The Hunted: The Railroad Adventure

[Timber Wolf]

I haven’t been to the Broken Railroad with O.B. yet, so I thought we should head on over there.  To make things a little more interesting, I’m going to take the quickest route to get there.  And once I get on the railroads tracks, I can’t leave them until I get to the BR.  I’ll allow myself to grab things that are a few feet away from the tracks, but I can’t go as far away as say, the Camp Office.  My ultimate destination is the Hunting Lodge, where I’ll find out how difficult it is to make a living there with O.B.  I expect it to be tough to find food, especially without the aid of a bow or rifle.

Let’s get started!
 

Day 1 – As always O.B. has his way with me to start things off and I retreat into the basement and put myself back together.  The loot seems pretty thin, but I do get the hatchet.  I’d much rather start with the hatchet than the knife or the prybar, which are the other two options.  I go outside and over to the other house to find some loot, but just as I’m about to pick up a can of soda laying in the snow I hear a wolf bark, so I run straight back to the basement. 

I sleep for an hour and then go back out while crouched.  I make a fire and make 3 liters of water and then I go back into the basement, because the weather is getting bad.  I break down the two crates and then sleep until fully rested.  When I wake it’s getting close to sunrise and the blizzard is still going.  I break down some cardboard boxes, wonder what to do, and then sleep a little.
 

Day 2 – The blizzard rages on as the sun comes up and I have nothing to do but pass time and sleep for a few hours.  Finally the blizzard stops and I go outside for a look and find a wolf not far off, but fortunately in the opposite direction I want to go. 

I don’t hear O.B. and I’m anxious to get going, so I sprint in the direction of the ropes.  I grab some OMB and then go down both ropes.  Now separated by elevation from O.B. I seize the opportunity and gather all the mushrooms, rose rips and OMB around the cabin.  I don’t go in the cabin and instead head toward the river to get to the farmhouse.  I grab some cattails by the river and then follow it to the farmhouse.

The loot in the farmhouse also seems pretty thin.  I harvest simple tools and then fail at repairing my toque.  I’ll wait until I’m rested to try to repair again.  I turn 5 pieces of scrap into fish hooks and then head to bed for the night.  I wake up and repair my toque on the first try and then harvest several curtains and turn some cloth into bandages.
 

Day 3 – The weather is very nice and I go outside to see what O.B. is up to.  He’s slowly walking around just beyond the car.  I want to run down the path toward the road and then up the hill to the rope, so I go back inside and think a little more about what my next move should be.  I don’t want to have to spend any flares this early in the game, so I want to make sure I’m as prepared as I can be.

I go through my inventory and harvest all of the clothes I’m not wearing to reduce weight.  I drop a dozen tinders I don’t need and harvest quality tools and turn the scrap into more hooks.   Then I start a fire and cook the 5 coffees I found in the kitchen, in case I need a boost along the way.  I repair one of the bedrolls to 100%.  Then I sleep until I’m fully rested and it’s the middle of the night.  I’m not one who likes to wait around, so I head out into a beautiful night and sprint down the path toward the road.

I spin around when I run out of gas, but don’t see O.B. anywhere so I continue down the path.  I sprint a little more and then spin around to see him charging toward me. 

I keep going, but it’s only a few seconds before he gets close and turns his run into a walk.  I keep moving as quickly as I can toward the rope, he keeps running up close and then slowing to a walk.  I make it to the rope and stop to say hi. 

I wait until he stands to charge and then start up the rope.  He runs off a little and I go down the rope and drink a cup of coffee.  I love a night climb.

Tough luck O.B., you’ll have to find another way up to get me!

I quickly head up the hill and toward the entrance of the cave.  It’s not long before I encounter two wolves.

The wolves are dumb, so I just back up a little and then turn and sprint off.  They do not give chase and I breathe easy as I am coming down the hill and see the cave entrance.  Just then I hear the unmistakable sound of O.B. torpedoing toward me!  The grumpy beast did find another way!  I don’t turn to look and just run for the cave.  As I get up on the ledge I spot him coming for me. 

