Slow in the fog sucks!

[Skittish Robot]

Being so slow in the fog is not fun. The characters are so slow to begin with, which is why the walking cane is a must-have item. But being sooo sloooow in the fog makes an otherwise exciting game crawl to a near standstill. I'm just sitting there, with my finger firmly on the W button, watching a nearly all white screen, while barely anything happens. What is the fun in that?

Make the fog unbearable in some other way than making us watch what amounts to nothing more than a progress bar, for pogs' sake! 

So far, all I've found is that being naked means you can run like normal. If the snakeskin hat or jacket help, well I haven't been able to make them before the fog rolls in.

[Bullshootress]

Fog slow was not a welcome feature with me either.. The very diminished line of slight feels like punishment enough when it catches you off guard.
I hope there are ways to counter the slow effect except stripping down. Especially since sanity becomes an issue, but maybe that's just me.
Maybe slow shouldn't set in until you are very soaked?
Perhaps a fog warning before it strikes should be in place?
The fact that you will need to ditch your backpack to rid the slow really, really sucks if you're out exploring with a good haul to bring home.

[IntrinsicIrony]

26 minutes ago, Bullshootress said:

Perhaps a fog warning before it strikes should be in place?

I wholeheartedly agree that, at the very least, a warning or some sort of preemptive indication should be implemented to allow players the opportunity to prepare in advance. In my limited experience with the fog, even without a backpack or additional equipment on hand, I found its effects to be particularly cumbersome to overcome. Then again, maybe I'm just biased as it did inevitably lead to my premature demise. 

A fog warning system could consist of something as simple as adding verbal weather cues, similar to those used with hounds. Or, perhaps, since gameplay heavily emphasizes integration within civilization, an informal weather forecast model can be implemented. Cues could potentially be relayed by: Interacting with NPCs (in passing or via implementation of a 'Town Crier' NPC, whose preliminary purpose is to distribute news throughout the town), crafting/purchasing a hand radio of sorts, or by, perhaps, including a calendar with the purchase of the Slanty Shanty that can be used to predict weather patterns. I'm sure that there are a multitude of ways that this could be done, but these are just some ideas that first came to mind.

[Bullshootress]

13 minutes ago, IntrinsicIrony said:

...
A fog warning system could consist of something as simple as adding verbal weather cues, similar to those used with hounds. Or, perhaps, since gameplay heavily emphasizes integration within civilization, an informal weather forecast model can be implemented. Cues could potentially be relayed by: Interacting with NPCs (in passing or via implementation of a 'Town Crier' NPC, whose preliminary purpose is to distribute news throughout the town) ...

I really like that idea of a "town crier," it would really make the town feel more alive. =)
Alternatively a town psychic you could buy today's forecast from for a few oinks?

A warning from the character that it's starting to fog up should be in place. Atleast a visual cue.

There is also the rainometer. Perhaps it could be tweaked for this purpose.
Gold nuggets seems pretty scarce to me, so it could make it actually worth building.

An OP item to hunt down would also be cool. Like a fog horn of sorts, that chases the fog away for an ingame day. With durability of course.
 

[MondayNight]

So there isn't any viable and consistent way of counteracting the fog effect/season - aka instant slowness and abysmal visibility area?!

At least in DST's case you had the Desert Goggles for vision in Antlion/Oasis desert and some cooling item for heat. In this case I for one haven't found such combination yet.. maybe snake jacket and some goggly headgear... Still, as other pointed, the effect shouldn't be instant on such a large world-scale, puff: day 13 and instant debilitating effect-on out of blue - if anything it should be gradual: day 13 and a thin fog descends (or in this case ascends - we are on some kind of floating island system above clouds), day 14 fog thickens and movement slows a bit down etc. Also a sound cue should underline the new atmospheric conditions, and that "town crier" sounds about spot-on right: they aren't civilized pigs for nothing, are they?!

 

On another train of thoughts, in my case when fog manifested in 2 separate runs, environmental sounds almost disappeared, character ones as well, even in houses - had no more sounds to it when doing any kind of stuff; probably a beta-error of sorts...

[IntrinsicIrony]

1 hour ago, Bullshootress said:

I really like that idea of a "town crier," it would really make the town feel more alive. =)
Alternatively a town psychic you could buy today's forecast from for a few oinks?

Thanks! You've proposed some interesting ideas, as well. I particularly like your suggestion of a psychic. The implementation of a psychic could open up the door for some interesting in-game mechanics, especially where RNG is concerned. 

