Hesha

2 minutes ago, Serenity said:

The hatchet is overrated. At most you need it for wolf fighting, but otherwise it's very easy to live without. A knife is pretty important however

Mhmm. I would tend to disagree. I played without both Hatchet and Knife for a good while now and I missed the hatchet more than the knife. You can't work on big limbs or any of the furniture with a hacksaw. What requires a knife? Crafting clothes, maybe?

6 hours ago, stratvox said:

One thing that is interesting is to set the baseline resource to medium, high, or very high, but also to max out the empty container chance and set container item density to low. The overall effect is that phat lute is available, but the overall amount of resources is actually quite low.

For example, during experimentation, I set baseline to very high, maximum empty container, container item density to low, and loose item availability to very high. Despite their being lots of stuff lying about, the likelihood of there being anything in any given container was only about one in twenty, and usually only one, with a max of about three. Overall effect was to really cut back on how much stuff there was, but I could find things like the snow pants and expedition parka.

That sounds really interesting. I guess the most restricted option would then be to set BRA to Medium, which is the lowest setting that still enables all gear (can somebody confirm this?) and then crank all other restrictions to 11. Will try this!

Just now, UpUpAway95 said:

That would mean that the revolver is only connected to the Baseline setting and not the rifle one at all.  Hmmm... ideas for continued testing emerging.  Thanks.

Yes. It would probably be worthwile to produce some kind of guide on the custom game options, because as of now, it is absolutely not clear what those settings do exactly. For instance, the option we are talking about should mention, that some items will be removed from the game entirely (analog to Interloper). But there is probably more room for explanation...

I'm on CH now anyways, so I'll check the petrol station, that's the only place I have found it before. I am not that optimistic, however, because I used to find waaaaay more revolver ammo than rifle ammo, but I haven't found a single bullet so far, yet I have over 30 rounds for the rifle.

2 minutes ago, UpUpAway95 said:

Keep in mind that there are other items that simply don't spawn in Interloper - particularly the higher end clothing items.  You've probably also prevented yourself from finding items like the expedition parka, snow pants, or gauntlets.

Ah! It is a shame that the option "Baseline Resource Availability" is so binary. I wish it would be possible to make items so rare that you have to search 1-2 main maps to get them, but not removed entirely. I think on medium I will usually get 1-3 hatchets and knives per map, right?

I think you're right about clothing, yes. So far I have only found combat boots, work boots and trail boots as well as running shoes. The best jacket I have found is the Ski Jacket, I found two of those, two simple parkas and a machinaw jacket. Doesn't really matter, I guess, since crafted gear is better (imho), except for the boots, I would much rather have insulated boots than deerskin boots.

Phew, I'm really conflicted now. I don't want to quit 20 days into the play, especially since I like what happened so far, but I'm not thrilled about never finding a revolver and having to haul around those crappy makeshift tools... hmmm.

Just now, UpUpAway95 said:

What you might try is putting the baseline to medium and then adjusting everything else to interloper level.  The combination will reduce the items in the world somewhat and ensure that you find a higher percentage of ruined items (which will disappear) as you get farther along.  It won't make things as rare as interloper at the outset, but it will have an impact at least over time.

Sounds like a good idea. I'm pretty happy with availability of loot so far, only three packs of matches in all of ML plus some CH. But the revolver is a bit annoying. Knife and Hatchet is almost okay, because I have modded the damage they take from use, so I don't have to forge new stuff every 5 seconds... erm... am I even allowed to say that here?

1 minute ago, UpUpAway95 said:

It' is entirely possible that it's your settings.  There is a way you might get an idea of what you actually set.  Immediately after savng in your current custom world and without exiting the game itself, start another new custom save.  The initial custom settings that show up should be the ones you're using in your current save.  Here's a list of alll the item-related Interloper uses vs. what Stalker uses:

Baseline Resource Availability - Low vs. Medium

Item Decay Rate - Very Hign vs. High

Loose Item Availability - Low vs. Medium

Empty Container Chance Modifire - High vs. Medium

Starting Gear Allocation - Low vs. Medium

Rifle Availability - No vs. Yes

Reduce Container Item Density - High vs. High

You can see that the only setting that remains the same for Stalker vs. Interloper is the last one (so we know that one isn't the issue).  While I'm not eliminating the idea that a combination of all the settings together might made hatchets and knives very, very rare in your world, I'm pretty sure the one that would eliminate them entirely is the Baseline Resource Availability.  If you have set that one to "Low"; I think you won't ever see a pre-made hatchet or knife in your world.

