Stone

@Tradus Yup, its soul destroying and seems too quick. Leaving aside the rate of condition loss, I'd rather a non-linear relationship between item condition and temp bonus such that, for example, above 50% condition you'd have 75% of heat bonus retained and below 50% condition the heat bonus then drops rapidly. That way I wouldn't so quickly feel cheated by the lost of benefit.

The bearskin bedroll is effectively a luxury item. What it offers is still a unique temp bonus and opens up a little more freedom as @stratvox's play shows. Personally, I prefer huddling in a sheltered nook by a fire as the storm rages overhead over being wrapped in furs.

@Mistral You can also put a stick on a fire to get +1 degree/+10mins burn time. Then take it off as a torch - the fire gets -1 degree / - 10 mins burn time but you get a torch which I believe is +3 degrees warmth and could last about 45mins (game time) at the end of which... you can get your stick back.

Don't get me wrong, I think the balance in this game is incredible and testimony to its evolution with a great, engaged Dev team. So these 'problems' in no way put me off. They're good for in game problem solving.

@gamesitwatch I had a thought reading your comment - how about they introduce strong gusts of wind in breezy weather that actually made you wobble (as when on <10% condition). That would make any goating vulnerable to changing weather and getting blown off! Just a thought

@Undetected_YT I tell my kids fear is all about the unknown. Things are less scary when you understand them. So as many have said here - getting to know where bear / wolf / moose encounters are likely really helps and so knowing how these things behave. Everything is scared of a flare gun shot so if you're really worried, walk around with that at the ready. Moose are rare, appear in locations that are usually open and marked by debarked trees and give you a warning if you're too close. Bears generate a different crow noise (which some people find useful) and you'll either stumble upon them or have them approach if you smell. And wolves are most predictable / manageable as you can always drop a fire for safety or drop meat or just walk away. Scent is a great example of how much control you have over their behavior as at the right distances you can pick up meat, drop it, pick it up, drop, etc and literally watch them respond to your scent coming and going as they start to walk to you then turn away. So know them and know what you can control. You will get unlucky sometimes and be attacked, just plan to avoid attacks and be ready to recover if they happen and you'll find you're lucky goes a long way. Good luck!

@gamesitwatch I really was just amused that you'd seemingly overlooked the contradiction in your perfect description of mountaineering. I'm not out to challenge you're view that goating is a problem. I would say the current sprain system seems 'right' after many variations and past issues. It doesn't remove the exploit you're highlighting though.

@Mistral Ooo, thanks for the dawn mag lense tip! And you've given me a thought:

Problem: a 10 hour fire can get blown out and apparently all the wood disappears. 🤔😠 That is silly.

I want to see someone make it to a bear skin coat and sleeping bag with zero time spent indoors on Interloper (the Zero challenge). Interloper, ain't for everyone, but it's my favourite.

@gamesitwatch "Rock climbing shouldn't be viable in -30 degrees with heavy backpacks and wearing a ton of clothes anyway"

You've just described traditional mountaineering...!?

On the OP, I'd say sprains we're a problem (for much of the community!). They're much better now but it used to be possible to get a sprain walking over a small mound of snow in a path.

Marsh ridge and Monolith Lake - excellent picks! There's something really special about Monolith Lake. If only it had better transport links...

As @MrWolf says - if you just go about your business checking significant locations then you're bound to find one - but never on a map with a forge. I usually find it on either ML or PV. Happy Hunting! 

A close shave. Its time like these that make you feel better about always lugging a Stim around. Twas food poisoning that gave me a similar experience.

And the moral of your story... (Wolves don't floss?)

They really can ruin your day which is bad early on as it's usually a vital food finding day. I hope the weather improves. I think the community believe PV has the most blizzards.

As you shard yours; my loper revelation was that if you have a hot  fire, food, a pot and a bedroll, you survive. Everything else is a bonus. (Map knowledge being the biggest bonus of all).

Warmer hours travel is key and hot drinks and warming fires let you cover great distances. I learned to play loper by aiming to summit TWM by day 10. But that's about moving fast when weather and temps allow. Don't travel tired either, you go slower which means you lose more heat and get less done for the effort. Once you get the hang of moving, making a sheltered fire and having a sleep you can travel in almost any weather.

@Sus-wolf yep, the universe is suggesting you play loper 😜

My sympathies fellow loper. Just take heart that there would be no joy in a long loper run if there were no risk and its still a good story to share  May your next run be maul free!

