A Few Dead Men

[Drifter Man]

Deadman 10 / Day 15

It's midday when I wake up, fully rested. The weather is reasonable - overcast, snowing, low visibility but no strong winds for now. I don't break down any more crates, I only choose what I'm taking with me and what I'm not. For one thing, I take the trail boots, even though they're in bad condition, and leave my sneakers in one of the containers. I'm keeping all the pelts though.

It takes a moment to climb down the first rope and reach the "indoor" cave that leads back to Secluded Shelf. First, I feel my way around to find the lantern, then I use its light to find all the items I left behind. Now the choice of priorities is much harder. I'm over 40 kg (including the rope I need to get back) and have to cut it down to 30. I drop quality tools, lantern, the rabbit pelt and the wolf pelt (but I keep the deer hides), two birch saplings I found at Deer Clearing, books, sticks... it pains me to leave so much stuff behind. Eventually I'm just under 30 and ready to go. My temp bar fills as I'm making these decisions.

Second rope down today, to Eric's Falls. I find a maple sapling on the way to the next rope attachment point and cut it. Deploy the third rope, down to the upper Engine. Sneak around the wolf zone, sprain a wrist. Start a fire in the Cave of Engines, pick up more supplies I'd left behind, make rosehip tea for the sprain and coffee for fatigue. Another rope down, my fourth today. A blizzard starts as I approach Mountaineer's Hut but I make it there safely, I even pick up some cattails as I approach.

I'm in good shape, 14 cattails, four boxes of salty crackers, flare gun with 12 shells, 87% condition plus two stims. 23 matches, which doesn't sound great, but a mag lens and a 97% firestriker should buy me some time to find more. Plan for tomorrow: bunker and Draft Dodger's. Barn if the weather is good, but I'm probably being too optimistic there.

[Drifter Man]

Deadman 10 / Day 16

Definitely too optimistic. I arrive at the bunker in a blizzard - I'm unharmed, but the storm rages for the rest of the afternoon. I finish "Survive the Outdoors" and get to Level 3, so I can drop all my tinder. I also finish the cattails and the crackers are all I have left to eat.

On the way to the bunker I magnificently waste a match while building a warming campfire: first I light a torch to get a 1-match start. Then I fail to notice that "Firestriker" now shows first in the firestarting menu, because in the infinite logic of the game, an item that starts with "F" goes before one that starts with "T", even though "T" its already burning.

Deadman 10 / Day 17

I'm out of water, so I get up with first sunlight and start a fire in the stove in the destroyed cabin at the bunker (with the mag lens). When I'm comfortable with my water supply, I stand up from the fire and test the air - the weather is good but it's minus 23°C, too early. I let the fire die and hop into the bunker to get some sleep. When I wake up, it's clear but max strength wind, minus 28°C. I really have to move on today, my food supplies are dwindling - by tomorrow morning I'll be starving unless I find significant amount of food.

[JAFO]

16 minutes ago, Drifter Man said:

Then I fail to notice that "Firestriker" now shows first in the firestarting menu, because in the infinite logic of the game, an item that starts with "F" goes before one that starts with "T", even though "T" its already burning.

Is it really alphabetical? The impression I've always gotten is that the game prioritises whatever it considers the "best" item to use. Which becomes really damn annoying at times.

[BareSkin]

3 hours ago, Drifter Man said:

I'm in good shape, 14 cattails, four boxes of salty crackers, flare gun with 12 shells, 87% condition plus two stims. 23 matches, which doesn't sound great, but a mag lens and a 97% firestriker should buy me some time to find more. Plan for tomorrow: bunker and Draft Dodger's. Barn if the weather is good, but I'm probably being too optimistic there.

That's impressive, I couldn't even saw a cargo container at the Wing on my regular interloper

 

Just now, JAFO said:

Is it really alphabetical? The impression I've always gotten is that the game prioritises whatever it considers the "best" item to use. Which becomes really damn annoying at times.

It's also annoying with matches, you're with a torch, you click for 1ms, 1 match spent. I'd be glad to have maybe a 1s protection (like opening containers or doors) where you need to continue clicking to spend the match.

[Drifter Man]

14 minutes ago, JAFO said:

Is it really alphabetical? The impression I've always gotten is that the game prioritises whatever it considers the "best" item to use. Which becomes really damn annoying at times.

I'm not 100% sure, but Magnifying Lens comes before Torch, which comes before Wood Matches. And the first fuel offered is Cedar Firewood. I also read somewhere around here that people who play with different language localizations get their order of items differently because of this rule. So it's annoying in a different way depending on where you are from...

