Sherri

Great blog! I'm having much the same experience. Fun to explore new regions, but the weather is SO bad and wind so ever-present that I don't feel like doing everything in slow motion all the time (walking into the wind). And the area is SO big it feels empty. I'm very much looking forward to what new regions will connect to the Transfer Hub. It's my understanding that these DLC regions won't have anything to do with Wintermute.

Days 56-57 In the morning I build a fire inside the shed beside the cabin and boil several litres of water. In the past I've tossed the water purification tablets into the trash, but today I clue into their value. When you don't have a stove and the wind is always hunting you... you can't take a leisurely time at the fire. The tablets let me boil twice the amount of water than usual. Afterwards, the wind has calmed down, so I trek back to the wolf that I had killed when first arriving on this small island. Its frozen body there, unharvested, fills me with shame. I build a quick fire and harvest as much as I can from the animal. I won't let this go to waste. I wonder if my guilt is a sign that I haven't completely lost it. I do the same with a deer carcass I find nearby. I also find some birch saplings which I chop down. This island is a haven for archers! I decide to make my stay at this cabin into a bit of a holiday. The bit of wolf and deer meat I've collected inspires me to fill a pantry with food and kind of 'relax' for a while. So I head to the fishing hut I passed by earlier with a backpack full of firewood. I light a cozy fire in the potbelly stove and set to fishing. The activity is relaxing and a bit hypnotic. I catch and cook at the same time, eating as I go. It's a fun activity and a challenge to remember to stop fishing in time to prevent the meat from burning. When my firewood finally runs out, I'm exhausted. I look up to realize that it's the middle of the night and a raging blizzard has turned the world into a sheet of white. Three steps out of the fishing hut and I'm totally blind. I stumble back into the hut and the chill realization pours down my spine. I can't make it back to the cabin in this blizzard. And I'll soon be out of wood to burn to keep warm. In a desperate move I put my last sticks and my 'emergency coal' into the stove, drop my bedroll and force my nerves to calm down. I sleep for 3 hours and wake with the fire out and my body temperature starting to cool. I turn around holding my breath and am relieved to see that the blizzard has calmed to a heavy snowfall and the sun is just beginning to rise. Just enough that I can make out the shape of the land and trees. I string the fish onto my pack - damn I stink - and stumble back to the cabin. I drop everything on the porch and stumble into bed. My sleep schedule has been totally inverted, so I try to sleep just for a few hours. When I wake up it's to bright sunlight and a gentle snowfall like fairies in the air. It's as if Great Bear is asking "What blizzard?" My 'vacation' is off to a great start!

