manolitode

The wolves disappear in the fog. I retrieve the torch, holding it close to my shivering torso. I follow the shoreline, gliding smoothly through the fog like a canoe. I find the village. Expect it's not a village but two dilapidated houses by an equally dilapidated bridge. Is this it? My backpack suddenly feels heavier. I carry on walking. Another ramshackle building appears in the fog. Though behind it stands a somewhat intact wooden structure. I rush to it. It has a craft bench, some drawers, wooden crates, a furnace and a bed on a loft. This is what I've been looking for. Well, not a house without a door, proper walls and a roof, though the apocalypse has made me less fastidious. No, this is the kind of forge I've been looking for. This is where I will craft pioneering metallic wondertools. I light the furnace with the torch and gather all the coal and metal I can find. I browse the archery book. Crafting section. Arrowheads. I finecomb the location while the furnace heats up slowly. I find a prybar in a drawer. Lucky me, I was just about to wear out the other four. I aquire a collection of cold dog food. Great. Like I said, less fastidious. I walk around the building. No rabbits around here? I miss their paradisical sinfulness. The furnace is burning hot. I craft a few arrowheads. They're not pretty and a bit blunt. I make more of them. Better but not good. I break down the wooden crates for fuel. It's hammertime. Behold me, Thor MacKenzie. Wielder of hammers. Destroyer of worlds. And crates. Was that a howl? I stop and look around panting and soaked in sweat. It's pitch dark and nearly silent, except for the furnace's gentle humming. I snort. I should save some strength for tomorrow and take a manshower. I leave my clothes to dry and rub my sore limbs thoroughly with snow. I dry up by the furnace, drink a full bottle of water and eat dog food. I crawl into bed in my birthday suit. The melody of the crackling fireplace lulls me to sleep. A metallic bang wakes me up. I sit up instantly. Right, that's burning wood falling over inside a metallic chamber. It's a beautiful sunny day. Nothing but marsh and mountains as far as I can see. Oh well, no excursions for me today anyway. I grab a handful of cattail stalks to chew on and add more fuel to the fire. I craft another set of arrowheads. I'm getting the hang of this. I craft a defensive weapon that resembles a hatchet. I cool it in the snow before raising it in the air, feeling its handle. Its fairly well-balanced, though the edge is a bit blunted. I chop at the wall. Wooden chips rain down on the ground. It'll do. Heck, I wonder if I'll ruin the pelt if I throw it on rabbits. I craft a smaller, sharper tool as well. I poke the tip gently. Hope I can stab through a wolfpelt with this. It's pitch dark again. Manshower. Dry up. Water. Dog food. Striptease.

The cabin holds a crowbar and a magnifying glass. I won't have to waste matches from now on. I wrap the magnifying glass in a piece of cloth and put it in my backpack. I wake up before dawn. The lean rabbit meat didn't satiate me for long, I'm ravenous. I boil a kettle of water and harvest the rabbit hides and guts. I leave them to dry on the wooden floor. I open the door and throw their leftovers by the stairs. A godless, marauding bear loiters around the area. I make a long detour by the mountainside and find a railway tunnel. It leads me to a frozen marsh. I walk along the tracks, looking left and right, the cold air gnawing at my upper body. I warm up in a freight train car and continue along the tracks with a warm cup of reishi tea in my hand. No buildings in sight. Except. In the far distane I spot a small village with several houses. I set course for them. Cattails in the reeds. Just what I need. I go further into the marsh, sipping on my tea while it's hot. More cattails, I follow the trail. A dense fog lays down around me. I'm terribly lost. I walk from island to island, my torch cutting through the fog. Have I been here before? There are cat tail heads on the ground. The ice cracks below me. Will it hold? I run across the ice. I have discovered the mainland. I am greeted by the mainland mayor, a charging timberwolf. I throw a torch at him and miss. He runs off surprised. I pick up the torch. Another wolf charges from behind. I turn and award him my burning torch in his forehead. He decides to seek company elsewhere.

