I want to leave my comfort zone

[MattD]

So, I've finally decided to up my game. I've been an avid stalker player for the past 2 years and I can say I've dealt with my fair share of wolves/timberwolves. That being said, they still scare me and I prefer not to tangle with them unless I have to. But I want to change that. 

The result of this aversion to risk has been this: I end up staying in Mystery Lake for a long time and don't explore other regions as much as I'd like to. My current run, I've spent the last 93 days here at camp office. There's plenty of deer and rabbits to hunt, lots of wood, there's a moose spawn over by Unnamed Pond, and a bear on the lake and by trappers cabin. So, I haven't been so motivated to venture elsewhere.

I did make a successful forge run in FM where I made 50 arrow heads and tools since I've long since used up the whetstones I've found so far. I haven't had to use them yet since I've found 4 hunting knives and 2 hatchets. But, it's nice to have. 

Anyway, I've grown bored of Mystery Lake. I recently started a Pilgrim run to explore HRV and Ash Canyon and was blown away by both (but especially HRV which may have become my new favorite zone). So I've decided to take the plunge and want to move to a different zone! I haven't decided where to go yet, but HRV is my top contender.

The only thing I'm concerned about HRV is the lack of shelters to escape from the wolves and bears. I usually will "walk the dog" if he's not blocking my way to conserve arrows and ammo. Once I enter a shelter, there's no more agro. This is harder in HRV since the only real escape is by pathing away via slopes or the ice caves. That's not always convenient, though, and I feel like I'll go through a lot more arrows and ammunition. The only plus would be plenty more delicious wolf meat to eat lol. 

I also considered PV, but I hate the constant blizzards there. Even though the map itself is spectacular. Last time I was there I had 3 long (6+ hour) blizzards in only 2 days! So once I looted the crash site, the farm, and signal hill, I got the hell out of there and haven't been back. 

Timberwolf Mountain might be a good option as well. The close proximity to Ash Canyon could also mean I can go grab the technical backpack and crampons too. Though, my only experience in AC was on pilgrim so I'm not very knowledgeable about the wolf and bear spawns.

Sometimes I think I'm just too indecisive for this game haha. Wherever I end up I want to stay there for at least 50 days or so. To all of you more seasoned players, what's the best zone to snowball in? Perhaps a more interesting question: what's the worst? I'm eager to hear the community's thoughts on this! Help me decide where to take this run

[Leeanda]

Worst is probably bleak..,at least going by others reactions on harder levels..  I've only done one stalker run though and I don't have the patience to stay anywhere longer than 5 days..  

Personally I'd recommend twm  mainly for the containers,fishing hut and birch bark. and I find there's less wolves there than places like coastal.

Whichever way you go ,I wish you luck🙂👍

[DaGnome91]

Worst zone : Bleak Inlet.

Best zone : pick yours!

I find TWM a very nice zone, of course you don't have direct access to the Satchel (a 24h-run in HRV approx.) but you can go and get those crampons & technical backpack quite easily (2-days run if you visit Homesteader's Respite to get that revolver, less if you don't). First you'll need to go to PV: the Crashed Plane to get some decent clothing and the Abandonned Prepper Cache for some tools. If you do that in the first 24h, you can escape predators and visit Skeeter's Ridge (the basement may hold some useful things) and Burned Ridge Cave. Plus there are 2 Moose spawns not far from Mountaineer's!
HRV is also a very nice zone, and the fact that you can plunder a whole town before going for the Satchel is a clear must.
BR I like it too, unlike so many: the Lodge holds so many treasures! Gauntlets and rifle, plenty of rabbits around, wood inside for a few days, and actually my first sight of a Moose was there!

These are good for me

Edited October 18, 2022 by DaGnome91

[Sgt Socks]

1 hour ago, DaGnome91 said:

Worst zone : Bleak Inlet.

Best zone : pick yours!
 

