Drifter Man

Deadman 3 / Day 1 I decide to look at the problem differently. I'll call it a 100,000-calorie challenge. Find and consume 100,000 calories. Smashed cans count as 80%, I won't be keeping exact count there. Desolation Point, near Katie's Corner. I'll ignore that place for now and reach the Lighthouse instead, in 94% condition. One of the first things I find inside is an emergency stim, also a can of peaches. A wool toque at the top of the lighthouse. Not a bad start. Warm up in bed, then on to Matt's Truck (nothing there) and to the Riken, on a foggy afternoon. The Riken is too dark and cold, I leave quickly without searching it much. Next stop, Hibernia. I look into the boats on the way and find water purification tablets - good, I don't have much firewood, they will double my water output for the first few liters. The trailer on the Riken's side is, again, too dark, and I don't have time to point the cursor in dark corners. But the container and lockers lying under the entrance to the warehouse have matches. I start a fire, make water and pull some torches so that I have light to search the warehouse in the dusk. Bits and pieces of stuff in the warehouse... some firewood, a flare. Cotton hat and a can opener (yes!) in a metal container, a can of peaches and a prybar in the safe. The prybar allows me to open some more lockers but there's nothing inside. The game crashes when I exit the door to check the weather outside. I reload from the last save and repeat, but the can opener and cotton hat are no longer there, the container is empty. I eat the peaches and go to bed for the night. [720 calories consumed] Deadman 3 / Day 2 I use a blizzard outside to hop into the other trailer (nothing found in the darkness), then on to the mine entrance, reaching in 90% condition. I start a fire inside and make some more water, then pull torches and search the mine. Apart from coal, there are more matches and a hacksaw. No more food though. I'm starving. I'm thinking of pushing to CH but I'm too tired, and there may me no place to sleep between here and Misanthrope's Homestead. Instead I go to Katie's corner and start a fire at the deer carcass there. It's got 1 kg meat, and there are salty crackers next to a backpack. Still winds turn into strong winds and kill my fire before the venison is done - babysitting does not help, I believe this "mechanic" was unintended and removed in the last update. At least I'm warmed up again, so I search the rest of the corner, drop the raw venison on the road and return to the Lighthouse to sleep. Although freezing, I search a car on the way, finding more salty crackers. I still don't have enough to fend off starvation. I go to bed in 85% condition. [1680 calories consumed]

Deadman 2 This is, uh, Broken Railroad. The Wolfen Wolfroad. I don't know this region and strong wind is blowing into my face so I turn around and walk through the tunnel to Elon Muskeg. Strong wind is now blowing from the direction of the Homestead. I walk towards the train and pick a piece of cedar I know to be always there. Two wolves are patrolling at W-4*, blocking the way to the Homestead as effectively as the wind. B-1* emerges from the cave further to the west. I turn around again and return to BR. The wind again blows in my face. I'm freezing long before I reach the Landslide. Past the Locomotive Engine, I pick a rabbit and drive it ahead of me... one wolf chooses the rabbit, the other I see chooses me. I have to turn around back to the train to shake it off. Picking another rabbit, I try again. It's dusk now and I launch the rabbit into the wolf zone without any target. I don't see much as I pass but the place explodes into a barkfest, which ends with a death-squeal of the rabbit. On to the Maintenance Yard. A wolf barks me up from the darkness as I approach, gets close, but I walk on until I reach the building. Fortunately the door is open. I quickly search a metal box - nothing inside. I move into the main area, at 66% condition now. It's pitch-black dark. I stumble around and realize it's felt -6°C. I stumble around some more and can't find the door to get out - not that it would make any difference. There is no way I can find anything in the darkness. I stumble around yet a little more, then decide to stop wasting my time and quit. This run only lasted a few hours. *I haven't finished my wildlife research project in the FM but most patrol zones are already mapped and labeled

Give my regards to the IMM security staff

Thanks @JAFO for sharing a condensed version on TheDEADP00L's experience - I don't have the patience to watch someone else's stream, although I certainly miss out on many good tricks because of this! I don't think that fishing is the right way to go - you would need to find line (which you don't, on Interloper at least). Curing a gut means leaving it in place and you don't want to return to a vacuum-cleaned spot a few days later. Same for snares... that could be an even bigger problem than firewood. The deer I tried to run into a wolf approached the wolves from behind, so they didn't detect it before the deer caught wind of them, so I can't tell who has greater detection range now. I'm still thinking that deer + coal can be the solution to the deadman equation in the short to medium term. I don't believe there is a long term. You have 100% starting condition + about 50-100% more you can get from stims, depending how many you find, that's all...

