ash canyon start

[tulkawen]

Hello everyone,

I'm enjoying the Ash Canyon update and I was very much looking forward to an unknown map where my Astrid would get to visit the Long Dark lots and lots due to being lost. 

I play Interloper and chose Ash Canyon as the starting location.

I wanted to ask elite survivors how they found the experience in terms of their chances of making it off the map or establishing at least some form of survival. Are there matches ANYWHERE on the map, or a lantern or at least one flare?

First attempt, I bumped into the canyon exist, but I had zero light and I simply cannot travel through the dark caves. Searched the area and found a large number of big caves, but at best they had one cedar in them, which I found lackluster even for Interloper. Found empty blue box and a spot with a green backpack also empty.

Second attempt, at night, I started climbing everything. Made it up 4 ropes to some top landing and snow shelter which didn't have any matches either. Eventually, died of fatigue/thirst and cold while hobbling over some bridge. Also ran into empty caves.

Third time I found a hut with a work bench, which is a big looting spot, but once again without matches my girl was doomed. I ended up entering a crazy dead end with a pack of 5 wolves corking the entrance and a rope. I actually rammed through the pack without any weapons and grabbed onto the rope, but Astrid didn't have enough stamina to make it up.

So, that's my question, if you're starting ash canyon on Loper, are there any places that could give you bare essentials to make it past couple of days? I just found it extremely bare, except for the workbench house, but once again, it's great that I found a black pot, but I can't melt water in it due to lack of fire.

[Guest rowan]

I saw tons of matches on the suspension bridge platforms on my play through (custom). Perhaps try there?

[Schrodingers Box]

I took my 810 day interloper character to AC and it was remarkably harrowing to say the least but I did end up dominating the region. I loaded up the entrance at echo ravine with tons of supplies so I could dart back if I got in trouble.  my biggest surprise that nearly cost me my character was barely making it to a cave before hypothermia set in only to find out that almost all the caves are cold!! I totally didn’t expect that.   there are a few warm areas that you won’t even notice as you pass through arches or tunnels but I did ultimately discover “climbers cave” which is the only warm cave in the region. I set up my base camp there however the area is woefully lacking in wildlife to sustain for long so I delivered moose meat from Timberwolf mountain to build my supply storage. 
  lots of coal is the only thing that saved my from dying, and it was really close a few times until I learned the map. Those huge caves with no warmth totally suckered me. 
  as far as matches I found 3 books-  two in the same fireplace at miners folly in fact. 

Edited December 17, 2020 by Schrodingers Box

[Salty Crackers]

Ash Canyon is a pretty terrible map to start out in on Loper. There are plenty of matches by the rope bridges on the top level of the map, but near the bottom there are pretty much none. The best strategy is to get out ASAP. Most spawns are relatively close to the Echo Ravine exit, so beeline towards it, stopping in Angler's Den if it is on the way there.

For firestarting, there is a chance of a flare spawning in Angler's Den, but don't count on it. A backpack will spawn behind the waterfall along the path towards the mine, with a small chance of a pack of matches. For the spawns on the mid-level of the map (such as the spawn in front of the Deer Clearing cave) you should hug the right wall, first passing a plastic container (only for the spawn directly in front of the transition cave) and then a tree bridge. Cross the tree bridge and continue until you reach a rope bridge. In the cave to the right, a pair of flares sometimes spawns, and you might find some matches on either side of the rope bridge. Cross the rope bridge and goat down on the right side. You should be close to Bitter Marsh and well on your way out.

[stirfoo]

No way I'd start AC on interloper without ever visiting the place. That would be an exercise in futility.  I got to AC on about day 60 of a new interloper run so I was geared up, forged tools, bow, skin clothing, etc. The only knowledge I had was that you got there thru TWM and there were these new funky bridges to cross, and crampons and a new backpack to be found. The rest was a complete mystery. I've been there about 20 days and mapped 75% (a wild guess) of the region. I've found, I think 3 packs of matches, the hammer, no hacksaw, 2 pairs of combat pants, maybe 1 sewing kit, 2 marine flares (but I needed a torch to find them), no mag lens, no striker, no lantern (other than the broken one), a pittance of food, and even less meds. One pleasant surprise was finding 2 arrow heads in a workbench drawer. I still haven't read any in-depth descriptions of the region. What's funny is I have yet to find that little broken fishing hut you see on the menu screen. I found one, but not that one.

[Ahatch]

I seen a player had managed to start and stay on AC on interloper living off rabbits and plants alone. He has a you tube video somewhere on these forums. 

[Bean]

Without some absolutely incredible luck, you’ll never survive an IL start in AC if you don’t know the map. 
It really depends on where you start.  If you get lucky and start near the destroyed fishing hut, the Homesteader’s Respite cabin is your best bet for emergency gear. You can goat up there and drop a rope for later access. After that go to Angler’s rest and gear up a little more for the trek to the gold mine which is worth doing.  Lots and lots of free food laying about with the rushes.  Sticks aplenty.  Once you have matches and some minimal clothing you can chain tea your way up there without any climbing.  The path from Anglers to Goldmine starts behind Broad Falls.  
After gold mine you can go to Miners Folly and get more gear then trek back to the Homesteaders and rope climb down there to rest up in preparation to leave that zone.  That would be the most legit and doable start in AC. 

[Ahatch]

I watched this video tonight

 

 

[UpUpAway95]

There is a way in custom to take just a little bit of the edge off an Interloper-type start in this zone.  Using the Interloper template in custom and only changing the Starting Gear Allocation to Medium (stalker level) will give the character a starting bedroll and matches, but change nothing else... at least I can survive this way to get to the gold mine and then out of the zone.

