Mistakes you keep on Making

[PurpleWolf13]

The Long Dark is a survival experience and tries to adhere to realism for the most part. Therefore when you die, that's it. No respawning, no checkpoints or anything. You have to accept the fact that you died, lost your progress and have to start over from scratch.

So each time you play, you discover new things and you also learn from your mistakes, minor ones and fatal ones. But sometimes you slip up, and keep on making the same mistakes again for whatever the reason.

Here's mine;

Not going inside a building or a vehicle when there's a wolf around. I made this error a quite a few times, where I hesitated too long and got the business end of a wolf's teeth. Think I wanted to see the wolves closer LOL. Well, getting mauled by a wolf that is on top of you and in your face is as close as you can get.

Not remembering to put on my clothing like hats, coats, mittens and boots when I go outside or travel somewhere. So when I'm in a warm, well insulated building, I take all my outer stuff off and keep the inner stuff on. Then I go outside and just forget to put it all back on. There's been times where I get to where I'm traveling, review my condition and find out that I travelled without my outer clothes on. Or worse, getting Hyperthermia risk and discovering my potentially fatal mistake then.

Trying to take shortcuts. Either attempting to get to a place or away from something stalking me. With trying to take shortcuts, it can mess me up in a number of ways. 1, I get sprains but usually not a big deal unless my condition is downhill. 2, it screws with my sense of direction. Specifically, if I'm going to a certain place and have a set way to travel there, getting distracted and thrown off the path can be annoying. 3, my attempt to make my journey short or to escape a predator causes me to run in something else entirely. And things go worse than they probably would have if I haven't went to take that shortcut.

Woah, now here's a one I might just never get past. And that is, getting encumbered. To be fair, everyone deals with this whilst playing The Long Dark and it IS a thing that is bound to happen. But I get my backpack jammed full and boulder heavy, mostly because when I am going to places, I want to take all the loot back to my base. And if it's a case where I have travelled to a whole nother region and looted from multiple buildings and attempt to get back home...thankfully I am getting better with this slip up. 

And that's it. There might be one or two that I'm not recalling as of now, but those are the main mistakes I keep on making through my Long Dark playthroughs. 

 

 

[Mistral]

Wait, why do you take off clothing indoors in the first place? The only situation where it's viable is when passing waterfalls at HRV (and that one cave in PV) and in that case you always take everything off so it's easy to remember to put them back immediately afterwards

Anyway, to reply for the question, I guess trying to shoot wolves with bow when they are charging on Interloper, instead of just backing off or drawing the flare gun. But it is thankfully happening less now

Also not having enough time wasting tasks like crafting reishi buffs and whatnot when you need to waste time... my sin is often doing these things when more useful things could be done and when it's time for time wasting you have nothing except like sharpening knife for 5%

[ajb1978]

14 minutes ago, Mistral said:

Wait, why do you take off clothing indoors in the first place?

Clothing does decay slower when not worn, so if you're looking to absolutely maximize your efficiency, taking off clothes indoors will spare a bit of wear.  But we're talking maybe 1% over the span of game week, depending on the item.  In general, lighter items decay faster than heavier ones.

[Mistral]

2 hours ago, ajb1978 said:

Clothing does decay slower when not worn, so if you're looking to absolutely maximize your efficiency, taking off clothes indoors will spare a bit of wear.  But we're talking maybe 1% over the span of game week, depending on the item.  In general, lighter items decay faster than heavier ones.

Seems like something to be worried only if one is planning a 10,000+ day run since there is literally tons of cloth to be found in the world. And even after those and sewing kits would run out, the animal clothing can be recycled for almost forever, or at least for as long as there is scrap metal for fishing tackles.

Beach combing most likely would supply emergency rations of cloth and scrap even if all the other sources were theoretically exhausted

Edited August 27, 2020 by Mistral

[ajb1978]

13 minutes ago, Mistral said:

Seems like something to be worried only if one is planning a 10,000+ day run

Yeah I just did the math and assuming you spend 50% of your time indoors and always take off your clothes when you enter and only put them on before you leave... over 1000 days, that would save 75% of decay on a Balaclava.  Which is how much condition you can repair with 1 cloth at level 1.

That's a lot of work to save 1 cloth if you ask me.   Given that there are well over 1000 cloth available in-game by breaking down the environment, plus more from stuff that washes up on the beach, it would take well over 10,000 days for this indoor nudist strategy to yield substantial results.  Even at 100,000 days you'd only have saved a few hundred cloth, but your survivor would be long dead at that point because that's 274 years.

