The game isn't explaining the rules combat

four part level 3 troll armour , level 3 bronze shield , cooked deer , cooked boar and a blueberry

going towards the swamp for the first time a draugr comes around a tree i go for a parry and get one shot.

as i respawn im not feeling outplayed , punished for a mistake or even the low hanging fruit of a trial and error learning experience , im just annoyed that was cheap .

so what was my mistake? did the parry miss? am i not wearing enough armour? thw wrong type? does my shield not have enough numbers , did i need to have different food? did it get a random crit? did i land the parry but get overpowered because my food > its damage

how does the game inform me of the rule i failed at? what feedback is there to the player?

if the game just had armour and health and there was a tooltip saying armour reduces damage health is total damage you can take you then know all you need to know

valheim has stacked health, food , stagger bar thresholds, armour , parry , block etc all on top of themselves and as such there is just no clear communication coming out of the jumbled mess.



i restarted for heath and home im now at the end of the iron age the only new thing i noticed was the spice rack which gated me out of being able to make iron age food because turnips were non existent on my map. and the modified food system which well hasnt done anything yet. i just seem to have less stamina.

all i have noticed is i have died near a dozen times this play through and none of them feel like my fault and i dont know what rule i broke in any of them. well the ones to the tar monster and wolf is down to some large aggro ranges! but the rest, i dunno the game wont tell me.
2:13 pm, October 2, 2021
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Padds replied to The game isn't explaining the rules combat October 2, 2021 @ 5:08:55 am PDT

Originally posted by Draconifors:
Having such low-quality food certainly played a part.

A blueberry is garbage at that point in the game; you should have at the very least honey to use instead. Carrot soup should be an option, too. Would help a -lot- with stamina.

All in all, sounds like the problem is insufficient preparation on your part.

possibly , but how is the player supposed to know there are carrots and honey out there to find and that he shouldnt go further untill RNG says yes?

how , in game is anyone supposed to know that is the wall they hit?

why do you think stamina was the issue?

just for the record, i had been looking for hives to get queens but just hadn't had any spawn and carrots i had but they were in seed mode expanding the crop.
5:13 pm, October 2, 2021
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@%thesock10150alpha49 replied to The game isn't explaining the rules combat October 2, 2021 @ 5:27:52 am PDT

Originally posted by Padds:
how , in game is anyone supposed to know that is the wall they hit?
Unfortunately, dying *is* the indicator. Especially if it was a one-shot. That's the games way of telling you you are moving into a dangerous new zone.

That's just how it is with survival games. I get your frustration, though. Dying should never be an expectation, in my opinion.
5:13 pm, October 2, 2021
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Padds replied to The game isn't explaining the rules combat October 2, 2021 @ 5:28:36 am PDT

Originally posted by Fishboy:
Unfortunately all of your deaths are your fault, you cannot blame the new food system for that as my group has played all the way through this update with no issues to speak of

im not saying they were not my fault im saying the game doesnt tell people what they need to know. your groups experience is probably quite a lot different to my solo experience because you know your a group.


i did have tin i did have a cauldron but my spawn had provided no bees (and i knew from experience to look for them and had actively been)

but my point is how from what happened in game can i tell and improve if someone has to go outside the game read guides/forums/watch videos, that information isnt going to get to a portion of the playerbase.

so theories so far from the first 4 responders

-i missed parry
-it was a starred draugr
-my food was too bad not enough stamina
-my food was bad not enough health


other stuff it could of been?

weak armour?
low block skill?


i mean how sure are you that the food was too low? if i told you to go and test parrying a draugr with that set up how sure would you be it wouldnt work?


5:13 pm, October 2, 2021
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Padds replied to The game isn't explaining the rules combat October 2, 2021 @ 5:34:04 am PDT

Originally posted by @%thesock10150alpha49:
Originally posted by Padds:
how , in game is anyone supposed to know that is the wall they hit?
Unfortunately, dying *is* the indicator. Especially if it was a one-shot. That's the games way of telling you you are moving into a dangerous new zone.