Thank you very much, that's so kind! 😊

Days 54-55 My gloomy thoughts made for a restless night. In the morning I find that I've caught a rabbit in the snare I set up outside. I cook it up outside the terminal and the wind changes direction halfway through and snuffs out my meal. I barely keep myself from kicking away the fire's ashes in frustration. I wander in and out of the airport buildings unsure what to do next. The weather in this place feels intimidating enough that I'm wary of adventuring far. On the other hand, the failed promise of the airport and its many ghosts haunt me and feel like they're driving me away. In the morning the angry wind and snow calm down a bit and I decide to trek down the river to see what's at its mouth. Maybe a fishing hut so I can taste and do something different for a change. The sky actually turns blue for part of my journey, but there's never no wind here. At the mouth of the river I see a sight that actually picks up my spirits for a change. Across the lake and high on a rocky island I faintly spy a cabin. I can't be totally sure that its not a burned out wreck but just the prospect of a target to work toward immediately raises my spirits. There's a pack of wolves between the island and me... but my recent nihilism has made me brave. Or reckless. I skirt around the island avoiding the wolves despite some cooked meat in my pack. The island doesn't have any obvious way up. I circle all the way around to the back... fatigue from jogging against the wind kicking in... but I spot a fishing hut! I briefly duck inside and make a note to come back. In the meantime I see a slope at the back of the island to climb to the top where I think the cabin is. A patrolling wolf is there though. I get close, and in a fit of reaffirming my own survival and control over this land, I drop to one knee and pull out my rifle. The wolf is dead before he sees me. I don't stand up for a long while however. I'm disturbed by my lack of disturbance. I don't normally enjoy hunting. Who am I becoming out here? I vow to return to gather the meat and hide later to honour the wolf's sacrifice. I refuse to hunt for sport. Some of myself is still left. I think. Climbing the hill I see a sight that I didn't realize I needed - the cabin looks cozy and inviting. A place more like a home than anywhere I've been in a long time. Garages and trailers and hangers have taken their toll. In the area and inside I find 2 maple saplings and several damaged bows. The island is telling me something. It might be time to learn to use a bow, and connect myself more closely to the land around me, and get these harsh, heavy guns out of my hands. I'm becoming hard and cold like the weather. The cabin is an absolute mess. Are all the residents of Great Bear slobs? I tidy up a bit, rip up some tarps (I'm utterly swimming in cloth here in the Far Territories), repair a few things and lay out the spare tools. Outside the glimmer fog has returned but I'm still unsure why I should avoid it. I find a small crevice that leads down to stairs and a dock. Apparently this is how I was supposed to get up here. Back at the cabin I take a long time to look at the family pictures, the papers strewn about. The glasses on the nightstand. Try to imagine the person who lived here. It makes me feel less alone. I catch myself talking to them as I use their home and rest on their bed. What should I do now? The cabin's ghosts don't have an answer.

Days 50-53 The next morning a blizzard keeps me indoors in the junker's trailer. I start to question my decision to travel to the Far Territories. But there must be something out here! The second the blizzard changes to soft snow I set out. Despite the "airport ahead" sign... the airfield is not, in fact, close at all. In fact I once again travel for so long that I start to wonder if I got turned around somehow or if I'm a fool for coming here. I've become so complacent to the lack of danger other than the weather, that a wolf startles me without a weapon in hand. Rookie mistake! I stumble backward and pull out my revolver. Two shots and he runs off. Blood on the snow but no success. Maybe I'll find him later. But then I round the next bend and finally see the air traffic tower in the distance. It's a welcome sight. I climb a small hill and look around in a full 360. My jaw drops and I'm almost paralyzed with whatever the opposite of claustrophobia is. This Forsaken Airfield is vast. Beyond vast. Empty white hills stretch on as far as I can see. Foreboding cliffs ring the territory far at the horizon in every direction. Why have I come here? This is no place for people. It's a land for wind spirits and ghosts. I bring my gaze back to the tower and the buildings around it. Civilization! There must be people here. Exhausted I arrive at the airport. My heart sinks when I walk out onto the asphalt and no one comes out to greet me. I delay facing reality by checking in all the cars and airplanes around the area. The planes are totally bursting with compartments and it's time consuming but rewarding. I duck inside the terminal, looting suitcases and dropping a pile of my extra supplies. I tell myself that no one would make camp here. They would definitely be in the big hangar. Eventually I can put it off no longer. I climb up the tower. Its height and central location and it's connection to the outside world is a hope that I cling to. If there was any information about what happened on Great Bear, if there was any sign or notes to indicate humans were *solving this problem* (It's what we do!) then it would be here. A journal or transcript of chats with the mainland? A distress signal being broadcast on loop to tell the outside world to come and get us damnit? Anything? The tower is cold and empty. Utterly devoid of any sign of plans or understanding at all. No communication with the outside world. Nothing works - of course. No notes. No log. ---- I realize I've been glaring at the useless instrument panel for possibly hours. My fists are cramped, I've been gripping the back of the chair like a lunatic. I really thought there would be something here. I trudge back down the stairs. Suddenly more bothered by my overfull backpack than I have ever been. Why is it so heavy? Why do I have so much junk? Why didn't I find a better backpack or make an extra bag or something before coming here? All of this is worthless. Why am I so weak?? When I enter the hangar, I hold in my mind the conscious certainty that I will not find anyone, but I can't stop a painful sliver of subconscious hope that despite all odds I will. Someone else. Anyone. Instead I find more signs of an airport abandoned. Of people who lost hope and left, maybe on foot. Some documentation points to the possibility that this airport was involved in some shady traffic. Maybe black-market goods. Who cares. It's the airplanes that look fully functional, but stand lifeless on the tarmac that hurt the most. If even flight can't get people off this island - or from the outside *to* the island. Then what hope is there? I start to feel a bit twitchy and wonder if I'm about to have a nervous breakdown. I step back outside and see something new. Fog has blanketed the area but it crackles with static. A glimmer fog I think to call it. The air feels charged and some electronics start to flicker. Something I haven't seen during the day in ages. I'm ashamed to admit I first thought the power was coming back on. No, just more ways the island is torturing me. I duck into the basement of the hangar and throw myself into chores to clear my mind. I found 2 thick wool sweaters and 2 more Mackinaw jackets in the region and I set to repairing every stitch of my clothing and my bedroll. I find a forge in the basement and forge a couple dozen arrow heads. I rip up junk clothing I've found and sort through my supplies. I wander the rooms of the hangar and eventually gather all my items in the terminal. I can't stay in this big empty hangar - it's awful. This feels like an important moment for me. Till now my motivation has always been to figure out where everyone went, and find a way off of Great Bear. That hope and that goal has kept me going. Now I feel listless and more alone than I ever have. Knowing I won't find people means I can no longer pretend that people are out there. What am I supposed to do now? Is just surviving enough?

