Glflegolas

@nickoIt's been around since at least Version 1.0, but could easily have been around longer... I'm sure @ManicManiacwould know the exact answer to your question.

Very cool concept! As others have said, though, I'd cut back on the number of houses a bit to fit the theme of TLD, but you could also partly resolve that by making some of the houses ruined. Also, I don't think a connection to The Ravine makes sense, given the location you suggested. This region would be south of Broken Railroad and west of Bleak Inlet, and The Ravine is far to the northwest. The only area you could possibly connect to in that direction is Forlorn Muskeg.

Interloper is almost its own game, IMO, due to the extreme scarcity of resources forcing the player to use strategies that you'd almost never need to use in any other difficulty (not wasting matches, never leaving coal behind, only eating before sleeping, etc). With that being said, I'm ok at it, but certainly no master.

Quartering wolves & bears if you plan on eating them isn't that smart, because then you end up with more fractional pieces of meat than if you harvest. This isn't a problem in voyageur, but I don't like eating less than 1 kg of predator meat in Stalker/Interloper at once, as the risk of parasites is the same for 1 kg as for 0.01 kg.

Well, there is coal in the cave past Foreman's Retreat... Firewood shortages are something I run into quite often when playing The Long Dark, especially when staying in one location for several days in harder game modes. One solution to the firewood shortage problem: move from Angler's Den to Homesteader's Respite to Foreman's Retreat, spending maybe 3 days in each location. That way you shouldn't run out of wood so quickly.

Exactly -- TLD is a strategy game, and the tips listed in this forum thread are very similar to chess opening theory. Killing a wolf by intentionally getting into a struggle with it (for an example) is akin to developing your queen early on in the game; it's generally not a good idea, but, under the right circumstances, it just might pay off.

The bedroll doesn't spawn there on Interloper. You're welcome to edit my blog post for yourself, if there's an error in anything I wrote.

I've compiled some of these tips from this thread in a blog post on the wiki, so that they're in a more reader friendly format. https://thelongdark.fandom.com/wiki/User_blog:Glflegolas/Things_not_to_do

I'm not sure that there should be a way to defend yourself in bear struggles. Realistically, if a bear wants to kill you, there's not a whole lot you can do about it without the right weapon. A small hunting knife? That won't do much. A crowbar? Forget it. The revolver? Might work, might not. A hatchet? If you manage to get a solid hit on the head, it might work. The only melee weapon that should work reliably is a pike or the equivalent, if you managed to brace it securely before the charge (same as the bear spear in story mode). Fortunately, bears leave people alone IRL, so it's not something I'm concerned about when hiking ;). However, I do think that the crampons should be useable as a weapon in a wolf struggle, under the option "kick". They are sharp, and so would be more effective than a prybar in a fight and capable of causing bleeding, though not as good as a knife or hatchet. FYI: bears' nuts are located close to the rear end of the animal, so the only realistic way of hitting them is a sneak attack from behind. Not a trivial task.

This can even be a half-decent challenge on Voyageur TBH. I once started in Hushed River Valley in Voyageur and stayed there for 14 days and, I'd have to say, the first week or so was considerably more challenging than I first predicted. And I'm somebody who knows most of the regions fairly well. I tried living for 14 days in Broken Railroad without leaving on Stalker and... I did not succeed. I lasted about a week or so. On the other hand, I tried this same challenge in Pleasant Valley and it was pretty trivial. When you're confined to a region, Broken Railroad and Desolation Point can actually be much harder to survive in than you might think, simply because they're so small that you'll get all the loot that's to be had very quickly. Broken Railroad also has a lot of wolves that are tricky to avoid (especially in Stalker), which doesn't make life any easier.

