Bleak Inlet, the newest region, is UNPLAYABLE.

[Jpgamer365]

I love The Long Dark, and I was a very early player. All of the regions in the game are of such high quality and so fun to play that I still have a positive view of the game. However, the newest addition of Bleak Inlet is of such a steep and shocking decline in quality that it is surprising to know it is made by the same dev team for the same game in a post-early-access build of the game.

First, Bleak Inlet is poorly optimized and as such stutters and runs slowly in a game not known for the specs required to play it. That is entirely forgivable, were it not for the poor implementation of the Timberwolves in the same region. Pack(s) of them spawn all over the map, in such a way that it is impossible to avoid confrontation with them for more than 2 minutes when traveling across the map, even without carrying any meat. It is very easy, as I did, to get stuck in the Pensive Lookout with them in attack mode for up to infinity. Meaning that you have to go down and be attacked by them to disperse them.'

Okay, a bad map, so what?
Well, the ammunition workbench, of which there is only one, CAN ONLY BE FOUND IN BLEAK INLET. Meaning that if you plan to utilize any of the ammunition crafting features added in the update you have to put up with some of the most awful, infuriating gameplay in a game that is otherwise enjoyable.

My advice to Hinterland, and I say in as nice and encouraging a way as possible to make the game bearable for late-stage players, is that you a) do not add Timberwolves to any other maps, god forbid any of the good ones, and that you put ONE other ammunition workbench in another, more playable map.

If you, Hinterland, want to make Bleak Inlet at the lowest bar, playable, I would suggest that you make Timberwolves less frequent and destroy to the Pensive Lookout as you have the original lookout in Mystery Lake or fix the Timberwolves so they aren't in attack mode until the end of time.

[Jpgamer365]

At the time of posting this I have 436 hours in The Long Dark and have owned it for many years. I have never had such a frustrating and infuriating experience with this game and to have one that was this bad was genuinely shocking to find in a game that otherwise is so amazing.

[L37]

Since you are interested in ammo I assume you are not on interloper. So you have guns.
Not saying that i like it, because i do not, but timberwolves just represent general trend the game was following for a long time now - moving more toward "run-and-gun" gameplay (does not really matter - actual guns or bow).

More and more rifle ammo, then revolver with even more ammo, then ammo crafting... there must be some reason we are given all the bullets, right?
If you just kill timberwolves they take some time to respawn... so you basically just run in, shoot everything that moves, and then have some time to explore the map.

Or you can play custom and just remove them. I play custom only for a long time already because sprains, cabin fever, etc, etc... basically a lot of questionable mechanics and very strange difficulty presets.

[Martial.Lore]

It sounds as if your primary complaint is not the map per se, but the timber wolves, correct? I hated them too, at first. When I first encountered the aggro bar and the incessant barking and snarling I thought, too, that's it! I'm done with them.

However, subsequently, on a later return, I spent over 30 days in Bleak Inlet without a single close encounter, including accessing the cannery workshop. How? In a word: patience.

Timber wolves are easier to spot than lone wolves because they roam in a loose pack which makes them more visible. If you see one, you know the area they are in. Can you be caught out by poor visibility terrain? Sure, you can.

Which brings us to pace. You have to move a little more cautiously than you might normally, to give the pack time to alert you to their presence. Seek a piece of safe, high ground and stay there a while, surveying the lay of the land. You'll see them if they are there.

If you want to go into a place like the cannery, or the lookout, stop. Literally stop. Find a place to watch and listen for a while. Sometimes quite a long while. Just to be sure you know that all of them have moved on. You can then sneak in, crouching when necessary, carefully, undetected. You have to allow that bit of extra time, just as you might do so to get by a group of lone wolves in Forlorn Muskeg.

Bleak Inlet, as a map is quite a satisfying place to explore. The frozen delta area is just spectacular. Only, give the timber wolves the space they need, take the time to be sure of your path and Bleak Inlet will grow on you. Believe me! I really, really, really hated timber wolves when I first encountered them, too.

[Chris P. Bacon]

I mainly play stalker, and I spent a couple of weeks there once. I found that they were actually pretty easy to avoid if I didn't have any meat on me. I decided that sneaking around wasn't for me at some point and decided to go at them aggressively and just clear the entire area as I explored.

Do not go into this region if you do not have at least 30 rounds, because I would recommend putting a bullet into each one of them. I got bitten at least once, maybe twice. I didn't enter a struggle with any of them at any point. I'm actually skeptical if they can even pounce on you like regular wolves do, but I have heard that they are able.

edit: btw, at this point in my run I had like 150 shots with the revolver and full crafted clothing on my outer layers for protection just in case. (rabbit hat, bear coat, deer pants, etc.)

[Chris P. Bacon]

Originally posted by micah6vs8:

> I'm actually skeptical if they can even pounce on you like regular wolves do, but I have heard that they are able.

They can. They knock you out similar to a moose or bear attack. You are groggy as you get to your feet.

It counts as a failed melee with a wolf in your stats. At first this caught me off guard because before this region, a lost wolf melee meant death.

Oh wow, that is interesting. I will keep that in mind next time I am there, thanks.