Tap the maple trees for syrup. 😋 Yum.

Assuming that the Transfer Pass is going to be a hub to many future expansion pass locations... I've set up a base there. Cozy, deer nearby and hopefully at a very central spot for future regions. I don't really see myself making a base in the airfield from what I've heard about the fog, and sheer size of the region. But I haven't been there yet so we'll see. Only downside is no workbench.

Noticed upon my arrival in the Transfer Pass region, the train station building with an interior that doesn't have a loading screen to go in and out of it. And the windows can be looked through. I really think this is a nice change. - Gives a real feeling of *relief* when you cross the threshold and the temperature rises and the wind sounds outside get muffled as you step in. - You can spy for predators before going outside. - Being able to look out the windows is SO nice. Check on the weather and feel connected to the outdoors and the weather even when you're inside. - Feels less claustrophobic inside. - A real, direct sense of the day/night cycle while inside. Sometimes moonlight improves visibility inside which is very cool. - Getting in and out is faster (less loading is always good). I do find that all doors in this game open freakishly fast. Why am I opening doors with so much gusto? lol The big downside though is that you no longer get an automatic save point when you step inside. You now have to 'waste' time sleeping or playing cards in order to trigger a save. And it's harder to remember to do so. This means interruptions (not now kids, mom has to play till night-time lol) or crashes (hopefully not) can be more painful. Wondering... if most future locations will be like this (or past interiors revamped), it might be valuable to add another way to trigger a save. For example after mapping with charcoal or something that can't be easily overused but still feels significant. Anyway, all in all a change that has increased immersion, very cool.