That's just how it is with survival games. I get your frustration, though. Dying should never be an expectation, in my opinion.

i agree , but its not my point. yes i wasnt ready for that encounter but i had maxxed out the armour and weapons and food available and was murdered in one hit by going to the correct next step.. this in itself i dont have a problem with (i think the curve should be less step and the draugr run me out by it being clearly too tough for me to handle rather than just one shotting me)

but my point is - how do i as the player know why im not ready based on the information the game has given me, i know several things from playing before reading forums and watching videos. but if i was just a normal player sat there and that happened how would you know what to do to fix it?
5:13 pm, October 2, 2021
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@%thesock10150alpha49 replied to The game isn't explaining the rules combat October 2, 2021 @ 5:40:41 am PDT

Originally posted by Padds:
weak armour?

Actually yeah, that probably played a big role as well. People will blame the food first, and it's a great starting point, but taking a direct draugr hit after a missed parry while only wearing trollhide definitely hurts.

You might have had a decent amount of health, but Trollhides only advantage is it's mobility. It relies on negating the need for armor, but it actually sucks at taking damage. If you aren't able to avoid things, you'll probably want to upgrade to bronze armor.

I would definitely start by spending the time on Foods first, because that is genuinely easier and faster than grinding out Bronze. But if you feel you need it, upgrading your armor may help in some way.
5:13 pm, October 2, 2021
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@%thesock10150alpha49 replied to The game isn't explaining the rules combat October 2, 2021 @ 6:05:47 am PDT

Originally posted by Anarchist Jurisdictor:
He also would have died with comparable bronze armor

Not necessarily in one hit, though. Presuming that wasn't a starred draugr or a bowman, the first hit might've been livable.

6 points is literally almost 20% of Trollhides entire armor rating. People so often underestimate the impact that can have, especially when it comes to those close calls.
5:13 pm, October 2, 2021
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Draconifors replied to The game isn't explaining the rules combat October 2, 2021 @ 5:00:53 am PDT

Having such low-quality food certainly played a part.

A blueberry is garbage at that point in the game; you should have at the very least honey to use instead. Carrot soup should be an option, too. Would help a -lot- with stamina.

All in all, sounds like the problem is insufficient preparation on your part.
2:13 pm, October 2, 2021
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Fzanco replied to The game isn't explaining the rules combat October 2, 2021 @ 5:02:07 am PDT

Originally posted by Padds:
cooked deer , cooked boar and a blueberry

going towards the swamp
This food is fairly low tier for swamp. You should make minced meat, dear stew and carrot soup. That's the best but there's still more better than what you had.

Did the drauger have a star ? And yeah maybe parry missed but yeah I think food was you biggest issue there.
2:13 pm, October 2, 2021
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76561198002568917 replied to The game isn't explaining the rules combat October 2, 2021 @ 5:08:55 am PDT

Originally posted by Draconifors:
Having such low-quality food certainly played a part.

A blueberry is garbage at that point in the game; you should have at the very least honey to use instead. Carrot soup should be an option, too. Would help a -lot- with stamina.

All in all, sounds like the problem is insufficient preparation on your part.

possibly , but how is the player supposed to know there are carrots and honey out there to find and that he shouldnt go further untill RNG says yes?

how , in game is anyone supposed to know that is the wall they hit?

why do you think stamina was the issue?

just for the record, i had been looking for hives to get queens but just hadn't had any spawn and carrots i had but they were in seed mode expanding the crop.
2:13 pm, October 2, 2021
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Fishboy replied to The game isn't explaining the rules combat October 2, 2021 @ 5:14:01 am PDT

Unfortunately all of your deaths are your fault, you cannot blame the new food system for that as my group has played all the way through this update with no issues to speak of. The deaths we have had are because we got too greedy, too lazy or just unfortunately got outnumbered or outplayed.

Using berries and cooked meat is silly for the swamp, you should have access to tin to make a cauldron long before you enter the swamp and with that you can start cooking better food. Queens Jam (Raspberries, Blueberries), Boar Jerky (Boar meat, Honey), Carrot Soup (Carrot, Mushroom). You should have access to these things from your time in the Black Forest.

Troll armour is fine and your shield is fine but food actively dictates how able you are to block damage, the more HP you have the more damage your shield will block for you. You also need to time the block to get a parry (especially with a buckler, it does basically nothing otherwise) which you must have missed because even with no food you can parry a draugr but you will stagger and be open to a killing blow.

