Skill Books - gotta find them all!

[piddy3825]

Loving the skill books... I wait until the blizzard hits, then i settle in with a roaring fire, a pot of coffee and I hunker down and read... 

This play through, I am trying to be as thorough as possible exploring and looting each map, harvesting every last resource possible and consolidating camp before moving to the next map.  So that got me to wondering about the spawn mechanics of skill books and these following questions:

Do the same number of books spawn on each map?  or, How many books spawn per map? Are the spawn locations fixed or are they truly random? Are there any unique skill books or one of kind skill books?  Which skill book is the most valuable or most difficult to find?  

Any feedback or other insights greatly appreciated.  Thanks for reading!

 

[cekivi]

There are only two observations I can offer.

1. There's a fishing hut on Mystery Lake that often (always?) has a book on ice fishing under the stove inside it.

2. The spawn rate should be dependent on difficulty.

[piddy3825]

4 hours ago, cekivi said:

There are only two observations I can offer.

1. There's a fishing hut on Mystery Lake that often (always?) has a book on ice fishing under the stove inside it.

2. The spawn rate should be dependent on difficulty.

I started on Mystery lake this play through and indeed found the fishing guide in one of the fishing shacks.  But when you say the spawn rate is dependent on difficulty, which way does it swing?  More books the more difficult the game play setting or less? 

[cekivi]

It should be less but that is just an anecdotal observation. It is not something I've tested.

[Jolan]

More books on easier levels.  I just switched from Stalker to Pilgrim to introduce someone to the game and I can tell you that you find alot more books on Pilgrim.  I actually found 2 skill books in one backpack!  

I've also found that while books will spawn in certain locations, the precise spot can vary.  Like the moving icefishing book in Mystery Lake.  Sometimes it in the fishing hut, sometimes its on the porch of the lone cabin.  And then in other locations there tends to be book(s) but it isn't always a skill biook.

 

[piddy3825]

3 hours ago, Jolan said:

More books on easier levels.  I just switched from Stalker to Pilgrim to introduce someone to the game and I can tell you that you find alot more books on Pilgrim.  I actually found 2 skill books in one backpack!  

I've also found that while books will spawn in certain locations, the precise spot can vary.  Like the moving icefishing book in Mystery Lake.  Sometimes it in the fishing hut, sometimes its on the porch of the lone cabin.  And then in other locations there tends to be book(s) but it isn't always a skill biook.

 

On my my last play through, I thought I had found a fairly good amount of skill books, but in conversing with a few of my friends who also play the game, I've been told that there are a few long read skill books.  Books that supposedly took 25 hours to read.  I went looking for those and managed to find a shooting book up on the summit but as the Hinterland Gods would have it, I managed to have an accident on my descent subsequently slipping into the long dark, having never had the opportunity to read the big book.  So far, this run through, being extremely thorough, have't found any long read books so now I am wondering if that one on the summit is the only book that takes 25 hours to read in game.  

[Jolan]

@piddy3825You can find others.  I have periodically found one in ML and others in PV and CH.  The one I seem to find is Guns! Guns! Guns!.  I don't know if that's the only one or if I'm just getting as a fluke.  Field Dressing Your Kill takes 10 hours, 

[piddy3825]

@Jolan Thanks for the heads up.  I just recently found a Field Dressing Your Kill in the safe at the dam.  I read a little every morning, gives me something to do when I keep waking up at the crack of dawn!  

[Wasteland Watcher]

On 5/9/2017 at 0:37 PM, piddy3825 said:

On my my last play through, I thought I had found a fairly good amount of skill books, but in conversing with a few of my friends who also play the game, I've been told that there are a few long read skill books.  Books that supposedly took 25 hours to read.  I went looking for those and managed to find a shooting book up on the summit but as the Hinterland Gods would have it, I managed to have an accident on my descent subsequently slipping into the long dark, having never had the opportunity to read the big book.  So far, this run through, being extremely thorough, have't found any long read books so now I am wondering if that one on the summit is the only book that takes 25 hours to read in game.  

The summit of Timberwolf Mountain?

[piddy3825]

@Wasteland Watcher, on one of my previous play through's I found a rifle skill book in the cave on the summit of TWM that took 25 hours to read.  It was one of the only skill books that I've ever found that exceeded 10 hours of research time.  Rumor is that there are other 25 hour skill books.  Subsequently on three different sandbox games I checked the cave on the summit of TWM and have not found any skill books.  so much for that theory...

[Wasteland Watcher]

4 hours ago, piddy3825 said:

@Wasteland Watcher, on one of my previous play through's I found a rifle skill book in the cave on the summit of TWM that took 25 hours to read.  It was one of the only skill books that I've ever found that exceeded 10 hours of research time.  Rumor is that there are other 25 hour skill books.  Subsequently on three different sandbox games I checked the cave on the summit of TWM and have not found any skill books.  so much for that theory...

Thanks for the quick reply Piddy

 

Well, I just left TWM 8 days ago (in-game time) and this is after the 4 or 5 trips I had to take down the ropes and back again to bring allllll the loot I found on TWM to PV -- it's all stored at the Draft Dodger's Cabin. I've got a few days worth of wolf meat left and I guess I'll go hike back up that dang mountain to see if there's a book up there!
I'm undecided whether to really go light and bring the flare gun with 5 rounds+bow & 3 arrows, or to just say 'screw it,' pack heavy and bring the rifle and 19 rounds...

