Stalker, just wow......

[Sherlock Holmes 18]

Make a bed, you'll walk around like a partial turtle. 😂😂😂

[peteloud]

7 hours ago, metlman72 said:

 . . . Is it more beneficial for me to craft a bearskin jacket or the bed roll. What benefit does the bed roll give? I assume a warmth bonus of some sort? Any advice greatly appreciated and thanks in advance.

The bearskin jacket is not as good as it appears.  A new bearskin jacket in 90+% condition gives a good warmth bonus so wearing such a heavy jacket is beneficial in cold situations.   But as the condition of the jacket deteriorates you get a lower warmth bonus but it is still heavy.  By the time the jacked it at 60% condition it gives less warmth than a wolf skin jacket, but it weighs a couple of kg more. (I can't remember the exact figures, you can check those yourselves).  Bear skin jackets are a problem to maintain, due to there being few bears and the skin having a long curing time, you might spend a long time with a heavy not very warm bearskin jacket.  Conversely, the wolf skin jack is lighter and very easy to repair as wolf skins are plentiful.  It is easy to keep a wolf jacket above 90% condition. 

 

After a great many games days, wearing a bearskin jackets in less than prime condition, I concluded that I was warmer with a frequently repaired and lighter wolf skin jacket.

[Serenity]

11 hours ago, metlman72 said:

Is it more beneficial for me to craft a bearskin jacket or the bed roll. What benefit does the bed roll give? I assume a warmth bonus of some sort?

On Stalker you don't really need the coat. The expedition parka is a lot better.

You can usually do without the bearskin bedroll, but where it shines is camping out in the open. It has a large warmth bonus. I crafted it the first time for Ash Canyon and it certainly helps. But even there it's not necessary.

[metlman72]

6 minutes ago, Serenity said:

On Stalker you don't really need the coat. The expedition parka is a lot better.

You can usually do without the bearskin bedroll, but where it shines is camping out in the open. It has a large warmth bonus. I crafted it the first time for Ash Canyon and it certainly helps. But even there it's not necessary.

I currently have the Wolfskin jacket in the outer slot and the military jacket in the inner slot. I dont mind the wolf, deer and rabbit clothes because I have hides cured just about everywhere I have been now. So it is pretty easy to keep them in great shape.

I have not come across the expedition parka yet. That said I have not explored every region yet. 

When I head back through ML I will stop off at the trappers cabin and craft the bed roll most likely. I may craft a second wolfskin jacket as well.

[Serenity]

Aside from the maintenance, the main problem with the bearskin coat is that it's extremely heavy and really not that much better than the wolf jacket. On Interloper it has its uses as the best clothing doesn't spawn, but Stalker isn't that cold and there is plenty of other great clothing to keep you warm. It's not that it's bad, but that it has usually has too many downsides for it's benefits.

The other animal items are fine. Good, balanced stats and easy to maintain

Edited February 15, 2021 by Serenity

[xAnAngelOfDeathx]

On 1/23/2021 at 10:45 AM, metlman72 said:

It is quite possible I will end up wolf food. Hopefully it will not be on day 7 of my journey. However, avoiding wolves is the thing I struggle with the most. Either way I can't see myself going back to Voyager. 

You probably know this and if so I apologize for being redundant but you can throw rocks to get a wolf to go in another direction. Also, you can "look off" a wolf to change its direction of travel - look at the wolf and look away, now look back at the wolf and it will be going a different direction. Cheers and have fun!

Edited February 17, 2021 by xAnAngelOfDeathx

[AdamvR]

I agree, the coat is likely too heavy and slows you down. I made one and kept it near a fishing hut for overnight fishing, so I don't need to light a fire even in a blizzard, but other than that not really used it. You can likely find expedition parkas on TWM - they have much better warmth/weight/speed ratio... (btw, in general it might make sense to start in that region, or visit it early, to "gear up"...)
The bedroll can come handy while exploring areas with few shelters and horrid weather, that can easily force you to sleep outside (unpleasant Valley, Hushed River Valley, Ash Canyon, etc) - especially before you would have learnt them enough to know the hiding places, as the extra 3 degrees warmth could be valuable - but given the extra weight as well, it is not necessarily a straightforward advantage. You can also do these places with a simple bedroll as well. So unlike the moose-hide satchel, the bear skin is not necessarily a "must have".

[metlman72]

On 2/17/2021 at 8:49 AM, AdamvR said:

I agree, the coat is likely too heavy and slows you down. I made one and kept it near a fishing hut for overnight fishing, so I don't need to light a fire even in a blizzard, but other than that not really used it. You can likely find expedition parkas on TWM - they have much better warmth/weight/speed ratio... (btw, in general it might make sense to start in that region, or visit it early, to "gear up"...)
The bedroll can come handy while exploring areas with few shelters and horrid weather, that can easily force you to sleep outside (unpleasant Valley, Hushed River Valley, Ash Canyon, etc) - especially before you would have learnt them enough to know the hiding places, as the extra 3 degrees warmth could be valuable - but given the extra weight as well, it is not necessarily a straightforward advantage. You can also do these places with a simple bedroll as well. So unlike the moose-hide satchel, the bear skin is not necessarily a "must have".

I am going to go with the bed roll for sure. You guys brought up some valid points against the coat. Although (imho) it is bad ass looking, its upkeep would be really tough due to the general lack of bears and the ridiculous long curing time for a hide.

Thanks again to all for the advice.

[metlman72]

On 2/16/2021 at 9:56 PM, xAnAngelOfDeathx said:

You probably know this and if so I apologize for being redundant but you can throw rocks to get a wolf to go in another direction. Also, you can "look off" a wolf to change its direction of travel - look at the wolf and look away, now look back at the wolf and it will be going a different direction. Cheers and have fun!

I do know about throwing rocks, I just suck at it. I am day 145 and have had 110 close calls with wolves. I have 39 killed and 1 distracted by decoys. That's a solid 1 though. 

The look off I did not know you could do. I will try it later tonight when I get a chance to play. Thanks.

 

 

[metlman72]

Finally got back to the muskeg with enough coal to fire that furnace and crafted 8 arrowheads. I have all the feathers and shafts back at my main base. Excited to get back there and craft some more arrows so I can raise my archery skill. Looking forward to using the bow more. 

Also while really heavy the bearskin bed roll really does help out with the cold. I have not woken up cold once since crafting that bad boy. 

I received my first badge this morning as well. It was for running a certain distance in game I believe. Wondering how these work in game? I assume some type of permanent bonus?

[Niskavuori]

Howdy,

Badges you can activate on you future playthroughs. On Vayageur you may have 4 feats active, Stalker 3 and Interloper 2.

 

[metlman72]

It all came to an end this morning as I faded into the long dark. I went to sleep in a hunters blind with my satchel a little wet. This a bullshit mechanic for sure. I could see if all your clothes were soaked or frozen but a satchel. I had a bearskin bedroll as well. It was a great run and I can't wait to start another. 

I learned so much about the mechanics and the game itself. I do wish they would flush that mechanic out a little. I dont want a warning but one would think that you actually dont take your satchel to bed with you. I dont think that item should affect you freezing to death at night.

I believe I got my money's worth just from that one run and am ready for more, just a little wiser.

Oh yeah and I still hate wolves.....

Edited February 23, 2021 by metlman72