My First Misery Run

[Ahatch]

So I have a long 900 day interloper run going but wanted to play Misery to see if I can see how long I could survive. Anyway I am 7 days into the run and I have to say it lives up to the name. First off spawned me in PV in site of the barn so I rushed to the Farmstead first and looted there then made for Thomson's Crossing looking for matches as I found none in the main farmhouse. Found lots of flour ,potatoes and carrots and the usual candy bars and chips but got food poisoning eating sardines and barely survived that ordeal. At Thomsons I wasn't sure what to do as condition was poor so I opted to go to Coastal via the mines. Again made it through there ok but still no bedroll , hammer, hacksaw or crowbar. Then I made for the fishing camp with thoughts of going to Mystery Lake but no bed roll still so very tough. Food supply continues to be an issue as I made for Jack Rabbit Island . But again just barely surviving . Still no skillet to make pies so after checking the Misandres House decided to risk life and limb going to the Quansit. Used the stim crossing the open water just to make it there and was so disappointed some toilet water and a few rudimentary crumbs. So now a week in with one more stim I have the tough decision to make for either Crumbling Highway or the Ravine(which looks only slightly more promising due to lack of wolves). Thinking I should have gone to Timberwolf mountain instead but it it what it is. Just 2 afflictions so far and already teetering on the edge of existence. 

[Amir]

Codition is very precious on this mode. You gotta do all you can to avoid losing too much condition. Stay in one place if you have to, but recover condition.

I'm on my 7th run. I used to go to Farmhouse and then ML or CH. Died every time. This time I went straight for TWM and AC, I mean straight... I didn't even stop by the farmhouse.

I've had better luck this time, but then again, I know these regions really well.

The weather is cold anyway, so I guess getting the Technical Backpack is the best thing to do early game. Not to mention gathering lots of cat tail stalks.

Good luck!

[Ahatch]

My run is still going but just played a few more days. I am still on Coastal Highway at the Quasit I woke up to a blizzard so I decided to use that opportunity to get the heck out of there so I traveled up the road and got my first break as I found the hacksaw in the car on the road. I stopped at log sort and after warming up went back to Jack Rabbit Island. So food strategy changed when I seen how many deer had spawned I drove a deer into a wolf who I scared with a rock before retreating back to the cabin. I built a nice fire in the fishing hut made some porridge and managed to get some meat and recover some health. But he next day wasn't as good and my health dropped due to cold damage and had to use my last stim. After another day of just staying warm I managed to recoup again and took all my stuff to the fish camp and another blizzard rolled in so I used that blizzard to run down the bear creek to collect all the cat tails and ended up where I am at now which is the rabbit grove near Bear Creek camp ground. I stayed up making water and cooking mushroom tea. This is where I am at now just the plan is to try the ravine to Mystery Lake. No bed roll so heading for the trailer by the Hydro Dam. 

[Veskaida]

If you've made it 900 days on 'Loper you should be as ready (as anyone is able) for Misery.

Rheumatic Joints is an annoying one to get early. Probably not the hardest, but definitely not the easiest either. Generally pretty disruptive though.

IMO

Spoiler

Sour Stomach

is the most troll affliction. Can either be a nothingburger, or completely annihilate your run soon as it appears and sit on your face as you struggle to exist.

If I could blindly throw one piece of advice out there for Misery, don't be frugal with matches; spend them asap for campfires, you'll find more than you'll live long enough to spend.

Haven't tested Misery extensively to see exactly how much higher the Needs/Damage is, but yeah, Calories is definitely a problem. I believe the Condition damage from Starving is considerably higher on Misery than Interloper, and Needs drains are higher for all (even Fatigue). This will be an interesting point of contention/theorycrafting for the coming months/years: to see if players gravitate more towards striving for Well Fed from Day 0 and protecting Condition/Mitigating the carry loss from Diminished Form, or preserving food (since Well Fed is pretty challenging to keep).

