A Few Dead Men


Drifter Man

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59 minutes ago, Drifter Man said:

My shortcut back to Mountaineer's Hut is ready. My Snowball training is paying off, I've done this a dozen times.
...
A very, very dangerous day lies ahead!

Gutsy move, making a summit attempt..  hopefully there's a good payoff for the risk involved!

Wishing you the best of luck...

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Deadman 3 / Day 9

It's too windy and cold in the morning. I stay in the shelter, sleeping for short periods to stay rested. When it gets warmer in the afternoon and the winds stop, I dismantle the shelter and set out.

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At the top of the rope to Deer Clearing, I expect wolves, and I don't get disappointed - a greeting bark comes as soon as I make a few steps from the rope. I light the torch and walk on. After a few seconds I hear the wolf started running after me and I'm prepared to lose this Deadman. I run, too. It's strange but the wolf seems to be only slowly catching up. When I'm thinking the struggle is imminent, it suddenly yelps and runs away.

I don't know what saved me today.

I reach the cave at Deer Clearing and start a fire. I find a flare and two coals. Do I have to say there's no food? Winds start blowing hard outside - not good, but I have no choice but to go on. There's some business I have to take care of first though. I drink warm coffee, put cans back on the stones and make some more water, then take a flare and walk towards the container. I drive a deer in front of me but the wolf is already occupied by a rabbit. I cut open the bottom compartment only - three tomato soups, not the greatest loot but 900 calories are better than nothing. I leave the top compartment be. No need for rabbit pelts and scrap metal (although I could use cloth).

On the way back to the cave I notice the second wolf is feasting on a deer, so I should be safe.

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It's late afternoon and I need to make it to the second rope before nightfall. Wind or no wind, wolves or no wolves, I drink another coffee and go on. I stick to the slopes to see around well, so I sprain an ankle and a wrist. A small price to pay for situational awareness, fixed easily with painkillers. As I approach the other wolf territory, I see one wolf in the distance. I continue to the second rope to the Secluded Shelf, making a stop at a deer carcass on the way. 0.9 kg. Again, it doesn't get much more meager than this...

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I reach Secluded Shelf, search the cave (coal, magnifying lens, firewood, NO FOOD) and emerge on the other side, already at night. I start a fire in the open cave, build a snow shelter and sleep. 72% condition, I didn't lose any today. [20110 calories consumed]

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Nice job!  A question about deadman:  I have been watching some streams and I notice that people are carrying food and only eating when they need it - is there any reason to keep your calories low except to make it easier to starve during high calorie activities to extend the number of 'fed' hours you get?

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1 hour ago, fauxjargon said:

Nice job!  A question about deadman:  I have been watching some streams and I notice that people are carrying food and only eating when they need it - is there any reason to keep your calories low except to make it easier to starve during high calorie activities to extend the number of 'fed' hours you get?

I haven't found any benefit to doing so. Carrying the weight of perfectly good food around when you're half-starved is a hindrance rather than a help here. I think this is simply a habit borne of interloper, and it's a hard one to break.

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2 hours ago, Kinnasmash said:

I haven't found any benefit to doing so. Carrying the weight of perfectly good food around when you're half-starved is a hindrance rather than a help here. I think this is simply a habit borne of interloper, and it's a hard one to break.

Yeah - funnily I was watching Atheenon's stream from Sep 1 and noticed he made the same observation.  It seems like if you have to, starving yourself for rope climbs or long (planned) sprints between buildings might be a possible strategy.  For instance to go to signal hill from PV farmhouse - sprint hungry, eat when your sprint runs out, walk to the rope, climb, then eat at the top wouldn't cost much condition - and the sprinting might be needed to ward off the cold damage.

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6 hours ago, fauxjargon said:

Nice job!  A question about deadman:  I have been watching some streams and I notice that people are carrying food and only eating when they need it - is there any reason to keep your calories low except to make it easier to starve during high calorie activities to extend the number of 'fed' hours you get?

