Tales From The Far Territory, Chapter IV: ABSOLUTION

[JackTrysGames]

Considerable spoilers for TFTFT Chapter III, aka LAST HORIZON, so the whole suggestion is spoilered for obvious reasons.

Spoiler

I'll be brutally honest with you. LAST HORIZON was a letdown, especially when compared to BURIED ECHOES.

You have to climb a dizzying, harrowing peak that you need crampons to climb or you will fall, to get to a region with about as many shelters as Ash Canyon, to brave Arctic temperatures with whatever you could bring up the rope, only to have to run ALL the way back to Bunker Omega. And there isn't even any cutscene like there was in Buried Echoes. You go back to where the tale first began, find a secret room, and wham- the project was a failure, everyone is dead, and the Foreman even stole Rudiger's custom pistol when he left to an unknown fate. What a jerk. I mean, sure, the Tactical Gloves and Tactical Jacket are nice, and the feat that makes you move slightly faster is cool, but they're not worth crossing the Rhine over.

So let's fix that by making LAST HORIZON a stepping stone towards an ending- a real ending.

Cross the Last Horizon and enter the final chapter of Tales From The Far Territory- Absolution. Follow the Foreman's footsteps to his bitter end in a military outpost deep within the heart of Great Bear, just past Sundered Pass. Discover the research behind Rudiger's experiments, and figure out how to make the experiment a success. Then reap the rewards of your eight hours of playtime in a single save with a machine that changes the way you play The Long Dark.

Perhaps there is still a future for you here, outsider...

That was long. Here's a meme to summarize my feelings on Last Horizon.

Spoiler

Please note that the preceding statements are not intended to be interpreted as an assault, accusation, assumption, or opinion. The sole purpose is to express my humble thoughts on my favorite game in the most respectful way possible, in the hopes of improving it, so celebrating our love for the game would be even more graceful. One might say you can't improve on perfection, yet this is what Hinterland does on the daily basis. This means you MM.

Edited September 26 by JackTrysGames

[JackTrysGames]

Possible Questline for TFTFT Absolution: (would unlock immediately after completion of Last Horizon)

Spoiler

• Discover where the Foreman went.
• Reach the Outpost.
• Collect Rudiger's research.
• Collect The Foreman's annotations to Rudiger's research.
• Collect the patient logs.
• Collect spare parts.
• Return to Rudiger's Machine.
• Wait for an Aurora or for Glimmer Fog.
• Insert the parts, and start Rudiger's Machine.

Possible rewards for completing TFTFT Absolution:

Spoiler

Quest would complete after Rudiger's Machine activates successfully, achieving Rudiger's "new horizon" (his Last Horizon, if you will, and achieving Absolution for the Buried Echoes of Rudiger's project while also creating a Signal Void)

Rewards:

• Rudiger's Machine can now be toggled active in any subsequent playthrough, similar to Scurvy or the Cougar
• Rudiger's Machine can be interacted with to respawn loot by creating a monster blizzard
• New feats? (Potentially more influence from the Darkwalker, or something involving the mind- an upgrade to Settled Mind would be cool.)
• Glimmer Fog spawns in every region while Rudiger's Machine is active
• A new Variant, specifically the weapon Rudiger was wielding when he was shot by The Foreman

 

[The Feng Hunter]

The largest question you never asked:

What was the original point of telling?

What do I mean by this.

You, as Survivor, are NOT the first person to follow Rüdiger. Hell, you’re not even the second. You may not even be the third. 

Rather, you’re simply the only one who finished the job.

Further elucidation:

Spoiler

The Polaroids left behind were dropped by the person who had retraced The Foreman’s footsteps.

As we know from reading a note NOT part of a Tale left behind in Mindful Cabin, The Foreman was called “Poppy.” We learn in the beginning of “Buried Echoes” that the same person who referred to the Foreman AS Poppy was looking for the Foreman. That person found the cache … and ultimately the crew who had been dispatched to rescue Vertasky.

THEREFORE, what I’m dying to know is … who the heck was the person who referred to The Foreman as Poppy? 

My inclination is to say we will find out via the Trader, as this person is said to trade in both material goods and “valuable information … for a price.”

Tales is wonderfully and subtly written. It’s delicate, sparse writing. Melville in scope, Hemingway in execution. 

I don’t want to be spoon-fed. I don’t want “Absolution.”

I want to ponder. I want to explore. 

The answers are all there already … if you’re patient enough to find them. ✌️

[RossBondReturns]

I don't really think we should want to fix Rudiger's Machine so it works well.

It's already dangerous enough when working sporadically.

Tales is Perfect as it is.