Looking for permanent base location

[31Gridmore03]

So I have discovered 100% of the world and I am at a loss of what to do. I got the idea to set up a permanent base somewhere, but I wonder where the perfect place would be. Somewhere with lots of food readily available and relatively safe at least. Would like some suggestions from others.

[IFIYGD]

That really depends on what experience mode you are playing in. A "safe" location in Pilgrim or Voyageur might be dangerous or lacking in potential resources in Stalker or Interloper.
In Pilgrim, the Quonset Gas Station in CH is a grand long-term base. but in Stalker or Interloper, it can be a toothy death trap, and even somewhat risky in Voyageur.

[Fatty McBoomBoom]

a single "base" results in long transports of materials, often over burdened..slow and painful.

As your world progresses, it will get colder. shelf items go bad. Wildlife attacks can ruin best in slot man made clothing.

With that being said, endgame mostly consists of Forge runs, Wildlife hunts, firewood collection, and battling against Cabin fever. (considering you have found all of the items before their condition falls to zero.)

I play Stalker / loper. I use the Carter Hydro Dam as my "hub" It's somewhat central compared to the other zones. and i find myself passing around that area quite often. It's not a bad idea to store items in the front lobby (ML) side for later use. there is also a crafting table right around the corner. Bear & Moose spawn not far from Mystery lake damn entrance. A truck can be found out front you can use this to fight cabin fever on warm days, pallets and planks everywhere (outside) to gather much needed firewood. Plenty of metal can be found to scrap for a muskeg forge run.

After i make it to the hydro damn, i can drop unneeded items to lighten the load, and focus more on exploration,(at this point on loper I usually go strait to the muskeg forge for tools bow and arrow heads around day 15-25 depending on spawn, it's just easier looting ML with a bow :P) finding items w/ condition before they fall off. I will try to leave supplies like sticks and water in places i know i will be back, for example: a cave near a bear or moose spawn might be beneficial to store fire materials water and other things to make future hunts much easier.

There are many guides and i don't want to get too off topic, so i will just leave a few important highlights.

-Coal respawns (time length dependent on difficulty)
-PICKUP STICKS. can never have too many, stash them wherever needed.
-Never walk away from a fire thats burning, pull torches and break them down for more sticks. only takes 2 minutes to break one down, super useful while cooking when you'd rather not pass time doing nothing.

Essentially, Endgame involves crafting and hunting. You want to set up the world for exactly that as you explore.

[Sito]

I like CH townsite as my permanent base. There are 2 nice houses to choose from on the water depending on which one is burned down. This is where I stash all my stuff, but I like to nomad around the GB island and have secondary bases in each region with enough stuff that i dont have to pack too much around when travelling. If you have some imagination and set some goals you can easily make 500 days or even 1000. Trying to get Faithful Cartographer can keep you busy and interested.

[Pilgrim]

Anywhere in CH, or unconventionally, the house above Bitter Marsh in Ash Canyon. Its the safest place to be, provided you have tonnes of fishing equipment. The negative is it will get boring lol

[cT917]

The Hydro Dam is (and has remained) central to the entire game world. It's got lots of storage.

I use the Dam as a staging/storage facility.

Because I get restless I end up traveling and have a 'base' in each region.

But when comparing all of them: The Mountaineers Hut in Timberwolf Mountain is the easiest to survive in.

You can always see your hunting ground and know the weather outside.

There is deer, rabbit, fish, moose, bear and wolf within a stones throw. (I use the wolves to help me hunt the deer)

You can have a protected campfire right outside the door to make the best use of the mag glass.

You can also work later in the evening since the location makes use of starlight for crafting/reading/repair.

EDIT: Note: You do need a decent amount of 'starting gear' to set up 'home' at the Hut though. If you know the mountain it's effective to loot the summit for a easy game start but that won't work on Loper.