Thanks! Yes, that item is most certainly set to low, because medium has way too much stuff for my liking. It's a shame, though, that this removes knives and hatchets completely. Since I do get the option to decide independently on whether rifles exist. Should have those options for the other tools as well, I think.

6 hours ago, UpUpAway95 said:

Hatchets - Under any of the stoves in the Fishing Huts and at the Deadfall Area or Logging Camp.  In either one of the two Hunter's Blinds in ML, near Max, & in the hut atop the Lookout.

Coal - In addition to caves in the Muskeg, a little coal can be found in the cave leading to Milton.  You can also find some allong the railroad tracks in the Ravine (but that doesn't respawn).  I think, I've also found some coal on some starts in the caves in the ravine as well (but I'm not sure ).  There is also some at the Poacher's Camp and by the other Train Wreck, but this also doesn't respawn.

Thanks! Looks like none of those locations have a hatchet or a knife for that matter. You don't think it could be my settings, though? I have found a hacksaw, 4 or 5 prybars, one rifle, lots of ammo (30ish in ML alone), but strangely enough, even though I found two small arms skill books, I haven't found the revolver nor even a single revolver bullet. I'm beginning to thinkt that revolvers, knives and hatchets don't spawn at all when you set loot to "Low" (the first option in custom games). Especially the lack of revolver ammo makes me wonder.

Is there a list of possible hatchets locations in (or around) Mystery Lake? This is my first game with custom settings and I'm beginning to wonder if I made a mistake. I think I have checked pretty much every location on the map and while I have found a hacksaw and a rifle, I have not found a knife or the hatchet. As far as I understand, those don't spawn in containers?

In case I screwed myself out of those tools by choosing the wrong settings... what's the nearest place to find coal for the forge on the Muskeg?

Is there a list of the best places to store each item based on how it decays? I believe that meat, both raw and cooked, is best stored outside (out of reach) and packaged foods indoors, but does anyone have like a list or an excel file on this for all items?

2 minutes ago, ajb1978 said:

I tend to keep a book on me at all times early on, so if I get stuck in a blizzard or something I can use that time for something productive.  Other than that, it doesn't really matter when you read books, with the exception of the Frontier Shooting Guide.  That book only works up to level 3, at which point the game will say "Your skills are too advanced for this book" or something like that. So try to save any copies of Advanced Guns Guns Guns until after you reach level 3 with the rifle.  Also, you gain the full benefit of a book as a lump sum when you finish the final hour of research.  So say you're level 1 and need to pass time, you can read the first 24 hours of Advanced Guns Guns Guns without getting a benefit, then stash the book to finish later after you hit level 3, and read that final hour to get the full benefit applied to your skill.

I personally try to avoid using a skill whenever reasonably possible, until I am confident I have searched the entire game world and have completed researching all skill books that apply to that skill.  Just so I don't inadvertently master the skill ahead of time, then find a book I can't use.  But that's just my overly-miserly play style.

I know the feeling. Back in the day when playing Gothic 2 I actually had to find all the skill tablets before I would put any experience points into my skills. It was terrible, ruined the game for me. Luckily, I wouldn't dream of doing that nowadays, I just don't have the time. Plus there are maps (e.g. TM) that have no appeal to me.

I have a minor questions that is in relation to research books: When should I read them? asap or does it pay off somehow to read them later? It does in other games, that's why I'm asking.

Nevermind. Just found the first one in the 80th or so building...

Speaking of jump scares... where indoor corpses removed from the game? I've started a couple new runs lately and so far after visiting about 50 or 60 indoor locations, I have yet to find a single corpse container indoors. Outdoors there are as common as they used to be.