 

1 hour ago, fauxjargon said:

Yeah - funnily I was watching Atheenon's stream from Sep 1 and noticed he made the same observation.  It seems like if you have to, starving yourself for rope climbs or long (planned) sprints between buildings might be a possible strategy.  For instance to go to signal hill from PV farmhouse - sprint hungry, eat when your sprint runs out, walk to the rope, climb, then eat at the top wouldn't cost much condition - and the sprinting might be needed to ward off the cold damage.

The idea was to save calories from the climb, but I climbed up before running out of calories, and only hit zero after my sprint away from the wolf. So it didn't work.

Another reason I sometimes don't eat is to make sure I have room to eat all meat I might find on a deer carcass on the spot, rather than carrying it around.

Edited by Drifter Man
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Deadman 3 / Day 10

It's a bit too windy for my liking, but the wind comes from the direction of the Summit, so I'll be covered while climbing. In late morning I climb up the rope and reach the summit of the Timberwolf Mountain.

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My first stop is in the cave, to greet a fellow deadman with rope and antibiotics. I take both and start a fire, because I need warming break. Make coffee. Pick two coals further back in the cave.

The winds die down while I'm warming up. Outside of the cave, I notice crows circling in an unusual place, high above some inaccessible point. There was no carcass at the open cave where I slept last night, so maybe there is one here? I climb higher to investigate, although I also keep in mind that I shouldn't get distracted. I need to go back before nightfall. As I walk towards the crows, the wind returns and I turn back on the way to the plane.

Food container #1: 4 x salty crackers, 1 x tea, 2 x coffee. Food container #2: 3 x pork and beans, 2 x pinnacle peaches, 5 x soda. Clothes container: Lots of good stuff, I take a toque, work boots and ear wrap. All but the ear wrap in very good condition.

70% firestriker, flare gun with 8 shells and, of course, my third emergency stim. The matches and accelerant must be in one of the crates - I don't need those, I'll leave them here. Also, I don't need the medical/pelts container. My hacksaw is in 34% condition and I haven't found another one yet. I stuff myself with peaches and pork and beans, drink a coffee and return with all my loot to the rope. Wind blows in my face on the way back, but I make it to the snow shelter without condition loss - still at 72%. [24490 calories consumed]

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Deadman 3 / Day 11

This time I sleep in short intervals without fire. That last night's bonfire was very wasteful, a habit that I carried over from a world where people sleep 10 hours in a row. I still have 30 coals, but there will be no more coals between me and Winding River now, so I have to use them sparingly.

Nevertheless, a blizzard starts in the early morning, so I have to get up and make fire. I make water and brew some tea and coffee (this is one difference I'm making compared to my normal runs - normally I don't carry pre-brewed drinks, it doesn't feel right). After the blizzard stops, I return to my shelter and sleep some more. Next time, on Deadman: rest of the Day 11 entry. [24990 calories consumed]

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5 minutes ago, Drifter Man said:

Outside of the cave, I notice crows circling in an unusual place, high above some inaccessible point.

Probably for the deadman inside the cave you just left.  You'll see the same thing for the dead cave wolf at Monolith lake.

The really unusual thing is that the weather was good enough for crows! :D

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6 minutes ago, Ruruwawa said:

Probably for the deadman inside the cave you just left.  You'll see the same thing for the dead cave wolf at Monolith lake.

The really unusual thing is that the weather was good enough for crows! :D

Didn't think about that! I was thinking of going back up there for that carcass... thanks!!!

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1 minute ago, JAFO said:

If you come across a set of Quality Tools, you can repair the hacksaw..

Yep, hacksaw has always been my favorite tool, I repaired my hacksaw many times :) Simple tools worked too unless this was changed. But 34% is actually very generous, I can harvest many carcasses before it breaks. 24% wouldn't be so great.

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9 hours ago, Cattleman said:

I still have yet to survive more than 7 days on Interloper. I think I'm going to have to give it a go anyway.

Now that takes guts! Kudos!

Success in Interloper needs very good knowledge of the maps as a base foundation to work on.. in Deadman mode, that goes double. I wish you luck.