1 hour ago, Bullshootress said:

Gold nuggets seems pretty scarce to me, so it could make it actually worth building.

I agree, gold nuggets are tough to come by and buying them directly can come with a hefty price tag. The new panning for gold mechanic seems promising, but I haven't personally gotten around to testing it. In addition to purchasing nuggets outright, I've found caves to be a decent source for mining gold. I think that it provides a nice balance in terms of risk and reward.

41 minutes ago, xxVERSUSxy said:

So there isn't any viable and consistent way of counteracting the fog effect/season - aka instant slowness and abysmal visibility area?!

As of yet, there doesn't appear to be. Then again, I've only encountered the fog once and I was vastly underprepared. In addition to my general inventory, the only thing that I had equipped at the time was a straw hat. I didn't get a chance to remove the hat to see if it had any impact (either way, I reckon it didn't), as when I first encountered the fog I was in the midst of fleeing from a guard after ransacking some berry bushes from the local farm. What are the chances? XD

Based on this encounter, I did observe that local mobs also appear to slow as a biproduct of the fog. Watching the guard trudge slowly behind, all the while callously swinging his baton two paces behind, felt like watching a playback of a prolonged boss battle in slow-motion. XD 

[Rhovious Aran]

Well, I do dislike the randomness of it. Though I learnt that it starts on day 12 and that pretty consistent. I don't mind it as much. Don't Starve has always been about annoying mechanics like that.

But I agree, that there should be a late game item you could put on that deals with it. 

What I found particularly aggrevating with the fog is, that it also appears in the dense jungle, which requires you to wear a gas mask. One night I found myself in the middle of the dense jungle when all the Glowflies in their bug form suddenly hatched chasing me in a pack of around 20. No problem, I could have kited them. But then the fog came in. Unequiping the gas mask there means constant high poison damage. Leaving you no choice to either be slow or take poison damage. 

I think the fog should not come up in the dense jungle. 

[zzKratoszz]

The pith hat will deal with the fog and allow you to use your armor slot again. Although you will be down your head slot to wear the hat.

[Skittish Robot]

Oh, I should have thought of that! I mean every time it gets foggy, you see so many people wearing pith hats. :/

[Skittish Robot]

So, I found out that the weevole mantle doesn't slow you down in the fog. But in my latest attempt, I was one day late in acquiring the necessary materials and was caught out in the fog wearing a backpack full of goodies, so I was slowed to a crawl once again. :/

Whenever I get slowed down like that, I really feel like just quitting the game--or at least taking a break--because it takes so long for anything to happen.

Just to be clear, I don't think the fog is unfair in any way. What I am saying is that going so slow makes this game about as much fun as watching a progress bar fill up. And if I want that, I will go play a stupid clicker game.

#NoSlowInFog

[Bullshootress]

A run kind of dies if you aren't prepared for the fog. (Which you won't be at all if you play blind.) The slow also makes it very hard to aquire the resources to craft the items to offset the slow after the fact.
Maybe it's just because I suck, but knowing the fog hits on day 12, I still struggle to get up my science machine and find resources to prepare in time.
Another suggestion is to have expensive items for sale in the tool shop that can offset the slow long enough for you to search out a more permanent remedy. (Perhaps this is already in place but rng has screwed me, idk.)
A potion sort of like the antidote, or a special crockpot dish could also possibly help with the slow. Though that might break the intended mechanic and remove too much of the challenge. I have not tried to drink coffee yet though, does it offset some of the slow?

I feel like the hamlet beta thread needs a 4th subthread, where we can help each other understand the game and it's mechanics.
It's hard to say whether a game mechanic is fair, balanced and bug free, and give feedback on that, if you have absolutely no clue what you are doing and how items are intended to function.

Side note: Are the guard pigs supposed to hate your face forever after you cross them?
The cluster of them around my house does not seem to ever forget that I accidentally bopped their mayor on the head once.

My game now consists of fighting nightmares in my house trying to dry off, inbetween ducking from guards and bats in the fog, listening for poop so I can buy food and won't starve to death yet. (Also, manure sounds sometimes stay, even after it's all picked up. Definitely a bug. I have also encountered this one before in other DS flavours.)
What happens after the fog lifts, is still unknown to me. All I know is that I will NOT be prepared for it. lol

[IntrinsicIrony]

1 hour ago, Bullshootress said:

Side note: Are the guard pigs supposed to hate your face forever after you cross them?

