As the Dead Sleep - Slow Run

[Looper]

Cool story - like the long reads. Make to 100!

[DsnowMan]

So it happened again. Just like last year, when the snow melted in real life I lost interest in playing Long Dark. There is something about trudging through a wintry field with my dog that makes me want to go on an adventure in Great Bear island. Still, let me tell what happened before I signed off for the summer. Spoiler, this is my blood on the ground:

Day 19

I got the last part of the last entry wrong. I watched the bear die on a ridge across the lake, and went after him in the evening to quarter him before he froze. I brought two bags home with me, skirting the lake to avoid the wolf, and harvested some of the meat until I got sleepy.

Day 20

A few trips back and forth today, with a blizzard threatening to break out for the entire day, but never falling into full blizzard. The bear collapsed near a maple sapling, which was very considerate of him.

The wolf noticed my scent once, but went to where I used to be so he never barked me up. Got all the guts, hide and meat back to the hut, and harvested away.

As the day went on, I thought about starting for the summit but the weather never got better. Instead, I collected some more sticks, checked another spot I had seen a deer carcass in a previous run (no deer), and grabbed some more cattails from the lake. I avoided making a fire to save matches and wood, but started running out of water, so this was probably a small mistake…

Day 21

Wake up early, looks like a nice day. I start a fire to stay warm and make some water, and check my gear to prepare for the summit. I head to the wing first, and despite there being a MOOSE alarmingly close to the container, I grab the supplies and head across the tree bridge.

If I leave later in the day, I will normally go into Echo Ravine instead, planning to spend the night in the Cave of Engines, but since it is early I think I can get at least to Deer Clearing, if not all the way to the Secluded Shelf cave, with coffee-powered rope climbs.

I harvest a couple deer along the way as medium fog falls, but I know my way to the Deer Clearing rope and there is no hostile wildlife along here.

Up in Deer Clearing I don’t see the wolf, and make it to the next container. I get cold along the long path to the next rope, and make a fire in one of the rocky outcroppings. My kid is watching me IRL now, and I have my headphones off, which makes the looming encounter inevitable.

I know that there is both a wolf spot on the path to the Secluded Shelf rope, and that the bear will wander over here as well. So I round the corner somewhat carefully… I think I hear some yelping. I squint at the screen, trying to see anything in the distance, but the wolf comes flying around the corner, very close, obviously spooked by something!

He runs right at me as I try to ready the flare gun, but he panic-jumps me almost instantly! Ahhh get it off get it off! I have been carrying the hammer for days for this moment, and the struggle is short-lived. Despite only being around 35-40% condition when the first starts, I do not fall and back away to put some distance between me and the bear I know is out there but can’t see.

So yeah, that’s a mix of me and wolf blood up at the top there.

The wolf is limping around wounded

I strafe around and find the bear

I keep skirting as the wolf takes notice of me again and tries to follow me, but he is limping slowly

I get to the rope, pop a couple coffees, and make it to safety. What a rush….

Day 22

After waking up in the Secluded Shelf cave I plan my trip to the summit. I stage some supplies at the little cave, and make it to the airplane in foggy weather. No pics from the top, it’s cold, but I move quickly and get more flare rounds, a striker, ear wrap and plenty of food. It’s here that I notice that while I didn’t lose much condition in the wolf struggle, a few pieces of clothing are almost ruined. I grab cloth and a few pelts (a single rabbit pelt is a real tease), and head back down.

My pile of supplies:

The rest of the trip down is not too bad. I get barked up in the late evening on the river trying to collect cattails, and spend the night in the Cave of Engines again.

Day 23

I head out again in the morning, and make it back to the cabin around noon

I start a fire to brew some water as the weather clears, and take stock of all my gear. I have lots of crackers and cattails, but they will only last a few days. To really get comfortable, I’ll need to get to level 5 cooking or move on.

Have you ever noticed the surreal patterns the fire smoke traces in the sky?

