What is your "Golden Rule"?

[reginaphalange]

• store everything except for soda, beans, and peaches outside (away from carnivore patrol paths)
• crackers and cattails don't degrade. don't eat them unless you're about to die
• only cook raw meat that's 50% condition or less
• only repair the best clothing, and only when its condition has gotten low enough that upon repair it won't go beyond 100%
• never travel without: bedroll, medicine, tin can, matches, and maybe enough material to make a snow shelter
• use prybars (when you have the choice) to break open fishing holes; other tools are worth more for your survival
• never use tools to break down objects that can be done by hand

[smaointeoireacht]

When you leave items in a region, keep a note of what you left and where. That way, when you've managed to survive long enough for resources to become scarce, you know exactly where to go to find certain items.

Starvation is slower than you imagine and easily redeemable. When food is a struggle, do not eat during the day. By waiting to eat just before you sleep, you can usually regain most, if not all, the condition you have lost by walking around all day starving (assuming you have had no other condition hits that day).

Always leave a gut on a dead wolf to extend the time before it respawns and to get more crow feathers.

[Klobberthon]

1 hour ago, reginaphalange said:

• store everything except for soda, beans, and peaches outside (away from carnivore patrol paths)

And sardines.  It's the poor man's surf and turf with dessert and a soda to wash it down 😉

[strongpelt]

Don't plan any long trips that require hauling a lot (like a trip to the forge, or moving a base) without first knowing the shelter spots along your route. Knowing your location is key to survival. 

 

[Jolan]

#1 is the golden rule for me - the rest are "silver" rules.

1) always keep 10 cattails in each camp and 10 on yourself - as a side rule, don't eat cattails unless you have no other food

2) never breakdown a weapon or tool (except can openers), scatter the weapons about the map so there's one in each main camp plus some ammo.  No extra weapons, stash rocks and snares.

3) Never use a match when a magnifier will do.  Unless you're on Pilgrim, then burn away.  Also, never waste a fire.  If you're heading to sleep and don't want to keep it burning.  Put some water on and add just enough fuel to complete the cycle.

4) Don't cook all of your meat at once.  It regains condition when you cook it.

[romerabr]

On 4/6/2019 at 4:51 PM, TheEldritchGod said:

It's good to conserve ammo, but you can't shoot a gun if you're dead.

Best advice ever!

[odyseeandre]

ALWAYS CARRY AS LESS AS POSSIBLE!

 

[oregonoutback]

On 4/7/2019 at 3:39 PM, CathyElksun said:

I was up to day 93 with a lovely set of deerskin pants and boots, a wolfskin coat, a moosehide satchel and a bearskin bedroll, I could actually sleep in a blizzard and be comfortable! And then I went to Marsh Ridge in Forlorn Muskeg and met three wolves. I cried. 

Now for my new game, my new golden rule is: if there is more than one wolf, RUN AWAY! Keep a booster for it. 

I have also died at the hands... err... paws of a pack of wolves. Once it was a pack of wolves and a bear, and all were fixated on me and not each other. That ended my run REALLY fast. 

[odyseeandre]

Drink before you sleep!

 

[Broomstick]

On 4/8/2019 at 11:57 AM, NardoLoopa said:

Audit your pack regularly to only carry what you need to survive a day: you do not need all 20 wooden matches, and a firestarter.  You do not need 10 cloth.  You do not need 3 bottles of pain killers, nor 8 arrows.  Strip it all down; never travel over-burdened.

Also, never fire an arrow at a beast you cannot chase:

• Have good visibility for where they will run
• Never do so close to nightfall
• Never do so when a blizzard is striking up
• Never do so near large swaths of FM's brittle ice
• Never do so when you're short on time

 

Thanks for the arrow tips still trying to get better at using it 

[Blankshield]

In the morning, eat heavy food (steaks) before you go about your daily tasks; being full before you go out means you don't need to haul food around (except an emergency energy bar or cattails).

In the evening, make sure you have antibiotics/tea on hand and eat your most ruined food first.  Keep eating questionable food until you're full, even if you get food poisoning, and then *after* you're done eating, take antibiotics and sleep for 10 hours.

Never go into a new region or experiment with mountain-goating with your long game.  Load a new sandbox for goofing around and trying new things.

 

[Gazbeard]

Save your hatchets for "hatchet only" tasks and fighting off wolves.
Save your knives for harvesting carcasses and making arrow shafts.

Use red tool box for repairing and making things, use blue tool boxes for repairing the red tool boxes.

ALWAYS use a hacksaw instead of the hatchet if possible (whetstones are rarer than scrap metal for repairing them).

Once you have a ranged weapon, always carry a decoy - docile bait-gathering wolves are easier to hit.

It's easier to kill a bear if you let it bleed out after shooting it from safety.

Always crouch when leaving a building or a cave/mine with a transition screen.

Save the flare pistol and shells for areas with short lines of sight - it'll scare all the major threat animals.

