- In my opinion, the best spawn in Interloper is Pleasant Valley - for experienced players TWM as you can reach PV fast, you have a lot of cattails on the way and matches as well as a high probability for a hammer or hacksaw in the Mountaineer's Hut. HRV start is also nice if you know the map well because you can get hacksaw, bedroll, MC Jacket and matches at day 1.

- Run to key buildings in Pleasant Valley: Farmstead / Barn / Radio tower
- You need a bow ASAP, so you should run straight to DP to craft arrowheads (craft around from 10 to 20). Crafting in Forlorn Muskeg is also ok but you need to know the map well to not get surprised by bad weather on the ice. You can also craft in Broken Railroad if you have red flares to get to the maintenance yard (take coal with you)
- Look everywhere - stuff can be well hidden. A magglass in an opened drawer in Farmstead's basement is easy to miss
- Drink hot tea when you travel (reishee / rose hip)
- Collect a lot of cattails on the way (cattails are your best friend at start) - best spots are ML - around Mystery Lake and follow the river near the Dam, also near unamed pond. PV on the frozen lake north of the Barn, river near Rural Crossroads, Coastal Highway - frozen river near Bear Creek, Forlorn Muskeg - a lot on the lake, TWM all around the lake
- Always collect feathers around carcasses for arrows
- Stun bunnies with rocks and collect (crouched)

- If you are trying to start a fire always light a torch first and then light fire with the torch (lighting a torch with a match has a 100% chance of success, when your fire skill is low this is great to avoid the risk to waste matches, books also help) - you need to find the mag glass asap - usually Camp Office
- Collect torches from fire and extinguish them for later use (collect 10-20 torches like that) - collecting torches from high temperature fires can get you better torches (1 torch taken from fire decrease a fire length by 10 min). Pull out torches from fire from different sides to get long lasting torches (just walk around the fire and try it)
- Starve during day and eat only before sleep (you need 750 calories before you sleep - 1 cattail is 150 calories so you need at least 5), if you need to recover during day, you can eat of course :)
- Always be hydrated (without water your condition decreases very fast!)
- Water from toilets are your best friend the first days ;)
- Collect coal in the cave between PV and CH (you can use 1 coal when harvesting deer hides / meat to receive a huge temp bonus

- Cure bow material / birches when you can, so when you get to DP you can craft a bow
- If you make a fire very close to a cave entrance the wind will not blow your fire (very good to fight cabin fever) and you can get a bonus for length fire outdoors
- Collect all mushrooms on the way - you can cook a reishee tea which gives you a 4°C temp. bonus for around 1 hour while travelling
- Try to travel only in the 2nd half of a day when temperature is higher - at start the first days do not care but just run!
- You can also use a torch for travelling (gives you a 1°C temp. bonus) - you can craft torches with lamp oil + 1 cloth + 3 sticks- light a torch from a torch while travelling (just drop the first and take the 2nd in hand - you can also light torches from fires)

- A hacksaw is great to harvest meat - do not use the improvised knife or hatchet - save them for crafting coats!
- Find matches and mag glass (mag glass is key to survive longer)
- When you get to DP craft bow / arrowheads / knife and hatchet
- If you do not have a bedroll you can craft a snow shelter to fight cabin fever but this is dangerous so never sleep for more than 4h in a shelter and never sleep in it the second half of a night (colder) - You can also sleep very short in a car with a fire outside.

- You can harvest torches for sticks to repair a snow shelter (so collect used torches as sticks - it takes 2 min to harvest)
- Good snow shelter spots are: Jack Rabbit behind building, The Dam backyard, DP just below the entrance to Hibernia - try to build snow shelters in areas not on wolf / bear routes :)
- Always think about cabin fever and try to minimize the risk - just boil / harvest / do most of the things outside or in a snow shelter during a day like reading books (in a snow shelter during a sunny day you will most probably not need a fire to keep warm)
- If you have a toolbox you can repair hammer and hacksaw with scrap of metal
- With the improvised knife you can collect cloths from old bedrolls located in trailers / you can use hatchet to recover cloths from armchairs
- A hammer is very good to fight wolves so carry it as secondary weapon
- Use matches only when travelling - boil a lot of water using magglass!
- To recover maximum condition, sleep at least 8 hours (best is 9) so you need to get tired before you sleep (drinking Herbal Tea or Birch Bark tea before sleep will make you recover condition much faster

- You will get used to walking / travel with hypothermia risk (your condition will decrease) - you need to control the frostbite risk (all of your body parts should be covered so this is key priority)
- If a wolf attacks you, use a hatchet or hammer - it is better to fight with full belly
- Get the flare gun from the Ravine - when travelling with low visibility have the gun in your hand - if you hear a sudden wolf attack just shoot do not look around! - it will run away
- Harvest bunnies in small parts by hitting escape and cook for bait - you can use a light bait - for ex 0.1kg and you can also cook these small parts to get cooking level 5 quick (the game is a lot easier when you reach this level - you can eat wolf / bear meat without risks!
- Try to not decrease you overall condition under 50% during a day - you can recover around 30% while sleeping 9h

- Avoid wolves - if a wolf attacks in this phase, it's over - you will usually survive bear attacks but a bear will destroy a lot of key cloths so if you have nowhere to run, just undress fast before the attack :)
- Cooking pots are very heavy but extremely useful - find two fast and throw your cans away - you can do other stuff wihile boiling 4 litres of water at the same time
-Carcasses warmed by a fire are easier to harvest after some time (you can see the % of frozen dropping over time)