I would tend to agree with everyone here. Both Ash Canyon and Hushed River Valley are well worthwhile exploring, and each have their strong points. Ash Canyon: I like to think of this as a bit of a cross between Timberwolf Mountain and Pleasant Valley. There are three places that I like to call home, and if you get bored in one, just move on. Wolves aren't too hard to avoid, and there's only one location that has a bear. The map has good moose hunting opportunities, and, as long as you have lots of arrowheads, there is little threat of running out of arrows or bows with the number of saplings on the map. Deer hunting is a bit tricky, but there's a couple locations where you can do so and not have to think about wolves at all. There are also a couple moose spawns, which can provide lots of food if you're willing to do a slightly risky hunt. If you get caught away from home, there's plenty of caves to spend the night, but most require a bedroll. You will likely have to rope-climb to get around the map, so coffee is a good thing to bring along. Hushed River Valley: If you wanted a "Man vs. Wild" experience in the game, this is where you'll find that. There is not a single man-made structure in the region aside from a few snow shelters, but the naturally spawned caves more than make up for that. If you get caught in a blizzard, the ice cave network can help you get to where you need to go in relative safety, and there are LOADS of little hidden passageways and shortcuts to explore. The area is rich in natural resources, and if you know what you're doing, wolves and bears can be avoided. Moose hunting is also a good source of food. Before settling here for the long haul, however, there are a couple considerations specific to this map. Firstly, there are NO beds anywhere in the region, so bringing a bedroll is a must. There's also no fishing, so bringing a storm lantern may not be a wise choice as you will run out of lamp oil rather fast. Finally, there's no workbench anywhere either, so you'll have to go to Mountain Town to craft. Happy exploring!

You don't get cabin fever from sleeping in caves... lol

@The Orange BirbWell, the map was meant to be a combination of Coastal Highway + Desolation Point + Hushed River Valley, so I think it fits that bill pretty well.

Here's the hand-drawn map of the island I made.

Hello folks, Just wanted to bring this to your attention. When crossing the wooden arch bridge just west of Miner's Folly, there's a couple of ways for your survivor to get stuck. If you don't know which one I mean, here's a picture. There's a couple ways to get stuck here. If you wander off the planks laid across the centre of the bridge and end up falling onto the round wooden beams, it is very difficult to free yourself. The second is if you accidentally walk too close to the edge in the spot where the railing is broken. You end up falling onto the bridge's support beams and can move from side to side somewhat, but getting back onto the bridge deck itself is impossible. The only way off is down... and that's probably fatal. (I exited the game before hitting the ground, lol. I'm not planning on losing a survivor to a bug).

Update: I've hand-drawn about 60% of the map. It should be done by the end of the week.

Wow! That's something I'll have to try in Interloper!

I took these measurements relative to the connection via Echo Ravine, you might get different results if you took them from the connection via Deer Clearing. Don't forget, however, you're fairly high up in Ash Canyon when you enter via Deer Clearing, so the summits aren't as high as you might think. Unfortunately, there's a minor issue with any altitudes I took relative to Coastal Highway... you go down so much from the mine entrance to Pleasant Valley that the farmstead would end up being 3 meters below sea level, which doesn't entirely make sense. I may have to take all altitudes relative to Bleak Inlet and travel via Winding River in order to get values that make sense IRL.

I've done a few measurements of Ash Canyon. Shattered Cove: 15m Spot near the mine descent rope: 360m Angler's Den: 41m Foreman's Retreat: 235 The altitudes here are nowhere close to those of Mountain Town or Hushed River Valley.

As everyone here knows, The Long Dark takes place on a large island known as Great Bear. There are all kinds of smaller islands that surround it, but all the islands that have been added so far are quite small. I suggest that it's time to add a much larger offshore island (roughly the same size as the Mystery Lake map) to the game. Because the main island is called Great Bear, It's only logical that this smaller island should be called Little Bear. Why do I think an offshore island would be a good choice for a new region? While we've had some great new regions over the years, each with their own theme, the offshore island is a theme that's not been featured in any map to date. If the island is offshore, that begs the question: how might you get to it? The most obvious answer would be the boats near the Desolation Point lighthouse. Clicking on them would offer a menu saying "Travel to Little Bear wil coast XXX calories, XXX hours" (similar to firewood harvesting). Calorie cost and time required would vary depending on weather, with high winds making the trip very slow and hard, whereas clear, windless conditions would make the trip fast and easy. If the trip is attempted in fog or a blizzard, a message (similar to that seen when mapping) would pop up, of "You cannot row in low visibility conditions." What might Little Bear look like? My current thoughts are something like this (I'll draw a map later if people ask for it): A small settlement in a partially frozen cove. There would be a few ice fishing huts on the ice. There would also be a wharf here, from which it's possible to return to Great Bear. Maybe have a small coal mine behind the settlement? A few small islands scattered just off the coast, which you can walk to over the ice. One of the larger ones might have a cabin on it. A high central peak of volcanic origin, which requires rope climbing to access. I'm thinking that the crater at the summit should have a lake in it (maybe with a fishing hut), with a small island with a cabin inside that lake. Inside the cabin would be something new and useful, though I'll leave it up the community as to what should be in there. A brook would lead from the lake to the settlement. Between the settlements and the summit, I'd say leave the island mostly wild, with a couple of cabins scattered throughout. As for climate, I'm thinking something like Coastal Highway; fairly mild temperature-wise, since it's surrounded by non-frozen ocean water. Due to it being an offshore island, I would expect it to be quite windy, however, making windproof clothing important. Thoughts?