Yeah, I think ATM there's 3 schools of thought for what to do on Day 0, but you're not alone with having some uncertainty about where to go, especially without a bedroll, critical tools, crap clothes, and low condition with such a cold world:

• 1.) Reroll the (burnt down) Draft Dodger's Cabin for a hacksaw

(I think if there's one thing I dislike strongly about Misery atm, it's that the Draft Dodger's Cabin is a possible hacksaw location. I think it's a mistake having such a critical tool be potentially so close to spawn for Misery, but still being randomized. If it's there 100% or 0% of the time, sure, that's the game mode: but having that be it up to RNG is kinda annoying. Makes Misery feel less like a Sandbox mode, and more like a Challenge Mode or speedrun.)

1. Fast Forge: then check farm and barn for a hammer, and then either crossing to try and forge in DP or signal and try to forge in Muskeg.
2. Technical Backpack/Summit Rush: climb the double ropes and hit Skeeter's, Planecrash, Prepper's Bunker, and Mountaineer's hut, while trying for Gold Mine (usually with Homesteader's cheese, for a better/easier route)
3. Safe Forge and Clothes Tour: climb the double ropes and hit Skeeter's, Planecrash, Secret Bunker, Farm, Signal Hill, and then hit up ML, MT, and HRV for #ClothesMaxxing and guaranteed hammer/hacksaw

Personally I think DP is a trap. Yes, there is tons of coal and Coastal Townsite is nice, but there is so little cover from Townsite to the DP entry mine, so you're going to pay for it both ways with blood. Also, if you don't get a bedroll, it's quite challenging to make it from CH to DP and back, even with a rest between: the Fatigue drain is 'so' high, and you really do not wana be slowing down with CH being so large and the SE village being burn. It can be challenging to get a flare too between PV and Crumbling Highway, and since it's very windy, east to get borked. 🐺

Edited July 2, 2024 by Veskaida

[Ahatch]

My run continues but I had a very harrowing pass from Coastal Highway through the Ravine. I stopped at the trailer before entering the ravine. There was some burdock there but unable to harvest it due to not having even a crowbar. Then the cold started taking it's toll so I decided to hold up in the first cave in the ravine cook some teas and then cross over the log. Well I was across the log but already cold again so with the torch I built another fire by the deer carcass and cooked some more teas and the deer meat. But now fatigue is starting to set in and after making one last batch of porridge before making for the next cave. Once in there I panicked a bit as I started to get cold again so built another fire in the back of the cave and then just dropped a whole bunch of stuff including my 2 bags of flour and cooking oil then limped my survivor to the trailer with little health. After sleeping a blizzard blew in so I decided (after looking at my inventory and seeing one match) that I make a dash for the camp office. So that is where I am now just arrived. The third affliction has not hit but we'll see next session. 

[Ahatch]

I have reached 15 days and still just 2 afflictions but getting nervous as the next affliction looms heavy on my mind. After making it to the camp office I was disappointed to find zero matches. So spent the day looting and recouping. Found the skillet and the mag lens so not all is lost. Woke up and drank the last of my water and another blizzard rolled in so made a dash for trapper cabin. I had no choice but to spend my last match and build a fire and boil a ton of water. I cooked some teas and went out side the cabin and killed a couple rabbits to tide me over for food. Again zero matches in trappers cabin but the heavy hammer which I used to break down all the chairs to feed my fire. So after a nice night sleep I wake up with a HUGE question. I have the heavy hammer and I would think there would be matches at the Spence Farm House. But could I survive Forlorn Muskeg with no indoor location with a bed. I could make Spence Farm but I fear that I would need to build a perma fire there to survive so I could double back and look for matches in the Hydra Dam and make for Desolation Point as I have a trail of loot I left behind. Then the other route could be through the cave to Mountain Town to search for matches. But I don't think I have the stamina to make the climb to town there is a cave with a bed there though so I could sleep but would need a fire to allow me to sleep. So one mistake and I am dead.  

