how do you all start a new character?

[Tbone555]

so, lets discuss this for a while, shall we? how do we all here like to start our new characters out?

me, i always play on stalker, and choose a random map (secretly hoping it puts me in timber wolf mountain in the middle of a pitch black night, because I'm a complete masochist when it comes to this game) and just work with whatever I'm given and survive at all costs. i don't have a specific starting location, i just improvise as needed.

so how do y'all start a new character? are you as random as i am, or do you have a go-to starting map that you always spawn in to get your footing?

[Ruruwawa]

I either do random, or start at one "end" (DP or TWM) and work my way through all the maps to the other end. 

[Wasteland Watcher]

For me it depends on the goal: if I'm exploring a particular area (e.g. TWM) I'll start there.

For sandbox I generally start at ML. I always play on voyageur difficulty. 

And I don't use a map.

[ChillPlayer]

I also usually begin in ML because I can get all the stuff I need the fastest there without much stress, especially the rifle. Second is Desolation Point for the same reasons but ML is better connected to the other maps.

[boshmi]

7 hours ago, Wasteland Watcher said:

And I don't use a map.

THIS.
I think maps ruin the game a bit for me, as part of my survival experience comes from being lost, cold and alone. It's ruined a bit if your character magically knows where they need to go at all times. Unfortunately, I can't delete the memory of where things are from my head, but if I could, I would, if only to add much replayability.

Personally, I always play on voyageur, as I would like a challenge, but I don't like the wolf spam in stalker, because that just annihilates immersion, and makes the game feel more like there's an entire species hell-bent on murdering you and they're all rushing you at once. My first stalker game, I probably killed half the population of wolves. in the country, and more kept coming. My ideal mode would be Stalker with a mix between voyageur and pilgrim for animal behavior and number.

In terms of maps, I always take random. Unless I have very specific objectives defined for the particular game, because random fits more with the "lost, cold, and alone" theme.

[Wasteland Watcher]

12 minutes ago, boshmi said:

THIS.
I think maps ruin the game a bit for me, as part of my survival experience comes from being lost, cold and alone. It's ruined a bit if your character magically knows where they need to go at all times. Unfortunately, I can't delete the memory of where things are from my head, but if I could, I would, if only to add much replayability.

Personally, I always play on voyageur, as I would like a challenge, but I don't like the wolf spam in stalker, because that just annihilates immersion, and makes the game feel more like there's an entire species hell-bent on murdering you and they're all rushing you at once. My first stalker game, I probably killed half the population of wolves. in the country, and more kept coming. My ideal mode would be Stalker with a mix between voyageur and pilgrim for animal behavior and number.

In terms of maps, I always take random. Unless I have very specific objectives defined for the particular game, because random fits more with the "lost, cold, and alone" theme.

Very true on already knowing where items are killing immersion, especially regarding exploring. But since I can't have a randomized topography for where I've been (ML, CH, TWM) I just try to think that maybe this Will MacKensie's "been there in the past" or "studied maps" before a flyover. So I don't look at any user created maps, just the one in my head that I can't forget  
I like Voyageur difficulty. It's all I've ever played. The randomness of wolves attacking or running, and even the same with bears makes it a thrilling experience that feels more like an adventure game rather than a desperate action game, which from what I read, is what Stalker is like.  

Now in PV for the first time, attacked by a bear I did not provoke the 2nd day in, lost, no bedroll (bear destroyed it), ruined clothes, and almost no food... it was sheer luck that I wandered into the "Pleasant" Valley Farmhouse.  Nearly starving and no luck with snares I was lucky enough to find an old rifle inside the house and three bullets.  In my combined sandboxes I've got about 300 days (but only 180+ in this one) and killed a deer for the first time because I was starving, desperate, and worried. 
The funny thing is that I had planned on just passing thru "Pleasant" Valley to get to Timberwolf Mountain but now here for almost two weeks because of the bear attack my second day in.
It's this unfamiliarity with territory and random elements that really make The Long Dark shine. I'm not about to ruin my experience by cheating and looking at a map. If Hinterland had intended for our character to already know the territory we would have been provided with a map in-game.
I think I'm playing (play-testing) the way they intended and you know what? I love it!!

[HeWhoWalksByNight]

Stalker, female only; I've never played any time as the man. I have saves in my fave maps and jump between them at random.