Region Lock Challenge: Bleak Inlet

[Glacia]

This is my first ever attempt for one of the most popular community-made challenges: Region lock

The concept it's simple:

- Interloper settings, without changes and two feats as usual.

- Custom spawn on the region only for the challenge.

- You can't leave the Region for 50 days, survive with the few items and resources you can get on the region.

Some regions are harder due to lacking forges and other essential resources.

Indeed this challenge it's fun to play on harder regions than starter ones!

Let's see if i can survive on the arguably hardest region in the game without leaving it!

 

[James Hickok]

Good luck ! BI is by hands down the hardest region to live in. I like it tho. 

It will be hard to survive the start here. You will have no means of gathering wood from pallets and the few limbs that spawn near secret mountain pass. No means of killing wolves or bear/moose. The region is the coldest one in game but the first couple of days should be "fine". 

There was a distress pistol spawn in the fallen lighthouse before the update but i dont know if its the case anymore after they changed the loot. If you had the distress pistol i would say you have a chance to maybe survive 50 days there. Without it i will say its not going to happen. Why? The only means of gathering food will be via beachcomb (forget about the cat tails - there are only a bunch on the entire map) and fishing (when you find a carcass and cure the guts ofc) but the biggest problem will be firewood as i said before. The only way to surpass this is finding the heavy hammer in the dock. So overall i think it is dooable but you need to have Hammer and pistol spawn. Without it i dont think it possible. 

I keep my thumbs up for you and w8 for some new info/story from the run/runs.   

[Retro Seamstress]

Oof, Bleak Inlet will be tough. I had a hard enough time just getting out of there when doing As The Dead Sleep. I swear I didn't find a single stick on the ground from the Lighthouse to the cave to Forlorn Muskeg.  I'm tempted to give it a go just for something different. I'm currently on day 279 of my current Interloper run and am doing Signal Void. Unfortunately it looks like not a single car in Mountain town has a battery, so now I'm probably going to have to go haul the battery from Broken Railroad. Not really looking forward to that. But after trying to survive a start in Bleak Inlet it might seem better

[James Hickok]

3 hours ago, Retro Seamstress said:

 I swear I didn't find a single stick on the ground from the Lighthouse to the cave to Forlorn Muskeg. 

Yeah that is the main issue in this region. You could survive no problem with fishing in the hut but you need fuel for this and without a tool it will be super hard not to say impossible. 

 

3 hours ago, Retro Seamstress said:

 Unfortunately it looks like not a single car in Mountain town has a battery, so now I'm probably going to have to go haul the battery from Broken Railroad. 

No, dont. There is a battery in Milton in one of the cars. Its random which one tho and you just need to check them all. Dont forget about the last cars on the bridge past HRV enterance (near the bear cave), also the car on the way there past the church. 

I did signal void on my 2 existing loper chars and in one of them the battery was in the broken truck past the bridge from Greymother towards the church. The other time i got it in a car on the bridge near the bear that i mentioned. The batter is definatelly on the map (if you havent used it before). You just have to be thorough. 

 

3 hours ago, Retro Seamstress said:

 I'm tempted to give it a go just for something different.

Im currently on my Will (lvl 168 interloper living in Bleak Inlet) and Astrid (lvl 451 interloper living in CH) and im beeing tempted to start a new run with harder difficulty. 

First i was thinking about NOGOA but i want to travel back and forth between Bear Island and Far territory and making a fire every 100 meters is going to be a "bit" of a pain really. I need something harsh but with a bit of health regen so im thinking  :

1. NOGOA settings but with minimal daily health regeneration and 2 perks (birch off)

2. NOGOA settings but with minimal daily and night regeneration without perks. (birch off)

3. SUPER Interloper - basically interloper without perks and with only minimal daily health regeneration (birch on)

Im leaning towards option nr 2 but i havent decided yet - still have 2 hours in office to do that  

[Retro Seamstress]

51 minutes ago, James Hickok said:

No, dont. There is a battery in Milton in one of the cars. Its random which one tho and you just need to check them all. Dont forget about the last cars on the bridge past HRV enterance (near the bear cave), also the car on the way there past the church. 

I did signal void on my 2 existing loper chars and in one of them the battery was in the broken truck past the bridge from Greymother towards the church. The other time i got it in a car on the bridge near the bear that i mentioned. The batter is definatelly on the map (if you havent used it before). You just have to be thorough. 

