[Spoilers] Which Forge do you prefer and why?

[Wasteland Watcher]

Though for the long haul I call Mystery Lake "home" I prefer Desolation Point's forge because it is a far less hostile region than Forlorn Muskeg. DP is downright hospitable compared to FM!

And it's only a 2 day trip from ML--a cakewalk through CH.

How about you?

[Warsaw]

Always have to go with Desolation point.  An actual closed in forge where you can sleep at without having to light a fire (FM).  Plus that and my base is almost always at CH, so a much quicker walk to the forge.  Additionally, the mine is Desolation has a lot of coal you can use for your forge.

[cekivi]

I normally get bored long before the need for a forge arises. Normally you can last ~100 days on Voyager or Stalker before you really need to start making arrows if you're frugal with your snares, bullets, and fishing tackle

That being said, I like Forlorn Muskeg. It is dangerous but not noticeably so on Voyager and it is far closer. 

[AZHockeyNut]

12 hours ago, cekivi said:

I normally get bored long before the need for a forge arises. Normally you can last ~100 days on Voyager or Stalker before you really need to start making arrows if you're frugal with your snares, bullets, and fishing tackle

That being said, I like Forlorn Muskeg. It is dangerous but not noticeably so on Voyager and it is far closer. 

absolutely you can do this on stalker. gotta know where to find what you need (arrow heads) and birches...... plus, if you let the wolves kill the deer, you can pick up the scraps. I only go to the forge if I am in desperate need, out of bullets, or I start near it (I usually start random maps). If I am near it I tend to make 20-30 arrow heads at a time even if I leave a few behind, once I fire that bad boy up I don't like to waste my time there, so I load up with coffee, wood, coal, water, food etc.pre cook a bunch of food and water with the wood, then sleep with wood in the bag next to the fire, then, put on some coal and forge away.

[cekivi]

1 hour ago, AZHockeyNut said:

absolutely you can do this on stalker. gotta know where to find what you need (arrow heads) and birches...... plus, if you let the wolves kill the deer, you can pick up the scraps. I only go to the forge if I am in desperate need, out of bullets, or I start near it (I usually start random maps). If I am near it I tend to make 20-30 arrow heads at a time even if I leave a few behind, once I fire that bad boy up I don't like to waste my time there, so I load up with coffee, wood, coal, water, food etc.pre cook a bunch of food and water with the wood, then sleep with wood in the bag next to the fire, then, put on some coal and forge away.

A very good strategy although I usually cook for the 20 minutes before I add coal, then forge, then sleep. The end result is the same though

Just one word of caution: the bed beside the forge is only partially in the radius of the forge!!! Depending on where you're standing when you click to sleep you'll either freeze or be toasty all night 

[AZHockeyNut]

4 hours ago, cekivi said:

A very good strategy although I usually cook for the 20 minutes before I add coal, then forge, then sleep. The end result is the same though

Just one word of caution: the bed beside the forge is only partially in the radius of the forge!!! Depending on where you're standing when you click to sleep you'll either freeze or be toasty all night 

really? now I just learned something new! thanks

[Wasteland Watcher]

23 hours ago, Warsaw said:

Always have to go with Desolation point.  An actual closed in forge where you can sleep at without having to light a fire (FM).  Plus that and my base is almost always at CH, so a much quicker walk to the forge.  Additionally, the mine is Desolation has a lot of coal you can use for your forge.

 That's a major selling point for me: being able to sleep in an indoor bed right next to the Forge and not having to worry about blizzards. 

 How many days is it after cleaning out a mine before you can find coal in it again? 

 Since I'm going to bring all the scrap metal from all regions to DP to make knives and hatchets I figure I'd bring about half as much coal as needed because I'll be there probably for weeks forging day in and day out. 

23 hours ago, cekivi said:

I normally get bored long before the need for a forge arises. Normally you can last ~100 days on Voyager or Stalker before you really need to start making arrows if you're frugal with your snares, bullets, and fishing tackle

That being said, I like Forlorn Muskeg. It is dangerous but not noticeably so on Voyager and it is far closer. 

 Can you build a snow shelter next to the FM Forge?  Since the bed is not quite near enough to it, why not use a sleeping bag? 

 I stayed in that shallow cave not too far from the homestead where the forge is it and only woke up freezing once, during a blizzard of course.  When the weather's not bad, it's about 20°C in there, or so it feels.