I stumble backwards. It's a man. His pale eyes stare into the void. I poke him with my blood-stained prybar. His limbs are stiff as a firelog. He crackles when I search his pockets. There is a brown leather wallet with a driver's license. Daniel Cloutier, permitted to drive both a motorcycle and a car with a trailer. State of Saskatchewan. What you doing out here boy? What was it that got you in the end? The cold? The hunger? The loneliness? I put the wallet back in his pocket. The body collapses on the floor. Not so homey after all. I'm out of food and low on winter clothing, I should keep moving. See ya Danny. I make a cup of coffee and step outside, warming my hands with the steaming cup. The railroad tracks run next to the house. With the sun in my eyes, they seem to go on forever. I follow the tracks and spot something inbetween the trees down the slope. I deviate from the tracks and go deeper into the woods. The snow creaks under my boots. I find nothing but a hovel with a stove. I turn to walk back. A wolf lurks behind the trees. I can't go back that way. I turn and run uphill, spilling half my coffe. I catch my breath on the crest and drink the warm beverage. I'm warming up but the wolf is still stalking me. I walk along the mountain ridge. In the valley below stands a wooden cabin on a rocky island surrounded by a lake of smooth powder. I rush down the slope and find an adjacent barn. I search it. A heavy hammer stretches out to meet my hand. I could use this to make arrowheads in the forge. Should I return to the stranded ship? No way, I'm not crossing the godforsaken bridge again. I glance over my shoulder. My pursuer is gone. Too bad, I was looking forward to anoint the hammer. I take a deep breath and walk up to the cabin on the rock. It's truly beautiful here. Two rabbits play on the slope. They dart around together in the snow in an elevated dance, the sun graciously lighting up their pale winter stage. I cook them in the cabin.

I've tried having endgame main bases in trappers, camp office and dam but I get restless. At the moment I prefer Mountaineer's hut in TWM for fishing and rich wildlife. If you drag heaps of metal, a few sets of improvised tools and whetstones etc you can remain there for a while. Though the nearest forge is far away and finding firewood is tedious, this nuisance keeps the restlessness at bay. My main storage remains the dam for obvious reasons.

There are no beds in the power plant. Another night in the musty trailer then. I wake up by sunrise, healthy but restless. I browse the book about archery. Shooting technique. Wow, there's more to think about than I'd guessed. Hunting. Yeah, with time and practice I could learn how to hunt with a bow. Crafting. Sure, I love to learn. Mounted archery. Now that's not happening. So. The bow should be easier to craft than the arrows. I'll need some metal and a forge where I can craft arrowheads. I pack the archery book and pick up some coal and metal scraps from the power plant. My hands are still greasy from the bunnyslaughter. I wash them in the snow and grab my lucky prybar. I walk along the railroad tracks. Is it colder than before or has the recent comfort softened me? An empty trainwagon appears. Its metal gate squeaks open. Empty. In the distance I discern a wolf on the tracks. I look down on my red-and-black checked shirt. His claws would rip through me in a second. Then I'd have no intestines. I'll need my intestines. I sneak down a slope and cross a river. Where did I hear that the bowels are so long that they can reach all the way around... A deer startles me. I instinctively swing the crowbar at him. He dodges, makes a graceful u-turn and galopps uphill towards the mountain. A wolf appears by the foot of the mountain, jumps him and bites him in the throat. The deer falls. I rush toward them shouting and throw a rock at the wolf. I clench the crowbar harder, preparing for the counterattack. But he runs off whining. The deer is dead. Sorry buddy, I didn't mean to do this to you. I would harvest your meat but this isn't exactly friendly territory. I move on and reach a stream branch leading to a large frozen lake. The wind whips across the ice. I hug myself, shivering. A structure appears by the shore. A two-storied wodden cabin with droves of snow on the roof. It looks inviting. I walk through the palish reed, picking up stones. A Canadian flag waves at me on the porch. I salute it and stomp the snow from my trail boots. The interior of the building feels homely. There are paintings, a stove, an armchair, a crafting table, enough cans to last a lifetime and some herbal tea. In a corner I find kitchen accessories. On the floor large Yukon gold potatoes. Seem fresh enough to me. I find a bedroll under the stairs. Terrific, I can finally become a caveman. This house really is something. Carpets and curtains and a moose skull on the wall. I drop my backpack and start walking up the stairs, admiring the high ceiling, the windows and the well-placed corpse. The f…?!

