Seasonality Discussion

Thoughts on the further development of Haven & Hearth? Feel free to opine!

Seasonality Discussion

Postby Xoatl » Sun Oct 17, 2021 9:39 pm

After the latest update I went here to find a thread talking about this and couldnt so I just made one. Delete if I'm wrong please. Personally don't want seasons to be gone even though that means im more likely to be ganked in the winter as a result. I don't have any specific ways to address the issues people have with winter. Replace them with new game play loops only available in the winter even if its super cheesy like having players log in every 12 hours to cast a hibernate spell that speeds up curio research speed while sleeping. There are ways to address issues without removing whole parts of the game. However having climates in addition wouldnt hurt either, might actually fix everything at once. All the hardcore asshat no lifers can fight over parts of the map with eternal summer while the rest of us can be left alone even if that means some extra days of winter. If it starts leaning too much the other way and players dont want to settle in wintery climates there are incentives you can add along the way. Point is please dont just remove seasons entirely cause its annoying to address all its problems. Also sleds are too much fun. Thank you for a great game devs.

PS more ideas on how the hibernate spell could work. Only during winter you cast it and while you sleep the curio speed is faster but it drains your energy up to a certain point. Youll wake up with some lost energy. But only way you can cast hibernate again is if your energy is above 9000. Could even work hunger into it instead of energy which would make people stockpile weed too. Getting prepared for winter would start to look differently then.
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Re: Seasonality Discussion

Postby ZoddAlmighty » Mon Oct 18, 2021 8:16 am

What about people who actually want to play the game instead playing a "log on /log off " simulator?
I do not want a shitty hibernate spell to speed up my table, I want an enjoyable game loop during winter or spring.
Problem with those seasons is that they take away from the main game loop but they do not add anything new to it. Winter puts an huuuge break on a developing village plans and its such bothersome to deal with. That is the sole reason why there is a huge player drop out.
Anyway, existing issue with seasons could be fixed by just adding more unique mechanics that are time gated and linked to season. Time gated because they would only be accessible as long as the season last.
Example: Rare curio that appears only during winter + another one that appears only spring - when you craft them together into a better curio it becomes one of the top contenders for the study.
Cave flora goes to hibernation to just be replaced with new animals or just new variants of existing animals.
X tree gives Y color boards. Cut the X tree during winter to get Z color boards. Does not need to apply for every tree but yeah.
Food that requires sitting in cold, dry air to get that special bonus ( And it does not suck).
Drinks that are made at the proper season and let them age through the winter would get that "age buff" etc.
Winter and springs have many mechanics that take away from the game, but very little that add. That's why we have a player drop off.
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Re: Seasonality Discussion

Postby Pommfritz » Mon Oct 18, 2021 12:17 pm

for a start they could just disable spring and see how it goes, winter ist just 4 day or something, idk could probably add something but imo not the major issue
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Re: Seasonality Discussion

Postby Massa » Mon Oct 18, 2021 6:13 pm

Pommfritz wrote:for a start they could just disable spring and see how it goes, winter ist just 4 day or something, idk could probably add something but imo not the major issue

Disabling spring would be nice. The short episode of winter is a nice break from the ROUTINE of game, but there is still plenty to do given its short length. Sledding is fun as hell, there's still stuff to do outside, you can mine, you shouldn't run out of farmed crops or anything, your animals are all fine. When it was weeks long it was a massive problem, but as it is now, winter is, to me, a welcome change of pace. It's only 3 days I think. It's spring that's the real pointless garbage.
Sleds, winter aesthetic, etc. are all fun. As much of a pain in the ass as it is, dead crops are a healthy piece of decay too.
Last edited by Massa on Mon Oct 18, 2021 6:28 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Seasonality Discussion

Postby pawnchito » Mon Oct 18, 2021 6:14 pm

Yep. Spring is worst.
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Re: Seasonality Discussion

Postby Massa » Mon Oct 18, 2021 6:39 pm

In fact, I feel I must add. SPRING IS NOT BAD inherently. The problem is that it fucks up a lot of growth, fauna, and flora in the game.
Make spring literally the same as summer seasons and it will all be fine. Everything spawns the same, we can keep easter eggs and the fun things unique to spring, without spring hurting the rest of the game. If this happens, winter will functionally be a simple brief pause, as opposed to a complete and total overwhelming halt.
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Re: Seasonality Discussion

Postby MagicManICT » Tue Oct 19, 2021 3:35 pm

Xoatl wrote:After the latest update I went here to find a thread talking about this and couldnt so I just made one. Delete if I'm wrong please.

Generally, if it's brought up by jorb or loftar in Announcements to discuss, it's fine to discuss it there. I'm with you in that I'd rather see an independent discussion on it, but a lot of people aren't going to jump to another thread to discuss the thing, so it tends to stay in Announcements.

And FWIW, there's a dozen or more discussions over the last two years on the value (or lack thereof) on seasons.

Also, I don't have number on other games for season based player drop-offs (the ones that have multiplayer servers), but from my experience, winter type months were the "quitting point" quite frequently.
Opinions expressed in this statement are the authors alone and in no way reflect on the game development values of the actual developers.
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Re: Seasonality Discussion

Postby abt79 » Wed Oct 20, 2021 12:30 am

It's worth mentioning that, while of course Winter causes a massive dropoff in playercount because all the farmer bots logout and players take a well-deserved 5-day break from the daily chores, Spring provides a nice incentive to continue to stay away for the next 10 days and then maybe never come back.
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Re: Seasonality Discussion

Postby Xoatl » Wed Oct 27, 2021 11:42 pm

abt79 wrote:It's worth mentioning that, while of course Winter causes a massive dropoff in playercount because all the farmer bots logout and players take a well-deserved 5-day break from the daily chores, Spring provides a nice incentive to continue to stay away for the next 10 days and then maybe never come back.


How so? Just cause of trees?
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Re: Seasonality Discussion

Postby Nightdawg » Thu Oct 28, 2021 12:46 am

Xoatl wrote:
abt79 wrote:It's worth mentioning that, while of course Winter causes a massive dropoff in playercount because all the farmer bots logout and players take a well-deserved 5-day break from the daily chores, Spring provides a nice incentive to continue to stay away for the next 10 days and then maybe never come back.


How so? Just cause of trees?


that's literal bullshit, the only bot logging off is the pepper bot

winter and spring are almost equally trash and will be for a very very very long time, sadly.
if you're reading this, you're a nerd.
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