Edited December 30, 2020 by UpUpAway95

[Schrodingers Box]

that’s not an interloper type start- that’s a stalker type start. when you modify interloper settings to make the game easier ESPECIALLY starting with matches and a bedroll- it’s not interloper anymore, it’s a modified stalker.   It’s not even remotely close to interloper at all. 

Edited December 30, 2020 by Schrodingers Box

[UpUpAway95]

2 hours ago, Schrodingers Box said:

that’s not an interloper type start- that’s a stalker type start. when you modify interloper settings to make the game easier ESPECIALLY starting with matches and a bedroll- it’s not interloper anymore, it’s a modified stalker.   It’s not even remotely close to interloper at all. 

Get off your high horse and cache your ego.. Baseline Resource Available remains at low.  Animal spawns and behavior remain set as in Interloper.  No rifles or revolvers as in Interloper.   Sticks and plants all spawn as in Loper, not stalker... so the start is more like a Loper start than a stalker one.  I stated right out that it took a little bit of the edge off the standard Loper start.  Beyond the moment you find your matches and bedroll in Loper, this start will play out exactly like a Loper run.  The ONLY thing that changes is you won't have the made dash to pick up your matches and bedroll.

Edited December 30, 2020 by UpUpAway95

[Schrodingers Box]

RotFLMaO.  stalker level players thinking they are interloper level. 
“it’s the same as interloper you just don’t have to get the matches and bedroll” ROTF!!!!

 

Edited December 30, 2020 by Schrodingers Box

[UpUpAway95]

2 hours ago, Schrodingers Box said:

RotFLMaO.  stalker level players thinking they are interloper level. 
“it’s the same as interloper you just don’t have to get the matches and bedroll” ROTF!!!!

 

RotFLMAO... people who think that the only qualitative differences between a stalker run and and interloper run is linear difficulty.  Cache your ego... stalker plays differently than interloper because there are numerous settings that are different between them.  The only difference between my Custom run and an interloper one is the starting gear allocation.  RotFLMAO also about people who pigeon-hole others into "stlaker level" and "interloper level" players etc. just because they play a custom game.  FYI,  it doesn't mean I haven't or can't play an standard itnerloper game.  I have.

FYI, there are also many ways in custom mode to make a game that is far more difficult than interloper.

Edited December 30, 2020 by UpUpAway95

[Schrodingers Box]

So you admit you are stalker level then and playing stalker with those settings. 
 good. You got it right. 
  man if I started with Matches and a bedroll my gameplay would be totally different lol. how nice that would be to just comfortably go right to the cave in AC from the first start- only HRV offers a better start than that!!!

Edited December 30, 2020 by Schrodingers Box

[Bean]

C’mon guys.  Everyone plays whichever way they choose in a sandbox.  Whatever makes them happy.  
move played hundreds of days of interloper and it can be intense.  Fewer wolves than Stalker but they’re more fierce.  Hardly any gear in world.  Still it’s possible to survive and even thrive.  I’ve done that three times getting past 200 days with every zone explored.  
 

but I like Stalker better.  I like to find gear when I loot a place.  I like to shoot guns and crafting ammo is fun too.  And I LIKE all the wolves running around!  It makes it fun and gives me something to shoot at.  

[Bean]

Oh and I did a quick Stalker start in AC.  Took me a day and a half and I had 12°C in clothing and was looting the gold mine.  Another half a day and I was outta there, on past deer clearing to the Summit to finish gearing up.  Was a nice way to start a survivor actually. 

[UpUpAway95]

On 12/30/2020 at 4:30 PM, Schrodingers Box said:

So you admit you are stalker level then and playing stalker with those settings. 
 good. You got it right. 
  man if I started with Matches and a bedroll my gameplay would be totally different lol. how nice that would be to just comfortably go right to the cave in AC from the first start- only HRV offers a better start than that!!!

I'm not admitting anything of the sort, but you can live with whatever delusion you want to.  Interloper play apart from the first 10 minutes at the start is typified by Baseline Resource Availability set to Low and the lack of rifles and revolvers, knives, and hatchets, which is the same as in the Custom start I suggested.  Changing the starting gear allocation does not change that fact and it plays more like an Interlope-type run than a stalker one.  It only changes the first 10 minutes as the "average" Interloper player makes a mad dash to the place they know they can get matches and then immediately dashes to the place they know they can get a bedroll.  In Ash Canyon, it compensates for the fact that, as of yet, the "average" interloper player doesn't know where to get those things within that zone... yet.  Therefore, it enables a start inside the zone while the map is being learned... that's all.

I'm an advocate of removing all guaranteed spawns on the map and trashing the loot tables... making every start in Loper "blind" to where they player might find matches and a bedroll.  I don't think the reliance on mere loot location memory as a substitute for alternatives (like for light a fire or for sleeping) is a good thing.  If they did take away the "guaranteed" loot locations, a lot of runs by veteran Lopers would, no doubt, be a lot shorter than they currently are.  Happy New Year.

Edited January 1, 2021 by UpUpAway95

[DaveMcD]

On 12/29/2020 at 11:50 AM, Ahatch said:

I watched this video tonight

 

 

Hey That's me

I did make a post today linking the vid. I didn't realise you'd already linked it. Thanks Ahatch.

[Ahatch]

No problem I've been watching a lot of Long Dark You Tubers for a while now. I enjoy them so keep up the good work