Thoughts on the New Regions

[ChillPlayer]

I started in this region my Stalker run and have come back around day 140 to complete my exploration of it. There are some interesting new additions like "holes" and when I discovered the transit from the Cove to the Cabin I was excited like a little child. Also, placing a rope next to a hidden shortcut made me miss the path to the vista for (ingame) days.

At this point I don't have much use for a workbench and because first a group of deer, then a bear and finally a moose happend to be around Final Approach, I am currently camping there. I've got the bear completely cooked and about a 3rd of the moose, it's quite challenging to balance firewood use out here because the copter does not always provide above freezing temps.

Overall I like the concept of the map and love the new cottage design but there's one thing that really bothers me: the sound of the wind. This is not limited to FA but in this open field, wind is almost a constant and the sound is very loud, unbearable loud to the extend that the first time ever since I play the game I had to tune down the sound effects in the audio settings. Which has it's drawbacks too because it quitens animal sounds as well, I wished there would be a separate settings for environmental sounds (waterfalls are also extremly loud).

So after spending 20 days out in the open here I don't see myself staying for much longer, insomnia is supposed to drive you crazy but that I actually find kinda fun, it's the constant wind sounds that drive me as a player crazy.

[yoli]

20 hours ago, Shadox said:

Exact! Also i think people complaining about the transition zones being boring dont play on Interloper. Those long, cold tunnels with places to warm up being spread out rather far makes it an interesting trip. Warming up bonus and chain-torching is needed unless you want to lose a chunk of health before even arriving in FA.

I play in Stalker for now. Well if the level design is made for a single play mode we have a problem I have two alternative options to suggest which may have been possible, the second one still being possible in an update:

- It would have been possible to make 2 parallel ways, one covered (like in caves) and one outside, in the same level. So you can take the boring but safer way, or not.

- Since we have to live with these long boring tunnels, it would still be possible to add doors that would lead to various underground basements, that would make exploration more fun. And for the mountain corridors, some diversions could also be possible.

[Semple Fi]

I’m thinking that we are only seeing the tip of the new zones right now.  I imagine as each drop becomes available and new zones have to have their entryways defined, more will be added throughout the transitions.  

[Kranium]

• I find it odd to not have a workbench above ground, can't see a hangar without one IRL. I guess it has to be about balance. As it is, the only one is in total darkness unless there's glimmer fog/aurora, or you choose to burn a lot of lamp oil. (IMHO it's a glitch that you can craft in total darkness down there while it's actually light outside, add a window well if that's not the case!) {[edit] I forgot about a 2nd wb}
• Having only 1 safe place from glimmer fog seems a bit much - why not caves, too?

Just spitballin'.

Edited December 17, 2022 by Kranium

[Semple Fi]

21 minutes ago, Kranium said:

• I find it odd to not have a workbench above ground, can't see a hangar without one IRL. I guess it has to be about balance. As it is, the only one is in total darkness unless there's glimmer fog/aurora, or you choose to burn a lot of lamp oil. (IMHO it's a glitch that you can craft in total darkness down there while it's actually light outside, add a window well if that's not the case!)
• Having only 1 safe place from glimmer fog seems a bit much - why not caves, too?

Just spitballin'.

I thought the glimmer fog was only an issue on the lake/waterways?

I stayed outside up in the hills in a snow shelter and didn’t have any issues.  

[Kranium]

Good to know. I hadn't tried a snow shelter yet. I did try one cave (around the island) and it didn't offer protection from insomnia, so I've not much to go by thus far.

 

Also, I forgot a 2nd work bench. It's someplace I kind of blew through when I first hit the region, only made it back to that spot just now. Disregard my work bench comment upstream.

[Semple Fi]

5 minutes ago, Kranium said:

Good to know. I hadn't tried a snow shelter yet. I did try one cave (around the island) and it didn't offer protection from insomnia, so I've not much to go by thus far.

 

Also, I forgot a 2nd work bench. It's someplace I kind of blew through when I first hit the region, only made it back to that spot just now. Disregard my work bench comment upstream.

I’ve barley scratched the region, only found one cabin so far but it sounds like there are 3 or 4. 

[Shadox]

Blizzards seem to be a bit off here though. Came back after some more hunting, crafting 2nd Bear Coat (even found climbing Socks in HRV... on loper, wtf!) and the last 5 Days in FA was a Blizzard the entire time except for a few night hours with intense Fog. I've never seen that crazy Blizzards even in PV xD Got cabin fever risk now just because i was sitting in the Terminal for 5 Days, snacking cattail Stalks and toilet water, and did 2 hour naps and waits for that blizzard to end..

Edited December 17, 2022 by Shadox

[yoli]

20 hours ago, Kranium said:

• I find it odd to not have a workbench above ground, can't see a hangar without one IRL. I guess it has to be about balance.

I think what they wanted to do is provide a place where you can do stuff while the fog is there. So basically plan on using the workbench when there's a fog. I think the fog is too much present though, and for long periods, this is not really fun.

