Noonan

https://www.valheimgame.com/

The game is still in early access but is already breaking Steam records and has sold over 3m copies.

I've put in over 20 hours already and it's damn addicting. Super slow moving though; this is a game for people who like to take their time and explore/build. You get dropped into a randomly generated (HUGE) world to explore, starting with only rags to wear. You're on your own to start gathering sticks and rocks so you can start building tools/shelter/fire. Along with being an exploration/building game, the combat is about on the difficulty level of a Souls game. It's not complex (you basically just spam the attack button and do some blocking) but it can be unrelenting if you're caught in a forest at night without being prepared. Similar to a Souls game, when you die your body and all items are left where you fell. The part that makes it harder than a Souls game is you have to either have backup equipment at your camp, re-craft everything you need, or try to sneak back naked. Thankfully your original body and all items will still be there even if you die trying to get back (unlike Souls, where if you die trying to get back to your body, those souls are gone for good).

It plays out like a standard crafting tree game like Minecraft. Need to build a workbench to make an axe; need wood to make a workbench; have to gather sticks. I'm just getting to metals. Copper Ore is only found in the "Forest" areas which are hostile. I have to venture out, mine as much as I can before my pickax needs to be repaired, head back without getting killed, use a Kiln to turn wood into coal, then a Smelter to use the coal and ore to make ingots.

I'd say it's definitely not a game for everyone (don't bother if you're looking for action) but it has me totally hooked. It also has pretty poor graphics but they do the job. Considering it's $20, still in EA, and has such a huge world to explore, I can look past the lack of detail. After my 20 or so hours, I've only killed the first (of 5) bosses. After finding a location to the 2nd boss in a dungeon, I saw that it's across an ocean. Now I have to make a new camp near the shore so I can build a boat to get myself across. Then I'll have to setup ANOTHER camp because if I were to get killed on the other side of the water, I'd be truly fucked if my respawn point was at my original camp. Oh, also basically no fast travel and no mounts. You're walking everywhere. There are eventually portals you can build but they're very limited in how they work.

Anyone else give this a look or pick it up?

DaveNinja

I've been looking at this game since it keeps popping up in my friends list.

mugwump

I've been enjoying it as a casual game to play with my sons while we shoot the breeze long distance on Discord. Haven't even attempted a boss fight yet. We built a too-big house that's impossible to heat properly, a raft that got us promptly killed by a sea serpent, and a beehive that I find myself way too obsessed with as my dude runs out every morning to get honey for breakfast. It reminds me a lot of the early days of Sea of Thieves and I fully expect it to follow a similar path to more complex content.

Noonan

Nice! The boss fights are a big slap in the face compared to the more light adventure style of the rest of the game. "Luckily" when you die, the boss doesn't de-spawn or regen its health. I had to go back to the first boss 3 or 4 times to finish him off. They are kinda required though. You can't make a pickax to get stone/ore until you kill the first boss. I haven't attempted the 2nd yet so I'm not sure what they provide. Honey has a much more valuable use later on when you get a fermenter. It'll be a main component in making mead which are potions you use to stack on top of any food you eat. Definitely set up as many beehives as you're able, assuming you get lucky with Queen Bee drops.

lopper

I’ve been playing this solo this week, and I think it’s pretty cool.

It took a while to get into it, but it finally clicked with me last night. After attempting to relocate my house to the north only to find it much too hostile, I spent a couple hours expanding and improving my house, then exploring a dungeon, and mining my first ore deposits.

I’m hoping to build a raft and start exploring off shore this weekend.

Noonan

Watch out for sea serpents.

lopper

Yea, those are what’s been keeping me on land up to this point. I’m actually reconsidering this idea, and pivoting towards more mining and trying to upgrade weapons before heading out to sea.

Noonan

Might be a good idea. If you plan on going to the sea rather than the rivers, you may also want a Karve rather than a raft. I've yet to do that but I need to at some point to reach the 2nd boss.

lopper

Well that was fast.

Died yesterday while exploring and on my way back to my corpse I died again. Didn’t lose too much of value really except for my armor.

To remake it, I’ve got to go deer hunting again, which just sucks. Sneaking is clumsy, the bow is too slow and inaccurate, deer are able to detect me from a mile away, and they can also out run me easily. It’s a frustrating and tedious process, and now that it’s my sole objective, it’s pretty much put me off the game entirely.

If there are any tricks to hunting, or alternate means of finding resources, I’d love to hear them.

mugwump

This is where co-op really shines. We tried hunting deer with a bow and, like you said, it was slow and tedious. Now we just find some deer, have one or two people flush them toward the designated hunter, and then he whacks them with an ax. You can also trap them in water if you're near the sea and pop them as they come out of the water.

lopper

Right. This is the first time I felt like I’ve been held back by playing solo.

mugwump

As someone who plays 99% of my games solo I'm afraid this one would be a complete drag playing alone. Lots of people seem fine with it but the sheer monotony in the absence of any banter would burn me out on it pretty fast.

Noonan

Your original corpse with all your items will still be there even if you keep dying trying to get back to it.

lopper

Really? ! I'd just assumed that the game was using a Souls-like death mechanic.

Noonan

Yeah; this game would be a nightmare if it was like Souls in that regard.

Whether you want to re-equip first or try to sneak back naked is up to you.

DaveNinja

I've been playing this for a few weeks. I found the best defense for your home base is to dig a moat. Especially when there are trolls around since they can easily break walls.
I'm working on Bronze gear now, I'm going to stick with Troll Hide armor, though, since the bronze slows you down too much.
I still haven't found the 2nd boss.

GatorDeb

Anyone still playing it? Just got it today for 15 bucks.