Hello community,

We've just hotfixed The Long Dark to v.365 to fix some bugs in the recent update, Vigilant Trespass.


* Fixed issue with Flare Brandish not playing audio or warding off wildlife when player stamina low
* Fixed issue with unlit light sources being unequipped when picking up items with double click
* Fixed camera issues when entering tilted vehicles
* Fixed crashes due to quitting game during fade outs of scene transitions or exiting vehicles
* Fixed crash that could occur when renaming a Journal
* Fixed issue with being able type text in a Journal if you died while editing
* Fixed issue with toilets disappearing when loading old saves
* Fixed glitch with lit Matches animation when inspecting an item or container
* Fixed issue with Storm Lantern playing ignite audio when running out of fuel
* Fixed issue with movement speed if Struggle is triggered when player is crouching
* Optimized audio in Desolation Point to prevent potential sound hitches
* General fixes to Environment art and collision


### END OF CHANGELIST ###

Hello community,

We've just hotfixed The Long Dark to v.365 to fix some bugs in the recent update, Vigilant Trespass.


* Fixed issue with Flare Brandish not playing audio or warding off wildlife when player stamina low
* Fixed issue with unlit light sources being unequipped when picking up items with double click
* Fixed camera issues when entering tilted vehicles
* Fixed crashes due to quitting game during fade outs of scene transitions or exiting vehicles
* Fixed crash that could occur when renaming a Journal
* Fixed issue with being able type text in a Journal if you died while editing
* Fixed issue with toilets disappearing when loading old saves
* Fixed glitch with lit Matches animation when inspecting an item or container
* Fixed issue with Storm Lantern playing ignite audio when running out of fuel
* Fixed issue with movement speed if Struggle is triggered when player is crouching
* Optimized audio in Desolation Point to prevent potential sound hitches
* General fixes to Environment art and collision


### END OF CHANGELIST ###

Dear community,

Two years ago -- on September 22nd, 2014 -- we brought The Long Dark to Steam Early Access. It was a newer platform back then. Survival games weren’t truly a “genre” unto themselves yet. We were still hitting our stride as an independent developer, about 18 months into development and only 11 months after we wrapped up our successful Kickstarter.

We had released an early version of the game to some of our Kickstarter backers, and we were thrilled to have some feedback. The notion of community-informed development was still pretty new to us back then, with the team mostly coming from traditional “triple-A” development backgrounds. We were used to working on games for years without being able to talk about them, pushing them out the door when they were as ready as we could make them, and crossing our fingers in hope that people would like them.

The idea of releasing an early, unfinished, unpolished version of the game was both tremendously exciting, and scary as hell. What if people hated it? We knew The Long Dark didn’t really fit into the traditional mold -- which was precisely the reason we had embarked on creating it. But really, apart from 6966 Kickstarter Backers who trusted our vision enough to give us their money, we had no idea if anyone would like what we had made.

Launching on Steam, in Early Access, was a turning point for us. On our first day, The Long Dark appeared in the #4 slot on Steam’s Top Sellers list. In the first month, we sold over 40,000 copies. We thought that was pretty good. By the end of January, 2015, we had sold over 250,000 copies. Today, across Steam and Xbox One, more than 950,000 people have contributed to the development of The Long Dark.

We know we’ve missed promised Story Mode dates. We’ve not always been able to get updates out as frequently as we would have liked. Not everything we’ve added to the game has been universally loved (*cough* intestinal parasites *cough). We’ve produced nearly 300 builds and over 75 public updates. Our team has grown from about 8 developers in September 2014, to nearly 25 today. We have a studio on Vancouver Island and are about to open a Hinterland Outpost in Vancouver. Tens of millions of play hours have been logged. Millions of people have watched the game played on YouTube and Twitch. The Long Dark has been analyzed critically by academics, has been incorporated into philosophy and literature curriculum as a case study of “vulnerability”, it’s helped people suffering from anxiety issues find some peace, while also managing to challenge veteran outdoorspeople and survivalists. Seeing one game be so many things to so many people is one of the most rewarding things in the world.

It’s even attracted the attention of some notable Canadian icons, like Margaret Atwood! (One of my personal high points on this project, so far!)



I’ve been fortunate to see this game grow from the kernel of an idea. What started as a deeply personal journey about striking out to the proverbial “hinterlands” of the games industry, has evolved into an artistic survival experience that has touched many people’s lives. It’s also provided the team at Hinterland with meaningful work and a way to provide for our respective families and dependents. For you, it is $20 and (hopefully) dozens of hours of escapism. For us, it is a calling, a livelihood. For me, it has become integral to the very fabric of my being.

Thank you for the faith you have put in us. Every day we strive to live up to it. We hope you have enjoyed the last two years of The Long Dark. Here’s to many more years! (But not too many more without Story Mode.)

You are the best of us.

- Raphael
@raphlife



################################


To celebrate this anniversary with us, we’re giving all of you the exact version of The Long Dark we launched on Steam Early Access on September 22nd, 2014. For one week only, you can access it on Steam, by the following:

* Right-click The Long Dark in your Steam library
* Select Properties
* Click the Betas tab
* Enter the code: h1nterland2014
* Select the build from the dropdown: build_sept22_2014

Steam should automatically update to this old 2014 build. To revert back to the current build, simply Opt Out of Betas from the Betas tab, and Steam should update back to the current Main Branch build.

REMEMBER! Gameplay has changed substantially since 2014, so things may not work the way you are used to. Please help each other out! Also, please note that you will not find current saves in the old build.

