The Long Dark Long-Term Survival Strategy

Always start in Mystery Lake.

Mystery Lake

• Your first priority is warm clothing. At first wear anything that's warmer than what you got, then worry about efficient weight-to-warmth ratios once you can comfortably explore through most temperatures.
• Your second priority is setting up a home base from which you can store your goods, craft and cook. The best candidate by far is the Camp Office on the edge of the lake, as it has a relatively central location, is on the main transit route through the map (the railroad) and it has a bed, indoor fireplace, workbench and containers.
• Your explorations should focus on visiting each area of the map, collecting all of the loot and storing it all in your base like a pack rat. Ideal locations to hit first (besides the Camp Office) is the Forestry Outlook (possible weapon spawns), Trapper's Homestead and Logging Cabins. Additionally, one loop around Mystery Lake and a browse through the cabins will likely net you significantly better clothing (often you find a Down Ski Jacket or Mariner's Peacoat).
• You should make sure you hold onto a hatchet and a knife. Hatchets are great for foraging wood (which you will do a lot of) and knives dramatically improve your ability to fight off wolves (this will also happen a lot).
• Hopefully you will find a rifle and storm lantern by now and are ready to tackle the Carter Hydro Dam. You can still do it without a rifle, but it's a bit more dangerous (you should definitely have a knife). Head to the dam and take off your clothes upon entering (in case you struggle with Fluffy) and kill Fluffy if he's in the dam. Once he's dead, loot the Dam freely but do not leave the dam through the lower door. Accumulate the gear by the doorway or the fire barrel on the turbine floor. Cook, eat, rest, and get ready to start lugging the gear in one or two trips back to the Camp Office.

Coastal Highway

• Eventually, either due to boredom or running out of resources (especially bandages, clothing or ammunition) you will want to explore more. Your next goal is the Coastal Highway, but before you begin you will want to prep accordingly.
• Set up a mini-base in the entrance of the Carter Hydro Dam. I suggest plopping down a bedroll, half a gallon of water, 1500 calories of durable food and medication to treat every possible condition. This base is to rest at before you proceed forward (the Coastal Highway entrance is right next to the Carter Hydro Dam).
• The Coastal Highway map is quite dangerous due to the wolf density, close corners and uneven ground. It's difficult to navigate and there's no good location for a base, so our plan is to loot the map and lug everything back in stages to Mystery Lake.
• When you're ready, go through the Ravine next to the Carter Hydro Dam. Make sure you have a decent amount of food (though you can find food easily), plenty of water (it's much more time-consuming and dangerous to make water), medication for struggles, prybar, can opener, and your rifle/hatchet/knife as usual.
• Your general plan is to loot each location, collect the items in the Log Sort, and repeat until you've cleared the map. After the map is cleaned out, move the gear from the Log Sort back to Mystery Lake. If you ever get in over your head, just go back through the Ravine and you can recuperate at the Dam (see why we built that mini-base?). If something really bad has happened (e.g. out of ammo, depleted all your food and water) you can use the resources at the Dam to rest a night and make it back to the Camp Office the next day to rebuild your reserves.
• Remember: you are not here for food. Food is far easier and safer to obtain in Mystery Lake. Always prioritize taking useful items (e.g. scrap, cloth, tools) over food. Only carry enough food to keep you alive with some emergency leftover. If you have to shoot a wolf, I'd generally discourage you from even bothering to harvest it. Taking the meat means you need to spend more time gathering wood and cooking it, and then more time to boil water since you're staying longer... and there's no safe, good place to do any of this.
• Use flares to fend off wolves. Don't even hesitate- that's what they're there for. Since you have no intention of harvesting them, it's pointless to kill the wolves. Then again, shoot the wolf if there's any doubt about whether you can get away safely, or if it's blocking a key loot location. Don't forget you can also drop food (default is the "4" key) to distract them. The raw meat you find in fridges and freezers are excellent decoys.
• This is probably obvious, but don't mess with the bears.

The Long Dark: Clothing Stats

All stats are given in (warmth / wind chill bonus, weight, [total warmth to weight ratio]), always in Fahrenheit and at 100% condition.

