A Few Dead Men


Drifter Man

Recommended Posts

Wow, just caught up on your adventures. Haven't played the update since the release day and boy, did they just wreck deadman with the bark tea, huh?

You can make a very convincing deadman-lite ( barkman? ) mode with the new features but it just lost that appeal of "once my health and stims are gone, they are GONE" that the original deadman had. This makes me sad.

Still, I guess it's a foregone conclusion that regular loper players are a small minority of the player base, and Loper+ adventurers like us are an even smaller niche. I'd just like them to provide options within the custom game structure to parametrize the new features as well. No reason it can't be done, other than the target audience is very small. 

  • Upvote 1
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, Drifter Man said:

I believe the old one still applies - 8MHI-/z8M-Dw++-wSWm-bAAA

As pointed out in another thread it has wrong starting weather. 

Also deadman was every setting against the player (?) but this now has weather variability and blizzard frequency not at the top. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

17 hours ago, Looper said:

As pointed out in another thread it has wrong starting weather. 

Also deadman was every setting against the player (?) but this now has weather variability and blizzard frequency not at the top. 

True. I tweaked it a bit, it should now be 8MHM-/z8M-Dw++-AcKm-fgAA

Link to comment
Share on other sites

19 hours ago, Dan_ said:

Wow, just caught up on your adventures. Haven't played the update since the release day and boy, did they just wreck deadman with the bark tea, huh?

You can make a very convincing deadman-lite ( barkman? ) mode with the new features but it just lost that appeal of "once my health and stims are gone, they are GONE" that the original deadman had. This makes me sad.

Still, I guess it's a foregone conclusion that regular loper players are a small minority of the player base, and Loper+ adventurers like us are an even smaller niche. I'd just like them to provide options within the custom game structure to parametrize the new features as well. No reason it can't be done, other than the target audience is very small. 

Yeah... extreme interloping isn't for everyone, most survivors probably prefer to sit on the patio on a sunny afternoon, sip birch bark tea and watch rabbits hop around in the snow :D

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm sure with even a few loud voices that the next update would probably restore the true deadman code. All it would take is to turn off birch bark tea or remove "healing over time". I hadn't played too seriously on deadman (One run of 3 days and another still going at 30 days) but it still appealed to me to be able to try it. I am surprised that there is not a much larger interloper and interloper+ community within the game as once you've done everything in voyageur and stalker it gets rather stale.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 5/19/2019 at 4:58 PM, Dan_ said:

You can make a very convincing deadman-lite ( barkman? ) mode with the new features but it just lost that appeal of "once my health and stims are gone, they are GONE" that the original deadman had. This makes me sad. 

Barkman - excellent. I advocate that future Deadman runs including Birch bark tea consumption shall henceforth be titled 'Barkman'. Should the notorious @Drifter Man start new adventures in this field, a new thread titled 'A few Barkmen' should be opened.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

16 hours ago, tulkawen said:

Maybe birchman because it's the wolves that do the barking. :D

I too think that birchman would be more appropriate :D But I probably won't do a classic deadman for now. I have one experimental idea in mind, let's see i it is fun.

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 5/18/2019 at 9:30 PM, tulkawen said:

The wolves are pests, I feel like their range has been increased a bit as well. Not my cup of tea when the games wolfs it up.

I'm pretty sure the wolf range has increased too playing interloper. Some of my safer routes in FM are now being squeezed. 

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

16 hours ago, Looper said:

Sprainman? Always have a sprain?

Meleeman - wrestle 50 wolves?

Curiosity hurts😀

Someone once suggested a challenge where you would have to attack every wolf you see and fight it hand-to-paw :D Not my cup of birch bark tea.

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ya know, that classical question 'Can you eat trees?' is now being answered.

Barkman makes sense too since we DO eat trees now and it's not far from going barking crazy or howling at the moon ourselves in solitude. :D

Drifter, oooh! I am curious what you have in mind. Are you planning to write out that experimental game?

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, tulkawen said:

Ya know, that classical question 'Can you eat trees?' is now being answered.

Barkman makes sense too since we DO eat trees now and it's not far from going barking crazy or howling at the moon ourselves in solitude. :D

Drifter, oooh! I am curious what you have in mind. Are you planning to write out that experimental game?

What about teaman? - survive as long as you can on teas.

  • Upvote 1
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

18 hours ago, tulkawen said:

Drifter, oooh! I am curious what you have in mind. Are you planning to write out that experimental game?