We’ll leave this build live for about a week, and then will shut it down. So enjoy it!

We’ve also put together a little video to commemorate this anniversary. We hope you like it!

https://youtu.be/ZrGo0VafL_s

Dear community,

Two years ago -- on September 22nd, 2014 -- we brought The Long Dark to Steam Early Access. It was a newer platform back then. Survival games weren’t truly a “genre” unto themselves yet. We were still hitting our stride as an independent developer, about 18 months into development and only 11 months after we wrapped up our successful Kickstarter.

We had released an early version of the game to some of our Kickstarter backers, and we were thrilled to have some feedback. The notion of community-informed development was still pretty new to us back then, with the team mostly coming from traditional “triple-A” development backgrounds. We were used to working on games for years without being able to talk about them, pushing them out the door when they were as ready as we could make them, and crossing our fingers in hope that people would like them.

The idea of releasing an early, unfinished, unpolished version of the game was both tremendously exciting, and scary as hell. What if people hated it? We knew The Long Dark didn’t really fit into the traditional mold -- which was precisely the reason we had embarked on creating it. But really, apart from 6966 Kickstarter Backers who trusted our vision enough to give us their money, we had no idea if anyone would like what we had made.

Launching on Steam, in Early Access, was a turning point for us. On our first day, The Long Dark appeared in the #4 slot on Steam’s Top Sellers list. In the first month, we sold over 40,000 copies. We thought that was pretty good. By the end of January, 2015, we had sold over 250,000 copies. Today, across Steam and Xbox One, more than 950,000 people have contributed to the development of The Long Dark.

We know we’ve missed promised Story Mode dates. We’ve not always been able to get updates out as frequently as we would have liked. Not everything we’ve added to the game has been universally loved (*cough* intestinal parasites *cough). We’ve produced nearly 300 builds and over 75 public updates. Our team has grown from about 8 developers in September 2014, to nearly 25 today. We have a studio on Vancouver Island and are about to open a Hinterland Outpost in Vancouver. Tens of millions of play hours have been logged. Millions of people have watched the game played on YouTube and Twitch. The Long Dark has been analyzed critically by academics, has been incorporated into philosophy and literature curriculum as a case study of “vulnerability”, it’s helped people suffering from anxiety issues find some peace, while also managing to challenge veteran outdoorspeople and survivalists. Seeing one game be so many things to so many people is one of the most rewarding things in the world.

It’s even attracted the attention of some notable Canadian icons, like Margaret Atwood! (One of my personal high points on this project, so far!)



I’ve been fortunate to see this game grow from the kernel of an idea. What started as a deeply personal journey about striking out to the proverbial “hinterlands” of the games industry, has evolved into an artistic survival experience that has touched many people’s lives. It’s also provided the team at Hinterland with meaningful work and a way to provide for our respective families and dependents. For you, it is $20 and (hopefully) dozens of hours of escapism. For us, it is a calling, a livelihood. For me, it has become integral to the very fabric of my being.

Thank you for the faith you have put in us. Every day we strive to live up to it. We hope you have enjoyed the last two years of The Long Dark. Here’s to many more years! (But not too many more without Story Mode.)

You are the best of us.

- Raphael
@raphlife



################################


To celebrate this anniversary with us, we’re giving all of you the exact version of The Long Dark we launched on Steam Early Access on September 22nd, 2014. For one week only, you can access it on Steam, by the following:

* Right-click The Long Dark in your Steam library
* Select Properties
* Click the Betas tab
* Enter the code: h1nterland2014
* Select the build from the dropdown: build_sept22_2014

Steam should automatically update to this old 2014 build. To revert back to the current build, simply Opt Out of Betas from the Betas tab, and Steam should update back to the current Main Branch build.

REMEMBER! Gameplay has changed substantially since 2014, so things may not work the way you are used to. Please help each other out! Also, please note that you will not find current saves in the old build.

We’ll leave this build live for about a week, and then will shut it down. So enjoy it!

We’ve also put together a little video to commemorate this anniversary. We hope you like it!

https://youtu.be/ZrGo0VafL_s

We’ve just updated The Long Dark to v.364,“Vigilant Trespass”. This update introduces several new features and changes to content, outlined below. A full changelist can be found at the end of this message.

Here’s a video that discusses some of the changes introduced in “Vigilant Trespass”.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTx2Fv1dJoU&list=PLzp35YPWKwnmy-cBp8fSCbdyb6NZeiiCp&index=1


We’ve added a new Experience Mode: Interloper. Interloper is a highly challenging mode that focuses on self-sufficiency in survival. It is the most “extreme” of the Experience Modes for the following reasons:

* The world becomes more hostile to you as you play. Global temperature drops, wildlife and fuel resources become more scarce, and Blizzards become more frequent.
* There are no Rifles in the world.
* Apart from the Hacksaw and Hammer, which spawn rarely in the world, you need to create all your own improvised tools (ex. Hatchets, Knives, etc.).
* The best Clothing and Food items do not spawn.
* Wolves are more rare, but also more deadly.
* Wildlife becomes more rare over time.


We’ve added the follow-up challenge to Hunted. In Hunted, Part Two, you must track the Old Bear from the Trapper’s Cabin, to its Den. Keep an eye out for tracks and blood drops. The weather may not cooperate!