^^ seconded

I too would suggest:

* Broken Railroad - an underrated little map, made a huge challenge by the wolves, bear and possible Moose. Non Interloper it has fantastic loot and a forge. I also live in ML but use the forge here rather than FM which is one of my hated regions. Not because its hard but I just hate it. You could easily hop over to BR from ML and have some fun sooner rather than later.

Ash Canyon - agree with DaGnome for all the reasons stated (although I think it was referred to as HRV by mistake - here are your tech backpack and crampons). I never used to like the region at all then did a 50 day snowball and have rather fallen in love with it. You might want to take a few practical supplies with you, particularly cloth if you do go. It's a shame it's so far out of the way because I'd happily spend more time there.

But really any region you don't often frequent would push you out of your comfort zone. Don't discount PV - I used to hate it too but it has grown on me considerably (except on my current run where *four* bears have spawned and its been a nightmare). 

Stick a pin in the map and make yourself go there, no changing your mind! Or put a few names in a hat and challenge yourself to go to the first one picked out regardless of whether you "like" the idea or not. Indeed, if you want to be out of your comfort zone, the regions you have a more negative reaction to are the ones you should choose.

Let us know what you decide! 👍

 

Edited October 18, 2022 by Sgt Socks

[ManicManiac]

...is Bleak Inlet objectively the harshest/most erratic?

I'd have thought perhaps Hushed River Valley, Ash Canyon, or even Pleasant Valley (in terms of being relatively unstable, I mean - because granted it's definitely not the "coldest") might have claimed the title for worst weather.  

Don't get me wrong... I'm not arguing one way or the other.  I absolutely think that Bleak Inlet is surely among the worst; I only ask because I'm genuinely curious since I've not taken the time to consider the question beyond how it appears the regions have been categorized.  I guess I've just considered the each of the "Advanced" regions as more or less being on the same level.

Region                             "Difficulty"
Mystery Lake                   Beginner
Coastal Highway            Intermediate
Pleasant Valley               Advanced
Desolation Point             Intermediate
Timberwolf Mountain     Advanced
Forlorn Muskeg               Advanced
Broken Railroad              Intermediate
Mountain Town              Beginner
Hushed River Valley      Advanced
Bleak Inlet                       Advanced
Ash Canyon                    Advanced
Blackrock                        Intermediate

(Referenced from Hinterland/Fandom Wiki)

Edited October 18, 2022 by ManicManiac

[Leeanda]

33 minutes ago, ManicManiac said:

...is Bleak Inlet objectively the harshest/most erratic?

I'd have thought perhaps Hushed River Valley, Ash Canyon, or even Pleasant Valley (in terms of being relatively unstable, I mean - because granted it's definitely not the "coldest") might have claimed the title for worst weather.  

Don't get me wrong... I'm not arguing one way or the other.  I absolutely think that Bleak Inlet is surely among the worst; I only ask because I'm genuinely curious since I've not taken the time to consider the question beyond how it appears the regions have been categorized.  I guess I've just considered the each of the "Advanced" regions as more or less being on the same level.

Region                             "Difficulty"
Mystery Lake                   Beginner
Coastal Highway            Intermediate
Pleasant Valley               Advanced
Desolation Point             Intermediate
Timberwolf Mountain     Advanced
Forlorn Muskeg               Advanced
Broken Railroad              Intermediate
Mountain Town              Beginner
Hushed River Valley      Advanced
Bleak Inlet                       Advanced
Ash Canyon                    Advanced
Blackrock                        Intermediate

(Referenced from Hinterland/Fandom Wiki)

You have a point there...I didn't find bleak too bad but  Hrv and BlackRock are both on my least favourite and hardest list.. but each to their own I guess 🙂

[Sgt Socks]

@ManicManiac

Good point. It does need definition.

A lot of course depends on personal preference, what makes a place enjoyable or not for the individual.