[yoli]

Hello World! (wish me luck)

Did I say there is really too much fog?

 

[Shadox]

1 hour ago, yoli said:

I think what they wanted to do is provide a place where you can do stuff while the fog is there. So basically plan on using the workbench when there's a fog. I think the fog is too much present though, and for long periods, this is not really fun.

The Glimmer Fog is probably random, i honestly dont think its too much present. Im on Day 127 Interloper now, around 25 of those in FA (am i blind or cant you check the new area in statistics?) and i had it just 2 times. Blizzards lasting for several days is much more common on FA, at least on my save. Other than that, its either completely clear or dense normal Fog, rarely something in between.

Also Insomnia is not much of a problem. Its not something that can kill you on its own, but rather something that can snowball into a bigger Problem. Like keeping you critical low on condition or prevent healing of another, more deadly condition. And even that only when you dont have herbal tea. The only time i got insomnia i just slept 10 hours through after drinking an herbal tea, thats not a big deal.

Unlike Cabin Fever, had to abandon both trips to FA for safe recovery after getting cabin fever risk 2 times because of Blizzards lasting several days, while the only non-Blizzard weather was mid nighttime with -60ish degrees and (normal) fog outside.

Just for clarity, i dont complain about the difficulty of the new Map. I do like it alot, and it has a very interesting design.  But it does show again how much of a bad design Cabin Fever is. The last thing you would do when a snowstorm is raging outside, is getting crazy because you need to stay in your warm shelter.

[Glacia]

1 hour ago, Shadox said:

Just for clarity, i dont complain about the difficulty of the new Map. I do like it alot, and it has a very interesting design.  But it does show again how much of a bad design Cabin Fever is. The last thing you would do when a snowstorm is raging outside, is getting crazy because you need to stay in your warm shelter.

I haven't tested it yet, but maybe the nearby cars/vehicles offer windshield to let a campfire burns outside and allow you to sleep on a vehicle. Also, im not sure if the stairs behind the hangar (The secondary entrance) offer windshield.

Cabin fever seems tricky on this map right now, but surely there is a good spot to cure them if needed.

[Shadox]

5 minutes ago, Glacia said:

I haven't tested it yet, but maybe the nearby cars/vehicles offer windshield to let a campfire burns outside and allow you to sleep on a vehicle. Also, im not sure if the stairs behind the hangar (The secondary entrance) offer windshield.

Cabin fever seems tricky on this map right now, but surely there is a good spot to cure them if needed.

Thanks for the tips! There are definitely some Places that are mostly windshielded, though not completely. Theres also that broken house not far of the Hangar, it has an oven, but that one is open and lacks the metal grid most ovens have. I dont know if thats purely visual or if it lacks the windproofing. Seems like a good place to cook that moose that roamed the lake, but i didnt risk hunting him. Cabin Fever + Broken rips would do me in

Good idea with the stairs, theres a good chance that could work, the little fence on jackrabbit acts windproofing as well in most directions. Theres no vehicle nearby, but if a snow shelter fits there, this could be the solution!

 

[Glacia]

Also, the fallen helicopter not too far to the airport it's a perfect choice. It offers perfect wind shield and you can make a campfire inside, there is even a bed inside.

The only problem could be the fog, it's very easy to get lost even if you are not far from the hangar.

[Shadox]

4 hours ago, Glacia said:

Also, the fallen helicopter not too far to the airport it's a perfect choice. It offers perfect wind shield and you can make a campfire inside, there is even a bed inside.

The only problem could be the fog, it's very easy to get lost even if you are not far from the hangar.

You can craft a fire inside that thing? Thats perfect, i did not even try that. I dont worry about the fog, always had some herbal tea with in case i need more hp reg but the fog rarely occurs for me anyway. Thanks!

Hopefully now i can explore FA longer before i need to recover at maintenance shed/BR 🤣

[DaGnome91]

14 hours ago, Glacia said:

I haven't tested it yet, but maybe the nearby cars/vehicles offer windshield to let a campfire burns outside and allow you to sleep on a vehicle. Also, im not sure if the stairs behind the hangar (The secondary entrance) offer windshield.

For your info, I made a fire just outside the eastern crashed helicopter so it was wind-protected, I stayed inside near the fire and was fully benefiting from it !

[turtle777]

15 hours ago, Shadox said:

Good idea with the stairs, theres a good chance that could work, the little fence on jackrabbit acts windproofing as well in most directions. Theres no vehicle nearby, but if a snow shelter fits there, this could be the solution!

 

The stairs behind hangar are NOT windproof.

I have not found a guaranteed wind-sheltered location at the airfield. 

-t

 

[Lumi]

Really loved the transition and Transfer Pass was a nice stayover for a few days and I was very happy to find a bearskin bedroll in the coal... tower... thing (we don't have trains where I live), felt clever climbing in through the coal storage. Personally, though, although it was impactful in the moment, Far Range should be longer, and more treacherous. Especially since the FT seem to be the future sight of many unique goodies (hopefully). Also, TP felt kind of empty. I was super sad we couldn't go down to the basin below. 

