Here are the reasons for Long Rest Times Sensitive Events:
1. Story pushes time sensitivity. Again, Druids will sit and do nothing for 20 days if you want, never completing the ritual and gobbos never attack either.
2. Unlimited Long Rests make most items you pick up pointless. If I can long rest as much as I want the only use for healing items is as extreme emergency items. I don't need food, potions, etc. hardly at all because I can long rest after every battle.
3. Short rests are pointless too. Why Short Rest at all when there is not penalty for Long Rest?
4. The world is almost totally static. How long does the Tiefling girl need to pack for their trip to Baldurs? How long are the trio going to discuss their lives and futures? How many days are the gobbos in Blighted Village gonna pick through the same garbage if I don't kill them?
5. No sense of time in thr game.
Look. I get that OTHER video games don't care about these things, but this is D&D. It is THE RPG. The Original RPG. Thr whole point of an RPG is to immerse yourself into the role of your character. The story, the environment, everything, should simulate reality. If the story says move your butt, you should move your butt. If you don't, then DM is supposed to do things to nudge you back on course.
So my idea is, you do 2 long rests, or something similar, and the game nudges you by reminding you that you need to: rescue Halsin, save the Tieflings, get to the creche, kill the gobbo leaders, etc. I'm not saying that you only get 3 days to stop the druids or kill gobbos. Im saying after 3 days SOMETHING happens to say "Hey. You know. You don't have forever to do this thing." Then give another couple days and say "Im...seriously. If you don't do something soon..."
Then, after x number of days, whatever Larian decides makes sense, then maybe some side quests trigger for you. Gobbos attack, druids kick people out, etc., but only AFTER a lot of Long Rests. SOMETHING to give other items and game functions purpose and meaning and to be consistent with the story.
1. Yes I understand what you are saying. But you are trying to place a linear restriction on a non linear game. What if the player wants to investigate the owl cave, or the spider cave before this? What if they rather investigate the bog? Each have heavy combat, therefor the need to rest to recharge your abilities. Maybe run around and get in some more conversations to trigger the dream and possibly use your illthid ability? This is a totally different game than say XCOM where the entire game is basically based on the use of time.
2.So? Not to mention you are trying to say this is going to happen after the starting area? Maybe the combat will get way more difficult once you leave the starter area and potions and food will be more important (which Larian is known to do just look at DOS).
3. Short rest is 2 chance to quick recharge before needing to long rest.
4. Seriously, do you think that the majority of players give their tertiary NPCs much after thought? I mean they don't even leave until after the main battle and finishing the Druid questline. I am also thinking, they are another side quest once we leave the starting area.
5. I know that is seriously important to you, and that is cool, but I am sure there is plenty of players that it is not a game breaking loss. More of a cherry on top.
I get what your saying after this list, but I just don't agree. That seems like something that I would find restricting. Every RPG is different to some degree, but I do not think there is some epic difference between this RPG just because it is based off of WoTC content.