I noticed the new meat textures and find that they look grosser now. lol

Days 45-49 It turns out that the Far Territories have only just begun to show their true colours. After days of blue skies and mostly nice weather, the morning storm turns into a raging blizzard. I boil water and eat venison all day, vowing to continue to explore the next day. My plans are tossed into the snow the next day when the blizzard continues. I play cards while watching it out the window. My enjoyment of the Transfer Pass sours eventually and I plan to make my way to the airfield promised on all the maps around here. The region has other ideas however. Twice I situate my gear and head out, making it just beyond an abandoned car when blue skies turn to blizzard in the blink of an eye. Where did this weather come from? It changes on a dime. I realize my recent adventures have been lucky. It's easy to get blindsided out here by blizzard. I'm forced back to the train station several times by raging blizzards for 3 straight days. Finally I wake to a clear sky (though I no longer trust it), and head out once again. This time I make it to what feels like a new region. A region with a long, winding road, shattered and precarious. This airfield is awfully far away. The sight of road (or train tracks) with canyon walls on either side is becoming an all too familiar sight. Boredom and anxiety war inside me. I'm happy to be out of the suffocating train station and blizzards, but this long endless walk is its own kind of torture. I spot a cave and mark it on my map, but there must be something more so I push on. Misty fog begins to roll in and I start to regret my decisions. I'm going to get lost out here. More road, more walking. Just as I start to contemplate turning back to find the cave, or giving up on this mad trek altogether, I spot a trailer in a junk yard. Shelter! I duck inside and rest, eat, and make notes in my journal. It's still early evening and I decide to check a bit farther down the road... but the fog thickens to pea soup. I stumble back to the trailer. More waiting for the weather. At least I can sleep indoors!

Day 44-45 I'm starting to feel quite at home here. I've taken to calling this region the Transfer Pass in my head. Today was beautiful. No wind, blue skies - a rare treat here on Great Bear. I use the opportunity to explore the Transfer Pass a bit more. I scout along the ridges and find that on one end, both the road and the rail line end in collapsed rock slides. No way to leave in that direction. I encounter a break in the ridge and find a cliff looking out on a vast unexplored area. I don't think I can access this region, but it looks empty and cold anyway. On my way back around to the marshes near the train tracks I find the carcass of a buck. The one I shot? How did I not see these crows yesterday? No matter, I set a fire on the ice and get to harvesting and cooking. A lovely day for it. Over 11kg of meat on this one. I wish I had some salt. The porch of the train station is looking like a butcher's garbage pile. Meat everywhere. I'm sure now that there are no wolves here. Surely the smell would have drawn them by now. In the morning I wake to a beautiful sunrise and gently falling snow. I watch it out the windows. It startles me to realize this is the first building on Great Bear that I've been in without the frosted glass windows so common in the area. Being able to see outside does much to combat claustrophobia. The gentle snow turns to a storm after I take a few short steps out the door. I'll have to continue mapping and exploring later.