[Drifter Man]

1 minute ago, BareSkin said:

It's also annoying with matches, you're with a torch, you click for 1ms, 1 match spent. I'd be glad to have maybe a 1s protection (like opening containers or doors) where you need to continue clicking to spend the match.

Right... so many matches wasted because of this system... either the torch should spring to life with one click, or have this misclick protection like you suggest.

[JAFO]

This is why I'm so glad there are mods to let you set your own firestarting item order, preselect your favourite melee weapon, and remember your preferred break-items-down tool.. so I don't have to struggle with the BS defaults that the game chooses to inflict on players.

[Drifter Man]

11 minutes ago, BareSkin said:

That's impressive, I couldn't even saw a cargo container at the Wing on my regular interloper

I was killed at the Wing maybe a dozen times in my Snowball days. I still consider it a forbidden zone in general - the wolf - deer - bear (and now moose) interactions mean that a wolves sprint around that place randomly. But after a while I found a way through the place and to the container that is relatively safe. Now I follow it almost automatically.

7 minutes ago, JAFO said:

This is why I'm so glad there are mods to let you set your own firestarting item order, preselect your favourite melee weapon, and remember your preferred break-items-down tool.. so I don't have to struggle with the BS defaults that the game chooses to inflict on players.

Hey! Are you trying to get this thread locked?

[JAFO]

Just now, Drifter Man said:

Hey! Are you trying to get this thread locked?

Heheh.. I'm pretty sure it takes more than just mentioning that they exist.. 

[Dan_]

I'm impressed by your ability to maintain condition throughout a summit run, great as advertised, every single time. 

It seems you need to plan and play very methodically to sustain your condition in this game mode. I've got a question if you don't mind, sir: Why prioritize a summit run, instead of forging? 

[Doc Gonzo]

Loving every update @Drifter Man ... keep them coming!

[Drifter Man]

21 hours ago, Dan_ said:

I'm impressed by your ability to maintain condition throughout a summit run, great as advertised, every single time. 

It seems you need to plan and play very methodically to sustain your condition in this game mode. I've got a question if you don't mind, sir: Why prioritize a summit run, instead of forging? 

I think it's part luck, par discipline - don't go out if it's felt -25°C, start looking for a place to make fire long before you run out of temp bar, don't save resources at all costs.

I try to get to the Summit early because it's harder later in the game when the world gets colder. In addition, all this canned food decays very fast in those containers. It's very important for a Deadman to find it still in edible condition when he gets up there.

More generally, I like to make a quick initial tour of the Great Bear Island, visiting key places and collecting key items along the way - hacksaw, hammer, matches, firestrikers, flare gun, clothing, bedroll, saplings... if I cover enough ground I don't have to look for it actively in a particular order, it just all comes along the way. Summit is one of the key places. With that said, starting with the forge early may be an equally valid option.

[Drifter Man]

20 hours ago, Doc Gonzo said:

Loving every update @Drifter Man ... keep them coming!

Thanks and apologies today - I need a bit of a break. In addition, 4DON starts tomorrow. I'm taking on my special Halloween challenge: make 1000 wolf coats in 4 days

[Drifter Man]

Deadman 10 / Day 17 (continued)

I sleep for an hour. The winds lose strength but it's still felt -19°C outside when I leave towards Skeeter's. First stop at the hunting blind: an archery book. I try to make a deer run in the direction I want but it's running all over the place, so I give up and go alone. Soon the fog falls. I start a fire using my firestriker, narrowly avoiding freezing, and warm up while making water and hot tea.

An hour later I scout towards the burnt down buildings. An empty corpse is at the first one. A look towards the rest of the cabins and the basement shows the place is patrolled. Maybe I could transfer the fire and use it to push the wolves out but don't want to risk it. Instead I find the rope and climb down. There's a carcass between the two ropes, I take 1.5 kg meat without fire and drop some water to stay under 30 kg. Then down to Draft Dodger's.

After I warm up in the bed, the fog lifts and I start a new fire with the mag lens, to cook the venison from the carcass and make up for the water I lost during the climb. After about a billion attempts, I get a rabbit, in addition to a large number of reishi mushrooms growing around here. I manage to make enough water and cook all the meat before the wind kills the fire - the rabbit finishes on embers. Before going to sleep, I risk a 12% chocolate bar I found under the bed, holding a bottle of antibiotics in my other hand. I survive

I'm going to bed at Draft Dodger's on somewhat full stomach - but tomorrow the hunt for food begins anew. I only have two boxes of crackers left to eat.

