Best way for new player to start?

[valenti_scott]

Hello-
I'm new to the game; kind of overwhelmed by all the stuff to learn. There are so many YT vids! It's hard to know which YT vid to watch. Can I get some advice?

Is it best to start with Wintermute or Survival?

I tried starting with Survival, Pilgrim, Mystery Lake.

I played for a little while; questions I have at this point:
- Best way to get fuel for fires? (I'm already out of fuel.)

- Mystery Lake started me next to an old railroad track. A few rail cars near by. No houses or cabins that I can find. Don't I need to find a house or cabin for shelter? Do rail cars provide good shelter? Can a campfire be built in a rail car?

- What's the best starting location in Survival for a beginner?

Thanks for your help,
-Scott

[IFIYGD]

Wintermute, on whatever mode you choose, though Green Survivor will be most forgiving, and not punish you too harshly as you learn the basic mechanics of the game. Plus, Wintermute is not permadeath, so you can reload from an earlier checkpoint save, Autosave, or manual save- if you want to try a location or strategy a second or third time, to see what playstyle feels best to you.

wintermute Episode 1 is basically a tutorial episode for at least the first half of it, you will get tutorial/knowledge screens explaining mechanics and strategies.

Keep in Mind, Survival mode is permadeath. You screw up, your save is deleted. Many of us learned the game that way, long before the first 2 episodes of Wintermute were released. And the mechanics/skills/strategies for Survival Mode, Challenge Modes and Wintermute are similar, but Wintermute is not exactly the same as Survival or Challenge modes. There are some significant differences. Learn the easier way with Wintermute, or learn the harder, more brutal way with Survival Mode or one of the Challenge Modes (Nomad Challenge as first to try is my recommendation, if you choose that mode to start in.)

Keep in mind, the game has had many updates, and some things have changed, especially in Survival Mode. And wintermute was released twice- the first release was not well recieved, so it was completely redone and re-released a year later as the Redux edition. So, depending on the age of the videos you are watching, some things you see in them may be out-of-date. Also, most streamers play Stalker or Interloper mode in Survival, Capable or Hardened Mode in Wintermute. So you are likely seeing the more/most challenging modes on streams. Start on an easier mode to learn the game basics, then move up as you feel more confident.

[valenti_scott]

OK, thanks everyone. For now I am playing Wintermute. Seems like a good way to learn the game.

[MadBone12]

Welcome to TLD. You've received lots of good advice so I'll only add one thing which is to also consider trying out a custom game when you play survival. Some people prefer the pre-made difficulties, as it suits their play style. Others prefer tailor-making their experience a bit more and choosing the game mechanics that suit them, such as colder weather but more loot etc. The custom menu can be overwhelming since there are lots of options but each setting has a description - it's easier to understand once you've played a bit and have a sense of some of the mechanics.

One downside of playing a custom game, however, is that you don't earn any progress towards feats. Here's hoping Hinterland changes this one day. Feats are benefits you earn while playing the game which you can then apply the next time you start a new save (such as starting at a higher fire-making level or having more resistance to the cold).

However you play, I hope you enjoy the game!

[IFIYGD]

Good choice, IMHO.

Now, to answer your questions from the OP-

- Best way to get fuel for fires? (I'm already out of fuel.)
Pick up sticks, every one you can. They are the first form of fuel for fires that is easily available, and has basically no cost in energy or calories to gather, if you just grab them as you walk by them. after that you can break branches by hand, but you only get 3 sticks at a notable expenditure of energy and calories (and time). You'll learn the other fuel sources as you go.

- Mystery Lake started me next to an old railroad track. A few rail cars near by. No houses or cabins that I can find. Don't I need to find a house or cabin for shelter? Do rail cars provide good shelter? Can a campfire be built in a rail car?
No. You cannot build a campfire in a rail car, or any other enclosed building. That rail car is only good shelter in an absolute emergency- it gives no cold protection and has no bed or stove. In Pilgrim, use one of the houses or enclosed buildings, since you do not have to deal with cabin fever in Pilgrim mode.