We’ve made some changes to how various systems work to ensure that, over time, the Sandbox becomes gradually more challenging over time. This is to combat the sense that the game becomes too easy once players have made it past a certain threshold in their survival skill and with improvised gear and tools. The new Experience Mode, Interloper, shows the most extreme version of this updated “Decay”, but we’ve applied it to all pre-existing Experience Modes as well. In general, we tune about a dozen variables differently as the game progresses over time, including (amongst other things): wildlife spawn behaviour, weather patterns, global temperature, and the availability of fuel resource spawns. The rate at which this “decay” occurs depends on the Experience Mode, with Pilgrim and Interloper being on opposite ends of the spectrum. Our intent is that these changes ensure the level of challenge in the game remains engaging over long-term Sandbox games, but consistent with the level that players would expect for that particular Experience Mode.


We’ve updated all our in-game Light Sources with first-person animations. This includes: Flare, Lantern, Torch, Brand, Matches. Lantern placement has also been modified to work better with first-person hands.

Both Male and Female hands are represented. For now, we are not visualizing custom player clothing or gloves/mittens on the hands.

Please note that there may still be glitches with this system, as well as unanticipated effects to some of the in-game interactions.

We’ve updated our Locomotion animations to work better with the First-Person hands. You will see equipped light sources in hand when walking, though hidden while sprinting.

We’ve also modified the way Sprinting works -- you can no longer sprint backwards, nor sprint-strafe in perfectly lateral directions (though it is still possible to sprint forward and on an angle).


Our last pass on the Rest and Passing Time interface was confusing for players, so we’ve updated both these interfaces.

Now, to Pass Time, you use the Radial > Campcraft menu to select the “Pass Time” option (the icon is a Deck of Cards). You will now get real-time feedback on how Passing Time is affecting your Status, and you can interrupt Passing Time at any time.

Please keep in mind that the previous Warmth bonus during Pass Time was an artifact from the use of the Rest menu, and was not an intended bonus. You can now Pass Time anywhere (i.e. you do not need a Bed or Bedroll).

Rest works as it always has -- you can Rest from the Bedroll or any Bed. Both interfaces have been updated to clarify your current Status, to help you make a better decision about how long you want to Rest or Pass Time.


We’ve fixed the Wolf Decoy exploit. Decoys will now cause Wolves to “retreat” for a period of time, but they will no longer stand there making an easy target. Only Meat (includes Fish and Guts) may now be used for Decoys, and the “Drop Decoy” action will automatically select the “smelliest” (i.e. lowest Condition) meat in your Backpack.


We’ve updated the Coastlines to have open water. You’ll find that useful things occasionally wash up, but keep an ear out for signs of weak ice. If you fall in the water, it’s instant Hypothermia and your clothes will all be Wet!


We’ve added two new skills: Archery, and Mending. Keep in mind that we’re still iterating on the Skills system, so our plan is to continue tuning and expanding this system over time.


Based on feedback from the community, we’ve modified how we handle Feats. Now each Experience Mode supports a number of active Feats -- 5 for Pilgrim, 4 for Voyageur, etc. During the Sandbox setup, you’ll need to activate any Feats you’ve unlocked so far, and those Feats will be active for that particular Sandbox game.

If you prefer not to use Feats, simply do not activate any of them. Also, please keep in mind that you can’t enable Feats you’ve unlocked in your current game.


We’ve rebalanced Snow Shelters to be a little less effective. Linux users can now Alt-Tab without audio becoming corrupted. We’ve added a warning to help avoid burning partly-researched Books. Cleaning your Rifle no longer improves the Rifle Firearm skill. Cooking Fish now produces a small amount of usable Lamp Oil.

We’ve also fixed several bugs; the full changelist will be published once we migrate the Test Branch to the Main Release.


Apart from any new text added in this Test Branch (which hasn’t been translated yet), you should find the Sandbox has now been translated into: Portuguese, Brazilian Portuguese, Spanish, Finnish, and Dutch.


In this Test Build, we’ve updated Unity and also Wwise (our audio engine). We don’t think this will impact anyone, but it’s possible that these updates may have affected stability. You may notice this particularly around graphics, and audio. Please make sure you report any bugs around unusual graphics glitches, audio issues.


As noted during the Test Build process, we are not carrying progress from the Test Build back into the Main Branch. This is to prevent any bugs or issues captured in your Saves, from being introduced back into your Main Branch games.


Also, please make sure your drivers are updated!

*****



* Added new Experience Mode: Interloper
* Added new Challenge: Hunted, Part 2
* Added full First-Person Presence for Light Sources: Flare, Torch, Brand, Lantern, Matches
* Added Beachcombing Gameplay
* Added Archery Skill
* Added Mending Skill
* Iteration on “World Decay” systems across all Experience Modes, focused particularly on: global temperature, weather patterns, wildlife presence, blizzard frequency, and fuel resources
* Iteration on Feats system; players now activate a limited number of unlocked Feats per Sandbox game


* Fixed rare crash when firing Arrows
* Fixed rare crash issue in Fire UI
* Fixed rare crash in Badges UI
* Fixed rare audio crashes
* Fixed crash issues that could occur in the Snow Shelter UI
* Fixed rare crash related to Cabin Fever
* Fixed rare crash when accessing the Log screen
* Fixed rare crash when cancelling Firestarting
* Fixed rare crash when being stalked by a Wolf
* Fixed “Many Campfires” Out of Memory crash
* Fixed crash that could occur when trying to force burn an unread research book
* Fixed rare crash that could occur when firing the Survival Bow
* Fixed crash that could occur when entering a Struggle and holding a lit Flare/Torch/Brand


* Cooking Fish now produces a small amount of Lamp Oil (varies based on Fish type and weight)
* Tuned Snow Shelter dismantling resources
* Hacksaws can now be used to harvest Saplings and Tree Limbs
* Updated the Bed and Bedroll interfaces to support Passing Time as well as Rest
* Enabled Users to view status overlay when Rope Climbing - but not the radial menu
* Tuned Hacksaw per-use decay rate
* Fixed Decoy exploit; Wolves will no longer make an easy target!