He nearly got me once before on this ledge, so I don’t take any chances and get in the cave as fast as I can.  Inside I eat an energy bar and start a fire to make a liter of water and pull two torches.  I leave one burning and make my way through the cave.  When I get to the deer carcass near the other end of the cave, I think about what parts I should harvest.  I’d like to take it all, but I don’t want to be stunk up when I have to go around the wolf that will be out on the Winding River.  So, I settle for just the meat and then start another fire to cook it.  After filling up, I get a long night’s sleep.

 

[CitrinePeridot]

Thanks for sharing! Very good & quick thinking. Hope I'm as cool under pressure when I finally decide to venture out of my easiest setting, "I'm just getting used to the controls" mode! LOL  :-)

[Timber Wolf]

16 minutes ago, CitrinePeridot said:

Thanks for sharing! Very good & quick thinking. Hope I'm as cool under pressure when I finally decide to venture out of my easiest setting, "I'm just getting used to the controls" mode! LOL  :-)

It's my pleasure.  Take your time and enjoy the scenery. 

[Timber Wolf]

Days 4 & 5 – I leave the cave and grab a couple cattails and a handful of rocks.  I swing over by the small cave and grab some OMB and find a knife next to the dead guy.  I head toward the dam and grab some more cattails and then crouch as I see a wolf tracking a rabbit.  It makes the kill and I crouch onward.  It finishes the rabbit and I throw a few stones to move it away from the path I want to take.  I go up and into the dam.

Unlike the other places I have visited, the dam proves to be filled with treasures.  I loot it from bottom to top and then start reviewing my inventory.  I drop unnecessary items to reduce weight and harvest extra footwear to get leather.  Then I sharpen my hatchet just before laying down for a long sleep.

I awake with full health and begin repairing my clothes.  When I’m finished I have a +10 warmth bonus and +4 windproof bonus with 14% protection.  I am well supplied and ready to move on, so I step out the door of the dam to survey the area.  When I get outside, I remember that a fence has been added to this place and sure enough O.B. shows up inside of it.  I go inside and out a few times and see that he always shows up inside of the fence.  This makes it clear I will need to spend a flare gun shell in order to get past him.  While he is panicking, I will run past and out the door in the fence.  The aurora sure is beautiful, but O.B. stands and keeps his focus on me.

I underestimate O.B.’s speed and barely avoid his grasp trying to get the previous picture.

I spend some more time thinking about my next move and decide to set out in the morning.  I have some time to kill and consider making another pass through the dam to see if I missed anything, but just then remember that the natural resources need to be prepared now.  I walk over to the workbench and process all of my rose hips, mushrooms and OMB.  Then I eat and drink and sleep until fully rested.
 

Day 6 – Alright, time to get up in O.B.’s business.  I head outside ready for the inevitable confrontation.  I wait until he gets close and then fire the flare gun to spook him.

He panics and starts running around, so I quickly make my way past him and out the door of the gate.  I close the door behind me, but it doesn’t seem right to leave O.B. caged up like that, so I open it back up.

I start heading down the tracks and will abide by my own self-imposed regulation of remaining on or near the tracks.  It’s very foggy out, but I figure it will be easy to follow the tracks.  I pass the first train car and it isn’t long before I run into a wolf.  I retreat to the train car to consider my options.  Now I’m thinking I should have waited inside the dam until the fog lifted, because I’m freezing, have no wood, there’s a wolf just ahead and O.B. could figure his way out of the fenced area at any time.  I’ve put myself into a sticky spot.

There’s nothing for me where I am, so I turn back and head down the tracks toward the dam.  I drop down below the bridge and gather some cattails, stones and sticks.  Then I light a fire in the existing fire spot and make water while I warm up.  The fog has lifted, so I head back down the tracks much more prepared for the wolf.  As soon as I see it I crouch down, but continue slowly down the tracks.  When he is off to the side, I start throwing stones to distract him away from me.

The strategy works perfectly and I continue down the tracks until I get to the next train cars.  I pick up the few loots items, including yet another knife, and then continue on quickly as I seem to be the only one using the tracks at this time.

