Feedback on bodyheat and hypothermia

[PezOfDoom]

When the update came out that brought body heat and fire crafting into PG, I knew my initial impression would be dislike, because the old DOT system was so easy to ignore. Now, there would be environmental consequences that would affect everyone, but be very impactful to ol Monger and his chosen play style.

Much like a cat whose litter box has been moved, my first urge was to "poop on the floor" (aka; forum post with dislike). It was so much harder to harvest wood in Kur, and just running across the tundra I'd have hypothermia before being halfway to the tower zone entrance from the Elt portal.

Then things began to change; I learned how to make an emergency fire, then a camp fire, so I made a few, went back to Kur. Ran out halfway through my march to the Kur town (because I only made one of each). So I got angry, and after a brief spider-genocide jaunt through the crypts, made 50 of each. After that Kur wasn't so bad, but I still wasn't sold on the whole body heat idea.

Bring in the Gazluk update.

Suddenly it's a new zone, colder, harsher, full of challenging monsters! The first time I zoned in, I was already at 0 body heat and losing health before the screen even loaded, then before my first step I was attacked by a skeletal mage. Quickly I healed, dropped a fire, and dispatched the mage with Muntok fierceness!

As i stood over my fallen foe, surveying the scenery and trying to bring back some body heat (the sweat I worked up already starting to freeze to my bare chest, giving it a nice sheen), the squeal of a pig announced the arrival of Pilot! We chatted for a moment, then moved out, both exploring in roughly the same direction.

At points, we would travel to the other, standing in the warm of the placed camp fire and exchange a few words, then off we'd go our separate ways, only to reconnect minutes later to continue our conversation, when body heat once more dropped to 0 and hypothermia set in.

I moved further into the zone, Pilot far behind, stopping in nooks to setup a fire to warm myself. I felt like a pro when I'd drop that fire as a bear was charging me; our clash bathed in light and heat. During one stop a druid-bird dropped in to chat and warm their feathers. It was then that I realized that this was a lot of fun and the mechanic strongly encourages encounters like these.


TL;DR
I like it, it's a good (if sometimes annoying) way that brings players together and creates a challenging play environment.
That being said, it'd be nice if it took a bit longer for hypothermia to set in.

Also, I would like to suggest that ice slicks should take a DOT when within a circle of warmth from a camp fire.

[Hood]

I like it too! I wrote something similar to this in the Patch Discussion thread. It's nice to "stop and smell the roses" in these zones.

[eikona]

This sounds like it's bringing back the role down time used to have before healing and combat were sped up so much that people now run through dungeons. Remembering hiring bodyguards for those moments spent staring at a spellbook...

I don't think I am anywhere near experiencing it yet, but I look forward to it. :D

[cr00cy]

Heh, it had been very similar to me. At first biased dislike, just because it is annoying and i couldnt just ignore it like old dot. Then when i started preapering for \Gazluk, i found out that... its fun. Having to actualy preapere for adventuring. Farmign up mats for campfires, and potions, then crafting cold-resistant gear, stocking up on wood so i can always lit campfires that i find in the world. Despertly runnign to caves when i found myself out of campfires and with hipothermia.

Honestly, i cant remeber when last time i had to prepere myself so much to explore new zone in game. Its really refreshing.

[Spiritfingers]

I'm happy you guys are all figuring out the ins and outs of the new map. When I decide to go there, I will have wisdom from all of you.

[Hood]

It really is a very welcome challenge for me as well. I enjoy the size of the zone and the difficulty I have getting around without flight form sometimes. There are so many crystals and caves though that even if I ran out of fires, I'm sure I'd be close to safety. The mountains are really beautiful. And my favorite feature is the map actually. Its really a great map.

