If I remember correctly, during the original Kickstarter campaign, it was mentioned that salt would be (one of) the most valuable material(s) in the GD universe, being used as a deterrent and potentially as a weapon against the demonic.
Now iron seems to be the main currency ingame, and I have yet to encounter any mention of salt. However, salt is clearly being seen used as a deterrent, for example at Homestead’s gates.
So, I was wondering, what happened to the idea of using salt as a currency, or as an (alternative) tradeable material? Why, in the end, was nothing done with salt lore- and/or gameplay wise? Did I just remember incorrectly?
I doubt it was ever intended as a currency or other in-game item. I think the line, “the importance of salt as a weapon makes it far too valuable to waste on food”, just serves to add flavour to the game’s setting.
There’s certainly material there for a quest or something though.
I guess you’re right and my memory made more of it, than was intended. Still though, there’s a lot of untouched potential there.
It’d be nice if they do something with it for the expansion.
Completely forgot about that, but it doesn’t seem to do anything, or at least not much. It also doesn’t appear as a component or anything with higher level gear.
We’ve got a purified salt component, and there are lines of salt around riftgates, around beds in the open or campsites and across doorways, as well as this little story of a fort made out of salt in the mountains by Mornay. (Who doesn’t buy it, but still think an enclave of humans surviving in a salt mine is feasible.)
[Spoiler2]Free Men of Corrigan mine, where art thou?[/Spoiler2]
There is salt EVERYWHERE laying on the ground in areas where humans tried to ward off the dead.
See various thresholds in devil’s crossing, burrwitch village, burrwitch estates and especially the cellar where you find the apprentice.
That’s the importance. It’s not a currency or a commodity, but rather a tool to protect against evil spirits. Hence, it’s used as a component to increase your damage against specific enemies.
Now that we’re on that subject however… enemies can still cross the salt barriers. It’s not a huge issue, but it breaks the immersion a little for me, lol.
That’s precisely my point. It’s there, but not a lot is done with it.
For examply where is all that salt coming from? Are there salt mines? Would a salt mine enclave not exist at at least the size of Devil’s Crossing? Are there salt winning area’s near the coast?
It does seem odd from a lore perspective that enemies can cross the salt barriers, but from a gameplay perspective it might be too abusable for ranged characters if they couldn’t. Really my biggest issue with salt is that it doesn’t have a silvercore bolts equivalent.