[Hotzn]

Good work, keep going!

[Doc Gonzo]

On 10/27/2018 at 5:41 AM, Drifter Man said:

Thanks and apologies today - I need a bit of a break. In addition, 4DON starts tomorrow. I'm taking on my special Halloween challenge: make 1000 wolf coats in 4 days

Completely understandable.  Specially with 4DON in full swing.  We don't need you burning out in this thread ;-)

[Drifter Man]

On 30/10/2018 at 6:50 AM, Doc Gonzo said:

Completely understandable.  Specially with 4DON in full swing.  We don't need you burning out in this thread ;-)

Back to the real business!

[Drifter Man]

Deadman 10 / Day 18

Morning: clear skies but strong winds. As soon as the winds stop for a while, I search for rabbits - but they're gone now. What you don't get on the first day runs away.

Afternoon: the worst weather imaginable (short of blizzard) but I have no choice and head out towards the Barn. At the river I grab two cattails and make fire - I manage to warm up and prepare tea before the wind turns around. Steeled by the hot drink, I carry on. I spot two wolves on patrol between the Barn and the Farmstead. Does it mean that the Barn is safe? When I arrive, it turns out that indeed there are no wolves around today.

In the Barn I find quality tools, tomato soup and a third stim (or fourth, including the one already I used). I make fire in the barrel to warm up before the next leg of my journey. The winds stop for a while, so I set out when ready. Cautiously avoiding the wolf area I spotted before, I arrive at the Farmstead just before nightfall. Quick check: the deer carcass is there.

Pinnacle peaches and a wool ear wrap are the most valuable finds at the Farmstead. I try to repair the ear wrap before bed but fail, and then it gets too dark to continue.

Deadman 10 / Day 19

The morning is again clear but cold, although without wind this time. I've eaten my last crackers but find a 11% chocolate bar I missed last night. Cautiously, I leave it for later. I have no use for food poisoning right now. Instead I search the basement (matches, not much else; I already have a hammer but still no prybar). I dash to the carcass, take 0.9 kg of meat and later, when I warm up in bed again, start a fire with the mag lens - literally seconds before first snowflakes appear.

There's no time to lose, I need to get to Signal Hill today, so I set out again as soon as I'm ready while the weather still "holds". I forget a maple sapling at the Farmstead.

Before a reach the "bear" cave (whatever was left of Deadman 6 is gone; the cave is unoccupied in this instance), a blizzard breaks out. I narrowly avoid freezing when I start a fire in the back of the cave. Then I sleep for three hours. The blizzards shows no signs of stopping, so I drink another resihi tea and leave. Under the rope to Signal Hill I spot a deer carcass and decide to take the meat, blizzard or no blizzard. I still have about half of my temp bar left when I'm done, and climb up. Unfortunately, I miss the radio tower in the low visibility and wander for a while, freezing. Eventually I reach the control hut in 78% condition.

Signal Hill usually has some food: this time it's dog food, tomato soup and sardines, but all except the tomato soup are in bad condition. There's a deer carcass near the hut - I noticed it in the blizzard - so I'll take that tomorrow. Other than that I only find a flare and some useless clothing.

Before bed I eat the food in the order of condition. Tomato soup (86%) first. Then sardines (35%, I think), chocolate bar (11%), all good. Dog food (3%) ends up as expected. I take antibiotics and sleep until the morning, waking up only to drink. In the morning I'm in 77% condition plus three stims. For food, only the venison that I left outside.

I think I should have returned to the cave and cooked the meat there, or at least I should have warmed up before climbing the rope.

[Dan_]

He's back! Heading to the Ravine I presume?

Never have I thought I'd miss TLD's murky daylight so much before. 

[Drifter Man]

9 minutes ago, Dan_ said:

He's back! Heading to the Ravine I presume?

Never have I thought I'd miss TLD's murky daylight so much before. 

Yes, I was glad to return to the old ways! Heading to the Ravine, to pick up the supplies - especially guts - I left there to cure the first time I passed through.