[Ahatch]

So this run continues I made the fateful decision just to go for it and go to the Spence Farm House and I just went for it. I found a second flare, coal,  at the Poachers Camp and made a safe crossing. Stopping along the way I got more coal  then as I was just crawling up the hill I could see the hay wagon then it hits. Hypothermia! so I get quickly to the farmhouse pull the flare and failed twice on the fire but was lucky and managed to get the fire lit and I filled it up with all the coal and all the sticks I had to get it to 12 hours. Put a herbal tea on and had a drink before retiring to sleep. By this time I was in the red and luckily I was able to just keep the fire going and breaking down the crates one at a time. Then I looted and no matches but the weirdest thing a hatchet! I was able to forge and get some arrow heads and a knife. With hypothermia cured  the third affliction hit sour stomach. So this is where I sit I am pretty much done forging and my fire is still going and I need to sleep so going to get enough wood to keep this fire going then I have to at some point return to Mystery Lake and make the long journey back to Trappers get my skillet and my cured saplings and cooking oil in the Ravine. I think Mystery Lake will be the end game for this run but need  matches so going to check the blind on the way back but something has to give. 

 

 

 

Edited July 14, 2024 by Ahatch

[ManicManiac]

Well done.

[Ahatch]

I finally got some time to continue this run but things are really bad right now. After holding up at Spence Farm a bit longer I decided to make for Mystery Lake (Grabbed some torches from the fire)but fell throw the ice in a foolish mistake on my part. Good thing I had decent health but made it to the Bleak Inlet transition cave and lit my last flare. I walked through the cave and looted a coal and some wood then found another marine flare. So I built a fire and cooked some mushroom then when I had some done I made the fateful decision to eat the 13% dog food from the Spence Farm and of course food poisoning. So I have slept and tonight  I am going to decide what to do but it is BAD. I am going to make for the burnt out trailers and hope there are matches there but my condition is so that I may not survive the journey. But we will see....

[Ahatch]

This run ends at 19 days I managed to eek out another day as I was able to use my last marine flare and go outside the transition cave and cook the deer there. So with that I got 1.9kg of deer meat and went back into the cave and got a bit of condition back. Plans changed the next day as I decided I would just go back to Mystery Lake as I was able to wait until I could see myself through the cave . Once outside though I seen 3 wolves blocking my path across the marsh so my thoughts switched to the lookout tower and the hope of matches. But alas 2 wolves were blocking that way. I got three sprains working my way around them crouching  knocking my condition down (since I had the joints affliction) I built a fire with the mag lens but my health was in the red. I warmed some teas and dumped all my wood to get the fire warm enough to keep me alive but I'm in the red I would have to go back through the two wolves so I went to check the tower. Crackers, Battery , Fuse and wires ....no matches. I crouched and started the decent down but died after the second strain. Matches was my downfall in this run as I for some reason failed to locate them but I will try again  

[I_eat_only_wolf_meat]

I'm at 21 days, and the walls are just closing in on me now.  My list of options is short, and all the options are bad.  I can't see making another day.

Edited July 29, 2024 by I_eat_only_wolf_meat

[Ahatch]

Well I started my second Misery Run and this time a much better start. I went the same route on day 1 Farmhouse and then spent the night in the barn. Found matches in the car outside the farmhouse. Then at the barn I found the heavy hammer. So I slept in the truck and made for Thomson's Crossing. I was able to find 2 more boxes of matches there so the thought right now is to go for and go to Coastal Highway my plan this time is to go to the Rikan. It will all depend on my success finding a hacksaw. So the plan next session is simple go through the mine and then loot Coastal Highway for the hacksaw and head to DP without delay. Going to be a bit tricky crossing Crumbling Highway but the hope is to forge early and return here and work my way back to Mystery Lake for the end game. 

[mfuegemann]

I am at day 26 in my second run but I must say, that misery takes out too much fun for me. I will try to summon enough energy to bring this run to an end, though.

[Ahatch]

I am going to try it a few times but I will go back to my main run soon though as I need to finish the Tales. 