Day 24

An interesting development, the bear is back?! Already!? If I can kill him and cook all the meat, I will almost certainly get to level 5. Then I’ll have 20 days worth of bear meet here. Challenge essentially complete?

And this is where I stopped playing for the Spring. I flared the bear, but don’t know where he is right now. If I come back to the game, I’ll get to level 5, stay at the hut until the food runs out, try out fishing, and eventually move on to actually complete the challenge.

I’ll see what I’m in the mood for when Fall returns. For now, enjoy the update!

[DsnowMan]

As I had hoped, I am back! I started playing again when the Darkwalker showed up, and then played about 40 days of this challenge. I don't think I have time to write them up anymore, but here are some pictures and a quick recap:

I found that bear from the previous post, quartered him and brought him home without incident. Two hides now:

After lots of cooking, I started getting close to level 5. I remember one desperate night as I was running low on food that wasn't bear I power cooked teas and bears late into the night to finally crack it. It was Day 26 when I hit level 5, which is the earliest by far I've got there (without 'shredding'). My haul:

I spend some time collecting firewood, but almost got into trouble near one of the echo peaks. I got cornered by a wolf but I snuck away from him. I decide I have enough firewood and don't want to risk another encounter. But I'm not used to just waiting around... very weird feeling for me

Snares are not working:

Cleaning up helps pass the time:

Ever stand there waiting for your hide to finish? Watched pot...

all set!

My photographer series on nice skies from the hut

It's about day 52, bear meat is done. Time to clear out! Weird to know I'll never be back...

On the way back, I ended up finding bear prints in the exact same spot in north PV, near the blind / plane crash. Stay away...

I make quick progress, next stop is the barn to find the stim. I think I took this picture because there are wolves out there, but I can't make them out now

On the way to Cinder Hills, I started running to avoid cold damage, and almost RAN right into a wolf. Luckily I saw him in the twilight at the last moment, and somehow didn't get noticed. I did not know he wandered over that far...

Cinder Hills was another stim, and I am starting to feel better about my condition.

In Coastal Highway, on my way to DP I spot the Misanthrope's bear. I flare him, figuring I can eat some now, and the rest when I return. But he dies on the highway, near the burnt out cottages and a wolf, and the carcass becomes a big problem. Two days of winds keeps blowing out fires, and I really struggle to harvest and move the meat without taking some cold damage.

In the end I get some of the meat to a fishing hut, some back to Misanthropes, and leave some for the return.

The trip into DP is also sketchy, I run into two wolves guarding the lighthouse and almost get jumped, but I manage to throw a few torches from fires and break through. Have my third stim from this side of the map and third marker

I'm now back in Coastal Highway. I've leap-frogged the meat over to JackRabbit island, but it's about day 66 now and I have 8-10 days of food left, and decide not to go further. I have too many supplies, so I decide to stay here, and burn off cabin fever by fishing until my food runs out. I didn't get cabin fever at the mountaineer's hut, but I did a little later. It might turn on after a 50 day grace?

After I run out of food, back to ML. I know I have food in PV, but I think I will find enough on the way to make it to 100 easily now. Just need to not get hurt I'll try to snap a few more pictures along the way!

 

(by the way, I have also taken a break to play some Stalker and Loper in the new region. Look at that sky colour and the suitably named vista!)

Edited January 18, 2021 by DsnowMan

[DsnowMan]

I made it, in a very classy way. I got to BR around day 97 and just hung out in the yard until day 100 hit. When time was up, I went outside and just starting firing my flare gun randomly (and at nearby wolves, so not that randomly) in celebration.

Was walking over to the last grave when I realized one of the wolves was not running away, but instead seemed really angry?!

I tagged the grave JUST as the wolf jumped me, this is me lying in the grass under the grave during/after a wolf attack

 

in this screenshot, you can see the game processing both my wolf attack and me tagging the 5th grave at the same time. Am I winning or dying? Who knows?!

 

and this is me being very thankful that I didn't die right there and then!

 

Great challenge, especially the first ~20 days of so. Good intro to DMC style of play. Had a couple close calls, but I made it!