Finally Trying for Faithful Cartographer...

[ManicManiac]

On day 203, it finally happened...   For the first time in this run, I got ambushed by a wolf.  Admittedly it was my own fault, but I do also feel a little bit cheated ... I'll explain:

I wasn't paying enough attention as I was trying to get to a particular spot to map, and I ended up flanked between two patrolling wolves.  I caught the attention of one of them, so I started to do some short sprints while I tried to put some distance between me and my pursuer whilst leading it away from it's pack mate (I had enough to deal with, without adding another set of teeth to the mix).  Staying ahead of the wolf wasn't a problem but maneuvering across the muskeg to find a suitable place to try and give it the slip made it more challenging.

Now here's the part that I felt a bit cheated by (it's fine and I accept it, but I think the mechanic might not have worked as intended)...  I lead the wolf to a longer stretch of solid ground.  I had about 8 stones on me (since my hunt was over I've since stopped carrying around the rifle) and I used my usual method to pitch stones at the wolf with out "aiming in" and triggering a charge.  As usual the first shot missed and I used that to gauge the throws that would come after.  Two of the next three stones I watched as they bounced off the wolf... but the wolf didn't flee!  I couldn't believe it, and it's never happened to me before.

I decided if the stones apparently weren't going to deter this particular wolf for whatever reason, I'd have to make a run for it and try to loose it on some high ground.  Admittedly I was a little shook up by a wolf that was impervious to stones.  Unfortunately I was paying more attention to where I was trying to get to instead of how I was getting there.  I came to a sort of dead end... I was cornered with no place to left to run.  I pitched my last 4 stones, but still... no effect on the wolf despite it being hit by three of them.  There was a fallen log that ends out on weak ice.  If figured my last chance was to try and lure it around one side of the log and try to run past on the other side... if I could just slip away I knew I'd be able to loose my furry woodland friend.

Unfortunately my last ditch play didn't work out so well, the wolf clipped right though the log and snagged me.  I used my knife and won the struggle quickly.  I came out with just a sprained wrist and some roughed up clothing (of course also loosing a fair bit of condition as well, but I was less concerned about that).

I swore a little under my breath as I made my way back to the Poacher's Camp... I filled my stomach and started a warm fire.  I was still stewing a little bit over the loss of my so far clean Avoid and Evade record. 

The next morning I resolved to go find and harvest the kill... there was no sense letting it go to waste.  I ended up tracking it down pretty close to the spot where it first picked up my sent.  It was a little tricky hauling it away from there as the other wolf was still skulking nearby.  I took the hour to quarter it, and then waited for the other wolf to wander a little farther away before I gathered it all up.  When it looked like the distance was right, I scoped up the two bags of meat along with the guts & pelt.  I wasted no time in hauling it back across the muskeg to the Old Spence place.

 
Once I got back to my main encampment, I dropped what I harvested from the wolf.  I'd have to take it to the cave near the Fallen Shortwave Tower... but that would have to wait.  I decided to take an hour nap and end the session.

So far, that's two pretty big mistakes for this run.  The first of course resulted in the frostbite... and now also have "1 struggle & 1 struggle won" listed in my stats for this run as well. 

Oh well... I guess it really doesn't mater in the end; as long as I survived to live another day. 

Edited June 10, 2020 by ManicManiac

[ManicManiac]

I didn't get a chance to play today, but I've been thinking a lot about what I want to do next.  I know I'm just about two thirds done with the mapping of Forlorn Muskeg.  I've verified three active bears are prowling around the region, and now due to me not paying enough attention to my surroundings... I have wolf meat and a pelt I didn't plan on having.  Since the killing of the wolf was purely self defense, the wolf meat is going to be treated as "found food" and will join the rest of the processed food items in reserve.  I won't touch those reserves until I'm finished with all my mapping tasks on Great Bear.   I figure eating man made foodstuffs will be my reward for after the exporation and mapping part of my personal challenge are completed.

So I will stash the meat backs under the loft where I keep the rest of the reserve stash.  I will need to take the wolf pelt/guts over to the cave near the Fallen Shortwave Tower, but judging from what I heard on the "wolf wi-fi" I think there are at least a couple of wolves prowling around over there.  I think tomorrow I will take the long way around from the other side and take a look.  If the coast is clear, I'll go back and get the pelt... if not, then I'll just leave them at my camp for now (sure they'll lose condition, but they will still be use able).  I do still plan to only use Timber Wolf pelts for the two wolf coats I'll need for my version of "Wrapped in Furs," so while I won't be using this pelt... I will save it for later for when I may need to repair.

