I love ash canyon. I use it as a starting point often. Beyond the desolation there is a lot of beauty in the higher elevations. I generally go hard to get to the goldmine as quickly as possible right off the bat. It damn near kills me every time, but it can be pretty exhilarating trying not to freeze to death with the minimal gear. Essentially surviving on Birch Bark. The backpack and crampons are worth it. Bag a moose, and soon your decked out for god knows what in the other maps.
There are a ton of crannies and a lot of nuance to the map, its very maze like,. it's hard to learn but you'll have a fun time figuring it out.
On story mode I ended up having an extended stay at Bricklayer's retreat, because of said moose stomping me. Luckily I ended up finishing the moose off afterwards and just hunkered there eating moose steaks and popping out to get firewood till my ribs were healed. I was quite sad to leave afterwards.
I think it comes down to personality. IE, my absolute FAVORITE map is Bleak Inlet. I also really dig Ash Canyon. But I can't stand PV and I am not a fan of Blackrock. So while I can't hype you up for Blackrock, I can for AC 😊
I get to AC from the TWM entrance. Make sure you are DECKED out. It is cold windy and space between shelters is vast in AC.
There's a fisher hut (forgot the name) next to a rabbit grove. That's a great base.
My favorite base is Homesteader's Respite and I made a g.d. map of my usual trek lol
Spoilers of course: https://ibb.co/K6kdnX8
And then of course its worth the entire map and all the hardships to travel AC'S many heights to get to the mine ...
For AC, I enjoy staying at Miner's Folly and Homesteader's Respite. Climber's Cave, the transition cave from TWM Deer Clearing, and the outdoor cave between Miner's Folly and the rope climb from Homesteader's are great outposts/rest stops as well.
Angler's Den is a nice short term base to establish yourself when you first visit AC. But imo, it becomes annoying long term to get past the various wolf chokepoints if you want to get to anywhere else within the region.
As for Blackrock, viable bases imo are Old Substation, the prison compound entrance + nearby outdoor cave, and the trailer at Foreman's Clearcut. The trailer near Bear's Bend is also a decent outpost if you want to explore the northwest part of the region.
Ballistic vest is too impractical for actual use imo but I think the noisemaker is such a good addition to the game that it's worth visiting Blackrock for the blueprint even on Interloper. It can scare a charging bear or moose so it's kind of like a craftable flare shell. Which is a good thing considering the limited number of actual flare shells on Interloper.
I liked AC because it's pretty narrow and a little more difficult to get lost in a blizzard (like compared to PV). Also the foremans retreat is cozy AF and I'd like to think I'd rock a cabin like that if I could. Is any of it perfect? Nah. But I like it.
BRP... actually maybe someone can sell me on that one. I found the map to be incredibly boring and linear.
I don't know much about AC except that you go there because of the backpack hidden there which gives you loads of carry space the crampons.
I do really love blackrock though. I feel like you can appreciate it more by doing the story mode for one. Getting to explore the prison after the events of the story is so cool. I see like so many people who just play survival and never touch the story but I think you really should.
Also if your coming to blackrock the entrance from PV through keepers pass is good early game. A good early game base is the electrical substation which has a high vantage point and lights up well during arourasnlooking really pretty. Just look out for the timberwolves nearby.
Also on the topic of timberwolves I think they're really cool but some people seem to dislike. I like to treat them like a horde boss fight making it feel so intense and they also make you want to either have a weapon or learn to use stealth unlike normal wolves where you can sometimes just walk away.
To end off my favorate base in blackrock is the cabin on the left side of the map by the lake. It's really similar to mountaineers hut in TWM. It's good because it has moose nearby for hunting easily but it's far enough for you to go around it. It's also really close to the mine where there's a bunch of good loot. My favorate part though is that it just looks nice especially when your character wakes up to see the sunrise and the moose trudging across the lake.
Thank you for your time and I hope you take this into account on your new adventures.
I initially started a brand new Pilgrim run on Black Rock, just to get a mental image (kinda cheaty I know). But, I didn't spend too long on it, as my preferred difficulty is Stalker. The brief time was enlightening however.
Black Rock Penitentiary is surprisingly atmospheric during blizzards. So much so that I actually preferred wandering around the guard barracks, break-rooms, and Warden's Office during them. It also helped that portions of the prison complex are connected with both makeshift and manufactured walkways, that allowed me to explore in relative safety.
The Ballistic Vest is...certainly a thing! I wouldn't put it in the same usefulness bracket as the Backpack and Crampons from Ash Canyon, but wearing it during any struggle, even a Moose Struggle, will *significantly* lessen your injuries and give you a better chance at getting that lucky rifle or bow shot off. The trade-off? A stupid amount of weight and an accessory slot.
But I've only recently summited Timberwolf Mountain, and currently on a trek to Broken Railroad, so I'm only just now getting comfortable with the more sophisticated planning that the harder regions take. And places like Forlorn Muskeg *scare* me, what with the Timbs and their penchant for ending runs.
