Vigilant Trespass

ORIGINAL RELEASE NOTE

THE LONG DARK SANDBOX UPDATED to v.364: “VIGILANT TRESPASS”

We’ve just updated The Long Dark to v.364,“Vigilant Trespass”. This update introduces several new features and changes to content, outlined below. A full changelist can be found at the end of this message.

New Experience Mode: Interloper

We’ve added a new Experience Mode: Interloper. Interloper is a highly challenging mode that focuses on self-sufficiency in survival. It is the most “extreme” of the Experience Modes for the following reasons:

* The world becomes more hostile to you as you play. Global temperature drops, wildlife and fuel resources become more scarce, and Blizzards become more frequent.
* There are no Rifles in the world.
* Apart from the Hacksaw and Hammer, which spawn rarely in the world, you need to create all your own improvised tools (ex. Hatchets, Knives, etc.).
* The best Clothing and Food items do not spawn.
* Wolves are more rare, but also more deadly.
* Wildlife becomes more rare over time.

New Challenge Mode: Hunted, Part Two

We’ve added the follow-up challenge to Hunted. In Hunted, Part Two, you must track the Old Bear from the Trapper’s Cabin, to its Den. Keep an eye out for tracks and blood drops. The weather may not cooperate!

Improved World “Decay” Systems

We’ve made some changes to how various systems work to ensure that, over time, the Sandbox becomes gradually more challenging over time. This is to combat the sense that the game becomes too easy once players have made it past a certain threshold in their survival skill and with improvised gear and tools. The new Experience Mode, Interloper, shows the most extreme version of this updated “Decay”, but we’ve applied it to all pre-existing Experience Modes as well. In general, we tune about a dozen variables differently as the game progresses over time, including (amongst other things): wildlife spawn behaviour, weather patterns, global temperature, and the availability of fuel resource spawns. The rate at which this “decay” occurs depends on the Experience Mode, with Pilgrim and Interloper being on opposite ends of the spectrum. Our intent is that these changes ensure the level of challenge in the game remains engaging over long-term Sandbox games, but consistent with the level that players would expect for that particular Experience Mode.

First-Person Presence & Updated Locomotion

We’ve updated all our in-game Light Sources with first-person animations. This includes: Flare, Lantern, Torch, Brand, Matches. Lantern placement has also been modified to work better with first-person hands.

Both Male and Female hands are represented. For now, we are not visualizing custom player clothing or gloves/mittens on the hands.

Please note that there may still be glitches with this system, as well as unanticipated effects to some of the in-game interactions.

We’ve updated our Locomotion animations to work better with the First-Person hands. You will see equipped light sources in hand when walking, though hidden while sprinting.

We’ve also modified the way Sprinting works — you can no longer sprint backwards, nor sprint-strafe in perfectly lateral directions (though it is still possible to sprint forward and on an angle).

Updated Rest & Passing Time Interface

Our last pass on the Rest and Passing Time interface was confusing for players, so we’ve updated both these interfaces.

Now, to Pass Time, you use the Radial > Campcraft menu to select the “Pass Time” option (the icon is a Deck of Cards). You will now get real-time feedback on how Passing Time is affecting your Status, and you can interrupt Passing Time at any time.

Please keep in mind that the previous Warmth bonus during Pass Time was an artifact from the use of the Rest menu, and was not an intended bonus. You can now Pass Time anywhere (i.e. you do not need a Bed or Bedroll).

Rest works as it always has — you can Rest from the Bedroll or any Bed. Both interfaces have been updated to clarify your current Status, to help you make a better decision about how long you want to Rest or Pass Time.

Wolf Decoy Exploit Fix

We’ve fixed the Wolf Decoy exploit. Decoys will now cause Wolves to “retreat” for a period of time, but they will no longer stand there making an easy target. Only Meat (includes Fish and Guts) may now be used for Decoys, and the “Drop Decoy” action will automatically select the “smelliest” (i.e. lowest Condition) meat in your Backpack.

Beachcombing

We’ve updated the Coastlines to have open water. You’ll find that useful things occasionally wash up, but keep an ear out for signs of weak ice. If you fall in the water, it’s instant Hypothermia and your clothes will all be Wet!

New Skills: Archery & Mending

We’ve added two new skills: Archery, and Mending. Keep in mind that we’re still iterating on the Skills system, so our plan is to continue tuning and expanding this system over time.

Feat Slots

Based on feedback from the community, we’ve modified how we handle Feats. Now each Experience Mode supports a number of active Feats — 5 for Pilgrim, 4 for Voyageur, etc. During the Sandbox setup, you’ll need to activate any Feats you’ve unlocked so far, and those Feats will be active for that particular Sandbox game.

If you prefer not to use Feats, simply do not activate any of them. Also, please keep in mind that you can’t enable Feats you’ve unlocked in your current game.

A Few More Tweaks

We’ve rebalanced Snow Shelters to be a little less effective. Linux users can now Alt-Tab without audio becoming corrupted. We’ve added a warning to help avoid burning partly-researched Books. Cleaning your Rifle no longer improves the Rifle Firearm skill. Cooking Fish now produces a small amount of usable Lamp Oil.

We’ve also fixed several bugs; the full changelist will be published once we migrate the Test Branch to the Main Release.

New Languages

Apart from any new text added in this Test Branch (which hasn’t been translated yet), you should find the Sandbox has now been translated into: Portuguese, Brazilian Portuguese, Spanish, Finnish, and Dutch.

