Serenity

There are actually two possible locations for the fire. I assume you mean the one closest to the exit

There are two ways:

1.) There is a rope climb east of Stair Steps Lake

2.) Enter the ice cave near Valley View Point (also reachable from the end of Hushed River). One of its exits is right next to the top of the rope

The other location is a bit more complicated to get to and has several possible routes. One involves the other ice cave complex. But it's also reachable through a combination of outside walking and climbing

You bumped three years old threads for your pet peeve? Seriously? One wasn't enough

Keep in mind that the darkwalker timer is real time. This means you can sleep as much as you want. If you are freezing just go inside and sleep or pass time.

You don't need have time to search everything, but there is enough for a cursory search. And with it being only Stalker there is plenty of clothing even if you don't look everywhere. Just do some key spots

And the in-game description says you need to banish the Darkwalker. 

On the badge description? It may not be 100% clear, but it when selecting the challenge and in the quest menu it never says that have to do it. "You might be able to banish it" and "knowledge will help you defeat the darkwalker" are not commands. I always understood it as an optional thing. An additional challenge you can pursue or an opportunity to continue playing Endless Night.

But every challenge and new area added seems to just make the game more punishing and less accessible, and I think that's a shabby direction to take the game

Most of the past challenges and events like Archivist, 4DON or Winter's Embrace were ridiculously easy and boring. There is plenty of the trivial stuff in the game

Unless something has changed you don't have to banish it to get the badges and feat. That should be optional. Visiting 6 regions is enough. In the original you never had to visit all regions, which was indeed hard as it involves some backtracking that has to be well planned. But 6 is not too hard if you think about the routes and there are many options for it

22 minutes ago, odium said:

it feels like a one off expedition or puzzle 

It doesn't have to be. There are four huts you can live in - one of them is being less suitable as it lacks a fireplace. There are crafting tables. There is fishing. It may not fit your playstyle, but it's perfectly viable to stay there for a while.

Caves are a bit weird compared to other caves. But then I always found it strange that all caves are magically warm in the back. And there is at least one outdoor cave that's warm.

Ash Canyon also has tons of saplings. In long runs that makes it worth exploring more corners of it.

25 minutes ago, turtle777 said:

• How do you "use" the cramp-ons. Are they automatically used if you have them in your inventory ?

No. They go into an accessory slot

And shrooms exist

Can happen now and then in the warmer regions like Mystery Lake. There might have been a change, but it was a long time ago. Mornings are cold though. Later afternoon is the warmest.

But it won't last. You will soon notice the temperature drop

6 minutes ago, Ahatch said:

 Fishing hut is a little rough and not sure you would want stay up fishing all night then rope climb up to the cabin. 

It's a really short climb. Shouldn't be an issue. Marsh Ridge in FM has a similar situation though there is an alternate path there.

I generally disagree with the idea that this is a map that you loot and leave. You can do that, but it's quite a nice place to live, even on higher difficulties. And lots of birch saplings so there is an incentive to cover more of the map than just the gold mine. Fire wood could be a bit of a problem long term though.

You also wear the moosehide satchel there. They're more general slots than head slots now.

I think at the moment it's a decent trade off that you have three items, but only two slots. Maybe not realistic, but you it gives you a choice between a little extra temperature or better climbing

Who thought you could attach your rope to these things:

Why would you pick the weird rock in the foreground when you have that? I didn't even see the rope rock at first. It's probably supposed to be a pulley, but you could just tie your rope to the lower beam. There is another one at Homesteader's Respite which also has a rope climb

Ok, I found a whole other path up there that offers some nice shelter. Plus it takes you along some cat tails and other loot

I explored that in reverse wonder what was beyond that bridge. But it's really meant as a way up. You go past that lake-y area and you come across a kind of tunnel where you need to crouch. Past a cave, over a bridge and up a relatively short rope. The whole path climbs up, so the rope isn't as long as from the bottom up.

Below the rope is also another cave and this is actually a tunnel that leads below. Presumably into the canyon that started at Shattered Grove. But I didn't explore that

So the climb that leads you to the spot with the missing rope is a complete trap

That's not the only way to the gold mine. It's possible without a huge number of rope climbs and shelters. And also without taking huge detours through the whole map.

