How should I setup a long term base?

[commanderjroc]

I am wondering if anyone has any tips on starting a long term base? Specifically, I am playing on Voyager as I find its the right spot for me to enjoy the game, for now at least. I like to start in Mystery Lake and use the Trapper's Cabin as its very homey.  This game I started all the way at the dam. So, I suspect making it to the Trapper's Cabin would be a goal I would need to do far out in advance? I could in theory take the camp office too.

I am thinking that I would need to if I decide to go with the trappers cabin:

• Setup rabbit traps
• Nab the deer who go outside, if I find the rifle in time.
• setup food storage

And if I decide on the camp office, probably start ice fishing?

 

Really my question is, do I need to do anything else. Should making a map of the area with charcoal also be a goal? Should I make bow and arrow to hunt deer ?

[NickBeast17]

Typically my playstyle is very nomadic. However, I could see the need for a long term base. A base like this would have to have a sustainable food source that wouldn't disappear. Trappers cabin and the camp office both have sustainable food sources being the ice fishing, or the rabbits and deer. Either one would be a good pick. As for mapping. I tend to not use the in game system.  I find that better maps are available on the web that have more details. Since your on voyager, crafting is not really necessary. You can find supplies around and lots of good clothing on Timberwolf mountain. Good Luck!

[commanderjroc]

1 hour ago, NickBeast17 said:

Typically my playstyle is very nomadic. However, I could see the need for a long term base. A base like this would have to have a sustainable food source that wouldn't disappear. Trappers cabin and the camp office both have sustainable food sources being the ice fishing, or the rabbits and deer. Either one would be a good pick. As for mapping. I tend to not use the in game system.  I find that better maps are available on the web that have more details. Since your on voyager, crafting is not really necessary. You can find supplies around and lots of good clothing on Timberwolf mountain. Good Luck!

What I like about this game is that you can play it the way you want to. Anyways, I guess I could pick the Camp Office if the corpse isnt there. I feel a little uneasy with him in there cause he creeps me out. Thanks for the tips though.

[Gracia_WolfSlayer]

I've heard if you make a BUNCH of snare traps that you can theoretically get enough rabbits to indefinitely sustain yourself. I'd personally, if you're going LONG term, go with the Camp office. It has more container storage AND shelf storage. Also you'll be curing mad amounts of pelts I'm sure, so ample floor space for your curing furs. They you have easy access to ice fishing AND rabbits over the the glen below the overlook. 

[piddy3825]

9 hours ago, commanderjroc said:

I am wondering if anyone has any tips on starting a long term base? Specifically, I am playing on Voyager as I find its the right spot for me to enjoy the game, for now at least. I like to start in Mystery Lake and use the Trapper's Cabin as its very homey.  This game I started all the way at the dam. So, I suspect making it to the Trapper's Cabin would be a goal I would need to do far out in advance? I could in theory take the camp office too.

I am thinking that I would need to if I decide to go with the trappers cabin:

• Setup rabbit traps
• Nab the deer who go outside, if I find the rifle in time.
• setup food storage

And if I decide on the camp office, probably start ice fishing?

 

Really my question is, do I need to do anything else. Should making a map of the area with charcoal also be a goal? Should I make bow and arrow to hunt deer ?

Mystery Lake is considered by many to be a beginners map.  Trapper's imo is one of the better locations to establish a long term base as it offers just about everything a player needs without a lot of wolf activity directly outside of you door as compared to other locales.  Considering that you have easy access to wood for fuel supply, rabbits that spawn directly in your back yard, an ongoing deer population that inhabits your front yard almost daily makes this an ideal home base from which to branch out.  Also it is one of the areas know Moose spawn points and you also do get an occasional bear that may saunter into the area, but the wolf population typically doesn't come anywhere near the cabin.   ML is also home to one random spawning prepper's cache/bunker which will further improve your odds for survival providing you're willing to seek it out.  

Mapping helps to put locations in perspective, particularly as you are learning to navigate during the early stages of game play.  not necessarily a goal for many players, however there is an achievement award for mapping the entire island if you choose to do so.  As to the bow and arrow, yes to crafting the bow and arrow.  You may find a few broken arrows and perhaps a few intact ones in ML, but at some point you will need to venture forth and seek out one of the three forges on GBI to fabricate arrow heads.  Unfortunately that does come with some risk of running into wolves, but the risk can be mitigated by not carrying any meat as you travel.