[IFIYGD]

It would still be helpful if the OP would let folks know what experience mode they are playing on, and whether they prefer to homestead, or enjoy a ore nomadic playstyle. People could give more tailored suggestions based on that information, rather than giving suggestions based on their own preferences and playstyles.
Interloper suggestions for a Pilgrim or Voyageur player may work out just fine, but be more suited to a lower loot level and much worse weather conditions over time. Pilgrim or Voyageur suggestions for someone playing Stalker or Interloper are probably not going to work out as well. Nomadic lifestyle suggestions for a Homesteader (or Homesteader suggestions for a Nomadic player) are not going to work out as well.

OP- please give a little more detail about what mode you are playing, and whether you prefer to settle down long-term in one spot, or prefer to travel around frequently. What are your long-term goals? How well are you stockpiled on cloth, fishing gear, firemaking supplies, medical supplies, etc. You will likely get better suggestions if you give a little more info for people to work with. My preference of Desolation Point's Hibernia/Lighthouse/Church/bear cave combo won't work as well if you aren't prepared to deal with the bear, the moose and the wolves, and the lack of fishing huts and cloth..

[Mauro4691]

well, there is no safe place. somehow you will have to walk to collect resources and wolves too. if you want a lasting challenge of many days, it will have to be on the edge of the sea where resources are renewed.

[cT917]

Other nice places IMO:

Paradise Meadow Farm (Mountain Town)
-Easy hunting. 2 deer spawns, rabbits, wolves to help hunt.

Trappers Cabin (Mystery Lake)
-Good crafting, lots of storage, deer, moose and bear spawn in the yard, rabbits.

Fishing Huts (set of 3 at lower end of Mystery Lake)
-Better than the Camp Office IMO, good hunting, cave up the hill for easy cooking, fishing.

Anglers Den (Ash Canyon)
-Center to region, can be reached from Mountaineers Hut easily. Nice for a change of pace, pretty enviro, access to all the essentials.

Lighthouse (Desolation Point)
-Fun but ineffective, dangerous.

Rabbit Grove (Coastal Highway)
-Rabbit, deer, less wolves, bear far enough not to be a problem. Has access to the only good protected cookspot in the region; a small crevice near the top of the stream can hold 2-3 wind protected campfires.

EDIT: Obviously I left off Pleasant Valley (not pleasant) Bleak Inlet (Timberwolves but could be worse) Forlorn Muskeg (more like camping than home, but still fun for a weekend) Broken Railroad (failed region that needs rework and expansion) Hushed River Valley (great caves, good camping, relaxing but not 'home')

EDIT EDIT:
I decided to give Bleak Inlet some more time.

The space between the broken lighthouse and the cabin with the fishing hut is quite nice. (I knew of this spot but never spent more than a night or two there)

The lighthouse provides a 6 burner stove.

The local bear provides protection from the Timberwolves (I find I'm constantly carrying a distress pistol just in case, but for now he's been agreeable)

Best of all there's beachcombing here! One spot behind the lighthouse island has a cluster of spawns on stable ice.

[cT917]

Just as commentary to the Loper players that have posted thus far in this discussion:

Originally posted by Dx421:

Fishing Huts (set of 3 at lower end of Mystery Lake)
-Better than the Camp Office IMO, good hunting, cave up the hill for easy cooking, fishing.

This spot is especially good on Loper because of the cave up the hill.

This is where I spent most of my time on a 200 day challenge run before the save overhaul a few years ago.

The wolves around this location spawn far enough away that they aren't normally a problem. Generally it's safe to move from the cabins to the cave even at night and when overloaded.

There is a wolf that spawns between the two sets of three cabins but he never paths between the cave and the lower cabins unless you draw him in. If this happens there's generally time to hide in a cabin and take a nap.

Wolves and bear can be an issue with the ice fishing huts. But all the huts in the game have this issue.

The deer spawn on the ice in view of the cave.

No moose.

The bear will spawn down the other end of the lake.

Even if you're not looking for the Loper experience this is a very safe location compared to most.

[Grym]

What's the mid/late game weather like in Ash Canyon (custom game with, effectively, Stalker-level weather)? I like the hillside cabin overlooking Bitter Marsh and the long haul to either Forge via waystations is a good incentive to avoid hibernation / stagnation.