10 hours ago, AZHockeyNut said:

absolutely you can do this on stalker. gotta know where to find what you need (arrow heads) and birches...... plus, if you let the wolves kill the deer, you can pick up the scraps. I only go to the forge if I am in desperate need, out of bullets, or I start near it (I usually start random maps). If I am near it I tend to make 20-30 arrow heads at a time even if I leave a few behind, once I fire that bad boy up I don't like to waste my time there, so I load up with coffee, wood, coal, water, food etc.pre cook a bunch of food and water with the wood, then sleep with wood in the bag next to the fire, then, put on some coal and forge away.

 Just out of curiosity,  why make so many arrowheads? The 10 or so that we find across the regions has always been sufficient for me.  I just use one at a time and follow the target to recover the arrow.

 One time I couldn't find an arrow that I shot at a wolf on ML for about an in-game month.  But I did see the general direction it ran off to and even though I did comb the hills I didn't find it. I did find the arrow up there later, though the body had long since deteriorated. 

 I guess I should note that it was on Voyageur.

[AZHockeyNut]

I play stalker only and it's hard to find more than a few arrowheads without going all over the maps. If I am close to a forge I make a bunch. It you are going to fire it up ya might as well not waste the heat

[Wasteland Watcher]

@AZHockeyNut I can understand making 10 or so arrowheads but I'm always asking myself 'what I do I really need for the long haul?' and it really just boils down to needing knives for quickly harvesting meat and the occasional wolf fight.

I hardly ever cut wood (unless I don't have enough wood and it's an emergency) because I opt to carry sticks all the time and make stockpiles everywhere, which means I don't have much need for a hatchet after I've become a master level field dresser that can even harvest meat from frozen carcasses. 

On Stalker I'm fairly certain the bow is more valuable than the rifle because in addition to its lighter weight the fact that you can recycle arrowheads means a lot. I assume bullets are scarce in Stalker. In my current Voyageur sandbox I have 110 bullets. I'm guessing you'd never find that many in a Stalker run

[AZHockeyNut]

110 bullets? wow. nope never seen that many. 20 or 30 maybe.

once I have a bow I don't use the rifle. now that we can quarter and carry away meat, the knife is not needed as often either. you take care of business harvest your meat inside or by a fire. once you get the skills up you can do it with bare hands too.

I only chop fir trees since the logs last longer. or I break down the cloth chairs for extra cloth. 

once I have a flare gun it is what I use against bears that get too close. 

as for why so many heads? well, the maps with the forges I do not play much. one is full of wolves etc and the forge is not protected, the other is bloody cold and not much else on the map once you raid it. So I don't want to return if I do not have to. generally there is enough coal in your first run to make that many anyhow so why not? I tend to shoot the bow from afar and lose a few along the way so its fun.

[Warsaw]

15 hours ago, Wasteland Watcher said:

How many days is it after cleaning out a mine before you can find coal in it again? 

I know I've usually been at the earliest about 30 days in between a trip and the mine has had coal again.  Might be sooner than that though?  

 

15 hours ago, Wasteland Watcher said:

 Can you build a snow shelter next to the FM Forge?  Since the bed is not quite near enough to it, why not use a sleeping bag? 

 

I'm sure you can build a snow shelter, but as to how close it'd be I'm not sure.  The only time I went to the forge in FM was with a sleeping bag and used that next to the forge as the bed was too far away to stay warm.  I will say though I always take at least the light sleeping bag if I go on long trips (bear sleeping bag if it's going to be a cold trip outside and have the possibility of sleeping outside without having to start a fire). 

Interloper definitely has a need to go to forge and early on in your game since you have to make your hatchet, knife and arrowheads.  I guess it all depends on where your primary base is located.   However, with the outside location of forge with FM and the mine that doesn't have as much coal in it I'd still have to really recommend DP.

[togg]

The problem is the availability of coal/resources. It's far easier to bring it to Desolation Point.

[Wasteland Watcher]

@AZHockeyNut wow only 20, no wonder you make 30 arrowheads!  Makes the rifle practically useless.  I may do a Stalker run one of these days but I like the "balanced feel" of Voyageur. 

 Out of the two forge maps, honestly I like the look of the lighthouse  enough to live there but I kind of hate wolves at the door.  So, like you, I just scavenge & leave.  I'll scavenge all the maps first and bring all of the scrap metal there to make nothing but knives and once I leave it I will probably never return.  I only use the hatchets I find (like you I need to hack anything with cloth) and use the hatchets all up one by one and only sharpen the very last one up to 50%.  Once I become an expert field dresser (and have hacked up all furniture from all maps) I'll never need a hatchet again

@Warsawthat's the same problem with FM forge that I noticed: not enough coal on the map for my needs.  Makes DP more appealing for me too, just like @togg stated.

