Finally Trying for Faithful Cartographer...

[ManicManiac]

Phase one, nearly complete  

 

I nearly broke my neck more than a few times, but I think I have Timberwolf Mountain nearly finished.  I noticed today that I still have one little smudge near Echo Ravine (over by the engine)... I'm not thrilled about where it's located.  I'm not sure about some of the edges though, is there anyone out there that can give me some pointers if I am missing anything?  I know I don't really need to clear the whole map to get the achievement... it just feels like the right thing to do  

I'm not sure which region I'm going to relocate to next... maybe Desolation Point, and then work my way west until I have all of Great Bear mapped out.  I'm on day 116, so it's been slow going.  Now that I have some sound footing, I feel like it will start to go quicker.

Edited June 18, 2019 by ManicManiac

[peteloud]

Have you cleared the black patches from all around TWM summit?  I found that difficult.  At what level are you playing?

[ManicManiac]

@peteloud
Yes I did manage to... I sprained absolutely everything repeatedly and tore some clothing 3 separate times though.  
To clear all the way around the summit I had to edge my way around both of the craggy peaks.  It was pretty harrowing, I must say. (I put my map in spoiler brackets just in case it was proper to do so)

 As for what level I'm on... I'm assuming you mean difficulty?  Voyager.

I'm not what I consider to be an advanced player, not by a long shot.  I'm currently on Voyager, and I've resolved not to move on to Stalker until I've had a 500 day run on Voyager.  I suppose my goal is to do a 500 day run on each difficulty level and then graduate to Custom (maybe Deadman, maybe Against All Odds...maybe I'll figure out my own flavor of custom settings and "house rules").

Anyways, I figured if I am going to commit to 500 days then I may as well finish getting the remainder of the achievements as well  
I have four left, and Faithful Cartographer is the one that seems the most daunting so I thought I would finally take a run at it.

Edited June 19, 2019 by ManicManiac

[hozz1235]

Sounds like you want to have all your maps cleared of black in addition to the achievement?  That will be more difficult and take much more time (as you've found) than doing the achievement alone.

[ManicManiac]

26 minutes ago, hozz1235 said:

Sounds like you want to have all your maps cleared of black in addition to the achievement?

Yeah, I'm finding that it's compulsory for me to get the map cleared.   
But I figured if my goal was 500 days before moving on to the next difficulty, now would be the time to do it.

Since each new run starts with all the maps blacked out, I figure I will just take screenshots so I will be able to preserve the effort.

Edited June 19, 2019 by ManicManiac

[peteloud]

ManicManiac,

" As for what level I'm on... I'm assuming you mean difficulty?  Voyager. "

Well done ! 

I hadn't realised that the "Hidden Contents" in your posting was your map of TWM.  It looks very good.

I would have been disappointed if you'd said you were playing at the difficulty level for primary school kids.  I suspect that in Pilgrim there is a chair-lift to the summit, where you find Starbucks, Walmart and Holiday Inn.

 

I find clearing the black patches the most interesting way of playing the game.  It forces you to explore every area in the game.  It is much more interesting and challenging than turning TLD into a game about achieving fire-lighting and sewing badges, or whatever.  I now try to fully map every game I play.

Edited June 19, 2019 by peteloud

[hozz1235]

2 hours ago, ManicManiac said:

Yeah, I'm finding that it's compulsory for me to get the map cleared.   
But I figured if my goal was 500 days before moving on to the next difficulty, now would be the time to do it.

Since each new run starts with all the maps blacked out, I figure I will just take screenshots so I will be able to preserve the effort.

Good idea - 2 birds with 1 stone!

I would keep that save game once you are done too so you could go back and see your progress.

[ManicManiac]

1 minute ago, hozz1235 said:

I would keep that save game once you are done too so you could go back and see your progress.

Oh for sure... if I do make it to 500 days (and move on to the next difficulty level), I would still keep each run alive just so I could revisit it again later to see how long I can last.