[PurpleWolf13]

4 hours ago, Mistral said:

Wait, why do you take off clothing indoors in the first place? The only situation where it's viable is when passing waterfalls at HRV (and that one cave in PV) and in that case you always take everything off so it's easy to remember to put them back immediately afterwards

Anyway, to reply for the question, I guess trying to shoot wolves with bow when they are charging on Interloper, instead of just backing off or drawing the flare gun. But it is thankfully happening less now

Also not having enough time wasting tasks like crafting reishi buffs and whatnot when you need to waste time... my sin is often doing these things when more useful things could be done and when it's time for time wasting you have nothing except like sharpening knife for 5%

Well, I don't take off the outer clothing indoors because of it decaying slower or anything. I still have my sweater(s), a pant and socks on. I think I do it because of immersiveness? Like,"I'm inside a warm place, don't need all my warm stuff on me, so I'll just take off my hat, coat, mittens and boots until I go outside again." Of course I forget sometimes to put it back on LOL.

[PrincessAutumn]

I always use the in-game journal to record where I've been and where I've set my stuff down. But, with me being the scatterbrained airhead that I am, I often forget to update the journal when I take stuff out of drawers then when I come back, I waste my time looking for the stuff that I've already taken.

My most recent incident involves crow feathers. I wrote down that I had them in the cupboard upstairs at the camp office. Later on I was about to head to Forlorn Muskeg to make my arrows. I get everything and I look in the spot that I said I left my feathers. Not there. Look all over the camp office and can't find them. So I hike all the way to the trapper's homestead in a snowstorm making this face -__-;; a blizzard could kick up at any minute but I didn't care, I get there just before nightfall. I look all over and they aren't there either. I'm getting annoyed at this point but decided to spend the night there and walk out to the dam in the morning.

I wake up right at dawn and get to the dam and the feathers aren't there either. I'm now pissed at this point and I had to shut the game off before I threw my mouse across the room. 

Fast forward a few in real life days later, I go back to the camp office starting to collect feathers along the way because I have no idea where my others are that I left somewhere. .. I get back and go to my food drawer, collect a few misc items and there were my crow feathers. .. I'm usually a quiet and reserved person but I had said "Son of a bitch!!" out loud. Good thing it was during the day because I would've woken the whole house up lol. 

So take it from me, if you use the journal then update it when you take stuff from certain places and always double check your cabinets and containers because items can be right there under your nose  

[PurpleWolf13]

Just now, PrincessAutumn said:

I always use the in-game journal to record where I've been and where I've set my stuff down. But, with me being the scatterbrained airhead that I am, I often forget to update the journal when I take stuff out of drawers then when I come back, I waste my time looking for the stuff that I've already taken.

My most recent incident involves crow feathers. I wrote down that I had them in the cupboard upstairs at the camp office. Later on I was about to head to Forlorn Muskeg to make my arrows. I get everything and I look in the spot that I said I left my feathers. Not there. Look all over the camp office and can't find them. So I hike all the way to the trapper's homestead in a snowstorm making this face -__-;; a blizzard could kick up at any minute but I didn't care, I get there just before nightfall. I look all over and they aren't there either. I'm getting annoyed at this point but decided to spend the night there and walk out to the dam in the morning.

I wake up right at dawn and get to the dam and the feathers aren't there either. I'm now pissed at this point and I had to shut the game off before I threw my mouse across the room. 

Fast forward a few in real life days later, I go back to the camp office starting to collect feathers along the way because I have no idea where my others are that I left somewhere. .. I get back and go to my food drawer, collect a few misc items and there were my crow feathers. .. I'm usually a quiet and reserved person but I had said "Son of a bitch!!" out loud. Good thing it was during the day because I would've woken the whole house up lol. 

So take it from me, if you use the journal then update it when you take stuff from certain places and always double check your cabinets and containers because items can be right there under your nose  

I use the journal for marking down momentous events, such as finally crafting the Bearskin Coat. Never considered to use it to keep track of if I leave stuff somewhere. Which I almost never do, because I'm stubbornly wanting to take it all back to my base at the moment. A easily fatal flaw in this game. 

[odizzido]

I forget stuff sometimes. Like a bedroll. Which is awful. A little bit ago I went on a climb to the TWM summit plane and about 80% of the way there, well past the point of return, I realised I had left it in pleasant valley. Since we can't actually sleep without one this is a major issue. Thankfully I had enough coffee on me to manage.