When I get to the tunnel I realize as I soon as I enter the FM, O.B. will spawn in with me, and most likely will be in my way.  I have let my condition suffer too much due to freezing and need to get warm right away.  I pick up a piece of cedar and make a fire with that and a few sticks.  I drop down the bedroll and sleep for an hour.  Then I use the last of the fire to warm a cup of coffee and then drink it.  Okay, I’m ready.  And hoping to cross the Muskeg as fast as possible.

As soon as I enter FM I can hear O.B. is not far off.  This feels like another inevitable encounter, so I don’t hesitate to fire a very poor shot toward him.  He runs off as expected, but does run for as long as expected.  In short order, he has me back in his sights.

Will he let me back all the way down the tracks to the railcars?  I guess we’ll find out.  I start backing my way down and then see I have nearly a full sprint left, so I take off for the train cars.  I spin around when I run out of gas and see O.B. hasn’t taken chase.  How nice of…never mind.  Here he comes.

I move as quickly as possible to the train cars and he doesn’t become annoyed enough to come at me full blast, so I make it inside safely.  I am very fatigued and a blizzard is setting in, so I make a fire with a reclaimed wood and 4 pieces of coal I find.  I sleep for 4 hours and when I awake the blizzard has left.

Now it’s time to think through the next phase of this adventure.  One way or another, I’ll be able to get down the tracks and into the BR.  However, once I do arrive there, I expect to have O.B. blocking the path again.   Now that I think about it, it might be tough not to spend a flare gun shell getting out of this place.  It’s wide open around here and if I try backing my way down the tracks, he will lose his patience and force me to fire the flare gun.  And I’ve been getting the feeling something has changed with him.  I was extremely surprised he came for me again in PV after I ditched him up the rope.  I wonder if it’s still possible to get free passes from him, where he chooses not to pursue and let me get away?

I think I’ll have to just go for it and find out, but I may not have any flare gun shells left by the time I get to the Hunting Lodge.  I set off into the night, with the aurora lighting up the sky.

[CitrinePeridot]

Well, I just learned that I may have made a mistake in not preparing some of the natural items I have picked up. Oops. So many new things since the version I had. *sigh* Thank you so much for the insights into the game (as well as them being put into such a format w/ the writing & pics).  :-)

[SweetNightmare]

1 hour ago, CitrinePeridot said:

Well, I just learned that I may have made a mistake in not preparing some of the natural items I have picked up. Oops. So many new things since the version I had. *sigh* Thank you so much for the insights into the game (as well as them being put into such a format w/ the writing & pics).  :-)

 You can prepare them anywhere, not just at a work bench! 

[CitrinePeridot]

If I'm understanding correctly, it seemed to indicate how soon one must prepare those. As they were plants, I did not believe they had some sort of time constraint in how soon one must prepare them. That's what I was responding to, but your response does help me in learning about their preparation. Thank you.

[Timber Wolf]

Day 6 continued – I keep running down the tracks until I can run no more and spin around.  I am pleased not to see O.B. and I keep moving as quick as possible.  As I near the train wreckage, I spin around and there’s my old buddy.  I continue on and slip between train cars to get on the other side of the tracks from him.  I am able to safely make my way to the entrance for the BR and turn around to see O.B. has caught up, so I lip off to him and he grumbles back at me.

When I arrive in the BR, I can see O.B. not far down the tracks.  This is our first time here together, since this place wasn’t around when we toured the island.  I turn around and return to FM and then go back to BR.  I do this a few times, but he’s always in the way.  There’s no choice here, I will have to fire the flare gun at him again.  So, I get ready and head down the tracks toward him.  When I get close, I fire at him and he spins around and runs off. 

I sprint down the tracks hoping to cross the landslide area before he can catch up.  I start climbing up the rocks, but get careless and fall off and down the side.  Now I’ll have to take the long way back up to the tracks.  I stop briefly to admire the view of the falls.