So fa, I've only made it up to the Low Blind (as far as the upper part of the region goes).  I know I must have been close to the Abandoned Camp... but I don't think I got close enough for it to count (though now that I think about it, I think the Abandoned Camp has four or more possible spawn locations... so perhaps it's not here).  I think I may want to finish the lower portion of the map before heading farther up though... I know I still need to make my way to Shortwave Tower nearest the pathway to Mystery Lake.  So far I've not set foot much farther in that direction past the High Blind.  I think that if I can go drop off the wolf hide and guts, then I will prioritize that.  However, if not then I think I will spend the day trying to explore the ridge line and path leading up to that distant Shortwave Tower.

I think after that I will prioritize heading to and through the cave system so I can get some coal.  So far all of the shelters I've used have been considered "outside" so my more frequent use of fire has kept my charcoal supply healthy... but that does make it harder to gather a good cache of wood.  I figure the charcoal will help bolster that so I can build up a large amount of sticks and branches.

Come to think of it... I've also already used 5 matches.   I think this is the fastest I've gone though so many.  It's been very foggy and snowy on the muskeg since I arrived; when it was sunny I wasn't in a good place to take advantage.

Part of me really wants to press on because I'm so close to finally getting all of my mapping tasks done... but that's how I got bit the other day.
I have to remind myself, it's best to keep it slow, steady, and careful...

[ManicManiac]

When I woke, I took a moment to reconsider my priorities.  First things first... I went out behind the house to see if I could get a good vantage of the way to the Fallen Shortwave Tower.  I didn't see a wolf prowling, but I couldn't get a good view to the tower... so I couldn't be sure.  I decided to take the long way around.  I went up and around towards the nearby bear den, there is a foot path that leads to the Fallen Shortwave Tower from the far side.  As I made way closer to the tower, I was able to spot a wolf still prowling down near the cave.  I quickly decide to backtrack, but I was hoping for a quicker return route.  I tried making my way down to the small hill ("island") below, but got stuck needing to try and take a risky drop down.  I ended up with some damaged clothing and a sprained ankle.  I checked out what was on the small hill, and tried to see if I could skirt around bank back to the homestead.  No such luck.  I did end up having to back track the long way around again.

The next morning was bitterly cold with a high windchill.  I took a quick look from the top of the ridge to see if there were any wolves still by the fallen tower (which there was).  I decided to go back to warm up and get another hour's rest.  I was hoping the weather would ease up, and thankfully it did.  Since I didn't have safe access to the cave, I decided to grab one bear steak and set out to map as far up the edge past the Bunkhouses as I could manage in one day.  I wanted to take one night's food in case the weather turned bad and I couldn't make it to one of my favored shelters.  The weather was already starting to snow heavily, and it seemed to be threatening a blizzard.  The way was clear all the way over to a cave nearing the bend leading towards the Shortwave Tower nearest the rail tunnel to Mystery Lake.

I tried to stick to the ridge line, but just as I was heading up towards the back path to the tower I found a group of wolves prowling around.  One of them had already picked up my scent so I had to back track with speed.  I ended up mapping along the edge of the marsh, I'd hoped I would at least be able to get back to the tracks and bed down at the Poacher's Camp for the night.  I ended up mapping around the lower part of the ridge below the Shortwave Tower and further back along the other side.  I found the location of the Abandoned Camp... but it won't show on the map or the location list (which seems odd to me...maybe there is a fixed marker over by the Lower Blind).  Unfortunately by this time it was getting dark, and though the snow was beginning to lighten up... the overcast skies made it very difficult to see.  Just as I was about to pull out my lantern... I heard the first set of growls.    I immediately ate the steak to at least get rid of the extra scent.

I was able to make my way towards the tracks and along the way I did hit the first of my pursuers with a stone (good to know that mechanic does still work).  Although, instead of running away... it did end up running towards me which about gave me a panic attack.   I continued to make my way down the tack with at least one more wolf stalking behind me.  I did what sprinting I could, I just hoped I would be able to shake it so I could hunker down.  I threw a few more stones behind me hoping to hit it... but I apparently missed it.  I kept sprinting along either side of the track to try and help put both distance and obstacles in it's way.  Fortunately for me, the wolf apparently quit the chase.  Just as I could finally see the train cars, I noticed I couldn't hear any more growling.  Relieved, quickly bed down at the Poacher's Camp and slept in 4 hour increments just in case the weather decided to turn bad.  

The next day, I could still see some wolves prowling near the tracks so I decided to instead start mapping some of the area above the train tracks on the map.  I mostly just stuck to the large hill and rock formation where I suspected the bear I hunted had it's den.  I can now say I've confirmed the location of all three bear dens in the region.  I decided not to press my luck too much and spent the day near the Poacher's Camp.  The fog cleared up in the early evening so I used my mag-lens to start a fire and focused on water production before going to sleep. 

