Question about Interloper

[Shadox]

Hello all! After playing lots of Stalker and Custom games with several hundreds days survived,  i felt ready to try Loper for the first time yesterday. It went surprisingly well, given that i started completely North of PV. Quickly looted through farmhouse, barns and crossing. Looted south of CH before heading to DP. Im now on Day 9, Got the hacksaw, hammer,  2 maple and 4 or 5 birch saplings are almost cured and waiting to be crafted to bow and arrows. Also 2 Rabbit hides, and 4 Deer pelts. Found a few flares and except the one i kept for an emergency, i used them after chasing deer into wolves and scaring the wolf away to get lots of meat and the pelts. I could've used torches but i didnt want to waste matches and after all the lategame Stalker play im used to having no flares anymore.

 

To my question now: i realized things degrade extremely fast, and i have not found a Bedroll so far. Because things go bad so fast, i really want to rush the TWM summit. Is that doable without the bedroll? I always keep mats for a snow shelter with me, that saved my life in former runs dozens of times when a blizzard hits while im on a loot spree, but cold is another level in interloper. Is that warm enough to sleep in WITHOUT bedrolls around the summit? Clothing is as crap as one can expect during first loper days, tho i have found combat pants. No 2nd jacket though. Deer pants and/or boots can be made in about a day, which i wait out in DP. Sitting on like 20 kg of meat after all that chasing, thats not the problem.

If that expedition isnt doable, how many days would it take for wool ear wraps and pullovers and socks to be ruined? 

Thanks in advance :)

[Serenity]

It's doable with a snow shelter. But you don't have to rush it for for of decay. It's not that bad. Things like wool ear wraps and thin wool sweaters can still be found after a month. It doesn't just depend on the decay rate, but also the starting condition. And even if they decay you can find them elsewhere too (on TWM the engine container has a sweater, but you can also get them as random finds if you're lucky). The truly interesting stuff like the flare shells or the firestriker don't decay.

Edited January 25, 2022 by Serenity

[Shadox]

Yep, the Flare Shells are important too, always a Life Saver when i overheard a Sneaky bear. Thanks alot, if its not ruined after a Month, i will wait a few Days. I have the Bow in a Day and might hunt a few Wolves and 2 Bears for the Coat and the Bedroll, will make things safer. Thanks

[Polynomial-C]

In case you rather prefer having a bedroll before visiting the summit, there's quite a chance to find a Bedroll in Mystery Lake.

 

[Valuable Hunting Knife]

If you were to go for the summit without a bedroll, my suggestion would be to use the connecting caves by setting up a snow shelter just outside- you could then nip inside to warm up if the weather turns. 

I wonder as a more general point if the connection to Black Rock and shelter/sleep options near the transition cave would make a difference (i.e. would starting from there make a 1 day run to the TWM summit easier than starting at Mountaineers Hut)?  Obviously the difficulties of negotiating Black Rock, especially in interloper, is a factor too.

Good luck whichever way you decide to proceed!

[manolitode]

If you start at Mountaineer's hut you can make it to the cave just below the summit without using neither coffee nor stim. There's still 2 ropeclimbs to get to the cave so make sure you start fully rested. Set up a snowshelter inside that cave, which means you brought 15 sticks and 5 cloth (you will also want a couple of torches ready for the caves). Collect coal from the cave system and make a fire, also inside the cave just below the summit, and rest in the snowshelter. The campfire will be hard to shelter from wind so don't sleep more than a couple of hours at a time. Anyway, sleep until fully rested, then go out and climb that last rope. If you use this strategy, don't linger when ascending the mountain, just grab the necessary stuff and take the shortest path. Ideally you minimize the size of your pack to 20-25 kg to begin with. That means you'll be able to collect all the loot you need from the summit (it's a lot less on loper) and carry it down to the hut in one go instead of making multiple trips.

Edit: And bring a piece of scrap metal should you need to repair your hacksaw on the summit. You wouldn't want it breaking while opening the last box of loot.

Edited January 25, 2022 by manolitode

[Shadox]

Thanks alot for all the great tips, much appreciated! Especially with the Hacksaw. I accidentally did that on my last run on Stalker, i thought it doesnt matter because theres another Hacksaw up there. Well... container keeps broken forever. I was not expecting that!