[PurpleWolf13]

Just now, odizzido said:

I forget stuff sometimes. Like a bedroll. Which is awful. A little bit ago I went on a climb to the TWM summit plane and about 80% of the way there, well past the point of return, I realised I had left it in pleasant valley. Since we can't actually sleep without one this is a major issue. Thankfully I had enough coffee on me to manage.

I tend to forget my bedroll whilst traveling. Luckily, usually the places I end up have warm beds anyways.

[haft2doit]

On 8/27/2020 at 4:05 PM, PurpleWolf13 said:

I use the journal for marking down momentous events, such as finally crafting the Bearskin Coat. Never considered to use it to keep track of if I leave stuff somewhere. Which I almost never do, because I'm stubbornly wanting to take it all back to my base at the moment. A easily fatal flaw in this game. 

After many runs I switched to a more diversified approach.  I play Stalker primarily so the amount of loot is plenty to set up on every map.  I use the journal to keep it all in order so I know exactly what's where and what I need to bring on a trip.  I started less exact but after frustration having to keep a lot in my head I keep things pretty strictly accounted for.  Within reason...

By dropping loot locally you can stay light for more exploring, and to get the world looted before things start blinking out of the world.  Also switching to a different map is just moving to your other base, not starting from scratch.   Before setting up bases and writing things down I use spray cans to mark where i drop loot and can gather it centrally later.  Not needed but it helps keep me from forgetting where I dumped batteries next to cars for example.

Edited August 31, 2020 by haft2doit

[PurpleWolf13]

Just now, haft2doit said:

After many runs I switched to a more diversified approach.  I play Stalker primarily so the amount of loot is plenty to set up on every map.  I use the journal to keep it all in order so I know exactly what's where and what I need to bring on a trip.  I started less exact but after frustration having to keep a lot in my head I keep things pretty strictly accounted for.  Within reason...

By dropping loot locally you can stay light for more exploring, and to get the world looted before things start blinking out of the world.  Also switching to a different map is just moving to your other base, not starting from scratch.   Before setting up bases and writing things down I use spray cans to mark where i drop loot and can gather it centrally later.  Not needed but it helps keep me from forgetting where I dumped batteries next to cars for example.

Very organized and well done here! I probably should try to mark the journal if I leave stuff somewhere, which I'm trying to do while playing as to not encumber myself anymore 

[PrincessAutumn]

5 minutes ago, PurpleWolf13 said:

Very organized and well done here! I probably should try to mark the journal if I leave stuff somewhere, which I'm trying to do while playing as to not encumber myself anymore 

Oh wow, that's awesome my friend! More organized and put together than my own journal lol  

[haft2doit]

18 hours ago, PurpleWolf13 said:

Very organized and well done here! I probably should try to mark the journal if I leave stuff somewhere, which I'm trying to do while playing as to not encumber myself anymore 

It didn't start organized i can tell you.  It evolved over the course of the run until I decided it was only really useful if it was complete and accurate.  So it was make it a habit to add and remove items as I went or not have it at all.  The benefit of knowing what's where has had the positive effect of keeping me very mobile, not just sticking to one spot after I looted the world.  I have little missions to do all the time.  Even if it's just "that place needs a hatchet", or "i need a stash of food for a week there".  Keeps things fresh for me, instead of counting days.

[ManicManiac]

9 minutes ago, haft2doit said:

The benefit of knowing what's where has had the positive effect of keeping me very mobile...   ...I have little missions to do all the time.  Even if it's just "that place needs a hatchet", or "i need a stash of food for a week there".  Keeps things fresh for me, instead of counting days.

Right on!

I do much the same.  I don't keep the kind of meticulous record of where everything is as you do (which is impressive by the way)... but I do use my journal to account for where my various caches are, where the bear and moose spawns are, and sometimes where I am keeping specific items of particular interest (though generally each major cache usually has a little of everything and all my back up tools and equipment).  This way I get to travel light, and no mater where I am... I'm never very far from other supplies if I find that I need them.    I also give myself little mission or objectives to accomplish along the way.  I can definitely appreciate your methodology.

[ajb1978]

Ehh I have a compulsion to organize....I keep a spreadsheet tracking items per region, quantity, and what condition each is at on whatever day it is I happen to take inventory.  So I can be like "It's been a hundred days, that balaclava probably needs some love" and go make a maintenance trip.

[ManicManiac]

4 minutes ago, ajb1978 said:

I have a compulsion to organize....I keep a spreadsheet

My hat's off to you sir.  That is also very impressive. 

Well done.

[ManicManiac]

As for the topic of discussion... Mistakes I keep Making.