Tomorrow, I think I'll head back to the Old Spence place again and see if the way is clear to that cave.  It's been two game days now, so hopefully the wolves have moved around a bit. 

[ManicManiac]

I woke up very early the next morning and headed towards the Bunkhouses as quickly as possible.  The deep cold was going to make it necessary for me to not waste too much time crossing the marshlands.  While I did mend my most damaged gear after my fall the other day, there is still a lot of my gear that could use mending (though I wouldn't get the most out of my limited cloth supply - so I've held off).  As of right now, my warmth bonus totals +25 C and a windchill bonus +8 C (so the really bitter cold days do require some caution).

I had a hunch that since it had been a few days that the wolves would have likely moved around a bit, and I was hoping that the path from the Bunkhouses to the Old Spence place would be clear.  As I approached I found that my hunch was correct, and from there I followed the path up the ridge to see if path to the cave over by the Fallen Shortwave Tower was clear as well.  As it turns out, the wolves were skulking by the barn "out front" and the path was indeed clear.  I quickly gathered up the raw guts & wolf pelt; wasting no time I went to the cave and dropped them off.

From there I decided I would head along that side of the region and map as much of the area past the tracks as I could before dark.  I had to be careful of a couple of wolves prowling around in the area surrounding the Low Blind, but I was able to map all the way up Hat Creek.  I stopped short of the falls and the near by cave though.  I didn't want to risk getting caught out after dark again, so I took the most direct path I could find back to the Poacher's Camp.  I wanted to spend the night up at the cave so I could finish mapping the upper part of the zone, but I didn't have any food on me.

I think tomorrow I will take some of the bear steak from the Poacher's Camp and head back up Hat Creek to finish the rest of that corner of the region.  It will also afford me the opportunity to gather up whatever gear and supplies that might in the cave for me to find (including coal, which will definitely be a boon). 

I'm a bit perplexed that I've mapped most of the region, but only 7 of 14 locations have registered as marked off.  I suppose it's possible that the last seven are indeed hidden away in those few spots I have left to visit.  I guess I'll just have to wait and see.

Edited June 13, 2020 by ManicManiac

[ManicManiac]

What a good session today...  ...up until the end  

I was able to get back up to the Waterfall, and map from there to the far side past Marsh Ridge to finish that side of the map.  All there is left to do is to map from Shortwave Tower on the other side of the Hat Creek Waterfall, then all the way across and down to the Tunnel leading to Mystery Lake (I do also need to get up to the last Shortwave Tower and find the Cave leading to Bleak Inlet).  So all that's left, is just that "upper right corner" of the map, and two specific locations.  After that the region will be done.

I ended up doing a long burn back at the Poacher's Camp (I was running low on charcoal) and I eventually made my way back to the Old Spence Family Homestead.  Here is where the session took a turn for the worse... and it was entirely my silly mistake.  I was breaking down excess clothing and mending others... at some point I either harvested a pair of gloves I didn't intend to, or I inadvertently took off my gloves before mending them.  I ended up going to sleep without realizing I didn't have my wool mittens on, and as a result I got frostbite for the second time on this run.

I saw the affliction statuses sliding on screen and at first I didn't realize what was happening.  Once I woke up I tried to find out what happened, and that's when I realized I'd gone to bed without having any hand coverings on.

So embarrassing, but that's the cost of being complacent in a game like this.  Getting complacent has caused me to make three big "rookie" mistakes that makes my survival that much more difficult.  Hopefully I've learned my lesson this time.  

Edited June 14, 2020 by ManicManiac

[ManicManiac]

I was so flustered yesterday by my silly mistake that I forgot to mention why I decided to head back to the Old Spence Family Homestead in the first place.

Firstly, I was hauling a fairly heavy load of sticks, coal, and the assorted gear & supplies that I was able to gather up.  Second, there is a pack of wolves prowling around by the Shortwave Tower next to the Waterfall, and I didn't see any point in risking it.

So, after waking up from my frostbite mishap... I decided I would see if the wolves guarding the path up to the Shortwave Tower (at the overlook nearest the tunnel to Mystery Lake) had moved on.  I made my way by sticking to the banks leading past the Bunkhouses and around the marsh.  I did spot a wolf prowling around by the nearby cave, so I made the rest of the journey over the marshland.  I was hoping that spotting a wolf close to the cave might mean that the cave to Bleak Inlet and the path up to the ridge would be open.  However that turned out to not be the case.  I was able to scare off the wolf guarding the way to Bleak Inlet, so I was able to at least get that mapped.  However, I didn't want to press my luck trying to get up the ridge.

Instead I decided I would map the rest of the way to the Tunnel to Mystery Lake, and as far along the upper edge of the region as I could before dark.  My endeavor ended early however, as a blizzard rolled in.  I was able to find my way back to the train tracks and seek shelter at the Poacher's Camp.  I was ready to get a fire lit, but I found I was just barely warm enough in the train car without a fire.  I ended up sleeping in 4 hour blocks to get through the night. 