* Fixed issue where brandishing the Flare did not increase Fatigue
* Fixed issue where player could drop Decoys when in a Snow Shelter or vehicle
* Fixed issues with drag-and-drop behaviour in Containers
* Fixed issue with Inventory sort icon colliders overlapping
* Fixed issue with audio when dragging scrollbar
* Fixed alpha issue on car windows that caused trees/foliage to not sort correctly
* Fixed floating objects after breaking down furniture in Farmhouse
* Fixed issue with player crashing through top of Snow Shelter after picking up items
* Fixed issue with debug screenshot behaviour
* Fixed issue with Brands providing a Heat Bonus when placed near a fire
* Fixed issue where players could become stuck on a black screen when retrying a Challenge
* Fixed being unable to light Torches from a fire
* Fixed issue where players could add Coal to a fire at an invalid (too low) temperature
* Fixed audio dropping out after a player Alt+Tabs away from the game
* Fixed issue with falling snow passing through walls in Forestry Lookouts
* Fixed issue that caused wildlife to sometimes become stuck on chunks of ice
* Fixed issue with Wildlife trying to pathfind into deep water
* Fixed Flare effects showing through doors
* Fixed issue that caused corpses to disappear when only partially in view
* Fixed issue where players could place Camp Fires deep in mines
* Fixed issue with looping Flare ignition audio
* Fixed floating plates appearing after breaking down certain tables in Coastal Highway
* Fixed inaccurate Calorie cost preview for Passing Time
* Fixed Harvesting UI displaying incorrect requirements when harvesting with bare hands with the Master Harvesting Skill
* Fixed issue with stackable items merging with invalid stacks, when dropped from inventory
* Fixed issue with inaccessible backpack in Timber Wolf Mountain
* Fixed issue with Torches not being lit by other lit (dropped) Torches and Flares
* Fixed issue that prevented the Journal stats from populating when viewed from the Main Menu
* Fixed issue that caused the camera to rotate and pan unexpectedly
* Fixed issue that could cause incorrect camera FOV at the start of game
* Fixed missing cabins in Coastal Highway
* Fixed duplicate rope near Mystery Lake Western Access
* Fixed issue with the Extinguish/Brandish prompts disappearing too quickly
* Fixed issue that caused the Torch effects to become offset after a scene load
* Fixed issue that allowed players to fire the Survival Bow after dropping their last Arrow
* Fixed issue caused by picking up an Arrow and nocking it, while holding the Survival Bow
* Fixed issue that allowed all Bunkers to spawn in Mystery Lake in certain scenarios
* Fixed issue that allowed low detail trees to appear on the Main Menu when running Low or Medium quality


* Memory optimizations
* Fixed various environment art and world collision issues

### END OF CHANGELIST ###

Thank you for playing, and we hope you enjoy Vigilant Trespass!

The Hinterland Team

We’ve just updated The Long Dark to v.364,“Vigilant Trespass”. This update introduces several new features and changes to content, outlined below. A full changelist can be found at the end of this message.

Here’s a video that discusses some of the changes introduced in “Vigilant Trespass”.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTx2Fv1dJoU&list=PLzp35YPWKwnmy-cBp8fSCbdyb6NZeiiCp&index=1


We’ve added a new Experience Mode: Interloper. Interloper is a highly challenging mode that focuses on self-sufficiency in survival. It is the most “extreme” of the Experience Modes for the following reasons:

* The world becomes more hostile to you as you play. Global temperature drops, wildlife and fuel resources become more scarce, and Blizzards become more frequent.
* There are no Rifles in the world.
* Apart from the Hacksaw and Hammer, which spawn rarely in the world, you need to create all your own improvised tools (ex. Hatchets, Knives, etc.).
* The best Clothing and Food items do not spawn.
* Wolves are more rare, but also more deadly.
* Wildlife becomes more rare over time.


We’ve added the follow-up challenge to Hunted. In Hunted, Part Two, you must track the Old Bear from the Trapper’s Cabin, to its Den. Keep an eye out for tracks and blood drops. The weather may not cooperate!


We’ve made some changes to how various systems work to ensure that, over time, the Sandbox becomes gradually more challenging over time. This is to combat the sense that the game becomes too easy once players have made it past a certain threshold in their survival skill and with improvised gear and tools. The new Experience Mode, Interloper, shows the most extreme version of this updated “Decay”, but we’ve applied it to all pre-existing Experience Modes as well. In general, we tune about a dozen variables differently as the game progresses over time, including (amongst other things): wildlife spawn behaviour, weather patterns, global temperature, and the availability of fuel resource spawns. The rate at which this “decay” occurs depends on the Experience Mode, with Pilgrim and Interloper being on opposite ends of the spectrum. Our intent is that these changes ensure the level of challenge in the game remains engaging over long-term Sandbox games, but consistent with the level that players would expect for that particular Experience Mode.


We’ve updated all our in-game Light Sources with first-person animations. This includes: Flare, Lantern, Torch, Brand, Matches. Lantern placement has also been modified to work better with first-person hands.