I'm generally not one for paid DLC in games, but I'll make an exception to this rule in this game. I don't mind paying a few dollars to get a new region to explore in survival mode. Ash Canyon alone was definitely worth an extra $5 Canadian if you ask me. I generally am not a big fan of subscriptions, because I go through phases where I play a lot for a couple weeks, then much less to hardly at all for a few more weeks, then play a lot again... if I had to choose between subscriptions and DLC, I'd go with DLC. Personally, I agree with Raphael's mission: to develop the best survival game possible, and not to try and maximize profit for shareholders. I personally think the decision whether or not to release DLC should depend on whether the game keeps attracting new players. If new players keep joining in sufficient numbers to keep Hinterland financially viable even well after Wintermute is finished, then the DLC issue may be non-existent. If existing players are willing to get merchandise/watch films related to the game (see my opinion on that later), then that would make DLC even less necessary for the studio's future. Anyways, I'm looking forward to seeing what the game has to offer, both in episode 4, and in future survival mode updates. I can't wait to explore a new region, or to continue story mode. But you know what I'm most excited about? Watching my favourite gaming YouTuber, Paulsoaresjr, play Episode 4. He was the one who got me into the game, so big shout out to him. As for other additions to survival mode? Aside from regions, more wildlife would be interesting. Raccoons that steal food left on the ground or in certain types of containers outdoors (you know they can open garbage cans and green compost bins...), but are prey to wolves, could spice things up a bit. TBH, it'd be cool if bears could break into some containers, too... Oh, and yes, I would enjoy nothing more than a novel set in The Long Dark. Perhaps release it on audiobook too so I can listen to it while driving my (hopefully by this point) electric car?

@Dancewithknives I would agree with your assessment. Forlorn Muskeg straight up stinks. There's very little shelter, there's weak ice everywhere, it's cold and windy very often, and there's masses of predators to watch out for. I try to go through it as directly as possible when I'm trying to connect from Mystery Lake, Bleak Inlet, Mountain Town, or Broken Railroad. I've lost a couple survivors there, even on Voyageur. TBF, there's really nothing in that region that would make me want to set up a longer-term base there (though I'm a wanderer by nature in the game, so...)🤷‍♂️ @ManicManiac Broken Railroad is definitely a surprisingly close second for my least favourite region. Sure, there's great stuff in the Hunting Lodge and the Maintenance Shed, but, after that... what's left? Not a lot of loot, if you ask me. The region as a whole has a lot of chokepoints too, so avoiding the many wolves that patrol this map is not a trivial task if you're trying to go somewhere. @The Orange Birb I do not agree with your dislike of Hushed River Valley.It's one of my favourite regions in the game, and, once you get to know it, it's really not that hard to navigate. The region is rich in loot, both from corpses and natural, and there's lots of hunting opportunities The one thing you do not want to forget under any circumstances is your bedroll. While there are lots of caves, they won't help you rest if you don't have a bedroll. If you get trapped in the area around Valley Cave without a bedroll, you're basically screwed unless you have an emergency stim.

I usually don't use the bearskin coat, but then again, I play mostly Voyageur and Stalker. The moose-hide cloak is lighter, more protective, and more waterproof. So it's my outer garment of choice in the game.

LOL, I found an altitude higher than Peak Cave in Hushed River Valley. It's the southern portal of the exporable cave in Mountain Town (a short distance south of Spruce Falls Bridge). The altitude here is 612 m.

If you're having trouble killing the Old Bear, I suggest taking a look at how Paulsoaresjr did it in his Let's Play.