So I increased the difficulty...

[Echo Weaver]

I am happy to read spoilers about foes and new craftables, but I'll avoid the story spoilers. Glad to hear it's awesome! I agree that two months doesn't seem too bad, though if that's two months of solid travel doing nothing else, it could get pretty dull. I figure I'll have to support myself with forage and hunting, mark cool stuff on my map to return to, and gather resources to store on my elk -- not to mention dealing with high rift activity and temporal storms. If I leave in spring right after I plant my garden, I'll be back by summer and should be able to do proper prep for the next winter.

And since it appears we can upgrade our world, I can just upgrade my current game. I just found halite while mining magnetite. I'm ridiculously chuffed and nobody here cares. 

ETA: "Here" meant in my house, not on this forum. I didn't realize how passive aggressive that line sounded. 

Edited December 10, 2024 by Echo Weaver

[Maelstrom]

On 12/4/2024 at 9:35 PM, LadyWYT said:

Oh boy did the game decide otherwise. Spawn into the world, and there's nothing but granite for miles it seems when it comes to the stone type. Fewer food options than normal, fewer surface copper spots than normal, and quite a bit of jagged terrain to make navigation difficult. Wolves outside my camp, there's a shiver somewhere close to my basement clicking around.

VS be like

[Thorfinn]

22 hours ago, LadyWYT said:

Build the ugliest house possible, maybe? Just to see how ugly you can possibly make it.

Should have taken your advice.

I ran back to camp on an Apoc night, several shivers in hot pursuit, only to find a brown bear rummaging through my stuff. The only place I had kind of closed off was the farm, which had a double-high fence on the shoreline, thinking it might stop bowtorn missiles. (Still don't know for certain whether it does. I think I saw missiles blocked, but I was quite a ways away, and, being as it was heavy, heavy rain, could not spam torches to be sure.) Then I noticed there were not one but two rifts in the farm. I couldn't even take the time to unload my full inventory. Had to throw away some stuff I'd have rather kept to get a space to gather food on the run.

Ended up being a wasted night of sprinting around. Would have been much better to have had a small place where I could either do some baking or forging or likely both.

Wow @LadyWYT . November before you did the new content, so presumably January, maybe February now? You already have 70ish hours in your world? I just hit 11 hours, 0 minutes. Not from lack of time, per se, but I just need to know I've got 1.5-2 hours free before I play.

[Maelstrom]

On 12/8/2024 at 10:06 AM, LadyWYT said:

I've found myself rethinking how I manage my stamina after making that change.

I warn newbies that the core thing to learn in VS is resource management and EVERYTHING (stamina, inventory, time) are resources to be managed, not just material and items.  I love playing blackguard (I'm a tanky miner at heart) but trying hunter with the new mobs.  Was surprised that steel chain did not impact accuracy very much for the hunter!  

[Thorfinn]

On 12/8/2024 at 5:27 PM, LadyWYT said:

If you have issues with the shivers you might want to build a perimeter fence. Shivers don't seem to be able to climb over those.

Can they negotiate through gaps in fences? Bears can (or could) but planting trees every other space makes a bunch of 1-wide spaces bears can't get through. Would be nice to have something a little faster, particularly if it strips off the shivers. Have to play around with that at my leisure if no one knows and is willing to share.

[EDIT]

@Maelstrom, ultimately time is the only resource. You trade time to gather materials. You trade time for reduced hunger rate. You trade inventory for picking up crap you don't have an immediate need for, which means you trade it for time to return to base and unload.

Edited December 10, 2024 by Thorfinn

[Echo Weaver]

1 minute ago, Thorfinn said:

Can they negotiate through gaps in fences? Bears can (or could) but planting trees every other space makes a bunch of 1-wide spaces bears can't get through. Would be nice to have something a little faster, particularly if it strips off the shivers. Have to play around with that at my leisure if no one knows and is willing to share.

Can bears get through/over fences in 1.20? A bear got trapped in my fenced-in garden early on in my solo 1.19 game and didn't seem to be able to get out.

[Thorfinn]

No, bears can't. Well, at least until there's snow on the ground. Not sure then.

