Blackrock - lack of specific objective

[peteloud]

I have now been around most of Blackrock about three times.  I still have a few black patches on my charcoal map but they seem unlikely to contain any big surprises, although I might be wrong.   The only unsolved puzzle that I have, that I know of, is getting into the infirmary.  I can not find a key anywhere.  It is possible, probable, that I have missed other interesting places and puzzles. Perhaps there is cave or tumble down cabin with the infirmary key somewhere.   Without a list of locations to complete, which I'm sure will soon be fixed.  I don't know what to do next.

 

Addendum

Ahhh!   I have just seen a posting by piddy3825 referring to bunkers in Blackrock.  I stopped before reading it.  Perhaps that is the answer.  So where are these bunkers?   Now I have something to search for 😃.

I have remembered another couple of puzzles. I have come across what appears to be trapdoors in the floor that cannot be opened. My guess was that they are to opened from the other side, suggesting that there were undiscovered rooms, perhaps they are the bunkers.

Edited December 15, 2021 by peteloud

[piddy3825]

I'm glad my bunker post gave you a reason to go to BlackRock region, but let me ask you, don't all the maps inherently lack a specific objective?  
I haven't come across one yet that is really imperative in order to survive on GBI and or play the game.  

the famous quote by George Mallory comes to mind:  "Because it's there!" His retort, when asked by a reporteer in his day,  "Why did you want to climb Mount Everest?" 

I suppose if you are playing interloper and you have no tools or weapons, your character may feel compelled to seek out a forge for expample, in order to craft weapons and tools so now they have a specific objective.  But unless you want to explore the new machine shop or retrieve the new ballistic vest or get the blueprints for the "bangers", then you are right in that there is no specific objective in going there.  

I can honestly tell you though, after 42 separate forays into the area in order to Map those bunker locations, yeah, I won't be going there again anytime soon! lol😜

 

[Salty Crackers]

1 hour ago, piddy3825 said:

the famous quote by George Mallory comes to mind:  "Because it's there!" His retort, when asked by a reporteer in his day,  "Why did you want to climb Mount Everest?" 

To be fair, it might not be the best idea to idolize Mallory. His Everest expedition didn't go too well for him. 

 

I've found Blackrock to be an excellent region to survive in long term, with the Penitentiary as the main base. You have wolves and bears inside the prison yard, deer outside the entrance, and a pack of timberwolves outside the Power Plant easily hunted from behind the closed door. The workshop has an ammunition workbench and a milling machine (without the obstacle course!). You could live in the Staff Quarters without a bedroll, but I find it easier to live in the gate house or workshop.

[piddy3825]

25 minutes ago, Salty Crackers said:

To be fair, it might not be the best idea to idolize Mallory. His Everest expedition didn't go too well for him. .

true that, but still one of the best known quotes in history and still getting traction over 100 years later, enough so that you yourself felt compelled to comment on it. 😁

I agree with your sentiment none the less.  I like BlackRock for a host of reasons, some of which you capably touched on.
I dont need any convincing, I think you need to convice the author of this thread however.  

[peteloud]

2 hours ago, piddy3825 said:

. . .  don't all the maps inherently lack a specific objective? 

I agree with your point, except for TWM, where climbing to the summit is an obvious objective. 

Usually my personal objective is to complete the charcoal map leaving as few black patches as possible and find all of the locations.

After several very frustrating hours play, I still haven't found a way into your bunkers.

[piddy3825]

2 hours ago, peteloud said:

I agree with your point, except for TWM, where climbing to the summit is an obvious objective. 

Usually my personal objective is to complete the charcoal map leaving as few black patches as possible and find all of the locations.

After several very frustrating hours play, I still haven't found a way into your bunkers.

ah, hmmm
no offence, but you know that only 1 bunker spawns on the map, right?  And that there are 9 possible spawn locations for that single bunker to appear at? I was able to locate 8 of the 9 possible locations and gave up looking.  Another player turned in a detailed map by one of the infamous map makers which included details on each of the 9 possible  bunker's location and typical make up, ie, medical, clothing, food etc.    The first one I found was pretty much sheer luck. I actually literally stumbled across it while trying to evade a pack of timberwolves.   Subsequently I adopted a systematic approach in climbing the tallest peaks in order to uncover the maximum amount of shading on my charcoal map.  That helped to expedite the search considerably.

[peteloud]

Oh,  by bunkers you mean the Prepper Caches?   I thought that you must be referring to an underground complex of rooms and tunnels beneath the prison.