[hozz1235]

15 minutes ago, Gazbeard said:

Save your hatchets for "hatchet only" tasks and fighting off wolves.
Save your knives for harvesting carcasses and making arrow shafts.

Use red tool box for repairing and making things, use blue tool boxes for repairing the red tool boxes.

ALWAYS use a hacksaw instead of the hatchet if possible (whetstones are rarer than scrap metal for repairing them).

Once you have a ranged weapon, always carry a decoy - docile bait-gathering wolves are easier to hit.

It's easier to kill a bear if you let it bleed out after shooting it from safety.

Always crouch when leaving a building or a cave/mine with a transition screen.

Save the flare pistol and shells for areas with short lines of sight - it'll scare all the major threat animals.

Red tool boxes are easily repaired with 1 scrap metal.  I usually harvest the blue tool boxes once I have >1 red.

If you really want to be frugal, save the knife when you can and use your hands.

Decoys are helpful to carry regardless - just to distract the wolves.

[Gazbeard]

9 minutes ago, hozz1235 said:

Red tool boxes are easily repaired with 1 scrap metal.  I usually harvest the blue tool boxes once I have >1 red.

If you really want to be frugal, save the knife when you can and use your hands.

Decoys are helpful to carry regardless - just to distract the wolves.

use hands not knife - I take that as a given - my rule is for when you can't use hands

ny rule for decoys is for saving ammunition (bow or rifle) as arrows degrade when fired into snow or ice (or rock or trees) faster than when they hit flesh and fur.

[Pillock]

If I spot wolves or a bear ahead, I turn around and go the other way.

I always have the struggle damage at maximum and the condition regain at minimum, so a mauling can take several days to recover from, and it's never worth the risk. They might not be there later (or the next day), so it's better to try again when the way is clear. The only exception is when I'm actively hunting them.

[ManicManiac]

[Ape88]

I have a few rules.

1. Always dress down for sleeping. (1 Hat, 1 Sweater, Gloves,  1. Long Underwear, and 1 pair socks) This reduces how often I have to repair the clothing and also minimizes the chances of freezing to death.

2. Always check inventory and clothing selections before heading out.

3. Listen to your surroundings. ( This can be hard when I'm chatting with my friends on Xbox Party Chat. I usually don't play TLD while in party chat because of this issue.)

[Pillock]

Don't do a time-accelerated task outdoors of you're carrying anything smelly. Sometimes you don't know you're being followed...

[ManicManiac]

1 hour ago, Ape88 said:

1. Always dress down for sleeping. (1 Hat, 1 Sweater, Gloves,  1. Long Underwear, and 1 pair socks) This reduces how often I have to repair the clothing and also minimizes the chances of freezing to death.

I'm in no way being sarcastic, I am genuinely interested in this statement.  How does wearing less clothing minimize the chances of freezing to death?  (honestly curious about the rational and strategy)

[Ape88]

1 hour ago, ManicManiac said:

 How does wearing less clothing minimize the chances of freezing to death?

Most beds or bedroll plus the single layer on hands feet head torso and legs should be enough to overcome nighttime temps as long as you use decent stuff in good condition. Even outdoor locations shielded from wind and weather as long as the layers are dry. If those single pieces are wet or you aren't wearing anything you run the risk of frostbite or freezing to death more than without a good dry layer.

[Hotzn]

9 hours ago, Ape88 said:

Most beds or bedroll plus the single layer on hands feet head torso and legs should be enough to overcome nighttime temps as long as you use decent stuff in good condition. Even outdoor locations shielded from wind and weather as long as the layers are dry. If those single pieces are wet or you aren't wearing anything you run the risk of frostbite or freezing to death more than without a good dry layer.

Is that experience from a certain difficulty setting? Does it apply for, let's say, Interloper?

[Hotzn]

Rules (for Interloper survival (or harder settings)):

1. Before leaving your shelter, have a plan.

2. Stick to the plan.

 

[Ape88]

5 hours ago, Hotzn said:

Is that experience from a certain difficulty setting? Does it apply for, let's say, Interloper?

I normally play voyager or a custom game. However I believe the same applies to stalker. No idea about interloper. I can never survive more than 20 real time minutes.

Edited May 8, 2019 by Ape88
More info.

[ManicManiac]

15 hours ago, Ape88 said:

Most beds or bedroll plus the single layer on hands feet head torso and legs should be enough to overcome nighttime temps as long as you use decent stuff in good condition. Even outdoor locations shielded from wind and weather as long as the layers are dry. If those single pieces are wet or you aren't wearing anything you run the risk of frostbite or freezing to death more than without a good dry layer.

Oh that's right... I was just thinking about Bed Rolls not proper beds.  Yeah I see what you mean, striping down to reduce wear but still making sure the bed bonus keeps you above 0*.  Alright I feel silly now.  Thanks for humoring me

Edited May 8, 2019 by ManicManiac

[TerribleSurvivor]

1. Treat your character's live always as if it was yours
2. Think (at least) two steps ahead
3. Last but certainly not least, always be aware. One wrong move might kill you!

Edited May 8, 2019 by TerribleSurvivor