Railroad tracks lead me through a foggy passage. I distinguish a trailer to my left and a huge fenced-in structure to my right. The trailer is open. Inside my nostrils pick up the distinct smell of wet fabric. I drop my backpack on the floor, lock the door and lie down on the closest bed, dog-tired. The bed smells kind of musty but it'll do. I open my eyes. Daylight greets me. It's a foggy morning outside. Birds are chirping. I imagine I hear galloping hooves in the distance. What surprises will the enormous building hold? It seems even bigger from the inside. I light a torch . It's a power plant. And a gift basket. I find an oil lamp, a cooking pot, snacks and a pair of trailboots in excellent condition. Goodbye sneakers. Forever. I should be happy, yet I feel bored. A door leads to the back of the power plant. Below is a ravine. Through it a frozen stream is paved. Rabbits play there. I tell myself their existence is a capital offence. I chase them down, stone them and tie them by the ears on my belt. It's time to get back before it gets dark. The wind increases, shrieking in my ears. The power plant door is shut. Damn, seems not everything is open during the apocalypse after all. A ledge leads to the other side of the ravine. Seems like my best option. I walk carefully. Though unpleasant, it's nothing compared to the broken railroad bridge spectacle from yesterday. I reach the other side and find a broken window. I use the prybar to sweep away the remaining window shards attached to the frame. I climb inside the plant and move towards the main entrance. I find tools I missed on my previous search. Another prybar, a cooking skillet and a blue box of magic matches. And. A book about archery. Hmm, there’s an idea. I harvest the rabbits and thereby cleanse them from their guilt. I leave their no longer culpable guts and hides to dry by the main entrance. One day they shall be part of an impeccable hat.

Welcome to the forum 😄 It was nice to read your improvement suggestions. I especially agree with your thoughts on choosing weapon for the selection wheel yourself and making use of tinder in mid/end-game without having to depend on it for starting a fire. I would prefer to stay below 100% success rate to keep some excitement 😊While I like the idea of tinder fulfilling a function throughout the game I also don't mind items becoming obsolete. The vast majority of items in videogames I've played seem to be unuseable by endgame. In comparison TLD have a low share of such items. But that doesn't mean tinder shouldn't or couldn't be put to use.

Harvesting bunnies is a slow and tough job. No sign of predators despite the smell. Should I stay in the cave tonight? And sleep where, on the rocks? No. I pick up my backpack and pull a thick burning branch from the fire. Just around the corner, a deceased roe deer awaits me. I light another campfire and throw a piece of coal in it. It flames up fancily from the wind. I meticulously remove the deer hide for clothing. The guts too. I scrape a little meat from the bones and barbeque it. It's not much but leastways I'm not starving tonight. I look down on my hands. Blood, grease and filth, I'm a walking target. The wind decreases. All I hear is the fire sparking and a creaking metallic sound nearby. The meat is ready. I grab a torch and move towards the sound. A tilted red freight train car lay in the snow. I stand on it and discern a ravine below. A frosty treetrunk constitute a wodden bridge across it. I say goodbye to the mountain island and cross the treetrunk on its slippery bark. Solid ground. What can I except here? I sweep the torch before me. From the corner of my eye I glimpse the silhouette of yet another rabbit. I decide to leave him be. He'll be alone in paradise from now on, a punishment worse than death? He disappears in the dark. Hardened slices of birch bark lay on the grund. They might provide some nutrition, I pick up a handful. The mountainside leads me to a cave with an expired deer doormat. I repeat the fire and harvest the doormat. A little meat for tonight and most of it for tomorrow. I'm ketogenic diet incarnate. The cave holds nothing of value. Supposedly I could stand safe by the fire all night, exhausting my coal supply. The thought of a lighter backpack does excite me. But I would be dead tired by dawn. I pick up the hides and guts from today's harvest and leave them to dry inside the cave. I boil some water and wash my hands and forearms thoroughly. I grab another relay torch for the fire race and set out to find shelter for the night.

