Morrick

Oh, hay there!

Thank you very much! I love this perspective myself. It's like you feel the power of Nature surrounding you.

I've had this exact issue with a 'Tools' prepper cache I discovered in Pleasant Valley yesterday. I was doubly bummed because it was the first prepper cache I've ever discovered since playing The Long Dark 🙂

Snapshots from a long walk in Pleasant Valley. (The car wouldn't start.)

With the Wintermute update for Episode 3, I didn't realise that the new appearance of Thomson's Crossing was also immediately available in Survival Mode. So I loaded one of my saved games, where my character was stationed in Coastal Highway, and went to Pleasant Valley for a little recoinnassance trip. Since I still haven't played anything in Story Mode, I didn't know exactly where Thomson's Crossing would be, but I suspected it was in the area previously known as Rural Crossroads (no shit, Sherlock). First of all, let me praise Hinterland for how great and fitting the update to this area feels. The new little church is lovely, and Community Hall is amazing — easily my new preferred location to set base in Pleasant Valley. It's refreshing to see new elements and resources in the interior design, and not the same recycled kitchen cabinets, for example. When entering Thomson's Crossing and exploring the place I noticed a couple of things I wanted to bring up. I don't know if this has been discussed already. I searched the forums a bit, but didn't find it mentioned. First thing: invisible car! (cue "X-Files" theme) I tried to capture this the best I could. It's located near the road in the area where the 'Rural Houses' were before the update. The bridge is behind me, and the new houses are on the left of this image. You can see floating in the air all the items that can be removed from the car: the battery, an orange soda that you'd find in the glove box, and a chocolate bar you would find on the dashboard. There was no invisible wall around these objects: I could, e.g., go through them and even pick them up. Near this car there was also a newspaper roll floating in the air, which leads me to believe there is also an invisible mailbox nearby. Second thing, admittedly very minor: when entering one of the new houses of Thomson's Crossing (the small one with the upstairs bedroom), the game identified it as "Coastal House" instead of "Crossroads House" like with the other houses in the area. I wasn't quick enough for the screenshot, but you can read the name even if it's already fading away: Additional info that may be useful to the Hinterland folks: • Platform: Mac / Steam • It's a months-old savegame in Survival Mode, on Pilgrim difficulty. It's not a new game initiated after the Episode 3 update. Hope this helps!

I had not realised that Thomson's Crossing was already included in Pleasant Valley in survival sandbox mode. I thought I had read that it would be implemented later. So yesterday I loaded one of my savegames to take one of my survivors on an exploration trip to Pleasant Valley. The closest was my Pilgrim Mackenzie (42 days survived), located at one of the coastal houses in Coastal Highway. I forgot I'd left him in a late, foggy afternoon. But it made for a great atmosphere to take snapshots. Here's the Quonset Garage: As sunset approached, the fog lifted a bit, and the light became truly beautiful: Approaching the garage, I was a bit puzzled to find a Lost and Found cointainer outside... …and another one inside: Both contained sort of unfamiliar things I didn't remember collecting (Gamey bear meat? Four hunting knives? Seven fir firewood logs?), but I certainly did not complain finding. It was getting late, so I decided to spend the night at Quonset before going to Pleasant Valley. It was a night of auroras, and the interior of the garage got this rather creepy vibe, heh heh:

So great we have someone in the forums who speaks wolfian. Thanks for the explanation, @ThePancakeLady

Well done!