** Note - my comments apply to everything except Interloper - that is an entire category of its own, and one I choose not to play. I don't enjoy being deprived to that extent! **

In terms of needing advanced skills (that is the ability to counter the challenges of harsh weather/terrain/wildlife regardless of difficulty. Also taking into consideration manmade/natural resources and shelter).

For me that is definitely Bleak Inlet. There are so many possible ways to die all rolled into one. The open spaces, not always easily accessible shelter, thin ice and hostile wildlife make it really, really tough. And it is *cold*. In a lot of ways FM is a mini Bleak Inlet.

Pleasant Valley is without a doubt up there, but for me it has a lot more potential for survival with some excellent shelters and loot areas. With a decent amount of knowledge PV is for me less difficult than Bleak Inlet.

However it isn't far off because of the predictable unpredictability of the weather. Today for example, it was a beautiful day and I was looking for the prepper cache up near Three Strikes. Within the time it took me to chop a fir limb an intense blizzard hit. Fortunately I found my way to a cave. Even more fortunately I had gone prepared with food and coal because I was stuck in the cave for two and a half days with no respite.

Ash Canyon. Now I would have put this up there until I did my recent 50 day snowball there. Yes it can make a tricky first spawn with limited man-made resources like matches, cloth, clothing etc. However the mine offers more than enough to get you started and as long as you are methodical, careful and frugal you can survive really well. The copious natural resources plus several workbenches certainly help. It does however have one of the most awkward and difficult bear/moose spawns I've come across. It can also be really nasty if you're caught out by a blizzard as you exploring the upper levels and trying to cross those terrifying bridges.

I can't comment on HRV or Blackrock as I don't play those two regions. HRV because it makes my PTSD claustrophobia unbearable. Blackrock because all the wolves provide too many jumpscares, also PTSD related reasons not to be there. I also feel like Blackrock simply had ridiculous amounts of wolves thrown at it to make it a difficult map, it felt rather lazy to me in that way. Rather than the intelligent difficulty of other regions.

Broken Railroad, Mountain Town and Coastal Highway all pose significant challenges because of the amount of wolves in small areas, often with poor line of sight for the player. This can easily lead to being ambushed on multiple occasions and if you don't get chance to heal or repair your gear, it can definitely be the end of you.

Edited October 18, 2022 by Sgt Socks

[conanjaguar]

I agree with @Sgt Socks and with… well, everyone else. Bleak Inlet is the place to go if you want to die horribly. But, if you want to have fun, then I think that my two regions to pick would be Mountain Town or Forlorn Muskeg.

Both these regions are challenging, but not guaranteed deathtraps. In my experience, Mountain Town has the best weather on the map, while the ‘Keg is most susceptible to thick fog. Both have decent amounts of wolves… err… steak roaming around, and (usually) good loot, but not enough to spoil you.

[DaGnome91]

4 hours ago, Sgt Socks said:

Ash Canyon - agree with DaGnome for all the reasons stated (although I think it was referred to as HRV by mistake - here are your tech backpack and crampons).

Actually, I meant it that way: From Grey Mother 's Mansion, the moose satchel is a 24h-run, give or take a few hours.
I agree that I wasn't very clear, cabin fever may have hit me earlier

I was first talking about spawning in TWM : it's the fastest way to the best loot in the game, and that puts you way ahead of the "curve" ! In a few days, you can get your grubby little goblin hands on the sacred backpack and holy pair of crampons, with good clothing, a good set of tools, a rifle, a bow, ammo/arrows, and a revolver (+ a fisherman sweat with luck) if you push for a 4th day in AC and pass the bear around Miner's Folly (while you're still at it, why not?). Then you're set for TWM Summit and the best possible clothing (except the crafted one). Let's say you take your time, in 15 to 20 days, you're set for all but the harshest cold. Even with predators lurking around every corner, it might be the safest path. Your only real problem is : will you find the starting matches? But even these are quite easy to find nearby (except for interlopers).
Of course, if you spawn "uphill", it's not the same story at all and the start may well become the end rapidly ^^