Everything points to you not being prepared and going into a very dangerous zone in the game only to die and then come here to moan about it, get the basics down and the game is fine.
2:13 pm, October 2, 2021
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76561198010969020 replied to The game isn't explaining the rules combat October 2, 2021 @ 5:27:52 am PDT

Originally posted by Padds:
how , in game is anyone supposed to know that is the wall they hit?
Unfortunately, dying *is* the indicator. Especially if it was a one-shot. That's the games way of telling you you are moving into a dangerous new zone.

That's just how it is with survival games. I get your frustration, though. Dying should never be an expectation, in my opinion.
2:13 pm, October 2, 2021
0 comments 0 likes

76561198002568917 replied to The game isn't explaining the rules combat October 2, 2021 @ 5:28:36 am PDT

Originally posted by Fishboy:
Unfortunately all of your deaths are your fault, you cannot blame the new food system for that as my group has played all the way through this update with no issues to speak of

im not saying they were not my fault im saying the game doesnt tell people what they need to know. your groups experience is probably quite a lot different to my solo experience because you know your a group.


i did have tin i did have a cauldron but my spawn had provided no bees (and i knew from experience to look for them and had actively been)

but my point is how from what happened in game can i tell and improve if someone has to go outside the game read guides/forums/watch videos, that information isnt going to get to a portion of the playerbase.

so theories so far from the first 4 responders

-i missed parry
-it was a starred draugr
-my food was too bad not enough stamina
-my food was bad not enough health


other stuff it could of been?

weak armour?
low block skill?


i mean how sure are you that the food was too low? if i told you to go and test parrying a draugr with that set up how sure would you be it wouldnt work?


2:13 pm, October 2, 2021
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Mharr replied to The game isn't explaining the rules combat October 2, 2021 @ 5:30:47 am PDT

Originally posted by Fishboy:
food actively dictates how able you are to block damage, the more HP you have the more damage your shield will block for you.
This is the part that really isn't communicated in game. Without reading guides and wikis a player will assume that HP is just HP, and equipment quality and parry timing determine how much HP you need. Having a minimum HP requirement for parrying to work at all is some weird design.
2:13 pm, October 2, 2021
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76561198002568917 replied to The game isn't explaining the rules combat October 2, 2021 @ 5:34:04 am PDT

Originally posted by @%thesock10150alpha49:
Originally posted by Padds:
how , in game is anyone supposed to know that is the wall they hit?
Unfortunately, dying *is* the indicator. Especially if it was a one-shot. That's the games way of telling you you are moving into a dangerous new zone.

That's just how it is with survival games. I get your frustration, though. Dying should never be an expectation, in my opinion.

i agree , but its not my point. yes i wasnt ready for that encounter but i had maxxed out the armour and weapons and food available and was murdered in one hit by going to the correct next step.. this in itself i dont have a problem with (i think the curve should be less step and the draugr run me out by it being clearly too tough for me to handle rather than just one shotting me)

but my point is - how do i as the player know why im not ready based on the information the game has given me, i know several things from playing before reading forums and watching videos. but if i was just a normal player sat there and that happened how would you know what to do to fix it?
2:13 pm, October 2, 2021
0 comments 0 likes

76561198010969020 replied to The game isn't explaining the rules combat October 2, 2021 @ 5:40:41 am PDT

Originally posted by Padds:
weak armour?

Actually yeah, that probably played a big role as well. People will blame the food first, and it's a great starting point, but taking a direct draugr hit after a missed parry while only wearing trollhide definitely hurts.

You might have had a decent amount of health, but Trollhides only advantage is it's mobility. It relies on negating the need for armor, but it actually sucks at taking damage. If you aren't able to avoid things, you'll probably want to upgrade to bronze armor.

I would definitely start by spending the time on Foods first, because that is genuinely easier and faster than grinding out Bronze. But if you feel you need it, upgrading your armor may help in some way.
2:13 pm, October 2, 2021
0 comments 0 likes

Fzanco replied to The game isn't explaining the rules combat October 2, 2021 @ 5:45:53 am PDT

There is one stronger armour for entering the swamp but not that much higher and block skill, like all skills, aren't that important in how you accomplish anything. The listed reasons for why you died in one hit i think are exhausted and quite sound. Food is pretty important and you said it's your first time in swamp so yeah dieing really is the slap in the face to let you know something's not right, a bit unfair but also to be fair it's a scary dank swamp . . .
2:13 pm, October 2, 2021
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Anarchist Jurisdictor replied to The game isn't explaining the rules combat October 2, 2021 @ 5:55:27 am PDT

Originally posted by @%thesock10150alpha49:
Originally posted by Padds:
weak armour?