- What's the best starting location in Survival for a beginner?
Opinions will vary, but IMHO Mystery Lake is the best start for someone brand new to the game. Good loot, good shelters, good hunting and fishing, good connections to other regions. Mountain Town (Milton) is also good, but the connection transitions to other regions are a bit more tricky to find and get to. All regions in Pilgrim mode are doable, but Bleak Inlet, Ash Canyon, Timberwolf Mountain, and Hushed River Valley are Advanced regions, for a reason. Forlorn Muskeg is a tricky start, and the weak ice "feature" in that region is not beginner-friendly. But you'll only learn the maps, their pros and cons, once you visit and explore them fully.

Enjoy your game. It's not too difficult to learn, but it is a challenge to master.

[valenti_scott]

Thanks; just now I was playing at Mystery Lake. I wandered into an adjoining zone, and ended up getting too cold without any tinder to start a fire.

What is the best way to gather tinder? I'm looking at the article in the Fandom wiki, and some other posts.

P.S., I'm trying a custom game with setting which should make it easier, for learning.

[valenti_scott]

OK, thx.

[Icarus]

there really is too much to tell , stuff that you will pick up on your own really just by playing the game ..
the one thing ill say is dont be afraid of dying .. try out stuff and experiment / its just a game and it doesnt really matter . enjoy yourself TLD is a great game

[valenti_scott]

Thx, I've been playing in survival, mainly in the Mystery Lake area. I used custom settings, and thereby made the game a bit more relaxed than pilgrim.

I have managed to survive for a while now. I figured out that I can build a fire in a railroad car.

I can use cattails for tinder. I can gather sticks for fuel.

I can set up a bedroll next to the fire and get some rest. I have found the dam. Thx everyone for the help; a real fun game!

[DarkEternal]

Head the opposite direction down the tracks from the dam (west if you can see the sun). After a bit of travel you'll see some power lines going off to the left. Follow them to Mystery Lake Camp Office. It's a great home base in Mystery Lake and is right next to the lake itself that has some ice fishing huts there.
If you can find some line and a hook or an already made fishing tackle and hatchet or prybar, you can bust open the ice in the huts and use the tackle to fish. It's easy, safe food and you will get lantern fuel for every fish that you cook.
Protip, if you have a jerry can, make sure it's in your inventory when you pick up the cooked fish and it will deposit the fuel into the can. Otherwise, the game creates one of those little fuel bottles every time. And they weigh you down quick. The jerry can has much better fuel:weight ratio.
Just establish yourself there with food and water and then start exploring the rest of the region. It's a great starter map.

[IFIYGD]

Originally posted by valenti_scott:

I have managed to survive for a while now. I figured out that I can build a fire in a railroad car.

Ah, you are down by Carter Hydro Dam, in the metal Railroad engine/passenger car. Yes, you can build a fire in there, because it has a metal floor. You will find that the red railroad cars are different- no campfires on wooden floors. My apologies. When you asked "Can I build a fire in a railroad car, I automatically thought of the red box cars, not the yellow locomotive/passenger car.

[valenti_scott]

No worries; it's a complicated game! I'll check out that camp office. I do have a hatchet and fishing tackle.

[rhwilson1953]

Originally posted by Vzzdak:

After a couple bad experiences, I decided to keep three tinder on my person, at all times.

Good advice to start with until you reach fire starting level 5 which then you do not need tinder. That said the tinder you make from newspaper, sticks and chopping limbs come in handy as direction/trail markers.

It is very widely known that you can drop an arrow from your inventory and it will always point north.

[MadBone12]

Originally posted by rhwilson1953:

Good advice to start with until you reach fire starting level 5 which then you do not need tinder. That said the tinder you make from newspaper, sticks and chopping limbs come in handy as direction/trail markers.

I think it's from level 3 that you don't need tinder.

[rhwilson1953]

Originally posted by MadBone12:

Originally posted by rhwilson1953:

Good advice to start with until you reach fire starting level 5 which then you do not need tinder. That said the tinder you make from newspaper, sticks and chopping limbs come in handy as direction/trail markers.

I think it's from level 3 that you don't need tinder.

I think your right but even at level 3 tinder will help when you need to make a fire in the wilderness. Though many people think it clutters the map, I build a small single stick fire at major junctions along the paths, it makes walking when caught in a blizzard or the fog a lot easier.

[konstantinoskountousias]

Start with wintermute to get the ''feel'' of the game and for survival begin on voyager because it is somewhat easy and animals attack you. use pilgrim to learn new maps and out of the game maps will help you to figure out where you want to go