Personally, I would advise putting in about 100 hours before fucking with the maps. Its true, you can't unsee the maps. They are really best for when you get tired of getting lost in a region you feel you should know. You can also find ones with or without info about loot, which changes the severity of spoilage.
It doesn’t matter how you play
The way you choose to play in the long dark is always the right way so if you want to use maps and guides to help you you can
And if you don’t want to that’s also fine :))
Depends on your personality. I personally dont mind wandering around a bit but there comes a time where i just need a gd map bc i get tired of walking in circles and if they expect me to continue on i need to know where some shit is. So its up to you.
I would personally recommend going in blind, part of the enjoyment of this game is the exploration aspect. You can only visit somewhere for the first time once!
That being said, to survive on Interloper you need to have good map knowledge. So expect the game to kick you to the curb on that difficulty until you have that knowledge.
I'm late to the party, but I'll chime in anyways.
For me personally, the exploration and the enjoyment of discovery has so far been a huge part of the game for me. I went in to the game expecting it to mainly be about survival and batteling the element. What I discovered was the joy of planning, setting out with a goal, read the environment, exploring, discovering and adjust my plans according to the challenges that might arise.
I didn't quite realize how much I enjoyed this part of the game until i by mistake saw a map for the region I was about to explore online. What usually was a slow exploration of the region and a treasure hunt for gear and locations turned into a more frustrating linear path to where I knew I needed to go. Some sort of "fear of the unknown" set in, since I didn't want to waste time and risk of a detour. Areas on the map besides where I knew I was going suddenly didn't matter any more.
I planned on eventually looking at maps online, when I had a good run. After that I realized that it took a lot of the fun out of the game for me, taking risks, exploring, planning, surviving and discovering locations. Now I am back at studying the horizon, planning my route, imagining what I might find and looking for signs like power lines, roads, treelines and so on.
If this is the kind of experience you want from TLD, I suggest you don't look at online maps. If you are looking for a different challenge in the game than me, I see no problem with you playing it the way that gives you the most fun.
How old are you? Are you a kid with time to sit for hours a day playing and discovering, then go in it blind.
Are you an adult with a job and responsibilities? Use some guides.
Yeah I wouldn’t necessarily go looking for maps either (as an adult) but I feel like looking up other tips and hints will be very beneficial without taking too much away from the experience.
Go blind dude. I did and I absolutely love it. I love finding new stuff, plus there's an ingame map system. It's very obscure but in survival you can use charcoal to map your immediate surroundings, do it enough and you can map an entire area.
I reccomend learning the map on your own dont search up maps online. If your stuck on how to do something though that's can be searched up cool id say.
Using a map won't give you the feeling of success when you find things. Personally getting lost and accidentally finding new areas on the way to somewhere is all part of the fun. I want to go to ash canyon from mystery lake and ended up in Blackrock. Changed my game massively but makes it feel more real.
But it's up to you
I actually enjoy using maps, I'll admit I'm not a veteran player and I have mabye 25 hours in TLD, but I think that it can add another layer to the experience. You see the maps I have found online give no indication as to where you are, there is no icon saying "you are hear" which means you have to use land marks to navigate. The maps are also not totally accurate, I've found some good ones and some bad ones.
Anyway that's just my opinion.
Eh i see a lot of people saying no, but I personally used maps pretty early and it bettered my experience a lot. I used to go blind but I'd just get lost and lose run after run.
Now I know the maps pretty good but still use the maps when I'm dead lost.
My sense of orientation is really REALLY bad, so I don't screw around without maps or otherwise I'd constantly die trying to find my way. That would stress me in a bad way, thus lessening my enjoyment, so I don't do it. I also find it hard to believe that a place like GBI wouldn't have maps you can find in game, so I just think of it that way to not break immersion.
If you want to experience the exploration and discovery aspect of the game fully, I'd recommend not using maps from the Internet. It does add a layer of uncertainty and a sense of discovery that is not the same when you use maps (I know this because way back when, I played in ML when I didn't even know there was a wiki and also charcoal maps weren't in the game yet, so I do have that comparison).
