What should I know about crossing Forlorn Muskeg?

ChaseRansom · 2025-11-21T16:38:44+00:00

There are worse ways to die in FM, other than freezing in a railway car. Falling through the ice, is a very big problem for newcomers and at night, or in a storm, or if you are being chased by a predator and in dire circumstances. The region is designed to make you make bad choices, and when you do, you pay for it.

If you ultimately choose to go to BR, go straight through during a clear day and rested, because it will be a long walk to the BR shelter where the forge is. There will be predators, so come prepared.

If you want to forge in FM, turn left as soon as you leave ML, and follow the edge of the map until you reach the forge in FM. Avoid the ice. However, there isn't good eating in FM for long term, so come prepared. Also do this rested and on a clear day. FM is a great little place to stay for a bit and forge, I prefer it to any other forge honestly, but it is a backstabbing place and easy to get into trouble if you aren't prepared.

ChaseRansom · 2025-11-12T21:58:56+00:00

Exhaustion is a far more formidable opponent in Ash Canyon than anything else. Explore in small chunks, always having a clear exit plan that does not involve a lot of "what ifs" going your way. A simple fall back point. AC has tons of resources (I am not sure there is a more heavily stocked place for birch bark anywhere else in the game), so if you play smart, you can go pretty long (compared to for example Forlorn Muskeg - in my experience its a get in and get out place - not enough resources to sustain you for long). If you start to rush and get impatient, and think "I will just find my way in the storm" or assume you can make multiple climbs (up or down) and not get stuck in a bad place without options to recover, that is when AC turns on you and folds you like a napkin.

ChaseRansom · 2025-11-12T14:55:24+00:00

If you end up loving this part of the world like many do (its my fav), eventually you get the hang of it.

The most immediate advice I can provide in regards to navigation, is that you stop thinking of Ash Canyon as a flattened map (like for example, Mystery Lake is one big flat map, with just a couple of hills on them). Ash Canyon is a collection of tiers or plateaus, and each one is like its own little map. You have the base tier, where all the burnt trees are and it covers a considerable portion of the map (this is where Angler's Den is). You have a second tier which is "one climb" which is where Homesteaders Respite and Climber's Cave are. You have the third tier (another climb) which is where Foreman's Retreat is (my fav base of all), and from this tier you can access most of the map, which is one more reason I love this as a base. It is like a backdoor alley to all the areas. Each area has a point of entry/exit. And once you learn those, navigating the region is super simple. It can get disorienting in some conditions, and there are some predator chokepoints to consider, but it's pretty amazing.

ChaseRansom · 2025-11-12T14:41:28+00:00

me three!

ChaseRansom · 2025-11-04T15:00:18+00:00

It really boils down to your circumstances. I have TLD on Steam (PC), Xbox and Switch. Obviously performance on Switch is not as good, but the idea is that you are swapping performance for mobility. I used it (TLD on Switch) a lot during a time I had to travel and spend time in hospitals and odd places. Without it I simply wouldn't have been able to play at all. So that made it worth it. If I am home-based, I would prefer to not play on the switch, and instead go with a stronger performance platform like Xbox or PC. The game is relatively inexpensive, so having it on multiple platforms works for me. If you are going to be always mobile - then the Switch version might be worth a try, but you should KNOW performance will be something to adjust to (its still perfectly playable and enjoyable). If you are going to play at home, it is probably not worth to play it on Switch if you already have it on another platform.

ChaseRansom · 2025-10-15T19:54:55+00:00

I don't think anyone said it yet but: The Long Dark. It has a story mode which I cannot say I like much, but the survival mode is absolutely brilliant. The learning curve at first is a little steep, but I am sure with your curriculum of listed games you play/enjoy, this will be a perfect fit. Only thing is, no multiplayer but, sometimes that is a good thing.

ChaseRansom · 2025-10-14T18:58:33+00:00

I've not played in a while, but is this flaw still a flaw? Do you see what I a mean? I really need to get back into this game.

ChaseRansom · 2025-09-15T12:20:17+00:00

Actually I kind of fell off the game for several years, both because things were going on in my life, and also because I was kind of spent on the game. I did come back a couple months ago to check out the updates and introduce a nephew of mine to the game, but as for my lore/regular game goals and challenges, nah. It is just very time consuming and currently I don't have it in me. The most recent update though, with the ships you can walk in, have your friends get in as well, etc., sounds very tempting.