[I'll be the one]

Originally posted by Jpgamer365:

I love The Long Dark, and I was a very early player. All of the regions in the game are of such high quality and so fun to play that I still have a positive view of the game. However, the newest addition of Bleak Inlet is of such a steep and shocking decline in quality that it is surprising to know it is made by the same dev team for the same game in a post-early-access build of the game.

First, Bleak Inlet is poorly optimized and as such stutters and runs slowly in a game not known for the specs required to play it. That is entirely forgivable, were it not for the poor implementation of the Timberwolves in the same region. Pack(s) of them spawn all over the map, in such a way that it is impossible to avoid confrontation with them for more than 2 minutes when traveling across the map, even without carrying any meat. It is very easy, as I did, to get stuck in the Pensive Lookout with them in attack mode for up to infinity. Meaning that you have to go down and be attacked by them to disperse them.'

Okay, a bad map, so what?
Well, the ammunition workbench, of which there is only one, CAN ONLY BE FOUND IN BLEAK INLET. Meaning that if you plan to utilize any of the ammunition crafting features added in the update you have to put up with some of the most awful, infuriating gameplay in a game that is otherwise enjoyable.

My advice to Hinterland, and I say in as nice and encouraging a way as possible to make the game bearable for late-stage players, is that you a) do not add Timberwolves to any other maps, god forbid any of the good ones, and that you put ONE other ammunition workbench in another, more playable map.

If you, Hinterland, want to make Bleak Inlet at the lowest bar, playable, I would suggest that you make Timberwolves less frequent and destroy to the Pensive Lookout as you have the original lookout in Mystery Lake or fix the Timberwolves so they aren't in attack mode until the end of time.

Bleak Inlet is very hard and you should not stay long if you spawn there. Have to disagree that it is unplayable Speaking for myself 1) I always build up my skills and have the best clothes before going in. Timberwolves are different from wolves and have to be dealt with differently. 3) I just left BI after making 400 bullets, Only stay 1-2 weeks at a time, Now I am "vacationing" in CH. Patience as Marital.Lore mentions is a must.

[ThisIsASquirrel]

It took me a while to get used to the lack of wood, but now I just take regular trips up to the woods and load up, and after I started doing that I kind of enjoyed the fact that I had to do that.

However, with the latest update, it seems like the bear started noticing me from a much further distance, and now I'm not sure that my current living spot is viable anymore.

[Vhalkyrie]

There's really only one reason to go to BI, and that's to make ammo. I don't use rifle rounds except for big game hunts like for bear repairs. I survive mainly on deer, rabbit and fish. I only have 7 rifle casing after 200 days, so there's no need for me to visit BI. The first time I encountered timberwolves, they ripped me up, but I found revolver shots to the head cleared them out quickly. I learned their attack patterns, and can eliminate them fairly quickly; they are more of a nuisance now. My main issue is there isn't a reason for me to go there. Perhaps if there was a way to repair or replace broken rifles or revolvers after all the rifle cleaners are gone.

[Chris P. Bacon]

Originally posted by Vhalkyrie:

There's really only one reason to go to BI, and that's to make ammo.

There are quite a few saplings there too, so there is something for the Lopers.

[Sito]

Originally posted by Jpgamer365:

At the time of posting this I have 436 hours in The Long Dark and have owned it for many years. I have never had such a frustrating and infuriating experience with this game and to have one that was this bad was genuinely shocking to find in a game that otherwise is so amazing.

you have owned if for years and you have only 436 hours in the game? You dont know it enough to complain.

[L37]

Originally posted by Sito:

you have owned if for years and you have only 436 hours in the game? You dont know it enough to complain.

Different people like different parts of TLD.
I can say for myself - long runs are about as fun as watching paint dry. Everything beyond 50-100 days gets extremely repetitive - hunt, cook, eat, sleep, repeat. So my runs are usually short, i play untill i have all the tools, food etc and then i drop it. As a result playtime is MUCH lower than those of people who enjoy long runs. Does not mean that i do not know the game or anything...

[alexUnder]

I don't agree. Late game you're left out of real danger. I wish timberwolves would be randomly spawned everywhere. 1 pack per 2-3 maps I think. Randomly. Late game only. Since it becomes boring to play after lets say 100 days

[markwars]

The toughest thing in terms of game play about BI for me is the wind. No other region has winds that fierce.

The toughest thing in terms of map design foe me to swallow is the repeating ice tiles. No other maps has it and it just looks cheap by comparison.

[Mene]

I'm 470 hours in and this place is the only frustrating thing in the game. The wolf spawn is too much.

[markwars]

Originally posted by nextgengranny:

Originally posted by markwars:

The toughest thing in terms of game play about BI for me is the wind. No other region has winds that fierce.

The toughest thing in terms of map design foe me to swallow is the repeating ice tiles. No other maps has it and it just looks cheap by comparison.

By ice tiles, do you mean those slabs? I noticed a lot of them were added in CH. I didn't care for the look of it; it was kind of an eyesore on what (for me) was an awe-inspiring coastline. :/

What I mean is that the artist used one "tile" of an ice design and merely repeated it over and over. If you look from a highspot out towards the island you can see the pattern of all those tiles repeating. On every other map the entirety of the ice was designed.