Tales of a Newb

[Boss Llama]

Ahh, nothing like being a newbie and knowing it. In case I was in danger of forgetting how incredibly inexperienced I am, the game decided to remind me tonight in quite dramatic fashion. Hopefully you will enjoy this tale of me getting my butt kicked.

Some background - I have about 30 hours in the saddle. I love the game, and started out playing in Pilgrim mode for the combined reason that A) I like the more realistic animal behavior (yes, I know it's explained in the story, just personal preference), and B) I wanted to figure out how the basic game interface worked before having to survive desperate situations using it. After those 30 hours, I'd been to each of the zones, figured out some basic principles, and thought I'd learned what I was doing.

Oops.

I started a new game in Voyageur mode, figuring I could take on some minor challenges. I didn't realize that Pilgrim mode altered more than animal behavior though - I didn't, for example, realize how insanely fast cold functions in the game this way, nor how even more broken consumption of food and drink is while sleeping. I learned quickly.

My game log can be summarized as follows:

-Spawned in at Mystery Lake. Thought I was in good shape because I recognized where I was - the corner of the map near what's called "Look Out." I bee-lined straight for the Forestry Lookout I knew was nearby.

-By the time I got to the bottom of the hill, I was already more than half frozen. Yikes! I hadn't paused for anything except to grab a couple loose sticks on the ground, knowing I could need them for a fire. I had to use the sprint key and burn out my stamina meter multiple times just to get up to the Forestry Lookout before freezing completely. Temperature at spawn-in was -28.

-Getting in to the tower, it was still cold enough inside that I was freezing slowly to death. I immediately grabbed a newspaper and a book and started a fire, adding the piece of firewood that was there. I then looked around and realized there was a rifle on the rack and 5 bullets nearby. Awesome! There's even a hatchet on the bench. Things are looking up.

-Having run up the hill, I used a lot of calories and hydration. I eat 1200 calories of food lying around, and drink soda and water until I'm fully hydrated. Then, being exhausted and still very very cold, I climb in bed for a couple hours to warm up in front of the fire.

-When I wake up, the fire's out and there is a full blown storm blowing outside and its even colder inside than it was before. The act of running to the bottom of the tower stairs and back (to check if there was a body or something around I can try to find more clothing on) costs a quarter of my warmth, and I decided to sleep the rest of the day and night to wait it out. Being under the blankets is, after all, the only way to avoid freezing to death. I top up my hydration, and head to bed.

-I am awakened at the end of my slumber due to being fully dehydrated to the point of damage. Apparently sleeping is incredibly strenuous work. I drink nearly all the rest of my water, and eat another 850 calories that I also apparently burned during the night.

-I decide to head for the Logging Camp, being the closest likely-seeming location to find supplies. I head out in to a clear morning (-19 degrees), and again find myself having to sprint to avoid freezing to death before getting there. I stagger in the door of the closest building, which (thank goodness) is 1 degree above zero, so I'm not actively freezing here. Since these lack any kind of stove or fire pit, I grab the food and drink from the buildings (eating and drinking much of it immediately), and go to the broken building with the stove. Thankfully there's a fire log present as loot, so I can make a fire that lasts long enough to heat me back up, and melt some more snow to drink.

Now the game get vindictive.

-I plan my next move to be a run over to the Carter Hydro Dam, which again seems like the closest place that may have loot. I'm still looking for even a single piece of clothing, and I know there are lots of loot points in the damn, including a scarf that seems to always be there.

-I reach the Train Loading Area and... hello wolf! I pull out my rifle, calmly take aim... *click* *click* Oh right... I never loaded it. The wolf hammers in to me, knocking me down to 68% with blood loss and infection risk before I beat him away with the hatchet. I use some first aid supplies from the tower to heal, and continue towards the dam.

-I'm almost to the Train Bridge and... hello wolf! I pull out my now loaded rifle, aim carefully, and shoot this wolf square in the face at point blank range. Doesn't do a thing. Wolf hammers in to me again, and takes me to 42% with sprained wrist, sprained ankle, blood loss, and infection risk before fleeing. I burn the rest of my supplies fixing the blood loss and infection, and hobble with double sprains the rest of the way, unable to run and unable to draw my weapon. I make it to the dam down to 24% health due to cold, since I could no longer move fast enough not to freeze.

-I make it to the dam! I go straight to the first aid kit I know is on the wall dead ahead, and thank goodness, painkillers! I chug the painkillers and fix both sprains, breathing a sigh of relief. Than I step back in to the main room to start checking lockers.

-Hello, Fluffy.

I survived some 33 hours, of which 19 was sleeping to avoid freezing to death. Something tells me I need to work on that.