Minor Miseries is a mod for The Long Dark that introduces a layer of everyday physical discomforts.
These afflictions are not lethal. they are minor and easy to ignore.
Until they aren’t anymore.
Small problems accumulate. Neglect has consequences. Comfort is never permanent.
Minor Miseries now also includes a few situational protective buffs, allowing the player’s gear and recent experience to influence which miseries can occur.
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Minor Miseries adds a collection of non-fatal afflictions that trigger under specific gameplay conditions.
Some afflictions can evolve if left untreated, becoming more severe or introducing additional risks.
The system is built around escalation, persistence, cumulative pressure, and context-sensitive risk rather than sudden punishment.
Certain risks are now influenced by the tools you use, while some pieces of protective clothing can help prevent specific afflictions at the cost of item condition.
Blister
Appears after prolonged walking or sprinting. Slightly reduces mobility.
Can evolve into Bare Skin if ignored.
Bare Skin
Represents worn and exposed skin caused by repeated friction. Strongly reduces movement efficiency and carries a risk of infection if neglected.
Back Pain
Triggered by extended encumbrance. Reduces carrying capacity.
This affliction overrides carry weight values and may conflict with other mods that modify carry capacity.
Splinter
Can occur during breakdown actions with unprotected hands.
The chance depends on the tool being used.
Can evolve into Sensitive Hand.
Sensitive Hand
Develops from an untreated splinter. Further reduces crafting and rope climbing efficiency.
Scratch
Can occur while crafting with unprotected arms.
The chance depends on the tool being used.
Can evolve into Small Cut.
Small Cut
Develops from an untreated scratch. Introduces a risk of infection if neglected.
Wrist Trauma
Can occur when firing a revolver with low firearm skill.
Makes aiming and weapon handling more difficult, and also affects crafting and rope climbing.
Shoulder Trauma
Can occur when firing a rifle with low firearm skill.
Makes aiming and weapon handling more difficult, and also affects crafting and rope climbing.
Stuck Food
Can occur after eating. Causes extreme discomfort.
(Currently may also trigger from calorie-giving drinks — unintended behavior.)
Sore Neck
Can occur after sleeping inside a car or a snow shelter.
Sleeping in a car is riskier than sleeping in a snow shelter.
Bad Dream / Night Terror
May occur during sleep if the player has recently been attacked by wildlife.
Abruptly wakes the player and interrupts rest.
Each type of wildlife struggle contributes differently to the severity of the stress that builds up:
Wolves -> Moose -> Cougar -> Bear
The more intense the accumulated stress, the greater the chance of suffering Night Terror instead of Bad Dream.
Keep in mind that Night Terror always lasts twice as long as Bad Dream.
Protected Hands
Wearing appropriate gloves in good enough condition grants protection against Splinter during breakdown actions.
While the buff is active, Splinter cannot develop, but the gloves will lose condition each time a Splinter would have appeared.
Protected Arms
Wearing sturdy upper-body clothing in good enough condition grants protection against Scratch while crafting.
While the buff is active, Scratch cannot develop, but the clothes will lose condition each time a Scratch would have appeared.
Peace Of Mind
If enough time passes since your last wildlife attack and you manage to get proper sleep, you may gain Peace Of Mind.
While active, Bad Dream and Night Terror can no longer occur.
This buff is lost if wildlife stress returns.
If the player goes too long without suffering any affliction, they develop a growing Overconfidence Risk.
If this risk reaches its maximum, it evolves into Overconfidence.
While Overconfidence is active:
- The probability of Minor Miseries afflictions increases
- Some afflictions trigger faster or hit harder
- The severity of the first triggered affliction is amplified
The mod is fundamentally built around this mechanic.
All afflictions can be individually enabled or disabled.
Durations are configurable.
Evolving afflictions are grouped under their base affliction for clearer setup.
The Peace Of Mind threshold is configurable.
For intended balance and design cohesion, keeping Overconfidence enabled is strongly recommended.
Click to Expand
An advanced setting allows to modify rare alternative icons chance to appear for afflictions and buffs.
The following debug commands are available via the Developer Console.
These commands are intended strictly for testing and balancing.
mm_afflictions
Applies the main Minor Miseries afflictions for testing purposes.
mm_afflictions_cure
Cures all Minor Miseries afflictions currently active.
splinter
Triggers Splinter.
stuckfood
Triggers Food Stuck.
blister
Triggers Blister.
backpain
Triggers Back Pain.
scratch
Triggers Scratch.
baddream
Triggers Bad Dream.
nightterror
Triggers Night Terror.
sensitivehand
Triggers Sensitive Hand.
bareskin
Triggers Bare Skin.
smallcut
Triggers Small Cut.
wristrecoil
Triggers Wrist Trauma.
shoulderrecoil
Triggers Shoulder Trauma.
soreneck
Triggers Sore Neck.
overcrisk
Applies Overconfidence Risk.
overc
Applies Overconfidence.
overc_cure
Cures both Overconfidence Risk and Overconfidence if present.
- Install MelonLoader.
- Install AfflictionComponent, ModComponent, ModSettings and ModData.
- Place
Minor_Miseries.dllinside your Mods folder.