Forsaken Airfield and the trek in from the mountain road (believe it's called the Old Road somewhere) was absolutely perfect. Seriously. The unique wind effects in the canyon, the score kicking in for the first time, and seeing the sheer SIZE of the map was perfect and I have no complaints. Nice long journey to the airfield. However, I felt the airfield was kind of lackluster, a few buildings and a dingy hangar, I found myself marching out into the snowfield ASAP. Absolutely love the hilltop cabins, especially the one in the mountains, but I wasn't so fond of how empty the upper hills were. The region feels massively empty, in general. I wish there was just... more. Primarily natural resources and animals, predator and prey.

On a sidenote, I actually kind of like the dynamic created by the cabins being so nice but so devoid of equipment, I like the idea of having to make trips to a foreboding but well-stocked airfield to get what I need before heading back to my actually livable house ^^.

Finally, although I've only experienced it once, glimmer fog was super disappointing. I don't want to whine, and again I may have just had a less-than-stellar one, but it happened midday and occurred (seemingly) as a global weather event. It was just normal grey fog with some electrostatic on the ground, and there's nowhere to hide from it short of the airfield hangar (I think). 

I'm not too worried, though. The overall design of the region is fantastic, and I know we're just getting started. I think my primary mistake was overprepping and overhyping myself, I started a multiple (irl) day-long pilgrimage all the way from the East of LGB in DP, moving through and gearing up in each region, getting every bit of kit and optimizing my gear until I was ready for anything, expecting some true timberwolf-soaked nightmare brutality and instead found a largely peaceful, empty place. I think I'll avoid the Far Territory (mostly) and wait for it to get some more meat on its bones. 

[Glacia]

2 hours ago, turtle777 said:

 

  Hide contents

The stairs behind hangar are NOT windproof.

I have not found a guaranteed wind-sheltered location at the airfield. 

-t

 

The crashed helicopter seems to be the only choice at the moment, it's a bit far from the airport but works perfectly. 

[RossBondReturns]

On 12/17/2022 at 2:14 PM, Semple Fi said:

I thought the glimmer fog was only an issue on the lake/waterways?

I stayed outside up in the hills in a snow shelter and didn’t have any issues.  

I tried placing a Snow Shelter out in the Glimmer Fog near Watchful Cabin...

It can certainly get up there.

And the Snow Shelter did jack all for my insomnia risk.

[I_eat_only_wolf_meat]

For my part, I'll say that I like the game pretty difficult.  Not to put down Hinterland the least bit, because Forsaken Airfield is a work of art, but I think they might have made it so difficult to survive there that it leaves very little time for exploring.  Eighty percent of the time there seems to be a blizzard going on or some flavor of fog.  Even with +28 Celsius clothes on my Interloper run, the risk of freezing to death while lost in the fog makes it pretty much impossible to go out exploring.  The brief windows of clear conditions leave barely enough to go hunting and run back to shelter.  Lather, rinse, repeat.

I have seen the actual temp dip to -58 celsius with an additional -37 windchill.  This is not quite as bad as I've seen in Pleasant Valley, but geez.  Your temperature meter drops so fast it's like a stopwatch.

Do I have to start a stalker run in order to explore this place fully?

[hozz1235]

6 hours ago, Glacia said:

The crashed helicopter seems to be the only choice at the moment, it's a bit far from the airport but works perfectly. 

There is a cave not too far from the Hangar.  Much easier to find than the heli.

Edited December 19, 2022 by hozz1235

[turtle777]

6 hours ago, Glacia said:

The crashed helicopter seems to be the only choice at the moment, it's a bit far from the airport but works perfectly. 

There’s a cave that’s closer from the hangar. I’d prefer that, since you not only get wind shelter, but also improved temperatures. and hence, less need for fuel.
The cave is warm on interloper after 50 days as long as you have decent clothing. 

-t

[Semple Fi]

15 hours ago, I_eat_only_wolf_meat said:

For my part, I'll say that I like the game pretty difficult.  Not to put down Hinterland the least bit, because Forsaken Airfield is a work of art, but I think they might have made it so difficult to survive there that it leaves very little time for exploring.  Eighty percent of the time there seems to be a blizzard going on or some flavor of fog.  Even with +28 Celsius clothes on my Interloper run, the risk of freezing to death while lost in the fog makes it pretty much impossible to go out exploring.  The brief windows of clear conditions leave barely enough to go hunting and run back to shelter.  Lather, rinse, repeat.

I have seen the actual temp dip to -58 celsius with an additional -37 windchill.  This is not quite as bad as I've seen in Pleasant Valley, but geez.  Your temperature meter drops so fast it's like a stopwatch.

Do I have to start a stalker run in order to explore this place fully?

Could always go pilgrim

[Leeanda]

1 hour ago, Semple Fi said:

Could always go pilgrim

If it's anything like pv then it wouldn't make much difference!😊