Middleware Updates

In this Test Build, we’ve updated Unity and also Wwise (our audio engine). We don’t think this will impact anyone, but it’s possible that these updates may have affected stability. You may notice this particularly around graphics, and audio. Please make sure you report any bugs around unusual graphics glitches, audio issues.

NOTE ON TEST BUILD SAVES

As noted during the Test Build process, we are not carrying progress from the Test Build back into the Main Branch. This is to prevent any bugs or issues captured in your Saves, from being introduced back into your Main Branch games.

***Please note that current in-progress games from the Main Branch should continue working as expected with Vigilant Trespass.***

Also, please make sure your drivers are updated!

*****

THE LONG DARK SANDBOX UPDATE v.364, “VIGILANT TRESPASS” — FULL CHANGELIST

NEW FEATURES

* Added new Experience Mode: Interloper
* Added new Challenge: Hunted, Part 2
* Added full First-Person Presence for Light Sources: Flare, Torch, Brand, Lantern, Matches
* Added Beachcombing Gameplay
* Added Archery Skill
* Added Mending Skill
* Iteration on “World Decay” systems across all Experience Modes, focused particularly on: global temperature, weather patterns, wildlife presence, blizzard frequency, and fuel resources
* Iteration on Feats system; players now activate a limited number of unlocked Feats per Sandbox game

CRASHES FIXED

* Fixed rare crash when firing Arrows
* Fixed rare crash issue in Fire UI
* Fixed rare crash in Badges UI
* Fixed rare audio crashes
* Fixed crash issues that could occur in the Snow Shelter UI
* Fixed rare crash related to Cabin Fever
* Fixed rare crash when accessing the Log screen
* Fixed rare crash when cancelling Firestarting
* Fixed rare crash when being stalked by a Wolf
* Fixed “Many Campfires” Out of Memory crash
* Fixed crash that could occur when trying to force burn an unread research book
* Fixed rare crash that could occur when firing the Survival Bow
* Fixed crash that could occur when entering a Struggle and holding a lit Flare/Torch/Brand

GAMEPLAY TUNING

* Cooking Fish now produces a small amount of Lamp Oil (varies based on Fish type and weight)
* Tuned Snow Shelter dismantling resources
* Hacksaws can now be used to harvest Saplings and Tree Limbs
* Updated the Bed and Bedroll interfaces to support Passing Time as well as Rest
* Enabled Users to view status overlay when Rope Climbing – but not the radial menu
* Tuned Hacksaw per-use decay rate
* Fixed Decoy exploit; Wolves will no longer make an easy target!

FIXES

* Fixed issue where brandishing the Flare did not increase Fatigue
* Fixed issue where player could drop Decoys when in a Snow Shelter or vehicle
* Fixed issues with drag-and-drop behaviour in Containers
* Fixed issue with Inventory sort icon colliders overlapping
* Fixed issue with audio when dragging scrollbar
* Fixed alpha issue on car windows that caused trees/foliage to not sort correctly
* Fixed floating objects after breaking down furniture in Farmhouse
* Fixed issue with player crashing through top of Snow Shelter after picking up items
* Fixed issue with debug screenshot behaviour
* Fixed issue with Brands providing a Heat Bonus when placed near a fire
* Fixed issue where players could become stuck on a black screen when retrying a Challenge
* Fixed being unable to light Torches from a fire
* Fixed issue where players could add Coal to a fire at an invalid (too low) temperature
* Fixed audio dropping out after a player Alt+Tabs away from the game
* Fixed issue with falling snow passing through walls in Forestry Lookouts
* Fixed issue that caused wildlife to sometimes become stuck on chunks of ice
* Fixed issue with Wildlife trying to pathfind into deep water
* Fixed Flare effects showing through doors
* Fixed issue that caused corpses to disappear when only partially in view
* Fixed issue where players could place Camp Fires deep in mines
* Fixed issue with looping Flare ignition audio
* Fixed floating plates appearing after breaking down certain tables in Coastal Highway
* Fixed inaccurate Calorie cost preview for Passing Time
* Fixed Harvesting UI displaying incorrect requirements when harvesting with bare hands with the Master Harvesting Skill
* Fixed issue with stackable items merging with invalid stacks, when dropped from inventory
* Fixed issue with inaccessible backpack in Timber Wolf Mountain
* Fixed issue with Torches not being lit by other lit (dropped) Torches and Flares
* Fixed issue that prevented the Journal stats from populating when viewed from the Main Menu
* Fixed issue that caused the camera to rotate and pan unexpectedly
* Fixed issue that could cause incorrect camera FOV at the start of game
* Fixed missing cabins in Coastal Highway
* Fixed duplicate rope near Mystery Lake Western Access
* Fixed issue with the Extinguish/Brandish prompts disappearing too quickly
* Fixed issue that caused the Torch effects to become offset after a scene load
* Fixed issue that allowed players to fire the Survival Bow after dropping their last Arrow
* Fixed issue caused by picking up an Arrow and nocking it, while holding the Survival Bow
* Fixed issue that allowed all Bunkers to spawn in Mystery Lake in certain scenarios
* Fixed issue that allowed low detail trees to appear on the Main Menu when running Low or Medium quality

MISC.

* Memory optimizations
* Fixed various environment art and world collision issues

### END OF CHANGELIST ###

Thank you for playing, and we hope you enjoy Vigilant Trespass!

The Hinterland Team