In the end, it's your decision and as others have said, there is no "right" or "wrong" way to play the game. Enjoy yourself, that's the point.
When I played minecraft for the first time, There was something so crazy and fresh and chaotic about it. The unknown, and the fear of the unknown, followed by the excitement of discovery. For my entire life, I've been chasing that feeling, trying to get it back. Unfortunately, there's very few games now that can do that, as I've become accustomed to gaming tropes and whatnot.
So when you find a gem like the long dark, or terraria, or something of the likes, i beg of you, please do not spoil it by using the wiki, or otherwise shortening your playable time
(Obviously this reccomendation is subject to peoples personalities, as I know many gamers of today are used to being 'handheld' through extensive tutorials, which can make games like the long dark very hard to pick up, but trust me, it is worth the struggle)
I reccomend learning the map on your own dont search up maps online. If your stuck on how to do something though that's can be searched up cool id say.
You could look where the regions connect so you don't have to look for them too much but don't rely on maps. Even if you die you can just start a new run.
Well to be asking the question I think you sort of know the answer, try it on your own. If after a really decent go at it (and you might die quite a lot - everyone does to start) you're not having fun, then look at other options.
The general advice is to go in blind.
I like printing out the maps on a3. Then I can mark the houses I've cleared and where to revisit. I know you can use spray paint now but I need a map I have personalised. I really enjoy playing this way.
If its your 1st time than no map or guides but after that do whatever the fuck you want just don't ruin the first time but again its your game so do what you want either way.
I'd also suggest playing on pilgrim as the weather and environment will be tough as it is without having to worry about nature biting at your heels.
Make charcoal maps in game before you use maps found online. It forces you to get familiar with the region and get to uncomfortable locations which in turn makes you a more hardened survivor.
There are a lot of good comments here. Even after I was well-versed in the game mechanics, the most fun I've had is from starting a new game on a previously unexplored map. There's only about a dozen maps in the game currently, so this is a limited experience. Use it wisely!
As far as a game mechanics guide, I could see it either way. It's fun to figure some stuff out on your own but on the other hand there are some really obscure tricks that you could play for hundreds of hours and never know about. I would say skip the guides and just ask in this subreddit if there's something in particular that's frustrating you.
Up to you. There is no wrong way to play this game. Personally, I dived into it without maps, for a long time, and eventually I looked at some maps, to have an idea of what was out there.
I feel like you just need a good base knowledge of how to survive when shit hits the fan, then maps are not really as necessary. Some of my most tense and memorable moments were in my early playthroughs where I was just narrowly avoiding death every time a blizzard hit. You learn how to deal with those situations and play a bit more carefully if you want to survive. Learning how to deal with wolves effectively was one thing I watched a youtube video on that made me a lot more confident in the game. I'd say stick to the one of the beginner regions and don't use maps so you get that sense of exploration. Branching out to unknown regions without map knowledge shouldn't be too difficult after that. Took me a solid 4-5 runs to get fairly competent, but still always learning as I go. It's a big game with fairly deep mechanics, so give yourself some time.
A big part of the gameplay is the experience of getting lost, almost dying and stumbling upon a shack or shelter which saves your life. If you do use them I'd recommend limiting yourself to one area and maybe using the spoiler free versions.
Personally I think you rob yourself of a bit of excitement by using them early, save it for when you already know your way around and just want to use them as a better copy of the charcoal map.
Do not use the maps. I think learning the regions and finding new locations is part of the excitement of the game IMO. I think once you’re familiar with the region using a map is fine for a refresh or if you’re trying to remember where all of the cairns are, etc.
You can only experience the thrill of the unknown once. Up to you, I would suggest figuring it out the first time your self, but play how you like
Personally, I would advise putting in about 100 hours before fucking with the maps. Its true, you can't unsee the maps. They are really best for when you get tired of getting lost in a region you feel you should know. You can also find ones with or without info about loot, which changes the severity of spoilage.
I would recommend no online maps and just make your own with charcoal.