I just have that small strip in the upper right quadrant to finish (as well as the two Shortwave Towers - but that's just a mater of patience), and then I'll be able to get things sorted to move on to Broken Rail Road.  Despite my three setbacks... this is now my longest and most successful run for this personal challenge so far.  Just four more regions to go, here's hopping I can complete it this time.

Edited June 15, 2020 by ManicManiac

[ManicManiac]

Patience paid off.

Today I checked back to see if the way to the Muskeg Overlook was clear.  It wasn't, and it was bitter cold so I couldn't risk attempting to sneak past.  I made my way back to the Poacher's Camp, and I found that another bear had moved in to the den nearby.  I'd have to be a little more cautious coming and going from that spot from here on out.  The sky's were still clear so I decided to get a fire started, I figured I may as well do a long burn for more charcoal as well as shake the lingering frostbite risk that I still had from my recent mishap.

As I got the fire going, a heavy fog rolled in.  As I was boiling up some more water throughout the day, I heard the bear making a bit of ruckus as it ambled around my encampment in the train car.  I spent the whole day bolstering my water supply, and spent a very comfortable night sleeping next to the fire barrel.  The next morning I went back to check the path up to the Muskeg Overlook again.  This time it was all clear, so I spent most of the day exploring and mapping the area, the Shortwave Tower, and the Vista from one of the Polaroids I'd found earlier on.  I decided to use the hollowed out tree to make a save point so I could end the session for the day (I ran short on time so I had to stop for the day before I could get back to my encampment).

Knowing that the wolves have wandered around to other territories, there's a good chance that the area around the last Shortwave Tower near the Waterfall might be clear as well.  Though, I should probably wait until the next morning to go and check on it.

Mapping the Vista reminded me... after I get the rest of my mapping tasks done, I'll have to go back through the regions I've cleared before the update and hunt for those Polaroids as well.   I don't know if they factor into the Faithful Cartographer achievement or not, but I will still search for them (along with more cairns and buffer memories) while I focus on the other goals of my personal challenge.

[ManicManiac]

As I started my session today, I knew I had to immediately head back for the Poacher's Camp.  However, it seemed that while I was exploring and mapping the Muskeg Overlook... the wolves relocated.  Now I had a wolf prowling along the pathway I needed to use to get back down.   Since I didn't have much choice, I decided I would stick close to the higher reaches of the slope.  I accepted that I would likely have at least a sprain or two, but I had to get back to my encampment before dark.  It was already early evening and I didn't want to have to wander out in the open and risk another ambush.

Surprisingly, I was able to inch my way across the steep slope and past that wolf without spraining anything.   I'll take all the luck I can get.

I made it back to the Poacher's Camp in spite of the dense fog.  By the time I'd started to doubt my position on the marsh, the fog began to clear.  It turned out I'd managed to stay on course pretty well.  Considering that the wildlife seems to have shifted between my sessions, I'd have to hope the way through the upper right quadrant of the map will be clear enough to let me finish up my mapping task.

The following morning, I set out early and found the day to be a relatively easy hike.  I was able to finally complete the mapping of Forlorn Muskeg.  So far it's been about 22 days here in the region, and I've so far enjoyed it's unique challenges.  I've been "outside" for the vast majority of the time and I think it's good practice for my eventual stay in Hushed River Valley.  What's more, I've found very little in the way of gear and supplies in Forlorn Muskeg (relative to other regions of similar size).  So far, I've found that as I force myself to have to survive exclusively in each region while mapping it; that I find aspects of each that I really enjoy.  Each region has been a wonderful little adventure in it's own right.

I'll probably take a couple of game days to read the three skill books I've found, and as usual do a through "sort & mend."  I should be on my way to Broken Railroad in my next session.  I'm going to try not to hunt any "large" game in the next two regions.  I'll only need one more bear pelt for my version of "Wrapped in Furs," and I don't want to take any more animals that I actually need to.  Though Forlorn Muskeg only yielded two "rabbit coves" on this run, and it's given me cause to consider that I may have need to hunt larger game if I am to continue on the goal of saving all "found foods" for after I'm done mapping all the regions. 

Considering that, I think I would rather hunt before eating my found food reserves.  None of the remaining regions offer any fishing... and so far I've managed not to harvest any plants at all (the only reason I've managed to find cattail stalks and lichen is because was lucky enough to find them while beachcombing).  I'll try first subsisting on rabbits and what ravaged carcasses I can find.  However, I suppose if push comes to shove... I'll take deer, bear, or moose if I must, but I want that to be the last resort.

