Comparing the two ammo bench locations

[caphe_boda]

Hey all, I've got a Voyageur save and a Custom save, have done multiple Bleak Inlet runs to make ammo, and have now run through the Blackrock map completely with both saves. Was pondering the experience of both ammo benches, thought I'd start a discussion. Feel free to add.

Bleak Inlet pros: Relatively easy to get to, both ways, especially if you're based in Mystery Lake. The Cannery looks great, aesthetically. There is a ton of storage. With practice, the wildlife - timberwolves, etc - are pretty manageable. The shelter locations are pretty strategically located. Some decent loot.

Bleak inlet cons: If you don't know that you need to get the code from the tower first, and let the rope down to the next area, that can be frustrating. You have to parkour every time you go to the ammo bench, including a rope at the beginning. This is rather annoying if, say, you underestimate the amount of food or fire fuel you need. Or if you forget something (like I usually do) such as charcoal. You have to leave, find the stuff, and parkour back in. Often this means multiple trips per visit for me, but the caveat is, I try to do stuff in bulk. The "big" predators - moose and bear - tend to wander in the areas you're probably going to need to go through. There's also live wires in that area that can kill you during an Aurora.

Blackrock pros: I've scoured every map prior to this, and Blackrock alone has as much gunpowder/stuff to make gunpowder as every other map combined. Almost as much lead as all the other maps combined, as well - maybe more. Once you open the door, it's open, there's no gymnastics involved, you can come and go as you like if you need more coal/firewood, or food. It has a nice setup where you can develop a cadence: sleep in the car/boil water/cook food, then go to the ammo bench and work all day, and repeat. The workroom has no live wires to worry about during an Aurora. There are a lot of wolves, which can be seen as a con, but you can kill them and constantly replenish your food supply, so it's also a pro.

Blackrock cons: It's a long haul to get there, even IMO from Pleasant Valley. There's no rope to worry about if you go that route, but it's a wash due to the weight you'll need to carry of food and water for the long trip. Getting the code to the door can kill you (gas). There are more instant death hazards generally on the Blackrock map. I've had a harder time dealing with the many timberwolves on this map than the one on BI. No real ideal shelter. The map in general is more confusing than the BI one.

[raevela]

It seems to me that the weather is worse in Blackrock. After I got the code I waited 27 days for an aurora. It was fog/snow/blizzard literally every night. I prefer the position of the workroom in Blackrock over that in BI because it's so accessible. I like the approach from Timberwolf Mountain better than through the transition zones from Pleasant Valley because it's faster. Once I have food stored at the prison, I don't have to worry about carrying weight up the rope in TWM. All things considered, I think I prefer Blackrock.

[caphe_boda]

Thank you both for your thoughts. I agree with the weather in Blackrock, it's atrocious. I did a run to Bleak recently with that save, and I do think the weather is worse in Blackrock. There's been a blizzard every day/night. I thought maybe it was just my bad luck.

I'm mulling over which one I'd rather visit in the future. There are more of the raw materials/food I need to make bullets in Blackrock on the map itself, so I don't need to haul all the stuff I collected from the rest of the game here to make a huge number of bullets. And that supply has dwindled anyway from my previous runs to Bleak. I'm not sure which one I'd pick if I start a new save.

[Sokol1]

I find BI is more cold than BRM, and that fool "parkour" for enter in workshop PITA.
Anyway, playing only Interloper, no much reason for go these workshop.

[I'll be the one]

Originally posted by caphe_boda:

Hey all, I've got a Voyageur save and a Custom save, have done multiple Bleak Inlet runs to make ammo, and have now run through the Blackrock map completely with both saves. Was pondering the experience of both ammo benches, thought I'd start a discussion. Feel free to add.

Bleak Inlet pros: Relatively easy to get to, both ways, especially if you're based in Mystery Lake. The Cannery looks great, aesthetically. There is a ton of storage. With practice, the wildlife - timberwolves, etc - are pretty manageable. The shelter locations are pretty strategically located. Some decent loot.

Bleak inlet cons: If you don't know that you need to get the code from the tower first, and let the rope down to the next area, that can be frustrating. You have to parkour every time you go to the ammo bench, including a rope at the beginning. This is rather annoying if, say, you underestimate the amount of food or fire fuel you need. Or if you forget something (like I usually do) such as charcoal. You have to leave, find the stuff, and parkour back in. Often this means multiple trips per visit for me, but the caveat is, I try to do stuff in bulk. The "big" predators - moose and bear - tend to wander in the areas you're probably going to need to go through. There's also live wires in that area that can kill you during an Aurora.

Blackrock pros: I've scoured every map prior to this, and Blackrock alone has as much gunpowder/stuff to make gunpowder as every other map combined. Almost as much lead as all the other maps combined, as well - maybe more. Once you open the door, it's open, there's no gymnastics involved, you can come and go as you like if you need more coal/firewood, or food. It has a nice setup where you can develop a cadence: sleep in the car/boil water/cook food, then go to the ammo bench and work all day, and repeat. The workroom has no live wires to worry about during an Aurora. There are a lot of wolves, which can be seen as a con, but you can kill them and constantly replenish your food supply, so it's also a pro.

Blackrock cons: It's a long haul to get there, even IMO from Pleasant Valley. There's no rope to worry about if you go that route, but it's a wash due to the weight you'll need to carry of food and water for the long trip. Getting the code to the door can kill you (gas). There are more instant death hazards generally on the Blackrock map. I've had a harder time dealing with the many timberwolves on this map than the one on BI. No real ideal shelter. The map in general is more confusing than the BI one.

Good comparison, Getting the code is easier to get in BI than BRM. Wow the adventure you have to through every run to get that pass code in the Black Rock is crazy.

[caphe_boda]

Thanks all, for the thoughts. I think if I had to simplify, Bleak's ammo bench is overall easier to get to, but the rope/parkour start of it means you really need to plan well regarding the stuff you bring and how much ammo etc you make.

Whereas Blackrock's ammo bench is on a more difficult map, but there are more bullet crafting materials on the map itself, and once you open the door, it's a more laid back ammo crafting experience because you can come and go as you please, with ease.

[Imran Khan]

What's this about parkour in BI? I've had starts with no rope in the boxcar in the Ravine transition zone, and no rope in the watchtower in BI, but could not find a way down. The rope rock where you would normally rap down looked too steep. Then I went all the way around the map to get to my preferred base location at the worker residence. I know the shortcut straight down TWM but never found one for this.

[Beancook]

Where is the note with the entrance code for BRM?
Once I've opened the door, do I need Aurora again for me to access it in the future?

[berth.ljunggren]

Nope it is a one time thing, once it is open you can return, on my rig at least the first time the fps dropped to the floor in there.
Code i think is found in the mine