While on my current run, I've made three major (silly) mistakes... and what's worse is they were beginner mistakes (that is to say I knew better).

The first was in the early days of the run... I mended my wool mittens, but apparently forgot to put them back on before going to bed.  The next day I set out for Pensive Pond from the Community Hall.  As I was mapping my way up the hills leading towards pensive pond... I got stricken with frost bite.   I never noticed getting the risk warning and kept traipsing around Pleasant Valley not realizing I had never put my wool mittens back on.

The second was some time later... again I wasn't paying attention to my wool mittens.  They were soaked and frozen all the way through and one night as I as bedding down at the Old Spence Place (the loft in the barn), I freaked when I saw the frost bite risk and then watch as it turned to another frost bite affliction. 

The third was also in Forlorn Muskeg.  I'd accidentally attracted the attention of a wolf, but I wasn't paying enough attention to where I was going and got myself cornered... and that's when (at around 200 days) I was caught in the first wolf struggle of this run. 

Those have been my most recent silly mistakes.

[Booch]

Did the clothes mending forget routine yesterday. Couldn't figure out why I was so cold. D'oh!  I always seem to forget to light my fires with the Mag glass in clear skies and remember about 0.00001 seconds after I use a match. 

[haft2doit]

1 hour ago, ajb1978 said:

Ehh I have a compulsion to organize....I keep a spreadsheet

Haha Nice!

Edited September 1, 2020 by haft2doit

[sonics01]

No matter how long I played this game, I still forget to take a cooking pot and even bedroll when I leave time to time. And sometimes, such mistake snowballs and ruins my sandbox. 

Edited September 1, 2020 by sonics01

[piddy3825]

You didn't say how long you've been playing TLD and that "experience" does impact your gameplay from time to time.  Some of us on here have been playing since day 1 and honestly you learn something new each time you play the game.  I saw myself in your lamentations as I could relate to practically every situation you described in your post! lol
For me, it was just the other day, I discovered an accessible area inside Hibernia fish processing where you climb up in a pipe to get to some boats that are stored up there and I found an awesome stash of loot up there.  Who knew?  apparently everybody else but me!    Yeah, so I can relate when you run outside without your clothes on as I like to take my boots off before I go to bed.  then I run outside without any shoes on...

anyway, good stuff OP!  

 

[PurpleWolf13]

On 8/31/2020 at 10:50 PM, piddy3825 said:

You didn't say how long you've been playing TLD and that "experience" does impact your gameplay from time to time.  Some of us on here have been playing since day 1 and honestly you learn something new each time you play the game.  I saw myself in your lamentations as I could relate to practically every situation you described in your post! lol
For me, it was just the other day, I discovered an accessible area inside Hibernia fish processing where you climb up in a pipe to get to some boats that are stored up there and I found an awesome stash of loot up there.  Who knew?  apparently everybody else but me!    Yeah, so I can relate when you run outside without your clothes on as I like to take my boots off before I go to bed.  then I run outside without any shoes on...

anyway, good stuff OP!  

 

I've been playing The Long Dark ever since late May of this year, so yeah not that long LOL. Glad you can relate to my recurring Long Dark shenanigans!

[pdxthehunted]

I read through this post the other day, so when I made (another) dumb mistake I made a mental note to share it here.

I'll call the mistake "Torch Conservation." Basically, torches are an infinite, super-cheap resource. Matches and firestrikers: not so much. And yet, last night while I was gathering coal from the ML/MT transition cave, I needed a match to light a torch to gather coal. I ran through from ML to MT and picked up everything; then, on my way back I thought to myself "I can navigate through this cave without light--no need to waste this 60% torch" and extinguished the torch. I was pleased with myself until I exited the cave back at Trapper's. I remembered that I had a metric ton of bear meat to cook as well as a frozen wolf carcass that I needed to harvest. It was overcast and snowing, so no magnifying glass fire.

Hopefully I'll learn that not all resources need to be conserved equally--some resources (like torches) are expendable. A good rule of thumb, I think, is just to never extinguish a torch unless I'm about to cash it anyways by passing time/sleeping.

[haft2doit]

7 hours ago, pdxthehunted said:

Hopefully I'll learn that not all resources need to be conserved equally--some resources (like torches) are expendable. A good rule of thumb, I think, is just to never extinguish a torch unless I'm about to cash it anyways by passing time/sleeping.

I'm guilty of this as well.  One of my failings in efficiency in TLD, has always been not using resources in the pursuit of progress.  Especially in the early game I had to force myself not to play day 3 like I was on day 279.