I've checked every single vehicle. I've done Signal Void on my previous Interloper game and found the battery in one of the cars on the bear bridge. This time, nothing. I've checked all the vehicles in town, the ones near the garage, the one at the farm, the ones on the road out of town up to the church, the ones on the road to bear bridge, the one underneath the bridge. I even went down into Milton Basin to check the truck down there (which has a busted hood, so no battery). I've checked all the buildings, all the barns, the crash site. 

Only thing I can think of is that I checked everything before I actually picked up the receiver in Forsaken Airfield and started the challenge, since you can repair the towers before you actually start the challenge. I was able to do  the towers in Pleasant Valley and Forlorn Muskeg no problem. Is it likely that a battery would have spawned after accepting the challenge? There weren't any batteries in Mystery Lake, already checked. Closest place I know that definitely has a battery is Broken Railroad.

[Retro Seamstress]

I've just realised that 50 days starting in Bleak Inlet means no work bench for 50 days, since the only work bench is inside the section of the Cannery that requires the door code to enter, and the door code is at the Echo One Radio Tower that is only initially accessible via The Ravine. The only other work bench  in Bleak Inlet that I'm aware of is the one in the Signal Void bunker, which you can't access unless you've picked up the receiver from Forsaken Airfield and fixed the tower in Forlorn Muskeg.

I reckon I might I be able to handle 50 days without forged items, but not having a work bench to make fishing lines and warmer clothing is pretty tough. Look forward to hearing how you go though. 

[Leeanda]

10 minutes ago, Retro Seamstress said:

I've just realised that 50 days starting in Bleak Inlet means no work bench for 50 days, since the only work bench is inside the section of the Cannery that requires the door code to enter, and the door code is at the Echo One Radio Tower that is only initially accessible via The Ravine. The only other work bench  in Bleak Inlet that I'm aware of is the one in the Signal Void bunker, which you can't access unless you've picked up the receiver from Forsaken Airfield and fixed the tower in Forlorn Muskeg.

I reckon I might I be able to handle 50 days without forged items, but not having a work bench to make fishing lines and warmer clothing is pretty tough. Look forward to hearing how you go though. 

I think you can enter the tales bunker without starting the tales itself but it'll muck it up if you decide to start it later.

[Retro Seamstress]

47 minutes ago, Leeanda said:

I think you can enter the tales bunker without starting the tales itself but it'll muck it up if you decide to start it later.

Nope. The Signal Void bunkers can only be uncovered after repairing the corresponding tower then using the receiver during an aurora. You can see the mound where the bunker will be beforehand, but it won't give you the "uncover" prompt until you've done the other stuff. Once uncovered you can re-enter it at any time. You might be thinking of the prepper cache bunkers, which are unrelated to Signal Void. Bleak Inlet also has a prepper cache bunker, but it's in the bit you can only access via The Ravine initially, so not much help in this scenario

[Leeanda]

4 minutes ago, Retro Seamstress said:

Nope. The Signal Void bunkers can only be uncovered after repairing the corresponding tower then using the receiver during an aurora. You can see the mound where the bunker will be beforehand, but it won't give you the "uncover" prompt until you've done the other stuff. Once uncovered you can re-enter it at any time. You might be thinking of the prepper cache bunkers, which are unrelated to Signal Void. Bleak Inlet also has a prepper cache bunker, but it's in the bit you can only access via The Ravine initially, so not much help in this scenario

I'm sure someone opened one up before going to forsaken ..  I suppose it could've been bugged.. that's a shame though.

[conanjaguar]

@Glacia

I tried this a while back and made it through the first day before getting eaten by Timberwolves .

Your main concerns are probably going to be matches and food… I don’t think any matches spawn in BI unless you get REALLY lucky with beachcombing. Even if you did find matches, torching is essential to success in these kinds of challenges, and BI is one of the windiest regions in the game.

There are some frozen carcasses, enough to get you through the first few days if you harvest them all. As @James Hickok said, cattails are extremely rare, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen a single bunny there. Beachcombing could supply you with fish if you get lucky…

Warmth is also going to be a problem, per @Retro Seamstress sticks are rare in BI, and your only source of coal is likely going to be in the cave to FM (which has a moss bed) or in the cannery itself (maybe?).

However you play it, good luck! I look forward to reading about it .

[James Hickok]

2 hours ago, Retro Seamstress said:

I've just realised that 50 days starting in Bleak Inlet means no work bench for 50 days, since the only work bench is inside the section of the Cannery that requires the door code to enter, and the door code is at the Echo One Radio Tower that is only initially accessible via The Ravine. 