By the way, I named the spawn points at Mountaineer's Hut and Landing Gear: The Goblin Starts 😁

Spawning in AC is another story altogether: since you're a long way from decent clothing, you will have to rely on whatever you find and hunt, and a very good shelter. Angler's Den, Foreman's Retreat, and the Gold Mine are your best opportunities, the Den being the best of the 3. If you have a bedroll and a hatchet, you can add Climber's Cave, Shattered Cave (Unnamed, the cave up Shattered Cove), and the "Cave across the bridges" between High Meadow and Miner's Folly (another unnamed place). In short, at high difficulties AC is a trial and certainly not your standard start, but then you're set for TWM Summit !

Edited October 18, 2022 by DaGnome91

[MattD]

Thanks for the input, everyone! I'm pleased to say Bleak Inlet didn't even cross my mind as a place I'd like to stay in. I've had 3 decent runs end there, so no thanks. 

7 hours ago, Leeanda said:

Personally I'd recommend twm  mainly for the containers,fishing hut and birch bark. and I find there's less wolves there than places like coastal.

Ah, yes. All good for ensuring a nice long stay

7 hours ago, DaGnome91 said:

Worst zone : Bleak Inlet.

Best zone : pick yours!

I find TWM a very nice zone, of course you don't have direct access to the Satchel (a 24h-run in HRV approx.) but you can go and get those crampons & technical backpack quite easily (2-days run if you visit Homesteader's Respite to get that revolver, less if you don't). First you'll need to go to PV: the Crashed Plane to get some decent clothing and the Abandonned Prepper Cache for some tools. If you do that in the first 24h, you can escape predators and visit Skeeter's Ridge (the basement may hold some useful things) and Burned Ridge Cave. Plus there are 2 Moose spawns not far from Mountaineer's!
HRV is also a very nice zone, and the fact that you can plunder a whole town before going for the Satchel is a clear must.
BR I like it too, unlike so many: the Lodge holds so many treasures! Gauntlets and rifle, plenty of rabbits around, wood inside for a few days, and actually my first sight of a Moose was there!

These are good for me

Very good points! I've crafted the satchel already, so I don't need to go to HRV to find it. I also have all the firearms. If it was a fresh run, I'd certainly follow your advice on that!

6 hours ago, Sgt Socks said:

I too would suggest:

* Broken Railroad - an underrated little map, made a huge challenge by the wolves, bear and possible Moose. Non Interloper it has fantastic loot and a forge. I also live in ML but use the forge here rather than FM which is one of my hated regions. Not because its hard but I just hate it. You could easily hop over to BR from ML and have some fun sooner rather than later.

Ash Canyon - agree with DaGnome for all the reasons stated (although I think it was referred to as HRV by mistake - here are your tech backpack and crampons). I never used to like the region at all then did a 50 day snowball and have rather fallen in love with it. You might want to take a few practical supplies with you, particularly cloth if you do go. It's a shame it's so far out of the way because I'd happily spend more time there.

But really any region you don't often frequent would push you out of your comfort zone. Don't discount PV - I used to hate it too but it has grown on me considerably (except on my current run where *four* bears have spawned and its been a nightmare). 

Stick a pin in the map and make yourself go there, no changing your mind! Or put a few names in a hat and challenge yourself to go to the first one picked out regardless of whether you "like" the idea or not. Indeed, if you want to be out of your comfort zone, the regions you have a more negative reaction to are the ones you should choose.

Let us know what you decide! 👍

 

Broken Railroad is one I completely forgot about until you both suggested it. I may consider that for sure! I like the "stick a pin in it" mentality. Like I said, I want to be uncomfortable so I can improve my play style. 

6 hours ago, ManicManiac said:

...is Bleak Inlet objectively the harshest/most erratic?