Hm cant decide.. was thinking about going ML too, because theres often a magnifying lens below the stoves in the fisher huts. Even better when theres a Bedroll as well. Im really lucky in this loper run, having bow, 12 arrows, deer boots on day 11. I dont think i could do this another time if i die now. Also found 2 thin wool sweaters on CH, so the only thing in TWM is the flare gun and wool ear wraps.

Another Question, is the Flare gun in the ravine base available on Loper? Because that means i could get that either on the way to ML, or back to my favourite base (Jackrabbit island), depending on where i find a rope. Would be alot safer to reach, and nice to have to stop a charging bear if hunting goes wrong

[manolitode]

4 minutes ago, Shadox said:

Another Question, is the Flare gun in the ravine base available on Loper? Because that means i could get that either on the way to ML, or back to my favourite base (Jackrabbit island), depending on where i find a rope. Would be alot safer to reach, and nice to have to stop a charging bear if hunting goes wrong

The flare gun is there and it's a solid investment before taking on TWM summit. You can avoid encountering a bear entirely by keeping left after the first rope. There's a narrow crack in the mountainside that constitutes a shortcut to the second rope. Meaning you won't have to encounter that bear and risk spoiling a good run early.

9 minutes ago, Shadox said:

Im really lucky in this loper run, having bow, 12 arrows, deer boots on day 11. I dont think i could do this another time if i die now. Also found 2 thin wool sweaters on CH, so the only thing in TWM is the flare gun and wool ear wraps.

Sounds like you're doing it right It's certainly safer to pick up a bedroll first, you already have decent clothing so the mountain weather won't be too bad  whether you choose to go straight away or wait til day 30.

[Shadox]

Good tip with that Shortcut, im gonna try it on this run. Thanks! Yep, i decided to wait. I have another Deer Hide left for curing, can craft the Pants after that. Looting ML while its curing, and hopefully return with a Bedroll + Lens, crafting the Pants and heading to TWM is alot safer. I think theres a Lens for granted somewhere in ML if i remember it right. 

[Serenity]

Between the Camp Office, Trapper's and the Lookout you will definitely get one

[ChaosInEquilibrium]

1 hour ago, Serenity said:

Between the Camp Office, Trapper's and the Lookout you will definitely get one

Also the hunter’s blind by Alan’s cave! I think I’ve had it spawn there but not at the other locations.

 

OP, I did a day 5 summit from a AC spawn (so I did have plenty of cloth for the snow shelter by the base of the last rope climb, unlike the TWM spawn which gives you none) and all I can say is: it’s not worth it IMO. The only loot that degrades before day 40ish is the container with the canned food.  Better to find the bedroll and get the bow and arrow first. Makes the whole journey much safer and less wasteful of matches. IMO. I prefer instead to rush HRV after I get the bow and arrow, for the guaranteed wool ear wrap and mackinaw jacket. Loot all of MT along the way. Then return to TWM by day 40ish.

 

good luck!

Edited January 25, 2022 by ChaosInEquilibrium

[Shadox]

Bow and Arrows are no Problem, i have that since Day 9 or 10. I was more worried about the Cold without Wolf/Bear Coats and Bedroll. HRV does have a guaranteed mackinaw? Nice... i still have no 2nd Jacket and just a single Wolf pelt. Its gonna take a while until i get the Coat. I didnt dare to hunt them alot with such a little defense. The first Wolf was a easy kill, i had like 30 pieces of 0,2 kg Food in the inventory to skill cooking, and was smelly AF. That wolf went up to jackrabbit island, but i put my campfire in between the fence opening. So that Wolf just stood there waiting for a Headshot lol

Maybe im too worried about that degrading but things seem to spoil really fast. When i went to gather the Cattail stalks in CH, i gathered a few Beachcombing items and there was a can of sardines in it, which lost 4% Condition the way up to the Ravine entrance. Its my first Interloper game and it feels like if im not done looting all around Day 50, every item will be ruined :D

Chaos, did you pick up the technical Backpack and crampons on that Ash canyon spawn? That would be extremely fast if you picked that up AND did the summit by day 5 :D

[Serenity]

1 hour ago, ChaosInEquilibrium said:

Also the hunter’s blind by Alan’s cave! I think I’ve had it spawn there but not at the other locations.

