Glflegolas

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.

When you go to bed at night and say to yourself "time to fill up that sleepy-eye!". Or when you eat and think to yourself "time to fill up that hungry stomach!"

I agree with @oplli that having an offshore region accessible only by boat from Desolation Point would be very cool. Perhaps one of the rowboats beside the Lonely Lighthouse could be used for said purpose? Even if they're merely a teleport with a cutscene, there'd still be ways to make them interesting, for example: needing to find some reclaimed wood and scrap metal to fix the boat in harder difficulties only allowing travel when the weather's fair

Another frozen fellow, this one just outside an un-named cave in the north of the region. Why did this idiot decide to make a fire and camp just outside the entrance to a cave when there was warmth and safety just a few steps away? Especially if he was smart enough to bring along a bow and a couple of arrows, and an extra arrowhead. Then again, he had both sneakers and trail boots on him so... I guess he was smart in some ways, but not in others. Inside the cave, there were decent gauntlets, firewood, and a flare... everything needed to survive. The only explanation I have is that this fellow originally used the cave as a base, but during an earthquake, some rocks came off the roof and nearly hit him. From then on, he was too afraid to use the cave, and lived just outside of it, where he could still get some shelter from the wind. Unfortunately, this location wasn't sheltered, and one day, the wind blew out his campfire. Due to his fear of caves, he dared not enter the cave to light a fire, using the wood he'd left there, along with his emergency flare. Instead, he just sat outside the cave, holding his bow, trying to think of what to do next. That turned out to be the last thing he ever did.

Caves! Yes, they are indeed one of my favourite places to use as bases. My all time favourite cave to use as a base is, in fact, the southernmost entrance of the Ice Cave in Hushed River Valley. You literally never need a light source there because of the luminescent moss keeping the place well lit. Some of my other favourites include: Valley Cave and Lake Cave in Hushed River Valley (convenient locations), Island Cave in Bleak Inlet (good place from which to shoot timberwolves), Waterfall Cave in Timberwolf Mountain (excellent place to rest before climbing the summit), and Misty Falls Cave in Pleasant Valley (has lots of great loot and a secret room, and is warm). One tip I have for you is: stay in caves that provide a warmth bonus if you can at all. Shallow caves block the wind, but you'll likely have to keep a fire burning all night if you don't want to freeze. You can tell if a cave counts as interior or not by your walk speed. If your character slows down for no apparent reason, it's because that cave has an interior. I've personally never slept in a bear cave, I'd prefer not to be mauled in the middle of the night I also don't generally stay in one spot for more than a few days, regardless of difficulty. I'm quite a nomad and like to explore. Spending three nights in the same location is a long time for me.

This fellow was found in Lonely Cave, Hushed River Valley. I'm not 100% sure why this fellow died. He had a flaregun with at least 5 flare shells, a can of pinnacle peaches, a can of sardines, a pack of matches, a recycled can to make water, firewood, and coal. Surely, that's just about everything needed to survive, right? The Achilles heel here must have been loneliness. He no doubt got lost in the wilderness, and did what the textbooks say: find shelter and stay put. At night, he shot off the flaregun to attract attention. Unfortunately, there was nobody in Hushed River Valley to see his flares, and they weren't visible from Mountain Town. After days and days of sitting in this cave, with no sign of rescue, it appears that loneliness got the better of him, and he gave up, letting himself freeze to death.

Yeah, neither Timberwolf Mountain nor Peak Cave can be that high, because there are large trees on both summits. So 500-600m seems like a very reasonable altitude, if we assume that Great Bear is off the BC coast. For some reference: the highest point in Nova Scotia where I live is 512 m, and any trees that do grow at that height are pretty scrawny and scraggly, due to high wind exposure; you can get near-alpine like conditions on exposed coastal headlands too, where trees are so battered by wind and salt spray that they struggle to grow. The highest place I've seen trees grow (personally) is around 1,100m, in the mountains of the Gaspe, and the trees were very short, growing to a maximum height of about a meter. However, I still agree @Mroz4k that the highest point on Great Bear Island will eventually be a mountain in the shape of a bear, called Great Bear, and that it'll be likely far higher than any mountain that's currently accessible in the game. We have a peak called Wolf's Jaw Overlook, so why not?

@peteloud I'll calculate your altitude for this location in a bit. I've done some more calculations, this time for Timberwolf Mountain and area: Misanthrope's Homestead: 34 Cinder Hills Coal Mine, Coastal Highway side: 153 (altitude on Coastal Highway side 147) Pleasant Valley to Coastal Highway transition: 219 Crystal Lake: 143 Timberwolf Mountain Summit: 505 So, according to my method, Peak Cave in Hushed River Valley (alt:590) is higher than Timberwolf Mountain! Even the Trailer near Hushed River Valley in Mountain Town (alt: 516) is higher than Timberwolf Mountain.

I just completed this challenge (inspired by someone on these forums), which is the focus of my current YouTube playlist. Travelling from my spawn (at daybreak) in Broken Railroad to firing a shell off the top floor of the lighthouse took me 6 days, 5 hours, 39 mins. For role-playing purposes, I pretended I was the last remaining Forest Talker, initially trying to find a fellow talker (Ben) who'd gone off to Mystery Lake several days ago and hadn't returned. When I found Ben's corpse, frozen and lifeless in Camp Office, I decided I had to go and get a flaregun from Timberwolf Mountain and fire it off the lighthouse to see if any remaining Forest Talkers still lived. Note that due to role-playing, I didn't leave the Hunting Lodge until mid-afternoon (after I'd searched for supplies left there for me by other Forest Talkers), so my actual journey time was somewhere around 6 days, give or take a few hours. For those of you who enjoy Hopeless Rescue (one of the best challenges in the game, IMO), but find it too easy, I think you will find this challenge quite fun. If you want an even harder experience, I suppose you could try starting in the Hushed River Valley (less early-game loot) and include a trip to the Gold Mine in Ash Canyon as a requirement. Maybe I'll try that someday... not sure. If you want to follow along my challenge, I'd suggest you take a look at my YouTube playlist, and watch the videos as they get released. Here's a link to my playlist:

A few more altitudes in Mountain Town & Hushed River Valley: Town of Milton: 420 Trailer near Hushed River Valley transition cave: 516 Transition cave to Hushed River Valley, Mountain Town side: 550 (altitude on HRV side: 542) Peak Cave: 590 Valley Cave: 326 Western half of the Hushed River: 383 Lonely Cave: 563 I am not 100% sure, but I think that the altitude of Peak Cave and Timberwolf Mountain won't be too far apart. Do you think there's a higher point in Mountain Town than the HRV transition cave? If yes, please let me know. (according to StmSantana, Peak Cave is the highest point in Hushed River Valley, although you might be able to mountain goat yourself a few meters higher somewhere around that cave)

Here are a few interesting altitudes that I've got so far on my way to Hushed River Valley (relative to Bleak Inlet sea level). Poacher's Camp: 39 Marsh Ridge: 123 Milton Basin: 164 Rocky Refuge: 218 Paradise Meadows Farm: 381 There's still some climbing left to do to get to Mountain Town itself, so that'll easily get us to 420m I would say. Grey Mother's house will be somewhere around 450m. From there the road goes uphill to the Hushed River Valley, so, according to my calculations, an altitude of 600-650m is quite reasonable for Peak Cave. Will this verify? We'll soon find out...