Found the new area!

[TonyInPleasantValley]

Spoiler

So I have not played much with having a lot of games that came out over the last few months and decided to continue my survival run only a day or two ago. Figured that there were a couple of logical places to look for the new area, and the one I most suspected was correct...however I went to it last of the three places I thought it might be, so ended up trekking all over the map. This was okay though as I did not play after the cooking release, so I got to gather and see new stuff along the way from multiple updates. Made it to the new area an hour or two ago and played until I found some shelter, food, firewood, etc. and called it a day. Will explore more tomorrow (or maybe a little more tonight). Initial impression is the area seems pretty vast and may be more livable than the airfield area. Of course I haven't spent much time there so that may change. Have not gone to the mine but am certain I  know where it is based on the mountains near it and the fact that an aurora lit up some areas when I was up a mountain, so I could see where I need to go next. Understand why the poison wolves have no meat to give, but since I mostly live off wolves, may have to really adjust how I play in this area. I won't totally give up where the new location is, but if you want to ask me via PM I will be happy to clue you in. Cheers!

 

[xanna]

Name change to TonyInTheZone-y

[TonyInPleasantValley]

LOL I like that...and it is a LOT better than other things I have been called! 😝

[TonyInPleasantValley]

So after a few days I have explored a fair amount more of the Zone. Really like what Hinterland has done here! It is challenging and I think there is still a lot for me to learn about the area. The rest of what I have to say probably has spoilers, so wrapping it:

Spoiler

Today I have a few goals:

• Find the mine entrance I found last night when I was drinking beer and did not think to map it; pretty sure I know where I was though
• Need an aurora to get something I forgot to get last aurora near a downed helicopter
• Explore more of the map, find more dwellings and caves if they exist
• Gather material for a travois - I have a feeling I am going to need it when I leave the Zone!!!

So headed up the mountain behind me in search of a doe I saw earlier - she and the poisoned wolves did not spawn yet so decided to explore a cavern I saw yesterday. Cool feature and kept going towards the waterfalls, as I think this is where I found the mine entrance. But there were wolves there so took an upper route and missed the mine. Decided to continue on when whamo! glitter fog hit hard. I am in an area I have not explored so I get completely lost. Start looking for a cave and head higher in the mountains. Stumble across my first indication of bears in the Zone...tracks where a bear spawned and walked down the mountain, so I continued up. Found Smoker's Cave and decided to spend the night. Made water and cooked, slept with a fire, woke up to an aurora.

Started to head back in the direction I think the helo might be. On a ridge looking down, I see an aurora bear! Trying to decide whether to shoot it or not. It is walking up a creek right towards my ridge, so pull out 'Ol Blue and start to aim. Suddenly the bear goes into running scared mode. Did it see me? And I scared it? Odd. Anyhow it ran past me a few times and when it heading way left, I headed right. And ran right into a bear, a normal one, which must have scared the other bear! I got a shot off, but mauled pretty good in exchange. Gathered my rifle (forgot the brass, dang it) and headed away from the direction the bear went. Found a cave...that leaves the region so there are two ways in/out of the Zone! Explored the cave and got completely lost. It is massive. Stopped for a while. 

 

 

 

Edited December 16, 2023 by TonyInPleasantValley

[Leeanda]

Two bears?  I've only heard and seen of one there.. 

[TonyInPleasantValley]

Yah, surprised the heck out of me and I paid dearly for it as I got mauled really good. Suspect the second one spawned due to the aurora. Anyhow, closing in on 500 days with this run so hoping to minimize bear encounters. I did circle back and find the mine entrance, so am there currently. Have a lot of food and other items, so going to stick there for a while and try to learn more about the mine. Need to find another key...

[Leeanda]

I did wonder if it was the crossover time between aurora and dawn..  

.I first saw him as I was coming out his cave,it has no bones in it so had no ide it was his cave😁.  I don't know which if us was scared the most lol😅 

Good luck, I just finished the tales and it's a bit of a deadly maze down there.

[TonyInPleasantValley]

Oh, so I slept in his cave. Wonderful! Also saw no bones and lit a fire just in case...guess that was a good thing to do! Anyone ever been awoken to a bear mauling you in TLD?

Edited December 17, 2023 by TonyInPleasantValley

[Leeanda]

That was very lucky for you... 

I know someone has on ytube.. he'd killed it the day before so didn't expect it back for a while... Took a nap overnight and woke to an angry bear... Nearly ended his very long loper run.

[artmunki]

Ah, so that bear's cave is unmarked by bones then? I do hope they remember to fix that little oversight before I head back to the zone.

Maybe next time I'll know better than to start setting up my bed there for the night, only for the bear to wander home, take me totally by surprise (weather had just turned awful, so I didn't hear it coming until the roar), and gave me a friendly little mauling so I'd remember in future. I wasn't yet sure enough of where I was to head out in a blizzard, but I could still hear the bear outside the cave when I tried to leave, so I carefully crept in to the very back corner, patched myself up, set a fire and dumped an armload of coal in it (so glad I'd just been in that small mine nearby!), and slept what must have been a rather anxious night. Luckily the fire was enough to keep me safe until morning, and when I woke the bear had gone off for a wander so I grabbed my stuff and legged it. Shame, the cave seemed quite well-placed for a local base.

[TonyInPleasantValley]

Dunno why, but I am struggling to figure out what to do next. Finally found 

Spoiler

YET ANOTHER KEY! How many are there? Three or more for sure. Anyhow, I think I am getting the hang of the mine but it is a bit convoluted, maze like. I've also collected a ton of wires and fuses and see no use for them...at least yet. The journal entries have not been that helpful to date either. I am sure I will have an AHA! moment soon with this tale, but scratching my head as to what to do next and to remember where I needed what key for. I should really keep a notepad handy for just this reason...can't keep enough facts in the noggin' to beat this game quickly. I also took some one off's in this run...got STUCK in one of the bridges so decided to go explore and see if I could find that other massive cave again. Ended up missing it, finding another huge section of map, and eventually ended out of ZoC in order to get food and out of a blizzard. Back in now, think I have ALL the keys...now gotta find the locks. Sigh!

 

[Leeanda]

Got to be honest..I used the fandom guide to do mine.. it's got a helpful walkthrough and I wasn't go to risk my long run going in blindly..

[TonyInPleasantValley]

Yeah, I have totally resisted getting hints from guides this tale (and the other) because I wanted the new game items to keep me busy until the end of the year. I have been slow rolling it a bit, exploring a little more instead of focusing solely on the tale. Been mapping out the Zone, looking for polaroid pix spots, searching for wildlife that is NOT a poisoned wolf, etc. I think this is also why I am forgetting where things are...context switching does that to me.

[Leeanda]

That's a good idea. Taking it slow and getting to know the place better can only help in the long run.... you'll get there😊

It was only the tales parts in the mine I used the walkthrough for.. I did still have a few wanders around outside  .   I wasn't in the mood to tackle the transition cave to forsaken though. It's massive. Lol..I think it needs it's own map.

[TonyInPleasantValley]

So I stumbled onto the end game. Think I am now going to try to map out that cave system, once I get my thoughts together. Want to make a travois and move a lot of the loot I have back to home base. This was fun!