Day 4 is officially over for me as well. I've earned my second badge 20 minutes ago, and at the time of writing, there are still 3 hours left to play 4DON. Maybe I'll pull some final stunt, but it's more likely I'll go to bed. It's almost 5:45 AM here. My fourth day started as planned. I had left my female survivor sleeping by the warmth of the campfire in the cave at the Mystery Lake Overlook. As I suspected, the blizzard didn't come as soon as I started playing. There was still a remnant of aurora. This gave me enough time to collect some logs and climb down the lake using the two ropes located on the River (Southern Access) side. As soon as I touched ground — I mean, ice — the blizzard kicked in, but the path back to Camp Office from there was relatively easy. I just followed the lake's perimeter and reached Camp Office right as the Hypothermia Risk warning appeared on screen. I entered, dropped my wood and started a fire to warm up, make some water, and warm up a coffee mug. Last year I played 4DON super-safe, and basically spent the whole fourth day inside the Pleasant Valley Farmstead, keeping the fireplace alive, mending clothes, and reading research books. A pumpkin pie even spawned there, so I was pretty cosy and well fed. This time, the prospect of biding my time for 2 hours at Camp Office didn't appeal to me. So I cautiously ventured out. My plan was to take trips to nearby locations and see if I could score additional loot. In the past days I hadn't explored the lake's Fishing Huts, for example, so my first attempt was to make a round of them. Easier said than done. Even after all this time playing The Long Dark, I'm still amazed at how easily you can get lost when walking in a blizzard at night, even in places you usually navigate without even needing a map. I wandered on the lake ice like a blindman, and I wasn't able to bump into any of the four Fishing Huts. Since I was freezing, I decided to head back to Camp Office. It wasn't easy, but I finally managed, with 67% Hypothermia Risk and drained as fuck. I got inside, warmed up, dried my clothes. The second attempt was to go to the Trapper's Homestead. This should be a bit easier — I thought — Just follow the train tracks until the tunnel, turn right, etc. But I soon found out I was walking against the blizzard, and proceeding very very slowly. With a severe hypothermia risk, I returned once again to Camp Office. I was starting to feel frustrated. I was also disappointed there wasn't any trace of pumpkin pie at Camp Office. It's an important location in Mystery Lake, I assumed I would find one here. My third and last attempt at venturing outside was successful. I decided to risk it and return to the Carter Hydro Dam. I figured it was a longer walk, but again, from Camp Office you just follow the tracks and you get there. You can't get lost if you point your flare at the ground and keep following the tracks. Now, the plan was to take a trip to the Hydro Dam to break some crates and stuff and return to Camp Office with an additional pile of fuel for the stove. I also wanted to see if I'd find a pumpkin pie there. The Hydro Dam is another major location in this region. After drinking two hot mugs of coffee, I managed to reach my destination without getting hypothermia. I went downstairs and lit the fire barrel. I got warm, then started looking around with my storm lantern. And this is when I realised I wasn't getting colder, even when away from a fire. I figured it was because I was exploring with a storm lantern, so I turned it off and the "Feels Like" value dropped to 2°C, sometimes to 1°C, but never below zero. I suppose this was because of my heavy clothing, which gave me a 23°C warmth bonus. But anyway — you can imagine how this discovery changed everything. At this point, the only reason to light a fire was to make water and brew tea or coffee (and yes, just to be safe, to keep a fire burning when I needed to sleep 6-7 hours). Long story short, I spent the rest of my fourth day exploring the Upper and Lower Hydro Dam, and since I found two more storm lanterns, I didn't even need other light sources like torches or flares. As I received the badge while exploring the Lower Dam, I chuckled at the ludicrous amount of wood I had left at Camp Office: 27 logs of Fir Firewood, 2 firelogs, 4 logs of Cedar Firewood, more than 40 pieces of reclaimed wood, and numerous sticks. I ended 4DON repairing a military coat I found in one of the office lockers just for kicks. And with plenty of water and chocolate bars left. But pumpkin pies? Not even one. I thought the Hydro Dam was a good place to find one. But nothing. I bet there's one at Trapper's, but it's very late and I'm just tired. Maybe I'll brew some tea — for real — before going to bed. Conclusion: overall, I had more fun this year than last year. Last year the fun was discovering what 4DON was all about. This year the fun was in trying to get out of my comfort zone. I still played very safe on Day 2 and 3 because I'm a poor hunter and try to avoid wolf fights. But Day 1 and Day 4 were definitely more adventurous for my game style standards. Judging by your experiences, most of you folks have been more daring than I. The beauty of this is that everyone has been able to have fun in their own ways. One thing's for sure, though: we tend to amass an overkill amount of resources on 4DON. Cheers! (But, sadly, no pumpkin pies…)