- Use sewing kit to craft (save it for crafting) - it is much much faster!
- If you travel just throw away the small rock - if you carry flare gun and you want to switch to bow you will lose time by switching to the rock first - I lost my life because of that once ;)
- Do not sleep on electric cables in the dam in Mystery Lake or in the Workshop in Broken Railroad, especially during the Aurora :)
- Do not sleep in wet cloths in a car or snowshelter - always check your cloths before sleep!
- You can harvest big pieces of wood with a hacksaw at the end of the day when the temperature is at its highest point but you will probably need to make a fire from sticks to heat yourself while harvesting - it takes usually around an hour to harvest 3 pieces of wood like that. A good idea is also to harvest pallets located outside with a hammer by making a fire next to them.
- Always have a spare hat cover and gloves in case a wolf or bear destroys them
- You can scare away a wolf with a simple rock when he is eating a deer :)
- Remember that if you are dropping bait by pressing 3, you will drop guts and raw meat first and the most stinky cooked meat later. You can prepare small parts of meat for bait but you need to check if they have lower condition then your good cooked meat
- use red flares to scare regular wolves and blue for timberwolves - if you are not too close - wolves will not attack (just walk to a safe zone)

At the end of this phase you should have: hatchet♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ hacksaw / hammer / quality tools / bedroll / magglass / matches / bow / arrows / 20-30 arrowheads
In the beginning, you will mostly spend time in these areas: CH, DP, ML

Ok you have a bow / clothes that cover all body parts and arrows. In this phase it is all about crafting warm coats, boots, pants out of animal hide and improving your fire starter and cooking skill.

- Hunt / collect hides / craft (remember, use 1 coal in a fire near the carcass - the temp jumps by 20 degrees Celsius!)
- When hunting a moose be sure to have at least 5 arrows (with 5 shots maximum it will go down) - only use arrows with highest durability, they deal more damage.
- when hunting a bear always use 100% arrows, low condition arrows may not damage the beast (just drop the ones that are not 100% condition on the ground before taking a shot)
- You need to craft deer pants / boots / mittens / coats
- You need to improve cooking skill to 5 (cook everything) so you can eat predator meat without risk.
- You can harvest small parts of meat by hitting escape while you are harvesting and cook them each individually so you get experience for each cooked item.
- You need to improve fire starter skill and bow skil (shoot bunnies and craft arrows - crafting arrows improves your bow skill)
- When your fire starter skill improves, you recieve a huge bonus for fire duration when making a fire outside (in the cave this bonus applies only in the cold area of the cave just before the invisible line)
- Again use 1 coal when harvesting meat / hides - this is a piece of cake :) - save the rest of coal for later use
- Boil water or cook if you are harvesting an animal - this saves time! Using 2 cooking pots helps a lot
You can do this phase in the Mystery Lake region - to get your cooking skill to 5 it would usually take around 100 days.
- Only repair cloths if they are under 60% (if you fail during mending you will loose a hide - annoying with gear that require bear hide (Trick: Enter a building before you repair and if it fails, then quit the save and try again, Cheaty but it will save you days, if you fail that bear hide)
- Sleep in caves to fight cabin fever (with a bedroll this is really easy)
- Hunt bears and moose - you can hunt from fallen trees, cars, or cliffs to no get attacked - learning how to hunt them will make your life much easier on lnterloper - they give you the best coats, though they weigh a lot, but you will get to level 5 harvesting and cooking in no time.
- Craft with the knife - crafting with a hatchet takes longer

At the end of this phase you should at least have: 2 wolf coats, (a bear coat is optional), 2 deer pants, deer boots, rabbit mittens, all tools from phase 1 (moose satchel would be also nice: ) - You will need the moose satchel to get to TWM summit as there are a few ropes you need to climb.

You will mostly spend your time in this phase in the regions ML/CH/DP

By day 100 you should have all tools and all clothes necessary and your cooking and fire starter skill should be at least Level 4.

- You can travel everywhere to discover stuff in Regions / climb on top of Timberwolf mountain!
- Travel only late afternoons and again use hot reishee tea/torches to travel.
- Sleep in caves to not risk cabin fever
- Do not loose your arrows - always recover them when shooting a wolf / bear - if you cannot find it,you may come back after carcass despawns - it is possible that arrows will reappear.
- I would wear premium coat as under layer as its decay is lower (bear coat under and wolf coat as outer layer) - for very late game, 2 bear coats are a must!
- A bear bedroll is great as sometimes even with good clothing the temperature during strong blizzards will be very low in a back of a cave - a bear bedroll will help you reduce this risk
- Leave raw meat in key bases so you can cook them when returning after 100 days ( I would usually cook meat for around 10 days and store the rest in raw condition for later use - yes, with higher cooking skill you can still cook ruined raw food and restore its condition in order to be able to consume it.
- Use coffee to climb ropes.
- Repair and take care of your toques ! If a wolf / bear destroys it, you will probably not find any more....
- Use beach combing in DP / Crumbling Highway / Coastal Highway to get free stuff.
- If a birch / sapling is located on weak ice, you have to get it (undress from your cloths so they do not get wet) and run! If you fall through ice you will get a 20% health drop and hypo risk
- If you see some birches - drop your hatchet on the ground and cut them with hacksaw (if you have a hatchet with you, it will be always selected as primary tool to cut down birches)
- do not travel in the fog - it is too risky - sometimes it is better to make a fire and wait 2hours untill fog rises
-Be careful when walking on thin ice. Your shoes can become wet immediately and start to freeze risking frostbite.
- Coal respawns in mines and caves after 10 days.
- Use the well fed bonus (72h without starving) to get an extra 5kg carry weight bonus and extra 5% health bonus - with the moose satchel and well fed bonus you can climb a rope up with 40 kgs of inventory weight.
- With well fed bonus carrying 2 cooking pots is easy - you can boil 4 litres of water in one go! Use that while harvesting meat.
- Use the level 5 fire lenght bonus - this is very important - if you harvest wood for 1.5 h you need a fire for only 45 min (fire lenght bonus will do the rest) and remember that inside open caves, fire lenght bonus only works in the cold area of the cave (closer to cave's exit) - your character needs to stay in the cold area of the cave. This is key to not waste wood ressources.
- If you harvest meat and it is windy, you should wait until wind stops by adding a stick every 10 minutes to your fire (you will be able to sustain your fire this way) - it is also great to use bear / moose carcass or any other obstacle like trees as a wind blocker
- With Moose Satchel and well fed bonus you get a +10kg weight bonus from 30kg up to 40kgs - this is awesome - you can easly travel with stuff up to 50kgs at good speed
- If you are harvesting meat by a fire always check your exit strategy if suddenly a blizzard hits - just remember in which direction you should go.
- A fire's smoke is visible from very far, even in a fog - you can use that to check your bearings/coordinates/wind direction
- If you travel through a transition cave and you cannot take more coal, just move it a bit, when you will return next time, this will allow a new coal spawn.
- If you cannot run from a bear take off all your head covers, mittens, boots - these are clothes that are most susceptible to destruction. After the attack move out from his detection range first and bandage yourself or he will return to get you.

