PC Deaths expected in first week?

[Stranded_Napkin]

I know that I tend to play differently than others but I got to wondering how many times people die in the beginning of a playthrough. There's the people who play one life, no respawn. There are those who play vanilla game on base settings. I don't play without respawn but I don't like dying. I like staying alive to be a challenge but that begs the question about certain aspects of the game. You have little chance of killing a bear with a blunderbuss. A pistol takes a long time to kill a bear. Dire wolves are difficult enough. I've had both of these in the first 2 days. I don't mind a challenge but the first few days gets a little absurd when you are presented with these kinds of predators on top of all the debuffs that you can incur.

Recently watched a video of another player's start. They died 3 times. It didn't seem as though they took this in any way other than in stride. If I die, I continue the playthrough but I hate the effect on the gamestage. Not something I'm complaining about though. It just got me wondering if everyone expects to die early or if their deaths in game come as a surprise.

 

[katarynna]

In the forest biome, bears and dire wolves only spawn at night. Regular wolves have a very low chance to spawn during the day.

I like that the nights are to be feared a bit again. Unless I get very lucky with weapon finds, I don't go out the first 2 nights, and am cautious about going out the first hour of daytime.

I am more careful now the first couple of days even in the beginner biome, and hesitant to enter snow and wasteland even a little bit until I am firmly established.

Being able to go anywhere at any time even in the first few days is boring to me. I enjoy the challenge that the predators offer.

 

[Kalen]

You have little chance of killing a bear with a blunderbuss. A pistol takes a long time to kill a bear. Dire wolves are difficult enough. I've had both of these in the first 2 days. I don't mind a challenge but the first few days gets a little absurd when you are presented with these kinds of predators on top of all the debuffs that you can incur.

Here is your problem.... you're not supposed to kill them in the first week.   You should be avoiding them at all costs.

 

[Maharin]

The number of deaths "expected" in the first week varies greatly depending on what kind of map and settings I'm playing.  I've been playing this game on survivalist for so long that anything less seems easy mode, but I'll still do it on occasion to play a more casual game.  Some deaths just cannot be avoided easily (getting jumped while out of stamina at low levels, for instance).  I don't have an infinite amount of time to play so I rarely do perma death or drop/delete stuff on death anymore.  Spending all that extra time starting over for stupid/unexpected things (in game or out) or running back to get my stuff just doesn't make sense for my lifestyle.

 

[Mastermind]

Usually, the only times I die in the first week is when I utter those famous last words : "Yeah!  I'm sure I'm ready to take out that bear!"

 

[Stranded_Napkin]

Here is your problem.... you're not supposed to kill them in the first week.   You should be avoiding them at all costs.

Usually do. Hard to avoid them when I discover they are there only after I've been bitten by them. I've also taken to climbing onto ledges that I'm safe on and peppering them with arrows. Takes a while but it works. For the most part I agree with all points made, but it's hard to pass on the meat when your only other chance for meat is a rabbit or chicken. Hogs don't show up that often. For some reason I've been seeing more wolves than boars. Haven't seen many deer at all, either.

I don't know, just got the feeling that I've been expecting something unreasonable.

 

[Kattla]

If i play this game, i play to survive, not to die. Meaning i probaly take less chances then someone who play just this game just to fight anything that moves. So no, i don't expect to die the first week, nor the following weeks. If i die however, i'd probaly just finish up any unfinished projects before leaving that save.

One of the tricks to survive is to learn when and what NOT to fight.

 

[Kalen]

Usually do. Hard to avoid them when I discover they are there only after I've been bitten by them. I've also taken to climbing onto ledges that I'm safe on and peppering them with arrows. Takes a while but it works. For the most part I agree with all points made, but it's hard to pass on the meat when your only other chance for meat is a rabbit or chicken. Hogs don't show up that often. For some reason I've been seeing more wolves than boars. Haven't seen many deer at all, either.

I don't know, just got the feeling that I've been expecting something unreasonable.

I completely understand.... the meat you can get is certainly a temptation.   I play dead is dead, though, so I've gotten pretty good at identifying and avoiding fights that I don't stand an excellent chance of winning.

 

[Kandrathe]

Here is your problem.... you're not supposed to kill them in the first week.   You should be avoiding them at all costs.

Evem at higher levels, depending on the mix, wandering horde of zombie dogs or multiple vultures or a zombear can quickly ruin your day if you cannot escape.

 

[Astronomical]

You have little chance of killing a bear with a blunderbuss. A pistol takes a long time to kill a bear. Dire wolves are difficult enough. I've had both of these in the first 2 days. I don't mind a challenge but the first few days gets a little absurd when you are presented with these kinds of predators on top of all the debuffs that you can incur.