Yeah, good point there. I havent thought about it. Impossible then to live for 50 days imo. But it would be cool to see the runs anyway

[James Hickok]

2 hours ago, Retro Seamstress said:

I've checked every single vehicle. I've done Signal Void on my previous Interloper game and found the battery in one of the cars on the bear bridge. This time, nothing. I've checked all the vehicles in town, the ones near the garage, the one at the farm, the ones on the road out of town up to the church, the ones on the road to bear bridge, the one underneath the bridge. I even went down into Milton Basin to check the truck down there (which has a busted hood, so no battery). I've checked all the buildings, all the barns, the crash site. 

Only thing I can think of is that I checked everything before I actually picked up the receiver in Forsaken Airfield and started the challenge, since you can repair the towers before you actually start the challenge. I was able to do  the towers in Pleasant Valley and Forlorn Muskeg no problem. Is it likely that a battery would have spawned after accepting the challenge? There weren't any batteries in Mystery Lake, already checked. Closest place I know that definitely has a battery is Broken Railroad.

Seems like a bug then. Im pretty sure that even if the Hood is open the battery should spawn anyway. Its not a container. 

 

Well to BR then

 

[Glacia]

This challenge it's gonna be a lot intricated than i though, for several reasons:

- First of all, since you can't go to the ravine, you can't unlock the cannery (No workbench, so no crafting). This also limits your access to certain quality loot inside the cannery and the upper level of the region.

- This also means no weapons, and even if you are lucky enough to find a hammer; the only use it's breaking stuff, timberwolves do not engage on struggles usually and if you end this way, you are likely dead anyways.

- Hunting it's impossible and Ptarmigans do not spawn on BI, you can just hunt the very few rabbits with a very high respawn rate (Also you can't craft traps).

- You can find some decent clothing on the region, but nothing of high interest. The first days are relatively easy but eventually the cold it's gonna get worse at the point of being locked on the residences.

- Timberwolves limits your stick-gathering routes.

 

[Glacia]

13 hours ago, James Hickok said:

You will have no means of gathering wood from pallets and the few limbs that spawn near secret mountain pass.

Unlike what most people thinks, BI have several stick routes with a very good number of sticks scattered near the residences (Also safe from timberwolves).

13 hours ago, James Hickok said:

There was a distress pistol spawn in the fallen lighthouse before the update but i dont know if its the case anymore after they changed the loot

Sadly, you can't get the distress pistol on Interloper at the lighthouse. And without workbench, you are completely passive and vulnerable to predators. The only food source (Besides beachcombing) it's fishing and the very rare rabbits.

Otherwise a pistol shot can secure the bear kill, making the challenge trivial.

5 hours ago, conanjaguar said:

and your only source of coal is likely going to be in the cave to FM (which has a moss bed) or in the cannery itself (maybe?).

4 pieces of coal respawn outside the residences, but with high respawn rate (15 days). Anyways you are not gonna explore a lot and coal it's just another fire source, you really don't care about the temperature of the campfire/stove.

Also, FM cave it's disabled for the challenge since it's a transition cave.

[Glacia]

I managed to survive 7 days and this is what happened on my run:

Day 1 (Spawn)

My spawn was the isolated island near the cannery, luckily safe from timberwolves and nearby a shelter. Midnight and without bad weather, i looted the trailers all the way to the residences avoiding the cannery.

Day 2 to Day 4

Beahcombing and looting everything i can get, i decided to explore and loot the map places for a single time. Since there is nothing else of interest and full plaged with timberwolves, i have no reasons to come back here and rushing the areas it's the best idea before the cold gets worse.

I managed to explore the isolated cabin, the cannery, the secret mountain path and other interest points without being attacked. I waste 2 flares to survive the cannery before returning to the residences.

Day 7 (Current day)

With relative safety, there is no longer more manufactured food on the map and very few ways to get more (No blizzards, no effective beachcomb).

My core resources are the following and with this, my problems of the next 43 days:

- 3 Matches and 2 flares.  Enough to make fires for some time, but the best scenario it's get more flares with beachcombing.

- Decent clothing at least to survive and avoid frostbite.

- Prybar, sadly useless at this point with everything looted. ¿Maybe as a last resource for melee struggles?

- No medical resources besides painkillers and bandages.

- Enough cloth, firewood, scrap metal and common resources for several days.

- I reallized that lines for fishing needs a workbench, so i can't fish. This really changes the challenge and im not sure of what can i do.

- 5 herbal teas and hunger bar at 10%, no more food and beachcomb items are unavaliable right now.

