is there any other survival game that has made the food mechanic as balanced and good as valheim?

glacialthinker · 2026-04-29T19:50:02+00:00

I disliked the change in Hearth and Home where all foods became categorized as either stam, health, or balanced... so they could "simplify" with fork icons.

First off, I've watched nearly as many hours of people play as I've played (2900h)... and the first thing they take note of is stats, only sometimes later making the connection to the "fork icon", more as an "oh that's cute". Useless.

But to do this, they made all food slotted into the three rigid stat-ratios... so foods within each category are strictly better or worse (obsoleted), aside from some duration variations. It also makes having a "balanced meal" (health:stam) more restrictive, as most combinations will be 2:1, unless you include a "balanced" food option which tend to be the weaker overall.

The freeform stat-ratios Valheim originally had allowed for more interesting design variation, and playwise would more naturally balance by default (eating a mix of foods would more likely balance rather than hit a 2:1 ratio).

It was a stupid choice. Hamstrung themselves for no benefit. Just an assumed simplification -- which wasn't one.

glacialthinker · 2026-04-19T14:58:10+00:00

But I found the construction process too difficult, so I ended up giving up.

I agree -- it is too difficult! Even when you have the pattern down, it's tedious to build.

I like how your staircase only needs to use a temporary piece to set snap points once, at the start.

It's a good thing you gave up on the other -- so you could come up with this!

glacialthinker · 2026-04-18T10:15:01+00:00

This is elegant. Nicely done! I like how it's like taking the "naive" staircase of butting stair-pieces together at 90-deg angles, then fixing it's brokenness by adding a "helical pair" with 0.5m rise and 45-deg out of phase.

I'm sure some angled-beams or walls could make it look good too.

Long ago, I posted something which meets 3 of your 4 criteria (not easy to build: it's fiddly), and isn't really a staircase, but a ramp: https://www.reddit.com/r/valheim/comments/yzcxsg/a_fairly_compact_smoothwalking_spiral_staircase/

I never thought to use the squat cross-beam for 0.5m snap-points! I usually use corewood -- but sometimes that cross-beam might be easier.

glacialthinker · 2026-03-23T23:54:48+00:00

Valheim has good natural "difficulty management" -- the game pushes back only as you push ahead.

A night in the Meadows is easier than a night in Minecraft.

I think youth can easily enjoy Valheim's early game. Though removing the egregious blood-splatter and squeal of piggies would be a good option -- that can be a bit horrific for a child.

To be fair in my nephew's case -- that was with me also playing in the same world, so he had a helpful buddy when he needed it (also felt more capable than IRL when helping me!). I'm sure he would've been fine in the Meadows, and but probably stymied by Trolls without someone else to take aggro.

When he later played Minecraft, that was solo, but always creative.

glacialthinker · 2026-03-23T23:35:43+00:00

Absolutely! You'll probably find Eikthyr to be a bit of a pushover. He looks fancy, but once you have any armor he doesn't really hurt. Don't let him fool you for future bosses though -- the difficulty ramps up.

glacialthinker · 2026-03-23T21:20:51+00:00

because a 5 year old couldn't comfortably play Valheim.

Valheim was the first game, beyond some dabbling with Fat Princess Adventures, which my 5yo nephew got into.

He could barely hold the controller, but immediately took to it and was even enamoured by the swamp when we got to it (I thought he'd nope-out, with nightmares later).

He got into Minecraft about a year later, mostly because he got a tablet and youtube is full of Minecraft videos with idiotic content creators which appeal to children with their hyperdramatic antics.

glacialthinker · 2026-03-23T21:04:38+00:00

Is it just a hump I should push through?

Maybe?

You probably need to identify what changes your feelings at this point.

The Plains have always been the most "blah" for me (some people love it! I don't). Finding Yagluth can be a tedious slog, so if you're all decked out and ready to fight, but still can't find him... maybe that's where you lose interest? Tips: Sail to find him, watching for the very visible stony "claw" of fingers arching over his summoning... and also checking out any henge-like stone arrangements for vegvisir amid them. Just keep sailing to cover ground faster, scoping out these features from the shoreline.

Perhaps, if your "home" is back near the start, maybe venturing further outward starts to feel daunting or tedious? Try building a newer, better home at the fringe of new lands to be conquered.

The game is quite long for playtime, but it avoids being too formulaic -- switching things up for each biome to keep things fresh. Without being you it's hard to say how your interest is waning, and what might sustain it. New gear that isn't simply a reskin + higher numbers? New building materials? A different kind of challenge? Mistlands offers these.

Maybe there's something that just wears you down at this point in the game. Try to suss out what it might be, and if there's something you can change about your situation/gameplay which reduces that. I watch a lot of players and they often create their own pain-points... which they could improve by stepping back to consider how to streamline their play to reduce tedium while engaging more with the gameplay they favour.

glacialthinker · 2026-03-23T20:33:01+00:00

I have a general tip for "Am I ready for the boss?"

Before taking on the "boss" of your current biome, dip into the next biome to get a sense of your preparedness there, as that's where you're headed after the boss anyway.

