Top of Timberwolf Mountain - Is that all?


RJ_Dalton

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I'm . . . kinda disappointed in Timberwolf Mountain as a map.  The ideas are solid - an area where there is a big lack of man-made structures and few areas with adequate protection from the elements, forcing you to really play your survival.  But I've been on Timberwolf Mountain for about seven in game days now and I'm pretty sure I've explored the whole map.  It's not very big and there don't seem to be very many places to discover, unless I've missed some hidden paths somewhere.

And getting to the top wasn't very hard, either, for all the fuss.  I ended up not really needing half of the supplies I brought (although, to be fair, I'd been saving up the MREs I'd found specifically for this map since they seem to be the best ratio of weight per calories) because the cargo boxes contain soooooooooo much food.  Getting to the very top took me two days once I actually decided to go for it (I spent a couple of days exploring the area before I decided to actually make my run), and the cave on the secluded ledge seemed a great place to spend the one night I needed to.

On the whole, I was expecting a much bigger challenge than this.

Does anyone else feel this way, or is it just me?

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Two days seems about average for a Timberwolf Mountain run. The big challenge with the mountain is overextending yourself since storms can come up on you really fast. I wasn't disappointed with the map itself. I got a lot more enjoyment from the quiet desolation of the mountain peaks than I got from desolation point. My biggest disappointment with map was actually the missed narrative opportunity. There's the climber's note in mountaineer's shack. I was expecting to find a string of them along the path to the summit, each hinting at the next's location. Maybe with signs of someone opening cargo crates and whatnot along the way. The end could be left ambiguous, up to the player to decide if the climber survived or succumbed to the long dark. Instead, this whole potential arc was never even touched upon. A real wasted opportunity.

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+1 to McGuffin's sentiments. If you want to experience Timberwolf Mountain in its truest form, spawn in there rather than walking in fully prepped. That way you really get to experience the lack of man-made structures and equipment (other than what you can scavenge from the cargo containers).

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I agree, starting on TWM is probably getting the most out of the map. It also makes kinda sense to me to start somewhere near the plane as you're supposes to be a crashed pilot. So starting on TWM seems logical to me.

I was a bit surprised at the size of the plane though. I would have expected a far smaller plane for a 'bush pilot'. This thing is a small cargo plane complete with cargo containers and everything. I had been thinking more along the lines of the kind of planes you see in Flying Wild Alaska, small single/ twin engine planes with space for a few passengers and some cargo in the back.

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19 hours ago, elloco999 said:

I agree, starting on TWM is probably getting the most out of the map. It also makes kinda sense to me to start somewhere near the plane as you're supposes to be a crashed pilot. So starting on TWM seems logical to me. ...

But if you're an actual bush pilot I don't think you were piloting that particular plane.  It just seems far to large to have been the plane you crashed in.  That's been bugging more for quite some time actually. 

Now I'm curious to hear what the consensus of opinion is here regarding the aircraft wreckage.  Is it the protagonist's plane or a different, unrelated, plane crash?

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I don't believe it's Will McKenzie's plane, according to the back story he pilots a DeHavilland Beaver which he crashes into a pile of Fir Tree's leaving him hanging 30 feet up in the air by his seat belt semiconscious.

Perhaps it's unrelated, perhaps Dr Astrid Greenwood crashed on a commercial flight and that's how she ends up out here...

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It's very unlikily that that it was a passenger plane. Judging by its size and lack of seats it's more likely commercial cargo. I agree though, I didn't think of it as "my" plane since it's just too big for a bush pilot. Personally, I don't consider my character in the sandbox to be either Will or Astrid. Just some poor soul lost in the long, quiet dark.

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26 minutes ago, cekivi said:

It's very unlikily that that it was a passenger plane. Judging by its size and lack of seats it's more likely commercial cargo. I agree though, I didn't think of it as "my" plane since it's just too big for a bush pilot. Personally, I don't consider my character in the sandbox to be either Will or Astrid. Just some poor soul lost in the long, quiet dark.

I haven't got as far as TWM yet apart from a quick peak and seen one of the wheels but I would say definitely not Will's, could be nothing to do with Astrid either just a by product of the recent events.
 

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3 hours ago, Boston123 said:

Yeah, rather underwhelming.

Even more amusing, in "real life" I would, in no way, think it worth my time or the possibility of injury to climb (literally climb, swinging freely up ropes) to the top of a mountain, all for some supplies.

In my younger days, I would climb simply because it was there.  Now I'm older and wiser (well wiser is debatable), I'd be taking more than just a pair of sticky shoes and a chalk bag, getting "disco legs" with no safety gear doesn't seem as enticing as it once was.

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6 hours ago, illanthropist said:

In my younger days, I would climb simply because it was there.  Now I'm older and wiser (well wiser is debatable), I'd be taking more than just a pair of sticky shoes and a chalk bag, getting "disco legs" with no safety gear doesn't seem as enticing as it once was.

Basically.

In Wilderness Survival circles, a popular saying is " Don't step on what you can step over, and don't step over what you can step around".