Days 42-43 With renewed excitement for exploration I set out in the morning to explore the area around the train station. The trees and rolling hills seem fairly safe. I haven't heard any wolves in the area which gives me confidence. Behind the station I find a road sign, pointing me to interesting locations. I follow the road to Field 31, but after a long sprint it seems like this road is what will lead me to new regions. I duck into a pickup truck to warm up then head back. Above that road is a second one leading in the same direction. It leads be to a dead end with a collapsed tunnel. Slight shelter but nothing interesting to find. I expected the area around the train station to have more signs of people. Backpacks, containers, hidden stashes. But so far there is almost nothing. Not even corpses- the grim thought enters my mind. Ever the scavenger, the pockets of those who came before me are a necessary resources if not a pleasant one. But the area is empty of tools or supplies. Unfortunate. The region seems to encourage exploration though. Paths, roads, hills to climb and look out from. It's far from barren, if not quite a scavenger's friend. Back to the station area I climb up to one end of the coal chute. The fence is broken and I can look down inside. Interesting. Can I climb down in it? Looks like a massive sprain risk or even a no-way-out scenario. I seize the day anyway and drop down inside. It turns out to be a great choice. It's easy to navigate with 2 different doors out. I find some can goods and even a bearskin bedroll. Excellent! Out of the choking mess of coal dust, I return back to the rear of the station. I spotted two deer there, a buck and a doe. It's not too far from the station and would be a great source of food for the next few days. I sneak over the hill and land a shot on the doe. It hits a shoulder but doesn't finish the job and she runs off. I go for the bigger prize, the buck once it settles down. Another shot square in the chest - but they make the deer tough here in the far territories and the animal doesn't fall. A second shot goes wild. I now have 2 injured deer sprinting away across the landscape and nothing but shame in my marksmanship abilities. I follow a blood trail until it fades and the fog starts to come in. Back 'home' I settle in for the night. Shocked at my 2.4 kg of cattail stalks I decide to make a salad of them. Full of their chewy dry calories and lamenting the lack of venison, I decide to nap then look outside for signs of crows marking the fallen deer. I spot one fairly far away. I hike to it, exhausted and with dusk upon me. I find the doe and quickly build a fire and quarter it. It takes two trips to lug the haul back to the station. But I'm so hyped up that I build a huge fire in the fireplace, boiling water, harvesting venison steaks and cooking a feast. The moon is high when I finally finish. Exhausted but full to bursting. I can barely stand I'm so full and tired, but where is that buck is all I can think as I drift off to sleep. In the morning the wind roars across the hills. Wind picks up fast in this region. Snow comes with it and I fear a blizzard is upon me. I scout briefly around for more crows, but the weather drives me back. I'm starting to get a good feel for this area. I think I may have explored most of it and have to move on soon. I might spend another day or two here though. With rabbits and deer in the area but no wolves, this is a definite contender for long-term base location. It may be my home away from (Camp Office) home for the medium term. --- (Notes: I'm starting to see what other players are saying when they ask if Hinterland is going to fill the new regions with stuff at a later date. While the region itself is gorgeous and interesting... inviting exploration and full of nooks and crannies, paths and roads. Those areas - even on Voyager difficulty - lack any real loot or purpose to go there. No backpacks with loot, no corpses or tools. No memento notes or Polaroids (so far). No caches that I've found yet. It definitely feels barren (regarding items) for a region that should have had a lot of human traffic in its heyday.)

Days 40-41 In the morning an oppressive fog blankets the outdoors. It means low visibility but friendly temperatures. Stuck as I am in this canyon and following the train tracks I figure my odds of getting lost - even in this unfamiliar land is low. I head out following the train tracks. I cross a bridge with a view of flowing water. A rare sight in Great Bear. When I come across a group of rabbits playing among some trees I'm relieved by the sight of life. But my stomach isn't so friendly. I catch 2 rabbits and strap them to my ponderously full backpack for later. I haven't heard wolves so I hope the scent of meat won't be risky. The longer I travel alone in this claustrophobic canyon the more my thoughts turn to the macabre mixed with hope. What must the population of Great Bear be? Workers and residents, lumberjacks and train workers. A thousand or more? The corpses I've found can't possibly account for the entire population of the regions I've been through. Milton? Where is everybody? They must be somewhere. They must be alive. I hope they are. Deep in these grim thoughts of too few corpses and missing people, I come across the most intimidating tunnel I've seen to date. It looms above me, dark and yawning. The arches and rock look like ribs. As I enter I get goosebumps. The first time that this type of spooky fear has embraced me in all my time on the island. The tunnel goes on and on. The darkness is complete and I light a flare for comfort but the red light it casts makes the tunnel feel even more like a long ribbed throat. It's swallowed me. I start to sprint - how long can it be? By the time I reach the end I'm panting and hallucinating the sight of a solo train headlight. It's just the tunnel exit. I leave to catch my breath and feel the wind on my face but it's open and empty out there. I duck back inside to cook up the rabbits, eat and fill in my journal. Outside the tunnel the world opens up. I'm in a sparse but lovely forest. No signs of civilization besides the train tracks under my feet. I scout around, climb a rock to fill in my map. I look down the sights of my rifle trying to spot shelter or landmarks. Anything but trees and rocks and snow. So many different trees. It's beautiful but empty. It's getting late but the thought of returning to the hungry tunnel makes the decision for me. I follow the tracks, my head on a swivel watching for wolves or shelter. Then I see it! A train station and a water tower. A large cargo loading silo. Shelter! It's a sight for cold, tired eyes. Surrounded by forest it's one of the nicest locations I've seen in a long time. I instantly love it here. Inside the train station I find matches and red long-underwear in excellent condition. I slip those on right away, scour the immediate area as well as the cars and pile all the firewood I find in front of the fireplace. The train station will make a cozy place to sleep. The surrounding area looks interesting, and there will be much exploring to do tomorrow. ---- (Notes: The train station can be entered without a loading screen. Nice for quick exploring but no automatic save point. The technical backpack shown in media photos of this train station is not there on the porch. Very sad about that.)

