Writing challenge - describe me this screenshot :D

[Inglorious Goose]

The Warm winds whistle through bamboo thickets, carrying the scents of spring.
Air heavy, dense each breath a warm embrace.

A scent of rain in the distance, teases your senses ever out of reach though on the horizon.

[Mirok]

If not for the gusty wind, I would have felt the sun evaporate the last drops of moisture from me.

(Если бы не порывистый ветер, я бы ощутил как солнце из меня выпаривает последние капли влаги.)

[shockingboring]

While I do like the Idea of imaginative text and the ability to convey our senses aside from seeing and hearing in games are severely limited, I am not sure if text alone could do the importance of our senses justice.

Our senses provide unique information regarding our surroundings and especially with a game that aims for a certain realism they become more and more important.

Another issue I see with imaginative text is:

where would it be placed? what triggers this additional bit of information? a random chance for a text-summary of the situation upon entering a new chunk or biome? I'm not saying that would be bad but we wouldn't gain much aside from feeling a little more immersed in the game where Vintage Story already does a pretty good job in my opinion.

Now I know this requires a lot of data, touches concepts that are currently not implemented (and I am not sure if planned) and wouldn't be the most important addition to the game but I would like to present my idea of how the characters senses could be added to the game in a way that, speaking for myself, allows the players to get a sense of what the character senses.

I tried to include a selection of feelings that should allow to cover most situations and provide all relevant information while still keeping it relatively simple.

These information could help with:

• navigation
• finding resources
• detecting threats
  • like poisonous plants before eating (automatically smelling food that is in hand)
  • gasses (yea, not implemented)
  • others... (I'm sure theres more)

the design of the UI can help with conveying the desired senses more accurately.

the sense of touch would allow players to navigate some in complete darkness which tankfully exists in this game. (love it)

(width -> distance (smaller -> further away). like ... you start feeling a block when you're about half a block away or so)...

the senses could react to the characters current status and little events, helping to visualize the story you are experiencing.

 they could also be used if concepts like injuries, diseases or exhaustion were to be implemented which I would be very excited about. (a more in-depth health system than just a bar).

an extension to the touch sense could allow to locate sources of heat (or cold) helping the player to identify danger or salvation depenting on the situation. (color is temperature, width is distance (smaller-> further away)).

I know this post might be kind of off-topic since I'm not taking part in the challange but the thread was posted under "Discussion" so I feel like it shouldn't be misplaced.

I'm relatively new to the game (copper age)(also first post) so, while I'm at it I'll just leave some general first impressions about the game.

• the knapping, clay forming and smithing mini-game crafting mechanics are solid gold and pretty intuitive in my opinion. keep up the creative work and leave the abstract 3x3 crafting behind where possible.
• dying from hunger within a day is kind of immersion breaking, I would love to see a more in-depth health system with debuffs like weak, starving, broken bones, bleeding, etc. where you can starve for days but will eventually end up getting yourself in deadly situations in an attempt to keep yourself fed to avoid the debuffs if you didn't plan ahead.
• I would like to see the building blocks have more effects than just different appearance.

apologies if I missed something in my inexperience.

I am very excited for the future of this game.

Edited May 21, 2021 by shockingboring
added more detailed concept description

[The Purple Oracle]

The humid wind drapes around you; furling your clothes (strong breeze,28.8°C,80%)

Humidity prefix;weather description:adjective describing scene;comment from applicable comment pool

The code could of gone something like this:
 

Spoiler

 

if humidity is outside of normal && weather type FALSE then add weather_type->Des.random

-suffix weather type with humidity variant (ie for 'weather type FALSE' and 'very dry air', " 'The Parched atmosphere' 'stales the air;' around you")

else if humidity is outside  normal && weather type TRUE then add weather_type->Des.random

-prefix weather type with humidity variant  (ie for strong wind moderate humidity, " 'The damp air' 'your clothes ripple in the wind' around you " )

then add a comment post line describing the area they are in just a few words like:

There is sand in your boots-wearing boots in desert

the ground is squishy-swamp

it smells of ozone-in a storm

its here-enters bosses layer

or you could even put things commenting on player status ie hunger thirst nausea drunk what ever

but I gave weather descriptions like furling clothes if its strong wind or water drips off your face

 

 

I already own the game but I would love to give a copy to a friend so we can play together

[P-Raven]

You will feel the time flowing slower here, silence, peace that we so lack. And it could be like that with us today - we are small, but not necessarily bad. Each of us should get there to understand that there is no sense in this struggle. No borders, no flags, no stupid quarrels, no different races, no wars, no states. 

