Hotzn

I have quartered the deer, which gave me 4 bags of 2.2 kg venison each, plus the hide and two guts. Quartering was introduced after I had already played the bulk of my TLD time, and I never dived into it much. What is the benefit? I guess it takes less time to quarter the carcass than to dismantle it into pieces of 1 kg each. So you would win time in case you want to spend as little time as possible at the carcass. In other words: If you want to haul the meat someplace else to proces it. But do you really do that? I often prefer lighting a fire at the carcass and doing all the work there. So in which situations do you really need quartering?

I check the new mine, and it features an elevator. So I can ride down during an aurora and then - or so I've heard - get stuck underground. Which is a pretty gruesome and cool feature. There is no aurora currently, and I don't want to get stuck here, so off I go towards Wolfen Wolfsite. I find it strangely deserted and can plunder two houses and the Quonset Garage unhindered. The bear turns up at some point, but no wolves to be seen at all. Weird, almost eerie. The inhabitants of this place... gone. I press on to Crumbling Highway. At least I hear wolves howling there at some point, but they don't let themselves be seen. I just pass through and enter the mine. I have stopped picking up most stuff, but now I collect 19 pieces of coal. Exiting the mine into DP, I am overburdened and mean to drop 2 pieces of coal, but as I realize later make a mistake and drop it all. Passing by the church, I collect some sticks and soon find myself at the Riken. Some of my equipment stays here while I visit the Hibernia processing plant. The hammer is there - good - and plenty of stuff. Inside the safe... money. Makes sense. When I take apart a shelf for scrap metal, cabin fever risk pops up. I leave Hibernia through the door on the first floor, an exit which I have always regarded as safe. However, I hear a bear grumbling, then turning up, and then growling louder and rising on its hind legs. It actually charges towards the stairs. I slip back inside. Some in-game minutes later I return outside to see the bear walking away: Back to the Riken with scrap metal. I have only crafted at the forge once in all my TLD time, so I'm unsure how much metal and coal I need. Better get enough. And I need some food in reserve... so bag my first deer with bow and arrow. A one-shot. Processing the deer on the spot into the night raises my cooking skill to level 3.

The sound is more or less as I remember it. The game started off with superb sound. The owl hooting in the night has also been around for a very long time. And the creaking wood. Anyway - yes, it can be spooky.

The guide which has been quoted by @odium above is excellent, it contains most of what one could say. Strangely, however, it does not cover the topic of clothing adequately. So... For clothing, you should first remember that any protection against wind, moisture and attacks will only apply if the clothing item is worn in the outermost slot for the corresponding body region. So if you wear, let's say, a 'simple parka' in the 'outer outer' slot for your chest, then ONLY the parka's bonuses will fully apply. If you wear, for example, a wolfskin jacket BELOW the parka, the only additional benefit you get from the wolfskin jacket will be the temperature bonus, while its other bonuses will be ignored (and any disadvantages still apply, for example reduced mobility). Keeping this in mind, you will find that items which may be good for the outermost layer do not make the cut for inner layers - because if you set their weight in relation to the mere temperature bonus, then that ratio is likely too bad. Example: The expedition parka is - in my view - the best clothing item for the 'outer outer' layer, especially if you want to travel lightly (you may also consider the ski jacket, which is even lighter). Then wear a down vest below that to save on weight and remain mobile. It does not give you much temp bonus, but the temp bonus/weight ratio is good, and its absolute weight is low.

Aye, the old dahemac is not one to be trifled with. He shall eat them fiendish beasts, so their power shall enter his bones and drive him ever forward, a nightmare to all wolves on the Great Bear...

+1. If you know as much about RL as about TLD, you must be a wise man.

Uffa. Rarely do I visit the forums and come upon a question which I have not yet seen before. This is such a question, +1 for that. I have never noticed any difference in the usage of lamp oil, and some TLD scientists seem to have more or less verified that already in this thread. However, that is actually a nice idea, as a larger fuel consumption would be an incentive for us to repair the lamp. Which is something I have never seen any need for, and therefore never done. A long time ago, I have suggested - I think it was in the Wish List section - that we should be able to slip and fall in the mines, and that such falling should have a chance of shattering an already damaged lamp to pieces. Imagine that, losing your source of light in the belly of the Earth and not having another one. Good game.

Interesting, didn't know that. +1 Not sure whether there's a practical use for that.

Maybe a bug. Have you reported it?

