ManicManiac

@BugReportEnthusiast I don't disagree with that... it is a good option. I only mean to say that I didn't think it was always the best option, depending on the circumstance.

There is some good sound advice in this thread already, but I thought I might add my thoughts as well. I'm not so sure that a snow shelter is always objectively the best option. I'm sure it's favored by some... but I personally don't really think it's necessarily the best solution. The snow shelter is definitely a convenient one (especially if set up in front of a hollow tree or a windproof firebox). However, I find that it's usually the better option to simply seek any nearby shelter/cover to hole-up in and wait out the storm. This way (assuming you have at least mid-tier clothing... we can generally keep warm in any "indoor"/interior of a shelter (including the back of nearly all shallow caves, interior caves, and inside buildings *where we have an inside/outside loading transition) even without a fire. Most times even if we need a couple more degrees to start warming up... we can also then hop in a bed or use a bedroll in most cases to make up the difference. I think folks will find that "shelter" can even be as simple as a spot where we can be shielded from the wind. Tucking up under a low bridge (for example - the one between the town of Milton and the Paradise Meadows Farm), this can give you a place to both get cover from the wind, but also a shielded spot for a fire. Hollowed out trees are also a good spot to get a campfire set up... it's mostly protected (except for if the wind is blasting straight at the opening). For those who really enjoy exploring and seeking out all the little nooks and crannies... there are also many many small niches in ridgelines, crevices, tiny little cave-like nooks where we can get good shielding from the wind with enough room that we can sometimes get a campfire setup with us (assuming it's deep enough that we can squeeze in with it). 🤭 If you have enough sticks on hand... you can even nurse a campfire and just tank the storm by a tree. But again... I'd posit that usually the most ideal answer to a blizzard is to just find a nearby structure with an interior transition (or the back of a common/shallow cave). All this having been said... which is the "best" option I think really just comes down to each particular situation, what you have to hand, and what your personal playstyle is. As long as you find a way to survive the storm... then it's not a bad answer.

@conanjaguar Well, it was my first fade-out in literal years, that's true. 😋 It just goes to show, that mistakes and bad luck can quickly prove fatal for a run. I may have pulled off some wildly risky stuff in the past... but this time, I just pushed my luck too far. But when mistakes and tragedy strike... it's as much a chance to learn and grow as it is when we pull off what seemed like an impossible stunt. In both cases, I think it's great to share that with folks.

@Looper Last time it wasn't a lack of shelter... It was me choosing to needlessly push my luck, not bring any coal to save on weight, the bad luck of a blizzard less than a day after the previous one... that blizzard hitting while I was resting on a ledge... and the gear inside of the cargo containers of being unusually low quality. If any one of those things had not been a factor... I would have tanked the blizzard just fine, even comfortably. In perfect honesty was my choices and some rotten luck that ultimately cost me that run. 🤭 However, I see the merit of a survive and thrive on the summit run... one of these days. Thank you.

@Looper Thank you, I'm glad folks enjoy reading along with my adventure/misadventures. This one is a Stalker [no feats] run. Also, no additional personal rules or restrictions this time. Just a survivor gearing up to eventually launch my first expedition into the Far Territory.

I'd managed to make it further than I'd aimed for yesterday... so of course Pleasant Valley was keen to make up for that today. I went up to check the hayloft... then I sat up there for about an hour and a half while I repaired the Insulated Boots that I'd picked up at Signal Hill. Of course, no sooner had I finished the repair, I became aware of the rather loud gusting winds outside. On the way out... I'd nearly missed something when I came in last night. I did a quick sort and stow, leaving behind most of what I'd picked up along the way between Signal Hill and the work shed at the Pleasant Valley Farmstead. I knew what to expect when I poked my head out... but I was still hoping that it just a gusty windstorm... but of course not. It was a full-on blizzard. Not wanting to needless add wear and tear to the good pair of boots I just fixed up... I took them off and started a sprint for the farmhouse. It was easy enough to tank, since there wasn't far to go. I spend most of the day waiting out the storm and prospecting the house from top to bottom. I'll spare the usual inventory of notable items... suffice to say that I did find some decent clothing and a rather healthy amount of food. However, the real prize was a rather nice condition hacksaw. I feel better about heading to Timberwolf Mountain knowing I don't have to rely on chance to find a much-needed hacksaw for the cargo containers. 🤭 Just as I was doing my sort and stow setting up a nice cache there at the Pleasant Valley Farmstead... the blizzard had abated. I wanted to at least push on until I was exhausted, at least try to make up some of the time I spent waiting out the storm. I had to head back to the work shed... I had left my ammunition that I'd been collecting up since the lower levels of the Carter Dam. I was going to leave them cached at the work shed, but ultimately decided I wanted to stow them away at the Community Hall over at Thompson's Crossing instead. The weather had cleared... but a fog was quickly rolling in as well. No clear skies tonight. I didn't even bother picking up those painkillers... I never really have any use for them anyway. Sprinting onward across the open field, I was quickly getting tired out. That Old Red Barn has some real Amityville Horror vibes in the fog... As I crept around gathering up what I could, I decide I would not press my luck so hard this time... that I would spend the night in that creepy old barn. Tomorrow though... no excuses. I have to get over to Thompson's Crossing.