Head

• Toque (+1.8 / +1.8, 0.6 pounds, 6°/lb)
• Basic Wool Hat (+1.8 / +0.0, 0.6 pounds, 3°/lb)

Neck

• Basic Wool Scarf (~+1.8 / +1.8, 0.6 pounds, 6°/lb)

Outer Body / Coat

• Wolfskin Coat (+12.6 / +9.0, 6.6 pounds, 3.27°/lb)
• 1x Cured Wolf Pelt, 1x Cured Gut, 4h = 30% repair
• Basic Winter Coat (6.6 pounds)
• Premium Winter Coat (+7.2 / +7.2, 4.4 pounds, 3.27°/lb)
• Down Ski Jacket (+3.4 / +1.8, 1.1 pounds, 4.72°/lb)
• Insulated Vest (+1.8 / +0.0, 1.1 pounds, 1.64°/lb)

Inner Body / Sweater Layer

• Heavy Wool Sweater (+2.6 / +1.8, 1.1 pounds, 4°/lb)
• Thin Wool Sweater (1.1 pounds)

Outer Legs

• Deerskin Pants (+5.4 / +5.4, )

Inner Legs

• Cotton Long Underwear (+1.8 / +0.0, 1.1 pounds, 1.64°/lb)
• Wool Long Underwear (+2.6 / +1.8, 1.1 pounds, 4°/lb)
• Jeans (+1.8 / +0.0, 1.1 pounds, 1.64°/lb)

Hands

• Rabbitskin Gloves (+7.2 / +3.6, 0.9 pounds, 12°/lb)
• Mittens (+3.4 / +1.8, 0.6 pounds, 8.67°/lb)
• Basic Gloves (+1.8 / +1.8, 0.6 pounds, 6°/lb)

Socks

• Wool Socks (+1.8 / +0.0, 0.6 pounds, 3°/lb)
• Cotton Socks (+0.9 / +0.0, 0.2 pounds, 4.5°/lb)
• 1x cloth, 20m = 75% repair

Feet

• Deerskin Boots (+7.2 / +5.4, 3.3 pounds, 3.8°/lb)
• 1x Cured Deer Hide, 1x Cured Gut, 2h24m = 30% repair
• Insulated Boots (+5.4 / +3.4, 4.4 pounds, 2°/lb)
• Basic Boots (+1.8 / +0.0, 2.2 pounds, 0.82°/lb)
• Shoes (+0.9 / +0.0, 1.1 pounds, 0.82°/lb)

The Long Dark: Plants

Saplings are useful for making bows, but not that easy to find. A key thing is that their spawns are not random- they are only available in certain groves on every map.

Here is what Maple saplings look like:

Note that they weigh .66 pounds.

Green Birch Saplings look very similar:

Note that plants spawns are random and locations may differ game to game. Additionally, they do respawn but it may take a very long time.

Mystery Lake

• Green Maple Saplings
• By the Carter Hydro Dam. Approach from the rail, and it will be below you in the valley on your left (under the main entrance).
• Near the Frozen Creek
• Green Birch Saplings
• "Behind" the Trapper's Homestead.
• Along the river leading away from Mystery Lake
• Old Man's Beard Lichen
• "Behind" the Trapper's Homestead, towards the edge of the map.
• Near the Deadfall Area
• Unnamed Pond
• River (Northern Access)
• Reishi Mushrooms
• Deadfall Area
• Unnamed Pond
• Frozen Creek
• Rose Hips
• Bears
• South of the Fishing Cabin (between the Clearcut and the Unnamed Pond), on the frozen lake
• Clearcut (at the base of the Forestry Outlook)

Ravine (transition area between Mystery Lake and Coastal Highway)

• Near the ML entrance (before you cross the chasm on the log, off trail next to a cave on your right as you come from ML)
• Old Man's Beard Lichen
• Green Birch Saplings
• Near the chasm-spanning log
• Rose Hips
• Old Beard Lichen
• Near the ML side of the train track tunnels
• Reishi Mushroom

Coastal Highway

• Rose Hips
• Jackrabbit Island
• Old Beard Lichen
• Misanthrope's Homestead
• Reishi Mushrooms
• Waterfront Cottages
• Bears
• Wandering near Misanthrope's Homestead, on the ice
• Coastal Townsite

[DOTA] Always display hero icons on the minimap

Everyone should always have these enabled. There's literally no reason not to. It might take an adjustment time to learn the icons, but it's still better than just having colors.

Pillars of Eternity puzzle solutions

Mechanics questions

• All "Styles" (Two-handed, Two-weapon, etc.) Talents only apply to melee weapons. You do not get the bonuses when using ranged weapons.

Temple of Eothas Bell Puzzle

• Right, middle, left, right

Defiance Bay

• Copperlane
• Dalton is located on the western section of the district, on the west side of the two close bridges.
• Ondra's Gift
• Supply and Demand quest: your objective is the "Ramshackle House" east of the lighthouse.

Pathfinder Bestiary stat blocks and Racial Skill Modifiers

Q. Are Racial Modifiers included in skills as listed for a monster?

A. Yes.

The citation link is here.

Example:

If the monster has this skill block:

Skills: Perception +8;

Racial Modifiers: Perception +4

You can just use the +8 Perception. The "Racial Modifiers" is just telling you where some of the bonus is coming from.