Yeah, as @jeffpeng has already said, Hinterland had originally planned a sanity-like meter. Or call Will-to-live-meter, if you will. In story mode, Will was supposed to have a photograph - I would imagine showing him and Astrid in better times - which he would be able to use to boost his 'will to live' by taking it out and looking at it. However, it would fade a little bit every time he would do that, so it would have limited use. Quite a cool idea. The pros and cons of a sanity meter have been amply discussed on these forums a long time ago, maybe if you search a little you will find the old threads. The biggest con was: What should happen when the sanity meter runs low, or even runs out? Suicide? Slow movement, as if moving through honey? There is not really any good solution. HOWEVER: your other point is very accurate. The Sasquatch and other unspoken horrors which could lurk out there in the cold have been mentioned many times. I, the old Hotzn himself, have suggested such things in the grey morning of times, when the game was still young (and I was, too, aye). Imagine how cool it would be if the Sasquatch was actually in the game, but its appearance would be ultra-rare. And it would be invisible on screenshots! Harrharr. People would fall victim to it, and they would come to the forums to relate of it. But nobody would believe them, and they could prove nothing. Oh well, they could stream it, of course, and then everyone would know. Shame. But still...

Some observations: I noticed that there are more wildlife animations - deer pause to scratch at something with their hooves, then sniff at it. Rabbits stop hpping around and look up. Etc. Since I took more or less a hiatus from the game for a while, I can't say when these additional animations were added. For me, they add tremendously to the immersion. Some people may welcome the addition of the revolver, but to me improved wildlife behaviour adds so much more. I also noticed that one of the animated menu screens features a crow which settles down on the handle of an axe which is sticking in a log. The crow then looks around, croaks and takes off towards the screen. I would be dying to see that in the game. I would also find it great if the owl which we sometimes hear hooting in the night would actually exist as an animated animal. Could be sitting on a branch nearby in the darkness, and there would be the ever-so-slight chance to catch a glimpse of it in the light of the kerosene lamp, before it silently flies away. Coal can now be added to the fire without the 20 minute or so 'waiting period' we used to have. I presume this is an intended change, but in my view it is taking away from the game. As things were, I had to do more planning for emergency fires - take along enough sticks to feed the fire for the waiting period, then add coal for the crucial temperature bonus. Now, I can just forget about the sticks. If I have coal, why carry along sticks for emergency at all? Compared to early versions of the game, blizzards hardly do any damage to clothing anymore (at least on Stalker). I remember that in olden times, a blizzard meant you had to find shelter (at least from the wind) really fast, or your precious clothing would be ripped to shreds in no time whatsoever. That made for exciting gameplay if you got caught in a blizzard in unfamiliar territory. On the other hand, it was kind of unrealistic, so altogether I welcome this change. It has taken away some of the difficulty, unfortunately, which is not completely set off by the moisture mechanic which was added at some point. I came across some Ski Boots, never seen those before. Cool addition - clunky to wear, but warm & good protection. I won't be wearing those a lot, but it's nice to have them. For those times I want to go hand-to-hand with wolves. There seems to be some smoothness in the alignment of cooking and other activities. In earlier versions, I sometimes found it difficult to do something useful during cooking times, as often the intended activity would take much longer or shorter than the anticipated cooking time(s). So I was often fearing to burn/overcook my food/drinks. Now activities miraculously seem to often match. Maybe I am imagining all this, but cooking and doing something in parallel seems to ge smoother than before.

The next day, I make for the mine to transition to CH. Have to shoot a wolf with the revolver (they seem to be harder to shake off than they used to be, cutting line of sight and running doesn't do the job anymore), but otherwise nothing extraordinary. Enter CH and sleep in the trailer a little down to the right from the mine entrance. I am back to starving and losing condition. Where to head next? I want to cover some ground and therefore head to the road and left towards Wolfen Wolfsite. Shoot some wolves maybe, and eat them. But opposite log sort my curiosity is awakened by this:

Well, well... no need to ponder over the question whether or not to put the last coals into the flames... as the wind changes direction and puts the fire out. I decide to follow the river blindly through the snow. At some point I have lost all warmth and am forced to light another fire under another rocky outcrop, and putting my last coal into it. Nothing left to burn. It gets dark, but at some point the blizzard subsides and switches to silent snowing. Torch in hand, I follow the river further until - to my relief - I see the outlines of Thomson's Crossing in the darkness... I can refill my supplies in the Community Hall...