I choose the tunnel and follow the railroad track leading inside. It should be warmer there. It's not. The tunnel is short and takes me to a ramshackle bridge, below it a hairraising deep ravine. I hesitate for a moment. Turn back to the trailer? And do what, starve to death? I'm cooling down fast from the wind. Lets get going. I take a deep breath and tread the bridge. Slow and steady does it. I reach a part where the track has collapsed, leaving merely one rail intact. I did take a circus class once as a kid. Will it make the difference between life and death today? Focus. I go one step at a time, holding my red-and-blue prybar in front of my body as a balance pole. That's ridiculous. I make it to a relatively safe spot and rest there. Ahead awaits another one-railed balance act. I step on the rail, walking slowly. Would this be a good time to juggle the prybars? My heart races as a gust of wind pulls at my body. I lean forward and increase the pace. Faster. And faster. And on the last step towards the intact rail I trip and land on my side with a thud. I'm bruised and rueful but not bleeding out on a rock below. I'm never crossing that bridge again. Ever. The tracks go on and on. Through a tunnel. Over another bridge. My teeth perform a rhytmic chattering, a duet of the jaws if you will. It's quite catchy. My mind drift to a concert I saw in... a red wagon appears on my right. I should search it. It's locked up tight. I turn around and glimpse a cave entrance in a beautiful winter garden. Mushrooms grow on treestumps. Sticks lie waiting to warm me up. Paradisiac if you will. I stone the owners of the cave, two paradise rabbits, make a fire in the cave and cook their meat. If this is paradise, then who am I? The rabbit meat is the best meal I've had since... since I can't recall. Is that a tear on my frosty cheek? Enough of that. If I can't find warm clothing I'll have to make my own. I unpack the hacksaw and carve out the rabbits' hides and guts while the sun sets bloodred in the west.

I don't sleep well. My clothes stink of smoke and by dusk I'm ravenous. I light a fire. Not running short on matches in a while. But water is running out so I boil enough for the day, prepare reishi tea and pull a couple of torches from the fire. I button the top button of the shirt and walk up to the road with a lit torch. Look to the right. Look to the left. I freeze. Further down the road a bear strolls across. He doesn't notice me. I can't linger by the cabins and I can't follow the road... I clench the bloody prybar and head up the hill instead. It's quiet and the snow is not too deep but with my heavy backpack it's a tardy climb. It's freezing even with the burning torch, I must find something to cover my head. I sip the tea, relieving the cold a little. A frozen watercourse appears. I forget about the road and follow the frosty path. Cattails grow along the ice, I pick them up and follow the trail uphill. I pick up some stones while I'm at it, today seem to be leg day anyway. I spot an isolated cabin, shelter from the wind. It's open for business. The windows have iceberg blue curtains. They really seem to be in fashion around here. I rip them apart and start sewing. Now I have a fashionable hat to wear on the icy cattailwalk. I munch on the cat tail heads and lay down on the bed, awaiting the milder afternoon weather. I head out, following the river furher uphill. More cattails, more coal, more cold. At the top of the road awaits a decision. Should I seek shelter in the trailer to the right or in the tunnel to the left?

I'm all for it, and so are a whole army of bled-out Wills and Astrids out there. Sorry to hear you lost your run after all that effort, that sucks. Fixing this issue should be a priority in a game that wholeheartedly encourages exploring.