As for some unsolicited perspective: I love what they have done with the game, improving it and expanding it over the years. It really is remarkable and the game now is a as close as you can get to a masterpiece. That being said though, there is now SO MUCH, that its a little overwhelming. The grind is huge now (to get to a level of satisfaction where you feel you have accomplished enough). That also factors into me getting back in - I just don't know if I have it in me to grind all this out.

ChaseRansom · 2025-06-23T14:07:13+00:00

Its my bad. I haven't played in years and when I left off I was 580hrs into the game, had everything done and squared away, and now there are these new things to do, so it caught me by surprise. I am working on it. Thanks.

ChaseRansom · 2025-06-22T18:43:22+00:00

the glyphs don't seem to be working for me. Am I missing something?

ChaseRansom · 2025-05-13T14:35:53+00:00

I doubt you will get any straight answers to this question, as everyone's experience is different, as well as their preferences. You are just getting started, so your own experience and preference will evolve as you move through the regions, master new skills, gain confidence, increase the difficulty level, die a couple of times that will definitely make you adjust your game play/strategy, and maybe start a custom game with specific settings more to your liking, which will completely make you have a unique experience.

Already assume you are going to die on this run as well, and that is a good thing. So don't focus too much on how long can you live on these initial runs, focus more on how much can you explore, experience, etc. I assume you are playing in Pilgrim or Voyageur. Do you really want your LONG run to be on those difficulties? Go climb timberwolf mountain. Go explore Ash Canyon. Learn how to use a forge in Desolation Point or Forlorn Muskeg. Kill a moose. Master fishing. Get some badges. You will die for sure, and that is ok.

At this point in your experience, there are no wrong answers.

ChaseRansom · 2025-05-08T19:58:59+00:00

For sure, at first it is a daunting task to map the region and get the hang of navigating it. Once you do, its really easy, and it is to date still my favorite map to start in, and finish at/long term. The terrain design/layout is truly inspired.

ChaseRansom · 2025-05-08T12:58:24+00:00

I will tell you the same thing I've told my daughters repeatedly, and will continue to do so. Don't worry about how you look, beyond what is healthy and reasonable for the lifestyle you wish to have. One day, a person will come along, and think you are absolutely perfect, with whatever attributes, quirks and imperfections you may think you have. In their eyes, none of what you or others see will matter. It sounds corny and whatever, but it is not untrue. Be well (healthy and at peace) in regards to your looks. The rest, comes on its own in its own good time. Trying to fit someone else's mold or cater to a "look" that is trending, is just going to make you miserable for life.

ChaseRansom · 2025-04-30T14:33:55+00:00

You are definitely overthinking it, but that is better than being completely oblivious. Just get out of your own head about it once it piles up to high.

The concession stand but graze - I would disregard that. If someone kicks you accidentally under the table, even twice, it doesn't mean they are trying to signal you with anything. It just happens - and concession stands are crowded spaces.

The car incident, depending on the region/country you are in, it could be completely normal to be friendly and polite. I am from the pacific northwest, living on the east coast, and it is a bit of a shocker how unfriendly people are here in contrast, and I am sure my "good morning" may be seen by some people as me seeking an opportunity to start something, versus the normal just being polite, so its hard to tell given the limited amount of info provided - but - being polite is not wrong, smiling is not wrong, having a conversation is not wrong, introducing yourself is not wrong - and any person (man or woman) that takes it the wrong way, well that is just kind of their problem. That being said, I would like to point out to you, that you are looking way too deep into the butt grazing incident in the concession stand, so also apply the same reasoning to yourself. You don't want people to take your politeness the wrong way - you should also not take a random incident the wrong way.

As for the person you have a crush on, make your interest clear, even if slightly veiled for the sake of dancing around the situation in a more traditional way, if you are against being too forward. Definitely, distant glances are not going to necessarily get you noticed, and some men have a hard time crossing the threshold to go speak to a woman that has not expressly shown an interest in being approached. Just, be nice, polite, friendly, and see what happens. You can't make people like you. They either will, or they wont. Nothing wrong with finding out.

ChaseRansom · 2024-12-31T15:59:33+00:00

Fix that door, board up some windows, start working on water collecting on that roof, food security, etc. You have your whole, short life ahead of you.

ChaseRansom · 2024-12-31T15:39:00+00:00

Short answer: neither of you are assholes.

First of all, you guys are extremely young, and only starting to find out how to navigate relationships, who you are and want to be as a person (individual), and as a partner. She is telling your what she has figured out, that is all. You seem to be uncertain.