I check my status and see I’m below 50% condition and dropping fast as I freeze.  I hustle back up to the tracks.  Alright, I’m going to head straight for the lodge.  I’ll visit the maintenance yard after I get settled in.  Hmmm.  What’s the quickest way down to get to the gate with the path that leads to the lodge?  As I’m lost in thought, I hear something close by.  Is that a….

Oh shit!  This is not good.  I barely have any condition left as I run away from another wolf that fortunately doesn’t come after me.  What do I do?  I’ll never make it to the maintenance yard.  Wait, I have a stim, using it…

I run down the hill as fast as I can trying to get inside before I fade into the long dark.

There it is!  Gotta keep going!

I manage to get inside and down some food and water and collapse into a bed.  I sleep for 12 hours and wake up feeling brand new.  And very lucky.

Okay, that was a pretty rude welcome to the Broken Railroad.  I think I’ll relax inside for a while and see what this place has to offer.
 

Day 7 – It doesn’t take long to loot the building and I drop some unneeded clothes to save on weight.  I was going to hang out here for a while, but I’m anxious to get to the Hunting Lodge.  So, I head out the door and see O.B. straight down the path I want to take.  I go back inside for a bit and then go back outside.  I don’t see or hear him and immediately take off toward the gate.

I see a wolf on the side of the lake that the gate is on, but it’s moving away from it.  Looks like it will be smooth sailing.  I stop along the way to harvest some OMB and am about to gather some rose hips when I hear grunts and grumbles behind me.  I turn around and see O.B., so I quickly get through the gate and close it.
 

I then head up the path and decide to make a sweep around by the cave.  I don’t find anything useful, so I head toward the lodge.  On this back path there is some more OMB and mushrooms, I collect it all.  I consider harvesting the deer carcass, but don’t feel like having the wolves near the lodge come after me so I leave it for now.  I take the path around the other side to avoid the wolves and pickup sticks and get more mushrooms along the way.  Then I go into the lodge.  Inside I loot the place and begin to take stock of my inventory.  I have plenty of everything, except food.  I only have 10 cans of soda, 2 cans of beans, 1 tin of sardines, 1 salty crackers, 1 cup of tea, 1 cup of coffee and 23 cattails.  That’s not going to last very long.  I fall asleep thinking about what my next moves should be.

I awake with some night still left, but head outside anyway to do some cattailing.  I go straight back to the cliff and look for a safe way down.  I maneuver quickly and in a matter of seconds I’m standing at the bottom with only some minor bruising and torn clothing.  I make my way to the lake and with no wolves in sight, I start harvesting the cattails.  I clear out the far end of the lake and then start moving toward the other end with the gate.  I stop when I reach the path that leads to the maintenance yard.

The wind blows in my face as I head for the building.  I go inside and then out the other door.  There are wolves in the yard, so I go back inside and break down a crate.  When I’m finished the sun has come up.

[JAFO]

On 9/3/2017 at 2:30 AM, Timber Wolf said:

That has to be an all-time classic shot!

"It's so purty!... Oh shit.. is that a bear?!?"

 

On 9/3/2017 at 2:30 AM, Timber Wolf said:

just then remember that the natural resources need to be prepared now.  I walk over to the workbench and process all of my rose hips, mushrooms and OMB.

As @SweetNightmare mentions above.. you don't need a workbench to prepare any of those items.

 

13 hours ago, Timber Wolf said:

I go straight back to the cliff and look for a safe way down.  I maneuver quickly and in a matter of seconds I’m standing at the bottom with only some minor bruising and torn clothing.

So there was no rope in the Lodge? That's disappointing.

[Timber Wolf]

4 hours ago, JAFO said:

That has to be an all-time classic shot!

Thanks!  That is a good one.

 

4 hours ago, JAFO said:

As @SweetNightmare mentions above.. you don't need a workbench to prepare any of those items.

Thank you both, I hadn't realized that.

 

4 hours ago, JAFO said:

So there was no rope in the Lodge?

I have yet to find a rope anywhere in BR.