Essentially, you are "supposed to" undertake the action with the absolute least possible risk to yourself. In "real life", a sprained ankle in a survival situation is a very serious issue, not the "take some painkillers and sleep for a few hours" thing it is in game. Much less the possibility of actually falling. In my survival course, I tell my students not to climb trees, as they seemingly think that they will be able to see where they are in a sea of similar trees. The risk of falling, no matter how slight, is always present, and is always too high.

Basically,."Murphy's Law" held to a "10 Commandments" level. "Thou shalt not do things that could hurt you, no matter the reward".

The only reason that I would climb Timberwolf Mountain in "real life" was if there was a functioning town on the other side, or some other form of guaranteed safety...... and even then I would just probably walk around the mountain until I found a pass. The chance of falling, no matter how slight, is always too high for my liking.

And, I don't really care about gear. My continued survival >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> new equipment, all day, every day, 24/7/365, in my book.  Logically, there would be a flaregun in the bushplane. Hell, I carry one in my backpack. Going "hey guys, there is an absurdly common item on top of an extremely dangerous location! Go get it!", makes me go "Nnnnnnooooo thanks. Not worth it".

 

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5 hours ago, Raphael van Lierop said:

* The top of TWM is currently the only place in the game you can find the Distress Pistol, which is currently the only thing that will interrupt a Bear that has decided you are lunch.

My strategy is to avoid getting the bear close enough that he is within range and will decide to charge. The ammo for the Distress Pistol is limited so my thinking is that I need a bear hunting strategy that does not require it. If there are not enough arrows to be found, having a guaranteed rifle spawn and plenty of ammo is a priority. A concern with arrows on TWM is that there is an extremely limited supply of arrowheads there. Of course if there was flint/chert/obsidian there and maybe a hammer-stone (or bopper) and antler (or indirect percussion flaker) then I'd have superior points for the arrow. (faster bleed times) The limited supply of birch saplings is also a concern for a long term strategy.

For long term survival, visiting TWM for medicines, matches, rifle cleaning kits, whetstones and ammo could extend player life. Not sure if its an optimal place to stay for very long. Game is plentiful. Fishing there might be better. The Climber's Hut is not ideal campsite; perhaps only necessary for crafting arrows or fishing gear for clothing repair/crafting. All the wood harvesting there tends to do a number on the hatchet.

I guess we are sort of anticipating there is something else there that will prove useful in future.

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On 6-3-2016 at 1:40 AM, Raphael van Lierop said:

* The crashed plane is not Mackenzie's.

Well that clears things up :) Since people have been calling for the addition of Will's plane since I joined the forums I just figured when I read about the plane in the TWM update that it would be Will's plane. Guess I was wrong.

 

On 6-3-2016 at 5:42 AM, Boston123 said:

The only reason that I would climb Timberwolf Mountain in "real life" was if there was a functioning town on the other side, or some other form of guaranteed safety...... and even then I would just probably walk around the mountain until I found a pass. The chance of falling, no matter how slight, is always too high for my liking.

That's in real life. But in TLD, climbing the mountain is relatively safe. Is it even possible to fall? It never happened to me. And of course your playing a game so maybe a bit of adventure climbing a mountain is not such a bad thing...

In real life I would indeed never go up a mountain when I'm trying to survive. Civilization is generally speaking not at a mountain peak, but more likely down hill. Following rivers and (rail)roads will generally lead you to towns so that would be a much safer bet then trying to climb a mountain without proper climbing gear.

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4 hours ago, elloco999 said:

Well that clears things up :) Since people have been calling for the addition of Will's plane since I joined the forums I just figured when I read about the plane in the TWM update that it would be Will's plane. Guess I was wrong.

 

That's in real life. But in TLD, climbing the mountain is relatively safe. Is it even possible to fall? It never happened to me. And of course your playing a game so maybe a bit of adventure climbing a mountain is not such a bad thing...

In real life I would indeed never go up a mountain when I'm trying to survive. Civilization is generally speaking not at a mountain peak, but more likely down hill. Following rivers and (rail)roads will generally lead you to towns so that would be a much safer bet then trying to climb a mountain without proper climbing gear.

Yes, it is possible to fall while climbing ropes, etc.

In general, the mountain provides a clear goal which many of our players seem to appreciate. Whether you feel the climb is worth it or not seems to come down to the particular player.

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Good to know, I'll have to be more careful then :)

For me, going up to TWM is only worth it for 2 reasons:

  1. It's a new area (but that will wear off)
  2. The flare gun (but I've managed without it for a very long time, so I don't know if I'm going to bother just for that)

When I went up to TWM, I had already all the clothes, tools and food I needed. So the large amounts of these items found on TWM without any real ability to take all of it back to my bases in the other maps (way too many trips, going up and down those ropes) was a bit of a downer for me.

I do like the map, but I don't think I will be spending much time there. I'll probably use it as something of a vacation spot. Going up there to 'relax' for a few days every once in a while :)

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6 hours ago, elloco999 said:

Good to know, I'll have to be more careful then :)

For me, going up to TWM is only worth it for 2 reasons:

  1. It's a new area (but that will wear off)
  2. The flare gun (but I've managed without it for a very long time, so I don't know if I'm going to bother just for that)

When I went up to TWM, I had already all the clothes, tools and food I needed. So the large amounts of these items found on TWM without any real ability to take all of it back to my bases in the other maps (way too many trips, going up and down those ropes) was a bit of a downer for me.