Though... after a few patches, it's probably best to just let go of old saves.  That's why I'm going to make composite screenshots of my maps as I work through them.  That way I will still get to keep what I feel I earned.   

[hozz1235]

Just now, ManicManiac said:

Though... after a few patches, it's probably best to just let go of old saves.  

I have a really old save....3+ years I'm guessing.  Yeah, there are lots of floating objects and some other quirks but overall it is still very playable.  In fact, I'd call it my "Main" that I kick out of bed when content updates happen since she is so well stocked.

[ManicManiac]

1 hour ago, peteloud said:

I would have been disappointed if you'd said you were playing at the difficulty level for primary school kids.  I suspect that in Pilgrim there is a chair-lift to the summit, where you find Starbucks, Walmart and Holiday Inn.

Yeah... I've never been interested in Pilgrim, but I can see why it's an option.  I can also see why people use it for achievement farming.  To each their own...

I've played Voyager at a minimum and Stalker.  I have not yet tried Interloper... because I want that associated achievement to be the last one unlocked.  I also wanted to feel like I really earned it by committing to working though each difficulty until I achieve a 500 day run before moving up to the next level.  I suppose it's a silly self imposed challenge, but I like it.

[hozz1235]

I predominantly play Voy-type games but lately I'm really enjoying a hybrid Pilgrim/Loper.  In summary: Passive wildlife and plentiful resources but the harshest weather/conditional effects.  Got tired of wolves = harassment.

[ManicManiac]

8 minutes ago, hozz1235 said:

I predominantly play Voy-type games but lately I'm really enjoying a hybrid Pilgrim/Loper.  In summary: Passive wildlife and plentiful resources but the harshest weather/conditional effects.  Got tired of wolves = harassment.

Nothing wrong with that, I don't judge... I imagine it eventually gets harder to eat when all the wild life ghosts when you come around.

...I mean, I suppose there is always fishing... anyways, I just really appreciate that the team has built in the kind of flexibility that pretty much lets each player find or fine tune the experience they want.

Edited June 19, 2019 by ManicManiac

[ManicManiac]

1 hour ago, peteloud said:

I find clearing the black patches the most interesting way of playing the game.  It forces you to explore every area in the game.  It is much more interesting and challenging than turning TLD into a game about achieving fire-lighting and sewing badges, or whatever.  I now try to fully map every game I play.

You and I both.   ...or at least since I finally decided to do it.

I mean after all if the aim of survival mode is to live as long as we can... we might as well take some of that time to sketch charcoal maps of Great Bear.  Plus I feel like this will help me get over my current hurdle. 

Edited June 19, 2019 by ManicManiac

[ManicManiac]

At this point, I'm waiting for a moose pelt to cure... in the mean time I will head up and over to the area just north of the Engine (echo ravine) and get that last little smug off my Timberwolf Mountain Map.

After that though, I'm not sure....

This run started at Hushed River Valley (less than a week before the Steadfast Ranger update).  My original intention was to just go on a death march to see if I could drop all non-essentials and see how far I could go until I dropped dead.  I figured I would at least go out fighting as apposed to just deleting the save to start fresh.  The result, I made it to the summit (which surprised me considering the route I went ).  Along the way I found the new content from Steadfast Ranger, so I figured I would just try to make 500 days so I could move up to Stalker and feel like I earned it.

Now, I'm not sure if I should just work my way from region to region starting with Timberwolf Mountain (since I'm trying to get "Faithful Cartographer" while I work towards "Will to Live"), or if I should go on another death march to Desolation Point and work my way west again...  I suppose the safer route would be to work Pleasant Valley next, as I would be able to cart most of my food and supplies in just a couple of trips... but I almost feel like abandoning that safety might be more fun.

It seems I have a couple of days to make up my mind, so I thought I would leave an update.  