[ShieldBreaker]

The first little bit of mapping Guzlak was tough, but I crafted up the new winter gear, and carry around wood, fuel oil and finished fires. I rarely have to drop a fire any more, knowing where to duck in to get warm helps a lot. It was extra tough on the first day because of not being able to enter a fair number of the caves, but now that the work around is in place, not an issue. Now if only I could craft a diving helmet, I wouldn't get so upset about underwater mining. :|

[Extractum11]

Notice that all of the praise in this thread for hypothermia is specifically for Gazluk. Going from Eltibule to Kur as a level 40-ish must be 10x more daunting. You can't craft winter coats or make campfires without first making it to Ukorga in the other corner of the map. You can buy campfires from Hogan, but they're definitely not cost-effective. You can't even farm nightmare flesh for cold pots as well as high-level players, because if you're only ready to leave Elt, Goblin Dungeon isn't a faceroll yet. And anyway I think it's unreasonable to expect someone to die in Kur and immediately think of Hogan/cold pots, there's just too many recipes and NPCs to know that off the top of your head.

Without cold mitigation, you get 2 minutes per exploration session, and a bit under 3 with a cold resistance potion. Even if you ignore mobs, it probably takes the average player more than a few tries to find the first campfire, all the way by the Yeti ravine. Then you add in mob-fighting time, and surely it's frustrating for someone who's never entered Kur before. Yes, you can ask global or check the wiki, but I don't think the game should practically force you to.

IMO there needs to be some sort of quick explanation that first-time-Kur-enterers are likely to see. Maybe some sort of abandoned campsite with a journal that an adventurer left behind. It could explain the zone a bit, just like Sir Villas Wake's explains the statues. Maybe it could mention Hogan and alchemy. Or an NPC inside the zone that sells campfires. As long there's [i]something[i], you know? Right now the introduction to Kur just seems so harsh.

[Khaylara]

I still think it should be toned down. Admittedly I don't have the full winter set. Why u ask....because I put a lot of effort and materials into customizing my current set. So I have to carry basically 2 sets for the same build. Not even attempting to switch builds because I wouldn't have room for any drops. So Gazluk is not something I want to do for now, there's very limited selling option, no storage option and a crapload of different drops. Also having to unlock all the recipes for winter gear is extremely expensive so I couldn't afford it nor did I get any decent pieces out of the chests I crafted. So yes, I really dislike having to replace the set that I worked so hard on in just 2 months since I've had it.
If I had the full winter set I would have to carry the following: One normal set, one winter set, 2 pairs of earrings, chest and pants with sprint and pockets. For only my UA/ment build. Add all the food + flower buffs, tools, cold resist potions, other buffs (I carry ruggedizer), armor and FA kits, mats for meditation (perch and cabbage in case i change the environment), fuel oil+maple wood, already preped fires.
Honest question, how do you deal with inventory and still manage to farm anything? Because preparing eats up my backpack like crazy.

What I would add to Gazluk-more camps so we waste less wood, more respawn points when you die, more binding options (preferably not telepads in the middle of mobs), storage and more vendors and above all toning down the cold effects. As I said I don't have the full winter set, I roll with winter coat lvl 60+cold resist pots+20% cold mitigation from meditation. Yes, gravitating around camps is an option, there's just not so many of those. Maybe some like it for realism but lasting less than 3 minutes with all the cold mitigation options I mentioned is disruptive to gameplay and actually not realistic at all. I do last more than that in a -15 degrees snow blizzard (and I'm a lot weaker than my characters lol).

Some are able to withstand the cold effects maybe but as Extractum mentioned again, there's Kur too. I just realized when people mentioned that first time in Kur I died like a hero few times at lvl 45 cause I fell in water..finally Awatu was nice enough to guide me on foot. That camp is terribly far from the entrance portal and there's a lot of terrain to cover till the first campfire.

Overall I would certainly tone down the cold effects in both Gaz and Kur. I just hope we don't get a level 90 cold area worse than Gazluk anytime soon cause that harsh weather is hard to top

[Grobyddonot]

Sorry guys, but I have to, just for the protocol:

I hate the Cold mechanics. (No Surprise, lol). RAAAAGE. Meaningful reasoning:



So I have to carry basically 2 sets for the same build. Not even attempting to switch builds because I wouldn't have room for any drops. recipes for winter gear is extremely expensive so I couldn't afford it nor did I get any decent pieces out of the chests I crafted. So yes, I really dislike having to replace the set that I worked so hard on in just 2 months since I've had it.
As I said I don't have the full winter set, I roll with winter coat lvl 60+cold resist pots+20% cold mitigation from meditation. Maybe some like it for realism but lasting less than 3 minutes with all the cold mitigation options I mentioned is disruptive to gameplay and actually not realistic at all. I do last more than that in a -15 degrees snow blizzard (and I'm a lot weaker than my characters lol).