[Stone]

Good thread @Ahatch. UL with those  matches on run 1. Good luck with the forge run. Are you not interested in looting TWM/AC? 

[I_eat_only_wolf_meat]

On 8/5/2024 at 4:47 PM, mfuegemann said:

I will try to summon enough energy to bring this run to an end, though.

I know the feeling.  It requires a ton of discipline to prep a bunch of teas for even short trips like Zaknafein has been doing in his Misery series.  I don't really have the desire to do that like he has been, but it appears to be the only way to be successful in this mode.

[Ahatch]

Hi @StoneI am following Zachnafein's run he went for Ash Canyon right off the bat. I wanted to see if it is possible to skip that route and still survive. 

[Ahatch]

So today I continued my current Misery run and it was pretty good session I safely passed through the mine and collecting a whopping 40 coal which I carried over the fish camp where I decided to drop a bunch of weight including my hammer as I made a plan to loot this region for the hacksaw before the perilous journey through the Crumbling Highway transition. So I scooted over to Jack Rabbit and found a second heavy hammer on the deck outside! Along with more matches and a crowbar I seem to have started better BUT no jacket so far so forays outside the cold really sinks into my survivor right away. So after killing a rabbit I was exhausted and decided to sleep. Waking up to a blizzard I decided to make the mad dash across the bay to the wolf nest quasit. So as I enter the back door of it I see the hacksaw right there in front of me. So everything is all set for a run to Crumbling Highway. The plan is now made. I am going to make a mad dash back to the fish camp and harvest some saplings whatever I can find and head out with the intention of forging and making weapons right away. I will not be venturing into the Ravine on the way to Mystery Lake my plan is to go back through the coal mine again and go through the dam via Signal Hill. Hoping to get a much better set up before settling down for the end game. 

[Ahatch]

Today's session went pretty good as like the last run a blizzard rolled in when I was at the Quansit this time I went to the nearby house with the fireplace looted and cooked porridge and potatoes into the night to stave off starvation and regenerated some condition. Next morning another blizzard again so made my way to the lower mine and looted some more coal and then to the log sort where I harvested a deer and slept the night in the trailer. The next morning I awoke and crossed the bay to Misandres and was very disappointed with the loot there and now crossed back to Jackrabbit after just finding a vest and a T-shirt for clothing. So I got the second affliction and again it was the joints one which really bites. I am having the same problem as last run as food is an issue and now I need to gather my thoughts if I feel I should just go for it and go to Crumbling Highway now. Thinking of heading that way building a fire just as I enter then a snow shelter since I don't have a bed roll. Then using that to rest up and then stealth through the transition or wait for a blizzard. 

[Ahatch]

So this run is still going after spending a couple days on Coastal I realized I had no choice but to risk the trip to Desolation Point to forge as I was running out of food. I cooked up 2 deer carcis enroute through Crumbling Highway. Arriving at the cave by the shore a blizzard rolled so weighed down I used a stim to run to the mine entrance. Once through the mine enhausted again but improved condition I used my second stim and ran to the lighthouse. I was fortunate to get some food along the way and recovered much sleeping. Tonite's session I was met with another blizzard so I used it to run to Hibernia and spent a day looting. The next day I got up and made 2 tip ups and headed to the Rikan. I harvested a deer carcus, fished and killed 2 rabbits on the island. I used this food to give me the energy to forge. So I made the knife and some arrow heads before sleeping. So thus ends this session. Thinking I may have to go sleep in the church to avoid cabin fever. So the plan is to stick around here until I have a bow and a few arrows and hopefully go back to Coastal Highway and eventually Mystery Lake but that is going to be VERY tough. 