Both Male and Female hands are represented. For now, we are not visualizing custom player clothing or gloves/mittens on the hands.

Please note that there may still be glitches with this system, as well as unanticipated effects to some of the in-game interactions.

We’ve updated our Locomotion animations to work better with the First-Person hands. You will see equipped light sources in hand when walking, though hidden while sprinting.

We’ve also modified the way Sprinting works -- you can no longer sprint backwards, nor sprint-strafe in perfectly lateral directions (though it is still possible to sprint forward and on an angle).


Our last pass on the Rest and Passing Time interface was confusing for players, so we’ve updated both these interfaces.

Now, to Pass Time, you use the Radial > Campcraft menu to select the “Pass Time” option (the icon is a Deck of Cards). You will now get real-time feedback on how Passing Time is affecting your Status, and you can interrupt Passing Time at any time.

Please keep in mind that the previous Warmth bonus during Pass Time was an artifact from the use of the Rest menu, and was not an intended bonus. You can now Pass Time anywhere (i.e. you do not need a Bed or Bedroll).

Rest works as it always has -- you can Rest from the Bedroll or any Bed. Both interfaces have been updated to clarify your current Status, to help you make a better decision about how long you want to Rest or Pass Time.


We’ve fixed the Wolf Decoy exploit. Decoys will now cause Wolves to “retreat” for a period of time, but they will no longer stand there making an easy target. Only Meat (includes Fish and Guts) may now be used for Decoys, and the “Drop Decoy” action will automatically select the “smelliest” (i.e. lowest Condition) meat in your Backpack.


We’ve updated the Coastlines to have open water. You’ll find that useful things occasionally wash up, but keep an ear out for signs of weak ice. If you fall in the water, it’s instant Hypothermia and your clothes will all be Wet!


We’ve added two new skills: Archery, and Mending. Keep in mind that we’re still iterating on the Skills system, so our plan is to continue tuning and expanding this system over time.


Based on feedback from the community, we’ve modified how we handle Feats. Now each Experience Mode supports a number of active Feats -- 5 for Pilgrim, 4 for Voyageur, etc. During the Sandbox setup, you’ll need to activate any Feats you’ve unlocked so far, and those Feats will be active for that particular Sandbox game.

If you prefer not to use Feats, simply do not activate any of them. Also, please keep in mind that you can’t enable Feats you’ve unlocked in your current game.


We’ve rebalanced Snow Shelters to be a little less effective. Linux users can now Alt-Tab without audio becoming corrupted. We’ve added a warning to help avoid burning partly-researched Books. Cleaning your Rifle no longer improves the Rifle Firearm skill. Cooking Fish now produces a small amount of usable Lamp Oil.

We’ve also fixed several bugs; the full changelist will be published once we migrate the Test Branch to the Main Release.


Apart from any new text added in this Test Branch (which hasn’t been translated yet), you should find the Sandbox has now been translated into: Portuguese, Brazilian Portuguese, Spanish, Finnish, and Dutch.


In this Test Build, we’ve updated Unity and also Wwise (our audio engine). We don’t think this will impact anyone, but it’s possible that these updates may have affected stability. You may notice this particularly around graphics, and audio. Please make sure you report any bugs around unusual graphics glitches, audio issues.


As noted during the Test Build process, we are not carrying progress from the Test Build back into the Main Branch. This is to prevent any bugs or issues captured in your Saves, from being introduced back into your Main Branch games.


Also, please make sure your drivers are updated!

*****



* Added new Experience Mode: Interloper
* Added new Challenge: Hunted, Part 2
* Added full First-Person Presence for Light Sources: Flare, Torch, Brand, Lantern, Matches
* Added Beachcombing Gameplay
* Added Archery Skill
* Added Mending Skill
* Iteration on “World Decay” systems across all Experience Modes, focused particularly on: global temperature, weather patterns, wildlife presence, blizzard frequency, and fuel resources
* Iteration on Feats system; players now activate a limited number of unlocked Feats per Sandbox game


* Fixed rare crash when firing Arrows
* Fixed rare crash issue in Fire UI
* Fixed rare crash in Badges UI
* Fixed rare audio crashes
* Fixed crash issues that could occur in the Snow Shelter UI
* Fixed rare crash related to Cabin Fever
* Fixed rare crash when accessing the Log screen
* Fixed rare crash when cancelling Firestarting
* Fixed rare crash when being stalked by a Wolf
* Fixed “Many Campfires” Out of Memory crash
* Fixed crash that could occur when trying to force burn an unread research book
* Fixed rare crash that could occur when firing the Survival Bow
* Fixed crash that could occur when entering a Struggle and holding a lit Flare/Torch/Brand


* Cooking Fish now produces a small amount of Lamp Oil (varies based on Fish type and weight)
* Tuned Snow Shelter dismantling resources
* Hacksaws can now be used to harvest Saplings and Tree Limbs
* Updated the Bed and Bedroll interfaces to support Passing Time as well as Rest
* Enabled Users to view status overlay when Rope Climbing - but not the radial menu
* Tuned Hacksaw per-use decay rate
* Fixed Decoy exploit; Wolves will no longer make an easy target!