There is a possible bedroll spawn there. I meant only the mag lens, as per the last sentence in the post before

Edited January 25, 2022 by Serenity

[turtle777]

The problem with IL and snow shelters is that you will use a fairly limited resource (cloth), and use it on something that will not last a long time. 

Yes, there is plenty of cloth in ML or MT, but in TWM, cloth is actually fairly rare. Once you get to ML, you should find a bedroll anyways.

-t

[manolitode]

On 1/25/2022 at 9:51 PM, Shadox said:

Maybe im too worried about that degrading but things seem to spoil really fast. When i went to gather the Cattail stalks in CH, i gathered a few Beachcombing items and there was a can of sardines in it, which lost 4% Condition the way up to the Ravine entrance. Its my first Interloper game and it feels like if im not done looting all around Day 50, every item will be ruined

Not to worry about clothing or general item decay, you'll find the stuff you need unspoiled. Though most foods will be ruined. One of the more frustrating details of fooditem decay on interloper is what we could call the pescetarian paradox in Bleak Inlet. What I mean by that is that the crates at the cannery contain an abundance of sardines even on loper (think I found 30 or so last time). Meaning there's basically enough canned fish to allow you to explore the whole region sardinefueled without attracting predators. However, it's not optimal to go to Bleak Inlet before level 5 archery because of timberwolves and that usually takes a while. By the time you reach level 5 most sardines will have decayed. Hence the paradox. Though of course, you could always just exploit the game's weakness to handle the t-wolves in early game.

[turtle777]

6 hours ago, manolitode said:

By the time you reach level 5 most sardines will have decayed. Hence the paradox. Though of course, you could always just exploit the game's weakness to handle the t-wolves in early game.

By the time you hit lvl 5 in archery, you should also have lvl 5 cooking. At that point, I normally don’t worry about spoiled sardines.

The only spoiled food I dread eating at lvl 5 cooking is peanut butter and condensed milk.

-t

[manolitode]

1 hour ago, turtle777 said:

By the time you hit lvl 5 in archery, you should also have lvl 5 cooking. At that point, I normally don’t worry about spoiled sardines.

The only spoiled food I dread eating at lvl 5 cooking is peanut butter and condensed milk.

-t

No milk or peanut butter in interloper my friend.

 

[turtle777]

35 minutes ago, manolitode said:

No milk or peanut butter in interloper my friend.

 

Huh, are you sure ? 

Perhaps it was my Stalker games where I found it. Alas, still careful about these.

-t

[UpUpAway95]

I don't believe the linear decay formula kicks in until you enter a zone for the first time; but the condition at which the items first spawn in at is affected by how many days the world has existed.  That is, there is an increasing chance as days go on for items to spawn in a lower condition, but still a chance that those items will spawn in good condition.  I once found a sweater in relatively new condition at the summit when I arrived very late in a run (after day 500 on voyageur difficulty).  Much of the other loot was ruined at that point though.

Still, I wouldn't rush to the summit.  The only time I enjoy trying for the summit quickly is when I happen to spawn in TWM high on the mountain itself... and it's just for the challenge of doing it (and because I haven't got any time invested in that character at that point - which makes him/her more easily expendable on such a frivolity).   Without a bedroll, it's a big risk, even if you manage to have enough cloth to make a snow shelter on the way up.  Getting a hacksaw at the summit is only a chance, so most of my attempts at day 1 summits end in failure by either dying on the way up or getting there and finding no hacksaw to open things.

In addition, any of the loot you can find at the summit can be found elsewhere in the game world in areas that are generally far more easily accessible.  It's a generally sounder strategy to go to those other areas first.

Edited January 30, 2022 by UpUpAway95

[Strelok]

13 hours ago, UpUpAway95 said:

I don't believe the linear decay formula kicks in until you enter a zone for the first time;

There is a mod which has an option that actually sets the decay rate particularely when you find the item and another option which sets the item decay before you find them. When you find them is defined by the pick up or inspection of that item. Could be a hint that your belief could be actually true. But not exaclty like you said that its about entering a region. So, still not certain what is exaclty the case.