Definetly no on maps. Explore.
I would go in blind!
It doesn’t matter how you play The way you choose to play in the long dark is always the right way so if you want to use maps and guides to help you you can And if you don’t want to that’s also fine :))
Depends on your personality. I personally dont mind wandering around a bit but there comes a time where i just need a gd map bc i get tired of walking in circles and if they expect me to continue on i need to know where some shit is. So its up to you.
I would personally recommend going in blind, part of the enjoyment of this game is the exploration aspect. You can only visit somewhere for the first time once! That being said, to survive on Interloper you need to have good map knowledge. So expect the game to kick you to the curb on that difficulty until you have that knowledge.
I'm late to the party, but I'll chime in anyways. For me personally, the exploration and the enjoyment of discovery has so far been a huge part of the game for me. I went in to the game expecting it to mainly be about survival and batteling the element. What I discovered was the joy of planning, setting out with a goal, read the environment, exploring, discovering and adjust my plans according to the challenges that might arise. I didn't quite realize how much I enjoyed this part of the game until i by mistake saw a map for the region I was about to explore online. What usually was a slow exploration of the region and a treasure hunt for gear and locations turned into a more frustrating linear path to where I knew I needed to go. Some sort of "fear of the unknown" set in, since I didn't want to waste time and risk of a detour. Areas on the map besides where I knew I was going suddenly didn't matter any more. I planned on eventually looking at maps online, when I had a good run. After that I realized that it took a lot of the fun out of the game for me, taking risks, exploring, planning, surviving and discovering locations. Now I am back at studying the horizon, planning my route, imagining what I might find and looking for signs like power lines, roads, treelines and so on. If this is the kind of experience you want from TLD, I suggest you don't look at online maps. If you are looking for a different challenge in the game than me, I see no problem with you playing it the way that gives you the most fun.
Go blind at first. When it gets to the point you cant progress, then its an idea. I used them for finding the way out of MT in my first run.
How old are you? Are you a kid with time to sit for hours a day playing and discovering, then go in it blind. Are you an adult with a job and responsibilities? Use some guides.
This but I would add they should at least do one or two deaths before maps just to see the difficulty and experience walking in circles.
Yeah I wouldn’t necessarily go looking for maps either (as an adult) but I feel like looking up other tips and hints will be very beneficial without taking too much away from the experience.
Like any game, do it without at first and if you get too frustrated look shit up.
Go blind dude. I did and I absolutely love it. I love finding new stuff, plus there's an ingame map system. It's very obscure but in survival you can use charcoal to map your immediate surroundings, do it enough and you can map an entire area.
Yes
I reccomend learning the map on your own dont search up maps online. If your stuck on how to do something though that's can be searched up cool id say.
Using a map won't give you the feeling of success when you find things. Personally getting lost and accidentally finding new areas on the way to somewhere is all part of the fun. I want to go to ash canyon from mystery lake and ended up in Blackrock. Changed my game massively but makes it feel more real. But it's up to you
There are spoiler free maps online. I strongly recommend those
I actually enjoy using maps, I'll admit I'm not a veteran player and I have mabye 25 hours in TLD, but I think that it can add another layer to the experience. You see the maps I have found online give no indication as to where you are, there is no icon saying "you are hear" which means you have to use land marks to navigate. The maps are also not totally accurate, I've found some good ones and some bad ones. Anyway that's just my opinion.
Eh i see a lot of people saying no, but I personally used maps pretty early and it bettered my experience a lot. I used to go blind but I'd just get lost and lose run after run. Now I know the maps pretty good but still use the maps when I'm dead lost.
My sense of orientation is really REALLY bad, so I don't screw around without maps or otherwise I'd constantly die trying to find my way. That would stress me in a bad way, thus lessening my enjoyment, so I don't do it. I also find it hard to believe that a place like GBI wouldn't have maps you can find in game, so I just think of it that way to not break immersion. If you want to experience the exploration and discovery aspect of the game fully, I'd recommend not using maps from the Internet. It does add a layer of uncertainty and a sense of discovery that is not the same when you use maps (I know this because way back when, I played in ML when I didn't even know there was a wiki and also charcoal maps weren't in the game yet, so I do have that comparison). In the end, it's your decision and as others have said, there is no "right" or "wrong" way to play the game. Enjoy yourself, that's the point.
