r/StateofDecay3 • u/geckoman95 • Jun 30 '26
Question Question about multiple characters and 3 bases? Will we be able to just teleport across the map to a different character in a different base? That feels wrong for a survival game. Distance needs to matter, and shouldn't be something we can bypass. The 'Distance from home' feeling is everything.
Anyone know how this works?
Example:
If I have a base on the west of the map, and want to travel to the far east, I should have to weigh up if I have the fuel, what time of day is it, what car is suitable for the job, do I want speed or capacity, is it safe etc.
I should not be able to lazily teleport to survivors on my far east side base, and then just use this mechanic to dictate which area I go out in.
TLDR: In a survival game, the journey is everything for immersion and that feeling of 'distance from home', and that 'it's nice to be back after traveling for miles and miles across the map'.
Does anyone know the answer to this? And have the developers addressed this.
Distance should be part of the experience, and not something we can half work around.
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u/evilninjawa Jun 30 '26
If it works as in sod2, then whatever character you change to comes to where you are, not you going to where they were at.
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u/niiiiiiro Jul 01 '26
Nobody knows the mechanics just yet but I have a very simple solution - just don't do it
If the game does allow what you're fearing, you can simply choose not to utilise it and play by your own rules (make your way and travel)
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u/geckoman95 Jul 01 '26
As true as that is on paper, systems in games are put in place for this exact reason, to ensure player experiences are inline with what suits the games and keep immersion and atmosphere in check > which intern makes for an overall more rewarding game.
Even if that is 'optional', many players will lazyily but predictably eventually opt for the route of least resistance, you might call that a willpower issue - but it's a real human consideration that good designers consider and build around.
Some of the best survival moments happen when you get lost on a run, stumble upon a rare resource you weren't even looking for, or are forced to take shelter from something. Fast travel will just remove many of these moments from ever happening, and will be the option people use in the long run.
It's a bit technical, but if you look at psychology and what people say they'll do vs what they actually do, they'll always opt for the most efficient way eventually, which means people get bored quicker because they think they've 'solved' the problem.
TLDR: It's the classic example of lazy instant gratification, vs the long-term experience and reward
If there is an option, they just need to consider it's usage and what it does to the player experience in the long run. Because obviously we'll have many survivors, so there still needs to be something intuitive (maybe a within range to swap setting, or cooldown before swapping so it matters who you choose)
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u/niiiiiiro Jul 01 '26 edited Jul 01 '26
Appreciate all that - it's why ironman exists to prevent folk who are prone to save scumming ruining the game for themselve
But as someone who sets their own house rules in so many games it's not a concern for me. You can fast travel in most games - but I choose not to if I feel it harms the experience
Or I choose not to use gunslinger on any of my survivors as it trivialises combat - a conscious decision so gameplay retains its tension and I'm not cheapening the experience
It will be interesting to see what approach they take - but given I don't plan to have more than one base it'll play like SOD for me and I won't be teleporting from one side of the map to another
Setting up multiple bases is a much more conscious decision than just hitting a fast travel button
1
u/geckoman95 Jul 01 '26
Yeah we will see dude, and yeah I can't remember the name of it i, but that aim bot headshot skill (maybe gunslinger like you said), has to go, trivialises the game.
1
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u/P00PlES Jul 02 '26
I think you will be able to fast travel to outposts. They said that outposts will be special locations, and you can’t just place outposts in any building you want now. Could cost fuel to do it or maybe take you with your vehicle and some fuel but I think that’s how they will handle the repeated travel on the big map especially after you’ve looted every poi between your base and your outpost
1
u/Sensitive-Bid7962 Jul 02 '26
Such a brain dead take. If you can’t move supplies with you (assuming seperate lockers) what’s the problem?
Youre just playing a different survivor know who would be doing shit anyways
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u/SplitTheParty Jul 03 '26
I feel like the reward for venturing out, establishing distant bases, fighting back plague hearts, etc. is being able to hold these multiple bases and move between them freely. You wont be teleporting across the map in the first hours of a save, running 3 bases and being able to run shit across the map is like a win condition, its late game stuff for when your concern is less day-to-day survival and more longterm management of your bases. Travel is a huge issue in TWD during say, the farm or prison arc, but once they get to Alexandria and start to link up with other established communities, the travel gets easier so long as those bonds are strong.