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The Snowball-Deadman may have something which all other competitors lack: The TWM-Interloper-Instant-Summit experience. With all the food/sodas and the flare gun you might be going somewhere... shoot a deer, eat, craft deerskin goodies...

I was wondering why you didn't take the matches and accelerants - especially the latter might have come in handy for starting fires really quickly. Would have allowed you more time before having to make a fire while travelling. Also I didn't quite get how much you looted from the clothes container - just the items you mentioned? Would be interesting to see your current outfit.

And what's the plan for the next steps?

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17 hours ago, Cattleman said:

This looks to be a fun challenge... Although I'm not sure I would do well at it... I still have yet to survive more than 7 days on Interloper. I think I'm going to have to give it a go anyway. Good luck @Drifter Manon making it to day 30... You appear to have a strong start thus far.

Thanks! Don't listen to @JAFO - it's easy :D

1 hour ago, Hotzn said:

The Snowball-Deadman may have something which all other competitors lack: The TWM-Interloper-Instant-Summit experience. With all the food/sodas and the flare gun you might be going somewhere... shoot a deer, eat, craft deerskin goodies...

I was wondering why you didn't take the matches and accelerants - especially the latter might have come in handy for starting fires really quickly. Would have allowed you more time before having to make a fire while travelling. Also I didn't quite get how much you looted from the clothes container - just the items you mentioned? Would be interesting to see your current outfit.

And what's the plan for the next steps?

All questions of Nhotz, the IMM's newest shooting star, will be answered in the next entry!

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Deadman 3 / Day 11 (continued)

Of the food found on the summit, only the salty crackers, tea and coffee survived the first night. Also, I didn't take any clothes I didn't want to wear - they'd be just dead weight on a dead man, cloth can be found elsewhere. Here's my current outfit:

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I had to scrap one pair of socks and my underwear to build the snow shelter, but at least I found wool socks in the containers. Add the 2°C bonus from Cold Fusion and I'm fairly comfortable in the Mountaineer's Hut, although caves are still a bit too cold to stay overnight without fire.

Matches and accelerant would certainly not be left behind if they weren't hidden in one of the crates. I didn't want to waste time, fatigue and calories on breaking them down. I don't need more matches, I have more than enough already and a good firestriker as well. Accelerant would be nice but I decided it wasn't worth it.

Plans? Leave TWM and visit three key locations in PV - Barn, Farmhouse and Signal Hill, in that order. Barn should not be so deadly now that I have the flare gun. Then to Winding River, restock on coal in the Cave System and check out the deer carcasses. I will decide what to do next when I reach the Dam, one option is settle down in the Ravine for a while, another is to go to Forlorn Muskeg, which has both deer carcasses and cattails. A necessary condition for the Muskeg would be a bedroll, of course, which I don't currently have.

I'm not going to craft clothes - an investment of time and calories I can't afford, for limited benefit, although I may speak differently when the world gets colder. I would have opened the pelts container if I wanted to craft clothes. Knife, bow and arrows are a distant option.

Anyway, here I am, in the snow shelter below the Summit of TWM. After two peaceful days, I'm going to see some action.

First steps lead me to the rope down of course, but I take the one farther away from Eric's Falls because I'm worried about wolves in the other area. It's not much help because here are wolves as well, and one comes to greet me as soon as I reach the ground. I don't want to lose time and drive it away with a shot of the flare gun.

Picking up sticks on the way, I reach Eric's Falls and start a fire in the cave to warm up. Weather is very favorable but the bear is around.

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Once I warm up a bit, I move to the deer carcass nearby, start another fire with a torch, and harvest the meat. Again, it's a pretty skinny deer, only 1 kg, but at least I can cook and eat it all on the spot. I also collect some cattails but the bear prevents me from taking them all. Eventually I drink a hot coffee and head to the next rope. Wolves aren't around.

