interloper Run visits Forsaken Airfield

[Ahatch]

    I have been playing The Long Dark for a long time and I had an interloper run wiped that had 800 days where I had stayed at all major regions 50 days and had 100% of the world visited so when the new update came out I decided I would build a survival run with the goal of staying in this new region 50 days. So I started a new run which started me on Desolation Point. I managed to survive the initial looting route I took which brought me through Coastal Highway, The Ravine, Mystery Lake then Pleasant Valley where I finally located the hammer. I then went to Thomson's Crossing and made my way back to The Riken through the coal mine. Armed with the bow and arrows I stuck around Desolation Point for a while after I shot the bear from the ship. I managed to stay long enough to get my bear coat before returning for another brief stint at Coastal Highway before hunkering down in Mystery Lake. Once I got my archery to level 5 along with cooking I made the journey to Forlorn Muskeg and then stayed on Broken Railroad for a while then when I felt I was ready I made the journey to Forsaken Airfield.

    I arrived at the Junkers trailer and stayed there a couple days but food was scarce so I packed everything up and made for the Hangar. Once there I stayed for a while after I killed 3 wolves that were patrolling nearby then I bagged 2 deer behind my base. After a while I realized I needed to make the journey across the map to the island cabin for a bit of fishing.

   Needless to say this is a very challenging region as I'm kind of trapped on this island. The weather is horrible with wind and glitter fog. I killed the bear patrolling near the fish hut. I took his hide but fear the weather will prevent me from harvesting the meat. My condition is below 20% and insomnia is not a good thing as my condition level is low and weather too crappy to cook outside.

  I also made the mistake of not packing my improvised axe as there are some barrels here to break down for fire wood. I have not used the work bench at the hangar and will likely pack everything up and return to Junkers for crafting as I think I need to go double bear coat here as the cold is nasty. I find this region somewhat like Pleasant Valley but I find the distance between warm shelter a problem and am having trouble getting turned around a bit trying to escape this trap I am in. I found myself going in circles a bit when some fog rolled in when I made the mistake of veering off my straight course. 

 

[Ahatch]

So today's session I managed to stay alive and cook some of the bear meat. I got my condition to about 80% then I decided I better get back to the Hangar so I seen the weather was a bit better so I crossed the map taking a pretty big hit on my condition. I managed to recover but soon got cabin fever. I cured that by boiling water by the fire near the terminal tower out of the wind and microsleeping. Now I need to go back to the island and get my bear skin which I left. Going to bring the improvised axe with me to break up some barrels there. I want to explore the rest of the region and it's a huge place. 

Have to say glitter fog is pretty annoying as I found myself going in circles in the airport as it's hard to see the buildings too well it's so thick. I thought I would have to go to Junkers to craft as I didn't want to use lamp oil but realize now I could craft when the door is ajar. Not sure how many days I have been here so far as the game doesn't track for me but at least 10 days for sure. 

[DerEineVonDamals]

good story, beautiful pictures🤙

[Ahatch]

After spending a few days back at the Hangar I made the return journey across the frozen lake to the Island Cabin. My bear hide is not quite done curing so I spent my time dragging all the raw bear meat up to the cabin. I built a fire inside the little cave leading down to the steps to the shore. I thought  inside here the fire would be safe from the wind but alas my fire was snuffed out before I could finish cooking. I'm just doing a boring routine of gathering sticks and mapping a bit then returning to the cabin to warm up. 

I visited a small cave near the fishing hut which had a bed along with some coal which was nice to find.  My next excursion will be exploring a bit the other side of the lake to the far off cabin on that side of the map. I'm not sure when that will be as I want to get the double bear coat combo before I venture too far out into that cold.

Of coarse this place is no escape from the glitter fog which rolled in just at the end of tonite's session. I checked my days played stats and it looks like the game doesn't count any of the days I have been on this region so I guess I will have to use the hours inside / outside to calculate. I have more than enough resources to stay on this map long term. I have close to 60 arrow shafts and 3 maple saplings cured so a lot of arrows / bows enough to last me a long time. 