I was talking about putting fences every other block, leaving you just short of 2 blocks to run through. Watching shivers, I think they probably can't get through, but bears might not be a full 2 blocks wide. But getting by with half the materials would be great. Or even if it were

FbTbFbTb...

Where
F=fence
b=blank
T=tree

Yeah, the saplings won't fill in right away, but that should be a little less than a 1.5m gap, and, running at a slight angle, the slightly larger tree would help funnel you to the gap.

What I do now when I get around to it is place a 1-high perimeter fence, then periodically a second fencepost on top and a ladder on top of that. The ladder starting 2m off the ground is tall enough that bears can't grab it and pull themselves over,  but you can climb over at a dead run.

Hmm. Playing at a dead run seems to be a repeating theme...

[LadyWYT]

1 hour ago, Thorfinn said:

Wow @LadyWYT . November before you did the new content, so presumably January, maybe February now? You already have 70ish hours in your world? I just hit 11 hours, 0 minutes. Not from lack of time, per se, but I just need to know I've got 1.5-2 hours free before I play.

Nah. I think I'm approaching 40 hours, and it's just barely ticked over into December. I generally sleep through the nights, as I don't like operating in the dark if I don't have to. I also generally take my sweet time doing things in the game, it's just this time I was really pushing my progress in order to see the new stuff so some things happened faster. Of course, the main thing I have to figure out now is how I'm going to get home; I started the journey the first of November, right after a temporal storm...so there's probably another storm bearing down for the return trip.

58 minutes ago, Maelstrom said:

I love playing blackguard (I'm a tanky miner at heart)

*highfives*

58 minutes ago, Maelstrom said:

I warn newbies that the core thing to learn in VS is resource management and EVERYTHING (stamina, inventory, time) are resources to be managed, not just material and items. 

Pretty much. Once you know what you're doing it's not terribly hard, but the game is very good about lulling you into complacency and then punishing you for it.

28 minutes ago, Thorfinn said:

Can they negotiate through gaps in fences? Bears can (or could) but planting trees every other space makes a bunch of 1-wide spaces bears can't get through. Would be nice to have something a little faster, particularly if it strips off the shivers. Have to play around with that at my leisure if no one knows and is willing to share.

It depends on how big the gap is. They're big mobs, and need at least a two-wide gap in order to get through. I think they might need a space two blocks tall in order to navigate as well. The one thing you can't do with them is rely on a wall made from solid blocks, as my understanding is that they can climb at least two block heights. As for why they can't climb fences...I can only assume that's an oversight due to something in the code that prevents creatures from climbing over fences, in order to keep your animals in their pens.

25 minutes ago, Echo Weaver said:

Can bears get through/over fences in 1.20? A bear got trapped in my fenced-in garden early on in my solo 1.19 game and didn't seem to be able to get out.

I don't believe they can. They have similar space requirements to the shivers as well, I do believe.

[Maelstrom]

3 hours ago, Thorfinn said:

@Maelstrom, ultimately time is the only resource. You trade time to gather materials. You trade time for reduced hunger rate. You trade inventory for picking up crap you don't have an immediate need for, which means you trade it for time to return to base and unload.

Not true.  Yes, you use the resource of time to gather material and move about.  But stamina is a different resource in that time is not the only thing that depletes it, increased movement speed, injury and other things change stamina.  Inventory is a mostly independent resource from time, the only connection is that inventory resource reduces for the time you gather resources.

[Thorfinn]

3 hours ago, Maelstrom said:

But stamina is a different resource...

I take it that must be some class thing? Or a mod? I have no idea what stamina is in VS.

Edited December 11, 2024 by Thorfinn

[LadyWYT]

35 minutes ago, Thorfinn said:

I take it that must be some class thing? Or a mod? I have no idea what stamina is in VS.

The hunger bar. I typically wind up calling it stamina, and not hunger. Granted, you can still keep doing whatever even when it's empty, but at that point it stops pulling from your stamina(since you have none) and starts using your health pool as a resource instead. And of course, when that runs out, you die.

In regards to being a class thing...it kind of is that as well. Blackguards have that 30% penalty to hunger, which means they're going to burn through their stamina a lot faster than the other classes.