So they kind of balanced "easiest to find" with "most exposed and exhausting"

14 hours ago, LTL King said:

I don't think I every seen 1 actually get caught 

That's because you don't literally catch live rabbits in the traps. Basically a dead rabbit is spawned into the snare and the live rabbits despawn eventually to simulate depletion. 

Saplings like much other loot are semi random. There are possible spawns at certain fixed locations, but they aren't guaranteed.

In ML you can check:

* the plateau above the lake

* The area between Trapper's cabin and the cabin behind Unnamed Pond

* The whole hill side above Clear Cut and the Logging Camp (several spots for both maple and birch)

That doesn't work so well with maps like this or HRV. It's just not one open area, but several ones on different levels connected by canyons, ropes and inclines.

They're everywhere. But sapling locations can be a bit off the beaten path. Where are you based?

It seems to be like this: https://content.invisioncic.com/g266965/monthly_2020_12/222693945_AshCanyon.jpg.1f85fa345cd011ac1c18246ce09224f0.jpg

You take the rope at the red left circle (which leads down into the canyon), climb up a bit ahead and go over the bridge and the attach the rope

Or you take the green route via the tree. I hope it's the right one - maybe it was the one two to the top/left. This is where the map fails. There are a lot of trees at the bottom of the canyon. But this one spans it

10 minutes ago, ChillPlayer said:

just keep right until there will be a bridge or a rope, can't remember it anymore.

There is a rope and then a bridge. But then there is a rope missing that goes down to the lake. It's goatable with some injuries though.

I think there is a tree bridge (not a proper one) going from Pillar's Footrest to the lake though. Maybe that's what you meant. I only saw it when I was already on the plateau and didn't explore any further. The direction fits though. That would be the better route.

I found it. The charcoal map in that area really isn't helping much. Sure it's difficult to do topography in 3D, but it could be done better

EDIT: And now the other side is missing a rope to get down. Gah! Why do you have to be like that Hinterland? It might be goatable, but barely

That rope climb may be unnecessary though. I found a tree bridge near the Climber's Cave that may lead back to Pillar's Footrest. So maybe it's possible to get up there simple by walking. I didn't explore further though as I was it was getting foggy and dark

This map shows two ways:

https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/intothelongdark/images/b/bf/Ash_Canyon_Route._Red_is_Faster%2C_Black_is_Intended.PNG

On my first blind attempt I just went up an incline right of Broad Falls, behind the falls, along some ledges, possibly through a cave (can't remember) and ended up at Wolf's Jaw Overlook. It was a very linear path, but I can't remember the exact details. And then I went down in what seemed like an intended goating route - even had a corpse. I didn't visit Miner's Folly. Saw it from high up and wondered how to get there. There was a probably a path and I missed it

It seems like the long route goes via High Meadow and Miner's Folly. I'm currently trying to find the way up there and failing. There is supposed to be a rope climb near Runaway Bridge, but it's elusive.

I think there are at least three ways to the mine. You can get there without the huge rope climbs, but also without going via Miner's Folly. But I'm still trying to figure my way around.

On Pilgrim at least there are a ton of saplings. If you run out of arrows it's the place to be

Quote

 I could see it up on the cliff near the fishing shack and is taunting me

That's not the mine. Just some hut

The High Meadow is up a the bridge between Angler's Den and Bitter Marsh

I think the shortest and most sheltered route is going to Angler's Den and then going up and behind Broad Falls to Wolf's Jaws Overlook. My first time I was able to go to the gold mine pretty directly with that. But you miss out on a lot of the rest of the map that way.

The char coal map is pretty bad by the way.  I always found them useless for navigating, but in canyon / plateau maps like this it's even more useless. Tons of things that seem connected really aren't. 

The Echo Ravine approach might be better. You can warm up at the destroyed fishing shack and then make your way over to Angler's Den. You can get there from the other entrance too, but the route is longer I think

I filed a bug report about one of the floating objects (though I later saw another). Got an email saying that it will be fixed in the next patch

50 minutes ago, Bean said:

Anyone found crampons yet?  

Yes, they're together with the backpack in the mine. Unlike the pack they are an accessory however