The cluster of them around my house does not seem to ever forget that I accidentally bopped their mayor on the head once.

From what I've heard, this is an intended feature. The masked pig actually has a chance of dropping his hat, the 'Swashy Hat', upon being killed. Supposedly, the hat acts as a disguise so that you can commit 'crimes' with reduced visibility and so that, once the disguise is removed, guards will not harbor animosity towards your character over prolonged periods of time. I've managed to get my hands on it once but, at the time, was not aware that it served any other purpose than to make your character look fabulous and to generate hostility amongst the guards, for the sake of entertainment, while standing in close proximity to them.

 

1 hour ago, Bullshootress said:

My game now consists of fighting nightmares in my house trying to dry off, inbetween ducking from guards and bats in the fog, listening for poop so I can buy food and won't starve to death yet.

That sounds about right. It certainly can get a bit chaotic and it doesn't take long for a run to turn into something bearing strong resemblance to a strip out of 'The Family Circus'. (LOL)

As of my last run, I've nearly succeeded in making it to the 3rd season. I'm by no means an expert but I'd like to share some general tips of what's worked for me so far, if anyone is interested. Namely with dealing with currency and sanity, as well as general strategies I've used to cope with the above. My response was getting rather lengthy and I had to condense it, so if anyone is interested, I can post the information in a separate reply, if need be.

[Bullshootress]

Idea: If they reduced the frequency of fog, the town crier could shout todays forecast.
And the town psychic could offer you a blessing of sight.
For a good chunk of oinks she could atleast let you expand your field of vision for a couple of days.
If the blessing comes in the form of a consumable, it should have very short spoilage, so that it can't be stockpiled.
Appearantly the pith hat deals with the slow, but nothing I know of yet takes cares of the miniscule field of vision.

Haha, I was lucky enough to stumble across that hat on one of my runs, but I had no idea what it did either.
I also found a "thieves stash" but never figured out how to mine/access/loot it. Didn't have a lot of tools to try sadly.
I thought maybe the hat stopped thieves from targeting you, or gave you access to the stash, but no. (I think it should do that too.)

I am very interested in some general tips. If you wouldn't mind, I'd love to add you on steam.

[Bullshootress]

2 hours ago, Bullshootress said:

...
I feel like the hamlet beta thread needs a 4th subthread, where we can help each other understand the game and it's mechanics.
It's hard to say whether a game mechanic is fair, balanced and bug free, and give feedback on that, if you have absolutely no clue what you are doing and how items are intended to function.
...

Found it!
 

 

[IntrinsicIrony]

@Bullshootress Sure, feel free to add me! I'm not too familiar with the Steam Community features, so if you type in my username (It should be 'Intrinsic') and send me a request, that'd be great! (*Edit: Also, I wanted to add that I really like your idea of synthesizing the Town Crier and the Psychic mechanics to grant players a buff. I think that it would be an interesting addition to the expansion.)

 

I'll post my tips here, for all who are interested. I originally cut the text from my original post and accidently overrode it, resulting in the loss of all of the text that I had compiled. XD I've re-written some general pointers and have condensed the information into tabs, so that it's more user friendly. These are just general strategies that I have used to survive. I'm a more passive player and have found these strategies to be accommodating to my style of gameplay. Be warned, there's a lot of information here, some of which may contain spoilers (Particularly, the '3rd Season' Tab). 

Feel free to use this template to share your own tips and strategies! 

Fog

Spoiler

Fog: My general strategy for coping with the fog is just to play it safe. By this point, I aim to have established my homestead in advance (usually by day 3 or 4...Or by day 2, if I'm lucky) and to have at least the basic science machine and crockpot in place by day 12. I also ensure that I have surplus currency on hand, using the methods that I listed under the 'Currency' tab, so that I don't necessarily have to scavenge for loose change amidst the fog. I generally stay away from the crazed jungle biomes, as I am not a particularly robust player. XD I just camp out at my house and in or around the town. It's a bonus if the grocer and/or the restaurant has managed to spawn near the Slanty Shanty, which helps to minimize time spent out in rough weather conditions. To pass time, I usually have enough cash on hand that I can afford to spend time furnishing and decorating my home, organizing my inventory, and fiddling with the science machine while waiting for bad weather to pass.

*Note on the Pith Hat: I haven't personally gotten around to trying the Pith Hat, but it seems like an effective alternative. Especially for those who like to explore and generally have a more 'active' playstyle than myself.