Edit: I will also note that I made it back to my base after just over two full days of non-stop travel, barring a few quick stops to warm up. I will also note that I did not make it home before the next temporal storm hit...and it was the first medium one too. Riding through all that mess was a definite trip. Arrived at home half-dead from freezing, proceeded to nearly get stomped to death by my elk for some reason. Made it inside just in time though, so crisis averted! Overall, the entire trip took just over one in-game month, though I would still say the average trip will probably take about two months. It hinges a lot on world generation, player's navigation skills, and whether or not the player chooses to pursue the story exclusively or complete other tasks along the way.

For those concerned about needing to make multiple trips though:

Spoiler

It seems the devs already thought of that and added a sort of "fast travel" method, if you will. I would expect future story chapters to follow similar logic, and have similar methods of traveling between them once players have advanced far enough in the story.

 

Edited December 11, 2024 by LadyWYT

[Thorfinn]

1 hour ago, LadyWYT said:

The hunger bar.

Oh, OK. Satiation. I thought maybe there was something that I had not noticed since I sprint everywhere, and wouldn't have noticed it recovering.

Is there any reason to let it drop below what your next meal will restore? Other than to exploit the starving glitch, I mean.

 

1 hour ago, LadyWYT said:

I made it back to my base after just over two full days of non-stop travel

That's about what I figured it would probably be as long as mapgen didn't completely hose you. 5k is fairly easy in just sunrise to sunset. 8-10k per full day is quite reasonable for anything you can sort of traverse, and with the benefits of 2-block climb and faster speed, the elk might stretch that to 12-15k. (A friend who already has the elk tells me it speeds things by about 50%. No, I don't have an elk and I'm not sure exactly how to go about getting one. I'm guessing one of the traders will drop a hint.)

 

1 hour ago, LadyWYT said:

...nearly get stomped to death by my elk for some reason

Note to self -- heal up before dismounting.

[LadyWYT]

1 hour ago, Thorfinn said:

Is there any reason to let it drop below what your next meal will restore? Other than to exploit the starving glitch, I mean.

Not to my knowledge. I pretty much just eat whenever I'm hungry and can finish the whole meal in one sitting, or if I'm fixing to head out to go do something and not bringing food with me. Of course, since I tend to sleep through the nights, I also make sure I'm not going to go hungry while I'm asleep either. Not that it would kill me, but it's not the best thing to wake up to.

1 hour ago, Thorfinn said:

That's about what I figured it would probably be as long as mapgen didn't completely hose you. 5k is fairly easy in just sunrise to sunset. 8-10k per full day is quite reasonable for anything you can sort of traverse, and with the benefits of 2-block climb and faster speed, the elk might stretch that to 12-15k. (A friend who already has the elk tells me it speeds things by about 50%. No, I don't have an elk and I'm not sure exactly how to go about getting one. I'm guessing one of the traders will drop a hint.)

During the shorter winter days I was clocking around 7k per day, probably about 10k if I rode all day and night. It does depend a lot on which route you take as well; if there's a stretch of flatter land that skirts a mountain, it's often faster to go that way than taking the most direct path. I also don't really recommend riding at night if you don't have to. While it's easy enough to outrun things on the elk, you're not going to be able to see very far even with the lantern, so you have a much greater chance of riding into a hole.

As for how to get the elk:

Spoiler

You'll need to complete the Resonance Archive first. After that, you can go back and talk to the treasure hunter(the same one you talked to for the map), and he'll sell you the elk. There's also an item in the Resonance Archive that will help you get your first elk too--you can't miss it as it drops from the boss.

 

[Maelstrom]

7 hours ago, LadyWYT said:

you have a much greater chance of riding into a hole.

And we complain about car eating potholes.   

[Steel General]

18 hours ago, Thorfinn said:

Can they negotiate through gaps in fences?

If you place fence posts diagonally the player can get through but no animal bigger than a lamb can.  The front half of a bear's body will get through when it attacks.  A single line of eight posts makes a pretty safe screen - if your target tries an end-run, just step through.  I've been using this to kill bears with no armor and any melee weapon.