Day 3. I woke up from 7 hours of sound sleep (aided by a nice cup of herbal tea) and Camp Office was all dark at first, then the aurora kicked in, but gradually. It was nice seeing the lights inside Camp Office come alive, though I hoped they would illuminate the place a bit more. And no, I didn't spend Day 3 holed up there. I spent it almost entirely outside! I went for a little trek to the Lake Overlook; which, by the way, is the place I always forget how to reach properly: I always get lost in the woods facing Camp Office. This time it was a bit easier to spot the foot path because I had the flashlight, but it cost me two sprained ankles and a sprained wrist to get up there. There was a reward, however: In it: a Cowichan sweater, four chocolate bars, the distress pistol, and four flare shells. Maybe also some wood, I don't remember. Then I went to take a panoramic view of Mystery Lake and was a bit disappointed — as you can see, there weren't many wolves, despite the ominous, constant howling: I heard barking from below, and to the left (where the mountaineering ropes are deployed), so I went to investigate. I could spot three wolves moving down there, but it was too dark to take the shot. So I had an idea: first I shot a flare, then I could see better where to aim. The flare must have hit one of the wolves (he made a strange yipping noise, as in yipping-dying, not yipping-escaping, if that makes sense). The others were scared by the flare, but I still managed to kill one (no, you can't see it in the screenshot, but I heard the hit). Not much, but at least I shot something! Then I remembered there should be a deer carcass here. It was a bit hard to spot, as you can see: I harvested 1.6kg of meat, and then went to the cave. There I found a corpse (yielding nothing), a book, a research book, a burnt out campfire and two logs of Fir firewood. I started a fire and prepared my dinner: Since the area is rich with Fir branches, sticks and other wood to chop, I'm preparing for Day 4 by breaking down all the wood I can find and hauling it down to Camp Office. I only have one lump of coal, but 5 Cedar firewood logs, 27 Fir firewood logs, 15 pieces of reclaimed wood, an uncountable amount of sticks, plus some spare books should be enough fuel to make it through the last day. Last year I actually moved around more during the final blizzard than on other days with wildlife around, so if in need, I can always take small trips and look for more wood… Anyway, I have more wooden loot than last year, when I managed to survive just fine, so...

I still haven't started my Day 3 yet. (Shitty day, and spent mostly away from my computer). My Day 2 at Camp Office was quiet. I wanted to get out, rifle in hand, and shoot everything that moved on that Lake, but man, there was so much to do indoors: I had to catch up on my reading: Wilderness Kitchen, Shooting Guides, the Bear Island Phone Directory, the Frozen Angler. These were real page-turners. So many hours went by! The two wheels beneath the stairs needed to be repainted. Good thing the place was full of paint buckets. But then I didn't like the colour, and just chopped them with the hatchet. I changed the sheets on the beds upstairs. They smelled mouldy. I didn't like the position of the armchair in the Camp Office entrance, tried a few places, but then I simply decided to get rid of it. All recycled cans needed to be stocked in the cupboard upstairs. I did it, and even arranged them by condition, in descending order. Collected all the stacks of papers and put them downstairs in the kitchen area. Sharpened my hunter knife until it reached 100% condition. Sharpened my hatchet until it reached 92% condition. Looked for my second whetstone — I was sure I had left it on the workbench or inside its drawer, but then I remembered I left it at Carter Hydro Dam and so I wrote a reminder in my journal to go there later, perhaps on Day 4. Arranged all the collected wood downstairs in neat arrays. Reclaimed wood at a perfect 60º angle. Fir and Cedar firewood in perpendicular orientation, so I know that Cedar logs are aligned with the Camp Office counter, while Fir firewood logs are at a 90º angle with respect to the aforementioned Cedar logs. Easy to make out which is which when I have to quickly add fuel to the stove. Harvested the various pieces of cloth and arranged them neatly on the table upstairs. Oiled the vice on the workbench. Made several litres of water and prepared 8 cups of coffee and 6 cups of herbal tea. Counted how many calories total I can get from my stash of chocolate bars and tried to do the math to outline a ration plan. I suck at math. This took some extra time. Repaired all my clothes. All of them. If someone visits, I can't look like a homeless survivor. Folded all unnecessary pieces of clothing and put them in the chest of drawers upstairs. Looked for a broom to clean the place, then I remembered there was one in the Lake Cabins. Maybe tomorrow I'll go fetch it. Fortunately I had some free time left to take a walk outside through the Lake Trail to Dave's Quiet Clearing and back. Picked up 6 sticks and was bummed there was no Dave in his Quiet Clearing, but at least he was so kind as to leave me another log of Fir firewood. And not a single wolf in sight! I mean, come on!