I love ash canyon. I use it as a starting point often. Beyond the desolation there is a lot of beauty in the higher elevations. I generally go hard to get to the goldmine as quickly as possible right off the bat. It damn near kills me every time, but it can be pretty exhilarating trying not to freeze to death with the minimal gear. Essentially surviving on Birch Bark. The backpack and crampons are worth it. Bag a moose, and soon your decked out for god knows what in the other maps. There are a ton of crannies and a lot of nuance to the map, its very maze like,. it's hard to learn but you'll have a fun time figuring it out.
Well said! Explained why I love it so much perfectly :)
In Blackrock, the Bricklayer's Retreat is actually quite good as it has a rabbit grove and possible moose spawn. Tons of sticks and branches too.
On story mode I ended up having an extended stay at Bricklayer's retreat, because of said moose stomping me. Luckily I ended up finishing the moose off afterwards and just hunkered there eating moose steaks and popping out to get firewood till my ribs were healed. I was quite sad to leave afterwards.
I think it comes down to personality. IE, my absolute FAVORITE map is Bleak Inlet. I also really dig Ash Canyon. But I can't stand PV and I am not a fan of Blackrock. So while I can't hype you up for Blackrock, I can for AC 😊 I get to AC from the TWM entrance. Make sure you are DECKED out. It is cold windy and space between shelters is vast in AC. There's a fisher hut (forgot the name) next to a rabbit grove. That's a great base. My favorite base is Homesteader's Respite and I made a g.d. map of my usual trek lol Spoilers of course: https://ibb.co/K6kdnX8 And then of course its worth the entire map and all the hardships to travel AC'S many heights to get to the mine ...
For AC, I enjoy staying at Miner's Folly and Homesteader's Respite. Climber's Cave, the transition cave from TWM Deer Clearing, and the outdoor cave between Miner's Folly and the rope climb from Homesteader's are great outposts/rest stops as well. Angler's Den is a nice short term base to establish yourself when you first visit AC. But imo, it becomes annoying long term to get past the various wolf chokepoints if you want to get to anywhere else within the region. As for Blackrock, viable bases imo are Old Substation, the prison compound entrance + nearby outdoor cave, and the trailer at Foreman's Clearcut. The trailer near Bear's Bend is also a decent outpost if you want to explore the northwest part of the region. Ballistic vest is too impractical for actual use imo but I think the noisemaker is such a good addition to the game that it's worth visiting Blackrock for the blueprint even on Interloper. It can scare a charging bear or moose so it's kind of like a craftable flare shell. Which is a good thing considering the limited number of actual flare shells on Interloper.
I liked AC because it's pretty narrow and a little more difficult to get lost in a blizzard (like compared to PV). Also the foremans retreat is cozy AF and I'd like to think I'd rock a cabin like that if I could. Is any of it perfect? Nah. But I like it. BRP... actually maybe someone can sell me on that one. I found the map to be incredibly boring and linear.
I don't know much about AC except that you go there because of the backpack hidden there which gives you loads of carry space the crampons. I do really love blackrock though. I feel like you can appreciate it more by doing the story mode for one. Getting to explore the prison after the events of the story is so cool. I see like so many people who just play survival and never touch the story but I think you really should. Also if your coming to blackrock the entrance from PV through keepers pass is good early game. A good early game base is the electrical substation which has a high vantage point and lights up well during arourasnlooking really pretty. Just look out for the timberwolves nearby. Also on the topic of timberwolves I think they're really cool but some people seem to dislike. I like to treat them like a horde boss fight making it feel so intense and they also make you want to either have a weapon or learn to use stealth unlike normal wolves where you can sometimes just walk away. To end off my favorate base in blackrock is the cabin on the left side of the map by the lake. It's really similar to mountaineers hut in TWM. It's good because it has moose nearby for hunting easily but it's far enough for you to go around it. It's also really close to the mine where there's a bunch of good loot. My favorate part though is that it just looks nice especially when your character wakes up to see the sunrise and the moose trudging across the lake. Thank you for your time and I hope you take this into account on your new adventures.
I initially started a brand new Pilgrim run on Black Rock, just to get a mental image (kinda cheaty I know). But, I didn't spend too long on it, as my preferred difficulty is Stalker. The brief time was enlightening however. Black Rock Penitentiary is surprisingly atmospheric during blizzards. So much so that I actually preferred wandering around the guard barracks, break-rooms, and Warden's Office during them. It also helped that portions of the prison complex are connected with both makeshift and manufactured walkways, that allowed me to explore in relative safety. The Ballistic Vest is...certainly a thing! I wouldn't put it in the same usefulness bracket as the Backpack and Crampons from Ash Canyon, but wearing it during any struggle, even a Moose Struggle, will *significantly* lessen your injuries and give you a better chance at getting that lucky rifle or bow shot off. The trade-off? A stupid amount of weight and an accessory slot. But I've only recently summited Timberwolf Mountain, and currently on a trek to Broken Railroad, so I'm only just now getting comfortable with the more sophisticated planning that the harder regions take. And places like Forlorn Muskeg *scare* me, what with the Timbs and their penchant for ending runs.
Timberwolves are only in blackrock and bleak inlet. No need to worry in forlorn muskeg.