- More than enough water and four cans for relatively-efficient water boiling at the lighthouse.

[conanjaguar]

@Glacia 

Nice going so far!

I’m going to have to have another try at this at some point, these kinds of challenges are really fun .

[Glacia]

The biggest problems of my challenge are the following:

- Soon, im gonna get out of matches/flares.

If i can't find more and saving what i have for very specific reasons, im gonna end unable to cook anything or boil water.

- I have no food and a few ideas about what i can get to eat:

* At least i have found two deer carcasses safe from predators but i need to waste one match (In the best scenario without wind) to get the Meat.

This is likely my only solution for short term.

* There is an small part of the map that i haved ignored, the one near the FM cave with several BBT spawns and maybe some resources, even a hunting den.

However, it's dangerous and very isolated.

My best scenario it's get enough food to stay a few days and wait for a lucky beachcombing cicles, with al least one fish spawning.

The problem it's the matches and i am completely vulnerable to food poison (No reishi or antibiotics)

[Glacia]

With a calm dusk, i started my travel to explore the last part of the map.

I leaved a campfire near a carcass to defrost it while i explore the rest of the region; soon i realized this was a dumb idea.

The high winds started and my campfire blows out, but i find several good items:

- 12 reishi.

- 36 rosehips.

- 18 cattails.

- 6 pieces of BBT.

With the night coming and likely a blizzard, im stuck on a cave waiting for the next day. I can solve my hunger for now, but i have one less fire source.

Hope the next blizzard wash something usefull on the residences.

Edited August 25, 2023 by Glacia

[Glacia]

Now on day 20.

My trip to the far part of the region was sucessful, however i don't have a lot of options.

The last days i spent the time beachcombing thanks to many blizzards and this keep me alive (A lot of fish). Also i find more clothing, but at this point it's useless since cold isn't my concern.

This is the main problem of the run:  I only have a marine flare.  No more matches or other ignition sources, this means no way to eat safe food or boil water (This is less important thanks to my massive supply of bottles on the lighthouse).

Also, im getting cabin fever. This is very dangerous because i can't use the bear cave (Even with a bedroll), since the bear it's alive and wandering.

I can't use the cannery complex without drawing the full pack of timberwolves, so my only 'reliable' option it's travel to a relatively-safe cave in other point of the map. Even with this, if a blizzard moves on, im likely not gonna stay warm without campfire (And i can't make more).

Making an eternal campfire sounds interesting on paper, but makes the run incredible hard if not impossible since now firewood and fire resources are not a concern. My only hope to survive it's getting flares or matches with beachcombing and stay healthy before this happens.

The best scenario:

- Survive cabin fever without a lot of condition loss.

- Keep healthy for a few days without using my last flare.

- Get al least one more flare with beahcombing.

Repeat the process.

[Glacia]

First attempt:  Failed

Avoiding cabin fever, a blizzard moves on and makes me waste my last flare.

Even surviving the night, i dead shortly after trying to return to the residences due to the cold and hunger.

 

The main concern of the challenge, no matter what region, it's the matches and fire ignition sources. Every flare it's gold and should be used on specific scenarios. Also, hibernation and saving food/antibiotics it's another highly advisable, albeit not necessary, strategy.

[Retro Seamstress]

There is the cave that's to the east of Frozen Delta that has a bed in it, which is handy if you haven't found a bedroll. It has a small frozen pond out the front of it that usually has a deer carcass. There's also some lichen and rosehips. I can usually get there from the washed out trailers by skirting around the edge of frozen delta and avoid the wolves. 

And don't forget snow shelters (assuming you can actually find 15 sticks) as you can sleep in those without a bedroll. Don't forget to harvest spent torches for sticks as well.

There is also an odd spot underneath the warehouse closest to the road that seems to have the same temp as inside the warehouse. I discovered by accident once when I was sneaking under the piers to avoid the wolves. 

[James Hickok]

On 8/27/2023 at 1:31 AM, Glacia said:

First attempt:  Failed

Avoiding cabin fever, a blizzard moves on and makes me waste my last flare.

Even surviving the night, i dead shortly after trying to return to the residences due to the cold and hunger.

 

The main concern of the challenge, no matter what region, it's the matches and fire ignition sources. Every flare it's gold and should be used on specific scenarios. Also, hibernation and saving food/antibiotics it's another highly advisable, albeit not necessary, strategy.

Was a good try nevertheless. 

Seems like in many challenges this one in this specific region is RNG based to the core. Like you said firesource is essential and making an eternal fire is a no go long term imo - not enough firewood.