Actually yeah, that probably played a big role as well. People will blame the food first, and it's a great starting point, but taking a direct draugr hit after a missed parry while only wearing trollhide definitely hurts.

You might have had a decent amount of health, but Trollhides only advantage is it's mobility. It relies on negating the need for armor, but it actually sucks at taking damage. If you aren't able to avoid things, you'll probably want to upgrade to bronze armor.

I would definitely start by spending the time on Foods first, because that is genuinely easier and faster than grinding out Bronze. But if you feel you need it, upgrading your armor may help in some way.

Level 3 troll armor is only 6 armor (33 vs 39) less than level 3 bronze armor. The reason he died is because the game expected him to have eaten cooked fish, minced meat sauce and carrot soup for a total of 105+25 health and he had only eaten food worth at most a total of 73+25. The existence of a merchant from whom you can buy a fishing rod and the existence of carrots were concealed from him, and even if he had happened to come upon those things the game still wouldn't have told him that health influences stability/stun resistance.

He also would have died with comparable bronze armor
2:13 pm, October 2, 2021
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got milk? replied to The game isn't explaining the rules combat October 2, 2021 @ 5:58:33 am PDT

That's normal, my first time entering the Swamps was also a culture shock.

Draugrs hit hard if you're in troll gear. I remember sneaking around and clearing them out with my bow until I got enough entrails to make sausages. After that, life in the Swamps got slightly easier.

Like what others said, you were eating starter-level food into the 3rd biome, which was mostly likely the cause of your death. Try eating proper food (i.e. those cooked using the cauldron) from the previous biome if you're entering the next biome for the first time.
2:13 pm, October 2, 2021
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QueenMadeleineAlexis replied to The game isn't explaining the rules combat October 2, 2021 @ 6:00:47 am PDT

Originally posted by Padds:
four part level 3 troll armour , level 3 bronze shield , cooked deer , cooked boar and a blueberry

going towards the swamp for the first time a draugr comes around a tree i go for a parry and get one shot.

as i respawn im not feeling outplayed , punished for a mistake or even the low hanging fruit of a trial and error learning experience , im just annoyed that was cheap .

so what was my mistake? did the parry miss? am i not wearing enough armour? thw wrong type? does my shield not have enough numbers , did i need to have different food? did it get a random crit? did i land the parry but get overpowered because my food > its damage

how does the game inform me of the rule i failed at? what feedback is there to the player?

if the game just had armour and health and there was a tooltip saying armour reduces damage health is total damage you can take you then know all you need to know

valheim has stacked health, food , stagger bar thresholds, armour , parry , block etc all on top of themselves and as such there is just no clear communication coming out of the jumbled mess.



i restarted for heath and home im now at the end of the iron age the only new thing i noticed was the spice rack which gated me out of being able to make iron age food because turnips were non existent on my map. and the modified food system which well hasnt done anything yet. i just seem to have less stamina.

all i have noticed is i have died near a dozen times this play through and none of them feel like my fault and i dont know what rule i broke in any of them. well the ones to the tar monster and wolf is down to some large aggro ranges! but the rest, i dunno the game wont tell me.


what food are you using?

swamp shouldnt one shot u at all.
i think i had max troll armor+shield. food i use was queens jam+boar meat+deer stew. that total gave me 114 HP and 115 sta.

you should have 100hp alway.
2:13 pm, October 2, 2021
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76561198010969020 replied to The game isn't explaining the rules combat October 2, 2021 @ 6:05:47 am PDT

Originally posted by Anarchist Jurisdictor:
He also would have died with comparable bronze armor

Not necessarily in one hit, though. Presuming that wasn't a starred draugr or a bowman, the first hit might've been livable.

6 points is literally almost 20% of Trollhides entire armor rating. People so often underestimate the impact that can have, especially when it comes to those close calls.
2:13 pm, October 2, 2021
0 comments 0 likes