Deadman 1 / Day 6 I set out before dawn because the winds are still - it's better to wade through the darkness when the winds are still than during the day in a storm. My first stop is at Rabbit Grove, I reach it just as my temperature bar is about to run out. I search the cabin before the day breaks (and turns the cabin into a pitch-black chamber), finding a can of dog food. I eat it immediately and sleep for 2 hours. Now it is full day and the good weather holds, although light snow is falling. I go down onto the Bear Creek, collecting cattails and lumps of coal. Just after I cross the little "waterfall" on the way up to the railroad tracks, a wolf jumps me, not even bothering to bark. It's quick. 4 days survived. Well, more like 4 and half

Well, the next day is probably going to be the last, I expect to die trying to cross the Ravine. I welcome any tips! What do the most successful survivors do differently? What is the main killer - cold, hunger, wolves? Loot seems to be interloperish, so I can depend on my knowledge (not systematic though) of the interloper world in this respect. Here's where I'd go looking for emergency stims: Barn (Pleasant Valley) Cinder Hills Mine Ravine, in the derailed train car - I think? Upper Dam, in the room with the safe - I think? Mystery Lake, Hunter's Blind - I think? Trapper's Cabin, not at all sure about that one Marsh Ridge Mountain Town, Crashed Plane TWM Summit, Tail Section Hibernia Processing, somewhere inside Any other places you can remember? I welcome all discussion on deadman theory and practice

Deadman 1 / Day 4 I wake up and stay indoors at the farmstead until the afternoon, repairing clothes. When it's the warmest part of the day, I head out towards the Barn, where I hope to find an emergency stim (and some food, please!). I don't want to go farther than the Outbuildings today. Approaching the Outbuildings, I'm on my guard but not exactly careful - it is warm but my temperature bar is running out fast, so I can't afford to be. At first the approach looks safe but then I spot two black spots emerging from a snow drift. They're far away but one spots me immediately - wolves have much bigger radar here. Strong winds have just started and I can't light a torch, so my only chance is to walk away. The wolf attacks immediately. As soon as it sinks its fangs into my flesh, I smash back with my fearsome warhammer. Miraculously, the hammer wins. My condition is something like 30% but no blood loss (!), so yes, it's a win. Hypothermia risk strikes soon afterwards. I can't go to the Barn, so I run to the Rural Crossroads and reach it in 18% condition. I search all buildings and cars, find matches but very little food. At least the local wolves are not home. I go to bed with very little to eat and wake up with 15%. Deadman 1 / Day 5 A blizzard is raging outside, it's still night, but I'm losing condition by the hour. I need food. I decide to run into the blizzard in the hope of finding the entrance to the Cinder Hills Mine. At first I lose my way right away and return to the Crossroads to warm up for another hour in the bed. The second attempt is successful: I find the mine entrance in near-complete darkness. Condition 5%. I make a fire at the entrance to pull torches and stumble through the mine. My first find is a chocolate bar, which I eat immediately. Some clothes, including work boots, can be found further inside. And then I find the emergency stim, the main thing I came for - but of course I do not apply it immediately. Beef jerky and that's about it. At the other end of the mine I wait for daylight, then move to the trailer on the way to Log Sort. There's a can of soda under the bed but in my present state it's quite a challenge to get it out. Warm up in bed and on to Log Sort... again, not much to find here... warm up in bed, now it's afternoon, very nice weather, as I stumble across the ice towards Jackrabbit Island. But even Jackrabbit Island offers very little in the way of food. In desperation, I decide to drive a deer into a wolf to get some food, whatever the risk might be. I almost succeed but the deer runs away before the wolves spot it, and ends up on the wrong side. It's probably for the better, with two wolves (instead of the usual interloper one in that place) the whole undertaking would probably fail anyway. I apply the emergency stim and run across the ice to the Fishing Camp. Finally, the camp offers some food (two cans of pork and beans and a granola bar). I'll make it through the night. Going to bed in 20% condition.

The eventual goal is to die. Just not today! "Brutal" and "fun" are not necessarily in contradiction

Yep it sounds like fun! I shifted the person intentionally, I do that from time to time. Writing in 3rd person is a bit more difficult but it's good to keep a bit of distance from my not-for-long survivor. The thrill is similar to early Snowballs, before I learned to handle the challenge.