* Fixed issue where brandishing the Flare did not increase Fatigue
* Fixed issue where player could drop Decoys when in a Snow Shelter or vehicle
* Fixed issues with drag-and-drop behaviour in Containers
* Fixed issue with Inventory sort icon colliders overlapping
* Fixed issue with audio when dragging scrollbar
* Fixed alpha issue on car windows that caused trees/foliage to not sort correctly
* Fixed floating objects after breaking down furniture in Farmhouse
* Fixed issue with player crashing through top of Snow Shelter after picking up items
* Fixed issue with debug screenshot behaviour
* Fixed issue with Brands providing a Heat Bonus when placed near a fire
* Fixed issue where players could become stuck on a black screen when retrying a Challenge
* Fixed being unable to light Torches from a fire
* Fixed issue where players could add Coal to a fire at an invalid (too low) temperature
* Fixed audio dropping out after a player Alt+Tabs away from the game
* Fixed issue with falling snow passing through walls in Forestry Lookouts
* Fixed issue that caused wildlife to sometimes become stuck on chunks of ice
* Fixed issue with Wildlife trying to pathfind into deep water
* Fixed Flare effects showing through doors
* Fixed issue that caused corpses to disappear when only partially in view
* Fixed issue where players could place Camp Fires deep in mines
* Fixed issue with looping Flare ignition audio
* Fixed floating plates appearing after breaking down certain tables in Coastal Highway
* Fixed inaccurate Calorie cost preview for Passing Time
* Fixed Harvesting UI displaying incorrect requirements when harvesting with bare hands with the Master Harvesting Skill
* Fixed issue with stackable items merging with invalid stacks, when dropped from inventory
* Fixed issue with inaccessible backpack in Timber Wolf Mountain
* Fixed issue with Torches not being lit by other lit (dropped) Torches and Flares
* Fixed issue that prevented the Journal stats from populating when viewed from the Main Menu
* Fixed issue that caused the camera to rotate and pan unexpectedly
* Fixed issue that could cause incorrect camera FOV at the start of game
* Fixed missing cabins in Coastal Highway
* Fixed duplicate rope near Mystery Lake Western Access
* Fixed issue with the Extinguish/Brandish prompts disappearing too quickly
* Fixed issue that caused the Torch effects to become offset after a scene load
* Fixed issue that allowed players to fire the Survival Bow after dropping their last Arrow
* Fixed issue caused by picking up an Arrow and nocking it, while holding the Survival Bow
* Fixed issue that allowed all Bunkers to spawn in Mystery Lake in certain scenarios
* Fixed issue that allowed low detail trees to appear on the Main Menu when running Low or Medium quality


* Memory optimizations
* Fixed various environment art and world collision issues

### END OF CHANGELIST ###

Thank you for playing, and we hope you enjoy Vigilant Trespass!

The Hinterland Team

Details on the contents of this build are available in the test branch forums.

***If you don't want to be exposed to spoilers about the next Sandbox update, please DO NOT go to the Test Branch forums.***

>>>

Everyone else, instructions on how to access the Test Branch can be found here IN THE TEST BRANCH SUBFORUM: http://steamcommunity.com/app/305620/discussions/8/351659808478003064/

>>>

We're trying a few new things about how we gather Bugs and Playtest Feedback in the Test Branch, so please make sure you read the stickied thead called "***READ THIS FIRST***".

Thanks in advance for your help to firm up the next update! More news on the full release to MAIN BRANCH will be coming in the next few days, based on what we see from TEST BRANCH progress.

- The Hinterland Team

Details on the contents of this build are available in the test branch forums.

***If you don't want to be exposed to spoilers about the next Sandbox update, please DO NOT go to the Test Branch forums.***

>>>

Everyone else, instructions on how to access the Test Branch can be found here IN THE TEST BRANCH SUBFORUM: http://steamcommunity.com/app/305620/discussions/8/351659808478003064/

>>>

We're trying a few new things about how we gather Bugs and Playtest Feedback in the Test Branch, so please make sure you read the stickied thead called "***READ THIS FIRST***".

Thanks in advance for your help to firm up the next update! More news on the full release to MAIN BRANCH will be coming in the next few days, based on what we see from TEST BRANCH progress.

- The Hinterland Team

Dear Community,

The team’s been working hard on a ton of Story Mode features and content and here’s an update on some of what we've been up to since the last Story Mode update. Unfortunately, it’s not possible to really talk about Story Mode without at hinting at spoilers, so consider this a warning that there are light story mode spoilers below:



We’ve added two new regions for Episode One. One is nearly finished, and the other is being updated based on some story and mission changes, and will then be getting an art beautification pass. There are several new structures across both the new regions. Part of the new world we’ve added in Episode One is meant to help set the tone for what the world was like before “the event”. We also feel it’s important that Story Mode freshens up the existing Sandbox world for you, so in addition to adding new regions, we’re also updating the rest of the existing world.

Many of the exterior updates -- like more detailed rocks, better grass, trees, etc. -- will be gradually released in Sandbox updates. Most of the interiors -- places like the Carter Dam, the Camp Office, Pleasant Valley Farm, etc. -- have been updated with much more detailed interiors. Those interiors will be released when we launch Story Mode, so even the fans who are a lot more focused on Sandbox will be get something new to enjoy.










Episode One is fully playable from start to finish and we’re now doing in-house playtesting to work on pacing, flow, and polish. It’s been really interesting to see how the core survival gameplay we’ve proven in Sandbox works within a structure of open-world narrative-driven exploration. We’ve had to do a lot of tuning of various elements to find the right balance between survival and exploration. In general though, it feels really great to explore the game world while motivated by clear narrative goals -- it makes for a nice contrast to the more open-ended Sandbox gameplay you’ve become used to.