[piddy3825]

@Wasteland Watcher Did you not know about the cave on the summit at TMW?  lol, 'cause I been up the summit dozens of times all ways focused on looting the tail and never noticed the cave until my last game when i found the 25 hour skill book.  Funny, I had never seen the cave before... wonder what's in it?  That was day 188 and my final assault on the summit hauling out the last of the loot.  I found the book, got disoriented in a snow storm, went down the wrong path and died trying to get down.  never did get to read that book.  Haven't found one since.

[Wasteland Watcher]

1 minute ago, piddy3825 said:

@Wasteland Watcher Did you not know about the cave on the summit at TMW?  lol, 'cause I been up the summit dozens of times all ways focused on looting the tail and never noticed the cave until my last game when i found the 25 hour skill book.  Funny, I had never seen the cave before... wonder what's in it?  That was day 188 and my final assault on the summit hauling out the last of the loot.  I found the book, got disoriented in a snow storm, went down the wrong path and died trying to get down.  never did get to read that book.  Haven't found one since.

I know of the one that's actually on the summit not far from the last rope you climb. I'm guessing that's where the book will be, if it's in my game.

After I initially looted the plane, taking *everything* from it down to the Mountaineer's Hut, I went back to do a two day exploratory survey and found that cave

 

[Scyzara]

On 16.5.2017 at 4:21 AM, piddy3825 said:

@Wasteland Watcher, on one of my previous play through's I found a rifle skill book in the cave on the summit of TWM that took 25 hours to read.  It was one of the only skill books that I've ever found that exceeded 10 hours of research time.  Rumor is that there are other 25 hour skill books.  Subsequently on three different sandbox games I checked the cave on the summit of TWM and have not found any skill books.  so much for that theory...

Do you remember the name of said book? Was it different from the normal rifle book titles?

I for one never found any book that took more than 10 h to research, the vast majority only takes five. Maybe those 25h books don't exist on Interloper, but it's still odd somehow. 

[JAFO]

25 minutes ago, Scyzara said:

Do you remember the name of said book? Was it different from the normal rifle book titles?

It's called "Guns Guns Guns". When you do a mouse-over, it comes up as "Advanced Guns Magazine", or something like that.

[Wasteland Watcher]

I'm now back down at the Mountaineers Hut. In the plane I found a book called, "Wilderness Kitchen." Nothing in the cave except a frozen body.

[piddy3825]

@Scyzara,it was called "Guns, Guns, Guns" and I was playing a Pilgrim mode sandbox at the time.  I never did get a chance to read the book... so it would have been interesting to see how and if my shooting improved.  Since then, I have played a variety of modes assaulting the summit at TWM, where I discovered the book the first time. But no such luck.  I was hoping that because it was such a rare find that it would always spawn in the cave at the summit, but no such luck.  

[Jolan]

Guns Guns Guns shows up in other places as well.  I've found it in the cave near the Mystery Lake Overlook, the cave near Mystic River, um, and a couple of non-cave locations that aren't coming to me now.

 

[Wasteland Watcher]

On this topic: since books are sometimes found in backpaks, and since backpacks can be found anywhere outdoors that's good motivation to explore an entire map. Well, for me it would be
The reason I state that is because my least favorite map is PV (where I am now) which is pretty huge. So that means I'll probably have to spend a lot of time to 'comb the region.'

I love reading

 

[Jolan]

@Wasteland Watcherkeep an eye out for bunkers!  Though there aren't readable books in them.  

[Wasteland Watcher]

On 5/19/2017 at 8:52 PM, Jolan said:

@Wasteland Watcherkeep an eye out for bunkers!  Though there aren't readable books in them.  

 Besides the abandoned prepper's cache near the entrance to Timberwolf mountain I have found one near a waterfall iirc, but it's been more than half a year since I've visited it. 

 Now that I have returned to Coastal Highway I will go visit Desolation Point for my first time.

 I'm trying to see if I can get "100% explored" before the save wipe

 

 

[piddy3825]

8 hours ago, Wasteland Watcher said:

 I'm trying to see if I can get "100% explored" before the save wipe

 

 

I am trying to complete the remaining 4 feats, 500 days, sprinting 50k, 1000k traveled and 1000 fires as well as get 100% explored.  Lighting 1000 fires takes some serious effort, LOL. 

[Wasteland Watcher]

3 hours ago, piddy3825 said:

I am trying to complete the remaining 4 feats, 500 days, sprinting 50k, 1000k traveled and 1000 fires as well as get 100% explored.  Lighting 1000 fires takes some serious effort, LOL. 

I have a suggestion that may help (just a little) with the fire lighting: always carry a brand when outdoors (wind permitting). It doesn't last long and you'll have to stop to light a fire to pull a new brand every few minutes. Side benefit is that the trail of burnt out campfires you'll leave in your wake can serve a guide to finding your way (especially in areas your are new to).  It's helped me reorient myself and find my way back home on foggy days.
But again with the fire lighting, I guess I'm lighting 10 a day "naturally" by just constantly carrying a brand.

[JAFO]

2 hours ago, piddy3825 said:

Lighting 1000 fires takes some serious effort, LOL.

On sunny days if I have nothing more important to do, I settle in with 20-40 sticks and a magnifying glass in a sheltered spot, and make fires with them, one stick at a time.

[piddy3825]

@JAFO, just what I had in mind... I got 50 sticks from my wood pile and grabbed the magnifying glass, got outside and it was overcast and foggy... lol, thwarted again!