Any Fans of Survival games?

[ironman47]

I recently did a search for survival type games and came across a game by unrealsoftware called Stranded II.

The games got rather low quality graphics that were made using DirectX 7 which is lacking by todays standards, low polygon count and poor textures.

But the cheesy graphics didn't detract from the gameplay. I found myself helpless addicted to this game and couldn't stop playing for hours on end.

The games easy to mod and best of all it's free to download. (not shareware)

There's a couple good mod for the game too. I enjoyed the kidnap mod and the massive mod which added a ton of new items to the game.

If you've never played the game its similar to the WC3 map Goblin Exploration.
Where you gather resources by chopping, mining, hunting, planting and harvesting. And combining these resources to make other useful things. Like Shelters, tools, weapons all kinds of stuff really.

Can't wait till Stranded III is released. But according to the lead programmer at unreal software it's going to be awhile. (the guy actually answered my email, so cool!)

There just doesn't seem to be many games in this genre out there.

I think that's one reason Minecraft is such a successful game. It's definitely not the graphics. I tried the free version of minecraft. I just couldn't get into it. I will give it another try when it comes out on the Xbox 360.

Anyway I was just wondering if there was any other fans of the game Stranded II or does anyone know any other good survival type games?

 

[Narogog]

Stranded 2 is a lot of fun, thanks for the thread it got me interested in it.

 

[diosilva16]

it's a very different type of game, but if you're into rogue likes you might enjoy unreal world. tisn't free but you can get the current version for 3 dollars or something, get the demo to ee if it's worthy

i'm also working on a very realistic map about palaeolithic survival, though you control half a dozen tribesmen, you'll have to feed them, keep them warm, craft stone axes, bows, etc. my sig and the thread it links to is about it, though i don't really have much to show yet besides a couple screenshots

 

[Dynamiczx]

Survival games could be one of the best games ever
I say could, because there isn't so much work in the genre as there is in the others, so there are very few releases :'(

Anyway, that Stranded game seems interesting, i will surely try to find more infos about it

Edit:well it seems pretty good, there is also a multiplayer mode, graphics are ok...i have an old pc so i played games with even worser graphics...but they are decent.Gotta give it a try someday

 

[Talavaj]

Minecraft is the best in the genre IMO, even though not exactly "survival"
there is also the Lost in blue series for the DS and wii they are rather cartoony and simplistic but are likely the only ones in the genre on said consoles
my favourite is Fragile Dreams for the wii not very survival (more of a surreal/post-apocalyptic really)

the problem with such "survival" games is the sandbox nature of them, not everybody favors playing with no objective
minecraft for example offers endless creativity and exploration but even that can turn mundane very quick for some because it's an end in itself (even though that is more than enough of a reason for many)

also what level of realism do you set ? do you need to sleep eat and drink ? does a stick + palm leaf equal a tent ?
it is very hard to set a good balance between the realism and game mechanics
also these games quickly devolve into tedium as you realize that all you do is picking up oysters just to sate your status bars and there is no time left for things that are actually fun (like exploration)

not a long time ago I was playing around with an idea of a survival based wc3 mod with extreme emphasis on realism
like using socks as containers for little items or crafting "neck" and arm armor from tree barks covered in sea urchin parts to protect from biting
predators and no, combining sticks with palm leaves wouldn't make a shelter but leaves on sticks..
in other words to simulate how a real shipwrecker would end up

but then I realized it would be fun for the first 15 minutes then bore people to death,
not to mention it would have little to no playerbase as it is hardly a mainstream interest
the only way I can see "survival" work all right is if it was a feature of a much broader game, not a main focus of gameplay

also unreal world strongly reminds me of the dwarf fortress

 

[diosilva16]

dwarf fortress is my favourite game. it has nothing to do with either surviva or unreal world, aside from being a roguelike with a heavy emphasis on depth rather than graphics.
it's an interesting case, though, it has everything a game needs to have to be terribly boring, and i guess many people do find it boring... i find it an exhilarating experience, one of the best games i ever played. i play it for hours after hours for weeks, every time a new version comes out