Stone

Not having a map, finding you're way - its a unique experience and it feels like, in this game especially, it should be enjoyed. But a map is just information, like the burn time on the fire or the wind shelter icon. It can all help and enrich without breaking the game. It is a player choice and community provided maps have unique charm and affection. As @UpUpAway95 notes, map reading and navigation is a skill and challenge. As @Leeanda says, finding your way can be incredibly infuriating. So much so you might not bother with a region. Learning all the maps from scratch takes a long long time, particularly if on harder difficulties where you are always at risk. Plus, I'm pretty sure there is a very detailed map up in the camp office. If we could only focus our eyes upon it ;O)

Well, the tradition is to head to a new zone with my long term survivor to pit her wits against the unknown. The terrain would be cold and unwelcoming and surely Timberwolves would be wait. Risks, as always, can be managed. Starting from camp at the climbers cave, we departed well equipped with siege tactics in mind. We'd heard Blackrock could be reached via TWM and, if the rumors were true, we could enter via a cave. This cave, stocked with moose meat, would be a base to slowly venture out and explore from. We arrived in Blackrock, torch burning brightly as we left the cave, its mouth stocked with food and coal. There was a fine view of the landscape that dropped away below. With a pocket full of charcoal, a few sketches were taken of the immediate surroundings. A high leftward path through an arch gave way to a descending serious of scrambles. A fire was lit in the sheltered lee of the arch and water set to boil. Scouting further revealed a rope dropping towards the road below. As evening approached we ventured down to inspect the rope and then up a slight rise next to it to discover a brilliant viewpoint. Retreat, always considered, the scrambles a 15 second dash behind. The was light enough for a quick sketch to could be made. The scratch of coal on paper is interrupted; a rising cacophony of growling and barking, apparently from far, far below at the cliff foot. Turning and moving swiftly for the scramble back up to the fire, the vicious snarls fading from hearing. The wolf pack might have no way up from the bottom of the cliff but there was no need to take a chance. We'd investigate further tomorrow. Suddenly, the baying pack emerged from the left. Three sleek grey bodies at least. But the scramble is mere yards, they would surely be out run and, definitely, out climbed. As hand reach for rocky holds, so blood loss warnings flash. But then the pack are left behind, fire back in view above. Before reaching the fire, some first aid is prudent. Condition had in the seconds before the climb dropped. From 105% to... to... 25%. And the cause - six... no, seven...seven? Seven! Seven instances of blood loss. Legs and arms. It happened in a moment. Seven bandages needed. Six in hand. Six applied. The seventh? Where will that come from? There is no time. The world spins in a riot of colors. Looking up to that merry fire, now impossibly far away, I thought: somethings might have been done differently. Above all, we should not have come here for we will not be leaving.

Nice tour @piddy3825

"He knew he should have brought more guns"

Forlorn Muskeg for me. All I need changed is the work bench dragging nearer the forge. I mean come on...

Heh! Know exactly what you mean @hozz1235. Just spent a week in Northern Finland and it's been -20 the last few days. Last night I walked out to one of the public fire spots they have that come with a stocked wood store. To the shock of a locals who came by, there was no wood in the store. I'd brought a few logs with me so was already crouched over a small fire on this hillside, surrounded by snow, feeding it the chips and bark I could scrounge from the log store floor. They we're like 'theres no wood!' and i was like 'thank god there's sticks!' Heres a view from my campfire (taken using night sight light enhancement) Fire is life! Pick up every stick!

No no. You're all wrong. Sorry Whats needed is a fire starting mini game whenever you start a fire. This cuts to a close up of your tiny flame on your first but of fuel/kindling and your hands providing shelter. You can move your hands in and out to provide wind shelter for the flame and you can click to blow or add kindling. You nurse the fire till strong. Add too much or too little kindling, blow to much too soon or fail to block wind and the fire dies. This way the player developers their skill at this mini-game plus the conditions and resources on hand effect success. I am joking. Surely.

Bummer! I assume you didn't have the wind chill factor in the hut? Rather than cashing wood all over the place, I recommend carrying a piece or more of 'emergency' coal. Even in a blizzard you can find a sheltered nook and start a fire with a handful of sticks then crank it warm enough to sustain you with a piece of coal or two.

Tooth decay risk and dentistry skill. Fail to manage this and by day 500 you'll only be able to eat soup.

...finally got out of that blizzard, time to repair these trousers... Now wheres that sewing kit... Oh

I find Astrid way less annoying than Will. The most annoying phrases for me are the cries when walking on a sprained ankle. Maybe they don't count. On a tangent - I'd like a Bruce Willis Die Hard (1) DLC. "Think I just ate million year old granola bar.." - "Come out to the coast, we'll get together, have a few laughs..." - "Now I have a survival bow... Ho ho ho"

I'll say one thing for Interloper, theres fewer choices... 😃 Glad you're having fun @Strelok, it is a credit to the dev team - this game is brilliant.

