conanjaguar

Good luck with the sewing! I hear that’s the hardest skill to level up. I think that the best thing to ease you into Stalker would be setting up a run with Stalker weather and loot, and everything else how you normally do it. @Zaknafein has at least one episode on his Tea Challenge. Essentially the ONLY way you are allowed to invest calories is in the form of Birch Bark Tea, but other types are possible too (anyone ever tried living on only coffee?).

@Leeanda By the way, what will be your next challenge? I was thinking you might try a Kegstand or Tea Challenge.

@JMK I see the Aurora Bear. He was kind of hard to spot.

Another one: “I’d lay down right here if I thought I’d ever wake up again.” Says this whilst standing over a warm, cozy bed.

@Bearimpaler101 The lyrics sound kind of familiar. What tune is this supposed to be set to?

Forgive me if I overstep my boundaries a bit here, but I recently have been wondering what Hinterland will do after The Long Dark is finished. With the brainstorming process of Episode 5 already underway, I would expect the Story Mode to be finished with a satisfying conclusion. Of course, the corresponding survival update will be eagerly awaited, but what then? As seen on the map, there is room for at least three more regions, one of which should be Perseverance Mills. But, when the map is crowded, the Story is finished, and everything becomes as everyday as bread and butter, what will Hinterland do next? Now, TLD is a great game, one of the best, if not the best, of the survival genre. But eventually, everyone who wants it will have TLD, and no more sales will come. By then, Hinterland will surely have at least a concept of what to do next. What will it be? I will explore some options here. Zombie Survival- While the market is currently drowning in zombie games, I have trust in Hinterland’s ability to make it work. The Frozen Forest- Just a conjecture here, but Hinterland could consider teaming up with Endnight (makers of The Forest) in a masterpiece of survival that would combine the best of both games. Sci-fi Survival- Just as with a zombie game, a science fiction game can be hard to pull off. The technology, environments, and organisms portrayed must not be too earthlike, but not so alien as for disbelief to no longer be suspended. Old-Timey Survival- I think this has come up once or twice. Currently, the market has no games set in the 18th and 19th centuries. No good ones, anyway. Such a game could provide a fascinating view into the life of a typical homesteader or Trapper back then, while simultaneously being more than a “hunting/building simulation.” Korean War Survival- There are almost no games set during the Forgotten War. As a student of the Korean War, I think that this is disappointing. Especially so since the extreme weather conditions and terrain of Korea seem ideal for a game of this nature. That’s all I can think of right now. What do you think Hinterland should do next? (Again, apologies to @Admin and the rest of the developers over at the Hinterland Team if I have overstepped my boundaries. I will delete this if necessary.)

THE TALE OF SIR PERCIVAL: (I played last afternoon but am writing it now) Sir Percival awoke in the ‘Keg, near the tunnel to Broken Railroad. Before dawn, during a particularly impressive aurora. Where am I? Apparently Interloper always gives you a random spawn point. After orienting himself (and losing half his warmth to -43C feels like temperature), Percival set out for the Poacher’s Camp, finding some cedar firewood on the way, and snapping some shots of the aurora:Beautiful, but eerie. Almost there! In the train car, Percival found a flare, some coal, and a light shell in decent condition, as well as a book on Practical Gunsmithing! Using the flare, he lit a warmup fire and boiled some water to get his warmth back up. Then, as the sun crept up, Percival was back on his way, aiming for Mystery Lake. After avoiding both bears that guarded the route (and noticing a lack of wolves) and suffering from frostbite in his right hand, Percival finally arrived at Trappers, managing to hit this bunny on the first try: I will name him George, and I will - crack! Inside was shockingly empty. There was only a tin of sardines in the shelf, a pry bar on the workbench, and in the safe was a Wool Scarf and some Painkillers. After warming up a bit, Percival thought about going to Milton, but decided against it, as he did not have enough energy for even one rope. So, he went to bed after harvesting the rabbit. DAY 2: Percival awoke refreshed but hungry and thirsty. After drinking some water, he set out for the transition cave. There was absolutely nothing there, except for a few sticks. However, as Percival had no light sources, he probably missed everything. He presently emerged and immediately made a beeline for the first rope, picking cattails along the way. As Percival was fast running low on stamina, he elected to goat down the first cliff (leaving him with 10% condition), where the local wolf (I’ll call him Musty) waited. Percival was forced to drop his rabbit meat and made a beeline for the cave, picking rose hips and Reishi along the way. Inside the cave was salvation - a box of matches! Percival quickly lit a fire (on the first try!) and made water, then made tea with that water. He drank the rose hip tea for warmth, took a torch, and continued to the second rope, climbing it without any interference. To avoid starving to death, Percival ate two cattails and ran for the ranger station. Other than a stack of papers, there was nothing. Oh well. Percival then elected to make his way down to Orca, killing his second bunny along the way. I left off with Percy just inside the back door (took a break to try Subnautica), and we will see what he finds!

@James Hickok Ty jestesz Polski? Ja tesz!