You know now how to play the game.

You have survived over 500 days. You are a true loper but what now?











Below are some ideas for small challenges to make game still interesting:

- have you already been on the Summit of Timberwolf Mountain ? If not - go there!
- try to live 100 days in Hushed River - this region is a real challenge
- try to live for 100 days in Bleak Inlet. If Hushed River was no challenge this one is!
- play more aggressive next time. Loot all key areas in regions as fast as possible - 10 days max per region - loot all regions like this.
- Spend 100 days in each of the regions
- hunt down Moose in every region
- hunt bears every few days by travelling to each region
- survive as long as possible without a bow
- draw a map of each Region :)
- play without the flare gun - additional risk is raising adrenaline a bit and is fun :)
- play with the well fed buff all the time - this requires a lot of hunting

Have you tried the OSMAN achievement? :) I salute you OSMAN! :

https://psteamcommunity.yuanyoumao.com/app/305620/discussions/0/1795152172938512542/

Have you also tried the custom deadman's challenge? Custom code as below:

8MHI-/z8M-Dw+/-wSWm-bAAA

- loper weather and loot
- wolves like stalker
- no recovery at all (only stims work by raising health by 15%)

A thread on this subject:

https://psteamcommunity.yuanyoumao.com/app/305620/discussions/0/3338745825906611783/

Another mode: Endangered species challenge! Also very fun!

8sHM-rg8P-Dw9L-DXNe-VAAA

https://psteamcommunity.yuanyoumao.com/app/305620/discussions/0/1649919326311252246/

A list of funny chalenges:

https://psteamcommunity.yuanyoumao.com/app/305620/discussions/0/1635291505019529782/

A few words about bases on interloper.

Below are a few possible strategies, but you as a player decide how you will play and you do not necessarily have to agree with me :) (KQLY VACBAN says: He has 2'000 hours on The Long Dark, listen to him lol)

If you are still in running and scavenging in Phase 1 - You will not set bases but just loot as fast as possible - but you may do that in Phase 2 or for sure in exploration Phase 3 if you are considering a long term run over 100 days.

General tips:

- When you reach level 5 cooking, you can move and set bases in each Region easily.
- The strategy is harvesting all possible resources from a region and take them to your main bases. - Later you can travel between regions and have access to your stuff.
- Leave a lot of water and raw meat in your bases, so when you come back later you do not have to boil water or hunt for a while.
- Take screenshots or write down what you have left behind - trust me, after 300 days you will not remember what stuff you have left in your bases.
- When you are in a given region, it is worth setting 1 to 3 major bases depending on the size of the region.
- Think about the future and to which region you will move to, so put resources in this base from where it will be closest to exit.
- If you have too many things (yes, it is possible on Interloper) leave stuff in these bases to which access is easy from other regions - you can always get back for the stuff later.
- When you move from one region to another, always take with you all the tools - it's a little inconvenient to go back for example through 2 regions for a quality tool box :)
- I usually choose a base in a cave or very close to a cave to not have a problem with cabin fever.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

So Key criteria for me when choosing a base are:

- Good cave to fight cabin fever
- Good spot to make fire (2 fires are best) so the wind will not blow it off
- Central / strategic location in a region - easy to communicate with other regions
- Access to food / wildlife and wood (you may have noticed I do not like fishing so much as it uses resources for fire.
- No imminent danger around the base or cave and being attacked by a wolf (it is annoying to go back late night and get killed just in front of your door / cave :)

Blackrock is a region for very experienced and ready for anything lopers. Timberwolves are the main problem. They are hard to avoid, but there are a lot of fallen trees to fight them - take advantage of it. The region has many caverns which eliminates the problem of cabin fever. Check also the mine for a lot of coal and the Prison is a beauty! Use the milling machine to repair your hacksaw (during aurora).

There are 2 entrances: from the Pleasant Valley side (Long curve) and from TWM (South of Eric's falls). Imo TWM path is shorter - the trip from the PV side is much longer (you have to go through the quite narrow and dangerous Southern and Northern Keeper's Pass).

There are 3 bears and a moose so this is good news.For cloth you need to harvest metal chairs in the prison.