 

16 hours ago, Looper said:

What about teaman? - survive as long as you can on teas.

It is essentially that - my next adventure seems to be less exciting though. I'm not sure if I can make it work as a survival story.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 6 months later...

Deadman 14 / Day 1

DM14_D1a.thumb.png.a1947e809d2d09e098f007bd4d03ac50.png

What a beautiful morning! Steam has just finished updating my game... what a great time to be alive dead!

I'm in an unfamiliar region, temperature meter is dropping fast, so I'd better move out. Quickly search the ruined lighthouse: a cooking pot on the stove - I take it. Also some funny stuff to make gunpowder I think. Not what I need. Not what I plan to do.

Very windy outside. I have the feeling this is how it's going to be from now on, because strong and frequently changing wind is the prime method to make the game hard. No way to make fire, no way to warm up, no way to scare off fluffy furballs.

I have a fairly good starting inventory though. Matches, a flare, even some food and water. No bedroll. Map of the region is available in full. I don't spend much time studying it but I think the road comes from the right. Maybe that's where I'm supposed to exit. No grave markings, so the graves probably are in other regions. Makes sense.

I cross to the fishing village ahead. All houses are boarded. I spot a bear from a safe distance and avoid it. There's a cave ahead, but I don't go there - probably the bear's. I'm freezing now, and check temperature: -22 C in the wind, -11 when sheltered. I have 13 sticks, so not enough to really warm up. No point in making a stop.

When I hit the road I expected (bridge), I choose to go to the bridge. There should be some industrial plant on the other side, an opportunity to gear up, maybe. As I approach the bridge, I notice a snow shelter on my right. Perhaps I can warm up? There also tend to be goodies around snow shelters... I slip in and yes, it's felt +5 C inside. I sleep for an hour to recover some warmth. Wolves could sniff me out here, but I take the risk. I wake up unharmed and my temp bar has recovered enough to provide a few minutes in the wind. There only are two fir logs at the shelter.

I loot the cars on the bridge for a few bits of food and more matches. The plant is guarded by wolves, the new grey kind. Not a good time to say hello. I avoid the place to the right and reach a group of trailers. Only one is still standing. Inside it is just warm enough to keep me above zero, so I sleep for another hour.

The day is ending and it's time to make water before sleep. I thought I saw fire barrels outside, which would be nice - the wind doesn't stop and I want a safe fire. But they're just stupid, useless barrels. Wind somehow manages to turn twice while I look for a safe spot, and I end up building a campfire right in the wind. It survives long enough for one round of water - 1 liter from the pot and the can. I hear a moose nearby, so it's not safe beyond this point. Need to be careful tomorrow.

I spend the night in the trailer, although I'm not tired. When I wake up and check my health status, I confirm we're in the deadman zone.

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

[Warning: There's inevitably going to be SPOILERS about the As the Dead Sleep challenge.]

Deadman 14 / Day 2

DM14_D2a.png.6ba9765769a73d28be008bbcd7c30a44.png

So finally I have time to look at the map. There is a road going east to west, so that's probably continuation of Coastal Highway. The sea is on the bottom side of the map, so the two exits should be to the north. On the left-hand side, where I am right now, there should be the exit to FM, and on the right-hand side to the Ravine. I process a few sticks into tinder plugs while pondering my options. I won't go back across the bridge, instead I'll go north and hope to find the FM exit.

I smell moose behind the trailer, so instead I slip through between the rocks and ice. Eventually I think I hear an angry moose sound anyway, so I run. Either I was imagining things or I evaded it, in any case I don't get to see the moose. Instead I drop through the ice. So that's the end.

Except that it isn't. I end up on the bank, freezing (I was freezing anyway) but not hypothermic. A bug? Probably a feature, my shoes, socks, jeans and underwear are all wet. So I made it out of the water rather well, but the cold winds will soon turn my clothes into ice.

I spot a wolf - a grey one again - and while looking for a way around, I find a deer carcass and a cave. It's too windy for the carcass, but inside the cave it is just warm enough to start a fire and dry my clothes.

DM14_D2b.png.3269919225907f072a257b51b382d483.png

Once warmed up and almost dry (jeans take too long), I'm on my way again. There's a birch forest to the north, so maybe I can find some birch bark there? Yes, I find 6 pieces and soon afterwards and entrance to a loading screen cave. I'm on my way out of here.