Forlorn muskeg is fun to explore though, at least once or twice 

 

[Ruruwawa]

I prefer DP's forge.  Great coal supply on the map, sheltered forge, and a nice sheltered spot for outdoor fires in the wheelhouse of the Riken if you are trying to stay ahead of cabin fever.

20 hours ago, AZHockeyNut said:

the other is bloody cold

In interloper DP is one of the warmest maps, warmer than ML.  One of the sunniest too.  It's all relative, of course, since not much about Interloper is warm or sunny.

[Ruruwawa]

On 6/6/2017 at 8:31 PM, Wasteland Watcher said:

 Just out of curiosity,  why make so many arrowheads?

Another reason to make arrowheads: you can skill up archery by making arrows.   When sway was really harsh I often made extra arrows early on just to get to Archery skill 2 faster.

[Wasteland Watcher]

12 hours ago, Ruruwawa said:

a nice sheltered spot for outdoor fires in the wheelhouse of the Riken if you are trying to stay ahead of cabin fever.

I do this as well. Actually I always cook and boil outdoors when unless there's a blizzard because imho the Cabin Fever mechanic still needs a bit tweaking to allow for doing 'common sense' things indoors such as cooking.

12 hours ago, Ruruwawa said:

Another reason to make arrowheads: you can skill up archery by making arrows.   When sway was really harsh I often made extra arrows early on just to get to Archery skill 2 faster.

In Voyageur I do ok shooting deer at archery level 1--just sneak until about 20(?) ft away, ensure they aren't facing me, then stand and shoot.  

If it was an Interloper or Stalker game I am sure I'd make 20 arrowheads like everyone else though.

[cekivi]

On ‎2017‎-‎06‎-‎06 at 10:31 PM, Wasteland Watcher said:

 

 Can you build a snow shelter next to the FM Forge?  Since the bed is not quite near enough to it, why not use a sleeping bag? 

 I stayed in that shallow cave not too far from the homestead where the forge is it and only woke up freezing once, during a blizzard of course.  When the weather's not bad, it's about 20°C in there, or so it feels.

 

I also usually sleep in the cave. But, as I mentioned, you can get the warmth bonus from the fire provided you click on the bed from the correct location. I don't know if that's still true in the latest alpha. 

[SnowWalker]

The Riken, for sure. Less hassle to get to and warmer and safer in there.

[Wasteland Watcher]

15 minutes ago, cekivi said:

 you can get the warmth bonus from the fire provided you click on the bed from the correct location. I don't know if that's still true in the latest alpha. 

That's far too risky for a Voyageur such as myself! I've already decided that next time I go to FM that I'll be bringing the bearskin bedroll *and* staying in the shallow cave.

Another thing about FM: in addition to being frikkin cold, it's really, really wet there! I'll bring extra socks, extra shoes, extra gloves, and an extra wool knit cap!  Almost got frostbite twice

Only need a day or two's worth of food though--deer carcasses are **everywhere!** It's a deer graveyard You almost don't need to hunt

[cekivi]

4 minutes ago, Wasteland Watcher said:

That's far too risky for a Voyageur such as myself! I've already decided that next time I go to FM that I'll be bringing the bearskin bedroll *and* staying in the shallow cave.

Another thing about FM: in addition to being frikkin cold, it's really, really wet there! I'll bring extra socks, extra shoes, extra gloves, and an extra wool knit cap!  Almost got frostbite twice

Only need a day or two's worth of food though--deer carcasses are **everywhere!** It's a deer graveyard You almost don't need to hunt

True about the water but if you can avoid the ice you'll stay fairly dry

And it is definitely worth the trip! There are lots of items to loot and wild plants to harvest on the map. There is even a really nice wolf free area that offers a carcass, rabbits, and a nice view of the muskeg  

[Wasteland Watcher]

4 minutes ago, cekivi said:

And it is definitely worth the trip! There are lots of items to loot and wild plants to harvest on the map. There is even a really nice wolf free area that offers a carcass, rabbits, and a nice view of the muskeg  

I thought running through the water was the whole appeal of the map!  

I stayed up in that wolf free area the first 3 days eatin rabbits & sleeping in that cozy cave    Took a toll on my bedroll though. It's either sleep warm with no fire+bedroll wear & tear, or sleep in a bed and freeze unless you have enough wood/coal for an all night fire