Mechanic's suggestion

[Tyandy]

After reading what is in store for us from the road map in the general forums, I am excited on how things are going to shape up in later builds. Possibilities for this game could be endless but the ideas below I feel are within the spirit of the game.

Sleep requirements

It would seem fitting to have a need for sleep, making players anxious about, did they put enough fuel on the fire to last the night. Being woken up in the middle of the night hounded would be an interesting experience to say the least.

Desert biomes

I am not sure if this has been mentioned before, but the survival experience doesn't feel complete until you are trudging through a desert to survive, going from water source to water source. This brings up the need of thirst, and could introduce items such as containers for water (made from beefalo bladders or stomachs....). With the addition of sleep and thirst along with hunger, if characters get low on these aspects it effects their sanity levels, seeing things in the distance, monsters that arent there etc.

Survival training

Starting after day 10, you earn a point for every day you live, these points accumulate so you can purchase small minor improvements to Wilson's survival chance. These points could be used on anything, better farming habits, need rates reduced, health pool increase etc.

Example point spending

Beefy

After spending all this time in the wilderness [character] has developed a fine set of muscles.

Costs 1, 2 4 8 16 , 5 levels

Increases base hit points of your character by 2 5 10 25 50

Iron gut

Costs 10 points

Allows player to eat pine cones and raw food as if were cooked.

Tool skill levels (leveled through use - balance could be an issue)

Costs 5 points per level of tool.

Higher the skill levels, the less durability loss on tools. Only opens up if you purchase the levels on the tree.

This would make players look forward to living longer, as the next day would bring a small improvement. Making it marginal instead of mandatory would be the difficult balance job though but hey its beta.

Sanity icon

I like the idea that players will have to watch their sanity as try to survive. But sanity is over rated , instead of keeping your character sane... well sane enough it could unlock different options available. One example, if your character has a marble left before losing it, they could drink a pigmens blood to satisfy thirst. On the opposite side of the coin, high sanity (civility) would mean the character would not eat anything unless it was cooked.

Locust swarms.

To mix things up, plants could fail by pests, and on a large scale by swarms. It would encourage players to set up more than just one area that they live of.

Further character abilities.

Wilson is meant to beat nature with science, but all characters can research so other than growing a beard there isnt that much difference. Wilson could instead be able to fiddle with objects he created to improve them, like making a chest have higher capacity (of course it would need resources etc).

Willow, gains (or loses.... all perspective) sanity whlie surrounded by fire?

Lastly, each character could have a favourite food, the bonus might be some sanity everytime its eaten, extra health recovered or more hunger satisfied.

Willow, could be completely vegan, but as Soon as her sanity slips, she comes around to eating meat, etc.

[Toaster Fu]

You will be happy to know a sanity meter is getting added.