Resources: Early game / Destroying / Scavenger Hut

[shackle66]

Once I convert my first building to a storehouse and place my first Scavenger Hut after a short while I find that I am almost always stuck with and abundance of one of the common resources 'Reclaimed - Masonry /  Timber / Metal' 

Even if I take my leader off to collect a specific common resource resource I need, when I return I find myself having to destroy some basic resources just so the leader can put the resources I am carrying into the store house. Even though the very next thing I am going to do is use those resources to make a building.

In this setting you would never want to 'destroy' any resource and you are really going to 'destroy' 20 units of reclaimed masonry just because you cant move it a few feet into your store house?


For the basic resources ( Masonry / Timber / Metal ) it would be nice to be able to choose to leave them at the source if I wish.  Any other more unique finds I wouldn't want to let go and this would be enough to force some minor inventory management. If I find a stash of (or randomly get) medicine, clothing, tinned food etc - I wouldn't want to let that go but I really needed a whole lot of masonry right now, again the 'destroy' option is just a bit to harsh.

When discovering resources I believe 'Leave' rather than 'Destroy' would be much more sensible.  Maybe not a 100% chance of it being there when you return, but better than 100% chance of wasting it.

If having to 'Destroy' resources is a necessary part of the game mechanic perhaps this could be left only on Storehouses, but i really feel that 'destroying' any resource just feels contrary to the rest of game, in that situation when resources are so scarce surely it would be the last thing you would do?

I appreciate we will be able to Focus the Scavenger Hut activity soon and perhaps a filter on a 'preferred resource' on the Scavenger Hut could be considered?  Again not 100% chance they will return with what you ask but a nudge toward that preferred resource. 

[ScottFarRoad]

Thanks for the feedback! I agree this is a little problem with the game. Keep it in mind and when you try 0.0.8 let me know if still bothers you. If all goes well the combination of scavenger focus and loot tooltips should mean you're destroying items far less than you are today but I'll keep my eye on it. I'd love to know what players think when the new version is out.

I don't think dropping items on the floor is a solution we can go with due to technical problems (it's a more complicated task than it sounds) but if it's still a problem after 0.0.8 there might be something else we can do to fix it.

[shackle66]

Thanks for the reply. I wasn't suggesting dropping items on the floor, sorry if that was unclear. I can see how you came to that conclusion now though. I can imagine the headache all those extra items would create.
But rather I was suggesting changing the option from 'destroy' to 'leave' items only when you were 'connected' to the resource 'node' (derelict building, power pylon, lamp post etc..) while you are 'looting'.
I guess this would also mean a change to you not automatically leaving a building or resource 'node' once your inventory is full to enable the option to 'leave' resources at the 'node'.

I will most certainly keep playing through 0.0.8 and see how the new changes work out and let you know. There is going to be a lot of changes to get to grips with, I'm looking forward to it.

I still get the feeling that it is just wrong in this post apocalyptic setting to be 'destroying' any resource, just don't feel right.

A very easy workaround for now is not placing a scavenger hut early and collecting resources with the leader till I can afford the giant storage, once that is built it is not so much of a problem. So really just a very early game niggle but one to keep an eye on as the changes are made.

[edit]
A pictures' worth a thousand words they say (no way i'd type that much anyway )


Any returned resource wouldn't be re-included in the random pool of resources available to the leader until he disconnects then re-connects to the resource node.
This is what I was getting at .. but still eager to see how 0.0.8 works out

[ScottFarRoad]

I see what you mean now. Thanks for the pic! That's an interesting idea on how to get around this problem. I'll definitely give it some thought as one of the possible solutions. A tricky thing might be annoying if you get to town - find the storehouses are full - and then have to run back to the ruin you looted and chuck back the items though, but I'm only giving my first impressions, it might be fine.

We'll see how 0.0.8 goes and if anybody else has some other ideas by all means chuck them in.

[shackle66]

Another thought I had about this early game niggle with inventory management would be to include whatever the leader is carrying in the available resources i.e. not require the leader to put the resources he/she is carrying into the store house before they can be used.

This way if you know you need x masonry and y timber then destroying a few at the resource node would not be so bad as you know you can use them, even if the store house has been filled by time you return.

But I still maintain that 'Destroying' anything you find just doesn't feel right in this post apocalyptic setting.

I mean, I can tolerate capital punishment for Vegetarianism .. "Eat meat or die!" ... but destroying any useful resources ??

[Edit]
Thinking on this further;
Perhaps having the leaders inventory resources immediately available would be a bit OP as you could stand by a resource node, farm resources and build on another part of the map. 
Perhaps then the leader would have to return to a Store House, 'touch base' if you like to make the inventory resources available.  Just a thought