Wolves are around, patrolling the river close to the Engine below. Three of them. So all the cattails here are off limits. I sneak around and avoid detection. It's warm enough and the coffee helps, so does Cold Fusion, and I don't have to be worried about freezing. I don't even stop in the Cave of Engines and head straight for the next rope, the one I prepared on my way up a few days ago. I safely pass to the river that feeds into Crystal Lake and finally start a fire, because my temperature bar is about to run out. While warming up, I collect some more cattails and peek towards Crystal Lake. I don't see any wolves but they may be out of my field of view.

Then my trained ears detect a bear. I can't see it, it's coming from above, hidden by a fallen tree I used to shelter the fire. I peek out and it's coming at me... I will have to use the flare gun if it comes any closer. I quickly collect cans and coffee from the fire so that I don't leave anything behind. Then the bear turns away. Unfortunately, it turns away in the direction I wanted to go - the longer way through Landing Gear, which is normally safer than the shortcut across Crystal Lake. But a possibility of wolves is better than a certainty of bear, and I decide for the Lake.

I'm lucky. There are no wolves on the lake. Still watching out, I use the opportunity and collect all cattails I can find before returning to Mountaineer's Hut.

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I'm loaded with over 40 sticks, nearly 30 coals and 37 cattails. 30 more sticks and 5 liters of water are stored in the hatch, I left them there before leaving. I have enough food for 3-4 days - cattails and salty crackers, compact and easy to carry around. The only problem is that I keep forgetting to apply the stim, so I go to bed again at 72%. No need for a fire, I sleep until the morning. [26310 calories consumed]

Edited by Drifter Man
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On 9/12/2018 at 1:40 AM, fauxjargon said:

Nice job!  A question about deadman:  I have been watching some streams and I notice that people are carrying food and only eating when they need it - is there any reason to keep your calories low except to make it easier to starve during high calorie activities to extend the number of 'fed' hours you get?

On 9/12/2018 at 3:41 AM, Kinnasmash said:

I haven't found any benefit to doing so. Carrying the weight of perfectly good food around when you're half-starved is a hindrance rather than a help here. I think this is simply a habit borne of interloper, and it's a hard one to break.

As mentioned above by Drifter Man, and confirmed yesterday by TheDEADP00L, it's a way of ensuring you're able to eat all the meat from a chance harvested deer immediately, so as to avoid becoming a wolf-magnet.

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Deadman 3 / Day 12

Since I'm so well supplied, plus have that cured gut from Desolation Point and a hook I found who knows where, let's try some fishing. If it doesn't work, it's not going to kill me. In the morning I spend 30 minutes at the workbench making fishing tackle, then I assess the situation outside. It's cold just like every morning, snow is falling, no wind. There is a wolf on the far side of the lake but the eastern half is safe. I move to the fishing hut, start a fire in the stove and get to work.

The success is tremendous - three pieces of bass and two whitefish, yielding some 4500 calories altogether! I cook some in the fishing hut and the rest at the fireplace next morning, when a blizzard rages outside. I lose 1% condition because I'm not paying attention and starve for a while during fishing.

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Deadman 3 / Day 13

I briefly consider staying here for longer - maybe drive a deer into a wolf - but the wolves have returned in force and the lake is no longer safe. Before noon I decide to brave the winds and to move over to Pleasant Valley. I'm forced to make an emergency fire already at the Landing Gear. Fortunately the winds stop soon thereafter, so I can get on my way again. I reach the bunker in the afternoon and regret I can't make use of the good weather and move on with all that fish on me - it's heavy and it stinks. At least I scout towards the hunting blind, where I find more fish (canned this time), a ragged wool toque and a bear. The bear doesn't find me and I soon return to the bunker, before my temperature bar runs out. Before bed I harvest the toque and try to repair one of my two ear wraps, but the repair doesn't succeed. I apply the emergency stim - my third - and go to sleep in 86% condition. [32083 calories consumed]

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Following this story is so damn harrowing! I'm tempted to try this mode, despite still being crap at interloper. I suppose I could just turn off health recovery on Stalker... the lack of healing makes it still similar to learning The Long Dark - where you are absolutely going to die, sooner or later. 

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