I would recommend to go to Blackrock with level 5 cooking and archery. Level 5 archery gives you a hudge advantage against Timberwolves (approach crouched and wipe all of them to secure the perimeter. If Timberwolves surprise you - use blue flares to walk to a good defensive spot (fallen tree, rocky steepness where they cannot get you). Take a lot of arrows with you, because you can often lose them when fighting these bastards. This is the only region where I took 30 arrows lol.

Remember that apart from tmiberwolves, there are also black wolves that are equally or even more dangerous :)


Main Base: Cliff cave


This is a well situated base to go to the mine for coal and a great starting point for exploring the Northeastern part of the map.

Pros:
- A ton of food (bear), rabbits and deer nearby
- Close to the Bricklayer's retreat if you need a crafting table (be careful because timberwolves may come near Bricklayer's )
- Safe from timberwolves
- A lot of sticks and wood all around in the forests
- not far from exit to TWM

Cons:
- You need to kill the bear first

Main base 2: The Prison - Infirmary or Warden's Office

The prison is beautifully designed location. Lots of resources, lots of rooms for scavenging. To open the blocked door you have to go to the mine to find the note first.


Pros:
- A lot of food: a bear and black wolves in the prison area
- A lot of cloth, metal and wood in the prison
- A car in the Maintenance area or a cave located nearby can help with cabinfever risk
- In the second floor at the Infirmary you can see at night

Cons:
- You need to wipe wolves every few days

Main base 3 : Lineworker's Hideout

This location is a great place to play with timberwolves. If you kill the pack, it's a great way to start exploring the entire southern part of the map.


Pros:
- A Crafting table very close in the Old Substation
- Meat from Timberwolves
- A lot of wood in the area
- A Bear not far at Bear's Bend
- Close to exit to Keeper's Pass North to Pleasant Valley direction
- Coal is spawning in this cave

Cons:
- You need to fight Timberwolves every few days

This is one of the coldest region in the game but far more difficult than Pleasant Valley because of its strong winds. You will struggle to make a fire and when you will be happy to have one, it will be blown away by a wind that is constantly changing its direction. If you are really bored with other regions and you are really feeling that you cannot die on interloper - this is the place for you so you can enjoy "fear" again :) If you go to this region take a lot of coal with you - you will need it! Also you will need a lot of arrows, materials for bow, cloth, deer and rabbit skins. I would wear a wolf coat on a bear coat as you can experience a lot of wolf attacks and there are not too many bears in the region to get bear hides for repair.

If possible, bring a bear bedroll as this is "The" coldest region.

Remember to first find the code to enter the cannery in Echo One Radio Tower (you can get there from the Ravine). To unlock the entrance to the cannery, you have to wait for the aurora. After that, you have access all the time.

There are 2 Moose (Yes!) and 1 Bear in the Region. But also...timberwolves!

I would recommend to go to Bleak Inlet with level 5 cooking and archery. Level 5 archery gives you a hudge advantage against Timberwolves (approach crouched and wipe all of them to secure the perimeter. If Timberwolves surprise you - use blue flares to walk to a good defensive spot (fallen tree, rocky steepness where they cannot get you)

Good luck! This region is for real pro loopers! :)


Main Base: Cannery Worker Residence


Pros:
- Close to the Cannery if you need a crafting table or repairing hacksaw on the milling machine (during aurora)
- Safe from timberwolves
- Fishing spot
- Bear Coming just in front of the residence and asking to be shot (watch out if you are just fishing :))
- To fight cabin fever use bear's cave NE of the residence
- Coal on the ground near one of the houses

Cons:
- Not much wood around and you need to go in the forest where wolves are :)
- Timberwolves not far

Alternative base: Washed Out Trailers


Pros:
- Close to the Cannery
- A moose is coming very close behing the hill so no problem with food
- Good amount of wood in the trailer
- Sleeping spot in the trailer
- Good starting point if you want to get to Forlorn Muskeg

Cons:
- Timberwolves not far
- Cabin Fever if you have no wood or coal

Alternative base 2 : Last Resort Cannery

Cannery has a great shooting spot where timberwolves cannot get you! Beware of the wolf in the workshop during aurora!


Pros:
- A crafting table!
- A milling machine to repair hacksaw during aurora
- Meat from Timberwolves
- A lot of wood
- You can find a treasure under crates!
- Rabbits not far

Cons:
- You need to fight Timberwolves every few days
- Not much coal around
- It is soooo cold - brrrrrr

A region for advanced players, who are not afraid of fighting wolves. This region is located very far at the edge of other regions. It is quite a walk to get there so take wood and coal with you just in case a blizzard hits you on the way. It is also quite small and you need to get rid of wolves first. If you go there, take bow materials with you as this material is rare in this region. I would suggest to not stay in the Maintenance Yard (3-4 wolves in the area), but to set a base in a cave, North-West of the Hunting Lodge. Do not forget to go down into the Ravine, as a firestriker may spawn there (or in a car in front of Hunting Lodge). 3 stims may also spawn in this region due to its difficulty level :)


Main Base: Cave North West of Hunting Lodge


Pros:
- No danger in cave vicinity
- No problem with cabin fever
- Very close to Hunting Lodge (crafting table, tons of reclaimed wood, metal and cloth)
- Moose and bear spawn not far (moose in front of the Hunting Lodge or the forest close to the Maintenance Yard)
- Some rabbits just in front of the cave (but trust me, if you can handle the bow in this region, you do not need rabbits
- A forge in the maintenance yard not very far

Cons:
- Region is small and may be boring on longer runs.
- You cannot really avoid wolves - it is you or them (you need a lot of arrows)

Alternative base: Cave near Hunting blind


Pros:
- Cave located in the center of the map
- Cattails around the frozen lake
- No problem with cabin fever
- Moose and bear spawn not far (moose in front of the Hunting Lodge or the forest close to the Maintenance Yard)
- A forge in maintenance yard not very far
- A lot of wood in the forest close to the cave
- If you are lazy you will not need to walk far to find food ;)

Cons:
- A pack of wolves is very close in the area
- A bear may be walking in front of the cave sometimes!
- !! The area around the maintenance yard is an asbolute danger zone !!