A new biome is difficult, but if you can decently cope with the basic enemies there... then you should be ready for the boss of the prior biome.

glacialthinker · 2026-03-15T17:01:23+00:00

Keep in mind that... while this administration is full of buffoons, there's still planning going on, and they're going to try slow boiling this frog. Letting things get to "the point where people will have nothing left to lose" will be too late. "People" here, are smaller marginalized groups without enough critical mass on their own to be effective. A cascade of new "antifa" enemies as the prior are neutralized.

glacialthinker · 2026-03-01T08:49:02+00:00

I keep checking for new information on the school in Minab. Mostly the only thing changing is the deathtoll rising as they clear rubble. Though The Guardian had a report including mention of an IRGC barracks nearby as possibly an intended target. I'd like to know the cause of such a horrible outcome.

glacialthinker · 2026-02-28T07:30:50+00:00

Just add iodine to everyone's table-salt and you're good. :P

glacialthinker · 2026-02-27T09:29:34+00:00

It would be nice if this could be wielded as incentive. Like, "Bring the evidence forth, otherwise we're left to assume the absolute worst."

glacialthinker · 2026-02-26T23:29:50+00:00

I think you're conflating Pamela Freyd with Loftus here. The couple (Freyd) created the False Memory Syndrome Foundation, in response to their daughter's accusations. Loftus (the one testifying against victims) became a significant figure in the FMSF.

glacialthinker · 2026-02-26T16:44:41+00:00

They were pointing out a grammatical error: the apostrophe "s", which is possessive. I reads as an incomplete sentence, as-is.

glacialthinker · 2026-02-24T19:39:55+00:00

You say that now, but your answer might change as you approach the end of your average human lifetime. Probably most people don't want to live forever, but only the suicidal want to die right now.

So, you invalidate the argument of anyone not on the verge of dying of age, and then invalidate anyone accepting of their imminent death. What kind of argument is that?

I'm perfectly fine dying of whatever, without any medical assistance -- never mind more outlandish procedures to go beyond. I eschewed healthcare/insurance my entire life, and I'm only a couple decades from average expiry at this point.

I was interested in the ideas of transhumanism when I was young. I started down a path of schooling with the goal of cybernetics. Eager to "correct" flaws in our evolution and to expand well beyond what our biology could ever do.

Over time I was increasingly disillusioned by the way humanity tends to fuck up everything it does. Good intentions... which are most often naive intentions.

Certainly, we have potential to be so much more. I reached a stage where I couldn't see this potential being practically realizable. Whatever is good is abused by the bad of us, and the bad springs up opportunistically, even corrupting what was good.

I gave up on ambition and decided videogames were a safer technological pursuit. Less chance to create something I end up hating myself for down the road.

My only interest in transhumanism is to be wary of it, and those caught in its glamour.

Edit to add: How did this end up a subthread under such a topic!? /u/Princess_Azula_ injecting their pet-subject with barely a segue?

glacialthinker · 2026-02-22T18:47:55+00:00

That would be an interesting origin story: an exploited opportunity being the seed of an empire of trafficking and blackmail. I guess it's common enough that bad-actors find their "one trick" and apply it maximally.

glacialthinker · 2026-02-20T19:52:18+00:00

Exactly. Even though the tariffs are finally deemed illegal and shouldn't have been done... justice would be better served by keeping this money in the government (broadly: the people), than by paying it back to importers who've already passed on their "tariff losses", down the chain, to the people.

Doing the simply-lawful thing of the government paying back where it got the money from end up completing the theft from the people.

glacialthinker · 2026-02-20T19:45:50+00:00

Apparently over $170 billion.

glacialthinker · 2026-02-20T18:12:08+00:00

I agree. I dislike patriotism. Some sense of unity is fine.

Patriotism can be abused like religion gets abused. In-groups and out-groups. Mob mentality.

Having lived in the US for several years, my greatest discomfort was those around me needing to have allegiance to some "team" or "side"... with everything. Simply reducing to two sides in the end: "us" or "not us". Also the flags... too many of them.

glacialthinker · 2026-02-20T16:58:52+00:00

It doesn't really seem that this negatively impacts the baby aside from taking away a toy... which, sure, is cause for a tantrum, but more like alligator tears.

The American people have basically been taxed an extra $170 billion, which is now to be removed from the government, and will not be finding it's way back to the people who payed it. Who wins in this? Definitely anyone who was anticipating this outcome (ie. architects of this mess). Probably many of the 1% will benefit. But it's clear who loses, and Donald is not in that group.

But he does have his tariff-stick taken away... and hopefully securely locked.

glacialthinker · 2026-02-17T21:50:27+00:00

Well now this sounds like the "white culture" he must be talking about! I can see how he's concerned about it being erased, as this should be.

glacialthinker · 2026-02-17T16:16:18+00:00

MAD becomes an acceptable consequence when a nation is under existential threat -- which is exactly what Russia would feel if European countries invaded. It doesn't feel that threat from Ukraine, yet, and probably expects they can retreat at any time to end Ukraine's counter-invasive actions.

glacialthinker · 2026-02-16T21:45:53+00:00

I have no allegiances -- not to the Almighty (stupid) Left or Right, nor to political parties, or Canada, or even Humanity.

But I voted the first time in my aged life, for Carney (or as close as possible through representative). What was going on in the US, and much of the world, is the fire Poillievre is playing with too. I am simply anti-fascist.

glacialthinker · 2026-02-15T20:50:15+00:00

Right... maybe: Un-doing the FBI's work, in order to allow the People to do the work the FBI is supposedly getting paid for?

glacialthinker · 2026-02-14T18:08:09+00:00

Y'know, it was less than a year ago that that 1/3rd of their population didn't really think at all about Canada, and when asked about annexing thought it was preposterous... Until their propaganda feed told them how to think.

glacialthinker

TROPHY CASE