sleep mechanic were implemented slowing down the fatigue meter should take the place of that as it makes more sense anyway.
One of the biggest impacts of this and a big reason to implement it is that then they could slow down the day/night cycle, which is currently extremely fast. Currently it's too easy to just wait a min for it to become day again before you explore a dark and dangerous area possibly filled with nocturnal predators. If we had to wait longer, we would be pressured to take the risk, but that is just a side benefit. Keep in mind that as they add more creatures, the dangers will hopefully only increase
.
If we ever get an autopilot for our subs, especially the Cyclops, we could take a nap en route. Oh and obviously, when our character slept, the game would fast forward, we wouldn't just watch them while they slept.
Though we will probably get furniture for decoration one day, even a bed or bunk, what I would like when we get these things is for our character to have to actually go to sleep regularly. We could have a new status bar called Fatigue that would slowly diminish while we were awake and faster while we exerting ourselves (swimming, mining, etc), but not as much while driving a sub or just standing around. If we ignored it and didn't sleep we would eventually fall asleep and probably die depending on where we were.
This is currently partially simulated in that sitting on a bench pauses your hunger meter and I think your O2 meter? If this fatigue/sleep mechanic were implemented slowing down the fatigue meter should take the place of that as it makes more sense anyway.
One of the biggest impacts of this and a big reason to implement it is that then they could slow down the day/night cycle, which is currently extremely fast. Currently it's too easy to just wait a min for it to become day again before you explore a dark and dangerous area possibly filled with nocturnal predators. If we had to wait longer, we would be pressured to take the risk, but that is just a side benefit. Keep in mind that as they add more creatures, the dangers will hopefully only increase
.If we ever get an autopilot for our subs, especially the Cyclops, we could take a nap en route. Oh and obviously, when our character slept, the game would fast forward, we wouldn't just watch them while they slept.
Comments
No thanks.
Realism stops being a good idea when it becomes tedious.
Might as well make it so we have to take a dump after we eat.
Or draw a face on a koosh ball to keep from going insane.
Ok agreed but the mechanic is still good, so if no bar but you have to sleep every one in a while.
(P.S...WILSON!!!!:D)
Agreed, and with the days being so short you would feel like you were constantly running back and forth to your bed... however, a rest bonus could be given to the player that caused his/her oxygen to be used slower, or health to be damaged less. This would make use of the mechanic, but without turning it into another tedious task.
Just make it so sleeping switches between day and night.
Go to sleep during the day, wake up at sunset.
Go to sleep at night, wake up at sunrise.
Literally what I just said.
I would say then that Survival mode isn't for you. It's all about realistic resource management. And as it is, the O2 and Hunger meters are rather meaningless when we can carry as many O2 tanks as we want (early game the meter is actually fun and meaningful); have early and easy access to the Sea Moth (effectively infinite air supply nearby); have a magic knife that instantly cooks our food for us (no need to really hunt or worry about food once you have it); and worst of all we can somehow eat food while swimming underwater and wearing a helmet...therefore, we hardly currently have any meters to worry about after 5-10 mins in the game.
On that note I would rather the magic thermoblade were removed from the game or was just a weapon, perhaps better at cutting through certain materials and we should have to be in a sub or base in order to eat anything. This would also make food slowly rotting meaningful.
Ultimately, my suggestion is meant for those of us who want a more realistic and therefore immersive experience, which to us equals more fun. I find such massive holes in gameplay to be jarring and take away from the fun. I'm sure I'm not the only one. We survivalists are also the sort who look forward to nitrogen narcosis (the "bends") being simulated in game. If you just want to explore, don't play in Survival mode. There is a reason after all that they added multiple modes. To each their own!
>"omg then don't play survival because actively pursuing sources of food and water is the same as having to stop doing things for a while and return to your base for a stupid reason or you die!"
Hilarious.
Will there be a pillow mod for the sea moth to park and sleep during longer expeditions? ^^
Or just smoke some of that koosh. ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡ °)
I admit, the hunger and thirst meters got some context since they influence the automatic healing and feel less like random chores, but i think that's all i need for the survival part.
But well that's my opinion, i guess we could have a harder survival mode for those who really need it. And while we're at it we could also ad a psyche meter. If you don't sleep enough, kill too much, hang around with leviathans and look in the depth for too long you drive insane and start hearing bloops and noises and things move in the corner of your eye. Now there's some new purpose for the observatorium.
I simply expressed my personal preference and provided evidence for why my suggestion adds to what I consider fun gameplay, emphasizing that different people have different tastes. I find your intentional misquote of my words and mockery of my viewpoint insulting. If no one else on these forums likes my idea, then I won't continue what I thought was a friendly discussion. You could give my suggestions that you don't agree with the same courtesy that I have given your's that I didn't agree with. I have argued the logic of another person's suggestion, I hope politely, but I have never mocked anyone.
That is precisely what the different game modes are for. Survival is meant for players like myself who want a more immersive experience, where it is easier to pretend we are really on this alien world. I do not consider this masochism in the slightest. If someone doesn't care for the simulation of realistic concerns like O2, hunger, energy, or even fatigue, then Freedom mode was quite literally made for people like them. If they also don't want to have to worry about dying, they have Creative mode.
And remember that a big part of why I want this fatigue system is so they can justify the day/night cycle being longer, which I find jarring, so you can "skip ahead" 8 hours. And I assumed we'ld just be able to sleep while sitting in the Sea Moth, no upgrade needed. Though there are surely places in the game one wouldn't want to do that
If you play Fallout New Vegas in hardcore mode you have a fatigue bar and it doesn't make you stay in bed half of the time. Even when you do not sleep you just get a blurry vision from time to time until you have slept again.
It would be up to the developer how time consuming it would be to fill up that extra bar by making it deplete slower or faster.
I find the fatigue bar a good addition and want it in game. But others think that it would just make you enjoy the game less. I didn't meant it to sound hard or judging when I called it masochistic, but it is a kind of self punishment by the player's own choice
If you want a mechanic to just skip the night, it would be enough to add beds and give them that ability -> no fatigue needed.