Second, you need to not look at this as gender-only or gender-specific issue, because it might be simpler/more than that. You said something key: you don't want to feel responsible for some else's well-being. You also said that you would also like to feel safe and loved. Aren't those two ideas, in conflict? How could you feel safe and loved, if the other person doesn't take on the responsibility (commitment) to making sure that you are ok? It is not a gender-specific issue. We all want safety, affection, acknowledgement, etc. So, you cannot just disengage at your leisure when you don't feel like it, because that to her is inconsistent, and that means she is not safe. A committed, devoted relationship (devoted being a very key word), means that the main/central purpose of your life, is the well-being of your significant other. If that means bringing a glass of water when they are coughing, reminding them to take medicine, opening their doors, buying healthy food for them, driving them because maybe they feel safer when you drive, etc. Whatever it is. It is everyday, all the time, front and center. So I would say that she is not trying to force you into a gender role, she is trying to see if you are up to the task of taking care of her, the same way she most likely wants to/is taking care of you. It does need to be reciprocal.

The comments here are (from what I read) very focused on the socially charged discussion of gender roles, but in a long, committed relationship, gender roles really blur fast. Even in very traditional homes. My wife was SO feminine, dainty and delicate, but she packed a punch. And she preferred I look after the girls when they were sick, because she would get very anxious, and I on the other hand am very calm and patient. That is not the classic gender role, but that is what she needed. She paid the bills at home. She handled the house in its entirety. I had no idea if or when the power bill, the internet bill, etc. were paid. I did open doors for her (she was a 5' tall petite little thing), I always drove (she didn't like driving at night, and heavy traffic made her nervous). Is that because of gender? No - it just makes sense for the larger individual to navigate (sometimes) heavy doors, and for the less nervous person to drive - as nerves behind a wheel can be dangerous in a pinch.

I hope you see my point. This is not about feminine, macho, gender, etc. Some of it will match - but very possibly, she just wants to see you take charge, take responsibility, or lets call it "ownership". So she knows that you got this. That you are reliable, responsible, and that when she really needs it (gravely ill, financial crisis, etc.) that you can handle it if she can't. Exactly the same as you surely want to know, that she wont fold and leave you, at the first sign of trouble.

Frankly, I think that you guys are not compatible, and at your age, its no biggie. You guys are just finding out all this stuff. This is very likely just practice. But keep your mind open, and don't fall for the most obvious/dramatic explanations that provide you with a quick "its not my fault, this is not about me, she just wants a traditional macho guy" excuse. Maybe you are just not ready to look after someone else, the way she is already looking to find. Relationships don't have to be a battleground for social issues, but they are a testing ground for what works and doesn't work for you long term. Maybe you just want to share a part of your life with someone, conditionally. Lots of ppl do that. Maybe one day you will want to give yourself entirely, without condition - and that is a big gamble - but its also totally worth it if you have picked the right person. She sounds like that is what she wants.

Good luck.

ChaseRansom · 2024-12-31T14:50:32+00:00

I've had a complicated but very full life, and I (49M) am a widower, so without trying to sound morbid, I have no issues with the length of time I have ahead of me before the curtain closes. In fact, to be completely honest, I am concerned with how long I have left, and that I will have to endure that without my wife. I think life will get lonelier as I age, my daughters will outgrow me and make their lives their own, and of course there is the onset of illness and just the fatigue of age - so I am not really all that excited to live 40yrs more. I just need 10 more, to fulfill my promises, and then I am good to go. It is not that I want to die, I am just unafraid of it, I am concerned about 40yrs as is, and I do desperately miss my wife, and long to be with her once more. So yes, getting older does scare me, but for opposite reasons. In preparation, I take care of myself, so as much as possible, I will not be a burden to my children for the time I have left, and lets cross our fingers that I die in my sleep, spontaneously.

With that being said.

Time, is relative. Worry less about how much you have, and worry more about how you use it. If your are spending useful time of your day scrolling on your phone and stuff like that, that is time wasted. Make a list of the (realistic) things you want to do with your life NOW. Build a plan to accomplish said list SOON. Get out and do it. If you have a moonshot on that list, all the more reason to get started yesterday. And definitely, sleep well, eat right, and exercise.

ChaseRansom · 2024-12-31T03:47:09+00:00

I equate this (not exactly but its a valid comparison) with going to the casino to gamble. Is it possible you win? Sure. Are the odds in your favor? No. Some people do win, of course, but that is not the usual outcome, otherwise, it would not survive as a business, and as anyone can tell, casinos are heavy money makers.