Someone knocks angrily at the door. No wait. That's my heartbeat. Am I hurt? I look down and feel my torso, bruised but not bleeding. I look around the trailer retslessly, not much besides bunkbeds and shelves. I find a can of peaches and smash it on a bedframe. It bounces off, leaking its precious juice on the floor. I leap forward, pick up the can and drink greedily. It tastes a little funny. There's nothing else in the trailer. My energy vaporizes in a heartbeat, I'm run-down. A snowstorm whips the trailer, soothing me. I lie down and fall asleep instantly. I wake up to a red sky, feeling stable but fragile. There's no way I would survive another attack today. Still, I must find food or I will get worse. I sneak out and see a blood trail in the snow leading past a condemned house. I can't break in and risk the noise. I go the opposite direction, out on the ice. Further out a wolf tramps around aimlessly. Has he spotted me? I sweep my gaze along the coast. I can see the cabins clearly now, they're as real as the wind. That's the end station for me tonight. I pass a green fishing hut that provides me a sewing kit. Useful but inedible. I look back, no pursuers. Four cabins stand by the water, one of them shattered. Crows circle above them. I enter the area crouching, seems safe. The insides of the cabins are very spartan. All I find is a piece of charcoal in a trash can, a pair of sport socks and a sad old tin of sardines. I make a fire in the snow, if only coal was edible. Reishi and rose hip tea relieves my hunger a little. I hesitatingly try the sardines. Hope I don't get poisoned from this.

There is a distinct smell of rubber and oil. I put down my backpack by the door and comb out the shelves. Chocolate bar, beef jerky and tomato soup. I cash out the soup by smashing the can on the till. It makes a loud and satisfying noise. I drink the cold soup in one go. Munching on the solid foods I search the building. Tires. Crates. An inordinate amount of drawers. One of them contains both a hacksaw and a prybar, I guess I could use duplicates. A bottle of cooking oil, don't think I've ever seen this before, but I could use that too. The office space has another door but it's locked. Kidding. It's open, it's the apocalypse. It leads outdoor and I'm not going back out there tonight. The office houses a dirty bed and a barrel. My torch is about to go out so I start a fire and pull a handful of torches. I put them out except the last one, which I throw in the wall and go to bed. I wake up midday, it snows and the wind seem to increase. Not the best time for an excursion but I need to move on for food. Perhaps the village I saw in the distance yesterday will turn out fruitful. I continue on the ice, following the direction of the road. It gives me a good overview of any hostile wildlife, my load is heavy and my sneakers are slippery. A baracks appears by some timberstacks. I should search it. I pass the stacks and feel something knocking me over, hard. My cap flies off and I lie on my back with a wolf clawing and trying to bite me. I parry him successfully on pure instinct. This can't go on forever. I search the ground for the prybar, find it and hit him over the head. And again. It's hard to score a clean hit, he's still at it and I'm losing energy fast. I hit him again. And again. And again. The wolf stumbles backwards, whining ruefully and giving me a query look. Guess he didn't expect resistance. I get up on all fours, teeming. I tumble towards the baracks door, my eyelids feeling like concrete. I throw the door open and giddily pull out the emergency stim. I stumble across the floor, pull the stim from its lid and push it hard through my long johns.

Bummer well, looking forward to see the right answer.

I am gonna go with Mountain town again, on the path towards the plane crash site?