Yes, I leave it. Via the river, I return to where the bridge is, do a little exploring and stumble upon the Point of Disagreement (or something like that, with the three cars and two corpses). It starts snowing, and winds pick up. I don't like this, return to the snowy road South, but find the path blocked by a bear: Bad memories rise up (that bear killed me once), and I cut across to the right. Can I reach the Outbuildings or even Draft Dodger's this way? Of course I get lost and finally find myself in a blizzard, huddled under a rocky outcrop on a frozen river. It doesn't really help when I find out that I can't place the bedroll on ice. Is this new? The fire will last a little more than an hour, and I've got one more piece of coal...

Before I leave TWM, there is a hotfix, and to my surprise I find a new container in the Hut: I had read about these boxes on the forums some time ago, now I've got proof they actually exist. It's as if you return to the hut and find the dumped baggage of another traveller. Weird. Interestingly enough, my flare pistol as in the box. It had mysteriously travelled there from the shelf (see the loot image further above), only metres away. Anyway, on leaving TWM finally, I almost ran into the moose (near the wheels (which are really called landing gear, I realized)). I was careful and stopped to listen on my way, but apparently the moose sometimes just stands around silently. Traversing a crest, I almost bumped into its rear. Luckily, it didn't mind too much, I could retreat unmolested. I went back to the hut for another night, and the next day the moose seemed to have gone. So long, mountain - until we meet again: I am moving slowly and carefully, spent another night in the bunker at the transition, then explored the cave at the picnic area (Misty Falls? Mystic Falls?). It seems to have been expanded, there was a section where I had to crawl, then cross under a waterfall. Behind it all was a cache with some loot, especially another rifle. I stored some stuff in the container in the cave and made camp for another night in the cave entrance. Not sure yet whether I should leave the rifle here or take it with me. The rifle is heavy, found in plenty, and I have crafted a bow at the hut, which I have on me, together with 3 arrows. So I'll probably leave the rifle here.

Huh. There's a mine in CH in which you can go down with an elevator? In that case, it's actually pretty cool if people die down there, waiting for the next aurora. Because that seems kinda realistic.

Haha - I don't think we should tell you. Far more exciting to find out yourself, or not?

Can't imagine this to be an intended change. Would make hunting bears too easy.

Your clothing should depend on what you plan to do. Personally, I like my luggage to remain light so I can move faster without tiring out too quickly. I generally avoid clothing items which reduce my speed. For example, for my 'outer outer' layer of leg clothing, I like to have the combat pants. They provide good warmth and defence, while not slowing me down at all. The 'inner outer' layer can stay empty. For my 'outer outer' layer on the body/chest, I'll take the expedition parka (if available). The warmth/weight ratio is unbeatable in that slot (the Wiki has tables showing you the warmth/weight ratios for all clothes, that's really useful information). However, right below the expedition parka - in the 'inner outer' layer - I will just wear a down vest. Because any windproof or defence bonus does not count in this slot (as long as the 'outer outer' slot is occupied). So here only the overall weight and the warmth/weight ratio count. Therefore, down vest, because it is light. For the hands, the gauntlets do look nice at first glance - but they slow you down (directly, via slower movement) and add a lot of weight really (which slows you down even more). So I only use them if I intend to get into a handfight with wolves (which I rarely do). Otherwise, they stay at home and I wear wool mittens instead. They have the best warmth/weight ratio for the hands, and only weigh 0.1 kg overall. Unbeatable. When I'm fully equipped, I have a temp bonus from clothing of about 21-23°C. I leave camp with an overall weight (clothes, weapon, tools, all equipment included) of 17-18 kg and move really fast. That would be on Stalker. Interloper changes the equation a bit, as some clothes are not available, and temperatures become very low. But I still have a tendency to prefer light weight over a maximum warmth bonus. Light weight just has so many advantages. I would rather cover a greater distance and then warm up in a shelter or by a fire than creep over floor overburdened and end my day prematurely.

Do the woolen underpants spawn on Interloper?

