New player mode/difficulty question

[jonasan]

Hey all,

Very excited to finally get to play the long dark later today after years without capable hardware. It's downloading right now.

My interest is very much in the long term survival mode, but i'm wondering about whether or not you all think its best to play the story mode first? is that a good introduction to the survival mechanics? is that the general idea? or will I be better served just trying survival mode straight away and coming to the story mode late as more of a sideline/curiosity?

I'm totally up for dieing a lot, assuming (as I hope will be the case) that I learn from each death. I'm guessing the various difficulty settings change things pretty radically - what do you all recommend? I would rather it be more demanding and realistic, but are the highest settings best left till I understand the mechanics better?

I would appreciate any input here before diving in ;) Thanks

[Lazlo Hollyfeld]

I was playing the game long before Story Mode came out. While I have played the Story Mode, I strongly prefer survival mode. I'd recommend starting with survival mode on one of the easier settings. I would also recommend (as you put it) just diving in. It can be a hard game if you don't understand the dynamics, but don't get discouraged. It's definitely an excellent game!

[jonasan]

nice one, cheers mate

[wilemon]

Agree with Lazio-I have been playing since the beginning and you should start on survivor at pilgrim or voyager and make it 30 days before you do the story.The story done first seems to have put a number of posters off the game-and that is terrible ,this game on survivor will give you hours of enjoyment

[marejov83]

I have around 630 hours in the game.. And maybe an hour of that is in story mode..

Jump into survival and ask any question you have in this forum.. Nice people here will always be here to help!!

Happy dying, mate!

[jonasan]

Three deaths in... loving the atmosphere so far. I'm trying survival stalker, seems brutal - which to be fair is what i'm after :) I'll probably tone it down to voyager if it gets frustrating.... Thanks all

[Martial.Lore]

Survival. Voyager, not Pilgrim, in order to experience all that the game has to offer. You will die a couple times, quickly, until you get the hang of the game's take on survival. Once you've found a revolver, you should be safe for a long game in which you will survive, thrive and then fully explore the world that TLD has to offer. And welcome. You're in for a treat.

[jonasan]

First play session of four hours was pretty incredible. Loving the atmosphere, tension, decision making.... seems to be all I hoped for so far.

Final death before bed: Died in my sleep in the early hours of day 5 from food poisoning - raw venison.... clearly not a good idea :)

Thanks for all the input folks!

[Nanc]

To keep it 'real', don't be tempted to use maps made by other people. The idea is that you dropped out a plane crash - so you wouldn't have any maps. And frankly, it takes the fun out of discovering places and things on your own. And making your own maps.

And feel free to ask here if you want hints - people will give you hints without giving away too much. Then you can avoid looking at guides and be surprised. Good Luck

[Martial.Lore]

Oh yeah... as Nanc says, do NOT use maps that others have created! The greatest pleasure of exploration in this game is discovering places and routes for yourself. Use charcoal to create your own maps if you like (but by the time you have thoroughly explored a map you usually have a mental map anyway, but it can be nice to keep a record of where some particular resources lie) but really it's a great thrill to strike out on your own.

[Alcator]

Originally posted by jonasan:

Hey all,

Very excited to finally get to play the long dark later today after years without capable hardware. It's downloading right now.

My interest is very much in the long term survival mode, but i'm wondering about whether or not you all think its best to play the story mode first? is that a good introduction to the survival mechanics?

The Story mode does indeed serve as a tutorial to the survival mechanics, although it will be somewhat drawn out - for instance, you will not get to make a bow in the Story mode at all.

There is no in-game tutorial if you hop into survival mode directly, so you'll need to rely on the community guides and hints. I suggest searching the forums for "Hints for new player" or some such. There are tons of it available. There might also be YouTube guides, although they may be a bit outdated, considering how much the game has changed over the years.

[ødiµm«]

jump into survival at voyageur level. in my opinion its the best overall difficulty for enjoying the game, exploring, playing with all the toys (guns,tools,etc), getting to gear up in all the clothing, learning the mechanics and so on. i spent close to 1000 hours on voyageur before feeling the need to jump up to loper. i cant tell you anything about story mode because ive never even opened it lol and im a 2015 player. the appeal of survival mode is just that high for me, trying to craft the 'perfect' run