A good region with a lot of cloth material. This is one of the warmest region. Also 3 bears and a moose to hunt! Watch out, the Garage is infested with wolves and is really risky on loper.



Main Base: Fishing Village (supportive base Jack Rabbit)



Pros:
- Close to exit to Mystery Lake
- very close to Jack Rabbit (a lot of rabbits :) )
- tons of reclaimed wood on those pallets
- a bear not far
- good communication to transition cave to PV for coal
- a wind covered spot between trees just in front of the huts to make a fire (watch out for the bear)

Cons:
- no good cave in the whole Region to fight cabin fever. I would usually make a snow shelter on Jack Rabbits island or fish every few days in a fishing hut. Coal from transition cave between CH and PV is very handy. If you have a bear bedroll you can fight cabin fever by sitting in a car in the bedroll :)
- kill the bear first around Fishing Village to not be surprised while crafting on the workbench (for longer crafting I would move to ML (Dam or Camp Office)

Supportive Base: Coastal Townsite (Quonset Gas Station)


Ok - you are bold and you want to feel a bit of stalker on loper mode. This is a place for you :)
If you are really good with wolves killing, this is a good spot for a short-term base. I would stay there as long as you need to loot all the houses and transport goodies to Fishing camp. You can find in this small town a ton of cloth, premium gear, matches, tools - even if this is risky - it is worth the trip.

Pros:
- a crafting table in Quonset Garage
- a good spot to cook outside even in a blizzard - see screenshot (windproof for 90% of winds :) )
- ton of wood on those pallets in the town (use your fire lenght bonus to harvest them)
- a bear coming to the area (you need to kill it first or you can get surprised while harvesting meat)
- a moose spawn in the town
- to fight cabin fever you have cars parked just in front of gas station (use your bear bedroll - it adds 10 degrees bonus and the car adds 5)
- even at night, this house is a bit illuminated inside (I find it cool) - easy to navigate
- a fire place (I do not use it - I cook outside to counter the cabin fever effect)
- you have so much stuff in this town so if you have level 5 cooking you can stay there for some time without the need to travel

Cons:
- you need to wipe all wolves every 3-5 days so this is a constant risk (but you are bold)
- not so much deer/rabbits in the area - you need to walk a bit to find them
- sometimes the moose does not spawn
- low visibility - a lot of small hills - watchout for wolves
- the arrow counter is really going fast :)

This region is located very far from others - only connection to Coastal Highway through dangerous and narrow Crumbling Highway. It is a good region to gear up if you already have a bow and know what you are doing. Do not miss the moose on the Bridge :) This region is not very sunny so make use of the sun when it comes out (early morning or late evening). A lot of coal can be found in the transitions caves.


Main Base : Hibernia Processing



Pros:
- huge amount of reclaimed wood ( a lot of pallets also outside if you have a heavy hammer)
- a crafting table
- a barrel outside (you can cook in the blizzard)
- a great spot for snow shelter under the stairs at the entrance to Hibernia
- a bear cave nearby to fight cabin fever (you need to take care of him)
- access to food (deers near the Rikken) but also wolves and a bear around Hibernia
- almost unlimited amount of metal
- a lot of cloth materials
- 2 possible spawn points for Bedroll! (inside Hibernia and Scruffy's cave)

Cons:
- wolves patrolling the area - you need to get rid of them every few days
- not a lot of deers in the area - you need to eat wolf / bear mostly


Supportive base: Lonely Lighthouse

A good base for a few days to rest a bit and admire the panorama.


Pros:
- beautiful view! Wow!
- moose spawn close on the bridge
- deer on the frozen creek
- close to the Church - a lot of rabbits!
- good amount of reclaimed wood

Cons:
- 2 wolves in the area
- no crafting table - you need to go to Hibernia or to the mine

FM is a region for experienced players. Weak ice, fogs, regular winds, a lot of wolves and bears... and not a single warm building where you can rest. I would recommend to go in this Region when you hit level 5 cooking. You need also to take cloth/metal material with you, to repair cloths and hacksaw. Coal is spawning in most of the caves - visit them after a few days (coal respawns). There is also a lot of bow materials in this region. There is one bonus - this region is not so cold compared to PV, TWM, HR or MT - so you can do quite a lot of stuff in the evening when you have full gear on you.



