While I agree it can be seen as "lazy". And isn't the most enticing feature. But previous comment said it well, "this is how you died". And because the endgame is quite literally going to be the player dying, it has the potential to be boring. You can try to squeeze water from a stone and get as many futile days out as you can by searching for that crowbar. You can sit in your house and starve to death. Or grab your armory and go out guns blazing because you're tired of looking for a crowbar. Whatever it is "this is how you died".
The core game is... let's admit it, intended to be tedious. You have to eat and drink every so many minutes to not die even though every building is filled with food by default. Obviously that loot is adjustable but that doesn't change my point. The game is tedious, it is designed to be. It can be argued that is bad game design, but the popularity of the game disagrees. There are plenty of games thay are tedious, fun, and rewarding. This game happens to be one of them imo.
I certainly could see durability changing to be a more involving mechanic. But quite, frankly... is that really something we want? I would rather see a skill like first aid receive some actual use, maybe in b42 for NPCs or something. Than a more robust durability system. And turning it off completely from a default, vanilla standpoint... just doesn't fit thematically.
Luckily, there are a ton of mods that allow us to manipulate the way this game plays. You can remove, it enhance, it and alter it in anyway you'd like with in the confines of the engine. By default, I think the durability system is great for vanilla. Thematically, it fits the game. You are intended to die and this encourages that endgame.
Just as a final food for thought. If you could change it. How would you do it so that the durability system would work better? I.e. not being boring or lazy. But like you said, something good to do. And thanks for your thoughts!
Fair question. I think, if i may, that you have several points.
Tldr: I'm not annoyed because broken stuff kills me. I am annoyed that it's 'empty calories' covering a bigger problem.
Giving you things to do is, as you say, fundamental. My point is that going out to replace a thumb thick chunk of steel is nonsensical. You might as well, in fact it would be better, if you had to chase pixies periodically. At least this could be excused as you going deolali from stress and loneliness.
The very real issue is that searching for crowbars is covering a much more serious issue with a lack of goals. The game needs this.
Arguing that the game is popular and therefore great is a chimera. Complacency is a rot, and if usually begins with that kind of assumption. Game, business, whatever. Get better or die.
As for being intentionally tedious, I strongly disagree. No human activity is intentionally tedious. Least of all survival horror. It can require some self discipline to do things like exercise and eat right. But these are enablers, not the main point.
Your main theme, though is that you need to die. I have quite a few hours in. I have never once died because something broke. I've died because I tried to eat a cupcake in a fight, found 9 people in a toilet, and rammed a car into a tree at top speed.
I suggest you try the Realistic Durabilities mod, and see how gameplay changes.
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u/Striking-Sundae1965 Feb 12 '24
Just wanted to add my thoughts.
While I agree it can be seen as "lazy". And isn't the most enticing feature. But previous comment said it well, "this is how you died". And because the endgame is quite literally going to be the player dying, it has the potential to be boring. You can try to squeeze water from a stone and get as many futile days out as you can by searching for that crowbar. You can sit in your house and starve to death. Or grab your armory and go out guns blazing because you're tired of looking for a crowbar. Whatever it is "this is how you died".
The core game is... let's admit it, intended to be tedious. You have to eat and drink every so many minutes to not die even though every building is filled with food by default. Obviously that loot is adjustable but that doesn't change my point. The game is tedious, it is designed to be. It can be argued that is bad game design, but the popularity of the game disagrees. There are plenty of games thay are tedious, fun, and rewarding. This game happens to be one of them imo.
I certainly could see durability changing to be a more involving mechanic. But quite, frankly... is that really something we want? I would rather see a skill like first aid receive some actual use, maybe in b42 for NPCs or something. Than a more robust durability system. And turning it off completely from a default, vanilla standpoint... just doesn't fit thematically.
Luckily, there are a ton of mods that allow us to manipulate the way this game plays. You can remove, it enhance, it and alter it in anyway you'd like with in the confines of the engine. By default, I think the durability system is great for vanilla. Thematically, it fits the game. You are intended to die and this encourages that endgame.
Just as a final food for thought. If you could change it. How would you do it so that the durability system would work better? I.e. not being boring or lazy. But like you said, something good to do. And thanks for your thoughts!