[Guest jeffpeng]

Well, there is a very clear objective on the Blackrock map: Go to mine, find code, access workshop. Also: find the bunker (if you don't play Interloper). That's more than most other maps have. I can think of the TWM summit as you've said, the HRV signal fire, or the Ash Canyon mine (which still is the most brutal trek in all of TLD). But I can't think of any specific objectives on, let's say, Coastal Highway or Pleasant Valley. You kinda go places and get stuff if you are lucky.

[ChillPlayer]

1 hour ago, jeffpeng said:

 or the Ash Canyon mine (which still is the most brutal trek in all of TLD).

umm what? It's a bit lengthy but surely way less brutal than the way to the cannery or even TWM summit. If you enter from the cave near deer clearing in TWM, there is not a single wolf standing in your way to the mine, only one bear which can easily be spotted. There are many caves, bunnies and cattails along the way and the climb sections are also few and short. Getting into the mine is what I'd call recreational hiking but not a real challenge

Maybe I'm spoiled by the fact that I've been there more than 10 times in a single run, looking for that elusiv 2nd polaroid but it is really a very safe and easy trek. Even if you enter via Echo Ravine there are only two groups of two wolves and maybe a moose to deal with, but once you reach the plateau where the stone shelf cave is, you won't be harassed by predators any more (well, except for the bear).

[piddy3825]

8 hours ago, peteloud said:

Oh,  by bunkers you mean the Prepper Caches?   I thought that you must be referring to an underground complex of rooms and tunnels beneath the prison.

oops, I can see how that could be misleading.  pardon my vernacular in that case!

[Guest jeffpeng]

21 hours ago, ChillPlayer said:

umm what? It's a bit lengthy but surely way less brutal than the way to the cannery or even TWM summit.

😕

I find the TWM summit is pretty easily done if you know how to. And the way to the cannery isn't far or hard by any means, it's just full of t-wolves. And I don't consider normal wolves a real "obstacle". But hey, everyone has their own way to feel about certain things. Arguing about things that you feel or believe in is like arguing about if something stands left or right from anything - pointless 😉

[ChillPlayer]

1 hour ago, jeffpeng said:

Arguing about things that you feel or believe in is like arguing about if something stands left or right from anything - pointless 😉

I'm not arguing, sorry if I made that impression. I just honestly don't know why you find that trek so hard.

[Morrick]

My personal objective — nay, my mission at this point — is to find a way to enter the Infirmary. No, not the door with the keypad, I have the code for that (and I'm still waiting for a damned aurora to appear after 7 in-game days). I'm talking about that other door that is simply locked. The game teases you by making you think there's another way in (from the roof of the building, for example), or that there's a key somewhere. I've searched basically everywhere in the explorable areas within the prison perimeter, and found nothing. But if this is a fool's errand and you know it, please let me know. This is driving me crazy.

[Guest jeffpeng]

I'm pretty sure there is no way to get in there.

6 hours ago, ChillPlayer said:

I'm not arguing, sorry if I made that impression. I just honestly don't know why you find that trek so hard.

Oh, no, that was more about me arguing 😉. Why I find the trek hard .... it's long, it's cold, there is not much opportunity to find food, it involves a lot of climbing, which limits the resources you can bring, you can get bogged down in a blizzard which only makes the above mentioned things worse.

[piddy3825]

43 minutes ago, Morrick said:

My personal objective — nay, my mission at this point — is to find a way to enter the Infirmary. No, not the door with the keypad, I have the code for that (and I'm still waiting for a damned aurora to appear after 7 in-game days). I'm talking about that other door that is simply locked. The game teases you by making you think there's another way in (from the roof of the building, for example), or that there's a key somewhere. I've searched basically everywhere in the explorable areas within the prison perimeter, and found nothing. But if this is a fool's errand and you know it, please let me know. This is driving me crazy.

yeah that locked door indicator definitely has to go.  It would indicate the need for a key, when there is none.  we should probably report that as a glitch.  

[peteloud]

3 hours ago, Morrick said:

My personal objective — nay, my mission at this point — is to find a way to enter the Infirmary. . . . This is driving me crazy.

That was the case with me.  I wasted a great deal of time and mental effort trying to find that key or a secret entrance into the Infirmary. 

I am reluctant to look at possible spoilers tfor the game, but Piddy's comment above indicated that I should give up that objective.