If they have been removed - I'd be happy about that. I hated having a good base ruined by a rotting corpse sitting inside being unremoveable.

+1 on the padded arm protection. Though to get fur thick enough over a large enough area, it would weigh a few kilos. But it would sort of immobilize the wolf; with that shield/sled thing, no weight but also no immobilization (the bite could come under or above or sideways of the shield if not carefull and not stumble...might make a nice minigame (left mouse pressed and move to protect a quarter, right mouse pressed and jab with the weapon)

Maybe if you could cut pieces out of the wire mesh fences at the back end of the hydro dam, you could use one layer of mesh, one layer of fur, etc. Stick the left arm out to the wolfie and hack away at it with your knife or hatchet in the right hand...

I have had a bit more success with the rifle when I try and aim the barrel at the critter. (I assume the bullet will hit right at the base of the sight, not at the tip as is most common real life riflery.) How did you utilize the sights for your long range kill shot?

I generally aim by covering the target with the tip of the front sight (the little metal bit sticking upwards at the end of the barrel). That is where I feel the bullet goes.

So basically when aiming for the wolf's head, aim in such a way that you can only see its ears because the front sight covers the rest of the head.

On that note I'd like to share with you a screenshot from my most long-range kill in the game so far. The wolf was running from me (scared by my wolf coat) and I tried to shoot him before he gets out of range. He was immediately dead, didn't continue running. Honestly, I thought the rifle couldn't actually hit something that far away...

Or maybe a reinforced arm protection, like a padded, robust sleeve to offer the wolf something to dig its teeth into while you carve at his throat? You know, like those dog protection suits you see on TV sometimes...

The sticks we currently have weigh 150g, that wouldn't kill or even know out a rabbit. A wolf would barely notice it... as a matter of fact, Cedar Firewood is more like it, weighing in at 500g or maybe even the Fir Firewood with a hefty 1kg.

With ammo being as scarce as it is, no one will go around shooting random guns at random targets just to see how much fun it is...

Also, no one is asking for more weapon loot drops or for more readily available weapons. This thread is about more VARIETY of weapons. On ML alone on Voyageur you will find about 3 hunting rifles. On stalker it will be one or two. The number of firearms per map would not be changed, but instead there would be different TYPES of weapons we can find.

Imagine: Instead of finding 3 rifles and 20 rounds of ammo on ML you will now find 3 random weapons and 20 rounds of random ammo - you might only find a handfull of ammo you can actually use. This will encourage players (organically, not forced like the forge) to go exploring in order to find a gun for their ammo or vice versa.

This would be awesome and not at all change the game into more of a shooter or anything like that.

Even just fastening the knife to the tip of the spear would make for a decent blade. Maybe some additional crossbar and you've got yourself a wolf killer...

+1 for a sling shot!

As regards it becoming a shooter... not as long as ammo remains as limited as it is now.

True, but there are still about 30 guns per 100 Canadians, most of which are probably owned outside the big cities, so we can assume that everyone who lived in the areas depicted in the game used to own one or several guns.

I really dont see everyone running from a disaster and leaving many guns or very much ammo behind for you to find other than the rare prepper cash.

That argument doesn't work for me. The PC is supposed to be a bush pilor whose plain crashed because of the "thing". Now, was he/she sucked into a parallel universe for a few days and then spat out in the Canadian wilderness? Cause if he/she wasn't, then NO TIME has passed since the "thing", as then he/she would long have frozen to death.

Also, the cabins around ML are clearly holiday homes at best, so there is no reason to assume that there was anyone "living" there to start with. Same with the dam, doesn't look like anyone has worked there in a while with all the debris and spare parts flying around.

Thinking of it, the premise of this game makes absolutely no sense. The dead guy with the two broken arrows beside him makes it look like he was attacked by low-tech survivors using bow and arrow, but before that happens in a country with as many firearms around as Canada, a long, long time would have to pass... so, where was our PC during all those weeks and months? I am puzzled...

I'd love a super-rare, scoped rifle, tbh. Or at least a properly sighted one. The way the rifle currently handles, your range is incredibly short. I would like to be able to hunt from a safe distance.