Morrick

It will. Great Bear Island "is a magical place".

Thank you for this remark. In all the debate about timberwolves, there was something I was trying to recall but couldn't put my finger on it. It's perhaps what bothers me most about this update (which should have been called "Wolfenstein Island", really): it seems to be all about the wolves. They are becoming the single, most crucial factor in the whole survival scenario. While not strictly so, everything else suddenly feels secondary — weather, clothing, calorie/resource management, etc. It's as if they've been introduced for the sole purpose of shortening survival times. While I like a challenge every now and then, this feels unbalanced and arbitrary. It's like putting out an update where all temperatures in-game are cut by a half, and no matter how many warm clothes you have on, you'll always end up freezing if you don't routinely light a fire. Challenges should be engaging, not off-putting and unnecessarily frustrating.

I thought I could get away with it, haha! I mean, in the same way you don't have to collect several rocks and logs to make a campfire. In the same way you don't have to go fetch 1-2 kilograms of snow every time you want to make water. I based my idea for a marker on these and other similar shortcuts the game allows you. Fair enough.

Yes, well, I too have used improvised objects as trail markers, like tinder plugs and recycled cans. The problem — for me — is that these items are too small for that purpose. My idea was to have a marker that was bigger and more visible at a distance, without having to scour the ground to locate it. Campfires as trail markers are an interesting solution, though perhaps a bit wasteful (a stick is enough to start a campfire, but unless you're using an already-lit item as fire-starter, or a magnifying lens, you'd waste a match every time). Sometimes I wish the game let me take and place certain bigger items (like brooms and planks), instead of only giving me the option to break them down. Anyway, I thought it was a cool addition... 🤷‍♂️

Navigating The Long Dark's world is rudimentary by design. As you know well, unlike other games you don't have a full interactive map with a convenient highlighted marker indicating your current position. A compass is also out of the question because — given that the event originating the apocalypse is a geomagnetic storm — a compass would hardly prove reliable. I'm fine with the idea of surveying the area you're in and using charcoal to sketch a map as you go along. It fits the situation. But I was trying to remember my first attempts at playing the game, back when I hadn't discovered the famous whitɘberry maps, and when I also hadn't discovered that you could use charcoal to map a region. I moved around in this unknown land and tried to orient myself visually. After finding shelter in a man-made structure, I remember venturing out to explore a bit, but not too far because I hated the idea of, say, getting caught in bad weather and not having a shelter nearby, or losing myself trying to get my bearings, etc. I remember thinking, It would be great if I could place some kind of marker here. In-world markers (like piles of stones, or pieces of wood planted in the ground) could serve different purposes. You could use them to mark how far you've gone in a region. Or you could use them to remind you of the exact spot you need to reach to access certain areas. Experienced or frequent players will probably scoff, but think about novices or simply people who don't play the game that often. Speaking for myself, even if by now I know many regions rather well, I still have some difficulty navigating Hushed River Valley, certain parts of Timberwolf Mountain, and even some specific spots in more frequented regions like Mystery Lake (e.g. I always seem to forget the exact entry point to reach the Forestry Lookout). In a region like Forlorn Muskeg, planting a marker near a tricky spot of thin ice would help when you're outdoors and you're caught in dense fog or in a blizzard. As far as mechanics and implementation go, placing and removing a marker could work in the same way as placing and removing a campfire. The shape of the marker would be fixed (like the campfire), and you could break it down when you don't need it anymore. To avoid making things too easy, placing a marker could require having some reclaimed wood in your inventory. I realise this isn't a new idea or suggestion, and that it isn't anything very fancy, but I think it could be a relatively useful addition, not extremely hard to implement from a development standpoint (I think), and in line with The Long Dark's approach to navigation.

Background music: Red Hot Chili Peppers, "Under The Bridge" When I took this screenshot I realised just how small Bleak Inlet's upper region is compared to the rest. This would make for a great "Greetings from Bleak Inlet" postcard, I think.

Fishing Camp in Coastal Highway? I tend to agree…

Having my survivors occupied in other regions, I could only access this new mine entrance today. Maybe I've missed something, but where does the lift go? I entered the 'regular' entrance located higher up, but there was no lift there. I assumed it connected the two entrances. *puzzled face*

You jest, but in a recent dream, my brain managed to concoct an interesting crossover between The Long Dark and Death Stranding. I was controlling my character in third-person view and was on one of those electric bikes you can see in Death Stranding; the areas I was crossing were definitely The Long Dark's regions; the graphics were a weird mix between the painterly style of The Long Dark when zoomed out, and more photorealistic/hi-res when zoomed in like in Death Stranding. I probably need more rest…

Good thinking! That fuse box has always looked suspicious to me ever since I saw it. It's a bit too detailed to be just cosmetic. Looking for the missing piece would be a cool treasure hunt! 🎄

Finding this mythical shortcut is costing my survivor a little too much, resource-wise, so I'm giving up too for now. In these 5 in-game days spent at the Cannery, I've been to the workshop several times using the established convoluted path, and I have to admit that I sincerely hope a shortcut exists, because 'doing the walk' every time I need to go there is getting old fast. What's particularly annoying is that the shortcut would be right there in front of the pier, if only our survivor could jump or place planks to close the gap. 🎄

This capture is perhaps nothing special, but I liked the perspective and the multiple planes from my point of view to that window: In one of the latest game hotfixes, it seems that Hinterland has changed the big trailer on the Long Bridge in Bleak Inlet. Now you can enter it. Could be useful as emergency shelter if you're caught in bad weather, I guess: Merry Christmas, everyone! You'll find me here fishing at the moment

Another interesting finding (no screenshot, sorry): in the small dining area in one corner of the Cannery Workshop, there are a few cabinets. One has a broken door that has been left in place. I broke it down to make some wood and in the cabinet there were 4-5 revolver shell casings. I don't know whether this is a guaranteed spawn, but checking doesn't hurt.