* New location discovered AZATOTH'S CREEK Seriously though, imagine if during 4DON, the transition screens when you enter a house and exit a house displayed quotes from the classic horror authors. A selection from Lovecraft alone would spice up The Long Dark's 4DON's mood: "In his house at R’lyeh dead Cthulhu waits dreaming." "Man rules now where They ruled once; They shall soon rule where man rules now. After summer is winter, and after winter summer. They wait patient and potent, for here shall They reign again." "West of Arkham the hills rise wild, and there are valleys with deep woods that no axe has ever cut. There are dark narrow glens where the trees slope fantastically, and where thin brooklets trickle without ever having caught the glint of sunlight. On the gentler slopes there are farms, ancient and rocky, with squat, moss-coated cottages brooding eternally over old New England secrets in the lee of great ledges; but these are all vacant now, the wide chimneys crumbling and the shingled sides bulging perilously beneath low gambrel roofs." "The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown." You get the idea…

See, this is a strategy! I've put 350 or so hours into this game, and sometimes I still feel like a newbie.

Man, what a tale! Glad you managed to survive to tell it. Reading other people's experiences, I always end up second-guessing my strategy. Last year, my Day 1 wasn't so great. I didn't have many real-life hours to dedicate to the game, I preferred to explore thoroughly, and ended up barely exploring the whole of Coastal Highway and entering Pleasant Valley right at the end of Day 1. I said to myself, "Next year I want to move faster and explore more of the four regions"… but ended up doing things just as slowly. If I managed to explore/loot 90% of Coastal Highway and 70% of Mystery Lake is only because I put more real-life hours into the game. All in all, I'm not in a bad place. I have good clothes, a lot of food, some decent pieces of wood, and I'm at Camp Office, which has a lot of breakable stuff in case I need reclaimed wood for emergencies. And you can't imagine the sigh of relief I uttered when I finally found a hatchet literally 10 minutes before reaching a save point and going to bed! But now I wonder. Last year I chose Pleasant Valley as a territory to move in after Day 1 because it's big and even with more wolf spawns it gave me a bit more freedom of movement. I remember setting base at the Radio Control Hut, which was a bit isolated but gave me a good vantage point… and the bonus of a pumpkin cache spawning right there. Now I'm holed up at Camp Office, and I'll probably have wolves at my door the moment I set foot out of here. I have a rifle, and I would dearly exchange it for a revolver because I'm absolutely terrible at shooting with the rifle. And I'm still kicking myself for forgetting to visit the Cinder Hills Coal mine and get some lumps of coal. If I want to get out of Mystery Lake, whichever region I choose, I'm not close to any exit, so I'll have to prepare for a few furry encounters. I could have stayed inside the Dam, but Aurora Day wouldn't have been pleasant. Or maybe it would have been better to remain at the Trapper's Homestead instead of getting back to Camp Office. Oh well, we'll see.

Day 1 is over for me. Explored most of Coastal Highway and a good 70% of Mystery Lake. Setting base temporarily at Camp Office. A few highlights: First cache in Coastal Highway: Yes, this is how I crossed the Trestle Bridge at the Ravine: I turned the lantern on near the Carter Hydro Dam, and the sign almost startled me! Second cache, in Mystery Lake (oh, that dim light of hope…): Just a nice night shot of the Lake Cabins: …And of course, I paid a visit to the Trapper's Homestead, but the loot was underwhelming: …And now let's wait for the wolves.