Overall I would certainly tone down the cold effects in both Gaz and Kur. I just hope we don't get a level 90 cold area...

any level new cold area, because they're terrible.

[Khaylara]

I don't think I'm raging anywhere. And yes, for me it's disruptive. I get 3-4 mobs on me, I die, I have to start over from the portal etc. My exploration and farming gets very much disrupted by cold effects.
When I drop a campfire while fighting mobs it actually doesn't activate till I click on it (?), so oftentimes I die while I desperately try to click on the fire while getting pounded by mobs.
Yes, it's my personal opinion that cold effects need toning down for the reasons I already mentioned. If my opinion is valid or not as feedback is up 2 the dev. Most opinions I've heard ingame weren't that upbeat and positive but maybe people don't want to post on the forums for fear of being considered "whiners". Just a thought:)

@Grobyd - nobody will listen to what you have to say if you don't bring it down a couple of notches. Try writing a post where you don't troll or rant and maybe people will not have an emotional reaction to it. I thought adding mitigation or breath bonuses for lvling wasn't a bad idea and something even Citan might consider but I can assure you no1 will pay attention if you call them stupid in the process.

[Spiritfingers]

Grob wont turn down the heat of his message. He is too busy attacking people's responses.

[drivendawn]

I think that adding a little more body heat wouldn't hurt. Like make it where you start at 100 instead of 60 and major armor pieces such as legs and chest give 10 or 20 more. You could also make some potions that give more body heat as well.

[Grobyddonot]

I don't think I'm raging anywhere. And yes, for me it's disruptive. I get 3-4 mobs on me, I die, I have to start over from the portal etc. My exploration and farming gets very much disrupted by cold effects.
When I drop a campfire while fighting mobs it actually doesn't activate till I click on it (?), so oftentimes I die while I desperately try to click on the fire while getting pounded by mobs.
Yes, it's my personal opinion that cold effects need toning down for the reasons I already mentioned. If my opinion is valid or not as feedback is up 2 the dev. Most opinions I've heard ingame weren't that upbeat and positive but maybe people don't want to post on the forums for fear of being considered "whiners". Just a thought:)

@Grobyd - nobody will listen to what you have to say if you don't bring it down a couple of notches. Try writing a post where you don't troll or rant and maybe people will not have an emotional reaction to it. I thought adding mitigation or breath bonuses for lvling wasn't a bad idea and something even Citan might consider but I can assure you no1 will pay attention if you call them stupid in the process.


Grob wont turn down the heat of his message. He is too busy attacking people's responses.

It's even funny how you can't read my post without an idea that I'm trying to offend anyone or anything, but Cold Mechanics. But it's Ok, guys, idc, no harsh feelings. Or maybe I just worded my message poorly. So, again, in baby steps:

Grobyd: Sorry guys, despite having MY own entire thread dedicated to bitching about different stuff including cold mechanic in this game, I will have to repeat myself here in the thread dedicated to Cold Mechanics. I have to, just for the protocol:

I (Grobyd) hate (Grobyd) the Cold mechanics. (No Surprise with Grobyd hating the cold mechanics, lol). Grobyd is *RAAAAGing*. Meaningful reasoning behind Grobyd's rage are the reasons listed (worded in a good way) by Khaylara:



So I have to carry basically 2 sets for the same build. Not even attempting to switch builds because I wouldn't have room for any drops. recipes for winter gear is extremely expensive so I couldn't afford it nor did I get any decent pieces out of the chests I crafted. So yes, I really dislike having to replace the set that I worked so hard on in just 2 months since I've had it.
As I said I don't have the full winter set, I roll with winter coat lvl 60+cold resist pots+20% cold mitigation from meditation. Maybe some like it for realism but lasting less than 3 minutes with all the cold mitigation options I mentioned is disruptive to gameplay and actually not realistic at all. I do last more than that in a -15 degrees snow blizzard (and I'm a lot weaker than my characters lol).