Considering how much loot can be found on each map, a good strategy is to set up multiple bases as you travel and explore the island.  When playing on the ML map, I like Trapper's with its proximity to FM and MT and  Carter Hydro with it's proximity to Raven's Ravine.  The ole Camp Office being my fallback in case of inclement weather or when I need to fish, either for food production or lamp oil production.

[ajb1978]

On the subject of trapping, when I was grinding out that Master Trapper badge I found that an array of about 30 traps was kind of the magic number over time. Over the course of about a game month I had developed a steady enough stream of rabbits that I was able to constantly have enough cured gut to repair damaged traps, while pulling in enough rabbit meat daily that I could harvest the rabbits by hand (no tool wear) and have enough to eat/drink. Managing cabin fever was more of a challenge than actual survival, and the game basically turned into a chore of checking/setting my traps daily, harvesting rabbits, and rebuilding broken traps. Kind of a boring routine, but definitely one that you could survive on if that was your only goal. The amount of time it took to hand-harvest rabbits though meant that I had no time left in the day to actually explore or gather resources.

Anyway, on the topic of bases, my play style (and I know I'm not alone in this) is to establish one main base per map. That base ideally has a crafting station and someplace outdoors nearby that can be used to bust cabin fever. I will fortify that base with everything I need to make it long-term, but I may not necessarily stay at that base forever. My long-term 1000+ day strategy is to have a well stocked base on every map, such that I can pack up and move at a moment's notice with literally nothing (i.e. no gear, no clothes--literally nothing) and probably live to tell about it.

[Toki1666]

I think my main advice would be to not get into the mindset of settling in somewhere until either the late game, or maybe mid game. What's worked out the best for me has been to spend the early game traveling, looting, and consolidating that loot into one or two "bases" in the region. Then I move on and do the same for basically every region, setting up a one or two, sometimes even three regional bases. I try to spend less than two weeks really setting up each area, keeping track of notable tools, and how much food and water there is in each. Then when I finally finish that process for each region, I'll make another pass through that's much more thorough, finishing up my cartography, and getting at least a month's worth of food and water set up for my eventual return. That sets you up to be able to move around the map much more stress free, and to be able to rotate around the map hunting, and gathering what resources are left. From that point you can comfortably do signal void, and any other little personal quest you really want to, I enjoy the late game so much, even if it gets a little dull at times.

[Valuable Hunting Knife]

my tip would be to try to get at least 2/3 of well fed buff, moose satchel and technical backpack early on.  If you have these and your cooking is enough to make pies for the temporary weight carrying bonus, then it will be a lot easier to stock a long term base.  Most good bases will be missing in some materials (Mystery Lake camp office, for example, will mean bringing in scrap metal and wood, especially if you don't want to break down all the furniture).

[hozz1235]

The OP's last visit was Jul 15, 2021.  Not sure if he's reading this anymore

[UpUpAway95]

I tend to do one-zone challenge runs, but if I am doing a run that allows moving between zones, I tend to set up a mini-base in each region anyways rather than trying to set up a main base that would involve bringing stuff from other regions to the point.  I make notes in my journal as to what items each mini-base has and what it might be missing (e.g. a forge with no hammer yet) so that I can just bring whatever duplicates I find to a mini-base that currently lacks it.  That means that by the time I hit the mid-length run, I'm pretty much well set up no matter where I go on the map.

[piddy3825]

5 hours ago, hozz1235 said:

The OP's last visit was Jul 15, 2021.  Not sure if he's reading this anymore

lol, I always have to laugh when I get a notification that alerts me to activity to a thread that has been dead for years.

commanderjroc

Members

Joined July 1, 2021

Last visited July 15, 2021

turns out OP hasn't logged into the forums since July 15th of 2021...   ha ha ha 

[Gryphon]

Hi all! Where locate the saves files for the Steam version of the survival mode game are now? Sometimes a stupid death occurs. I would like to save at least occasionally...