[Timber Wolf]

Day 8 – I go outside and loot the trucks and find only a flare.  I go back inside and consider my options.  I have no water and am very thirsty.  I need to get back to the lodge.  I leave and go straight down the path to the lake and see O.B. moving slowly away from me.  I’m happy to see he will still ignore me sometimes and move through the woods keeping an eye on him.

I stop to harvest a patch of rose hips and then run to the bridge to see if I’m still safe.  Both O.B. and a wolf are not paying me any attention.  I open the gate in case that should change and then go back to the other end of the bridge to harvest the rose hips I couldn’t get before.  Just as I am about to look down at them, O.B. starts running toward me.  I retreat behind the fence and close the gate.  This seems like a good time to find out how he behaves around this bridge and gate.  I climb up on a rock to watch him come on to the bridge.

Then I go down by the fence.

I wait until there is a little distance between us and open the gate and walk out.

He roars and stands up, so I immediately shut the gate.

As soon as he in down on all fours, he spins around and runs and runs off.  He keeps running, up and down the rocks in the area.  Alright, now I know how this gate will work.  I need to eat and make some water, so I leave him running about and go up the path to the lodge.  Once inside, I make .5 liters of water and then drink my fill.  Then I make 3 more liters.  I want to make a big stash of water, so I won’t have to worry about it for a while.  I break down most of the chairs around the table on the main floor of the lodge.  I’m exhausted and it’s the middle of the night, so I sleep for a full 12 hours.
 

Day 9 – I break down more chairs and planks on the main level and in the basement.  I make a fire with 20 of the reclaimed and then make almost 20 liters of water.  That should last for a little while.  I go to sleep exhausted.

[JAFO]

Having seen how O.B. reacted to the gate, now I'm curious as to what would have happened if you'd shut him in, back at the dam.

And I'm wondering if he'll somehow find a way up to the lodge..

[Timber Wolf]

5 minutes ago, JAFO said:

Having seen how O.B. reacted to the gate, now I'm curious as to what would have happened if you'd shut him in, back at the dam.

And I'm wondering if he'll somehow find a way up to the lodge..

Any time I enter an interior and come back out or reload the game or move between maps, he will spawn in somewhere around me.  So, I usually try to accomplish as much as I can whenever I am separated from from him, knowing it can't last for very long.

[Timber Wolf]

Day 10 – I wake up in the middle of the night and go outside and check the car and the truck and find some beef jerky.  Then I go over and harvest a couple of rose hips while keeping my eye on O.B.  I need to have a better understanding for what places I’m safe in around here and where he will go under various conditions, so I decide to have a little fun while investigating his behavior.  So, I walk toward the truck and wait for his reaction.

A moment later he stands and charges and I decide to see if I can weave in and out of the fence to avoid him.  I run out the corner by the truck and as soon as I leave the yard, he spins around and comes the other way at me.  So, I go back into the yard and as soon as I do, he spins around and go back the other way at me.  He has me trapped, because he is so much faster than I am.

I step in and out of the yard and realize I have no choice but to enter the truck.  He groans and grumbles as he walks past.  I sure wish I could look backwards when I’m in a vehicle.  I wait hoping I’ll be able to see him and eventually do on the other side.  I then leave the truck and run back up the stairs of the lodge, but don’t go inside.  Instead, I move away from the lodge enough to get O.B. running at me and wait until he gets close.  I move by the stairs and wait for him to stand and charge and then wait until he’s very close and step on to the stairs.

He turns and runs off and continues running for much longer than I would have expected.  With O.B. off in the distance and apparently not paying attention to me, I decide to play around with a neighborhood wolf.  I do the same thing and let it get close and then I move on to the stairs and watch it run off out across the lake.  Another wolf sees me and I do the same thing again.  It runs off to the exact same spot out across the lake.

I go back inside for a while to warm up and then come back out and play with O.B. some more.  This time I go to the hole in the fence with the steps.  I move out beyond the fence and wait for him to get close and do his thing.  I get back behind the fence just in time and he runs around to the other side, so I step beyond the fence and he spins around and we end up in the same kind of dance as when I was by the truck.  At one point he surprises me and comes across the fence by the truck.