I'd have thought perhaps Hushed River Valley, Ash Canyon, or even Pleasant Valley (in terms of being relatively unstable, I mean - because granted it's definitely not the "coldest") might have claimed the title for worst weather.  

Don't get me wrong... I'm not arguing one way or the other.  I absolutely think that Bleak Inlet is surely among the worst; I only ask because I'm genuinely curious since I've not taken the time to consider the question beyond how it appears the regions have been categorized.  I guess I've just considered the each of the "Advanced" regions as more or less being on the same level.

Region                             "Difficulty"
Mystery Lake                   Beginner
Coastal Highway            Intermediate
Pleasant Valley               Advanced
Desolation Point             Intermediate
Timberwolf Mountain     Advanced
Forlorn Muskeg               Advanced
Broken Railroad              Intermediate
Mountain Town              Beginner
Hushed River Valley      Advanced
Bleak Inlet                       Advanced
Ash Canyon                    Advanced
Blackrock                        Intermediate

(Referenced from Hinterland/Fandom Wiki)

I'd consider BI as "extra advanced" personally. HRV may be difficult to navigate, but for me it's way more forgiving than bleak. Same with AC and PV. Like @conanjaguar said: Bleak Inlet is the place to die horribly. Couldn't agree more, Conan! 

So based on all of your advice, TWM, AC, BR (not to be confused with BRM) seem to be good places to stay in. After a double coin flip, the results are in.

Ash Canyon is the winner! 

From this point I'm planning on 50 days in Ash, followed by 50 days in TWM, and then finally 50 days in BR. That's assuming I survive that long lol. If I do, it'll be my longest single run yet! 

Thanks again to all of you for your advice! I'll report back once I make it to AC.

[Sgt Socks]

3 hours ago, MattD said:

Ash Canyon is the winner! 

From this point I'm planning on 50 days in Ash, followed by 50 days in TWM, and then finally 50 days in BR.

Hoorah! AC rocks. It can be rather disorientating, especially if you don't know the region, but nowhere near HRV on that score. There's a huge amount of birch and maple as well. And until you've experienced the joy of the technical backpack inventory space, well you haven't lived.

DaGnome is right, it can be a little tricky as a first spawn but as long as you're careful more than doable. If I can survive 50 days there anyone can. There are a few wolves on the lower levels that can make life a wee but tricky so keep your eyes and ears open.

But think of all the TWM loot you can stuff into that backpack. That's a reason to live right there 😁

Good luck and have fun! 🍀

[Guest jeffpeng]

Bleak Inlet is "objectively" the hardest zone overall.

- The weather is as erratic as Pleasant Valley.
- It is probably the coldest region in the game, maybe shared with Ash Canyon
- It has a lot of open terrain with little shelter, so it's easy to get stranded in a blizzard out there (which are frequent)
- It even has weak ice...
- Loot is nothing special (well, except for the workshop)
- Even stones are scares (like srly?!)
- Firewood is severely limited
- Food is severely limited (except you are willing to actively hunt timberwolves.... speaking of... )
- TIMBERWOLVES. On a map that is always windy.

I've learned to deal with pretty much all regions, even PV (which I still do not like to this day), but how to handle Bleak Inlet escapes me. Unless I want the crowning achievement of having been and lived (and usually died) there in my run .... I don't go there. And that's okay. TLD is big enough as of today to skip out on this region, and you do not have to traverse it if you don't want to.

[James Hickok]

20 hours ago, MattD said:

So, I've finally decided to up my game. I've been an avid stalker player for the past 2 years and I can say I've dealt with my fair share of wolves/timberwolves. That being said, they still scare me and I prefer not to tangle with them unless I have to. But I want to change that. 

The result of this aversion to risk has been this: I end up staying in Mystery Lake for a long time and don't explore other regions as much as I'd like to. My current run, I've spent the last 93 days here at camp office. There's plenty of deer and rabbits to hunt, lots of wood, there's a moose spawn over by Unnamed Pond, and a bear on the lake and by trappers cabin. So, I haven't been so motivated to venture elsewhere.