I'm currently in Bleak Inlet on Pilgrim mode, so your mileage may vary. I found a revolver in the Cannery Workshop in this sneaky placement. If you can't tell from the screenshot, it's behind that thing that looks like a generator near the two big sliding doors. (I thought I had found a secret lever or something… I was kind of disappointed, haha).

Finding the gorram shortcut almost cost me my 56-day survivor game (and after using dozens of charcoal pieces to map all Bleak Inlet, I was getting aggravated), because he fell down inside the building closer to the pier (the one with the hook hanging in the middle), and he fell in such a way that he got stuck in a hole on the floor. Since he injured himself in the fall, the game saved the state right there, of course. Grrr. Luckily, after 5 game reloads, I managed to move him to the left just enough that he got unstuck. Whew!

The morning glow: Going nowhere:

First off: this is an excellent post in every aspect. Great work! I just wanted to add another piece of advice based on personal experience: the Frozen Delta area is tricky, and is the one that gave me the worst flashbacks from Forlorn Muskeg, as there are spots of thin ice you can fall into. The waters aren't as deep as in Forlorn Muskeg's thin ice spots, so any fall is survivable provided you have heavy warm clothing and you're in top shape health-wise, but it's still a major nuisance if you fall into thin ice while you're already caught in a blizzard and are trying to find shelter. It happened to me on Pilgrim and only a stroke of luck saved me: as I was frantically trying to reach the Washed Out Trailers, I ended up in the completely opposite direction and reached the cave that leads to Forlorn Muskeg. The cave is naturally warm (on Pilgrim, at least). I was able to make a campfire and sleep 12 hours straight to dry up and recover condition. Bleak Inlet is a fascinating region to explore in the relative safety of Pilgrim mode; but in all my explorations, I feel this is the worst region when it comes to weather. It's the only region (with Hushed River Valley as close second) where I really felt weather (and temperatures) as a threat, especially if you're not close to a shelter when weather turns on you. And weather changes a lot here.

Yes, I agree. And in fact, what I was trying to suggest was to have just a mild introduction to the absolute basics, not "The Long Dark Survival Course in 35 Practical Lessons". What experienced players of this game tend to forget is many basics they take for granted may not be that obvious for new players. Example: this is an excerpt from a chat with an acquaintance (let's call him Bob) who bought the game after seeing how enthustiastic I was about it and after seeing many screenshots I had taken: BOB: Okay, I found some clothes. The guy complains he's cold but he seems to hold on. The parameters here say he's "parched" though! ME: Do you have water in inventory? BOB: No. Where do I get it? ME: You can *make* water. You start a fire (you need tinder, some matches, and some fuel like sticks or logs) and then you can use the recycled can to melt snow. BOB: I got matches, sticks and "reclaimed wood". Shit, I threw the can away. ME: Haha, why! BOB: I figured who needs an empty battered can!? I still believe an introductory video that covers the basics would help guys like Bob a lot. How to make water. How to start a fire and what you need. A few essential items you should look for first when you start a game. A brief overview of the weapons available. A brief overview of the dangers. An orientation briefing, not a survival manual.

My stupidest death happened the first time I visited Hushed River Valley. I'm climbing up somewhere but I realise the climb is too long to complete: my survivor is tired and with a lot of gear to carry. Fortunately I reach an intermediate ledge: cool, I can start a campfire, make some coffee (or rest a bit) to regain strength, and go on with the climb. I start placing the campfire but its icon is red, so I keep moving backwards to find a good spot where it turns green... …until I fall down the ledge, to my death. I laugh now, but that was one of my first long-running survivors — 112 days, if I remember well, and with great clothes and tools (no emergency stims, though.) At the time I was crushed and appalled at my stupidity.

As an experiment, I loaded one of my old Interloper games and brought my survivor to Bleak Inlet, just to see what happened. And well, I must agree with the Original Poster. Encountering timberwolves is like initiating the self-destruct sequence on a spaceship. Here's another idea to make things more manageable: have packs of regular wolves that behave as a regular wolf used to behave; have the old ways of deterring them to be as effective and reliable as they used to be. Have timberwolves as solitary predators. Keep them dangerous as they currently are, but solitary, so that the player has more chances to either flee them or engage in a fairer, one-on-one fight. Just my two cattail heads.

Maybe that's why, after the Errant Pilgrim update, I've seen deers and moose skate on ice!

*Takes notes* "Remember not to mention the word tutorial ever again in these forums"

I have never played Story mode, and the fact that — after playing The Long Dark for one year and a half — I only learnt today about this, further proves your point. In fact, as I was reading this interesting thread, I was about to suggest that Hinterland should add a separate Tutorial, selectable in the main game menu, that puts players in a special sandbox where they learn the basic game mechanics. Heh. If that is additional work for Hinterland, they could make brief video tutorials each covering the most important stuff, giving some basic advice, without spoiling the fun of discovery too much.

Let's do this in a more appropriate The Long Dark style: 😉

I'm having the same impression. I've been mostly a Pilgrim explorer since I started playing the game in mid-2018, and in my recent explorations after the introduction of Bleak Inlet I'm finding less stuff in containers. Or nothing at all. Empty metal containers, empty file cabinets, empty desk drawers, empty lockers (even those you need to prise open, grrr) seem to be more common than before.