I specify 'animal' because I'm pretty sure drifters can get through - I dunno about the new mobs.

Four fence posts around a pig or sheep is a great prelude to slaughter.

Slightly different subject, but this seems a good place to drop it: pines will grow when diagonally adjacent.  A staggered line makes a solid wall - if any seem too short, break leaves from the top to the trunk, place cob, and plant another sapling.  For appearances, once it grows remove the cob and place a pine log - double-tall pine.

[Krougal]

On 12/9/2024 at 4:46 PM, LadyWYT said:

To elaborate on what @Thorfinn said--it is the new process for fire clay, since fire clay now only spawns under coal deposits, specifically black coal I think. You have to bake flint to get calcined flint, then grind that into powder and add it to red or blue clay to get fire clay.

Anthracite and under the ocean, at least that has been my experience with it in the last PR.

[Thorfinn]

11 hours ago, LadyWYT said:

you have a much greater chance of riding into a hole.

Good point. The other downside of elk is going to be that if you play with gravity, being able to ascend 2-high spaces is not necessarily going to be an advantage...

[LadyWYT]

4 hours ago, Thorfinn said:

Good point. The other downside of elk is going to be that if you play with gravity, being able to ascend 2-high spaces is not necessarily going to be an advantage...

Very true. I don't play with gravity enabled for soil blocks, but boy did it cross my mind given how many times I nearly rode into one.

[Maelstrom]

On 12/11/2024 at 10:51 AM, Thorfinn said:

Good point. The other downside of elk is going to be that if you play with gravity, being able to ascend 2-high spaces is not necessarily going to be an advantage...

I love playing with gravity on.  Looks like I've got some adventure coming when I get my elk, a few months from now.

[LadyWYT]

One thing I will note about the elk--while enemies don't seem to target the elk, I would recommend making a stable or holding pen to park it in when you're at home. The elk does stay in one spot, generally, but if you have a trough of food somewhere nearby it will notice and make a beeline for it.

Also speaking of bears and fences...they can swat things through fences, if the target is standing close enough. One of my sheep got mauled by a bear yesterday, which was disappointing. Looks like I'll be building a fortified perimeter, which is ideal anyway given there's a cave nearby that will produce a monster or two every now and then.

Edit: I correct myself--the elk will wander a bit when unmounted. So definitely a good idea to build a pen or stable to keep it in whenever you're not currently out on an adventure.

Edited December 12, 2024 by LadyWYT

[T-Rex1983]

On 12/5/2024 at 10:54 AM, Echo Weaver said:

I will probably check out your seed! I place high value on a beautiful spawn point. I'm not sure how ready I am to abandon my 1.19 game, which is hitting its second winter and is my first solo game. The struggle is real...

I just ported a v1.19.rc5 map to 1.20.rc4 version (with Rivers mod, which could be iffy). And so far, loaded 2-3 chunks and things looks okay.

Just make a backup of the backup of the backup...

[Vratislav]

On 12/12/2024 at 9:54 PM, Maelstrom said:

I love playing with gravity on.  Looks like I've got some adventure coming when I get my elk

I am also looking forward this. Started my 1.20 playtrough with gravity and caveins and it is definitely more fun. Necessary care for supports when mining adds for realism, and I love to har landslides caused by monsters near my base at night  . Also I have not enough experience yet, but I feel like that landslides may be be triggered less often if you step on the slope with light foot (like not running or maybe without an armor). So I am really curious how the elk will manage running through difficult terrain.

[Maelstrom]

Running or walking doesn't impact triggering landslides.  Block updates will ALWAYS cause them.   It's always a delight watching the side of a mountain collapse when viewed from the other side of a valley.

[Vratislav]

17 hours ago, Maelstrom said:

Block updates will ALWAYS cause them

Well, then how is connected block update and stepping on the block? It is definitely not happening every time that the soil block falls if the side support is removed or something steps on it. 

[Vratislav]

Just now, Vratislav said:

Well, then how is connected block update and stepping on the block? It is definitely not happening every time that the soil block falls if the side support is removed or something steps on it. 

But I am actually lazy to do tests in creative to support my statement