I'd say it's more than a bit unfair to be implying a lack of transparency on Hinterland's part. Over the years, I'd say Hinterland has done fairly well in being very open with their community. Let's not continue down that path... I find it tends to get disrespectful rather quickly.

I can't in good conscience narrow it down to just one thing. (Indeed, I have no doubt getting the hand coverings to show and play correctly must have been an absolute Herculean task... especially considering the condition variations over every particular one) Frankly I really appreciate all the time and hard work that has gone into all the new features, items, and content. While I have yet to mount a full expedition into the Far Territory... All the new items and features that have come along with each update have been wonderful to get to experiment with and see how they will continue to evolve my playstyle. So far as I've been able to experiment and work with them, I'd say they have done a lot in terms of enriching an already very emergently complex gameplay experience... and quite frankly, I love it all the more. After all the years I've been playing... it never feels stale or "old hat." For the last 9 1/2 years or so now... this has been the game I play the most by a rather wide margin.

In my opinion... I'd say it's easy for folks on the forum to just try to tell Hinterland what they "should do," and it all may seem simple and easy from that point of view... However, we don't know all the demands on Hinterland's time. We don't know the issues that the various teams may be facing with what they are working on, or the amount of coordination it takes at each level to keep things moving forward. We just don't know all those behind-the-scenes things that sap both time and energy... I'll echo what I've mentioned in another thread: Don't get me wrong... I'm not criticizing the suggestions themselves. I'm sure most genuinely intend those suggestions to be helpful. All I'm trying to say here... is I think it would be wise for all of us to temper expectation with patience. As far as I have seen over the years, Hinterland has been rather good about sharing information with us... when they felt they had something substantial to share, and when they felt that information was in a ready enough state to share.

Ghost - Life Eternal (Audio) (youtube.com) Alternate Link: Ghost - Life Eternal with lyrics (youtube.com)

Since I'm sort of retracing a more recent route... I'll keep it short today. The goal: cross the Winding River and make a push for Signal Hill. I don't really have the time to break down this stack of pallets by hand... but I will note the container inside the pipe and come back for it. I managed to get down to the Pleasant Valley Farmstead before it got too far past sundown. I did take some time to prep a little more drinking water... but really, I was just looking to get a few canned food items cooked for eating over the next couple of days. Since I'm here, tomorrow I will checkout the Farmhouse... but I don't want to idle too much. I'd really like to get over to Thompson's Crossing tomorrow and get ready to head to the Upper Shelf and onwards toward Timberwolf Mountain. However, I haven't yet found a hacksaw along the way. I will feel better about things when I do.

I recommend that folks also submit support tickets.

I think folks might also benefit from not expecting the Hinterland Team to be at their beck-and-call. Work as to get done, and work takes time. I would say, that Hinterland has been rather good about letting us know when they have information to share. Do they really owe us monthly updates? Are we stockholders? Are we on some Board of Directors? ...no. I feel that Hinterland has earned a lot of good will over the years. I think that rather than assume and jump to negative conclusions... I think we ought to give the benefit of any doubt and just have patience.

Last I was aware, sprinting did provide a small warmth bonus... just like holding a lit lantern. However, those effects are small/subtle... and I think it's best that way. Also... I don't think the game needs to get so pedantic that every quibbled detail from reality should be expected to be painstakingly reproduced in any video game. As I often say... sometimes a video game, just has to video game. I don't think any video game should be expected to be a 1-1 simulation of reality. One, that's just not practical... and two, that would likely give us a game that was very mundane and not much fun to play (kind of like real life). However, while I do appreciate folks musing about this sort of thing... but honestly, I just don't see it providing enough benefit or value to justify Hinterland spending all the time and resources to change/add them.

I knew that prospecting through the Carter Dam was likely going to be an all-day event. My only concern is that I only have one (only partially full) lantern with me... and a good thorough search of the dam was going to need more light than I have on hand. I was trusting that I would find more inside. Thankfully, I'm still in the habit of getting low before exiting a shelter... there was a wolf skulking around between the trailers and the river today. Feels a bit like déjà vu; like I've done this recently... After just a little bit of time in the foyer, I did check on the weather outside... Looks like a rather nice day, but I still don't really have sufficient clothing... I was getting cold very fast. I was thankful that I would be spending the day inside. I'm really hoping to find some warm clothing, but there's no telling what I might find. It was time to get started in earnest. Do you see what I see? 🤭 At this point, I was no longer worried about having enough light to finish prospecting. I did make my way back to the front of the dam for a quick sort and stow. All told, I was a bit disappointed... I was hoping I would find more clothing than I did. However, I suppose some of the rather nice gear and supplies I did find made up for it. I ended up with a cooking pot, three lanterns, four flares (minus the one I used to search through the lower portion of the dam)... among the other notable items I'd highlighted earlier. 🤭 It was well after dark by the time I got back to the door leading out to Winding River. I suppose I could make a push to get to the far side and make a push for the cave leading to Pleasant Valley... but perhaps it's best not to push my luck with the weather (I still feel the sting of what happened last time, I did that ).