I did make a successful forge run in FM where I made 50 arrow heads and tools since I've long since used up the whetstones I've found so far. I haven't had to use them yet since I've found 4 hunting knives and 2 hatchets. But, it's nice to have. 

Anyway, I've grown bored of Mystery Lake. I recently started a Pilgrim run to explore HRV and Ash Canyon and was blown away by both (but especially HRV which may have become my new favorite zone). So I've decided to take the plunge and want to move to a different zone! I haven't decided where to go yet, but HRV is my top contender.

The only thing I'm concerned about HRV is the lack of shelters to escape from the wolves and bears. I usually will "walk the dog" if he's not blocking my way to conserve arrows and ammo. Once I enter a shelter, there's no more agro. This is harder in HRV since the only real escape is by pathing away via slopes or the ice caves. That's not always convenient, though, and I feel like I'll go through a lot more arrows and ammunition. The only plus would be plenty more delicious wolf meat to eat lol. 

I also considered PV, but I hate the constant blizzards there. Even though the map itself is spectacular. Last time I was there I had 3 long (6+ hour) blizzards in only 2 days! So once I looted the crash site, the farm, and signal hill, I got the hell out of there and haven't been back. 

Timberwolf Mountain might be a good option as well. The close proximity to Ash Canyon could also mean I can go grab the technical backpack and crampons too. Though, my only experience in AC was on pilgrim so I'm not very knowledgeable about the wolf and bear spawns.

Sometimes I think I'm just too indecisive for this game haha. Wherever I end up I want to stay there for at least 50 days or so. To all of you more seasoned players, what's the best zone to snowball in? Perhaps a more interesting question: what's the worst? I'm eager to hear the community's thoughts on this! Help me decide where to take this run

Hello survivor !

If you decide to play Interloper the first thing You need to do is loot (almost) the entire wolrd or at least major zones that must be looted :

PV(clothing), ML(mag lense and Bedroll), TWM (summit ofc), AC(crampons and backpack). If you will not find hammer and hacksaw you shoul venture out to other zones  - you need them. You will need to do it as fast as you can.

You cant stay in one zone/place bcoz You will die - it forces you to venture out in the wild without a weapon and i bet you will be out of ur comfort zone doing that.

After you looted the zones you should have clothing, supplies, matches, mag lense, bedroll and other stuff like hacksaw and hammer and ofc birch and maple saplings few guts from rabbits or carcasses. Go back to ML office leave the saplings and guts to cure and head out to FM to craft tools and arrows. Go back to ML and craft a bow - now ur set to begin the living wherever you want.

Ofc if You plan to play stalker you can just skip all that and just choose a location and go there - you will  most likely find the loot you need in one zone. Then just venture out to other zone and loot if you need more suppllies.

The worst zone that you can imagine to live in is : Yes. Bleak Inlet

1 hour ago, jeffpeng said:

Bleak Inlet is "objectively" the hardest zone overall.

- The weather is as erratic as Pleasant Valley.
- It is probably the coldest region in the game, maybe shared with Ash Canyon
- It has a lot of open terrain with little shelter, so it's easy to get stranded in a blizzard out there (which are frequent)
- It even has weak ice...
- Loot is nothing special (well, except for the workshop)
- Even stones are scares (like srly?!)
- Firewood is severely limited
- Food is severely limited (except you are willing to actively hunt timberwolves.... speaking of... )
- TIMBERWOLVES. On a map that is always windy.

Very accurate description with emphasis on "Firewood is SEVERLY limited". Everyone that claims that BI is not so bad (i know i did before i lived there for 101 days) most likely havent lived there for more than 30 days without leaving ofc.