One thing that’s emerged from our playtesting is that our current Episode One is much bigger than we expected. Most of our in-house playtests have it at about 5-6 hours of playtime, which is roughly twice as long as we had originally planned each episode being. This play length is determined by what narrative beats we’re hitting with Episode One, and how we’re pacing those out with our world size and gameplay “heartbeat”. We’re trying to figure out how this impacts our plans for Season One content.



We’ve also been working on all the Episode One narrative sequences. Some of these are 2D motion-graphics cinematics, in the same style as the Story Mode teaser we released last December. Some of these are interactive sequences with full 3D characters in the world. These 3D character sequences are a huge amount of work for us because they require building all the character assets, animating those characters to dialogue, building sets for them, etc. These are the kinds of sequences that aren’t normally built by small independent developers, as they are very time consuming and resource intensive. We’ve probably been quite over-ambitious in delivering these but we feel strongly about the importance of seeing these important story characters living and breathing in the game world as opposed to being limited to non-interactive cinematics.




We’ve recreated all the clothing assets in the game, to better match our updated character designs. We’ve also added several new clothing items. These items will replace all the equippable clothing gear items in the game, and also be the same clothing worn by characters you meet in the world. We’re also doing some work to improve the Clothing system, by adding some new gameplay features, and a better interface. Our goal is to be able to represent the clothing your character is wearing on a kind of “paper doll” interface, so you get a stronger sense of character “customization” that way. We’d like to support this with additional character customization features (for Sandbox) in the future, as suggested in our Sandbox Roadmap, but a lot of that work is aspirational at the moment. For now, we’re really happy to be able to update the clothing assets, to help the whole world feel more coherent. It’s probable that these updated clothing assets will end up being released in a Sandbox update, rather than us waiting for Story Mode to release them.








The team’s been hard at work on improving the sense of first-person presence in the game. These updates aren’t technically related to Story Mode as we’ve decided to release them incrementally as part of Sandbox updates, but this is a pretty huge area of work for us as it’s meant creating a whole new animation system. Adding hands and a stronger first-person presence to the game is a huge undertaking and something we held off on for a long time out of fear of the scope of work, as The Long Dark has a large number of potential interactions compared to a lot of other games, but in the end I believe that including them strengthens the sense of your physical vulnerability in the game world and will create a more immediate feeling of connectedness to the environment, which in turn feeds into the range of emotions the game can inspire.






We haven’t said much about the Aurora since we’re trying not to spoil it -- but here are a few images to give you an idea of some of the things you might see in the game because of it.






We know that while a lot of you are anxious about Story Mode news, many of you are actually a lot more interested in Sandbox progress. We’re doing our best to balance the need to get Story Mode launched, with your desire for regular Sandbox updates. Currently, about ⅔ of the team is focused on Story Mode-specific content -- so, mission scripting, environment art, characters, animation, audio, etc. -- and the other ⅓ is working on Sandbox updates. Because most of our content team is focused on Story Mode, our more recent Sandbox updates have been be focused on gameplay mechanics and UI. This will likely continue to be the case until we launch Story Mode. We know that a lot of you would like us to expand Sandbox with more regions -- but unfortunately every region we build for Sandbox is one we can’t build for Story, and we don’t want to release the new Story Mode regions until we launch it, so they are new when you play them!

We understand that for the people who are really waiting on Story mode, that our time spent on Sandbox updates isn’t really meaningful to you, and vice versa for the people who care more about Sandbox. We’ve been slowly adding people to the team to try to increase our development bandwidth, but hiring is a painstaking process for a small studio, as everyone you add to the team has a much greater impact to the project and the overall team dynamic. And, we’re pretty picky about who we add to the team. We’re trying to be wise about how we do this so that we don’t break things that are working well for us, and when it comes to hiring, wise usually equals slow.


We’ve announced launch dates in the past, in the hope that providing these dates would give you something concrete to look forward to. Unfortunately, all they did was create disappointment when we decided to delay beyond these dates. Last time we talked about dates I said I wouldn’t provide a new date until I was 100% sure we would hit it. To that end, I’m not going to say anything further about when we’ll ship Story Mode, except to re-iterate that the team is working very hard on it, our goal is to launch content that lives up to your expectations and lets us capitalize on the full potential of our work, and most of all, to create something that will redefine the “survival” genre as the first strongly narrative-driven exploration-survival experience. And as Hinterland’s first title, and as part of an ongoing episodic/Seasonal release plan, it’s critical that we get our launch of The Long Dark right, as it sets the bar for our studio’s future. Not only will it help determine whether we can achieve our full ambitions for The Long Dark in the future -- it will also help determine what other experiences we may (or may not) be able to make in the future.

As always, we appreciate your support. We do not take it for granted.

Sincerely,

Raphael

Twitter: @raphlife

Dear Community,

The team’s been working hard on a ton of Story Mode features and content and here’s an update on some of what we've been up to since the last Story Mode update. Unfortunately, it’s not possible to really talk about Story Mode without at hinting at spoilers, so consider this a warning that there are light story mode spoilers below:



We’ve added two new regions for Episode One. One is nearly finished, and the other is being updated based on some story and mission changes, and will then be getting an art beautification pass. There are several new structures across both the new regions. Part of the new world we’ve added in Episode One is meant to help set the tone for what the world was like before “the event”. We also feel it’s important that Story Mode freshens up the existing Sandbox world for you, so in addition to adding new regions, we’re also updating the rest of the existing world.