[Admin]

Thank you for sharing! 

[Ahatch]

Tonight I played a shorter session and spent the first day cooking the rest of the bear meat. After staving off cabin fever and getting my health to close to 100% and getting well fed back. I was ready to pull up stakes as my bear rug was cured. But another day of glitter fog rolled in and held up my plans.

After another day of sitting put I felt I need to go towards the Mindful cabin and pay it a visit since it was not that far away. So with the wind blowing hard I crossed the frozen lake avoiding the moose that spawned there and made for the road. After reaching it another wave of glitter fog hit but I just followed the road safely to the Mindful cabin. After looting and passing some time I enjoyed the view and mapped the area a bit. There is no reason to stay here as it is too far from anything so my plan is to go back to Island Cabin then cross the lake back to the Airport.

My next mission is to go to the other cabin just south of the airport and visit the Vista there. Would like to finish mapping the region but it is such a big region it's going to be difficult. 

[Ahatch]

So I only spent one night at Mindful Cabin and got up in the morning to crappy weather but no matter I went down the road a little ways then headed straight for the lake. I looted the fishing hut then sneaked past the wolves and back to the Island Cabin. After a short nap the weather turned nice so I took advantage and went right back to the Hangar. At the Hanger the next few days I finished my bear coat so now have the double bear coat combo. 

After a bout of cabin fever I spent a night in front of the trailer (singing This Flight Tonight LOL) cooking rabbits which I snared there. My fire managed to stay going so I was able to microsleep a bit to get through it. Then I had a blizzard and cabin fever warning came back so I decided I would venture out and I found the other little cabin not far from the airport. 

I have a problem here though as another blizzard rolled in and I'm down to 2 cattails for food so going to have to get the heck out of here. I have the polaroid though and just need to figure out how to get to the Vista. 

[Ahatch]

Tonight's session was pretty uneventful as I just some map exploration. After returning to my base I lost my well fed so I shot a deer near the trailer then spent a couple days hunting to replenish some food stocks. With a full belly I did some exploring visiting Final Approach and the Vista. So I have been to the main manmade structures on the map so now I just need to look for any caves that I missed. The map is so open and it seems like every time I think I'm going to explore a bit either glitter fog or a blizzard rolls in. I will check my stats but I'm pushing 30 days at least here not sure but seems like a while. I plan on returning to Junkers as I think I left a whetstone there and my axe and knife are in low condition. Made the mistake of not taking a hammer here where I can forge. 

[Ahatch]

Well this interloper run is 224 days looking at my stats I have been on the following regions

• Mystery Lake 53 days
• Pleasant Valley 3 days
• Coastal Highway 28 days
• Desolation Point 54 days
• Broken Railway 24 days
• Forlorn Muskeg 9 days

So that adds up to 171 days so I passed through The Ravine for a couple days and the Transfer Pass likely 2 days so I'm close or just at 50 days on this map. 

Tonight I stayed close to the airport recouping as I had run out of meat so set up a couple trap lines by the trailer and near the tower snaring rabbits. I shot a couple wolfs as well but it looks like if I want bigger game I have to get back out in the open areas which are hazardous due to the weather. I found more maple and birch saplings so I have so much archery supplies I am going to be very encumbered when I do go to leave this region. 

Not sure how long I will play this run I may just keep this run going and stay at this region and start a new run because that is always fun. 

[Ahatch]

I reached 230 days on this run and I keep going from Cabin Fever to losing my well fed bonus. I have realized the only reliable game near the airport is the rabbits. I had a spawn of 4 deer behind the Hangar and made the mistake of just taking one and the other 3 despawned and have not come back. I did go down the creek feeding the lake and collected all the cattails and surveyed a bit.

I then made the journey back to the Junkers trailer and collected my whetstone I left in the locker there. I didn't sleep there over night though as I just took a one hour sleep to warm up and turned back around and went back to airport. I think at day 250 I'm 100 percent sure I am at 50 days or more on this map. I still want to charcoal some more here but the weather is preventing that from happening. So I think I will pack up for the island cabin for a bit of deer hunting on the lake or maybe take down the moose if it still there. 