After several times back and forth, I finally run for the stairs of the lodge.  He gets pretty close, but runs off as soon as I touch them.  I survey the area and enjoy the aurora for a moment.  I’m about to go inside when I notice O.B. is still running around frantically.  I’m curious if he is stuck in a panic loop, as I have seen him a few times before.  So, I go out to the edge of the lodge and watch him run around in circles.  Then he runs from that area and starts coming toward me.  I’m about to run for the stairs when he turns and runs into the back yard toward the cliff.

I fell like getting a little crazy and decide to walk right out into his path to find out if he really is stuck in a loop.  If he attacks me, I should be able to limp back inside and recover.  Here goes nothing!

Sure enough, he is stuck in a panic loop and runs straight through me.  I can’t help myself and decide to play a little role reversal and chase him!

I run out of breath and stop in the yard and just watch him run out across the lake.  I then realize I should really be taking advantage of this and go collect some stones and sticks.  I make my way to the opening in the fence with the stairs and just as I walk down, O.B. stop running in the middle of the lake.  I missed my window of opportunity.

But this was time well spent.  I now have a very good feel for how the dynamics of the wildlife will work around here, particularly with O.B.  I go inside and harvest some curtains and then go to sleep.

[CitrinePeridot]

Playing with bears & wolves. Investigative for sure, but I don't know that I'd not panic at this point in my lack of experience of the game. Yet, it is all informative to say the least. I will certainly continue following this thread as I have found the insights note worthy. Thank you so much!

[JAFO]

6 minutes ago, CitrinePeridot said:

Playing with bears & wolves. Investigative for sure, but I don't know that I'd not panic at this point in my lack of experience of the game. Yet, it is all informative to say the least. I will certainly continue following this thread as I have found the insights note worthy. Thank you so much!

Then I'm sure you will find the following thread of @Timber Wolf's account of playing with O.B. of particular interest..

(my personal nickname for Timber Wolf is 'Dances with Bears'.. )

 

[CitrinePeridot]

"Dances With Bears", huh? LOL I like that. I will have to check this out. I'm exploring mainly "Wish List" and the "How To Play" areas more than anything trying to get as much info as I can as well as share in my excitement over the game. Pretty soon I'll need to "cool it" with all that & actually spend more time actually playing the game. LOL 

[Timber Wolf]

6 minutes ago, JAFO said:

(my personal nickname for Timber Wolf is 'Dances with Bears'.. )

[Stormwolf1O1]

6 hours ago, JAFO said:

Having seen how O.B. reacted to the gate, now I'm curious as to what would have happened if you'd shut him in, back at the dam.

And I'm wondering if he'll somehow find a way up to the lodge..

When I did the Hunted Part 1, I left him enclosed within the gated area at the Dam. Soon, he found some way around, no idea what, as I was already long gone and headed towards the Camp Office.

[Stormwolf1O1]

4 hours ago, Timber Wolf said:

I step in and out of the yard and realize I have no choice but to enter the truck.  He groans and grumbles as he walks past.  I sure wish I could look backwards when I’m in a vehicle.  

There's a mod for free-look from within a vehicle! Let me know if you're interested and I'll go and find the download link for ya.

[cekivi]

Glad to see you're at it again @Timber Wolf 

[Drifter Man]

Just as I thought that challenges can't get any crazier, @Timber Wolf returns!

[Ruruwawa]

Great stuff as always @Timber Wolf.  I'm wondering, have you tried positioning OB by throwing rocks?  I've been using that with the story bear and sandbox bears, works like wolves.  They come to investigate the sound.  

[Timber Wolf]

46 minutes ago, Ruruwawa said:

I'm wondering, have you tried positioning OB by throwing rocks?  I've been using that with the story bear and sandbox bears, works like wolves.  They come to investigate the sound.  

I can't believe I haven't thought to try this!   Will find out next time I play.

[Hotzn]

More TLD science!

*Prof. Hotzn puts on his glasses, leans forward, reads*