I wake up at forenoon with a dry mouth and an empty stomach. Time to scout the area, prybar in my hand. It's quiet and cool except for the crows croaking in the trees. I find an emergency stim in a booth by the yard and put it in my pocket. The road takes me further, to a broken bridge. It’s a dead end, I'll have to turn back. I scavenge the wharf-like structure one last time and find a black-and-white cap on a corpse. Guess you won't be needing this anymore. I get back out on the ice, clenching the prybar hard as I approach the ship. This time I search it with a lit torch. Nothing. I light another torch from the glows of the old and sneak out towards the road. After several laps on a pretzel hook a hidden path to a tunnel appears. The old torch lits a new one. I pick up each and every piece of coal I can find, til my ankles start creaking. I have a hunch that the coal could become useful further on. Though having my ankles could be useful too. I exit and follow a coastline with a broken road and abandoned houses. I'm in a good mood even though it feels like my stomach is eating itself. I crawl under a fallen tree and see a long and wide quilt of ice by a tranquil coastline. The moonlight illuminates a village in the far distance I think. I walk in the dark, following the asphalt track. Some familiar star signs watch over my journey as the torch fades in my grasp. I forget to light a new one. I discern a small settlement and a gas station with a large sign saying Q Q something. As I get closer I see another sign saying gas. A nearby howl tells me I’m done reading. I make a run for the door and hurry inside. I light the last torch in my possession... I'm not gonna be hungry tonight.

I agree with this, the believability line is thin and an instant health boost from food just doesn't fit with my conception of TLD. If other players like the health boost pie, good for you, I'm going to pass on using this in my playthroughs.

I stumble backwards and throw myself back inside. The bear makes a lunge for me and gets stuck in the hull. I run into the darkness and slam a thick metal door behind me. I am getting too old for this kak. Time passes. My eyes get used to the dark, the legs start shaking. I have to sit down. The back of my head touch a hard metal surface. That's a handle and that's a furnace, I hadn't realized. Perhaps I could craft something here, something to defend myself. But not without the proper tools. I sneak up to upper deck and see the bear wandering off towards one of the islands. The wind whips my chest. I climb down and sneak across the ice to the industrial building site, with a piece of coal as weapon of choice. No pursuers in sight. The yard is clothed with the lumber skeletons of skiffs. I try the door to a barack in the yard. Inside is a mess of useless clutter. I trip over bedframes and metal doors and then, a blue rectangle appear on the dark green shelf. Half a box of wooden matches. My life is about to improve a thousandfold. Is that a smile I feel on my numb face? I cross the yard and try the handle on the main building entrance. Lucky me, everything is open during apocalypse hours. I search the building and find a hacksaw and a prybar, they could definitely come in handy. I waste a couple of matches trying to light a fire in a metal barrel on the concrete floor. The third match is a charm. I throw everything I have in there. Books, recycled wood and newspaper. Glad to feel you again, my long lost pal of flames. As my body warms up I pull torches from the fire and boil enough water to last me for days. A strongbox hides behind a trolley in the corner, I break in. Grade A maple syrup, whoever locked you in here must have valued you highly. So do I, you're coming with me. I pull one last torch from the fire and go upstairs to the spacious bedroom. I drink the syrup. And water. Lots of water. My mind races. I throw the glowing torch on the floor, lay down on the bed and fall into a peaceful sleep.

It's a long-lived and popular opinion that the protracted release of Wintermute has been too long, I get that it feels like a long wait. To answer your question I believe they have prioritized survival simply because it's much more popular than storymode. What would you like to see in a TLD 2 that you think would make the game better?

The wind whizzes outside. I don’t fall asleep. A blizzard comes and goes. My feet start to feel like feet again. I should really find some warm clothing. And water. And food, all I can think about is food. I get up and search the building. There is a recycled can and a couple of books. A hatch on the top floor leads to a roof. I find myself standing on top of a lighthouse. The cold air stirs the same fear from last night. The fog has cleared but linger by the mountainside. There is a stranded boat closeby and a large industrial building behind it. A granola bar lays on the floor. It's more leathery than crunchy. I spit over the railing and go back downstairs, pick up my backpack and step outside. I fill the can with snow and climb down the rocks to the frozen ocean. Thank god I wear shoes today. It’s a short climb, I tread on the thick but slippery ice. The walk to the ship is short and uneventful. I crawl through a large hole in its grey hull. Its dim inside and the place is a mess. I find some coal and a large piece of cloth. I rip it in half and wrap them around my nowadays black hands. I crawl back out and find myself facing a bear. An abysmal roar fills my ears.