Gripping story. Many of us have been there and since then have kept our bedrolls close by. Deeper map knowledge also helps. When you talk about the 'valley' you probably mean Echo Ravine? Bringing a hacksaw might have saved you, since the air freight container at the wing (the one you could not open) would have yielded coffee and tea (at least I remember it so). You could have made a fire, prepared coffee and reduced your exhaustion. I always carry 1 cup of ready-to-drink coffee with me for emergencies (only weighs 0.1 kg), and more instant coffee for at least 5 more cups (weighs next to nothing). In case I run into an exhaustion situation. Further, on reaching the air freight container at the engine, you could have followed the ravine upwards to the (open) three-way cave. It's quite close and impossible to miss. There is usually a bedroll lying around there, although I am not sure that is also the case in challenge modes. Lastly: With five cloth, you can build a snow shelter in which you can sleep without bedroll. That would be the absolutely last resort, especially if you have to tear down some of your clothes for it (better light a fire before doing so). And you need to be careful not to freeze to death when you sleep in it, so preferably build the snow shelter in a place which in turn is sheltered. For example, the three-way cave. And build a fire next to it with enough fuel to last as long as you sleep.

Good points, although it's hard to imagine how a game should simulate your orientation in the dark. Obviously, the simulation is optics/acoustics, but cannot emulate your sense of gravity. Here's a little workaround: Drop an item, right-klick it (you should be able to find it on the floor even in the dark, especially if it's big, eg the bedroll) and move it around without placing it. It's green or red 'copy' will show you what your surroundings look like. You will easily find your way. Take care to 'place' it when you have found your way out, otherwise it will return into the darkness where you originally dropped it. About getting stuck on edges: These are being ironed out with every update. You should report them as you encounter them. I'm not going into the 'why is there no jumping over obstacles' topic, as that has been amply discussed elsewhere.

Old thread here, but better bring it up again than starting a new one with the same topic. I am a fan of unpredictable animal encounters as well, but beware: That would fundamentally change the game. Especially on Interloper, your survival depends on knowledge - knowledge of the maps, where shelter and loot are found, and where certain animals are likely to roam about. Encountering the sudden wolf or bear would quickly end a run. That's not for everyone to enjoy (I would enjoy it though). I would also suspect that Hinterland tested different degrees of randomness and found less randomness better suited, at least for the majority of players. I was talking about this topic in other threads again recently, as I think that in earlier versions, we had more randomness, even with specific roaming areas for animals. This was due to animal roaming areas overlapping more than nowadays (at least I presume so), and you would have more freak wolves pursuing rabbits or deer randomly across the maps. Sometimes a deer or rabbit would come running towards you over the next crest all of a sudden, and you already knew that a wolf would come right behind it and change prey as soon as it sees you. Such overlapping areas still exist (for example, on Deer Clearing (TWM) or at the wing (also TWM)), but my impression is they have become less numerous. I could imagine a game in which wolf, deer, bear and moose appearances are completely random, in which these animals roam widely over the maps and are rarely seen. To hunt, one would have to search for tracks, and then follow these tracks upwind. Animals would be very alert and flee at the slightest sign of danger. It would require a lot of tracking and sneaking to hunt them, and a change in weather could always get in the way. In some cases, wolves or a bear might be very hungry and instead of fleeing decide to follow the player, or even try to ambush or pack-hunt him/her. And then there should be an occasional hunting time for wolves, in which it would be dangerous to go out. This could be advented by wolves howling, or even by a message displayed to the player ("A wolf pack starts to hunt! Better find some shelter!"). And then a pack would be released onto the map and would start searching for prey. The player would then be well off to have a shelter with sufficient food and water to wait this out. Also, I could imagine deer carcasses to appear at random and be eaten by other animals. So the player would have to get up early in the morning, find a carcass and cut off his/her share before other predators claim theirs. There would be confrontations over carcasses which would require the player to use valuable resources (flare, warning shot etc.) to stave off the competition for long enough to get some stuff off the carcass.

This. Also I generally don't feel good about poisoning animals at all, be it insects, mice or wolves, it is a pitiful way to perish from poison, and needlessly painful. Shooting an animal is hard enough, I would not want to even have the possibility to poison animals in the game, even if I never used it. Plus it would force Hinterland to add even more disclaimers, like saying "we do not actually encourage the poisoning of animals in real life", and that alone could spark discussions nobody has any desire for.

Yeah, the old intro screen with Trapper's was iconic. Would be cool to have a way to bring it back. Even more so the ability to actually enter that as a level. I can't recall how that worked, someone once described it here on the forums. Just you, Trapper's, maybe - maybe - the two wolves (might actually be better without them), and then endless whiteness all around. As if walking in a dream.