Overall I would certainly tone down the cold effects in both Gaz and Kur. I just hope we don't get a level 90 cold area...

any level new cold area, because they're terrible in my (Grobyd's Opinion). I, Grobyd, agree completely. Cold mechanic as it is is disruptive to gameplay and actually not realistic at all.

One more time, to be absolutely clear: I completely agree with everything Khaylara said about the cold mechanics. Khaylara managed to hit the nail on the head.

[Khaylara]

I misunderstood the rage thing. I seriously dislike you as you well know BUT some of the ideas you threw are not bad. Including some bonuses for leveling that would stop gear from being the most important thing in the game. I am not 100 % sure that Citan intended gear to play such an essential part to the point where gear counts as at least 80 % and skill only 20 %, if that.
Basically throw a lvl 60 naked in the cold along with a level 30 and I'm sure they'd die pretty soon...maybe the lvl 30 few seconds faster. The level 60 player won't withstand the weather effects very well stripped of their armor and cold resist potions. In both cold climate and swimming endurance should play a way more important part. Also teleporting, we could use more spells if we are max level in teleporting, "return closer to where I died" would be a good one (not copyrighting the spell name just yet, it's rather uninspired).

I wrote my suggestions about the cold effects already but more would be welcome, I'm sure people can think of improvements so we should probably use this thread for it. And yes, I hate cold mechanics too (the sky is gonna fall now cause I actually agree) but I gave it a good try first. Still don't like it but since it's here to stay I think it's important to give Citan more to work with besides me not liking it.
On the bright side it could be a very interesting area, the graphics in the caves are better than in other dungeons, with better mobs it should become a nice map to bind to, like Kur used to be a while ago.

[Greyfyn]

The cold mechanics are strong. And before Gazluk, I too complained about the mechanics in Kur. In the area near Lamashu, between mobs with a long agro range, mobs that call for help and mobs that don't break away when you run, I found that area very frustrating. That's a good thing. There is one place in the game where I have to be situationally aware and on my best game to survive. To turn off that mechanic is to invite blandness into the game. Basically, do you want to have to think? Even though I was frustrated, I think having to work out the problem was the right thing.

I did make a full travel set of winter gear. My body heat is now 128. I can make it anywhere and I have a few extra fires if I do run into problems. Now, I don't use that set all the time. I've not optimized it and if I get into a huge battle, I'm probably gonna have to work to save my life. That's the GAME! But at least I'm less grumpy, like some people who are just happier with pocket gear.

One thing we can do as a community is to make it a rite of passage to help new players get to the outpost. When someone needs to go to Kur for the first time, asking for an escort should be considered with the same response as someone asking for a necro run. There's nothing easy about that terrain and supporting new players to become self sufficient in that zone is the way to go.

[Crissa]

You can buy emergency fires before you travel to Kur, so you're not completely screwed.

I didn't actually bother with Kur until the stack of fires I had sorta prompted me to do more than run past.

[Eachna]

There is one place in the game where I have to be situationally aware and on my best game to survive. To turn off that mechanic is to invite blandness into the game. Basically, do you want to have to think? Even though I was frustrated, I think having to work out the problem was the right thing.

Whining on a help channel or reading a wiki isn't thinking. Nor is being escorted by someone over-level for the zone.

Also, I call shenanigans on this being the only area of the game where you had to be situationally aware.


One thing we can do as a community is to make it a rite of passage to help new players get to the outpost. When someone needs to go to Kur for the first time, asking for an escort should be considered with the same response as someone asking for a necro run. There's nothing easy about that terrain and supporting new players to become self sufficient in that zone is the way to go.

Oh, I see. You want the game designed so you can feel like a big hero while you're the over-level person escorting the shivering newbies through the zone. What about the shivering newbie's feelings? Maybe they don't want to be your socially-imposed charity case.