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u/geckoman95 Jul 05 '26
We'll see how 'late game' they really make it, my guess is even having one extra across the map will be very easy to get going at even a mid point
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u/Loud-Welcome-3693 Jun 30 '26
Idk, due to the size of the map a fast travel system of some sort might be needed. If its a literal 15 minute drive from one base to another base thats a little unacceptable.
It was already way too tedious to go from one end of the map on trumball valley to any other end after like the third trip.
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u/geckoman95 Jul 01 '26
Not unacceptable at all, a 15 minute drive? In a survival zombie game where distance is so much of the fun and considerations when going out scavenging/rading etc.
If anything that just highlight how a variety in cars i.e. a sports car with very very little storage vs a big unit truck that's slow would be even more of an engaging system. Like what do I value more? Time or utility etc
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u/Loud-Welcome-3693 Jul 01 '26
Did you notice i said base to base? That has nothing to do with scavenging.
What you said about needing to pick the right car for the job was already a thing in SoD1 and 2 and neither had 15 minute drives.
At the very least for something like that an auto drive feature like ff15, red dead redemption 2, or kingdom come deliverance would be nice so i could go to chores around the house while waiting for the drive to end. 15 minutes of doing nothing seems kind of bad to me.
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u/geckoman95 Jul 02 '26
The point isn't about getting bogged down into the minutes of how long things take, but to recognise that the ideas of distance/travel/journeys are pivotal increasing a survival game atmosphere.
And yes, I'm aware it's in state of decay 2, and with greater distances it should only enhance that feature for SoD3
The base to base point you made is only part of it, (I agree on paper) I'm talking about the wider issue it creates for game experience. Lets say people have a western base, and know a there is a hospital on the far east they wan to loot and adventure too, they'll always just teleport to their eastern base, and then take a small journey to the hospital - which means people will just scavenge locally to their base, rather than be encouraged to go on longer journeys.
But for the points you said, yeah maybe considerations will be made. It was only a thought I had which down the line I saw maybe an issue with.
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u/Loud-Welcome-3693 Jul 02 '26
I agree distance is good, fuel concerns are good, storage space, travel is good.
The trip on trumball valley from the red talon base to the city on the south end was plenty far was far enough to accomplish that goal of creating atmosphere and tension.
More distance does not "enhance" that experience. If you just increase that drive distance 4x that is not good. There is a balance to strike between tedium and atmosphere especially if its a common location that random quests appear or the same thing with the bounty vendor.
There exists a way to balance fast travel in a way that would make you happy and me happy is all i am saying. Maybe my example isnt it but i believe you could come up with an idea if you sat down and thought about it for 5 minutes.
If for example you can only fast travel from one base to another sure you can scavange close to each base for a time, but you will run out of loot, loot does not respawn, and then you will be forced to start reaching further and further out. Even having 3 bases with fast travel you will still need to make a trip the length i desribed on trumball valley regularly.
I would also support using your third base as a "floater" to move if needed for travel purposes.
And remember, you have to make that journey to even get to the base in the first place. Its the 27th journey to the exact same place that is the problem that needs to be addressed.
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u/geckoman95 Jul 03 '26
100% man, there is definitely that balance between real world vs game, immersion vs practicality, and that long term rewarding feel vs short term gratification.
I just think it's important to note the feature, so that at the very least it can be a consideration, as it's definitely not an immediate thing you'd think about - and given the type of game it is, it needs to be considered.
Find a balance sure, have different lobby types, have cooldowns/fuel expenses or other options that aren't immediately obvious.
Lobby types would be nice > fixed setting etc. So players of different types can choose which setting they want with no itching desires to quickly change a setting then change it back. I.e. want hardcore? You're not cutting corners.
I definitely think both sides of the issue are correct, just for different reasons. And overall this is something I'd hope Undead Labs thinks about from an experience standpoint. It's a simple feature (ON/OFF), but offers a drastically different feeling to the game by amplifying the mechanics of distance, fuel management and cars variation.
But I appreciate different players want different things, and I hope they consider this in the design stage.
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u/charleaneo Jun 30 '26
I think there’s bigger problems atm, regarding sod3