[IrthenMagor]

You welcome the breeze as you emerge into this clearing, although you prefer to stay on the edge of the swaying foliage, where the shade protects you from the heat of the sun.

 

[aaron Braunlin]

You push your way though a bamboo thicket, the leaves you touch are reluctant to let go of your slick skin. You can hear the water of a nearby pond lapping gently in the breeze, which would itself be nice if not for the heat of it. Your sweat-damp shirt clings to you, you'd have removed it if not for a local species of parasitic fly. Pushing the thought from your mind, you take another heavy step. You must focus on moving. Night will fall soon, and it will bring them with it. You shiver despite the heat.

[Thalius]

On 5/20/2021 at 5:15 PM, Phacops said:

Everyone always thinks they'd want to be in a sea of green with no one around. Truth is, it's a green hell, and the only savior from the near 30°c heat is the warm muggy wind. Dense grass and trees leave you no sanctum to the swarms of bugs looking for a ride or meal. You'd think the little pond near by would offer some relief but all it does is make the air even more humid. Without proper clothing and protective gear you'll sweat out any water you can find that's drinkable. The only good thing about the surrounding area is the bountiful shade and frequent clouds to block the sun, though it's little more than a small peace of mind.

Lol!

Being that I live in the jungle and work in it from time to time, I can say this is probably the most accurate, literal description of what a location like this would feel like in the real world.

Well done! 

[Pest Ilence]

...

 

 

Moist

 

 

 

 

 

...

[Beau]

Just saw this today, it would be cool if standing still for a long period of time without any inputs would activate a sort of "immersion mode" where the hud would start to fade away, ambient sounds would become louder/ more complex, and your character would start having little poetic reflections about the surroundings like. 

"The bramble is thick but the air is thicker..."

"As floral scents scramble through the canopies..."

"...The smell of muck plods along too."

"Nature wraps around you like a damp shawl..." 

"...Homely, itchy, but comfortable"

Edited May 24, 2021 by Beau

[Scapin]

A strong breeze makes the climate palatable, carrying the earthy green smells of the tropics.  Vines sway, and leaves rustle. The wind whipped grass tickles at the skin. The ground is soft. The empty pond ripples, but the croaking of pond life can be heard elsewhere, deeper into the trees. Bamboo stalks bounce off their neighbors, hollow wooden chimes. The large pale clouds race off into the reserved, blue, sky.  Raising spirits, and pulling the heart to wanderlust. What natural wonders lay hidden below foliage's cover?

[Tyron]

Epic, what a variety of valuable submissions! Thanks everyone and sorry for the delay
I've carefully read through of all of them and while there are no objective best ones, these 2 sections by @Rummbottom and @carolita I find a most fitting for the smell and feel of the scene (and something that could potentially be proceduraly generated). I'll DM you both a game key.
 

On 5/20/2021 at 4:08 PM, Rummbottom said:

A warm summer breeze sets the grass to swaying, carrying on it the scent of the world around you; Earthen, woody, the smells of bamboo and moss carrying on the wind. It's not an unpleasant aroma... Dulled, mayhaps, by the humid air, but nevertheless a constant reminder of this land's fertility. 

 

On 5/20/2021 at 6:15 PM, carolita said:

It's a very warm place, the sun makes you feel like melting, but the few clouds and trees providing a bit of shadow makes it a bit more bearable. A very light breeze makes its way from the right, without any trees stoping them from making its way to help ease the heat. The air feels dense and heavy with its humidity, you can barely smell the scent of the grass around you.

Also, great idea, @Beau! That sounds like am idea way to convey such information without getting in the way of the experience. Hopefully this will find its way in to the game one day.

[Nii P.]

Just home!

(northern Thailand)