Supporting new players to become self-sufficient involves requesting that they be provided with access to the tools for that self-sufficiency. The more places that can only be reached by a weak player begging the big tough dino players to escort them, the less self-sufficient players become.

What I'd like to instead see is that the landscapes continue the trend from the "Bules" and and be mostly solo-friendly with a few pockets of tough mobs, and scattering of dungeons that you need to be part of a group for unless you're extremely over-level.

I loathe the idea of entire zones being designed so that unless you beg a dino for help you're going to die.

[Hood]

Also, I call shenanigans on this being the only area of the game where you had to be situationally aware.




Oh, I see. You want the game designed so you can feel like a big hero while you're the over-level person escorting the shivering newbies through the zone. What about the shivering newbie's feelings? Maybe they don't want to be your socially-imposed charity case.

I get that you don't agree with what's been written here, but Greyfyn doesn't think this way. This was meant with good intentions. It is an offer of help intended to assist in "flattening the game"--not making high-level players more important or low-level players reliant on them.


Supporting new players to become self-sufficientinvolves requesting that they be provided with access to the tools for that self-sufficiency. The more places that can only be reached by a weak player begging the big tough dino players to escort them, the less self-sufficient players become.

Here you've stated that the solution Greyfyn offers is useless by suggesting your own is better. Normally an assertation like this is okay when offered as an alternative solution. This allows the reader to decide for himself which of the solutions he or she prefers more. The truth is that your solution is a great solution. Greyfyn's solution is also great, because their assistance has been a great help to many players who have now learned to become self-sufficient. Greyfyn didn't offer items or councils to help players achieve this. Rather, they offer advice and a group. The results prove the method, in this situation.

I do love your solution, by the way. I think the game should be more intuitive in many ways. Hence why I've written guides to combat skills and making councils for newer players. People agree with you. In fact, I'm sure Greyfyn likes your solution as well. But please don't dispose of free help like it's useless in comparison.


What I'd like to instead see is that the landscapes continue the trend from the "Bules" and and be mostly solo-friendly with a few pockets of tough mobs, and scattering of dungeons that you need to be part of a group for unless you're extremely over-level.

Right now its possible for anyone to go to Labyrinth (high-level dungeon) because there are no requirements to get in. Many people who aren't low-level join often. Some people are for this and some people are against this. Assuming you agree that anyone should be able to enter all zones without fear of death, I agree with that. However, this is an RPG centered around a level-up reward system. It is easier for me to survive in lab. It is harder for newer players. The game mechanics are built, across the entire genre, to be like this. Levelling up a new character in this game provides challenges that only a new character, new level cap, or new level of difficulty can create for those of us who are lucky to have high-level characters. As for your own character surviving in Gaz, you seem very capable of finding the resources you need to make it survive there. I do agree, however, that these resources should be easier to find and learn about.

A point to consider in addition is that in the past, there have been problems regarding alts. Players have created alts and parked them at chests in order to loot the chests on cooldown and send the gear to their main character for money/gear. This isn't intended play. Citan has to think of problems like these when he creates new areas/caves/dungeons.

By the way, Srand has stated in the update discussion thread that the changes which occurred in Kur and even other zones regarding aggro were unintentional. I think you'll find Kur much more hospitable with calmer monsters. As for Gaz, the monsters there are level 50 or 60 monsters living in a dangerous environment. Not level 70. In addition the Orc starting zone will be in the Northern area of Gaz. Orcs will most likely have higher cold resistance. I believe this fulfills some of your conditions.


I loathe the idea of entire zones being designed so that unless you beg a dino for help you're going to die.

Please treat gaming communities separately. Give us a fresh chance. Have you encountered high-level players who have treated you poorly here?

[Khaylara]

From experience trying to get a newer player to wolf cave or the camp is a challenge that often takes over half an hour (when I was newbie I only followed Awatu with speed buff on, it took about 5 mins max but with the weather changes it's hard to keep the new players alive). Although I appreciate Greyfyn's good intentions when the community grows it's gonna be harder and harder to offer individual help so I'm thinking Extractum's suggestions could be a better solution for Kur.