I do like the map, but I don't think I will be spending much time there. I'll probably use it as something of a vacation spot. Going up there to 'relax' for a few days every once in a while :)

I wonder if it would be possible just to drop items over the edge and recover them at the bottom. I know that I'd try something like that, if the object was unbreakable.

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I love the Timberwolf Mountain map because it offers a nice contrast from the other maps.

As I've stated before..... I could be happy with this game forever if they did nothing more than add a new map every month or two.

Could you imagine this game with 20 or 30 connected maps??  and the story mode possibilities that could offer down the road??

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4 hours ago, cowboymrh said:

I love the Timberwolf Mountain map because it offers a nice contrast from the other maps.

As I've stated before..... I could be happy with this game forever if they did nothing more than add a new map every month or two.

Could you imagine this game with 20 or 30 connected maps??  and the story mode possibilities that could offer down the road??

Definitely seconding this. My gameplay is mostly based off of exploration. After exploring the entire world 100% in 60 days, I honestly just feel useless. I don't want to spend the entire game repetitively killing deer, harvesting meat, cooking it and boiling water, and then sleeping.

Maps like Timberwolf Mountain and Desolation Point are cool because they have unique features that you won't find in any of the other maps. I also love the massive indoor locations that pop up occasionally, like the dam in Mystery Lake. It gets you wondering why everywhere is so abandoned. Where did everybody go?

The push to explore is definitely one of the key features of this game, especially considering that it's so beautiful. It would be amazing if we were getting new maps every other month at the most, but I have a feeling that any new maps aren't going to be added for a while.

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On 3/6/2016 at 9:40 AM, Raphael van Lierop said:

A couple of notes:

* The crashed plane is not Mackenzie's.

* The top of TWM is currently the only place in the game you can find the Distress Pistol, which is currently the only thing that will interrupt a Bear that has decided you are lunch.

It is worth the climb to get the distress pistol just so you can shoot the bear with it, it's hilarious.  I can't think of anything else in this game that has made me burst out laughing.  Don't tell PETA I said any of that.  As far as bear strategy goes though, I find that getting it's attention, then throwing a lit flare (the operative word there is LIT) at it will stop it in its tracks, which allows you to shoot it dead with one to three shots.  It's a good trade on the mountain because that flare and a bullet or three will net you sixty pounds of meat.  And really, you don't need to use bullets on anything except bears.  Anyway, happy hunting!

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6 hours ago, Monty Cristo said:

As far as bear strategy goes though, I find that getting it's attention, then throwing a lit flare (the operative word there is LIT) at it will stop it in its tracks, which allows you to shoot it dead with one to three shots.  It's a good trade on the mountain because that flare and a bullet or three will net you sixty pounds of meat.  And really, you don't need to use bullets on anything except bears.  Anyway, happy hunting!

I got mauled by the first bear I tried to hunt and since then I've always run a secure approach: I always get to a tree, or a map area in which the bear cannot get to me, like the top of some of their own caves. It makes me feel as a mixture between cheater/exploiter and clever survivor, cause I'd obviously never dare to shoot such an animal from a position in which, if I failed to land a shot, I'd get caugh. However it doesn't have much sense either that the bear doesn't run for his life under such a situation. Most of the time it runs against the wall or the tree he cannot climb until I manage to land the kill-shot. 

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7 minutes ago, Ohbal said:

I got mauled by the first bear I tried to hunt and since then I've always run a secure approach: I always get to a tree, or a map area in which the bear cannot get to me, like the top of some of their own caves. It makes me feel as a mixture between cheater/exploiter and clever survivor, cause I'd obviously never dare to shoot such an animal from a position in which, if I failed to land a shot, I'd get caugh. However it doesn't have much sense either that the bear doesn't run for his life under such a situation. Most of the time it runs against the wall or the tree he cannot climb until I manage to land the kill-shot. 

Minimizing risks is very much part of survival code! But it's not for everyone. Some people are just so used to arcade style, dexterity driven games. Of course, it's perfectly fine (in my opinion) to use the safest approach! Well there's more than one game style and I'm glad Hinterland seems to understand that.:excited::)

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2 minutes ago, SteveP said:

Minimizing risks is very much part of survival code! But it's not for everyone. Some people are just so used to arcade style, dexterity driven games. Of course, it's perfectly fine (in my opinion) to use the safest approach! Well there's more than one game style and I'm glad Hinterland seems to understand that.:excited::)

Indeed to both. Hinterland is doing a great job in terms of offering play style alternatives :)

The real issue I'm having here is that the bear reaction in the situation feels too game-y and affects negatively to the reward feeling. It's similar to the torche technique. A bit more rewarding as you have to find the spot, get to it (involves climbing = risk of injury) and then wait for the bear to get close... but since it turns into an easy kill, it loses some charm :)

But I've recently read that animal behaviour is on Hinterland's "To Review" list, so I'm pretty confident they'll find the way to improve this.   

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