ajb1978

I strongly suspect (although I haven't diligently tracked this) that there are a couple of possible preset configurations for ML and CH (Edit: And PV too...I seem to recall the layout of the rural crossroads varying from game to game, though I don't often spend much time there to say that with any conviction), and the game selects a template when you start. Sort of like how there are different loot spawn templates, such as if you find a hammer at the mountaineer's hut on Interloper, you're guaranteed to find a hacksaw at the summit. So I think the total number of interior locations remains the same in each game, it's just that the entrances to those locations move around on the map depending on how the intact and destroyed houses are arranged based on the template used for that run.

This aggravates my OCD. Flip that chair right side up, man! And straighten that bench while you're at it!

This is half question, half feedback. I know you briefly touched on this in Mailbag 3, but are there any intentions to expand fishing into a more involved user experience? The hunting experience is pretty well fleshed out already, and remains a modest challenge even at high levels, especially if you hunt big game. Fishing in its current state it's kinda like making a trip to the supermarket once you hit level 5. I for one would enjoy a "minigame" experience.

Hiking half a day A growl, is it a wolf?! No, just my tummy.

A tale of forgetfulness, regret, and the reason why I tore up several perfectly good articles of clothing. Can't make the climb out. I'd better rest up a bit. ....where is my bedroll?

Are any of the maps, or at least portions of a map, based on real locations someone on the team has visited?

I think it's moderately well-known now that you can heat coffee and tea by leaving it near a campfire. However in Story Mode, you can take advantage of the permafires in Grey Mother's house, or Jeremiah's cabin to keep them warm all the time. Simply drop your coffee and tea near the fire, and just...leave it there. Mouse over the ones farther away from the fire, and if any are outside the heat radius, keep picking them up and dropping them until they all fall within the heat radius. They will not boil dry since they aren't being cooked, and by storing them this way, you can have a nice hot beverage on-demand. It's the Keurig of the quiet apocalypse.

Are there any plans, or at least brainstormy ideas being tossed around, to expand the utility of the aurora in the game? For example, electric heaters, working microwaves, being able to use a live sparking wire as a firestarter, an old Walkman to listen to the radio from anywhere, etc. Even impractical things that you wouldn't bother carrying with you, but that would be great fun to stash at your favored safehouse. Like...a Game Boy or something, to play some little totally optional minigame.

Stupidest death: Lit a campfire in a cave, tried to place bedroll. Backed into the fire while trying to find a valid placement location, and burned to death.

Just make sure you let your neighbors know you're doing this, if you intend to voice-act a bear mauling with screams and such. I was recording some angry dialogue for a flash collab like...whew probably 15 years ago or so, and the neighbors called the police. They legit thought it was a domestic disturbance.

I just tested this--shot the bear that wanders the ice near Misanthrope's (I shot him in the butt to avoid an instant kill), then went inside Misanthropes and passed 5 hours. Went back outside, bear was still wandering around, although I did spot several drops of blood, indicating he was still injured. Shot him in the butt again, went back inside Misanthropes, slept the night. Came out in the morning, bear was gone. So I'm not entirely certain of the specific mechanics of this, but yes going indoors is still counterproductive in terms of bleed-out time. I don't have enough information to be certain, but it seems that bleed-out occurs whether you are indoors or outdoors, but if the bear actually dies while you're indoors, it is removed from the game instead of dropping dead on the ground for you to harvest. Edit: I just shot another bear in the butt, this time the one between the Coastal Townsite and Abandoned Lookout. I passed time and slept indoors, and my "bears killed" count did not increase. I exited the house, and boom, the bears killed count increased by 1. I found him on the ice, 10% frozen. I then ran off to the last bear kill, and found him respawned already. So....results are highly variable it seems. I still haven't nailed down the exact mechanics, but now it seems that sometimes passing time indoors makes you lose your bear and he respawns a day later, and other times the bear dies on the ice and is waiting for you to eat. I...I just don't know. Personally, for future bear hunts, I will play it safe and tail the beast outdoors. Going indoors is just too much of a risk right now.

Initially, playing a nice Pilgrim or Voyageur run and looting the entire world as quickly as I can. Then hauling everything to Coastal Highway, and stashing most of it in the Quonset garage, and some of it in one of the houses that I commandeer as my new home. Then I just...basically play house. Imagining what it would be like to live in a world with no real responsibilities, no commitments, apart from where my next meal comes from. Spend dozens of days mostly passing time, watching the clouds move, occasionally hunting, fixing what needs to be fixed, and enjoying my retirement. Then, eventually, I delete the save and do it all again. On Pilgrim especially, TLD long-term is like a Retirement Simulator.

+1 to this, and also include lit flares. Basically if you have a burning anything in your hand, even if it's a match you lit prior to clicking on the cook surface, use that!

I'm curious about how the bear spear is intended to operate. Is this going to be a thrown weapon? A short-ranged thrusting weapon? Or is this more of a "set spear vs. charge" passive attack (to use old school D&D terminology) where you basically plant the end in the ground at the last second and let a charging opponent impale themselves before they can slow down to avoid it? (Or maybe all three? That would be pretty wicked.)