Also something general not Kur related directly. The spoilers we give on Help chat very often or even the help we offer sometimes don't actually help at all. It's not helping new players to get into the game or learn how to navigate it. I mean, how many of the current players read a certain note from Eltibule? Very few because most don't know anything about DC. When someone starts PG they should get the habit of reading NPC dialogues, notes, scraps of paper etc. In this context I agree that creating the set for new players in upper Eltibule to prepare them for Kur is a great idea. Who doesn't read gets to freeze:)


PS about the aggro range of Kur mobs I find it much worse than Gazluk atm:confused:

[Grobyddonot]

However, this is an RPG centered around a level-up reward system. Levelling up a new character in this game provides challenges that only a new character, new level cap, or new level of difficulty can create for those of us who are lucky to have high-level characters.


This is simply not true, isn't it? Theres almost no reward in leveling up. As game is right now, to get in lab and have it easy, you need 1) gear 2) buffs 3) good foods 4) potions.

You can get into lab on lvl 1 - 60-70 true, but you won't be able to kill 2-3 mobs without a proper set of gear and that is at least purple-yellow of lvl 60 (not enchanced) and it won't be very easy. Now easy is probably a set of max enchanced augmented lvl 70 yellow gear. Go grind for that first, lol. Not to mention the meditation/calligraphy/whatever to be more effective. I want to repeat myself, simple lvl-ups providing a player character with enough power to feel good in lab is simply not true as of now.



It is easier for me to survive in lab. It is harder for newer players. The game mechanics are built, across the entire genre, to be like this.


Yes, for you, no doubt. How much time do you have "invested" in this game (/age)? What is your gear/skills? Don't tell me you're using lvl 50 red set of gear, lol.

The game mechanics is simple, grind, grind, grind while lvling up so that you can buy all the abilities and craft a good set of gear. Plus grind some more to add an extra mod and reroll it.

Sure, after playing this game for a year you can feel that the first level of lab is easy to solo. The dungeons in this game are designed to go in with a large group, not to solo. Even then, sometimes, monsters respawn too fast for your group to handle if the group is not maxed out. (without burying).

Problem is, when a newbie comes into a game and sees characters like say, Aws, Monger, etc, he thinks, wow, I'll be that powerful soon, but nope. Lvlups are almost useless.

On the topic of cold, it's just the same stuff. Meditate for cold resist, get universal mitigation (bc) and craft a set of good winter gear to be able not to freeze and to fight in winter locations. It's all not that fast and easy in terms of time, so not really efficient, because you can go ilmari/rahu and other non-winter higher lvl locations, that will be added to the game in time and farm there. So, what's the point to waste your time on winter gear and other stuff? You can get to NPC's to unlock caps without any of that.

Right now, it seems like it makes sense because Gazluk is the high-end zone for now, but it won't be the high-end when the game is complete. So another "skip it" location in the future, just like the majority skips farming in Kur outdoors today.

[jacksin125]

My only problem with Kur and Gazluk is that Eric said the problems were supposed to be more negligible to higher level players. Right now, being higher level doesn't mean anything, you still freeze to death at the same rate. And yes, you can make fancy winter armor, but a) that would probably actually weaken you, and b) srsly? You are forcing us to find room in our inv for a whole other set of gear? Not only that, but it can't store as much as my pocket gear. My suggestion was to make each point of damage reduction from armor reduce the heat loss chance by 1%. This would mean that cold resistance gear is still probably better than normal gear (because cold reduction reduces heat loss chance by like 3%), but it would mean that a player with lvl 70 gear would last far longer in Kur than a player with lvl 40 gear.

[alleryn]

You are forcing us to find room in our inv for a whole other set of gear?

I haven't gotten to Gazluk, and not spent all that much time in Kur, but why do you need a whole other set of gear in your inventory ? I mean if you are farming in Kur, yeah you want the cold mitigation, but if you are just going to the outpost or Tower or whatever, you don't really need it (a single resistance potion or a campfire would be enough and that only for an emergency). So keep your winter clothes in storage until you go to farm. Also can you not put pockets on winter gear with "add pockets to leather armor"?