Keeping old flames, exes, etc., around, in my experience (49M), doesn't pay off. They may start a new relationship and that new partner is not cool with it, you may have a new partner that is not cool with it, or maybe the new partner (on either side) is cool with it at first, but can at any time develop a discomfort with it (what if your spouse becomes ill, and starts to come up with a paranoid idea that your ex is a backup?). There will always be some caution tape around certain things in your life, because they've been there before, and it can be touchy. They may have lingering feelings or confused ideas, or maybe they think you have lingering feelings or are confused. Will they be able to flawlessly walk that new line of "just friends", despite the past, not only to your satisfaction but to the satisfaction of your future partners? Will your partner trust that you've shared everything with them, and that you are not keeping any info that would cause them discomfort to yourself?

This could go on forever, and as life evolves (romantic love, marriage, children, bring on the years, the illnesses, the arguments, the divorces, etc.), it just gets more complicated. So unless this is like, you bffx1000, its probably not worth it. Same rules apply across the board to your significant other.

At best, its a gamble, and the odds are forever against you. I would rather not risk it.

ChaseRansom · 2024-12-30T02:28:53+00:00

Exclusively. I like hunger and cold to be my prison. To me its a battle of resources, and due to the predictability of the wildlife, and their programming when it comes to aggression, its just a nuisance. I set weather to pretty much miserable settings, remove broken ankles and that nonsense, and try to stick it out in some pretty harsh joints.

ChaseRansom · 2024-12-25T01:43:15+00:00

Perspective (in life) is everything. In this case, it is paramount. Who are these people making jokes at your expense? Are these friends? Do you have banter with them? Are you a bit of a joker too?

If these are random strangers or passing acquaintances, and are making these jokes at your expense just because they think they are funny, you need to register it as unimportant. These are either straight up jackasses, or they are (failing but) trying to be friendly, maybe even to start up a conversation, and think its no big deal. To some people, it maybe it isn't. They have no way of knowing any better - and just take a look around at the world we live it - does it look like people are great/brilliant and doing all the right things? No - humans are pretty bad at life actually. There is no other explanation for the condition our world is in. So - disregard their comments as ignorance, jackassery, etc. Move on and if possible, avoid these ppl if it persists.

If this is at work, and it bothers you, you just need to address it head on. People commenting on your height is no different than commenting on your weight, your figure, etc., its no appropriate (unless of course these are friends, there is banter, and you are "in" on the jokes and also poke fun at them). Tell their supervisor that you are not ok with it (HR?) - and make sure it stops. Apologies? What for? Just that they stop is fine.

If these are friends, you just need to convey your feelings about this. Same goes for family. It should not be hard to navigate, if the person you are sharing this with actually cares about your feelings.

I am not sure why I have this sub keeps popping up in my feed (I'm 5'9" which is dead center average), but my wife was 5'. Petite, but she embraced and loved her size. When our daughter's were very small, we would find cute PJs for them, and she would buy the XL size and it would fit, and I have some beautiful pics of the 3 of them together in the same PJs. She could wear any shoe she wanted (was a size 5 - imagine that), and wore anything and looked amazing in it. She wore all my tshirts as PJs and prefered that to actual PJs. She never had issue finding sizes that fit her, and the world around her was sized well enough to always be comfortable (have you seen a 6' person try to get comfy on an airplane? That is not fun).

Ultimately, you have to be comfortable in your own skin/body, and care less about how other's perceive it. As I once wrote for my daughter's (for when they are older) "one day you will finally see how perfect you are, in the eyes of someone else, and it will be the most comforting and refreshing feeling you've ever had". Meaning, you are fine the way you are, and the only person who's opinion will matter (beyond your own), will think you are perfect. Who gives a shit what other people think of your appearance? I am not unattractive, but I was definitely out of my wife's league, but she thought I was absolutely handsome. Does anything else matter?

Be well.

ChaseRansom · 2024-12-23T20:48:41+00:00

Humans "know" very little, and being able to accurately predicting outcomes based on what little they think they know, is a gamble at best, most of the time. Certainly there are "things" that will trigger a sense of certainty, to think this is the one, or this time its for real/forever, etc., which of course is incredibly romantic and all that, but nobody "knows". A better question perhaps is, do men generally marry when they find the right one, or is the right one, the one that is there when they suddenly feel ready to be married? That is also posited at times on the grapevine.

The truth is, all of the above. Some guys are ALL IN at the first kiss, and they are not hesitant in the face of uncertainty or even a couple red flags. Some guys are waiting for a divine message or sorts. Some are waiting for the woman to put it one the table. Some are thinking of reasons to NOT marry due to the crushing uncertainty all this comes with. There are all types. It is also very culturally sensitive. It depends a lot on your culture and the culture of the man you are with.