Lycanthrope: You have shed the blood of so many wolves that some of it will always remain inside you. Passive effects: You fill up the struggle bar 15% faster against wolves, and have a 33% chance of being able to fight back against a bear or moose (non-fatal). You also inflict 20% more damage with melee weapons, and have a 10% greater chance of dropping the wolf outright during a struggle. Full Moon effects: You move 20% faster, have 15% more stamina, +10% condition, and a +5C warmth bonus, in addition to the above. Combine with Darkwalker to be nearly invincible at night!

Wrestling? Not really, I’m more the bookish type, but I do sometimes sprain his ears when he gets me angry (such as during his boilathon). I have a short temper.

I’m pretty sure I have done it to my brother.

The first “episode” will be underway late this afternoon.

“Aaagh! Ow! Euuughuh! Oof!” Affliction- Sprained Neck Affliction- Sprained Ear (left) Affliction- Sprained Ear (right) Affliction- Sprained Ankle (left) Affliction- Sprained Ankle (right) Affliction- Sprained Wrist (left) Affliction- Sprained Wrist (right) Affliction- PAINPAINPAINPAINPAINPAINPAINPAIN Affliction- Cabin Fever

Yes, Sir Percival it is, starting in Blackrock... on Interloper!

DAY 33: To start off with, Mordred almost didn’t wake up this morning. Apparently, last night he had forgotten to put more fuel on the three-hour fire before going to bed for ten hours, and I remembered three seconds after I clicked “sleep”. He woke up with 12% condition and 94% hypothermia risk had I slept for eleven hours, he would have died then and there. Even though the weather was good, Mordred elected to while away the day by shooting rabbits, collecting sticks, and making tea. And then, a blizzard picked the worst possible time to show up, just after dusk. Rather than freeze to death, Mordred got the most he could out of the fire, even burning Advanced Guns Guns Guns, and then tried to find his was back to the cave. Nope. Apparently, the local wolf had forgotten that he was supposed to be afraid of fishing huts, reducing Mordred to the point where he was literally among the walking dead. The Stim that he packed only bought Mordred a few extra minutes, as an aurora decided to boost the blizzard! He went outside again, only to be eaten by that same wolf. R.I.P Mordred. Well, what now? Other than Merlin and Lady Guinevere, I think I have used all the Arthurian characters, and I want to make them last. A Mystery Lake or Mountain Town Start would be too easy, Pleasant Valley wants me dead, and I don’t know my way around Timberwolf Mountain. So, Blackrock it is.

-My new wallpaper

To us Americans, Happy Independence Day from the land of Dixie! (for you non-Americans, please don’t call me a Yank.) Some festive snaps are in order, but I did not get to shoot off any fireworks. DAY 31: Mordred awoke before the sun, catching a rare phenomenon: an aurora sunrise! Praying that he would not bump into any of his furry frenemies, Mordred checked the Buffer Memory,bid the (miraculously unharmed) Prince of the Forest goodbye and set out for Carter Hydro. Surprisingly, the path was wolf-free, and pure luck (or divine intervention as a reminder to go to church) allowed Mordred to get all the way to the Carter Hydro Bridge before he got jumped and chewed on by Fluffy’s outdoorsy cousin, Floofy. I did manage to get some aurora snaps, though:I’m gonna make this my wallpaper! The sun creeping up.Red in the morning... again. An omen for what is to come. I remember this! After arriving at Carter Hydro, Mordred made a beeline for the Lower Dam, finding two broken arrows near a dead guy (more on him in “The Sitting Dead”) and giving the place a quick inspection. There was nothing else of interest, so Mordred continued on to the Winding River. Looking back, possibly for the last time By now it was only midday, and Mordred was already exhausted! He trudged through the area, harvesting cattails and managing to scare a wolf away from a rabbit that it had killed. Eventually, Mordred arrived at the transition cave. Bleary-eyed, he stumbled through it until he arrived at the dead deer. He harvested it and gulped down the two steaks. With a relatively full stomach, Mordred took a short nap and continued his exploration of the cave. In short, it did not go too well. Mordred got lost several times, and even fell through the plank bridge (partly my fault, but I didn’t realize that Mordred was so skinny. Malnutrition?) a once. He did pick up a LOT of coal and uncovered about half a dozen cairns, before eventually calling it a day and going to bed(roll). DAY 32: Mordred awoke late after a long, refreshing sleep, and eventually managed to escape from the cave. Pleasant Valley welcomed him heartily: Yeah, Pleasant Valley. I hate you, too. To pass the time while waiting for the blizzard to subside, Mordred ducked back into the warm cave. He read Advanced Guns Guns Guns for three hours in one hour bursts, checking occasionally to make sure the blizzard had passed. The third time was the charm, and the blizzard decided to go away around noon. However, I noticed that Mordred had 26% risk of Cabin Fever! What a random way for it to show up (isn’t it only supposed to occur after 50 days, and NOT on Stalker?) Mordred was still hungry, but had time to admire the waterfall. To add insult to potential injury, Mordred was hounded by a pair of wolves the entire way to Pensive Pond, Finally made it. and was forced to drop his rabbit meat in order to get away. He then shot the doorknob of the fishing hut to unlock it, and went in. He fixed himself and his clothing up in preparation for a long, dark (pun intended), cold night. RUMINATIONS: Well, that was hectic! Mordred is not doing too well at the moment, but at least he is stable, thanks to that candy bar he found in the fishing hut. Currently, the plan is to get to Thompson’s Crossing, or the Farmhouse, whichever Mordred comes across first in his wanderings. After looting the town, Mordred will make some arrows and attempt to summit without dying.