[Drifter Man]

Deadman 10 / Day 20

I pass the coldest hours of the morning inside the control hut, reading "Stay on Target". I've got quite a bit of reading to do, books tend to pile up as I generally have little time to spare. Good news when I step outside: clear skies, no wind. It's still cold but that doesn't matter right now for my purpose. I start a "free" fire in the barrel, stoke it up just enough so that I don't immediately freeze (I find wood to be more scarce than coal on my fast-moving deadman runs) and begin cooking yesterday's deer that cost me 10% condition. I watch the surroundings while standing at the barrel to see if the bear shows up, but it doesn't. When the venison is done, I put some some water on the barrel to boil and leave to check the other deer carcass: 1.7 kg of meat. Excellent - enough food for today.

About an hour later it's all in my stomach. The weather is still clear, moderate winds are blowing. I drink a cup of coffee and leave Signal Hill towards the connecting cave to Winding River. The direct route is patrolled by a wolf, so I take a small detour, but get barked up anyway, unexpectedly from behind. I escape easily, the hilly terrain gives me an opportunity. About half of my temp bar is spent so I decide to take a nap in a cave.

When I wake up, the weather is considerably worse, heavy snow and strong winds. Nevertheless I pass through it to the connecting cave without any trouble. There is a corpse lying near the entrance - with a ski jacket that is in a bit better condition than the ones I have. I swap piece for piece. 

The cave has only coal and sticks to offer, but plenty of both. Since I lit a torch to pass through, I use it to start a fire at the other end and make more hot tea to protect me on the way up Winding River. However, weather crosses my plans: full blizzard. I'm not going any further today, I just collect five cattails to the left side of the cave and return. Then I finish the day by reading books. When it gets dark, I apply a stim, which brings me back to 92% and conveniently gets me exhausted, so I can sleep for 12 hours.

[Drifter Man]

Deadman 10 / Day 21

Again, I use a clear morning to make fire - which seems to be perfectly protected when I stand just outside the cave. I wait until midday for the winds to die down, then carry on. When I reach the rabbit run, the winds return and blow out my torch, but at least the clear weather remains. I make my way up to the deer carcass on the side with the cave and, in addition to the meat, I also get two maple saplings and some reishi mushrooms. When I return to the cave I nearly get surprised by a wolf that was attracted by my smell - fortunately it doesn't see me and chooses to attack rabbits instead.

When I warm up in the cave and cook and eat the venison, I carefully cross the river and make a stop at the other deer carcass:

And when I'm done there, I move via the "shortcut" to the Dam. A third carcass awaits me at the window entrance - I want to get the hide in addition to the meat this time but the wind does not allow me. Night is coming and an aurora starts. I go as far as live wires let me but won't risk passing through. I use the time and light to read a book. When in gets dark, I sleep.

Deadman 10 / Day 22

The Dam has a fantastic assortment of nothing. I don't need a third wool ear wrap, thank you. Combat pants or a thin wool sweater would be really nice. And astonishingly, I still haven't found a prybar, after I've travelled about half of the island. I process the carcass on the other side and drop off some items that I don't immediately need in a locker (two boxes of tools, some coal, extra sewing kits etc.) as I'm seriously over weight limit now. Then I move to the Ravine, walking backwards with the flare gun ready, with a wolf stalking me.

The Ravine offers a strange combination of clear weather and winds alternating between still and full force every hour or two. They really should do something about those unnatural weather transitions. I reach the rearmost cave at the large train bridge, collecting deer skins and guts that I left there to cure. I try catching some rabbits but no luck... I try aiming in front of, behind, under, above and at the rabbit but keep hitting thin air (or solid ground). Winds blow hard all the time, of course, to assist my steady aim.

My failure to catch a rabbit has more serious consequences than frustration and a hurt ego. I'm - yes, unbelievably - out of food. I kind of relied on bagging a bunny or two, and now that this scenario failed to materialize, I'm in trouble again.

I sleep in the other cave tonight, contemplating my situation. Yes, I made it this far. But I have about 5 kilos over limit and can't let anything go - I need the saplings, the hammer, the scrap metal, the guts, the deer hides, to start my new life - I can't let go until Trapper's. And my stomach is empty, and I'll be crossing some terrain I'd vacuum-cleaned before, and there are wolves waiting for me.

[cullam]

Can you dump tools, go to the bottom of the ravine for the deer/cattails/more rabbits? Or am I misremembering, and you've already been there... 

[BareSkin]

2 hours ago, Drifter Man said:

until Trapper's

To me, it sounds as if the First DeadMan To Retire Ever is on its way.

[dead frozen dude]

7 hours ago, Drifter Man said:

And astonishingly, I still haven't found a prybar, after I've travelled about half of the island.

You have been checking behind tolet bowls, haven't you?