Tips for Navigating in Hushed River Valley


UpUpAway95

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My Faithful Cartographer is currently hopelessly lost in Hushed River Valley.  I keep getting turned around and wind up surveying the same spots over and over again.  The ice caves just make matters worse.  Does anyone have any suggestions as to how they go about keeping track of where they are on this map in particular?

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The two areas last on my FC quest are BR (never been there) and HVR (been there once, on my only Interloper start :brrrr:).  Playing Stalker (first time == day 113), so this should be exciting.  

I'm leaving TWM's summit for the last spot to map, because it is going to be hugely anti-climatic to ascend, sketch and then not see the Achievement come up because I missed something.

All this is to say that I'm rooting for you, but alas have no advice.

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1 hour ago, NardoLoopa said:

The two areas last on my FC quest are BR (never been there) and HVR (been there once, on my only Interloper start :brrrr:).  Playing Stalker (first time == day 113), so this should be exciting.  

I'm leaving TWM's summit for the last spot to map, because it is going to be hugely anti-climatic to ascend, sketch and then not see the Achievement come up because I missed something.

All this is to say that I'm rooting for you, but alas have no advice.

I've start checking off items on Hinterland's list that appear on my maps.  I know I've missed some things in Mystery Lake and Mountain Town.  I'm pretty sure that the Ravine, Forlorn Muskeg, Coastal Highway, the Connector, and Desolation Point are complete.  I haven't yet been through Winding River and I haven't even figured out which map gets me into the Broken Railroad.  Like you, I'm hoping to do the summit last and have the achievement pop at that time.  I'm also hoping to get to day 500 with this character, so I may not attempt the summit until after that point.  I'm currently at 246 days and somewhat bored.  I should have had more faith in myself and started at a higher difficulty, but live and learn.

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The ice caves are the only thing I did sketch on my own in TLD. I was completely lost in the dark once and though that I didn't want to spend resources anytime I go there. Now I have all the details noted for the paths (turns, natural lights, glowing lights, remarkable landscape...) and where are the entry points  (just with notes like "killed bear", "corpse on the right", "north", to remember where it is on the charcoal map). It went fast to do that, just by sketching on the fly, and I had to correct it only one time for the distances. While doing that I put different "signs" on the ground at each crossroad to be sure of my location.

Now, with my notes and the map, I can go anywhere, day or night, inside with my notes, and outside I will recognize the entries and be able to figure out my location. There are some tricks too for the outside paths, look around you (did I go up there yet?) , be sure that the path is really ending where at first sight you think it ends.

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You can place some sticks or stones in the caves to mark paths

HRV in general is divided into several sections/areas that are connected to each other. Once you've figured that out and know how to move between them you don't need to understand how exactly they are all placed in 3D

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7 hours ago, LkP said:

The ice caves are the only thing I did sketch on my own in TLD. I was completely lost in the dark once and though that I didn't want to spend resources anytime I go there. Now I have all the details noted for the paths (turns, natural lights, glowing lights, remarkable landscape...) and where are the entry points  (just with notes like "killed bear", "corpse on the right", "north", to remember where it is on the charcoal map). It went fast to do that, just by sketching on the fly, and I had to correct it only one time for the distances. While doing that I put different "signs" on the ground at each crossroad to be sure of my location.

Now, with my notes and the map, I can go anywhere, day or night, inside with my notes, and outside I will recognize the entries and be able to figure out my location. There are some tricks too for the outside paths, look around you (did I go up there yet?) , be sure that the path is really ending where at first sight you think it ends.

Thank you.  You've given me an idea.  I'm Level 4 firestarter and I've been still collecting some cat tail heads.  I think I'll use those to mark cave entrances.  I still won't really know where I am yet, but at least I'll be able to figure out where I've been already before.  It must have took some real dedication to hand sketch the caves.  I get so disoriented in the dark that I just panic.

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27 minutes ago, Serenity said:

You can place some sticks or stones in the caves to mark paths

HRV in general is divided into several sections/areas that are connected to each other. Once you've figured that out and know how to move between them you don't need to understand how exactly they are all placed in 3D

Thank you.  I'll try to remember to drop some things as I go along.

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15 hours ago, UpUpAway95 said:

Does anyone have any suggestions as to how they go about keeping track of where they are on this map in particular?

Ice caves drawn on paper have a surprisingly small number of key components, (exits and rooms), and many minor features, (shafts, dead ends).
Upon finding a junction, building a campfire with the cooking surface stones pointing back toward the exit can be a sort of compass later in game.
Three stones across the floor was my mark for a dead end tunnel, ( + +  + ),  and a stick with two stones across the floor pointed into a room, ( : >--- ).