I see where you went wrong. You forgot to bring a friend that's slower than you. 

 

[Junuxx]

"Am I wrong for thinking there's no progression in predator difficulty and wishing for more predators that spawned based on gamestage?"

Is this a leading question and could it also be construed as being possibly perceived as needlessly convoluted and wordy?

 

[Bolshie Colt]

I'd like some more low hp animals early on. something designed to be taken on with a wooden club. Gate the dire wolves and bears to be later on.

Boars and wolves tend to wreck you if you try to fight them day 1. Maybe have "sick" or "starving" versions of these animals.

Like a "Starving Dog" thats aggro and deals moderate damage but can be taken out in 1-2 swings but only gives you 1 bit of meat.

Next Tiers could be "Skinny Dog" "Healthy Dog" "Strong Dog" "Dire Dog" all gated by gamestage and giving progressively more meat/fur and having more hp/damage.

Maybe make skinny versions of deer as well that can be chased down with a club but only give 1 meat.

 

[Stranded_Napkin]

In the forest biome, bears and dire wolves only spawn at night. Regular wolves have a very low chance to spawn during the day.

This is not something that seems accurate. I've only seen bears during the day on my current playthrough. The direwolves have come in day and night. Might just be that they spawned and didn't despawn before I ran into them, but that seems unlikely as some were in the afternoon. Did you look at the code? I haven't myself, so you could be right. I jsut know I've run into them during the day.

I'd like some more low hp animals early on. something designed to be taken on with a wooden club. Gate the dire wolves and bears to be later on.

Boars and wolves tend to wreck you if you try to fight them day 1. Maybe have "sick" or "starving" versions of these animals.

Like a "Starving Dog" thats aggro and deals moderate damage but can be taken out in 1-2 swings but only gives you 1 bit of meat.

Next Tiers could be "Skinny Dog" "Healthy Dog" "Strong Dog" "Dire Dog" all gated by gamestage and giving progressively more meat/fur and having more hp/damage.

Maybe make skinny versions of deer as well that can be chased down with a club but only give 1 meat.

I love this idea. It makes sense, covers the issue of balance, and scales the predators to your gamestage. Sadly how it is now predators are the easiest to get meat from as you don't have to have a high gamestage and you don't have to chase them, or get an insanely lucky hit with an arrow in the middle of a rabbit's/chicken's zig-zag pattern. Then again, I did punch a chicken to death today so maybe I was just doing it wrong this whole time.

 

[Bolshie Colt]

scales the predators to your gamestage

I swear predators go from scary to a free meal way too early in the game. Game gets boring once you dont take damage and have 1000 meat sitting in a chest.

 

[Kalen]

This is not something that seems accurate. I've only seen bears during the day on my current playthrough. The direwolves have come in day and night. Might just be that they spawned and didn't despawn before I ran into them, but that seems unlikely as some were in the afternoon. Did you look at the code? I haven't myself, so you could be right. I jsut know I've run into them during the day.

He is right.... they should only be spawning at night.  You may see them early morning as they haven't despawned from the night, but you shouldn't see them by afternoon.

 

[Frankencow]

Maybe make skinny versions of deer as well that can be chased down with a club but only give 1 meat.

The game has had these for a long time. They are called rabbits and chickens. They are ridiculously easy to club, and the only thing that keeps it from being OP is they can sometimes be hard to spot. If you spot one, club yourself some meat.

I think the premise of the first question is flawed. 
I play this for its survival aspects and start over on death. So how many deaths in the first week is meaningless. Instead, I try to find that balance on the difficulty settings that is hard but not always impossible to stay alive the first week.

if it is too easy to do that, I up the difficulty the next time around.

 

[Bolshie Colt]

rabbits and chickens

900 hours of gameplay later and I'm only just now learning that there are  rabbits and chickens in this game.

Bless you gifting me with your divine knowledge.

Cancel the idea animals in various stages of health, we have chickens and rabbits.

 

[JCrook1028]

900 hours of gameplay later and I'm only just now learning that there are  rabbits and chickens in this game.

Bless you gifting me with your divine knowledge.

Cancel the idea animals in various stages of health, we have chickens and rabbits.

How did you not see them for 900 hours?

 

[Kalen]

How did you not see them for 900 hours?

Well, they are really really small.

Or it might have been sarcasm.   

 

[Slaasher]

Am I wrong for thinking there's no progression in predator difficulty and wishing for more predators that spawned based on gamestage?"

Is this a leading question and could it also be construed as being possibly perceived as needlessly convoluted and wordy?

What? His question was reasonable and fairly well worded.

Whatcha goin on about?