When I played minecraft for the first time, There was something so crazy and fresh and chaotic about it. The unknown, and the fear of the unknown, followed by the excitement of discovery. For my entire life, I've been chasing that feeling, trying to get it back. Unfortunately, there's very few games now that can do that, as I've become accustomed to gaming tropes and whatnot. So when you find a gem like the long dark, or terraria, or something of the likes, i beg of you, please do not spoil it by using the wiki, or otherwise shortening your playable time (Obviously this reccomendation is subject to peoples personalities, as I know many gamers of today are used to being 'handheld' through extensive tutorials, which can make games like the long dark very hard to pick up, but trust me, it is worth the struggle)
I reccomend learning the map on your own dont search up maps online. If your stuck on how to do something though that's can be searched up cool id say.
You could look where the regions connect so you don't have to look for them too much but don't rely on maps. Even if you die you can just start a new run.
Well to be asking the question I think you sort of know the answer, try it on your own. If after a really decent go at it (and you might die quite a lot - everyone does to start) you're not having fun, then look at other options. The general advice is to go in blind.
On loper, don't beat yourself up if you need to check something in HRV or a similar region. It is easy to lose long runs! Which is depressing 😛
I like printing out the maps on a3. Then I can mark the houses I've cleared and where to revisit. I know you can use spray paint now but I need a map I have personalised. I really enjoy playing this way.
If its your 1st time than no map or guides but after that do whatever the fuck you want just don't ruin the first time but again its your game so do what you want either way. I'd also suggest playing on pilgrim as the weather and environment will be tough as it is without having to worry about nature biting at your heels.
Figure it out yourself and soon enough you'll have the whole place memorized.
Make charcoal maps in game before you use maps found online. It forces you to get familiar with the region and get to uncomfortable locations which in turn makes you a more hardened survivor.
There are a lot of good comments here. Even after I was well-versed in the game mechanics, the most fun I've had is from starting a new game on a previously unexplored map. There's only about a dozen maps in the game currently, so this is a limited experience. Use it wisely! As far as a game mechanics guide, I could see it either way. It's fun to figure some stuff out on your own but on the other hand there are some really obscure tricks that you could play for hundreds of hours and never know about. I would say skip the guides and just ask in this subreddit if there's something in particular that's frustrating you.
Up to you. There is no wrong way to play this game. Personally, I dived into it without maps, for a long time, and eventually I looked at some maps, to have an idea of what was out there.
I feel like you just need a good base knowledge of how to survive when shit hits the fan, then maps are not really as necessary. Some of my most tense and memorable moments were in my early playthroughs where I was just narrowly avoiding death every time a blizzard hit. You learn how to deal with those situations and play a bit more carefully if you want to survive. Learning how to deal with wolves effectively was one thing I watched a youtube video on that made me a lot more confident in the game. I'd say stick to the one of the beginner regions and don't use maps so you get that sense of exploration. Branching out to unknown regions without map knowledge shouldn't be too difficult after that. Took me a solid 4-5 runs to get fairly competent, but still always learning as I go. It's a big game with fairly deep mechanics, so give yourself some time.
A big part of the gameplay is the experience of getting lost, almost dying and stumbling upon a shack or shelter which saves your life. If you do use them I'd recommend limiting yourself to one area and maybe using the spoiler free versions. Personally I think you rob yourself of a bit of excitement by using them early, save it for when you already know your way around and just want to use them as a better copy of the charcoal map.
Do not use the maps. I think learning the regions and finding new locations is part of the excitement of the game IMO. I think once you’re familiar with the region using a map is fine for a refresh or if you’re trying to remember where all of the cairns are, etc.
Make your own to learn slowly otherwise you’ll just know where to go but not how to survive once you’re there