If you dont want to punish/test urself and dont have exp playing TLD dont go to live there

The best place to snowball in ? If i understand the term snowball - means grow/develop quickly i will say Coastal Highway 100 %

It has everything you need - tons of food, moose, bears (always 3), tons of fishing huts, open space that makes you see predators from far away, tons of cloth, and is the only place that you can live indefinately in game bcoz of endless supply of cloth and birch and maple saplings via beachcombing. It has a coal mine and every ~2 weeks you can go there and loot 46 coal pieces. Close to Desolation for crafting in doors. The trek to Desolation from Coastal is super easy and super fast and you beachcomb during that. It has one outdoor crafting table and one indoor where bear comes right up the garage door for you to kill him and have supplies if you need to craft for a couple of days, moose spawns just outside as well.

When i finish my 100 days in every region challenge im going back there - my home it feels and i miss it. Glad im close - only 40 ish days in AC then 100 days in HRV (i love hrv as well its so nice) and 100 days in desolation and im done !!! Cant believ im so close to doing that. Failed first on day 748 and 2nd on day 300. After Blackrock and Bleak Inlet it feels like camping in other zones.

As for Ash Canyon - im currently on day 60 here and its very nice, there are shortcuts to go everywhere fast and overall its an easy zone. Dont take cloth there with you as i thought. There is plenty in huts and clothing that you will find. The zones You need to take cloth with you is HRV , and ML - clothing deteriorate much faster when living in caves.

[Guest jeffpeng]

7 hours ago, James Hickok said:

The best place to snowball in ? If i understand the term snowball - means grow/develop quickly i will say Coastal Highway 100 %

The term "Snowballing" originated with @Drifter Man's "Snowball's chance in hell" series, which (afaik) originally meant living on TWM exclusively on Interloper, without ever (really, ever) leaving the region. This was later expanded to other rather inhospitable places, such as HRV and FM (kegstandin, iirc).

Edited October 19, 2022 by jeffpeng

[Sgt Socks]

55 minutes ago, jeffpeng said:

 This was later expanded to .... FM (kegstandin, iirc).

This is the FM "Keg" Stand link; indeed Drifterman is credited as inspiration

Forlorn Muskeg Snowball - "Keg" Stand

Edited October 19, 2022 by Sgt Socks

[Leeanda]

@MattD good choice..  ash does have its problems ,there's some ambush points you need to be careful of and that bear makes things awkward but it really is a great place... I'd recommend it just for the stunning views 🙂. 

I hope you enjoy your time there .

[MattD]

On 10/19/2022 at 12:05 AM, Sgt Socks said:

Hoorah! AC rocks. It can be rather disorientating, especially if you don't know the region, but nowhere near HRV on that score. There's a huge amount of birch and maple as well. And until you've experienced the joy of the technical backpack inventory space, well you haven't lived.

DaGnome is right, it can be a little tricky as a first spawn but as long as you're careful more than doable. If I can survive 50 days there anyone can. There are a few wolves on the lower levels that can make life a wee but tricky so keep your eyes and ears open.

But think of all the TWM loot you can stuff into that backpack. That's a reason to live right there 😁

Good luck and have fun! 🍀

Luckily, I'm fresh off my pilgrim exploration of AC! I actually feel somewhat confident navigating it. 

16 hours ago, jeffpeng said:

The term "Snowballing" originated with @Drifter Man's "Snowball's chance in hell" series, which (afaik) originally meant living on TWM exclusively on Interloper, without ever (really, ever) leaving the region. This was later expanded to other rather inhospitable places, such as HRV and FM (kegstandin, iirc).

I didn't know that. It seems I misused the term. I thought it meant simply staying in one zone for an extended period. I would like to try this (on interloper) eventually. Need to expand my map knowledge a bit more first. 

14 hours ago, Leeanda said:

@MattD good choice..  ash does have its problems ,there's some ambush points you need to be careful of and that bear makes things awkward but it really is a great place... I'd recommend it just for the stunning views 🙂. 

I hope you enjoy your time there .