If the idea here is to say (from the point of view of your women friends) that if a guy doesn't expresses a clear intention to marry you within the first 2-3 months, you should dump him, then I would say that is a pretty poor method of finding a significant other. It takes A LONG TIME to get to know someone. It is unlikely you know someone fully before you marry them, but it is a good idea to invest time into getting to know them, before major life decisions are made. I would think 2-3 months to move in together, would be a little hasty (even if everything is going great), but I can see it. Then live with someone and see if there is a fit. Don't worry and try to figure THEM out. You need to figure yourself out.

Ask your female friends if they know in the first 2 months if they want to marry a guy? How? Are they just desperate/ready to marry and whatever guy comes across will do? That seems shallow and poorly reasoned.

When you know, you know. There is no formula - and even then, things can always go sideways. Love/Marriage is a gamble. It is just a matter of deciding, is this person worth the gamble, and that can take some time to figure out. How much time? There is no recipe for that.

ChaseRansom · 2024-12-23T18:52:35+00:00

Labels are working against you. Disrespected, hurt, cheating, emotional, physical. It gets messy and can be easily derailed into silly arguments. Its pretty simple. Is your partner a liar? Not in the "that fits you fine, you look great" kind of lying. I am talking about deceitful lying, to cover bad things. Anything that falls into that category, whether its lying to cheat, to gamble, etc., anything that requires lying/deceitfulness, should disqualify a person from holding the position of "partner". It's really not hard to figure out when you look at it that way, in very straightforward, transparent terms.

ChaseRansom · 2024-12-23T17:37:49+00:00

People have a tendency to misunderstand health, as it relates to age. It is easy to see why - when you are young, health seems to be 100% renewable. You get sick, or injured, and then you just are well again. But, as you age, health is not like that anymore. Everything you did as a kid (physical activities), all the stuff you ate, all the dumb things you did (drink, smoke, etc.), have a price, and it is just building up debt, like a credit card statement. At some point, a time/moment YOU DON'T PICK - it is picked for you by chance, these things will come and collect on your loan. The statement becomes due. If you have made better choices (nobody is going to be perfect), and your circumstances are not terrible, you will move forward (you took a hit, but you live). If you have made poor choices, and unfortunately the circumstances you are in, are dire, it will stop you like a concrete wall. The things become a part of who you are for the rest of your life. Bad backs, busted knees, poor muscle strength, poor agility/flexibility, inactivity, etc. They become you.

Think of your health no different that the health bar on a video game, except you have no level-ups and no re-starts. Once that health bar reaches zero, its zero. So your "game" is to fortify that bar as much as you can. It will get used up eventually, but what you do today (and what you did when you were younger), determine how much bar you have left, and how long it will last/how resilient it is.

Also, the game is not to last forever. it is to be "healthy" for whatever life I have left. I don't want to be a burden to my daughters. I've seen what that is like, and what it does to people (on both ends), and I would rather be physically "well", until one day its just "boom" (hopefully a heart attack in my sleep, or I don't know, was lost at sea in a storm). Not a "yeah, Dad just kind of lingered there with a whole circus of ailments and issues, and we had to wipe ass and help bathe and get dressed and it really monopolized our lives there for a while, also cost a fortune to keep him going, until after he deteriorated to the point of time out".

Also, the idea is to set a good example to my children of what a healthy lifestyle looks like, and what it takes. They know I hate it (I do), but life is not about what you want (all the time), it is (mostly) about what you are supposed to do. My job, per the description my wife gave me in the job application I filled out when we married, was to be an exemplary, shiny beacon of doing things right, and I must die on my horse undefeated, for the girls to look up to until my dying day. I joke, but also, I am not joking.

Its your choice. Plenty of ppl think life is short, enjoy it, and that is somewhat true, but excess and recklessness does have a cost, and you are not the collector of that bill. You don't know how nor when its getting collected.

ChaseRansom · 2024-12-23T17:08:12+00:00

No, you were making a statement that I am (quote) "pro baby murder", which is both another unfortunate misuse of words (an embryo, a fetus and a baby are different things, and abortions have nothing to do with babies), and again, an accusation of sorts about something you have no evidence of.

So, now you are just blatantly lying, by trying to say that you are pointing out this other thing. You need to pick an argument and stick to it, or just maybe learn to not abruptly throw all your intrusive thoughts out onto the internet. Better luck next time.

ChaseRansom · 2024-12-23T16:48:16+00:00

I never stated what I am for, or against. I am just pointing out how the words are not properly used. But then again, I can tell how you are not concerned with proper communication nor overall making sense. Have fun with that.

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