Main Base: Cave when you enter FM from ML on the right not far from bear cave


Pros:
- it is located close to exit to ML if things go wrong (not a long walk to Camp Office or Trapper's)...
- a walking ton of food nearby - a bear :)
- a lot of wood in forests around
- a moose spawn in the forest not far
- a ton of cattails everywhere
- coal is spawning in that cave

Cons:
- no crafting table inside a building in this region - you should go to Trapper's if you need to craft a bow or arrows
- a wolf / bear in the area so they can surprise you if you are not careful :)


Supportive base 1: Cave near fallen radio tower close to Spence family homestead


Pros:
- close to bear's nest - you can hunt from above without risk
- close to the Spence homestead for crafting table
- a lot of wood in forests around

Cons:
- a wolf coming close to the cave - he can surprise you if you are not careful :)
- cave located quite far from region's exits

Supportive base 2: Cave near Waterfall


Pros:
- close to Marsh Ridge for rabbits and moose
- a lot of coal spawning in that cave
- not far from good hunting spot - low blind ( a bear may come close to that area)
- great starting point to make a trip to Milton's bassin to hunt a moose
- great starting point to go to Broken Railroad region

Cons:
- count as interior = cabin fever
- a wolf near radio tower - so be careful

Hushed River is a Region for experienced loper players :) You need to access it through a wolf infested Mountain Town. Take a lot of arrows and cloth material with you, to be able to stay alive longer. Remember also to take your improvised hatchet to cut down srub bushes. There are a lot of ropes in this region so coffee nice to have :) This is a very windy region and you need also to adapt to the lack of visibility (a lot of small hills) what makes wolves ambush very likely. Watchout, wolfy is respawning in the ice cave! Explore ice cave for coal. Moose spawns are on Monolith Lake or down in the valley. Reclusive falls hide an entrance to the ice cave. If you spawn in this Region you may find a hacksaw, matches and bedroll on day 1 in the ice cave!


Main Base: Cave near Stairsteps lake


Pros:
- it is located reasonably close to the exit to Mountain Town Region (crafting table)
- a walking ton of food nearby - 2 bears :)
- a lot of cattails and deers on the lake
- a lot of wood in forests around

Cons:
- no crafting table in the whole region (you need to use the crafting table in the trailer in Mountain Town)
- a wolf / bear in the area so they can surprise you if you are not careful :)
- no reclaimed wood in the region so you need to collect those sticks all the time :)

Supportive Base 1: Cave in the bassin

Pros:
- a moose spawn close to the cave
- a lot of wood in the bassin

Cons:
- very long ropes to climb out of the bassin (difficult without coffee)

Supportive Base 2: Ice Cave


Pros:
- coal spawning
- underground access to key areas in the region
- you can access South Mysterious Signal location without taking the long rope

Cons:
- treated as interior = cabin fever risk
- Fluffy! Watch out - she is there hiding somewhere in the dark (and she is respawning!)

Supportive Base 3: Cave near Monolith Lake


Pros:
- good base for moose hunt when he is around Monolith Lake
- deers & rabbits not far
- coal spawning in the cave
- awesome views

Cons:
- without the moose this part of the map is quite empty

This region is dangerous as it is narrow and has a lot of wolves. I would recommend to go there with a bow / arrows and level 5 cooking to be able to survive longer on wolf meat or to go there just for fast looting as it has a lot of great stuff (bedroll and mag glass spawns!).


Main Base 1 : Cave near radio tower up of Milton Town

Pros:
- no direct risk in cave surroundings
- deer and rabbits spawn on small frozen lake close to the cave
- access to tons of cloths and reclaimed wood in Milton Town - a 5 min walk from the cave
- no cabin fever risk - it is a cave :)
- there is a shortcut over the mountain going from Spruce Bridge

Cons:
- no crafting table close to the cave
- wolves in Milton

Main Base 2: Trailer near Hushed River entrance


Pros:
- a crafting table!
- a cave to fight cabin fever 100m from the trailer accross the blocked road
- a lot of metal material in the trailer
- a bear and moose spawn not far (bear is easy to hunt as there are a lot of cars on the bridge
- a lot of rabbits and cattails on the frozen lake
- an awesome starting point to plan a trip to Hushed River Valley

Cons:
- a wolf may ambush you near that trailer (listen well when you are close to the door :)
- you need to take cloth material with you from Milton

A good region to craft and stay for very long. The temperature is balanced and the region is centered in comparison to others. A hudge amount of materials: cloths, metal, reclaimed wood although you may take cloth material from Pleasant Valley or Coastal Highway if you want to stay longer. If you are starting your adenture with interloper this is the best place to gear up so after fast looting from 2 to 4 Regions early in the game, you can settle there to craft strong animal gear.

Main Base 1: Carter Hydro Dam


I think this is the best centered base with reasonable short route to all regions. If you are carrying a lot of stuff from Coastal Highway this is a good spot for a warehouse :) After gearing up I prefer to move to Camp Office.

Pros:
- tons of cattails around the lake and on the frozen rivers
- close to exit to Coastal Highway and Pleasant Valley
- good access to food (In the Ravine 2 deers and a lot of rabbits) - deers and rabbits spawn not far in ML and also a moose spawn just in front of the dam on the river!
- almost unlimited access to metal and reclaimed wood in the dam
- crafting table inside
- a cave in the Ravine not far to fight cabin fever
- a good spot for snow shelter just outside the dam - a wolf will not be able to enter the dam backyard even if the metal door is opened (I do not know why wolves are afraid to come in but it is what it is :) )

Cons:
- no beautiful panorama from the dam - there are a lot of nicer places to stay :)
- watch out for the wolf just between trailers and the bridge (sometimes it can come out from nowhere with a brother! )

Main Base 2: Cave near Lake Cabins

Pros:
- no risk for Cabin fever if you live there
- good access to food (deers, wolves and a bear on the lake - fishing option also)
- a bear may spawn on the lake
- a lot of wood in that forest
- crafting table in camp office with a secure route leading to it (lake trail)
- I like this place - the view on the lake is awesome

Cons:
- not much - I have used this base a lot

Main Base 3: Trapper's Homestead


Pros:
- this is a good place for a huge warehouse if you want to loot Forlorn Muskeg, Broken Railroad, Mountain Town and Hushed River Valley
- good access to food (deers, wolves, bear and moose in front of the Homestead) - this is also good base for Bear Hunters in Forlorn Muskeg)
- a lot of wood in surrounding Forest
- crafting table inside
- a good cave to fight cabin fever not far from entrance to Mountain Town
- a good spot for fire just at the entrance to Mountain Town transition cave (your fire will not get blown by blizzard)
- coal in nearby cave
- good spot for a snow shelter just behind the Homestead or just at the entrance to the transition cave to Milton

Cons:
- not much cloth material in this area - you need to get it from Mountain Town or from other parts of Mystery Lake
- it is not a cave so you need to constantly think about cabin fever

Main Base 4: Camp Office

This is an awesome spot for a base as it is located in the center of ML Region and also in comparsion to other regions. Overall my favorite base - I feel here like home every time I come back from a long trip. In late game I would leave all key stuff in this base.