Days 39-40* The cave was longer than I expected. Dark and grey. I find myself quickly longing for the open air again. I find a poor soul in the cave, their last days spent next to a fire with dwindling supplies. I say a few small words of peace for them, then help myself to their supplies. They certainly won't be needing them anymore. The monotonous grey rock of the cave has me thinking about the uniform brick and wood of the rail tunnel. How comforting it was to be inside a shelter made by humans. The rock caves bring on claustrophobia and and sense of the mountain above me. When I finally poke my head out of the end of the cave, I'm faced with my old friend the train tracks. This time they are perpendicular to me, stretching to the left and right. Which way? Thanks to the geomagnetic anomaly, and the fact that I never seem to get enough direct sunlight to cast any shadows, it's always a puzzle to me which way is north. There is only the wind. The 2 directions most obvious to me these days - into the wind, or with the wind. No matter. I'm tired and it's nearly sunset, but I have a bit of energy left and scouting a new region is always a good idea when the weather allows. So I trek to the left. The train tracks end in another cursed rock-slide but I climb a tree trunk and some rocks. Indeed I could continue this way, alas it has brought me back to the rope climb down to the lake. I'm looking at the enormous wooden bridge and the yellow train car again. The rail tunnel and the cave have brought me essentially circle. A hope and a slide and I could be back where I started. It's depressing to think about all that walking, only to gain about 10m of height. But it's useful to know I have a shortcut here if I ever leave the Far Territories. The sun is setting. I try to lift my mood by watching it. But the wind is ever present and I head back to my cave. Some warm peaches will cheer me up, and a good sleep within the strong shelter of the cave. I'll head out and to the right in the morning. * previous posts ranges were a couple days behind.

Thanks! Will do. I'm having fun writing it.

Days 35-36 And we're on our way! I follow the train tracks - they haven't failed me yet. Just as the thought crosses my mind, I see where the tracks take me. To the most horrifying crossing I've ever seen. The tracks cross a broken bridge, shattered and twisted. I hold my breath, don my crampons and cross the single rail. Here I am, finally making my first steps into the Far Territory. Ahead is a tunnel which brings me deep into the belly of an underground rail tunnel. Lonely and haunting. A few service rooms break up the endless tunnels and provide some appreciated snacks. I find my way around a collapse in the tunnel and out into the light. I pull the air into my lungs and it's beautiful. I snipe a wolf on the frozen lake, then skip up to the huge bridge only to find it blocked. So back down to the frozen lake I go, under the creaking bridge and into a cave. I'm getting tired at this point, so I make my way through the tunnel. I'll make a short camp here to rest and eat. Then find out what the this long trek has in store for me outside of the cave.