Slightly changing topic, my current objective in Blackrock is to find the Perpper's Cache.  It has given me great difficulty.  I have traversed almost all of the region a number of times and still not found it.  I have a couple of what seem significant black patches on my charcoal map to clear, but clearing some of these patches take a lot work.  And No, I do not want to look at Fandom and see exactly where it is, how to get there and what it contains.

[piddy3825]

3 minutes ago, peteloud said:

Slightly changing topic, my current objective in Blackrock is to find the Perpper's Cache.  It has given me great difficulty.  I have traversed almost all of the region a number of times and still not found it.  I have a couple of what seem significant black patches on my charcoal map to clear, but clearing some of these patches take a lot work.  And No, I do not want to look at Fandom and see exactly where it is, how to get there and what it contains.

You strike me as being a purist, so I think I understand your desire  to avoid any assistance with finding a prepper cache location. 
There's no greater satisfaction than finding one without anybodys help.  Good luck in your continued search!

[Morrick]

5 hours ago, Morrick said:

I'm talking about that other door that is simply locked. The game teases you by making you think there's another way in (from the roof of the building, for example), or that there's a key somewhere. I've searched basically everywhere in the explorable areas within the prison perimeter, and found nothing.

I even tried to shoot this bastard lock… lol, sigh...

[piddy3825]

45 minutes ago, Morrick said:

I even tried to shoot this bastard lock… lol, sigh...

lol, It's Master Lock...

 

 

[peteloud]

8 hours ago, piddy3825 said:

You strike me as being a purist, . . . .

Not at all.  I think that HTL have developed a superb game.  It is full of interesting challenges, puzzles, that is the essences of good games.  I prefer to play the game that HTL designed, and not take away the challenges by using maps, Fandom or mods. 

[piddy3825]

1 hour ago, peteloud said:

Not at all.  I think that HTL have developed a superb game.  It is full of interesting challenges, puzzles, that is the essences of good games.  I prefer to play the game that HTL designed, and not take away the challenges by using maps, Fandom or mods. 

 

Yeah, we are in agreement that it is a superb game, hence the amount of time we have spent playing it.  One of the best games in my library hands down.  
So, I see you don't want to be called purist, so then, how do you / how would you describe yourself?   No disrespected intended my good man, just wanna get to know you a little better.    

 

[Levelgrinder]

10 hours ago, piddy3825 said:

lol, It's Master Lock...

 

 

Can't you just enter via the side door and go up the stairs? Or do you want to access the ground floor room with the locked door?

TBH I don't think you can.

[piddy3825]

8 hours ago, Levelgrinder said:

Can't you just enter via the side door and go up the stairs? Or do you want to access the ground floor room with the locked door?

TBH I don't think you can.

yeah, you can in thru the side door and up the stairs... It's the big side door that you come running out of in story mode that gives the "door locked" visual prompt that we intially started chatting about.  But it was @Morrick's funny picture about shooting the door lock with his revolver that reminded me of the actual real commerical for masterlock brand padlocks where they shot the padlock with a hunting rifle and still couldn't open it.  Later the commercial was debunked when a another sharpshooter shot the lock on the spine of the locking mechanism and completely destroyed the lock, finally allowing access!  I couldn't find that video when I last looked, might be worth another try.

[peteloud]

SPOILER

Sorry, but I haven't worked out how to hide the spoiler map below.

 

That Prepper's Cache in Blackrock is driving me mad.  I still can't find it.

I have cleared up almost all of the black patches on the map. I have spent several hours trying to clear some patches but can not find a way into them.  All I could do was nibble away the edges.  I have a couple of black patches to left to examine, but i have to admit that I am getting a bit fed up with the damned Prepper's Cache.

No, I do not want anyone to rell me where it is.

My map is below, hopefully off you screen, just spaced out so as not to be a spoiler for those who don't want to see it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Morrick]

8 hours ago, Levelgrinder said:

Or do you want to access the ground floor room with the locked door?

TBH I don't think you can.

Yes, I want to access that locked door. But as you say, I too am starting to think that it's not possible.

Unless the key is hidden in the other room that's locked with a keypad. (Haha! Wouldn't it be devilish?)

By the way, I've been hanging around the prison for 9 in-game days waiting for an aurora to be able to input the code on the keypad. I went to sleep and just as I woke up the following dawn, I noticed that an aurora was fading away. Damn. I thought our survivor was supposed to wake up in case of auroras kicking in while sleeping, but I must have dreamt that. Heh.