@fewerlaws you've clearly some passion for the game and we most definitely can relate. Boredom wise though, as others have said, many of those suggestions just extend the game when there are resources to go thousands of days already, and is that making it less boring? Personally I like things that add challenge so I like your seasons suggestion but it's still spread over a very long timeline. I've made interloper more interesting by banning man made locations that involve a loading screen (call this outerloper) and then by aiming to spend 0 hours indoors which means even warmer bits of caves are off limits as they count as time indoors (weirdly). But that's almost boring because you have to works so hard at it. Good luck on finding your fun!

It's a strange one the snow shelter. It's like the game needs it to exist but then it has no particular value. I really like the idea of living in one but it doesn't mesh with the rest of the game. Placement is limiting, workbenches are inside or not somewhere you'd want to make camp and the shelter falls apart kinda quick imho. So definitely with you @oplli 🙂

@Levelgrinder as @Pencil says, the survival bow is very effective and many people level up the archery skill with practice on rabbits. With that at level 4/5 I find I 1 shot everything 50% of the time with a head/neck shot. It has a better critical chance at lvl 5 than the rifle I believe.

Yup, I've a bedroll. The biggest danger is the cold as you're either by a fire or getting cold so stick collection is essential. I have a hacksaw, no hatchet.

(Zero challenge = Interloper with 0 hours spent indoors.) Having survived the initial hump and got to grips with not being able to spend time anywhere warm, I now have: a knife; six arrows heads, cured maple and birch saplings and a few cured guts, deer and rabbit skins. So crafting something is the next mission but what... And how... And where? A bow? Deer skin trousers? I have a decent toque, work gloves and boots, one pair of jeans, a mackinaw and a simple parka. I'm constrained to areas that are connected to forlorn muskege without indoor (cave included) transitions. Crafting requires fire for warmth (or short bursts) and a work bench. I've 3 sewing kits. What should I aim to craft first? How do I approach crafting without it causing and untimely demise..?

Wearing two bear coats in Interloper I feel like I scare off a wolf 50% of the time. I've never bothered with wolf coats but that's I think is because someone said bear skins scared them more. Not sure if it's true. Stalker seems all about wolves. I've never played it but i can't imagine another game mode having higher wolf aggression...

@Leeanda yeah, that fire badge is still a long way off for me. I like interloper. I took someone's advice to try it and to aim to summit TWM before day 10 of a run and that was a really fun problem solving process. Psuedo difficulties like outerloper and zero have recreated that challenge. But the BEST bits (imho) are when it's all gone wrong and you some how snatch life from death and that can happen on any difficulty.

That is awesome! I'm sorry to ask but... The successful jump is from a different location and lower height. So is it that this height is just right to remove say 110% condition but not more than 115% as that would be fatal? Still, that's awesome.

@piddy3825 deliciously creep! The long and really dark dark - well worth the effort. You know, looking into that church as a Loper... I see men of cloth...

@Pencil yeah, I had a torch, so thats good - just haven't needed to get so close to wolves for a while but having to in this Zero run. Since I posted I had to resort to chucking torches at two wolves with good effect and with you're confirmation this feels a lot less sketchy now The railcar news is worrying. I've never had problems camping inside behind the barrel though (and I make a point not to sleep covered in steaks)

I'm finding wolves following me super close and then sort of jogging at me, so close they'd normally be charging but going slow enough to run from..!?! Is that normal now? Pathing seems the same at least for Spence's farm and high hides around the place.

I started with the storyline to learn the basics and found bunny sniping impossible . When I got to grey mothers I switched to the sandbox on voyager. That first survival run had lots of wonderful 'learning' experiences: The first time a wolf followed me home, growling at my back as my torch burnt lower and lower - it was terrifying! When I first tried a rifle by aiming it at a wolf without first putting a round in the chamber 🙄 the little click did not stop the wolf attacking me. I tried to shoot a bear from a 'safe distance'. I discovered bears are fast and bullets have limited effect. like @Jynxer I too got 'locked out' of the dam. I didn't panic as such but had left my bedroll inside and assumed I couldn't get back in. I ended up making a snow shelter in the cave down by the river using half my clothes. The next day I decided the game couldn't be that evil and went back to the dam and found a way back in. 🙃 Surviving to day 120, despite all those mistakes, led me to make a permanent switch to Interloper.

(Getting off topic, sorry OP) I found the whole ash Canyon experience really good, bridges included. Crossing the the first time was scary, then you get used to it, I'm just fine with that! It's like the trestle's broken rail - just enough fear, not too much risk.