[Ahatch]

With the announcement of the update coming to the far territory I have decided to leave my survivor in the Forsaken Airfield region until the next region is added. I am now up to day 270 in this run so pretty much 100 days since I arrived here. I have moved my main base back to the Island Cabin with a weekly overnight visits to the Hangar for crafting and repairs. I reverted back to the Wolf / Bear coat combo as the excessive weight and my one bear coat condition was so low that my warmth bonus wasn't much better than the wolf coat anyway. I have been fishing a lot but have to say not having much luck as I seem to only catch a couple of them a session. Fortunately there is deer on the lake which is my main food source with the odd wolf spawning near the cabin which I pick off right away. Getting enough fire wood for these fishing sessions has meant going in the late part of the day and cutting a fir or cedar log taking a fair amount of damage then regaining it back after a sleep. The bear has respawned but is further out on the lake this time making it a bit dangerous to hunt so waiting for it to move closer to the island where I can shoot at it from a safe rock ledge. Snaring rabbits has been hit and miss as I keep moving my snares as I think I'm in the right spot only to get shut out. Hoping I don't make any fatal mistakes and can survive this region long enough to explore the next new one. 

[Ahatch]

Had a couple nice sessions as I secured my food for a long stay on the island as I managed to kill both the bear and moose within a few days of each other. Popped the moose who died just on the rocks across the ice from the stairs going up to the cabin. So I was able to quarter him before my fire blew out and then went back out the next day and cooked most of the meat up. With a nice blizzard happening I just dropped to 20kg and dashed across the way and grabbed the whole kit kabooble of the meat without attracting any wolves. So in good shape now just going to return to the Hangar for a short trip to gather supplies and repair my hacksaw. Might be on day 500 by the end of March. 

[GothSkunk]

As a veteran of nearly 1800 hours in The Long Dark, I am personally finding The Forsaken Airfield to be utterly brutal in terms of survivability.

I'm going to say up front that I don't play Interloper. I find Interloper too difficult, but I also find Stalker too easy. I customize my play to be a blend of both; Available gear is Stalker level, but weather patterns, calorie/thirst/fatigue/temperature needs are all Interloper level. Finally, condition recovery is set to the lowest possible rate it can be. To go from 5% to 100% condition takes about 7 in-game days, assuming I'm resting a full uninterrupted 10 hours each night and not using birch bark tea or herbal tea.

 

Before TFTFT came out, my survivor was comfortably living in Pleasant Valley at the Homestead, and had explored every region extensively  (save for the Hushed River Valley). He had survived over 1000 days with no end in sight. But my current survivor, despite being fully geared, is absolutely struggling. Outdoor temperature averages -35, and the winds are endless. Because condition recovery is so slow, I can't afford to stay outdoors risking hypothermia; I HAVE to take shelter and warm up every time my temp needs go critical. I WANT to explore the region, but I'm freezing within an hour of leaving shelter. I cannot safely explore the region. Hunting is treacherous, as the wolves and deer are all too far from the airfield to safely hunt. Just harvesting meat from one deer carcass required me to make three trips back to the main hangar just to warm up. I couldn't set a fire down to keep warm because the wind won't let them stay alive.

 

I think I may be screwed. Even Pleasant Valley occasionally showed mercy.

Edited March 17, 2023 by GothSkunk
Additional details.

[GothSkunk]

Today, I experienced a blizzard that lasted the entire day without interruption, trapping me in my shelter without a means of getting to my water and food stash. I couldn't SEE it. 

I understand the attempt at making a region challenging, but this is beyond the pale of insanity.

 

The next day, after losing 3/4ths of my temp meter just approaching a herd of deer, and not getting a clean kill shot, I decided "Fuck this." and walked off into the wilderness to succumb to the cold.

 

For paid content, this level of ridiculous temperature and wind difficulty is extremely disappointing. Here's hoping Hinterland smartens up and warms the region up.

