4Game

Let me preface this by saying this is not a hate post or negativity to the systems in place now, just my 2 cents and some ideas I've thought of.

While Valheim has introduced some new ideas to its stamina system, like the rested buff which incentives players to build comfortable rooms to rest in, the bigger=better stamina bar system is outdated and not enjoyable.

​

Currently, besides potions, there is one buff in the game which improves overall stamina regen. No food improves regen, and even potions only do it in the short-term and lock you out of taking more. Its been said a thousand times here, it doesn't matter how big the stamina bar is, you still have to regen it. And the bigger it is, the more you have to regen. Stamina regeneration buffs are where the focus needs to be.

They can keep fighting this back and forth of nerfing and buffing food items over and over again, but all this will do it make stamina entirely obsolete or persistently burdensome. Currently its the only thing besides skills that defines how you can preform in combat, so I think doing away with stamina entirely is a poor decision.

​

My idea breaks down into combat and work stamina, which I believe should be treated differently. Combat is obviously fighting, swords, bows, running, etc. Work is chopping, building, farming, etc.

With combat, regeneration should be a reward the player earns by using their weapons successfully, the reward being Adrenaline. Adrenaline could be given after landing successful hits, critical hits, sneak attacks, landing multiple consecutive hits, landing long range shots, etc, all depending on what weapon the player is using. Adrenaline could be taken away after missing attacks, shots, getting hit, etc.

Adrenaline is short term and goes away quickly, if you're out of the fight too long it resets, but keeping adrenaline going means more stamina regen, which means active fighting can be continuous throughout the battle without being stunlocked and forced to walk around, kiting enemies while you're stamina slowly regens because you're tired, cold, and wet.

This would remove alot of the hindrances that stamina provides currently, which of course would make combat easier, so I think if this change were to happen then enemies should be harder. Not in the form of just giving them more health, but perhaps just making them hit more often or even dodge/block or parry.

If a system like this were to be in place, stamina would instead reward the player for proper weapon usage, allowing them to fight unique to their weapon/gear and granting them buffs. Instead of defining builds based simply on stamina and health values.

​

Work stamina is much more simple. Building, farming, etc, should not consume much of your active stamina. Instead, doing these activities builds your "tiredness" or "Fatigue" which stacks overtime. Tiredness does nothing until it reaches a threshold after working for a long time, after this point is reached the player can sit (on the ground, or a bench) and their fatigue/tiredness is reduced. Things such as comfortable benches' covered with roofs could decrease fatigue faster than simply sitting on the ground, incentivizing building a resting area next to build areas, but not requiring it.

So instead of having to stop every time you build multiple pieces, or plant multiple seeds in order to regen stamina, you would simply work for a while until your fatigue gets too high, then you rest for a moment to reduce it. While this is similar to the current system of resting with comfort for a regen buff, you're still required to stop and regen stamina consistently, or eat high level food to increase your stamina enough- which still doesn't make a big difference if you're jumping and running often.

​

Please keep in mind these are just brainstormed ideas and not finalized concepts I am demanding be put into the game. I believe that giving the player stamina regen, rather than a bigger stamina bar, will make the game more enjoyable and less frustrating overall.