[Jolan]

I tried clearing all of the black patches but the game wasn't cooperating.  I'd be standing in a perfectly accessible section, do the drawing and get zip.  Even in areas where there were resources.  So I stopped mapping.  I'm so jealous of your map.  :) ✨

 

[ManicManiac]

@Jolan, thank you.  It cost me many sprains and lots of torn clothing   

I had to work my way up and around terrain that I imagine is not generally intended to be traversed.  I've really enjoyed spending so much time on Timberwolf Mountain, but soon I will be dropping everything but the necessities and go on a death march over to Desolation Point and try to work my way west until all the maps are clear.  I just have to wait until this moose pelt cures first.

By the way, that one spot where the black is not clearing off for you... do you happen to be in the northern part of Mountain Town?  If so I've run into that spot as well.

[piddy3825]

Kudos on your commitment to thoroughly scrub the map clean.  I start every new launch with that same objective only to fail miserably each time.  Mostly it's because I often find myself running out of coal as I often ditch it to make my travel weight lighter. But there's something interesting about looking at a map that does have those spotty dark areas that remain unexposed, 'cause you know that's where the dragons be....

[ManicManiac]

@piddy3825, thank you.  It's been a lot of fun so far.  I never thought I would ever get to the point where I felt at home on Timberwolf Mountain, but I already get the feeling I'm going to miss it.    Though, I do intend to get back there when Faithful Cartographer is completed.

---

My Moose pelt finally finished curing.  Now I've got my satchel and managed to find and clear that last smudges off the map - Timberwolf Mountain is finally completed.  I've left behind all but the bare essentials, and have started on another death march toward Desolation Point.  Surprisingly, Pleasant Valley let me though without a fight...  I'm currently making a bee-line for the Old Island Connector.  So far it's been smooth sailing.  Shouldn't be long before I set up camp on Desolation Point.  I probably shouldn't have left all my extra ammo behind... but I do still have 6 in the revolver and 4 in the rifle; and with 6 arrows I should have more than I need.  Hopefully my next post here will have a nice clean map attached to it... either that or an epitaph.   

[Jolan]

20 hours ago, ManicManiac said:

 

By the way, that one spot where the black is not clearing off for you... do you happen to be in the northern part of Mountain Town?  If so I've run into that spot as well.

That's one of the spots, another was in Coastal Highway, right of the fishing huts up in the slope area.  Good luck with your trip!

 

[Jolan]

20 hours ago, ManicManiac said:

I had to work my way up and around terrain that I imagine is not generally intended to be traversed.

I've found when you get to places they didn't intend anyone to get to you just clip through the world, or can see through bits.  Sometimes you just die.  

[ManicManiac]

@Jolan
Definitely... I'm very careful about the "edges" of the map (thank you for the words of warning, I very much appreciate it)... I've not been pushing my luck on the outer rim, though I did find one spot where it looked like I could get behind and under some terrain.  I did take some quick snap shots, but I wasn't going to risk the run by trying to spelunk down there

I was more referring to areas such as: where I had to edge all the way around the two crags at the summit of Timberwolf Mountain, or that hard to reach plateau over the cave that resembles a stone dome with three access points.

Also, sledding down Timberwolf Mountain was more fun that I expected.  It took me three trips up to get all those cargo containers emptied.  I'm looking forward to getting back to Timberwolf Mountain (assuming I can survive getting all this mapping done)... I really left the Mountaineer's Hut set up with all the "luxury" Great Bear can allow.  

[peteloud]

ManicManiac,

". . . where I had to edge all the way around the two crags at the summit of Timberwolf Mountain, or that hard to reach plateau over the cave that resembles a stone dome with three access points. "

They are the place that I found difficult too.

 

[Jolan]

On 6/23/2019 at 12:59 PM, ManicManiac said:

I was more referring to areas such as: where I had to edge all the way around the two crags at the summit of Timberwolf Mountain, or that hard to reach plateau over the cave that resembles a stone dome with three access points.

I think they're good with someone reaching those points.  After all, someone took the time to put in the details.  

[ManicManiac]

@Jolan
That's true... suppose I should have just referred to it as off the beaten path.   

Edited June 26, 2019 by ManicManiac

[Jolan]

@ManicManiac Or the lunatic fringe