Edited March 18, 2023 by GothSkunk

[Glacia]

10 hours ago, GothSkunk said:

For paid content, this level of ridiculous temperature and wind difficulty is extremely disappointing. Here's hoping Hinterland smartens up and warms the region up

I find forsaken airfield as a tricky and hard region, however i think there is something that you are doing wrong. The temperature it's incredible cold and explore the map with high winds can be a headache, but it's just about to wait the best scenario (a clear weather near nightfall). 

A problem about the region it's the ¿Emptyness?, sure it's vast but you can actually explore few buildings or points of interest! If you know where to go, you can loot and explore the entire region without many problems.

About long-term, i think the only viable base it's actually the island cabin rather than the airport itself, because you can use the fishing cabins nearby for unlimited food. Just come to the region with fishing nv5, lots of fishing tackles and keep fishing/killing wolves near the cabin. Surely there are enough sticks on the island to keep a fire on the fishing cabin!

The main problem should be the boredom anyways 😅

[Ahatch]

My interloper run is still going although I have taken a bit of break from the game as I was getting pretty bored on my run. Having played this region for more than 100 days I would say in terms of difficulty it is challenging no doubt but in a similar way Pleasant Valley is. It is real tough to go out into the little quiet corners of this map and just camp for a couple days. The weather seems to always hinder my exploration of these places as I'm struggling to map it. The Island cabin is my home as I have stockpiled a lot of meat here in the form of bear , moose and fish. I have been doing short day runs back to the hangar for repairs and cloth and waiting for the next update. The game updated and started tracking my days on this region but didn't credit me for the long run I have been here. 

[GothSkunk]

The inclement weather in Forsaken Airfield is not simply a "headache;" it is a set of handcuffs. Even fully geared with the best clothing I could wear, I would go from full temperature to hypothermia risk in less than an in-game hour just for being outdoors on a clear, sunny (but windy) day. On the rare occasions where there was no wind, the standing temperature still hung around -35 in the sun, so I would inevitably still begin freezing. Every percentage point of condition that I lost was dangerous, because due to the custom scenario settings I had, I could only recover 15% condition per day. With these exact same settings, I was previously able to lead a survivor to a survival run in excess of 1000 days, successfully capturing all the buffer memories in each region. Even when I was nearly killed by wolves in Milton, I still managed to recover and carry on and survive, though it took a full in-game week to do so.

 

But under these very same conditions, I cannot survive in the Forsaken Airfield, because I cannot afford to be outdoors for any length of time to be productive. If I'm outside for too long, I have a net negative condition loss for the day. Compounded over enough days, eventually it will mean I die.

 

I'm going to try again, on a pure stalker run. This time will likely be better because in Stalker, you can recover condition much faster, so it won't be so bad of a problem. But for my previous custom survival tuning, my argument stands: The inclement weather in Forsaken Airfield is outrageous and needs to be made warmer.

[Ahatch]

Still alive and today decided to go hang out on the western side of the map. I packed up some cat tails and crossed over the lake and made for the cave at the far end with the rope climb.  I made it there in reasonable time. Managed to find just a marine flare and some coal. My thought was to stay in the cave and hunt deer but there was no game what so ever. So after doing some mapping I cooked some teas and made for mindful cabin for an overnight stay before returning to my base. Have to say if there had been some deer at that side of the map would have stayed a few days for sure. I'm expecting some more updates to this region in the future for sure. 

[Ahatch]

Well my interloper run is still going at day 340. One of the things I did wrong was not bringing a heavy hammer to Forsaken Airfield and with the new update I needed to get off the map and return to Broken Railroad. On the way back I picked acorns by the Junkers Trailer before picking them all on the way back through the Railway Pass transition region. I'm currently back at the maintenance shop. The plan is to go to Ash Canyon to get the technical backpack and try to visit and loot all the other regions before making the journey back to Forsaken Airfield. I made all the acorns into the ground coffee. I'm not sure there is a thought to just play some of the tales just to change it up as well. 

[florpman]

keep doing this! i like reading about it. i wonder how you'll inevitably end the run