Obviously i'm a total noob, so my comments may be way off, but i thought i'd throw my 2 cents in anyways :p

[Crissa]

Higher level in this game is supposed to reach to 100 and Kur is just 40 of 60 right now.

[Spiritfingers]

I haven't gotten to Gazluk, and not spent all that much time in Kur, but why do you need a whole other set of gear in your inventory ? I mean if you are farming in Kur, yeah you want the cold mitigation, but if you are just going to the outpost or Tower or whatever, you don't really need it (a single resistance potion or a campfire would be enough and that only for an emergency). So keep your winter clothes in storage until you go to farm. Also can you not put pockets on winter gear with "add pockets to leather armor"?

Obviously i'm a total noob, so my comments may be way off, but i thought i'd throw my 2 cents in anyways :p

I agree you don't technically need to carry the gear in your bags, but it can be quite inconvenient to go to storage in Kur and then farm in an entirely different part of the map. It's much easier just to click on gear in bags.

[Eachna]

Here are my thoughts on the cold mechanics in general and on Kur. I haven't visited Gazluk. I'd like more items useful for surviving cold weather made available outside of Kur so players can prepare for cold weather before entering the zone.

The cold mechanics I think are generally "fine" in Kur. With even a partial set of winter clothes Kur is pretty tolerable. I'm not sure what it was like before the full set of Winter armor as I stopped going into Kur after the transition from food to warmth (I went on to Rahu). I've returned since the full set of Winter gear was created.

I like that fixed fires now last for hours (and can be filled with weeks worth of wood). Thanks to all the kind folks who loaded up the firepits. The blankets are also nice but they're a one-shot item, not a sustainable source of warmth.

What I think needs improvement is that new players entering Kur don't have access to most of the tools they'll need to overcome the cold without going deep into the zone. Before entering Kur your options are: cold resistance potion, and portable campfire. If you're lucky you can ask a crafter to make you some Winter armor.

Right now, Kur is a Catch-22. You need the things only found deep in Kur to survive getting deep into Kur.

* Fire magic's cold resistance spell is ... in the Kur village.
* Recipes for crafted winter gear are ... in the Kur village.
* The vendor of generic winter gear is ... in the Kur village.
* The trainers for enchanting gear with potentially useful mods are ... in the Kur village (or around it or through it).
* The cold resistance potion alchemy recipe is hidden in a small mini-dungeon that's easy to overlook, although at least it's not in Kur.
* The NPC who sells the unlock for the 50-60 Endurance upgrade is even deeper into Kur than the village.

It makes sense to have advanced options unlocked inside the zone (a set of goals for accomplishments), but I think there should be more available to players outside of Kur than just the campfire and potion.

I'd like to see a vendor outside Kur that sells things people need inside Kur (maybe in Hogan's Keep?): generic Winter gear (or at least coat and pants), the alchemy potion recipe for cold resistance (it still rewards exploration to find the book), maybe some green gear with useful skill mods.
There are some skill effects that are supposed to help, but my inexpert testing shows they don't do much. Flesh to Fuel or Flesh to Fire (or whatever it's called) is one. I tried it using level 45 fire magic skills and level 40 fire magic armor. It gave back 1 unit of heat per use. That's not worth the power spent on it. Something similar happened with Fire Breath and it's even more fiddly because you have to be targeting an enemy to use it.

Perhaps these skills need mods to make them better, but I only have the mods I randomly rolled on my gear. I don't yet have the skills/resources/knowledge to roll perfect gear. I'm having fun working on it, but I can't use resources I don't yet have.

I would say as feedback that skills shouldn't be (close to) useless without mods. Skills should be functional without mods. Not perfect. Just functional.

[Crissa]

Emergency fires aren't found in Kur. Neither is the Cold Resistance potion.

[Eachna]

Emergency fires aren't found in Kur. Neither is the Cold Resistance potion.

This is why I explicitly noted those two items were available before you enter Kur.

[Crissa]

This is why I explicitly noted those two items were available before you enter Kur.
But that's what makes it a challenge! Why would anyone keep any of the other items outside of Kur?
That those two items - the ones that make it basically possible to survive in Kur - are outside means it's not a catch-22.