Sasharr

hey @ManicManiacwould you recommend among trees? I've got $30 to blow on steam and I've been eyeing it for a bit, but a lot of the videos I saw a while ago, and the common theme was that it was gorgeous, but there was little content. Would you say its worth the price?

Welcome, good 'Murican! Clutch your cowboy hat, wrap your scarf tight, and welcome to the apocalypse!

Welcome to the Silent Apocalypse, @JohnLovesCoffee. Drop your boots and take a seat in our frozen parlour!

HOLY HELL SOMEONE ELSE DOES THIS YESSS

Honestly, that is a spot-on guess. I imagine it will unfurl in a manner at least slightly similar to what you've said. I believe you're correct about the Forest Talkers because of this: So far, the Forest Talkers have served no purpose to advance the plot. We can collect notes about them, even learn about their plans, but they have no substance beyond that. "It could just be a worldbuilding detail that adds to the mythos of Great Bear!" you cry. Not so! If we're looking at random lore bits Hinterland has mentioned, let's examine The Collapse. Many times, in both Wintermute and Survival mode, a economic event called The Collapse is referenced. The Collapse caused Great Bear's factories, dams and resources to collect metaphorical dust. The stubborn and elderly stayed behind while many islanders left to find better fortunes. The Collapse serves to explain both the derelict ruins we see AND the isolation and emptiness of our favorite island. Though the casual player may not give it a second thought, The Collapse is extremely important to the setting. "Does this have a point?" you ask, desperately scrolling down. Yes, it does. Hinterland isn't the type to throw out disjointed tidbits. As @ajb1978 mentioned in different post, they aren't particularly generous with their lore. All this to say, I believe the Forest Talkers sidequests in the 1st and 2nd episodes were buildup for the Forest Talkers to take center stage in the final episode--or at least play a pivotal role. Because of the scarcity of explicitly stated lore, I don't believe Hinterland will let the Forest Talkers go to waste.

I love the idea of being able to sit in a bed while researching--a mixture of the "pass time" mechanic and reading skill books. As long as you don't recover any Rest while reading in bed, I think that would be perfectly reasonable!

On her fandom page, it refers to Will as her "ex-husband", then later uses the term "separated". I'm unsure if they are legally divorced, and for how long they've been apart, but it seems they no longer live together or are in regular contact.

OHHH boy i have been WAITING for someone to ask this question! Beware, long post incoming--please do read it though if you're a fan of Folk/Alt and have some free listening time Made this mix a while back and it's served me well. BEST ARTISTS: Lord Huron Gregory Alan Isakov Basia Bulat Ben Howard TOP 5 SONGS: "Frozen Pines" by Lord Huron "Heart Of My Own" by Basia Bulat "The Wolves" by Ben Howard "Autumn Tree" by Milo Greene "The Fold" by Wickerbird This is my comprehensive playlist. Spotify link above! I tried to capture the sense of dark beauty, isolation, and yearning the game gives off. I've been playing this game for a long time, and I've adored it since my first stupid death via hypothermia. In terms of songs that fit the best lyrically (all this excluding "The Lion's Roar"), I have to say "The Wolves" (or Frozen Pines) For example: "Falling from high places Falling through lost spaces Now that we're lonely Now that there's nowhere to go Watching from both sides these Clock towers burning up I lost my time here, I lost my patience with it all --- Where you been hiding lately? Where you been from hiding from the news? Because we've been fighting lately Ah, we've been fighting with the wolves" It reminds me of Will, seeing the burned ruins of Milton searching for Astrid, seeing the depravity of the fallen world and Astrid's own struggles with vicious 'wolves'--human or otherwise--as she flees the same town. Working on a youtube playlist for those who don't have spotify but want to partake. If you made it through, thanks!

there's a low likelihood that bodies could be respawning resources--like loose acorns or sticks, etc 🤔. I've also noticed that after major updates, resources can be a little weird in terms of appearing and disappearing.

wow....I'm honestly impressed by the sheer amount of lore i just learned lol. The end of that older article describes "the crash", which sounds a lot like the crash in episode one after the flare. I think that Anna and her children must have been the proto-Astrid. Thanks for sharing! I love that kinda stuff. To be honest I would have loved a darker, more detailed Wintermute. I know there's already child murder, mass death and gang violence, but a more complex Wintermute would have been very interesting. But I must remember it all boils down to the amount of staff and money Hinterland has. Though ep 3 is probably my favorite, ep 4 was fascinating to me because of the interplay between Mackenzie and Mathis. There was a tangible sense of danger and despair that some of the earlier episodes lack--after hours fighting the elements, it was refreshing and chillingly effective to see some man vs. man conflict. All in all, hoping the final episode is long and allows us to switch back and forth between our favorite Canadian couple lmao.

Thanks for all these great theories! Might start another post discussing the origins or specifics of what is plaguing the people of Perseverance Mills. Also, can I ask where you learned about Will's shadier past? I never knew, but I absolutely love the idea. I think that, while frustrating at times, Hinterland's storytelling style works in harmony with one of the core themes of the game: the Old World is dead, and the past can't help us. Be it old hunting habits, laws of nature, or a broken marriage, it simply doesn't apply to the Silent Apocalypse. We have to fight for knowledge like we fight for survival--and I believe that is what makes TLD so unique. Drama aside YAH PLZ MORE LORE HINTERLAND

@LunarLime thank you kindly for your responses, you've definitely given me something to consider! Cheers for good thinking and detailed paragraphs🧐

Thanks for the well written response! I agree with you. I have to imagine it was due to a sickness of some kind--that may explain Astrid's dedication to treating the sick at Perseverance Mills. It's unlikely that what killed the child and is affecting the Mills is the same illness, but it sure would be interesting!

It's been unclear to me for a while now--in the opening sequence of EP 1, as Will and Astrid talk about the past, Will says "I miss him too." In another episode I cannot remember for the life of me, she is on the phone in her office, and she looks at a photo of her and Will that seems to have a child in the foreground. I apologize for the lack of references--the youtube link uploads are hellish on this site. The first reference is in the beginning of episode 1, and I can't find the second ref anywhere. DO they have a kid? And if so, what happened to him? Theories and further references appreciated!

I've gotta say Father Thomas. It's easy to dismiss him as a stock character or a dim witted priest, but his dedication the the town and its survivors is impressive to me. When his flock was running for the hills, he stayed behind to care for the injured. He seems to carry little resentment for those who abandoned him, caring only for the future and what trials or blessings it will bring the survivors. Hinterland didn't make him an insane fundamentalist or a backward-minded zealot. He was an honest and kind man who was called to heal the sick. To see a priest depicted as such was refreshing and touching in a setting dominated by cold indifference and death. All that aside I love Mathis