Sanity

Spoiler

Sanity: The best method I have found, thus far, for combatting low sanity is playing as Warbucks. He gains massive amounts of sanity, simply via the possession of Oinks in his inventory. This effect can be stacked. He loses sanity via consumption of unrefined foods but he is currently somewhat unbalanced and has a tendency to recoup sanity at a more rapid pace than which it is lost. So long as he has a surplus of Oinks on hand, his sanity is relatively stable and consistently rests at 300/300. This may change in the future but, for now, it leaves one less thing to worry about managing and opens up the door for further advancement, for the sake of beta testing.

 

To Access Him:
-You must own the ROG or Shipwrecked DLC packs.
-Select either of the DLC packs mentioned above and then make your character selection.
-If you scroll past the silhouettes, you'll see that Warbucks is already unlocked and selectable.
-Once you have selected him, be sure to switch back to the 'Hamlet' expansion for the best experience.

 

*Tip: Warbucks comes equipped with a magnifying glass. This has multiple uses, including: Using it as a blunt weapon, setting flammable objects on fire, intimidating Mants, useful for treasure hunting and, potentially, other undiscovered uses.  

Currency

Spoiler

To save on currency, I immediately gather enough radishes to fulfill my hunger requirements for the first few days. I immediately proceed to locate the main Pig Town. I implement the following methods to generate a steady flow of currency:

-Scooping up droppings $$$

-Exchanging items with the townsfolk and shopkeepers $$$

   -The florist who requests petals also will accept droppings in exchange for currency. Recycle your pig droppings, which is more practical to gather than petals, and make instant profit! $$$

   -Shears are relatively easy to craft. If you craft some, you can trim the rustled edges off of the hedges and trade the trimmings in for cash. $$$

   -If I happen to be near the farm, I will exchange some straw with the farmer, which is relatively easy to come by, for an oink.

-If I happen to be in the jungle biome, I'll gather loose idols which sell for 10 oinks each. These can also be found while treasure hunting.

-Setting trimmings, petals, or other salvageable/consumable items on the ground prompt the townsfolk to consume them, resulting in more pig droppings which, in turn, generates more cash. $$$

*The items with $ signs are the strategies that I mainly employ. Implementing these methods, I typically have generated enough cash to be able to afford a house by day 3. So, typically, 15+ oinks a day. This is more than enough to be able to purchase food and go about with daily living, without having to worry about having enough cash on hand to eat for the day.

*For some tips to save money on food, see the 'Bats' tab.

Bats

Spoiler

Bats: To save money on food, I take advantage of the frequent bat waves. I harvest monster meat so that I can prepare my own meals using the crockpot. For additional food supplements, I like to purchase ice for an oink each so that I can make meatballs for a relatively cheap price. The end result is a $3 meal, which is cheaper than most items in the restaurant. (Alternatively, you can buy pumpkin cookies for $3 from the restaurant, which are great for replenishing hunger and health but are not always available).

In terms of combat, I prefer to lead the bats to the guards and to let them do my bidding for me. I've noticed that they tend to kill them more quickly when they're wielding torches, as opposed to batons, so it may be beneficial to wait until the night to tackle them. There are obvious downsides to this strategy, however, as structures are flammable and there are less townsfolk out and about making you a more likely target.

 

*Ultimately, I haven't perfected my method for dealing with bats as the large onslaught of bats are what led to my inevitable demise during my last run. XD If anyone has tips for this one, I'd greatly appreciate them!

Some take-aways from my last run: As a more passive player, I've learned that it's probably best to have bandages on hand and to utilize the Slanty Shanty as a defensive 'fort' in order to tend to your wounds.

3rd Season

Spoiler

The third season is the Humid Season. I've briefly tinkered with the world generation presets, for the sake of experimentation, so I've experienced a small portion of what is to be expected during this time. Brambles are a prominent feature. They are an invasive plant species that act as a general nuisance and serve as barricades between you and the rest of the world. The only tip I have so far, for this, is to make sure that you have a machete on hand. Otherwise, you may become landlocked and, subsequently, doomed. XD

 

[IntrinsicIrony]

1 hour ago, Bullshootress said:

I also found a "thieves stash" but never figured out how to mine/access/loot it. Didn't have a lot of tools to try sadly.

Ah, I just realized that I forgot to respond to this in my post. XD

You have to craft/purchase a shovel. You have to dig up the chest, which lies beneath the thieves stash, in order to access the loot.

[ansuman]

I feel the filter needs to be dialed down a bit. There is no fun staring a 200 x 200 area for half a day.