Many of the exterior updates -- like more detailed rocks, better grass, trees, etc. -- will be gradually released in Sandbox updates. Most of the interiors -- places like the Carter Dam, the Camp Office, Pleasant Valley Farm, etc. -- have been updated with much more detailed interiors. Those interiors will be released when we launch Story Mode, so even the fans who are a lot more focused on Sandbox will be get something new to enjoy.










Episode One is fully playable from start to finish and we’re now doing in-house playtesting to work on pacing, flow, and polish. It’s been really interesting to see how the core survival gameplay we’ve proven in Sandbox works within a structure of open-world narrative-driven exploration. We’ve had to do a lot of tuning of various elements to find the right balance between survival and exploration. In general though, it feels really great to explore the game world while motivated by clear narrative goals -- it makes for a nice contrast to the more open-ended Sandbox gameplay you’ve become used to.

One thing that’s emerged from our playtesting is that our current Episode One is much bigger than we expected. Most of our in-house playtests have it at about 5-6 hours of playtime, which is roughly twice as long as we had originally planned each episode being. This play length is determined by what narrative beats we’re hitting with Episode One, and how we’re pacing those out with our world size and gameplay “heartbeat”. We’re trying to figure out how this impacts our plans for Season One content.



We’ve also been working on all the Episode One narrative sequences. Some of these are 2D motion-graphics cinematics, in the same style as the Story Mode teaser we released last December. Some of these are interactive sequences with full 3D characters in the world. These 3D character sequences are a huge amount of work for us because they require building all the character assets, animating those characters to dialogue, building sets for them, etc. These are the kinds of sequences that aren’t normally built by small independent developers, as they are very time consuming and resource intensive. We’ve probably been quite over-ambitious in delivering these but we feel strongly about the importance of seeing these important story characters living and breathing in the game world as opposed to being limited to non-interactive cinematics.




We’ve recreated all the clothing assets in the game, to better match our updated character designs. We’ve also added several new clothing items. These items will replace all the equippable clothing gear items in the game, and also be the same clothing worn by characters you meet in the world. We’re also doing some work to improve the Clothing system, by adding some new gameplay features, and a better interface. Our goal is to be able to represent the clothing your character is wearing on a kind of “paper doll” interface, so you get a stronger sense of character “customization” that way. We’d like to support this with additional character customization features (for Sandbox) in the future, as suggested in our Sandbox Roadmap, but a lot of that work is aspirational at the moment. For now, we’re really happy to be able to update the clothing assets, to help the whole world feel more coherent. It’s probable that these updated clothing assets will end up being released in a Sandbox update, rather than us waiting for Story Mode to release them.








The team’s been hard at work on improving the sense of first-person presence in the game. These updates aren’t technically related to Story Mode as we’ve decided to release them incrementally as part of Sandbox updates, but this is a pretty huge area of work for us as it’s meant creating a whole new animation system. Adding hands and a stronger first-person presence to the game is a huge undertaking and something we held off on for a long time out of fear of the scope of work, as The Long Dark has a large number of potential interactions compared to a lot of other games, but in the end I believe that including them strengthens the sense of your physical vulnerability in the game world and will create a more immediate feeling of connectedness to the environment, which in turn feeds into the range of emotions the game can inspire.






We haven’t said much about the Aurora since we’re trying not to spoil it -- but here are a few images to give you an idea of some of the things you might see in the game because of it.






We know that while a lot of you are anxious about Story Mode news, many of you are actually a lot more interested in Sandbox progress. We’re doing our best to balance the need to get Story Mode launched, with your desire for regular Sandbox updates. Currently, about ⅔ of the team is focused on Story Mode-specific content -- so, mission scripting, environment art, characters, animation, audio, etc. -- and the other ⅓ is working on Sandbox updates. Because most of our content team is focused on Story Mode, our more recent Sandbox updates have been be focused on gameplay mechanics and UI. This will likely continue to be the case until we launch Story Mode. We know that a lot of you would like us to expand Sandbox with more regions -- but unfortunately every region we build for Sandbox is one we can’t build for Story, and we don’t want to release the new Story Mode regions until we launch it, so they are new when you play them!

We understand that for the people who are really waiting on Story mode, that our time spent on Sandbox updates isn’t really meaningful to you, and vice versa for the people who care more about Sandbox. We’ve been slowly adding people to the team to try to increase our development bandwidth, but hiring is a painstaking process for a small studio, as everyone you add to the team has a much greater impact to the project and the overall team dynamic. And, we’re pretty picky about who we add to the team. We’re trying to be wise about how we do this so that we don’t break things that are working well for us, and when it comes to hiring, wise usually equals slow.


We’ve announced launch dates in the past, in the hope that providing these dates would give you something concrete to look forward to. Unfortunately, all they did was create disappointment when we decided to delay beyond these dates. Last time we talked about dates I said I wouldn’t provide a new date until I was 100% sure we would hit it. To that end, I’m not going to say anything further about when we’ll ship Story Mode, except to re-iterate that the team is working very hard on it, our goal is to launch content that lives up to your expectations and lets us capitalize on the full potential of our work, and most of all, to create something that will redefine the “survival” genre as the first strongly narrative-driven exploration-survival experience. And as Hinterland’s first title, and as part of an ongoing episodic/Seasonal release plan, it’s critical that we get our launch of The Long Dark right, as it sets the bar for our studio’s future. Not only will it help determine whether we can achieve our full ambitions for The Long Dark in the future -- it will also help determine what other experiences we may (or may not) be able to make in the future.

As always, we appreciate your support. We do not take it for granted.

Sincerely,

Raphael

Twitter: @raphlife