Unlucky! Shame to ruin a run. No help from a Stim?

I seem blessed with bear luck as I never seem alert enough to watch for them but always happen to turn in their direction just in time to back up before they charge. They do creep up something awful when you start harvesting in their patch. 

I ventured to BI once but as you say - too many predators. It seems to be the gun region. If you like guns, there's bullets to be crafted and wolf packs to kill. Certainly keeping you busy Drifter! Good luck!

You're spending too much time standing in door ways. Neither in or out.

😁 Sorry couldn't resist.

Interesting spot - something seems off.

Fog is just brilliant. What a mini adventure it's given you!

I remember the first time I had to travel in it trying to get from the hydro dam cave to signal tower. I made it to the hill cave in fog just by going up hill then was super paranoid I'd bump into a bear or wolf. Set off confident I was going the right way, walked for a while and then, yes here we are, near the top of signal hill and its.. the hill cave again. I've walked in a cricle. Amazing 😁 hats off to Hinterland

@ilenisaatio a tip: pick up every stick you pass. Won't stop you getting lost but it's the best way to gather firewood. When you start playing Loper, you'll really need every stick 😜

Thanks for sharing!

(Great question @Leeanda) I would like the Aurora to cease affecting the animals and restore that peace to the wild. Maybe we'd see some survivors working together, come across some wolves who, after a moment, turn and disappear into the wild. 

Play Interloper. Have adventures. Good luck!

I'd agree with @ajb1978 there some silly implications and having more fires would make sense. I get the early game would get harder if water and meat froze. Still.

How about craftable fire drill and a skill to use it at fire starting 4?

@MrWolf So I suggested 75% as I find a drink stays hot almost as long as a full charge of 'warming up' lasts. How long an effect lasts is, I believe, determined by how much you consumed. (Great to know if its effected by anything else). So if you drink most of a hot drink then the effect should expire before your other hot drink goes cold. Like a handy timer. 

Interloper is fantastic - you're going to have lots of adventures! I say DO jump into interloper full - fail fast, learn fast. Its a different game to stalker.

IMHO the biggest challenge is warmth, especially early game, so here are my tips:

• Pick up every stick you pass
• Don't travel in the coldest part of the day (either side of dawn). Plan travel for the afternoon and don't be afraid to travel late into the evening/night.  
• When travelling, travel light and try to have a full rest bar. You'll move faster and cover more ground before getting cold or caught by bad weather.
• Chain torches between fires. Don't forget, that 3 degree torch bonus means you can actually get two degree more warmth from a fire by taking a torch out to hold as you stand fireside. 
• If you can stop for a warming fire by a deer carcass you can get a meal and get warm.
• Taking an hour's nap on your bedroll by a warming fire gives you both a little energy from rest plus the energy you would have spent being awake - it all adds up. 
• Hot drinks have a big effect, use them if possible when you travel. If you've two hot drinks: drink 75% of one as you set off. When the warming up effect wears off, the other should still be hot and give you a further full warming up effect charge.

You can do it! And lastly, push yourself to move as fast as you can early game to get loot and free calories. At someone else's recommendation, I learnt Loper by focusing on looting Timberwolf Mountain by day 10. Its great fun

I'm sure you'll get a feel @NickBeast17 for the place that suits you. I shun the weekly wolf culling of Quonset though I like to visit the area to fish. Sunsets on the Muskeg are spectacular and it's nice to camp on Marsh ridge. I find a holiday at Monolith lake particularly life affirming.

I agree with @jeffpeng

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I, however, don't think that's the right idea for the game to pursue.

In fact, since approaching play with the expectation I'll get sprains on any steep slope, I'm find them relatively rare. Fact is, if you want to play the game going anywhere you player can technically walk, you will get lots of sprains. The devs have made some real improvements to the whole system/UI on this front though.

Also agree with @Yolan - Relatively speaking, sprains aren't a challenge in the more challenging modes. But they can sure ruin your day.

The thermos and indeed some sort of fire-carrier both work directly against key game mechanics - limits/risks presented by keeping warm. So yeah, as the esteemed @jeffpeng says, could be hugely OP.

I like the idea of both, although the suggestion of a thermos that keeps things warm for days is just unrealistic.

For a thermos, I think a good/simple and not OP'd option would be this:

If you have 1.5kg thermos in your inventory, hot drinks stay warm twice as long.

And you can make it rare - you could even make it an Interloper only item ;O)