Edited June 18, 2020 by ManicManiac

[Slick4]

Hello, does anyone know if there are bunkers in fearless survivor?

[ManicManiac]

@Slick4

If you are referring to the Fearless Navigator update:
Yes, the Prepper Caches (bunkers if you will) are still around.  They're just not in every region.

[Addendum] *There are no random prepper caches on Interloper difficulty.*


I try to avoid spoilers, but if you'd like to just know where they are... the wiki is very helpful (or you can click on the hidden text below):

 

Mystery Lake: has one prepper cache per run; appearing in one of several potential locations

Pleasant Valley: has two prepper caches; one appearing in one of several potential locations and the second is the Abandoned Prepper Cache (location is constant)

Forlorn Muskeg doesn't have a prepper cache per se, but it does have a location called the Abandoned Camp that will spawn in one of a few potential locations.

 

Edited June 18, 2020 by ManicManiac

[ManicManiac]

Real life stuff hasn't left me much time for a session lately, but I should be back at it tonight.

[ManicManiac]

I was able to finally get things situated.

I did my final sort of gear and supplies found in the region, and I'm getting ready to leave for Broken Railroad.  I do still want to do a little bit of mending, though that's a bit difficult as I've not found much in the way of materials to do that.  Since I found just one sewing kit (and that's nearly worn out now), I may have to just leave the rest of the excess clothing, as well as the rest of the gear I'm wearing in the condition it is right now.  I just don't have a whole lot of cloth and I know I will likely find more in Broken Railroad and most certainly in Mountain Town.  With all this in mind, I suppose I will have to end up leaving the region without it being as set up for the future of the run than I would have liked, but resources were a little harder to come by in the region this time around.

[ManicManiac]

After the sorting, I decided I would sacrifice one of the two spare bedrolls I've found just to have some more cloth for later on.  I also decided I would drop off the remaining spare bedroll and the excess clothes in the cave over by the Fallen Shortwave Tower (at least that way they would thaw out and stay dry ).  After that I did do just a little bit more mending, but I knew I'd need to head out to Broken Railroad the next morning (as I was running out of cooked bear steak).

It is also worth mentioning that my little science experiment worked out how I thought it would.  Since I didn't have any intentions of hunting a wolf out on the Muskeg... I left the 2 bags of wolf meat that I had from quartering that wolf that managed to corner and ambush me.  I can confirm that once bags of meat reach 0% condition, they do indeed de-spawn.  I thought that was the case, so I'm glad I spent the extra time processing all the bear meat before any of those bags disappeared.  With the wolf, I didn't care... I didn't really want to benefit from that particular kill anyway. 

I built up one last fire to get all my gear warm and dry (and bolster my charcoal supply just a bit).  The fire would carry me though until nearly noon the next day, and another 18 charcoal.  Ideally, if the way is clear I'd like to get everything up to the Maintenance Shed mapped out on my way in.  However, I know that would be unlikely.  After I dropped the rest of all non-essentials and set out for Broken Railroad.

Even though I don't plan on hunting any larger game... I am taking the rifle with me (loaded with 9 rounds).  Ideally, I'd like to save my next bear hunt for Hushed River Valley, but I thought about it and realized that my personal challenge only limits my bear/moose hunts to one per region until all my mapping tasks were completed.  I guess I just sort of aimed to try and limit my larger game hunts to just what I would need to satisfy my version of "Wrapped in Furs" (meaning I'd need 4 bears for 1 coat & 1 bedroll; as well as 2 moose for 1 satchel & 1 cloak...with the wolfskin coat being made of solely with timber wolf pelts).  However, I decided I would prioritize my desire to save all found foods as reserve for after my mapping tasks, and I'd rather take another bear or moose if need be to keep that going.  I sort of justify that to myself as still being a necessary kill if I'm to keep storing up all the processed foods I find for surviving after my maps are completed.  ...though I suppose I could just prey on deer instead (though so far I've only harvested fallen deer carcasses or deer that were actually killed by wolves that I managed to chase off of the kill).

I did make pretty decent progress into Broken Road for my first "afternoon" there, and judging by how much of the area clears when I surveyed, I guess this region is smaller than I remember.

I was able to freely map from the Rail Tunnel leading back to Forlorn Muskeg all the way past the Landslide, and just a little bit before the "roadway" leading down to the Maintenance Yard.  I did see a wolf prowling around in the area below near the Landslide, so I opted to leave that be for now.  When I mapped through both of the other sort of side paths and came near the first truck on the way down to the Maintenance Yard, that's when I was nearly ambushed by a wolf.  Instead of wasting stones, I opted to back peddle to the Landslide and try shake it's pathfinding by climbing back up.  This worked out well and I was able to stealth over to the truck to try and sleep the night in there.