I'll admit: I'm slightly nervous about the "wolf nest" by Angler's Den. Still excited though! I'm stuck in PV right now due to blizzards. Once I make it to TWM, I'm heading straight for the Echo Ravine entrance to AC and the fun will begin! 

[James Hickok]

17 hours ago, jeffpeng said:

The term "Snowballing" originated with @Drifter Man's "Snowball's chance in hell" series, which (afaik) originally meant living on TWM exclusively on Interloper, without ever (really, ever) leaving the region. This was later expanded to other rather inhospitable places, such as HRV and FM (kegstandin, iirc).

Thank You for the explanation. Do you know if you have to spawn in Twm and never leave it or you can craft bow first? If not only living off rabbits , fish and lured deer to get killed by wolves. 

 

5 minutes ago, MattD said:

 

I'll admit: I'm slightly nervous about the "wolf nest" by Angler's Den. Still excited though! I'm stuck in PV right now due to blizzards. Once I make it to TWM, I'm heading straight for the Echo Ravine entrance to AC and the fun will begin! 

Anglers den is my main base in ac ATM (close to everywhere from there) and when I head them respawn i just take a torch pack my inv with meat so they come to me and I just shoot them basterds 😀 

[Leeanda]

Just now, MattD said:

Luckily, I'm fresh off my pilgrim exploration of AC! I actually feel somewhat confident navigating it. 

I didn't know that. It seems I misused the term. I thought it meant simply staying in one zone for an extended period. I would like to try this (on interloper) eventually. Need to expand my map knowledge a bit more first. 

I'll admit: I'm slightly nervous about the "wolf nest" by Angler's Den. Still excited though! I'm stuck in PV right now due to blizzards. Once I make it to TWM, I'm heading straight for the Echo Ravine entrance to AC and the fun will begin! 

In places like ash it's wise to be cautious.. but once you spend enough time there and get to know it better it's a great place. 

On anything other than pilgrim the bear and moose spawns sites can be rather tricky. But I find that at least the weather is calmer than good old pleasant valley..

I'm sure you'll do well  in ash . 🙂

[Guest jeffpeng]

2 hours ago, James Hickok said:

Thank You for the explanation. Do you know if you have to spawn in Twm and never leave it or you can craft bow first? If not only living off rabbits , fish and lured deer to get killed by wolves. 

You spawn there, and you never leave. This goes so far that one of four loot tables on TWM isn't even viable because it has no hacksaw, and hence you cannot open containers on the summit, which makes it nigh impossible to get past day 15. You never get to craft a bow, you never get to craft any tools. You will never have a sleeping bag. You will most likely never find a can opener, which means that you will have to make due with one can. You also won't fish, because since the only loot table that has a hammer is the one that has no hacksaw - so you can't break the ice. Edit: Correction. Actually on two of the three viable loot tables there is a hammer you can find. Still fishing is hard to accomplish with limited firewood.

I've done this with the additional limitation of not living in the hut and I've got to day 59.

!!Caution: Shameless self-advertising!!

If you want to partake in my sufferings I encourage you to read

It's a little dated by now, but it's maybe my best "work" to date. I'm not aware anyone else has attempted this let alone made it this far.

Edit: I also didn't know a lot of things about the game back then that I do know now. Like the 20% barrier before you can get food poisoning from canned food, or how the fire bonus actually works (just that there is such a thing). Also the game was in a different state then, and a lot of things that worked back then do not anymore, and vice versa. So please be cautioned reading this as "fact". I guess in modern times The Ministry Of Truth would flag a lot of it as "misinformation".

Edited October 20, 2022 by jeffpeng

[Sgt Socks]

2 hours ago, jeffpeng said:

!!Caution: Shameless self-advertising!!

If you want to partake in my sufferings I encourage you to read

 

I'm all for partaking in watching someone else be really cruel to themselves! (well I'm really not like that, but you worded it that way Jeff 🙂)

I shall make sure to go and have a good read through... it sounds utterly bonkers.  I'm all for bonkers.