And then inside that firewatch tower at the top, you discover that not all structures are created equal. Well, getting up that mountainside, even with a trail, takes a while. If it’s not demolished, the tower has a stove, beds, and all the amenities you could want. There’s a tall firewatch tower on top of a mountain in Mystery Lake. So here’s something that’s just cool about The Long Dark, and the location we’re talking about. I know other stuff, like gear placement in locations, is also random. I discovered last night that it’s random! That place was back and had all the old crap in it. So they’ve also been changing up the maps somewhat. Today while watching McMaster’s stream, I learned that one tried-and-true location on the first map at Mystery Lake has been demolished. Look for signs of civilization, and even chopped down trees is a sign of that–maybe an abandoned logging camp is nearby. Following water or railroad tracks is usually good. Other than that, follow some basic survival tenets. “I got a bunch of locations for shelter at Mystery Lake or Coastal Highway mapped before I died the first two times, so now I have a little bit better notion of where to steer my third character to.” That sort of thing.

At that point it becomes a bit like a roguelike, a little.

Grab charcoal from a wood-burning stove and equip and use it. The mapping mechanic makes it so that you don’t necessarily have to refer to an outside source for that info as much anymore. I’m starting to get the feeling that I need to know beforehand safe places to make a beeline to before I begin–is that about right? I managed to make it three days on my first attempt, but had much less luck on my two subsequent tries.

The long dark logging camp trailer key