The cave is cold, so fire first. Three attempts and away we go. I don't have much fuel but there's enough to make torches and reishi tea. How do I craft prepared birch bark? Can't find it... is it in the radial? No... no birch bark tea, definitely. It was disabled. Good. True to the deadman spirit.

Then I search the cave. Some coal - not much. A resting place for a weary traveller, I won't be using it though, thank you. But I take this precious blue flare - I understand that's the only surefire (?) way to keep the grey ones away. Will sure work against the old black ones too.

DM14_D2c.png.2a58c2dda8febdc1d8e6b9bf76ead575.png

Before leaving the cave I notice my reishi tea is still hot, which is great. I drink it and am ready to go. FM welcomes me and is uncharacteristically windy. I quickly recognize the place, looks like the former non-loading screen cave near Muskeg Overlook. Wolf zone. That's where I'm headed.

DM14_D2d.png.b0dfd89be2057502458f38cd93d2775a.png

I head to Muskeg Overlook first. I'm nearly starving and there is usually good stuff up there. I safely avoid the usual wolf guarding the entrance but notice it is not on "Deadman" settings - does not react from far distance as I am used to. Hmm, they could have made this challenge harder.

The path up to the Overlook is steeper than I remember, and there now is a new radio tower. The hollow tree is gone - or maybe relocated - which I regret, I spent many occasional nights sleeping there. I'm getting tired, but have no bedroll anyway. At least I start a fire next to the carcass. The wind has died down and gave way to the usual FM fog.

Once the carcass thaws and I'm done with the meat - only 0.6 kg - I check the situation down in the Muskeg. The three muskegteers - beg pardon, four - are right below, but I think I can goat down and avoid them.

DM14_D2e.png.63877ecfb38999139b5574313f775fef.png

So yes, I goat down and pay the price - one ankle. I slip around the wolves, collecting cattails - I really need the food. It's getting dark and it's dangerous to be in the FM fog at night. I make a warming break at the familiar rock formation halfway to Poacher's camp. Just as I kill the pain with rosehip tea, exhaustion kicks in. I drop four liters of water to stay light.

DM14_D2f.png.2c1a806eb32c77d9d689619fe3483f25.png

Poacher's camp... I needed to avoid a bear to get there, but nice surprise awaits me inside. Apart from the usual coal and scrap metal, there's a wool scarf (goodbye frostbite risk, I already found a pair of mittens) and an improvised knife. I didn't expect that. Come on, this is supposed to be hard, right? :) Well, it won't to me much good because I'm one foot in the grave at this point.

The weather has cleared up and the bear has moved away, so I make my last push along the tracks and to the Camp Office. I punch in 8 hours of sleep. I don't think my condition is higher than 15%, so Day 3 will probably be my last.

Edited by Drifter Man
  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Deadman 14 / Day 3

What does a deadman do, on the last day of his life?

The conventional thing would be to go out to the lake and collect cattails. But I'm nearly dead anyway, so I could do something less sensible that could tell future deadmen if that's worth doing. Let's go to the lookout tower today and see if there's anything useful inside.

But first of all, let's search the Camp Office while the day is warming up. There's some canned food, a whetstone (good for my improvised knife), a jerry can with almost 3 liters of kerosene and heaps of paper. I shouldn't have any trouble starting fires for some time. Outside I collect a few sticks and cattails but it is way too cold and windy to go anywhere far.

Back in the cabin I tear a few pieces of cloth and go to bed to be rested for the afternoon. A blizzard breaks out, so I have to wait nearly until sunset. I use the extra time to repair clothes.

Once the blizzard dies down, I'm on my way. It's nice and warm at first, but the winds soon come back. My torch is blown out and I have to run to seek shelter. At the clearing on the way to the lookout tower, there are no rabbits and no deer. I haven't seen any live deer (just a few carcasses, two I think) or rabbits. So I think this wildlife is banned from this challenge, leaving only the unkind species.

I make haste to the tower, making sure I arrive before my temperature bar runs out. Who knows how cold it is inside?

DM14_D3.png.11c7de57b40cb3422d8af6ffede94493.png

Good call, the felt temperature inside is just below zero. I warm up a bit in the bed and search the tower: not great, but there's a prybar that could come in handy. I use my time to break down some chairs by hand. I could use extra fuel in this weather.

I have enough food to last until next morning. Noon maybe. Going to bed in 14% condition. This deadman's death is deferred by one day.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now