Anyone ever notice that “poor soul” is the most common term for the sitting dead?

@ManicManiac Pleasant Valley is angry you didn’t stay for long.

Yes! @Drifter Manreturns!

I only had time to get one day in yesterday, so here goes. DAY 30: Mordred awoke to a clear sky and nice temperatures, perfect weather to go to Pleasant Valley! On the way back to the Office, he decided to fish for an hour, catching nothing, as I had expected. Oh well. So, he trudged the rest of the way back to the Office, deciding to warm up and make water. As I had to use the lavatory, I told my brother to boil some water from me. Like the simple-minded peasant that he is, he dutifully boiled water until I came back... twelve liters, in fact! I had told him to boil two pots, and he boiled six! He had let the entire day go to waste, and Mordred went to bed hungry - again. Mere words cannot express the anger I still feel for my brother right now, so I will use a meme:Yes, this is the brother.

My brother found another one! This poor soul was slouched over in the tram car in Mystery Lake:On his person he had a tinder plug, and in his backpack was a box of rifle ammunition, a granola bar, and a box of matches. How did he die? He probably didn’t starve to death with that granola bar in his pack, and he probably had a rifle at one point. However, some light was shed on his demise when we gave the headline newspaper he had been reading (and thrown into the corner) a look: BLEAK INLET WOLVES LOSE TO PLEASANT VALLEY RABBITS IN EPIC FINAL MATCH OF GREAT BEAR CUP! This man was obviously a Wolf fan. In the fading days of the world, the last thing you want to read is that your favorite soccer team has lost the most anticipated game of the season.

I knew it!

DAY 27: Up with the sun again. Except... there was no sun! It seems that Pleasant Valley was determined to welcome Mordred early. Oh well. As Mordred was starving, and he did not want to risk running into his furry friends, he decided to set out for the Office after heating up some tea. Despite the blinding snow and terrible wind, Mordred eventually made it to the Camp Office just as hypothermia risk announced itself: As it was apparent that the blizzard was not going away, Mordred decided to get a start on crafting some Deerskin Pants. He worked on them until there was no more light, then hit the ol’ sack. DAY 28: Today, Mordred awoke before the sun. He set out for the closest fishing hut, keeping a lookout for Rusty and his friends. However, they apparently had not waken up yet, allowing Mordred to proceed to the fishing hut without incident. However, my awful luck reasserted itself; as soon as the ice was broken and the tackle went in, it snapped! This left Mordred to wander around Mystery Lake, picking up the twenty-odd pieces of reclaimed wood he had left behind back on Day 3. And, to add injury to insult, Rusty invited some friends over for lunch (me). They chewed Mordred up pretty bad, reducing him to 50% condition while Rusty just sat there and grinned.(anyone ever read the Smile Dog creepypasta? Rusty had a smile like that.) Mordred then limped over to the fishing hut and slept for four hours to recover some condition, and, still starving, set out for the Camp Office, picking cattails along the way. When he arrived, he saw the Prince of the Forest! Whatever qualms Mordred had about killing him were drowned by his growling stomach, and so, he took aim and squeezed the trigger. Blood spurted, but the deer ran off into the mounting blizzard. Sigh. So, Mordred went to bed hungry. DAY 29: As I draw nearer to breaking my all-time record, so does the game become more determined to kill me. Today, it almost did! Mordred awoke at dawn again and finished up his deerskin pants, crafting two extra fishing tackles while he was at it. Then he went outside, intent on fishing, and was greeted by more Pleasant Valley weather! If Mordred stayed in the Office, he would likely starve to death, so he struck out into the blizzard. However, he quickly became hopelessly lost, somehow ending up at the lone cabin on the other side of the lake! And, the trunk had not been searched yet?! Praying for something edible, Mordred rummaged around the trunk with closed eyes - and found a Simple Parka in almost perfect condition! After donning it, Mordred set out for the nearest fishing hut, leaving a trail of sticks so as not to get lost. He eventually got to it, lit a fire, and fished for seven straight hours, catching just a few whitefish and a smallmouth bass, and nearly dead from a trio of hunger, thirst, and exhaustion. He boiled water, staggered back to the cabin, ate his entire catch, and went to bed. Total condition lost: 80%! (Total for this session) RUMINATIONS: Ouch. Mordred will have to go to Pleasant Valley very soon, or he might not make it at all! There is no food left, and fishing has proved itself unsustainable. If he rushes, Mordred should be able to get to Pleasant Valley tomorrow. Imagine! A whole new region, filled with food and danger!

@ManicManiac Reminds me of that John Carpenter movie: “The Fog”. Substitute wolves for the zombie pirates and bingo! Your own horror movie.