Hopefully the way is clear tomorrow... or I may have an interesting day when the sun comes up. 

Edited June 23, 2020 by ManicManiac

[atomic]

Today I finally made it (on pilgrim)!  It's still the most rare achivement of Long Dark (0,6% of steam users). Thanks to the latest update I was able to see what I missed on all maps - I have not mapped some of the entrances of the regions. HRV was the last region to be mapped. I think I've spent at least the last 2 weeks there. It is really a wonderful map. No man made structures, but a lot of caves, a lot of climbing spots. I will go back now to the lake cave at Monolith Lake and spend some more days there 😃

[ManicManiac]

@atomic

Well done.

[ManicManiac]

I didn't get a chance for a session today, but I've been thinking about my avenues of approach.

Tomorrow, if the wolf is still prowling around on the path to the Maintenance Yard, I think I'll head over and map out the area around the Broken Bridge.  After that I think I remember a sort of round about way of getting to the Maintenance Yard from some of the higher ground nearby (and in between the two locations).  However, I am hopeful that the wolf just buggered off.   That would be the more convenient of the two scenarios.

Either way, I think I want to make my main encampment at the Maintenance Shed.  If I have good weather and if the hostile wildlife isn't too thick in the area, I'm hoping to map all the way up to the Hunting Log and back around to the Rickety Food Bridge.  This should make a fairly efficient circular route.  I'll run as light as I can, so hopefully I will be able to quickly gather up gear and supplies without lingering in anyone sport for too long.

Then if I can quickly map out the small ravine... and map the side route near the Landslide on the way out, I should be able to make short work of the region.  Then it's going to be on to Mountain Town.

If I end up here for a couple more days... then I'll have to hunt if I don't find enough rabbits to tide me over.

[ManicManiac]

As I suspected, I wasn't going to be getting any lucky breaks here in Broken Railroad.

I woke the next morning to find the wolf skulking up the path so I quickly went to go and map the area around the Broken Bridge.  There are a couple of rock formations that are causing some stubborn dark spots on my map...   I may just have to accept it for now, but I do want to get each map as clean as possible without dangerous amounts of goating.

There were a couple of rabbits near the train car, but I wanted to save those for later.  My immediate concern was to get to the Maintenance Shed.

The bad luck went from bad to worse...
Not only was the path to the Maintenance Yard guarded by a wolf, the Maintenance Yard itself had 4 wolves prowling around.  I spent a significant amount of time trying to suss out their general patrol area (since the routes themselves are sufficiently random ).  I did to a little more mapping around the perimeter while keeping a respectful distance, but ultimately I decided to approach from the slope near the smaller shed (that seemed to serve as a carport).  I wanted to approach from the center of left side of the building, stick tight & low to the wall, and ultimately slip inside through the door on the front side (the back door had a wolf that just seemed to pace back and forth in front of it - so that was no good).

My first problem was the wolf prowling past the large pile of pipes.  I decided I would temp the wolf and lead it back up the hill.  This worked out wonderfully as I drew him back towards the rail car.  The wolf was quickly distracted by the rabbits and I was able to slip past.  This gave me a clear path to get the building's side wall.  After that, I just stayed crouched and moved very carefully.  I made it inside without a problem and gathered up every thing I could from the external part of the shed as well.

I decided I would spend the night inside, and hopped that the wolves would clear out by the next day.  At this point, I finally had to dip into my emergency food supply (cattails I found beachcombing and some birch bark).  If the wolves didn't clear out enough for me to move around... I'd have to cull the area, and I really didn't want to do that.  Fortunately, the next morning there was not a single wolf in the yard.  I quickly set about mapping the stretch around the other side of the yard along the ridge leading to the bridge.

I saw a ravaged deer carcass and I decided that I would take the risk and harvest it.  My new plan was to map up to the area just before the Hunting Lodge and then divert back around across the Rickety Foot Bridge (also setting up the rope I found in the Maintenance Shed).  I seemed to remember there was away of goating around far enough to be able to scoot across and down the ridge line and end up back inside the fence at the Maintenance Yard.  As it turns out that is not the case, or at least not any more (I'm not sure if that changed or if I was remembering a different route).  Anyway, I figured if I was going to make a large loop back around, I would harvest all the carcasses I found along the way.  This would be an attempt to hold off on hunting the bear I saw making its way up towards the yard from across the ice. 

It didn't take long to attract the attention of one wolf that was prowling nearby, but I kept my cool and just kept walking through a small gathering of deer.  I figured I would either loose the wolf at the fence gate on the other side of the bridge... or it would start running after deer.  Either way, I could afford to let the it stalk me for a while. 