My nostrils catch the scent of seaweed as the first sunbeams penetrate the quilt of fog. Looks like my feet are shifting to blue. I find myself panting inbetween a rocky slope and a growling pack of green-eyed wolves. I have no time to think and start descending on the slippery rock. It's steep enough to put some distance between me and my pursuers. Their low key murmur gets quiter with every step. Careful. A red beam of light sweeps through the fog before me. A frantic gurgling creature comes tumbling down fast behind, snapping frenzied at my shivering torso before it flies off a rock and cracks on the ground below. Soon I reach steady ground. I follow the red light hugging myself, I've never been so cold in my life. Feels like I'm walking on my bone knots. I step on asphalt and soon find a wooden bridge. I make out the outline of a narrow tall building before me. I come to think of a middle finger. A nearby howl breaks my line of thought and I hurry towards the foot of the structure. I pray that the door will be open. It's my lucky day. The door slams shut behind me. There's a stove, recycled wood and a stack of newspaper but nothing to light a fire. I stumble up the spiral staircase and find a pair of men's sneakers under a bed. I put them on. They squeeze my feet, best pain I've felt in a long time. I crawl under the covers, teeth chattering. I almost miss the fire of my burning cabin.

My inquiries tumble up along the chimney and dissolve in the night. The heat catches up. Looks like somebody slept in my bunkbed. I remove my boots and clothes and lie down on the matress. There will be no troublesome thoughts tonight, I'm exhausted. Was that a pling in the distance? I fall into a deep sleep. A wave of heat rolls over my face. Smoke everywhere. I throw myself on the floor, grab the backpack and start crawling. I glimpse my boots, they are melting on the floorboard. I search the floor with my hands. The heat is unbearable. A hissing sound goes off, I see its dim red light. I get up on all fours and leap for the door. The handle works but burns my palm. I throw the door open. The flames make a last sighing lunge for my flesh as I land in the snow.

I like how they broke my chain of actions routine in early interloper. Gave me a reason to try other methods. Since I can no longer start off with a rabbit stoning spree and cure them fast for hat and gloves, I have to rethink. Very nice.

This survival story is a depiction of my current TLD playthrough. The story starts here, the actual playthrough starts in the third post. The course of events described are true to the playthrough, except for a few changes made for better story-flow. I have taken liberties in describing the experience beyond what you get from the sandbox, by elaborating sensory experience, thoughts and reasoning etc. It's winter again, snow up to my knees. I arrive at the lodge after a long silent break. I stomp the snow from my boots. The door creaks open. On the hallway shelf lies an empty can, a flare and a worn wolfskin coat. Just as I left it. There's my backpack by the bed, it looks strange somehow. Inside I find something unfamiliar. A handful of acorns, a cookbook, a drawing of a travois and a hastily scribbled map of territories far away. The handwriting isn't mine. Makes me curious. Looks like I'm breathing clouds. I open the stove and start a fire. My hands stop trembling and my mind begin to wander. I'm getting older. Should I undertake another gruesome journey, will it be worth my while? Will it be as hard and rewarding as last time?

That sounds about right. I like the unpredictability. Do you have any fully explored games post DLC, if so I'd be interested to know how many toolboxes you found in total. I have an idea of the approximate tool numbers pre DLC. Apart from toolboxes I've been quite lucky on my first run. 2 hacksaws, 2 crowbars and 3 hammers from 2+½+½ maps cleared. It almost seemed too easy 😄 Yup, no risk of starvation here. Been hanging around PV Farmstead without hassle. I used to have many hungry nights there before. Before lvl 5 cooking that is. I don't see much, if any, difference in wildlife from before on this run. As for Mackinaw jackets they were 3-4 from my experience with various fully explored loper runs. I think that's a fair amount for balance. As you wrote, you might get lucky and get it before wolf/bear coat, but you shouldn't be too sure.