List of games beaten

Total War: Warhammer 2 A

• [March 26 2023] Long Campaign Victory (Mortal Empires): Lizardmen, Gor-Rok, VH/VH, 241 Turns, Chaos Invasion On
• [March 20 2023] Short Campaign Victory 110 Turns
• [January 7 2022] Short Campaign Victory (Mortal Empires): Orks, Wurzzag, VH/VH, 175 Turns, Chaos Invasion On
• [December 27 2021] Ultimate Campaign Victory (Mortal Empires): Bretonnia, Louen Leoncouer, VH/VH, 123 Turns, Chaos Invasion On
• [October 27 2021] Long Campaign Victory (Mortal Empires): High Elves, Alith Anar, VH/VH, 227 Turns, Chaos Invasion On
• [October 1 2021] Long Campaign Victory (Mortal Empires): Tomb Kings, Arkhan, VH/VH, 192 Turns, Chaos Invasion On
• [September 16 2021] Short Campaign Victory (Mortal Empires): Empire, Karl Franz, VH/VH, 198 Turns, Chaos Invasion On
• [September 2 2020] Short Campaign Victory (Mortal Empires): Dwarves, Thorgrim Grudgebearer, VH/VH, 223 Turns, Chaos Invasion On
• [August 23 2020] Short Campaign Victory (Mortal Empires): Vampire Counts, Heinrich Kimmler, VH/VH, 154 Turns, Chaos Invasion On
• [August 10 2020] Short Campaign Victory (Mortal Empires): Chaos, Archaeon, Very Hard/Very Hard, 263 Turns, Chaos Invasion On
• [August 1 2018] Vortex Campaign: Dark Elves, Malekith, Hard/Hard, 198 Turns, Chaos Invasion On

[February 9 2023] Red Read Redemption A (85.2% completion)

Rimworld A+

• [February 2 2022] Escaped via Stellarch Shuttle: Royalty core, Crashlanded, Cassandra Classic, "Strive to Survive", Commitment mode, temperate biome
• [July 15 2020] Built ship and escape: vanilla core, Crashlanded, Cassandra Classic, "Strive to Survive", Commitment mode, temperate biome

[December 29 2021] Black Mesa A- (Hard difficulty)

[December 4 2021] Rise of the Tomb Raider B+

• Campaign beaten on Survivor (85% Completion)
• Blood Ties DLC (completed)

Age of Empires 4 A-

• [November 6 2021] All Campaigns Beaten (Hard)

[August 13 2021] Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun B+

• Campaign completed on Hardcore

[August 2 2021] Project Highrise B+

• All scenarios completed with all medals   

[July 14 2021] Regions of Ruin B+

• Goblin King beaten (Troll difficulty)

[July 4 2021] Wolfenstein: The New Colossus B+

• Campaign completed on Death Incarnate
• Completed Killboard

[March 9 2021] Titanfall 2 A-

• Campaign completed on Hard
  
  

[March 9 2021] Tropico 6 A-

• All missions completed on Hard

[January ? 2021] Path of Exile A

• 3.12 (Heist League): Trickster Essence Drain/Contagion
• Level 96
• Awakening Level 8
• Atlas Bonuses: ?/?
• Defeated:
• Elder, Shaper, Sirus (flawless), Catarina, The Pale Council
• (uber atziri)
• (breach bosses, beastmaster bosses)

[September 15 2020] Northgard B+

• Story completed (Hard)

[September 15 2020] Wasteland 3 A- 

• Overthrow Patriarch Ending, Ranger Difficulty

Frostpunk B+

• [September 3 2020] A New Home (default settings): 1887, 496 citizens
• [September 4 2020] The Arks (default settings): No one died, saved New Manchester
• [September 4 2020] The Refugees (default settings): Saved all Lords
• [September 6 2020] The Fall of Winterhome (default settings): Saved 91 citizens

The Long Dark

• [July 20 2020] Badge: "Winter's Embrace" (Winter in July: -10 celsius inside/outside)
• [July 12 2020] Episode 3: A-
• [2019] Episode 2 Redux
• [2019] Episode 1 Redux

[April 29 2020] XCOM: Chimera Squad, A-

• Expert Ironman difficulty, 81 campaign days, 9 scars, 8 max ranged agents

[April 21 2020] Star Wars: Fallen Order (Jedi Master) B+

[Jan 7 2019] Total War: Warhammer 1

• Greenskins (Grimgor) Long Campaign Victory, Very Hard
• 51 regions owned, 15 provinces owned, turn 282