I did make it across the bridge with no problems.  The wolf did indeed start going after the deer instead.  The rest of the day was spent mapping the path up to the Rickety Food Bridge and the climbing point further up the way.  That's when I found that I couldn't see a reasonably safe way to get back to the Maintenance Yard from there.  Also by then I had harvested about 4 deer carcasses.  Ultimately, I decided to hole up in the cave near the Hunting Lodge.  I didn't want to press my luck any harder than I already had.

I had enough sticks to keep a fire going through the night, so I decided to stash the pelts/guts at the cave.  I also I wanted to travel with cooked me as opposed to raw.  I did also take a rabbit that was frolicking around near my cave.

Hmm... I want to have my main encampment at the Maintenance Shed, but that might be impracticable if the wolves keep crawling all over it.  Right now I'm stuck in a cave with enough meat to last me a week if I stretch it.   

I was hoping this region would be a short stay, but I'm beginning to think I may have to stay a bit longer if I'm going to keep trying clean off the black smudges over some of those rock formations...

Also, if push comes to shove I may have to go "weapons free"... but I still really want to avoid that if at all possible.

Edited June 25, 2020 by ManicManiac

[turtle777]

Finally made FC. Day 889 on Stalker.

One odd thing was that I had completed Milton a long time ago. But somehow, with the update to Bleak Inlet, something changed, and I "forgot" that I had mapped "The Arch". I know for sure that I had mapped it, but I had to go back and re-map it.

Well, seems like I need a new hobby for my well stocked Stalker Survivor. My main base is Mystery Lake, the Lake Cabin has enough supplies to last me for a long while. I actually think that the first thing running out will be disinfectant / lichen. I still have plenty, but I was rather careless in the early days, and probably wasted more than needed.

-t

[ManicManiac]

@turtle777

Well done, both on the achievement and the long run.

I'm eager to finally get my personal challenge finished as well.

[ManicManiac]

I woke the next morning and set out to check to see if the way was clear to Hunting Loge.  However, there were at least three wolves prowling the area, so I decided I would come back another time.

I made my way down to the river and saw two wolves prowling near the log bridge.  I decided I would bypass the log bridge and scoot down rock formation just before it and take the longer way following the ridge line all the way back around to the to Maintenance Yard.  As I approached (crouched), I realized that I had indeed misremembered the route I wanted the day before.  The path that would lead up and over the edge of the fence that I was looking for was down at the ground level.    

As I was making my way up the slope to slide down on the other side of the fence, I noticed a wolf stalking me and making it's way quickly up the slope after me.  I quickly ran up the last few steps and started trying to slide down the rock face quickly.  I knew that if I could get out of reach I would shake my pursuer... or at least make it have to track back around the other side of the fence line, and by then I'd be inside the shed.  Unfortunately as I tried to inch my way down I misstepped, took some fall damage, ripped some clothing, and hobbled my way to the shed with a sprained ankle.

The sprain was rather inconvenient, I don't mind a sprained wrist... mobility is far more important to my playstyle than weapon use.  Taking the 4 hours to rest, put a damper on trying to map around by the caves and Hunter's Blind.  I made it as far as the climbing point to the small ravine before bad weather (and the approaching darkness) made me turn back.  Though, if I'd thought to keep one night's worth of food on me, I suppose I could have spent the night in the nearest cave.  Perhaps I'll do that tomorrow, but I'd been lugging around so much meat that I think I just wanted to be able to roam around without attracting predators for the rest of the day. 

I still have one wolf prowling around the Maintenance Yard, so that's not too much trouble to deal with.  This is good news because I only have 9 rounds in my rifle and I'd rather not use them.  Those four deer carcasses have given me a few more days to play with, but after that I may have to seriously consider a bear hunt.  I've noticed the bear wander up at least as far as the fence... that would be a good spot to drop and harvest it. 

I know I want to hurry up and  move on, I'm so close to having all my maps done... but I have to remind myself to keep taking it slow.  No more silly mistakes.  This is my longest and most successful attempt at my personal challenge; there's no good reason to rush and screw it up now. 

Edited June 26, 2020 by ManicManiac

[ManicManiac]

Not long after I ducked back into the Maintenance Shed, a blizzard struck.  I spent the rest of the evening breaking down excess clothing before going to bed.  The next morning I did my initial scouting of the yard to see what I'd have to deal with today.  There seems to be a wolf that does like to prowl around near the back door, but at least I the whole pack didn't wander in today.  I took walk around the fence line out front, and made my way to hole in the fence.  It looks like there are several wolves skulking around just beyond the back fence as well as the side path leading around to the climb to the small ravine.

After considering my options, I decided that today would not be a good day to try and make it up to the Hunting Lodge.  I just didn't see a reasonably low risk way to get back there.  Instead I decided I would backtrack and take care of the area tucked back below the Landslide.  The weather was starting to take a turn, but since the way was more or less clear of furry woodland friends... I opted to press on.  Sure enough the wolf that like to hang out down on the ice was gone.  After I made my way down and mapped out the far corner opposite the waterfall, a blizzard started kicking up.