Day 30-34 My adventure begins in earnest. I've gathered from maps and notes I've found, that there is more civilization down the railroad tracks. I decide to follow them. Their permanence and strong reminder of humanity's dominion over the the wilds is both reassuring and sad. The loneliness is making me philosophical. I leave the camp office and it doesn't take long for the temperatures to drop. Mystery Lake doesn't want me to leave. I keep my head down, trusting in my quality clothing and backpack of sticks and matches to get me through. The Muskeg is a sad, empty place. Humanity feels out of place here. The wind howls and the clouds are gathering. I see an overturned rail car in the distance. But as my spirits rise, they are dashed as quickly. The wolves have spotted me and several howls turn to yips. They're on my heels! I run down the track but my pack is bursting and the wind is pushing back. I dodge the wolves and hide in the rail car. I'll catch my breath and give them time to leave. As I wait, snack on a granola bar and instantly regret it. My guts twist and sweat breaks out. I've gotten food poisoning for the first time I can remember. It's awful. I pop pills and it helps. Then make the brash decision to just head for Spencer's homestead. Not all decisions are good decisions. Don't make big ones on a sick stomach... Across the ice and snow drifts, I'm reminded that food poisoning needs time and rest to heal. I'm losing condition fast and more wolves are circling in. I drink a cold coffee and press on. The homestead appears but it is cold comfort. Empty, desolate. Burned out cabins and no one to be seen. I hole up in a barn, shivering in a bedroll I sleep away the food poisoning. When I wake I search the area and am happy to find both rifle and revolver ammo! And more books! Warm top-quality gloves! I read the books as a I boil some water on the big iron furnace. The wolves howl but they don't approach. Repaired, well read, fed and content, I find a safe with more ammo and then sleep through the night feeling releaved. Surprisingly I don't feel alone this night, the wolves are poor company, but at least they remind me I exist. In the morning I make notes in my journal then head out again. When I see the train tracks again the comfort I feel is significant. But the wind is back and angry as ever. It blows against me, as ever. My temperature starts to drop and I hurry on to Broken Railroad. Surely there will be shelter in the tunnel? Nope. I find a corner and build a small fire. Heating some coffee to warm my insides. I continue my journey following the tracks and detouring around the collapse. When I make it to the maintenance yard, tired, cold, and frustrated by the slow walk against the wind, my relief turns sour. The maintenance yard is surrounded by wolves inside the fence. At least 3. I hold a flare in my hand ready to light it and sneak along the side. The wolves spot me but I duck inside. I catch my breath and begin a search of the garage. It's a mess but a complete treasure trove. I find several boxes of ammo, my first hacksaw and box of quality tools. A flashlight and a lot of food. And yes, more books. Then, in a locked locker I find a great gift... a mackinaw jacket! And then a second pair of climbing socks. My clothing has improved greatly on this adventure. I repair and read. Boil more water, fix my clothes. In the morning I duck outside and use some of my new wealth of revolver ammo to shoot at the wolves and clear them away. I search the pickup trucks in the area, finding more food and a Memento note. More signs of people are a small comfort. Back in the shed I take stock of my equipment. I sort and fix myself up. I decide to leave the hacksaw and quality tools behind. My backpack is getting ridiculously heavy. I'm beginning to drastically regret the lack of technical backpack or moose-hide satchel. But I do my best to prune and repair. Then I realize. I have no idea where to go from here. Well, I've been following the train tracks. Might as well continue. Onward!

