Time as a Resource?

[Dr Tanner]

One thing I've noticed that isn't being addressed much in-game is the concept of time as a resource, just as much as everything else. The only thing that seems to take time is farming, and that can be resolved just by having tons of farms - although I'm aware that this is being addressed somehow. I don't know. Forget what I said about farming.

What I'm referring to is things for Wilson to do that could potentially take time - everything you make gets done pretty much instantaneously, meaning that you can get on and continue with other tasks. However, to make something more "expensive" and difficult to obtain without relying on physical resources, could it possibly be a thing to have it take time and effort to make instead?

For example, a pit trap might be a very safe way to catch and kill large prey animals, and all it would take to build would be some boards and a bit of grass, maybe some logs - and a big hole. While the physical resources would be easy enough to get hold of, digging such a big hole would take time and effort, meaning that the player would need to decide whether to dig the hole bit by bit - a bit like how you can leave rocks half-mined - or knuckle down and get it done all at once, risking being out after dark for the sake of finishing it.

There's probably a better example out there but I've had a rough day and that's the best I can come up with right now. Hopefully it gets the idea across. I'd imagine there's a reason this isn't a thing already, though, so by all means, go ahead and shoot me down if that's what it takes to get better ideas out of me. ( ._.)7

[UncleCoord]

My only thought/issue would be how do you implement such a thing, do you have the player sit there spamming mouse 1 for 10 minutes or have them click and then leave their PC to make a cup of tea while they dig?

When implementing something like this, you may be over looking the fun factor, yes game balance is important, but the game being enjoyable is equally if not more important.

[Moonphos]

Simple - Works like how Straw Roll does, which is instant time-lost.

I've also suggested Drop/Fall Pit, defensive trap here, but I'm considering if time lost should be taken into account, together with Tool Durability lost, because digging a hole uses Shovel for sure.

[BinarySpike]

My first thoughts on the subject:

• The devs don't want grinding
  
• Time is metered by the day-night cycle.
  
• Near the beginning, I don't have enough time to collect grass, poop, twigs, or trees. (Although, I usually end up with 2-3 stacks of each when I die)
  
• Anything complicated or conditional would harm the experience.
  
• In-game time is worthless (you have unlimited)
  
• Real-life time is priceless (you don't want to frustrate the player)
  

Now, I think it would be an excellent end-game element to have super cool structures you could build, but required a large amount of resources. You could then iterate the build sequence.

For example, a log cabin (terrible example) would require 200 stacks of wood--that is 10 stacks. You could build the "foundation" with a single stack (20) but keep improving upon it until you met the requirements. This would allow end-game structures that required a large amount of resources to build. I think this would suit the game much better.

Thus, having 2-3 big projects going on would be inefficient for the sake of time management. (Do I collect logs, grass, or poop today? is a question I often ask myself)

Simple - Works like how Straw Roll does, which is instant time-lost.

In-game time is worthless. So worthless in fact, that the straw roll reduces hunger as an additional penalty. Also, people could take advantage of "instant time-lost." Effectively defeating the purpose.

[mobius187]

For some reason I'm reminded of the Sims, and how certain actions take time, but are boring to watch, so you "Fast Forward" time and your SIM performs the actions faster while still requiring the alloted time necessary to complete the task.

In fact, I felt the straw roll should work in the same way, requiring a fire to use it and should the fire run low the "Fast Forward" is halted to give the player time you put more fuel on the fire. It struck me as odd that the straw roll just lets players skip the night phase without a fire being required. What stops the Grue from eating the player...?

[Moonphos]

In-game time is worthless. So worthless in fact, that the straw roll reduces hunger as an additional penalty. Also, people could take advantage of "instant time-lost." Effectively defeating the purpose.

It doesn't necessary have to take as much time as the straw roll. Straw Roll essentially lets you sleep through the night, but digging a trap don't. It can take a hour or 2 in-game time for a trap to be created. So if you start creating trap at late-evening, when it's finished you'll be somewhere between the beginning-middle of mid-night. Hunger-consumption should be a flat value for the trap.

And upon the end of creating the trap, the character will immediately trigger the start of "It's so dark."

For some reason I'm reminded of the Sims, and how certain actions take time, but are boring to watch, so you "Fast Forward" time and your SIM performs the actions faster while still requiring the alloted time necessary to complete the task.

In fact, I felt the straw roll should work in the same way, requiring a fire to use it and should the fire run low the "Fast Forward" is halted to give the player time you put more fuel on the fire. It struck me as odd that the straw roll just lets players skip the night phase without a fire being required. What stops the Grue from eating the player...?

I'm half-tempted to say it's a bug, given how the character would react when it's dangerous to sleep because something bad's nearby, yet shrugs off darkness like it's nothing and just sleep, as you have said.

Then again, both Rabbits and Pigmen will sleep outside their hole and house respectively if your game sees them outside, before you leave the area, "freezing" them in, or near, the spot (I'm guessing this is an actual bug?). Then when you carry a torch or use a mining helmet, you can catch both snoring on the ground, in the middle of darkness, and the Grue still ignores them.

I guess the Grue only actively hunts the "Night-Owls"?

[mobius187]

Then again, both Rabbits and Pigmen will sleep outside their hole and house respectively if your game sees them outside, before you leave the area, "freezing" them in, or near, the spot (I'm guessing this is an actual bug?). Then when you carry a torch or use a mining helmet, you can catch both snoring on the ground, in the middle of darkness, and the Grue still ignores them.

I guess the Grue only actively hunts the "Night-Owls"?

Who can say, but I've seen this behavior too from time to time. I even spotted a raven sleeping... which I found odd because all birds seem to take flight at nightfall. This behavior is certainly new as I don't recall it before the last update. Which makes the whole logic of the Grue eating those who sleep outside that much more perplexing in these "odd cases". So I'm left without a logical explanation... thanks Devs.