HRV kicking my butt

[Spakerman]

I've been restarting and restarting in HRV to try and conquer it but I have to admit... it's been kicking my butt.  Is everyone sleeping in the Ice caves to stay warm?  I just can't seem to get a foothold anywhere.  What's your plan when you start in HRV?

[MarrowStone]

With no crafting table it's best to cheat a little and go to the trailer in Milton when you have the materials ready and hop back in when you're done.

As for staying warm, it really delends on your difficulty mode because I'm unsure how to stay alive there in interloper without grabbing better clothes and matches first.

 

[FunkyFuggerson]

HRV is a region were starting in it and then conquering it is kinda luck based for me, first you have to find all the good loot, then hope when your going through the ice caves hope the wolf didn't spawn. Well, i'm mostly talking about interloper, i've done it on voyageur and managed to survive a bit but decided to pop out to Milton for a bit of supplies boost. Later died in a blizzard with both ankles sprained but that doesn't really matter to this discussion. 

[s7mar7in]

17 hours ago, Spakerman said:

I've been restarting and restarting in HRV

When the Vigilant Flame update was released, HRV was almost like a chance to go back and play the game for the first time.

Like you, I have been stubborn and want to survive within the confines of the HRV map. In my opinion you are doing it right. I really enjoy the first minutes of a new run, (which are the first “game hours” of survival). Just keep at it and you will begin to learn the important landmarks and wildlife paths to know where to look for shelter, (cave, ice-cave, snow shelter).

 It is a bit of a “trial and die” process at first, don’t get too invested in a run, just have fun and gain knowledge by using these short runs as recon.

Soon you will start a new run and know: if I follow this river there is a cold cave with loot and it is NOT often guarded by a wolf...if I follow the river the other direction there is a log-bridge that sometimes leads to a good location but SOMETIMES has a bear nearby...etc.

Good Luck my friend!

[Spakerman]

I haven't really gotten to a point yet where I'd even need a crafting table.  I've tried a mix of Interloper and Stalker runs.  I'm sure I could do better in a Voyageur run but I'm stubborn that way.  

I did run into the cave wolf once but he didn't attack.. it was strange.  I got to a couple yards away and just backed away... he didn't follow. *shrug*

I guess I'll keep plugging away at learning the map.  It really is an interesting one but really depends on finding a hatchet early.

[s7mar7in]

16 minutes ago, Spakerman said:

I've tried a mix of Interloper and Stalker runs.

IME, the Stalker difficulty provided a bounty of loot, (3 bedrolls, 3 hatchets, 2 knives, bow and arrows). 

Now I am playing Interloper difficulty and it has taken me all the time since the Vigilant Flame update to finally find a bedroll, (still can not find the hatchet).

On the bright side, there have been plenty of pots and hacksaws in every Interloper run! I often wish I could trade the prybar and heavy hammer for a hatchet.

Good luck my friends!

[Spakerman]

Finally got a somewhat stable Stalker start last night.  Found a rifle early and got Scruffy with one shot in the cave.  Found a nice illuminated cave to set up base for now and even found a hatchet. Heading into day 4 I have a few hides curing, plenty of water and food and ready to start roaming exploration trips.

Next goal is to finally get to the signal fire.

[s7mar7in]

22 minutes ago, Spakerman said:

ready to start roaming exploration trips.

@Spakerman, sounds like an outstanding start and you are clearly gaining the skills needed for HRV. You may find the mapping tool, (used at warm locations), is well worth your time. Good luck my friend!

[Spakerman]

I have been mapping whenever possible.  I really wish I could add customer notes to the map in game... I mean if I'm scribbling the map with a charcoal I should be able to make my own notes... right?  right?   sigh

[JErosion]

Caves are really the best places to hole up for warmth although there is an excellent crevasse near Valley View Point, just clear some of the brambles and set down a fire and you can whole up for a nice night. although an ice cave entrance is right around the corner(but i didn't know that at the time)

[Pillock]

On 7/25/2018 at 8:35 AM, s7mar7in said:

When the Vigilant Flame update was released, HRV was almost like a chance to go back and play the game for the first time.

This is exactly it. You die, you learn something, you put it into practice next time, you live slightly longer, you get food poisoning, you die again, you learn again. Just like old times!

Repeated death and just trying to do a little better than last time is what got me addicted to TLD in the first place: it's why I love the early game phase the most, and why I've always quit my runs and restarted as soon as I've ever got 'comfortable'. It's why I crank the Custom Mode up to near it's limits. It's why I refuse to leave the map, even though I've found the exit. I don't want to tool up in Milton up and explore HRV in peace and relative comfort. I want to battle for survival - that's the fun part of the game for me, and I can't get that experience on the other maps anymore.

On 7/24/2018 at 3:23 PM, Spakerman said:

I've been restarting and restarting in HRV to try and conquer it but I have to admit... it's been kicking my butt.  Is everyone sleeping in the Ice caves to stay warm?  I just can't seem to get a foothold anywhere.  What's your plan when you start in HRV?

I haven't got a foothold yet either, but I have just stumbled across the signal fire and its rewards, so I might now have the slightest of frost-bitten finger-holds.
Plan when I start? Find matches and somewhere to sleep (I start with neither). Get fuel. Always get fuel, and as much as you can possibly carry. Sleep in the Ice Cave for warmth if you can find it (and have a bedroll); if you can't (or don't), then there are snow shelters, and you don't always need a fire at night to stay warm enough in them. Stay warm at the cost of all else. Burn fires outside or in the FRONT of caves, so that your fuel lasts longer. Get more fuel. Keep your eyes and your ears skinned for Crows - at the start they will save your life by leading you to dead people, and dead people usually have kit. Don't fart about with stuff you don't need to do. Stay warm. Get firestarters, get a bed, get fuel. Food is relatively plentiful. Fuel isn't. You never have enough. Keep moving. Keep warm. Get fuel.

[Spakerman]

Going well so far. 12 days in on stalker. Reached the signal fire and got myself a Moose satchel for the trouble. Also finally found my first sewing kit, it's been rough not being able to repair anything.  Ready to explore the second half of the map now.

Notable gear: 2 rifles with 11 total ammo (9 left), Bow with 2 arrows, Flare gun with 5 shells, Mackinaw jacket, Old-fashioned parka, magnifying glass, 2 hatchets, improvised knife, prybar (serving no purpose so far), and a cooking pot.

[Spakerman]

day 15 - dead

was careless, ran into a bear, survived but it spiralled from there to being killed by a wolf in the night while running on an emergency stim frantically searching for a place to sleep the night and warm up.

Learning has happened though.