I was initially pretty worried as I knew there wasn't much by way shelter, and trying to stumble back to the Maintenance Shed in a whiteout blizzard didn't seem too likely (there would be at least one wolf to dodge along the way).  The day had been relatively warm, so I took a chance and hunkered down against the ridge line (so far it was still protected, but when the wind changes, I might have a problem ).  I huddled up close to the rock wall and faced into it.

It after a couple of in-game hours the wind did indeed change, but I was able to make my way around the bend and huddle down behind a tree.  I took the time to look over my inventory again and pick out more things to drop off the next time I was back at the yard.  After a few more in-game hours, the storm abated.  I quickly searched and mapped the back of the alcove, then around to the base of the waterfall, and the upper parts just beyond the fallen tree "bridge."  By this time it was getting into the evening, so I decided to head back to yard. 

I did have to outrun one wolf along the way, but surprisingly I was able to shake off my trail it fairly quickly.  As the sun settled behind the mountains, I enjoyed a leisurely stroll back down the path, through the yard, and into the shed.  I did a little more organizing before bed, and noted that I've got maybe 4 more days worth of deer meat (if I stretch it and ration for bare minimum need).  I started a fire in the exterior part of the shed, and boiled another 10 L of water before getting to bed.  I decided to get a solid 8 hours of rest, but that did cause me to miss my first aurora while in this region (oh well, it's not that important for this run anyway).

(Longer session than usual today)

The next morning, I was determined to make it around to the Hunter's Blind and the Hunting Lodge... one way, or another.  Fortunately the front of the yard was all clear.  However, the I had to walk up the center of the river in order to thread the needle between two groups of wolves (each group just beyond both shores).  From there I was able to maneuver around and map both caves and the Hunter's Blind.  After that I noticed the way was also clear to the log bridge and I quickly made my way back up towards the lodge.

When I was back by the caves, I'd noticed that there was no rope at the climb to the Hunter's Lodge.  Unfortunately that means I have three climbs, but only one rope.  Since I'd prematurely affixed it to the live near the yard... so I'm going to have to get it and lug it back down so I can access the small ravine.  I suppose now is as good a time as any.  I trekked up to the top of the small hill near the lodge sign... just so I could get an idea of how many wolves I'll have to deal with.  I only spotted two wolves roaming near the lodge (but at least it's not four).  I figured I would be able to take the long way around to the lodge and steer clear, but as I approached the edge of the rock formation, I heard the unmistakable sound of a Moose.  

Sure enough, as I peaked around the rocks there stood the moose.  Seeing the far side of the area, I was able to confirm at least that those two wolves were the only ones around.  However with this unexpected obstacle standing in what would have been my clear path...  I had to back track and crouch along the ridge line past the two wolves and hope that I could sneak to the back door of the Hunting Lodge.  I was a nervous and slow hike.  Especially when one of the wolves got too close to the moose and went yelping back right in my direction.  I decided to back off get more distance.  Once the wolf stopped panicking, I was able to sneak by and map the area behind the lodge and duck inside.

I only have my emergency cattails on me... so I may have to do a quick once over and cache everything I find right here.  I still need to map a little bit behind where that moose is roaming around.  Then I either need to make for the yard... or hole up until tomorrow.  I still don't want to shoot a bear or moose if I don't have to...

I might be able to hold over one night... but by then my health would be dangerously low.  So, I'll either have to eat my emergency food, or seriously consider a hunt.

I'm going to have to see how the session goes tomorrow. 

[ManicManiac]

I wasn't able to get a session in these last two days, so I've still only just gotten to the lodge.  Depending on the requirements for the new event, I may have to put my personal challenge on hiatus.  If Winter's Embrace has daily requirements similar to Four Days of Night, then I just won't have time for my personal challenge until the event is over.

I still don't have any details for this event yet though... so I guess I'll have to wait and see if I can do them both concurrently, or if I will just have to focus on the event itself.

[SirSharper]

hey Manic, do you stream your sessions? 

[ManicManiac]

I haven't streamed, no.
I don't think I have a good setup for that.
Though admittedly, I've not really considered it.


But, if there's an interest... I'd certainly look into it. 

Edited June 29, 2020 by ManicManiac

[ManicManiac]

Well, now we have the details for Winter's Embrace.

Since it looks like the badges themselves are not time dependent (apart from having to meet the goals for earning them sometime before the end of next month).  I will either focus on getting them as soon as possible, or I'll jump back and forth between the event and my personal challenge.

I'll see how it goes later today.

Edited June 29, 2020 by ManicManiac