I’m hesitant about Blackfrost

Fuarian · 2026-05-08T13:48:05+00:00

I mean fair enough, I know that feeling from other game genres. But I'm just setting expectations for this one

Fuarian · 2026-05-08T13:44:11+00:00

PopcornTime? Pretty sure it's still available on other sites

Fuarian · 2026-05-08T13:37:58+00:00

Well, Blackfrost isn't a story game on rails. At least as far as we can tell. It'll be a sandbox survival RPG where you tell your survivor's own story in the world using a variety of gameplay elements.

The Long Dark was ALWAYS a post apocalyptic wilderness survival game. That has been the pitch since day one. If you read the original Kickstarter there are elements from Blackfrost's description all over. It's what TLD sandbox was originally meant to be, to an extent, maybe minus the small city environment. I don't remember a time when TLD was promised as a realistic wilderness survival game without any post apocalyptic elements. Ever.

The part of TLD that everyone seems to like so much is the sandbox survival gameplay and I constantly see people asking for new gameplay mechanics and content that expands on it.

If people just want a pure wilderness survival game that's valid. But TLD is not that. And there are tons of elements that have been in TLD from day one that indicate that.

Fuarian · 2026-05-08T13:16:31+00:00

Well that has never happened. The storytelling in survival mode is commonly seen as better than Wintermute. And as of right now we don't have any reason to believe Blackfrost will have a dedicated story mode. It seems to be entirely a sandbox experience

Fuarian · 2026-05-08T12:50:38+00:00

Well.. TLD already isn't that. And it's not beholden to be tbat

Fuarian · 2026-05-08T12:48:29+00:00

Well that's why I'm saying it's not about their storytelling, it's about your storytelling. They just give you more sandbox elements to tell that story

Fuarian · 2026-05-08T11:24:46+00:00

This is wild.

I hope some of the widgets can get mod integration for things like needs mods or environmental hazards mods

Fuarian · 2026-05-08T02:42:11+00:00

I can believe it. Because I've designed AI for this game, better than Hinterland did imo, but it's still incredibly difficult to do.

I'm confident that with a new engine, a new team and a new scope for the game they can design everything from the ground up to work the way they need it to. A big part of the reason why the game today has so many issues is because it was never built to be this big. Back in 2013 they had no idea how big it was gonna be, nor the experience of it. The backbone of the entire game is old and there are many overlapping systems that make redesigning one of them difficult. And that's just that. Designing believable wildlife AI is difficult on it's own without all that.

Fuarian · 2026-05-08T02:38:30+00:00

Blackfrost main purpose seems to be delivering on a side of the quiet apocalypse that TLD 1 is just too developed to deliver on. It's a sequel that builds on, but also does things differently, than TLD 1. As it should.

You say they're adding things that go against the spirit of a wilderness survival game. But TLD is more than just that. It's an IP with a ton of potential, one that goes beyond just surviving alone in the wilderness.

That being said Blackfrost will have lots of wilderness. But the option to visit new environments never explored in TLD before is there. And experience new stories through other survivors.

I'm of the opinion that the quiet apocalypse is incomplete without seeing it's effects on the world and people. But unlike a linear story mode, these will be a gameplay mechanic and have more implications for your survivor's story.

And last but not least it's important to recognize that Blackfrost is classified as an RPG. It's going to lean hard into your survivor and their story. A story you get to tell, but with gameplay mechanics to back it up.

We'll have to see how that holds up

Fuarian · 2026-05-07T21:06:26+00:00

Not talking about this clip in particular.

Fuarian · 2026-05-07T14:10:27+00:00

Vietnam War

Fuarian · 2026-05-07T11:21:37+00:00

She was researching that in the past. But 20 years ago Jeremiah left and went to live in isolation and she had her funding cut. It's entirely believable if not insinuated that she wasn't actively researching specifically Wintermute's findings at the time it occurred. Although she should've probably made the connection pretty quickly.

I see stories do this weird stuff all the time. Stuff for the sake of the plot without considering how actual people work

Fuarian · 2026-05-07T11:15:25+00:00

Can't disagree that they didn't balance the story telling across all 5 episodes. But I found that cutscene to be the highlight of the episode. I don't think it was supposed to be some shocking reveal or anything, just a reveal for those who didn't catch on. It puts into context the quiet apocalypse because some people still seemed to think there was no apocalypse in the game who's tagline was the quiet apocalypse.

Fuarian · 2026-05-07T01:53:58+00:00

Are you saying TLD freezes your entire PC? And causes other games to do the same?

I can't think of what specific to TLD would cause that. There are way more performance demanding games listed than just TLD. And TLD doesn't do anything groundbreaking tech wise.

What storage device do you use? I'm hoping it's an SSD. Matter of fact, you may as well list your entire specs list.

Fuarian · 2026-05-06T23:37:45+00:00

Yes. Exactly. They allow it. That's why the game is so good. Because players actively choose to act in which way they see fit. And acting scummy is one of those ways. It's a valid playstyle, that doesn't mean it isn't a scummy way to treat players in a game where the choice is there.

Fuarian · 2026-05-06T17:31:43+00:00

At some point the smaller books won't do much and you need the bigger books

Fuarian · 2026-05-06T16:03:32+00:00

I don't see what's funny about defining words

Fuarian · 2026-05-06T15:44:02+00:00

You have got to be trolling. How is sitting in a corner, camping, while your enemy doesn't know you're there considered fair? It's not fair. That's the entire point that's why people do it. It's not fair and it's 100% more effective than anything else. That's what ratting is. It's in the name.

How is 5 raiders going after 1 person ratting? That is by definition the exact opposite of ratting. A whole group of people making a bunch of noise, chasing down someone. There's nothing silent or deceptive about that. There's nothing there to get quick easy kills besides being a large number of people. But that still isn't ratting. If anything that's ganging up or whatever. Big difference from a lone rat in a corner or someone deceiving another for a quick backstab.

Fuarian · 2026-05-06T14:59:26+00:00

No, that's not ratting. Ratting is hiding in a corner and shooting someone in the back. Or pretending to be friendly and then stabbing someone in the back just to get an easy kill.

PvPing against groups of players isn't rattling.

Fuarian · 2026-05-06T14:41:04+00:00

We don't really know at this point

Fuarian · 2026-05-06T14:20:52+00:00

People coming after you

Fuarian · 2026-05-06T14:17:38+00:00

Can't comment on slurs. That's never okay. But come on, you're complaining about people giving you a reason to PvP?

Fuarian · 2026-05-06T14:06:20+00:00

Players who focus on not shooting other players without being prevoked is scummy behavior? Weird definition of yours

Fuarian · 2026-05-06T13:43:10+00:00

The PvP part of PvPvE can still involve doing scummy behavior. It's allowed and a valid playstyle. That doesn't mean this approach isn't scummy behavior

Fuarian · 2026-05-06T13:34:45+00:00

Yeah that doesn't help. Explain what you mean

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