How do you chose your campside?

[ChillPlayer]

While answering in another thread about prefered DP camp location I wondered why people choose certain campsides, what are their choices based on. When I decide where to set camp for a while I choose it based on the following questions in that order:

- does it have a bed where I can sleep in without having a fire going?

- does it have a fireplace inside or safely near by (like Jackrabbit)?

Then depending on what I'm planning todo:

If I plan to camp for a while and only sleep/eat with the occasional hunt and maybe some crafting:

- do I have enough food and wood around me?

- does it have enough storage place?

- how easily accessible is it, do I get greeted by wolves regulary at the doorsteps?

- does it have a workbench?

If I base camp to venture out often and explore the map, priorities shift a bit:

- is it in a central location?

- how easily accessible is it, do I get greeted by wolves regulary at the doorsteps?

- can I find my way back in thick fog/blizzards

- does it provide a good overview of the area?

Based on this I tend to stay in the following places most of the times, as they basically fit all needs in most situations:

ML: Dam or Camp Office

CH: Jackrabbit Island

PV: Farmstead

DP: Riken

How do you choose your campside and which one do you prefere on which maps?

[elloco999]

For a (semi) permanent camp I look for:

1. A bed that will keep me warm without a fire.

2. Safety. Can I get safely in and out without getting jumped by wolves/ bears all the time?

3. Does it have an indoor fire place/ stove (or if other requirements make it a great place, is there a safe place to start a fire outside)?

4. Storage space. Enough to keep my things sorted and enough food stored?

5. Location. Needs to be somewhat easy to get to main locations on the map.

6. Food and wood resources near by.

If it's a temporary camp:

1. A bed that will keep me warm without a fire.

2. Location. Do I want to camp here?

3. Food and wood resources near by.

4. Safety. Can I get safely in and out without getting jumped by wolves/ bears all the time?

5. Does it have an indoor fire place/ stove (but only if I plan do do any serious amount of cooking/ boiling)

I usually don't camp away form my main base much unless I have to spend the night somewhere if I can't get back before dark or due to bad weather. So my concerns for a temporary camp (usually just for the night) are in a very different order than for a permanent camp/ main base.

With this I end up with my main bases in these locations:

ML: Trappers, Dam, Camp Office (in that order)

CH: Jackrabbit Island

PV: Farmstead

DP: ??? Haven't been there yet...

[Scyzara]

For me my demands on a base depend on whether I want to stay there just long enough to explore and loot the map or whether I'm planning to live there for hundreds of days. In the latter case, I'm more demanding of course.

For non-permanent bases, important aspects are (in order of importance) :

- bed & nearby fireplace

- central location

- secure access (no wolves at the doorstep)

For permanent bases (where I'm planning to stay 100d+), all of the above mentioned aspects are necessary prerequisites. Additional relevant aspects are (in order of importance) :

- secure food & wood supply

- 40kg storage available (= 1 bear, I usually don't need much more as I drop most stuff on the floor)

- atmosphere. I couldn't live inside the Riken for 500 days without getting a depression I guess.

- nearby workbench

My favorite bases are thus:

ML: Camp office or Trapper's homestead

CH: Jackrabbit Island (both cases)

PV: Red Barn or Farmstead

DP: The Riken or Lighthouse

[Admiraldom]

My criteria for my permanent bases are the following;

1)Bed

2)Wood Stove or Fire Barrel

3)Crafting Table

4)Plenty of Storage

My permanent base locations are;

Mystery Lake = Carter Hydro Dam and Camp Office

I use the Camp Office for my main base when I start in Mystery Lake. I like it's central location and it is nice and bright compared to most buildings in the game.I keep it as my main base until I decide it's time to move on to another map. Then I will make as many trips as it takes to move all of my equipment to the Carter Hydro Dam. The Dam has plenty of storage and has multiple crafting tables and I love how you can go to both PV and CH easily from there. The only drawbacks about the dam is how dark it is and no bed to my knowledge. I would love to stay the Trappers Homestead but that place is just not location friendly. Love that place though.

Coastal Highway

I use the Gas Station while in the Coastal Highway. It has the bed, fire barrel, plenty of storage and a crafting table. To my knowledge no other building on this map has all 4 of those things. Playing on Stalker mode can make this challenging to access as their a ton of wolves about. But IMO its the best location on the map. If there was a crafting table on either one of the islands I would probably go there.

Pleasant Valley

Although I like the Farmhouse, I stay at the Red Barn while in Pleasant Valley. Its a little more centrally located. No bed but I can sleep in the truck. I rarely hang out in PV though.

Desolation Point

The Lonely Lighthouse is my choice here. I think it might be the most beautiful place in the game but it is missing a crafting table.The Riken could be an OK place to live but I could almost get Claustrophobia staying in there.

[ridankrad]

For non-permanent bases, important aspects are (in order of importance) :

- bed & nearby fireplace

- central location

- secure access (no wolves at the doorstep)

For permanent bases (where I'm planning to stay 100d+), all of the above mentioned aspects are necessary prerequisites. Additional relevant aspects are (in order of importance) :

- secure food & wood supply

- 40kg storage available (= 1 bear, I usually don't need much more as I drop most stuff on the floor)

- atmosphere. I couldn't live inside the Riken for 500 days without getting a depression I guess.

- nearby workbench

I agree with all of this. I've noticed a lot of people like the Camp Office for ML as a primary base, but I think Trapper's is better as a long term base, while the Camp Office makes an excellent non-permanent base and checkpoint when venturing to a further location. The problem I've found with the Camp Office is that there is a wolf spawn very close by which means it can be complicated leaving. Trapper's, on the other hand, has a single wolf spawn nearby but it is almost always so far away to pose no problem to venturing out. Plus, that single wolf spawn very often will kill a deer right in that same area, which makes it very easy to use torches or simply fleeing inside Trapper's after getting the wolf's attention in order to steal its kill and get free food. This is possible at the Camp Office, but because of the problem with the spawn locations, much more risky. On top of that, Trapper's has better interior lighting, good storage space in a compact area that I prefer simply for the efficiency and, unless it was changed with the latest version, a bed that offers a higher than normal healing rate. The Camp Office offers more storage space generally (depending on what RNG, because the number of containers may vary), but it's all spread out between a 1st and 2nd floor which can mean lots of moving back and forth just to gather up equipment.

There's obviously no rule to just choose a single base, so what I do is keep my non-perishables and equipment at Trapper's and then keep large stocks of water at checkpoint bases like the Camp Office, Dam or even the watchtower so that I don't have to carry as much water on my person and can just fall back to a temporary base if needed.

I got TLD more recently, and am exploring very slowly, so I actually haven't ventured to the other maps yet but I imagine that the permanent/non-permanent base concept is a good strategy for all of them.