Safety tip: Keep fires a few steps from any cave entrance to avoid burns as you come and go tending a campfire. Have fun my friend. :coffee: 

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1 hour ago, UpUpAway95 said:

It must have took some real dedication to hand sketch the caves.  I get so disoriented in the dark that I just panic.

that's exactly why I made some torches to sketch it once and for all, but I guess you can find it already made (less satisfying, and on the long term sketching it makes you remember it)

 

13 minutes ago, s7mar7in said:

Ice caves drawn on paper have a surprisingly small number of key components, (exits and rooms)

+1

 

night tips:
I also noted the lights, so I can go there in the dark (glowing lights are always on, and sunlight let "dust traces" during night).
I often walk backward to keep my direction
did put some "stone path" to find some ropes without light

safety tip:
beware of the rabbit 9_9

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Just an update... I'm doing much better navigating in this area.  Thanks to those who suggested putting down bread crumbs of different types.  I've found an ideal one - cat tail heads.  I don't need the tinder and, unlike sticks or stones, they are an item not found naturally lying around on the ground anywhere.  When I run out of those, I convert sticks to tinder plugs (but I hate using up the sticks I collect because I'm finding I usually use them up in my fires at night.

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Here is the division of the map into different areas I meant: https://imgur.com/BJ2KMwS

  • Red is around Stairsteps Lake and the first stop to exploring the region.  Contains some caves one can live in. Lots of cat tails
  • Green the Signal Fire plateau
  • Yellow is the moose valley
  • Blue is an area further up. More caves and cat tails there
  • Purple is Monolith Lake and surroundings

Ice caves are optional, but they are a good escape from the cold. The alternative is traveling between the areas by rope, but that's exhausting. One rope is really attractive though as one of the ice cave entrances is behind a waterfall, which means instant hypothermia

Slightly spoilery as it reveals the general layout, but it doesn't have any details. Taken from the Whiteberry/StrayWolf maps: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1491002838

 

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17 hours ago, NardoLoopa said:

a very pleasant place to live

First time in HRV was the night after the Vigilant Flame update was released. It was so much fun.

Using Stalker Experience Mode, game started me in Blue Zone...and it was cold.
Worked day and night to walk along the cliff from cave to cave until the base-camp cave was finally found.
The wolves acted like they were groggy from too much cold medicine and the Stalker loot was everywhere.
For the first time in TLD, the effort to locate and loot a corps was a positive return on time invested.

Spent many, many days exploring to find all the other wonderful areas of HRV.
Even the Hinterland Forum was a-buzz with excitement for a couple of weeks.
Many of us were determined to make a long run isolated in HRV without leaving to loot gear and craft.

Might have taken me 21 days in-game to locate signal fires and transition cave to Milton...still stayed to fight the elements. :coffee:

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Having never been to HRV, and playing my first Interloper game (only Voy before), I spawned in the Red Zone.  That was kinda evil, since I quickly ran into wolves and then a bear.  Climbed the rope to the green zone (which is really easy with 12kg on you), only to find the ice-cave . . . at -1C.  No means of light, no bedroll collision-detection system.  End up heading towards Lonely Cave, and was stopped by the brush (no hatchet).  Went the other direction, but a wolf guards that path.  Caught between bear, wolf and brush, I opted to add my corpse to the peaceful ice cave.

Now that I know the area (mapped it this weekend), I know where I was and the mistakes I made.  But it was a lot of fun not knowing.

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To help answer the OP's question:  I'm not sure how much of HRV you have mapped already, but mapping this area is a little trickier because of the varied elevation points.  As with any other map, learn to recognize landmarks, and combined with charcoal mapping, use that to find you way around.  This was definitely the most challenging area to map.  Good luck.

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On 1/28/2019 at 3:38 PM, Serenity said:

. One rope is really attractive though as one of the ice cave entrances is behind a waterfall, which means instant hypothermia

 

Got caught in that one.  I had entered the cave at a different point and was working my way around inside it.  I came across a small stream of water coming from the roof and foolishly though I could just skirt around it and continue to explore the cave.  Surprise, the game exited me from the cave into the waterfall beyond and... instant hypothermia.  I ducked back into the cave and started a fire... just saving my life.  I then backtracked my way through the cave to the place where I had entered it in the first place.  Very close call that.

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  • 3 weeks later...

There's also at least one very tricky twist where three zones meet. There's a spot where you can walk along a cliff edge, then which side of you the rock face is on switches, but the map makes it look like one solid cliff wall. So you can walk with your right hand up against the wall, and still get turned around. Wow, that explanation couldn't possibly have been helpful! 

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I've charcoal mapped all of HRV and am now in my final zone - Timberwolf Mountain.  I was going to wait until he got nearer his Day 500 to do TWM, but I've opted to move forward with just getting the Faithful Cartographer achievement done (hopefully before they add something to it).

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