suggestion Trail Markers

[CarolinaSantAngelo]

I found some discussions about it but none specialized in this, or at least i didn't put in the right word combination, sorry if this has been talked about a lot.  While it is fun to go exploring and find yourself completely lost, you have no idea where you left a shelter full with stuff because you can't carry them (my days in Pleasent Valley specially) or fog makes an appearance, there is one thing I've been wishing to have every time I leave for unknown parts with the idea of making it back to my base or where I'm currently staying, which is markers. 

Could I use something from my backpack? Yes. We do have some ways around this but everytime I want to go out I think about how much I would love to make a mark in trees with my hatchet/knife to say something:

• I've been here. 
• This is the way you came. 

So, here are some suggestions that I've thought about that could be useful for markers taking into account that we obviously are in the middle of Canada and with blizzards, sticking sticks on the ground with a cloth like a flag (which would be my first idea without thinking on the context) would be completely useless as it could get thrown away and buried in the snow or an animal could find fun with it.

Suggestions:

• Marking trees. Being able to put a big "X"  on the trunk of the tree for places I have already visited, and maybe "<" ">" or basically something that would guide you to the next marker. (It would be specially usefull on blizzards as one would be unable to see the next one). Or plainly just making a cut on the tree. It could be a time thing: I don't have time to put an X on this tree, I'm freezing to death, with just taking away a little chunck of it, it will work for me and what I'm doing. 
• Using cloth/guts around a tree. A stick like a flag would be impossible to keep standing but if we use a piece of clothes like a rope and tie it around the trunk of the three it should be good. 
• The other idea I have it's being able to hang things to the trees. With nails and a simple hammer (which would be there because of the simple or quality tools). What exactly we would be hanging i don't know yet but it probably has to be durable.  Kinda like this: 

So, what do you all think? Is marking down locations a thing you think will be useful? There is one thing I think we all should take into account and it's thinking about playing The Long Dark without the amount of hours people have put in it. As if you were just starting. Because by that time one has a good idea of how the map works and where everything is, but before that... you are really wishing for a way to mark how to get back the way you came from because you know if a blizzard appears or your own orientation fails you, you are about to lose, and more importantly, it's something I wish I could be doing, all the time. It's not a feature one wouldn't even realize it's not there. 

 

 

 

[alone sniper]

On 6/23/2016 at 7:35 PM, CarolinaSantAngelo said:

I found some discussions about it but none specialized in this, or at least i didn't put in the right word combination, sorry if this has been talked about a lot.  While it is fun to go exploring and find yourself completely lost, you have no idea where you left a shelter full with stuff because you can't carry them (my days in Pleasent Valley specially) or fog makes an appearance, there is one thing I've been wishing to have every time I leave for unknown parts with the idea of making it back to my base or where I'm currently staying, which is markers. 

Could I use something from my backpack? Yes. We do have some ways around this but everytime I want to go out I think about how much I would love to make a mark in trees with my hatchet/knife to say something:

• I've been here. 
• This is the way you came. 

So, here are some suggestions that I've thought about that could be useful for markers taking into account that we obviously are in the middle of Canada and with blizzards, sticking sticks on the ground with a cloth like a flag (which would be my first idea without thinking on the context) would be completely useless as it could get thrown away and buried in the snow or an animal could find fun with it.

Suggestions:

• Marking trees. Being able to put a big "X"  on the trunk of the tree for places I have already visited, and maybe "<" ">" or basically something that would guide you to the next marker. (It would be specially usefull on blizzards as one would be unable to see the next one). Or plainly just making a cut on the tree. It could be a time thing: I don't have time to put an X on this tree, I'm freezing to death, with just taking away a little chunck of it, it will work for me and what I'm doing. 
• Using cloth/guts around a tree. A stick like a flag would be impossible to keep standing but if we use a piece of clothes like a rope and tie it around the trunk of the three it should be good. 
• The other idea I have it's being able to hang things to the trees. With nails and a simple hammer (which would be there because of the simple or quality tools). What exactly we would be hanging i don't know yet but it probably has to be durable.  Kinda like this: 

So, what do you all think? Is marking down locations a thing you think will be useful? There is one thing I think we all should take into account and it's thinking about playing The Long Dark without the amount of hours people have put in it. As if you were just starting. Because by that time one has a good idea of how the map works and where everything is, but before that... you are really wishing for a way to mark how to get back the way you came from because you know if a blizzard appears or your own orientation fails you, you are about to lose, and more importantly, it's something I wish I could be doing, all the time. It's not a feature one wouldn't even realize it's not there. 

 

 

 

Hi Carolina
Welcome to TLD forum.
I like you idea about Marking. but not with cloth or guts. cause i think they too rare to be used as a marker.
 

[CarolinaSantAngelo]

1 minute ago, alone sniper said:

Hi Carolina
Welcome to TLD forum.
I like you idea about Marking. but not with cloth or guts. cause i think they too rare to be used as a marker.
 

Thank you!

I did think about it, which is why I added guts as it is -technically- an "infinite" source, although hard to get to in the beginning. Hatchets/Knife would eventually wear down too, and well, nearly anything in this game. As with everything in here, to manage everything is kind of important.

Like: do i really need to spend this things to put a marker here? Maybe different  marking methods could be combined. Cutting the trees as a "cheaper" way to do it and the fastest way one can start doing it (when you find something to cut the trees) and guts/clothes would be used sometimes for the long games when you don't want to wear down your tools too much. 

[RighteousFury]

You also could just start fires and leave the embers, so when you burn your foot, you know you're going in the right direction.

[CarolinaSantAngelo]

2 minutes ago, RighteousFury said:

You also could just start fires and leave the embers, so when you burn your foot, you know you're going in the right direction.

  well, that's definitely a way

[Llenne]

I love the idea of waymarkers, but I think that the system might be easier to implement by way of inuksuit . They're perfectly setting appropriate and absolutely unmistakable. They have a long and proud history of use in the northern reaches of Canada and would add a bit of regional flavor.

Plus, it would be a ton of fun to run around looking for rocks so that you can erect one.