Days 24-29 Finally back to it, I quickly scour the Milton farmhouse, finding a few books and some semi useful supplies. Back to the main house to drop things off then I decide to go up to the plane crash in the mountains. Here I encounter my first real brush with danger. A wolf struggle and a long trek to scour the plane crash leaves me exhausted and overloaded. I decide, bravely, to nap for just a few hours then head back to town. Travelling at night is not something I do often and I'm reminded why. The wind picks up and a wolf surprises me. After the struggle my few hours of sleep are quickly worn off. I struggle step by slow step back down the mountain. I make it to the Milton house tired, losing condition and with torn up clothing. It's time to get serious about my trek to the Far Territories. I repair my clothes and read through the books I've collected so far. I eat up the food I've stashed here in the main house but I feel my knowledge gained improving my confidence. I put the house in order and make sure I'm carrying the best of everything. I'm sad to say goodbye to such a nice collection of equipment, but it's time to return home to Mystery Lake and get this adventure started in earnest. I make my way back to the climbing point on a beautiful blue-sky day. I feel the pull of the cosy houses begging me to stay where it's safe. But the wolfs roaming Milton remind me that I must push on. Through the cave and back to Mystery Lake, I come out near the Trapper's Cabin. I intend to just stop by briefly, but when a deer puts itself on your doorstep and the shot is just begging to be taken, well, one does not turn down front-door dinner delivery in the apocalypse. --- I eat my fill that night and stay at the Trapper's Cabin. It's cosy, but the wanderlust is pulling at me. Nothing short of a moose would keep me here now, but the old prince doesn't show his giant antlers here. I pack up and bring a handful of meat back to the Camp Office. It feels like home. I decide to eat through the meat and read the books I've stashed here. Reading builds my confidence but depleats the food stores. I look around. It's time. Everything is repaired, my equpment is triaged. I decide to leave most flares and repair items here in hopes that I'll find more in the muskeg or along the railroad. One more sleep.

The communities we join & build to share creations & discuss our passions... the connections we make to uplift each other, to love our hobbies & fandoms... the safe spaces we try to gather in & protect... matter. And it hurts when they are taken away. But we will never stop. Creating without consumerism. Talking without judgment. Community without capitalism. The most powerful thing I have read this year. By Cat Valente. https://catvalente.substack.com/p/stop-talking-to-each-other-and-start

Days 21-23 (Edit: got my days wrong last time.) Noticed the first bit of lost condition to my improvised crampons. Wore them longer including on some road. They are now at 95%. Hunkered down through 2 days of blizzard, reading books and harvesting old clothes. Headed to the farmhouse and killed a wolf. Found a second revolver in the farmhouse, 2 prybars outside and a nice stand of birch saplings nearby. Gathered up all the nearby loot, cooked up some wolf meat from a previous target I found nearby and settled in to read through some books and when the current fog clears, find the wolf I shot just outside the farm. Not sure if this is related to the recent update, but I'm not seeing wolves in groups lately. Milton which used to be just covered in wolves seems to have fewer. Or maybe I've just been killing them all.

Days 24-31 Finished searching the houses, then headed to the church then up to the bridge. Killed 2 wolves on the way. Then, while searching through the cars on the bridge.... ROAR!! A bear had the same idea. 2 bullets with the variant rifle and dropped the bear. Took the pelts from the bear and wolves, then made my very over encumbered way back to the trailer. Wore the improvised crampons the entire time and they lost no condition. So either they haven't added any condition degredation to these things, or it's bugged. Next stop the farmhouse, then onward to the new regions.

Same. Runs flawlessly on Ubuntu.

I'm happy to read this clarification & apology. I personally avoid new releases like the plague until after a few post-release patches. Stuff ALWAYS goes wrong. People jumping directly to Steam to review bomb it because of hour-one bugs, is just... wow. We play this cold wintery game - get some chill folks. 😆 I do however get a bad taste from Hinterland people going after streamers & community members for providing their honest reactions, constructive criticism or just venting frustrations. That's not cool. Streamers & content creators are free advertising - and "chill out folks" goes both ways. 💙🥶 Personally my game is running bug free, I'm enjoying the new updates, and am very content with Hinterland's work, timelines & upcoming plans. Only request: detailed patch notes please for already released updates for people who like to gauge purchases carefully & don't mind spoilers. Great work devs.

I use this measure as well. Excellent point @ajb1978. 😁

I personally don't want to know the fine details in the future updates, but at minimum there should be patch notes for what is **currently** in the DLC at present. I know that's very spoiler-y but people can avoid it. It matters because it helps some people decide if they want to buy the DLC now as-is or wait longer. Many folks have a limited "fun money" budget & spending that for the month if there isn't yet enough in the DLC to tempt them is upsetting. Help people decide when to spend the cost of the DLC by making detailed release notes. 🙏