Swimming on a log

[Scaramouche]

So actually after dugout obtaining became a bit more complicated since last patch, there’s no easy way
to move over the water for freshly created characters now.
While world generation becomes better and better with each world, there still might be long and wide rivers without
fords.
Implimenting a possibility to put a log on a water and use it as a floating craft will solve the next problems:
-Dugout itself cant serve any other purpose besides being used as watercraft. Also, people often dgaf about their dugouts, use them once and drop everywhere like a garbage. Some shores makes me think that Im playing a role in some B-movie about angry papuans. If people will use logs for their short trips instead of dugouts, they will be leaving logs after them, which can be used by other people for their other purposes.
-Waiting till dugout will be burned out when you need to get to the other side of the river will drive you nuts. Better chop some tree and use the log here and now!
-Swimming with a log wont require a boatbuilding skill! Actually, it will require only swimming skill, right? Nabs are welcome.
-Improvised ground fights near the water sometimes will be having an unexpected, funny finale.

Now about the balance of this feature.
I can understand that aiming with a bow while mounting the log is a bit difficult, so this possibility might be disabled by devs. But you still can fight in close combat, because one of your hands is free. A good opportunity for nabz to raid anthills.
Also, it must be slower than any proper watercraft. It could be even draining players stamina, just like the swimming does, but much slower. Also, many people might be leaving their logs just on the water while teleporting home, so I recommend to make the logs sink after some time of being out of usage.

[GenghisKhan44]

Sort of like this?



I like the idea. Seems like a good way to make the timber industry thrive, and to not have a bunch of useless dugouts sitting along rivers and lakes. Better than making dugouts harder to make.

[vidgin]

So actually after dugout obtaining became a bit more complicated since last patch, there’s no easy way
Implimenting a possibility to put a log on a water and use it as a floating craft will solve the next problems:
-Dugout itself cant serve any other purpose besides being used as watercraft. Also, people often dgaf about their dugouts, use them once and drop everywhere like a garbage. Some shores makes me think that Im playing a role in some B-movie about angry papuans. If people will use logs for their short trips instead of dugouts, they will be leaving logs after them, which can be used by other people for their other purposes.

I think that most of forsaken dugouts have been thrown by non-new characters and not for just crossing the river. Actually, I and my friends throw the dugouts when travelling too far away by land from our dugout by land. So the time for returning back to our dugout is much more big that time for creating new one. Therefore your idea actually doesn't solve the problem with forsaken dugouts.

[Agame]

So actually after dugout obtaining became a bit more complicated since last patch, there’s no easy way
Implimenting a possibility to put a log on a water and use it as a floating craft will solve the next problems:
-Dugout itself cant serve any other purpose besides being used as watercraft. Also, people often dgaf about their dugouts, use them once and drop everywhere like a garbage. Some shores makes me think that Im playing a role in some B-movie about angry papuans. If people will use logs for their short trips instead of dugouts, they will be leaving logs after them, which can be used by other people for their other purposes.

I think that most of forsaken dugouts have been thrown by non-new characters and not for just crossing the river. Actually, I and my friends throw the dugouts when travelling too far away by land from our dugout by land. So the time for returning back to our dugout is much more big that time for creating new one. Therefore your idea actually doesn't solve the problem with forsaken dugouts.

But it does. There will be tree trunks for others to use instead of dugouts everywhere. Any guy needing a fast crate or a fast board-repair for his rowboat will first use the logs laying on the ground around him instead of cutting a new tree. Therefore the logs laying around tend to disappear pretty fast, which dugouts do not.

[vatas]

Being move in deep river/lake water with a log, at crawl speed, would feel balanced to me.

[VDZ]

there’s no easy way to move over the water for freshly created characters now.

A -> T -> S

Also consider that perhaps rivers and lakes should be natural barriers that are not entirely trivial to cross. It really shouldn't be too much asked to have to find a properly narrow area of the river to swim across.