Pros:
- a crafting table
- good amount of cloth and reclaimed wood materials
- good access to fish, wolves and a deer spawn point just in front of the office
- ton of cattails on the lake
- a lot of wood in forests all around
- a bear on the lake not far
- to fight cabin fever a cave is located on the lake overlook 5 min walk up the hill from your base or the 2nd one near the lake via a secure route (lake trail)
- in case of blizzard you may use the electric cables going from railway tracks to camp office as a waypoint
- a good spot behind the camp office to make a wind covered fire
- a good starting point to travel to Forlorn Muskeg

Cons:
- a wolf is coming very close to the building and may surprise you
- the sound of the camp office flag can give you a heart attack sometimes :)
- you need to bring metal from the dam

One of the coldest regions. If you go there be prepared for everything. Even with full gear temperature in the back of the cave can fall under secure level. Blizzards seem to like hitting this region. If you want to live there longer, have full gear and take a bear bedroll with you. When you are bored with rabbit harvesting in Coastal Highway or Mystery Lake and you would like a bigger challenge, this region is for you! The key to this region is the use of coal - take it from tranisition cave bewteen PV and CH and you will be ok.


Main Base: The Farmstead

A great base to hunt bear (he is coming to the porch :), collect cloth and reclaimed wood.


Pros:
- a crafting table!
- the warmest bed in the game (you recover your health faster)
- a ton of cloth and reclaimed wood inside the Farmstead
- sometimes a walking ton of food nearby - a bear :)
- deers not far
- a fire barrel outside (kill the bear first)
- this base is located in the center of Pleasant Valley so this is a great starting point to go trecking in all Pleasant Valley areas

Cons:
- wolves in the area so this is better to clear the area first
- the bear is coming to the Farmstead and can get you while cooking on the barrel outside :)
- no cave close to fight cabin fever - just cook outside to prevent it (barrel) or go to bear's cave (south), go west to the cave near Three Strikes.

Supportive Base 1: Hilltop cave


A good cave to fight cabin fever. This is also a very good place for a base. I would recommend to have bear bedroll if you stay there.

Pros:
- located close to exit to Winding River if something goes wrong
- a crafting table not far in Signal Hill
- a bear may come close to the cave so eyes open!
- a 5 min walk to pensive pond where a moose can spawn
- a lot of wood in the forest around

Cons:
- a wolf is nearby so watchout
- a bit far from the Farmstead

Supportive Base 2: The Barn

A good base to hunt for the bear from the nearby woods. It is not advised to stay very long as limited wood and lack of a good cave will be a problem.


Pros:
- a crafting table!
- you can sleep in the car inside the barn without a bedroll and without fire (if you have good gear)
- a lot of metal material and a few crates for wood
- sometimes a walking ton of food nearby - a bear :)
- deers not far
- a fire barrel inside
- a short walk to rural crossroad and the farmstead

Cons:
- a wolf close in the area so it can surprise you if you are not careful :)
- the bear is coming close - eyes open!
- no cave close - to fight cabin fever just cook outside

This region is difficult to access as it is connected only to very cold Pleasant Valley region. There is only one man made shelter so you will spend most of your nights inside caves. Getting to the plane on the summit is the greatest achievement of every loper so you must go there :) You will not find much stuff inside the crates but it is worth to check them even for a piece of cloth. You will be pleased that there is a lot of bow materials and mushrooms in this region. Coal is very helpful, so have it with you and collect all sticks in the area because you will probably not be able to cut wood with a hacksaw for 1.5h, unless you make a fire near fallen branches :) Living in this region is a real test of your survival skills - on of the thoughest regions.

If you want to live in this region you need to:

- have full gear as this region is very very cold - a bear bedroll would be nice as during heavy blizzards, temperature in the back of the cave can fall at night below secure level.
- take a lot of cloth material with you
- take coal with you, although it spawns in some of TWM caves
- take metal with you to repair hacksaw (this material is also limited in this region)



Main Base : Mountaineer's hut (support bases in forest cave, waterfall cave, deer clearing cave)


Pros:
- a crafting table
- a good spot for snow shelter behind the hut
- fishing spot
- access to food (wolf on the lake, bear and deers)
- an awesome place for hunting near the wing area close to the forest
- 2 moose spawns not far
- a bear not far

Cons:
- a wolf spawns close on the lake
- caves to fight cabin fever are not so close and are located in dangerous areas - if you do not like to travel in the cold you can build a snowshelter behind the hut
- very cold Region - in the hut the temperature can drop under a secure level (if you are not well geared)

Supportive base : Eric Falls

This is a cave situated in a lovely area. It is worth to spend some time there and find inner peace :)


Pros:
- good cave to fight cabin fever
- a bear close with a good tree to hunt
- deer and rabbits
- a lot of wood in the area
- good spot to prepare for summit adventure

Cons:
- a wolf is close on the frozen lake
- quite far from the hut if you are in trouble