[Ahatch]

So some continued success on this run as I have spent a couple days on the Riken. After forging I seen my cabin fever risk was up a bit so spent a day fishing and beachcombing which was a success as I have some spare fish now. Of course blizzards continue to be an issue as I am struggling a bit as I still have not found a jacket of any sort. I have just a vest and t-shirt , sweater  2 Canada toques2 jeans, work gloves and running shoes so despite being lightly clothed I am still slow with the joints affliction so cold really sinks in. I just got the third affliction haunted mind which is going to hurt further. No bed roll so really have to just stand outside by a fire. I wanted to build a snow shelter by the Riken but built my fire in the wrong spot so should have picked a better spot for that but was too windy where I could build a shelter. So thoughts now going back to a trip to the Hibernia once my gut has cured so I can make the bow and some arrows to make things MUCH better. I would love it if there was a couple bears on this map LOL but alas I have to go visit Scruffy's cave if I want to look for a bed roll.  

[Ahatch]

Tonight I had a good long session, after getting up I made the journey through the mine collecting coal then I made it for the church where I built a fire in the fire barrel. Thinking I was pretty smart I went out into the graveyard outside the wall where the barrel was thinking I could build my snow shelter there but alas I wasn't able to so I built a second fire which I used to keep me warm enough to build my shelter. I microslept one hour at a time so didn't recover much condition and a blizzard blew in so had to retreat back inside where my other fire was still going. So needless to say I wasted a fair amount of the coal I collected on this adventure along with all the planks I broke down. But after all that I went back to the Riken and slept some more. After getting up and eating the last of my fish leftovers I scooted over to Hibernia for a day of crafting the bow and some arrows so after all that I was hungry went back to the Riken again. I just went back fishing for a day but got one deer on the ice which I was only able to take small chunks due to chilling and run them back to fire which was by my 2 tip ups. I am feed up to the brim and back in the Riken as I sit. Now the new problem is I used up pretty much all my coal so I have to think about what to do next as condition recovery is SLOOOOWW. So wondering if it's time to pull up stakes and return to Coastal Highway before the next afflictions strike because those are going to be BAAAD 

[Ahatch]

So I had a session last night as I am nearing 26 days on this run but things are good but not as good as it appears. With the bow I was able to get some food and harvest hide and guts I am still in Desolation Point and got the affliction haunted mind. This is leading to condition recovery been slow and still without a jacket I just get cold right away when going outside so my health has never really recovered to full. Now in the next 6 days sour stomach and chilled to the bone are going to arrive. This is now a race against time for this run with difficult decisions. I think this map is a death trap but also death awaits if I attempt to return to Coastal Highway.  I don't have a lot of teas and starting to run out of my pile of coal. So I need to clear a safe passage to the transition cave but I still have no bed roll so I will be in big trouble if I can't sleep on the way where it is warm. I have to find a bed roll and I need to find a coat or kill some wolves to make one. There is one bear here and I can kill him but he isn't respawning for 50 days so I will be long dead by the time he respawns so I could make a bed roll. 

[Ahatch]

So I just made day 32 and I have not been able to leave DP as every time I wanted to make a move in the direction of Coastal Highway minor set backs prevented it. I did kill the bear and used butchering to stave off cabin fever. But went and crafted deer skin boots. Before finishing the boots though I was hit with the final 2 afflicts. Walking back to the Riken in the cold I ate a piece of bear meat and a fish. I was exhausted starving and almost thirsty all at the same time LOL but I survived long enough to make the Riken and that's where I end it tonight. Slept overnight but waking to 20ish percent condition with cabin fever risk is NOT a good thing. I will no longer attempt to leave this map but need to figure a strategy to ward off cabin fever enough to stay alive... We will see frigid bones is nasty. 

[Ahatch]

So this run is still going and I decided to move quarters to Hibernia which is warmer than the Riken. I spent todays session killing 4 wolves and cooking them and harvesting their hides. But I have been eating wolf / bear meat so I got the intestinal parasite affliction. So now things are winding down for this run as I will most certainly need to return back to Coastal Highway and onward but it's likely the death of me. I am waiting for the hides to cure for now. Just going day to day try to spend a bit of time outside by a fire . I will either run out of matches or stamina whichever comes first.