Thanks for the tip @JAFO! Let Deadmen roll

Deadman 1 / Day 1 [Cold Fusion] [Efficient Machine] Hmm so where did we end up... Timberwolf Mountain, one rope above Crystal Lake. It's late afternoon, the weather is good, let's pick some sticks and get to Mountaineer's Hut. A wolf barks... let's just walk on, calmly. Take a look into the fishing hut: a fire is burning in the stove, Snowball 47 sits at the ice hole, waiting patiently for a fish to show up. But Deadman 1 feels no warmth from the fire. The wolf is still prowling outside. "Hey is that you still here?" asks Deadman. "Yeah, Day 133, getting rid of Cabin Fever. You're going to get it soon, too. If you make it that far..." Deadman 1 doesn't hear the end of Snowball 47's reply. He picks up a hammer, leather gloves and a piece of reclaimed wood and leaves the fishing hut. The wolf stays on his heels, so he cannot pick any cattails. In the Mountaineer's Hut, he finds matches, some firewood, a ski jacket, a sewing kit, some food. He briefly considers starting a fire to warm up but then realizes he has no tinder. It is warm enough to stay in the bed for 2 hours. He leaves after nightfall. The skies are clear, three wolves patrol the lake but Deadman manages to slip through to the "Cattail Bay". What, only 5 cattails? In this world, plants are set with a low spawn chance. Soon he begins losing condition to freezing. The weather is still good, so he starts a fire near the Landing Gear and spends a few hours boiling water - a slow process with only one can. He pulls a few torches, cooks a tomato soup found in the Mountaineer's Hut, waits out a brief period of strong wind at the fire. Then he takes another torch and heads towards Pleasant Valley, picking up more sticks on the way. On reaching the bunker, he quickly searches the dark interior with a torch in hand, but there is almost nothing of value to be found. Most lockers are locked. Fully exhausted and at 93% condition, he goes to sleep, for 9 hours. A mistake - with thirst rate set to high, it's too much, and length of sleep does not matter for condition recovery in this world, anyway. He wakes up at 90% and drinks water. We'll be more careful next time. Deadman 1 / Day 2 Fully rested, Deadman sets out straight in late afternoon in the direction of the Farmstead. He scales down a cliff and reaches Draft Dodger's Cabin with a bit of freezing damage. Once warmed up in the bed, he starts a fire at the doorstep and makes more water, while collecting reishi mushrooms and rosehips in the area. He also kills a rabbit and gets a bit of meat out of it at the fire, but wind soon arrives and reduces the fire. Deadman tries to babysit it but this time the wind is too strong and the fire cannot survive. Deadman has no other option than to get back into the cabin, harvest the rest of the meat from the rabbit, and sleep. 83% condition. Deadman 1 / Day 3 Another attempt at a fire in early morning, killed again by wind... water is running out and I still have that raw rabbit. I warm up again in the cabin, collect a few cattails on the river and move to the Farmstead. I can see wolves homing in at the scent of the rabbit but reach the basement before they pick me up. Not much found in the basement, basically just the static matches - but that's the main thing I came for. A blizzard starts outside, so I move safely to the main building and start a fire in the stove. Somehow I have three pots, so I use the bit of firewood I have to cook the rabbit and make lots of water. A search of the building gets me another ski jacket and some more food. I take all those books as well - anything that burns is good now - but resist the temptation of breaking up furniture (calories!). I quickly leave into the blizzard to search the surroundings (mainly the car) but find nothing more. Repair one ski jacket, harvest two curtains. Warm bed. 77% condition.

Thanks for checking, I'll continue to stay outdoors while hunting too.

I'm not 100% positive about this but I always avoid indoor loading screen areas while waiting for an animal to bleed out. I'm told this makes the wounded animal despawn (after one hour indoors I believe) and when it spawns again, the wound is healed and the animal never bleeds out. Next time, don't go to the Quonset Garage, go to a fishing hut.

Not a good way to die, but a great way to live in TLD. Impressive achievement. I personally cannot play outerloper in regions that have man-made shelters - it is too "immersion-breaking" (I hate that term) for me to ignore them. But there's TWM, FM and HRV now, and maybe we'll get more in the future.

Congratulations! An outerloper journey from the Forestry Lookout to Hushed River Valley without a bedroll is an impressive feat! The wolf has part of its patrol route on the river, usually it is gone after a while but you couldn't afford to wait, of course.

Same here! I spent a brief time in the shelter during the day and found it as un-magically cold as any other shelter. @Stone may be on to discovering another secret of the Hushed River Valley!

Congratulations on making it bed to bed It's remarkable how you manage heat and condition. On a normal Interloper day, I'd start freezing somewhere between Orca and the town, and reach the plane crash site at maybe 40-50%, including a break to warm up by a fire. Normally I step outside and away from fire and begin freezing within a few minutes. I hope your fine weather holds!

You must be really good at staying out of the wind. Hope your luck with weather holds. Don't count on that in HRV, however. Weather change in HRV means that wind changes direction from one to another.

It is remarkable how much ground you can cover with allowing so little time for recovery. Day 6 - Marsh Ridge and back. Day 7 - rest, Day 8 - from the lookout to Milton. I wonder what your condition is at the end of each such journey.

I did that once but frankly, it's too extreme for my style Most importantly, there was no hacksaw in the plane, so all I could do was to look at the containers and weep.

Thanks @Ruruwawa for your valuable combat experience... I need to add this method to my skill set, along with driving wolves out of the way using stones. Striking a match to make fire every time is too expensive.

@Stone, I've never found a bedroll in the Ravine. And if you start fully rested at the bottom, at the top of the rope you will be good to get a night's sleep. @Hotzn, there should be a rope in the Ravine... in a place easily accessible but somewhat well hidden... maybe you know. If you have no success there, I recommend visiting a certain structure in ML that was destroyed not long ago, as a result of reckless coding by now former member of the Hinterland team. They put a rope up there as a consolation for exasperated interlopists seeking shelter in that place, only to find ruins. Or maybe as a means to hanging themselves.

Not that I carry bait around - I don't like the risk that it might attract more wolves than I have baits - but do they pause now to eat it? That could make them easy targets indeed...

Sounds like interloper wolves aren't so scary after all, when you are armed... I still avoid them out of caution, because Timber Wolf's test showed massive loss of condition in all cases... Can't hurt not to get hurt.

Astute or not, this interlopist can confirm there is a moss-bed in the Cave at the bottom of Ravine Basin. Seen with his own eyes.