[Dec 28 2019] They Are Billions B+

• 100% Campaign (Normal, 14630 score, 389862 infected killed) B-

[June 1 2019] Elder Scrolls Online

• Completed main quest, cp440

[2019] Factorio A+

• [May 6 2020] 0.17 release, default settings, random seed
• solo, rocket (no satellite): 16:02:56
• Lazy Bastard, Logistic Network Embargo
• [Oct 27 2019] 0.17 release, Industrial Revolution mod, random seed
• solo, rocket with satellite: 71:54:41
• [May 5 2019] 0.17 experimental, default settings, random seed
• solo, rocket with satellite: 31:22:18
• 3P, rocket with fish 28:24:27

[Feb 3 2019] Dragon Age: 2 A-

• Hard mode, Blood Mage Hawke/Merrill/Varric/Aveline

[2018] Tropico 5 (aka Mustache Mania aka Similization)

• [Dec 26 2018] Medium/Medium/Occasional Campaign completed
• [Dec 27 2018] Very Hard/Very Hard/Occasional Sandbox
• 2000 pop
• 84% approval
• $1.5MM+

[2018] Warhammer: Vermintide 2 A-

• Bardin: Item level 300

[Dec 20 2018] Battlefield V A+

• Level 50
• War stories: Under No Flag, Nordlys, Tirailleur, The Last Tiger (all on hardcore difficulty)

Kingdom: New Lands B

• [Dec 15 2018] 5th island beaten (no skull island)

Dungeons 3 B+

• [Nov 29 2018]: Normal difficulty

Hearts of Iron 4 A-

• China (no DLC), Recruit, Ironman
• Chinese United Front with warlords + Communists
• Sep 6 1938 fully removed Japan from China
• Sep 20 1938 Japanese are back, rolling war
• ??? white peace with Japam
• ??? Conquered Korea
• Mar 9 1942 Won surprise war by Communist China + warlords

DOOM (2016) A

• [September 17 2018] Hurt Me Plenty

[May 6 2018] BATTLETECH (Harebrained Schemes 2018) A-

[Apr 3 2018] Deus Ex: Mankind Divided A-

• "Give Me Deus Ex" difficulty. Pacifist other than the mercs at the very beginning (didn't realize the trick to shoot your operative with a tranq dart so you don't need to rush). Completed both endings (bomb + Orchid) and saved Miller.
• Jensen's Stories:
• Desperate Measures: "Give Me Deus Ex" difficulty. Pacifist, no alarms. Kept Whittaker's name out of it.
• System Rift: "Give Me Deus Ex" difficulty. Pacifist. Gave the data to the widower.

[Oct 15 2017] Crusader Kings 2: The Game of Thrones 1.4 B+

• Started as Joffrey, put down all rebellions and "won" the war against the northern walkers (game crashes when they're forced to accept peace at 100%). Normal difficulty.

[July 30 2017] Undertale A-

• 7/30/17 Neutral Route, no EXP gained, spared Flowey

[July 10 2017] Galactic Civilizations III B+

• Tight galaxy, Medium size, 8 civs, Normal difficulty, Domination, Yor
• Tight galaxy, Medium size, 8 civs, Gifted difficulty, Influence, Iridium, Score 60
• Spiral galaxy, Medium size, 8 civs, Genius difficulty, Research, Iconian, Score 46

[April 16 2017] Transmissions: Element 120 (Hard) A-
[March 2017] Hotline Miami 2

[Jan 14 2017] Deadbolt (Medium and Hard)
[Dec 2016] Witcher 3 (base game)

• Hardest difficulty, all named quests completed excluding collecting all Gwent Cards
• 90 hours (Steam stats)

[Oct 2016] Tropico 4 Campaign

[Sep 2016] Fallout 4: Hard (L75, Railroad ending)

[Apr 2016] Shadowrun Returns: Shadows of Hong Kong (Bonus missions, Hard)
[Mar 2016] Firewatch
[Mar 2016] Tomb Raider (2013, 74%)

[Dec 2015] Sleeping Dogs (incl. Nightmare at North Point and Year of the Snake)
[Dec 2015] Gunpoint


[Feb 2015] Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag
[Feb 2015] Shadowrun Dragonfall: Director's Cut (Hard)
[Feb 2015] Batman: Arkham Origins (Hard, 50%, all Riddler items collected)
[Sep 7 2015] Shadowrun Returns: Hong Kong (Hard), 90/100
[Sep 26 2015] Shadows of Mordor 98%

Shadowrun Returns: Dragonfall

Portal 2
Half-Life 2: Episode Two
Portal 1
Half-Life 2: Episode One
Half-Life 2

Medieval 2: Total War
Medieval 2: Total War Kingdoms


Star Fox
Super Smash Bros

Pokemon Red
Shadowrun (Genesis version)
Super Mario Bros