[UpUpAway95]

2 hours ago, Strelok said:

There is a mod which has an option that actually sets the decay rate particularely when you find the item and another option which sets the item decay before you find them. When you find them is defined by the pick up or inspection of that item. Could be a hint that your belief could be actually true. But not exaclty like you said that its about entering a region. So, still not certain what is exaclty the case.

Possibly a combination... thing is, the items in the random containers aren't determined until that area of your map is "created" the first time.  Some items are tied to specific loot tables, but the question becomes when do they actually "exist" in the world.  They have to exist before they can start to decay in a linear fashion.  There has to be a formula that controls the "chance" of what condition the item will start at when it forms... which is also at least somewhat random because if you loot a building, exit and reload, the containers that don't become empty (as being discussed on another thread) will contain the same item, but the condition of it can vary greatly.  Currently, we know the dear corpses are despawning/decaying based on when you first enter the region... not based on inspection as they used to be.  So, I strongly suspect that's the case with at least some of the items in each region as well... probably the ones that are loose in the outdoor areas of each zone.

Edited January 31, 2022 by UpUpAway95

[Shadox]

Thanks everyone! I was really unlucky with Wool socks and the ear wrap, i could only think of BR lodge for another chance to get it. Thats the biggest reason why i wanted to rush the summit. I delayed it even more, wanted to have another wolf coat for that trip. Must have been around Day 45 or 50, and i found 2pairs of Wool Socks (one in 13% condition) and the wrap in about 30% condition. Either i was lucky with high condition starting spawns, or its still possible to loot the summit after nearly 2 months. Aside from various ruined food items (didnt care about it since i had cooking 5 from cooking lots of 0.2 kg meats), the only other items i recall finding ruined are sport socks.

[Jimmy]

1 hour ago, Shadox said:

Either i was lucky with high condition starting spawns, or its still possible to loot the summit after nearly 2 months.

You're right, they're typically fine to be left for a fairly long time. The summit is a great goal in any new Interloper game, but I avoid it until I at least have a bedroll, or more likely after forging and crafting a bow. Hitting HRV is usually a better use of time, and you get to loot Milton too.

I much prefer to try my luck at finding a second pair of thermal underwear as a priority, since I'll usually fill out two thin wool sweaters and two wool socks by the time I manage to find one. So far my best luck on Interloper has been Coastal Highway, with the set spawn that puts them in the bathtub with a flare and accelerant.

If the summit spawned a pair of thermal underwear, I'd be much more inclined to make the trip. Instead, I usually only aim for the summit for the rare consumables like coffee and the firestriker.

[Shadox]

I wasnt in HRV yet on my Loper run i still get lost there from time to time After looting milton and killing that Bear, i returned to CH. Honestly, the Bear in Milton is freekill because of all those cars and that alone is worth a trip from time to time!

I dont know how to quote (yet) but Jimmy, thats surprising to hear. Are there really no possible Longjohn spawns in the Clothing Containers on Loper? Im very sure that i found some Wool Longjohns there in my Stalker run. Because of that, i thought every Clothing allowed on Loper can spawn there as well, and its completely random what one gets. Except for the one guaranteed ear wrap.

[UpUpAway95]

10 minutes ago, Shadox said:

I wasnt in HRV yet on my Loper run i still get lost there from time to time After looting milton and killing that Bear, i returned to CH. Honestly, the Bear in Milton is freekill because of all those cars and that alone is worth a trip from time to time!

I dont know how to quote (yet) but Jimmy, thats surprising to hear. Are there really no possible Longjohn spawns in the Clothing Containers on Loper? Im very sure that i found some Wool Longjohns there in my Stalker run. Because of that, i thought every Clothing allowed on Loper can spawn there as well, and its completely random what one gets. Except for the one guaranteed ear wrap.

I've been trying to remember if I've ever gotten underwear up at the Summit on Loper settings.  I don't think I ever have.  There are far fewer containers that spawn up there on Loper, so it could be that the particular container that may contain underwear just doesn't spawn at all.