The Ruins and Temperature

[Corrosive]

IMO, having played DS since very early on, the ruins are difficult enough as-is without having to worry about temperature.  Mobility is fairly key in surviving down there, especially since followers can't be assed to help kill shadow creatures, and unfortunately overheating and freezing dramatically hamstring your character's ability to move about.

 

Since the risk of dying in the ruins is already so high, I find myself not even bothering with them until spring/autumn, which means I'm stuck in the overworld for the most boring seasons (rather, they're boring once you get set up to survive them.)

 

If the ruins weren't dependant on overworld temperature, it would help alleviate some of the winter blues (and summer reds?).  Surely a big layer of damp caverns would provide some thermal insulation anyway?

 

While I'm on the topic, what's the deal with needing shade during summer nights? Shouldn't night time itself provide shade?  They only logical explanation seems to be that the turf absorbs a lot of heat during the day, unless it's under shade, but that only makes sense if the thing providing shade has been there the whole day.

 

 

TLDR: Ruins are hard enough. Probably doesn't need added difficulty of temperature.

[StaypuftMMM]

Ruins are supposed to be difficult and because they aren't really a requirement to "beat" the game there isn't a necessity to change hard they are.  From what I have experienced, the temperatures inside the caves are less harsh then the over world.

 

Having said that, I do wish that the severity of the heat/cold was reduced more, to a level that would allow one to explore for longer without overheating/freezing as quickly.  If you are able to set up a base in the caves/ruins it would allow you to stay there during the more difficult seasons.  I know several people have made camp and lived in the ruins for 100+ days.  

 

On a personal note, I have lived in the caves with Webber for almost every day of a 70 day run.  I was forced to hang out near my camp on many occasions (mostly during summer) but it is possible.  

 

Again, I do agree, it would be nice if they shielded players from the elements even more because I'd much rather escape the heat by exploring underground rather then standing by a endothermic fire.

[Corrosive]

Oh, don't get me wrong, I certainly don't think they need to be easy.  The caves are no problem for me in winter/summer, as long as the layout has certain key things you need to survive(which they almost always do!)  Hell, the caves are probably even easier to camp in because of the large number of friendly rock lobsters/bunnymen to protect you from worm attacks.  You'll never have to deal with the giants underground, either.

 

The issue I have is specifically the ruins.  There is zero incentive to attempt them during the summer or winter months.  It's not impossible-- I've done it before-- but it's needlessly difficult.  You can chain a ton of endothermic firepits together if you really want, but I mean.... why? It's kinda silly to risk a 200+ day game on self-imposed difficulty.

 

If you're keen on exploring the ruins, you're likely at a point in the game in which summer and winter present no real challenge themselves.  Why not open these months up to spelunking the ruins?  Players who would not be ready for a temperature challenge in the overworld wouldn't exactly find solace in the ruins.  Unless your definition of solace includes legions of nightmarebeaks and monkeys that love stealing your stuff.

[Catweaselcrow]

You could always try this mod:

 

http://forums.kleientertainment.com/files/file/891-insulated-caves/

 

Disables freezing and overheating in caves (and presumably ruins).

[Corrosive]

Huh, never saw that mod. I briefly considered making a mod that did just that(well, ruins only), but I'd feel like I was cheating

A while back I did make a mod that let you cook "teleportato chips" which let you consume them to teleport back to the crock pot in which they were crafted. Even though I made it pretty difficult to farm the materials needed, I prefer to play games as they're presented to everyone else, and never used it.

[RalphKastro]

@Catweaselcrow, Mods are like band-aids. They help patch and hide the problem, but it doesn't mean it isn't there. I don't think anybody likes this cave temp. thing, but for some reason it's still there.

[Catweaselcrow]

@Catweaselcrow, Mods are like band-aids. They help patch and hide the problem, but it doesn't mean it isn't there. I don't think anybody likes this cave temp. thing, but for some reason it's still there.

 

Sure, but the important thing is to have fun while playing DS. If a particular mod fixes something that annoys you, then it's a good thing.

 

At this stage in the games development/life cycle, things like overheating/freezing in caves , rock lobsters on the surface breaking worlds etc, simply aren't going to be fixed/changed by Klei, so it's left to the modding community.

 

[Corrosive]

I actually don't mind the rock lobster thing.  It's like introducing an invasive species into an area

[hotflungwok]

You could always try this mod:

 

http://forums.kleientertainment.com/files/file/891-insulated-caves/

 

Disables freezing and overheating in caves (and presumably ruins).

 

I might actually try this mod for the same reason I grabbed the 'amulet and backpack eq slots' mod, because it makes more sense.  Caves in general have a very regular temperature, not freezing, not boiling.  It can get cold or hot in them, but that tends to be the result of what's in the ground around the cave and not what's on the surface.  Going underground to escape surface temperatures that regularly result in living creatures bursting in flames is a perfectly reasonable action.