It is a beautiful region in an inaccessible location. To get to it, you have to cross the icy Pleasant Valley and the dangerous Timberwolf mountain. There are 2 entrances. I personally prefer it through Echo's Ravine but watch out for 2 wolves when enetering the region.
Is it worth the risk on interloper to go to ash canyon? The answer is yes! For the technical backpack (additional 5kgs) and crampons to climb ropes. This premium equipment spawns on interloper mode so this is awesome!
1 Bear and 2 moose in this region ! And a lot of wolves (but you know that already :))

I would recommend to take with you:
- a bear bedroll to sleep in caves
- a lot of coal
- a lot of cloths (not so much in the whole region)
- metal to repair hacksaw




Main Base 1 : Angler's Den


Pros:
- located in the middle of the map so this is good for trips in all directions
- 2 deer and rabbits spawn spawn not far
- a crafting table!
- a lot of wood in the forest all around
- Narrow falls cave to fight cabin fever not very far
- 2 moose spawn locations not far (Bitter Marsh and close to Stone Shelf Cave)

Cons:
- wolves can come close if you carry stinky meat
- you need to watch out for cabin fever risk so good to use Narrow falls cave or the Stone Shelf Cave)

Main Base 2:Foreman's Retreat


Pros:
- a crafting table!
- an open cave to fight cabin fever very close (but not enough warm to survive big blizzards)
- a bear comes close
- a lot of wood in the Miner's Folly
- 2 deer close
- no wolf in this area!

Cons:
- difficult to access
- not so much wood when you use everything from Miner's Folly
- not so much stuff to do in a long run in this area

1st target on loper - cover all body parts with cloths!

https://psteamcommunity.yuanyoumao.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1352324270

Going for the Top of the world!

https://psteamcommunity.yuanyoumao.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1386820317

Going for level 5 cooking!

https://psteamcommunity.yuanyoumao.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1465615712

Sometimes the beauty of the game makes your forget it is a loper run ;)

https://psteamcommunity.yuanyoumao.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1326093648

Avoid travelling during aurora ;)

https://psteamcommunity.yuanyoumao.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1313688005

Who said there is no stuff on interloper? You just need to travel a lot and collect!

https://psteamcommunity.yuanyoumao.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1136801593

A good spot for a base is a cosy cave!

https://psteamcommunity.yuanyoumao.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1192780147

If you shot a bear and you cannot find it - wait for good weather and birds will show the way :)

https://psteamcommunity.yuanyoumao.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1521502029

The Well fed bonus gives you a 5kg carry weight bonus and a health boost

https://psteamcommunity.yuanyoumao.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1602249900

Cooking in the blizzard is possible!


Later phase gear:

- flare gun is best. Always have it with you
- if you travel with meat or not cured guts wolves will smell you from very far
- always max protection, deer pants, deer boots, bear coat / moose coat (only outer layer adds towards protection bonus)
- hatchet is a great weapon againts a wolf (you will kill it for sure if you win)) but you will receive high damage to your condition and clothing. If you are rested and also have the well fed bonus I prefer the hammer - it will not kill the wolf but there is a high probability you will not have any blood losss and fight will be much shorter compared to the hatchtet. With full gear (maximum protection) I use mostly the hammer to get rid of the wolf and I leave the hatchet at my base
- if you are starving you lose a lot in fighting efficiency. so eat if you are going through a dangerous area
- do not run from wolf or he will attack. just walk away
- if a wolf is too close he will ignore a flare, maintain a distance
https://psteamcommunity.yuanyoumao.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1385420278&insideModal=1
- do not use knife in a fight (it is not that efficient)
- in general do not run,if you run and your stamina is low you will lose in fighting efficiency
- sometimes it is better to go longer way and loose condition than risk and get attacked
- the strategy with an animal scared in front of you is great (when a deer is running in front of you, no risk from that side)
- watch out, at nights additional wolves may spawn and surprise you in areas you are not expecting it
- do not travel during aurora. these glowing beasts are really aggressive and smell you from far away
- if you have like 5 percent of life/condition, use stim first to improve health or you may not have enough time to bandage yourself for ex 2 wounds.
- travel with at least 80% condition just in case of sudden attack.
- you can use throwing small rocks tactic to distract a wolf - this can only be done when the wolf does not seen you yet - a wolf will go to check the place where the rock landed - it can help when a wolf is blocking your way in front of you
- leave unnecessary stuff at your base to not be encumbred and lose fighting efficiency
- if a wolf is very close (5m) and you have a flare or torch in hand, just hold the torch /flare at wolf eye level and backoff slowly (sometimes it works and wolf will stop and not jump) - this saved me a few times. When the wolf stops walk away

A handy equipment location guide:

https://psteamcommunity.yuanyoumao.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1524158008

Maybe a bit outdated but still very handy :)

https://psteamcommunity.yuanyoumao.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=530202531

The Long Dark Wiki has also good amount of information

http://thelongdark.wikia.com/wiki/The_Long_Dark_Wiki

And another useful site with maps - very nicely done!

https://psteamcommunity.yuanyoumao.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1464017631

https://psteamcommunity.yuanyoumao.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1491002838

https://psteamcommunity.yuanyoumao.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1560288885

https://psteamcommunity.yuanyoumao.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1940890712

A cool thread about starting on loper :) :

https://psteamcommunity.yuanyoumao.com/app/305620/discussions/0/1739968490561971127/

Where is North? :)

https://psteamcommunity.yuanyoumao.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1210013224

If you want a good ringtone for your handy so you can notice a long dark fan in the crowd!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNToctl2vh0