Best Base Location in Each Region | The Long Dark

[@verdun16]

Quonset Garage was my first base ever, so I hold it dear to my heart

[@sandstormgaming806]

One of the best ones in the game

[@TheEldritchGod]

Ahhh... the quonset manager.

[@Seriously_Unserious]

I like the Coastal Townsite as a whole, for its central location, but find the houses on the edge of town much better for basing out of then the garage, due to them being away from the wolf chaos, but close enough to use the Q's workbenches when needed. Picking a base that's not surrounded by furry, toothy death waiting for you to show your face isn't my idea of a good base option. I always do a threat assessment of any main base candidate and include that in my decision making. Often times, the biggest building in a region is not the best place to call home, even if it's the best place to loot.

[@TheEldritchGod]

@@Seriously_Unserious - I saw it as a uberEats. Everything except deer, bunny and fish, straight to your door.

[@Seriously_Unserious]

@@TheEldritchGod That depends on what difficulty you're playing at. I'm doing a Loper-Stalker hybrid with cnd recover set on low at rest none otherwise, so anything that risks my cnd dropping is a thing to be avoided as it takes so bloody long to get it back. For example, when I was in Forsaken Airfield, I got hit by a blizzard while following a road to a remote cabin, and only barely made it inside, by using windbreaks to get small stick fires going so I could interrupt hypothermia loss with warming up benefits, and then run it out, to the next windbreak and repeat. I made it with about 2-3% cnd left and even with stews, herbal teas and birchbark teas, it took nearly 7 days to get back up to near full cnd. Wolves are at Loper struggle levels too, so... yeah, you don't want to mess with them needlessly. You can wolf smorgasboard them from the safety of a nearby house with controlled encounters rather then surprised jumped by them while carrying fish and venison back from that recent hunting trip. Not to mention the wolf meat carries risk of Intestinal Parasites below cooking level 5, so what you're saying works on Voyageur, but not Stalker and up.

[@jetbean350]

In my opinion the pleasant valley farmstead is objectively the best base in the game. It has a lot of storage, a 6 space furnace, a fireplace, 3 stories, workbench (inside the house too), is located in the most central region in the game, has plenty to hunt outside and it's pretty easy with the porch. Also, Thompson's crossing is nearby, and you can get a lot of food from there. I would say the only disadvantage is the weather of the region.

[@sandstormgaming806]

I can’t argue against that at all!

[@Korelie]

I just finished cartographer achievement and the pleasant valley farm was my last one. My main base has been in ML and I was supposed to go back there but now I'm thinking if I stay in pleasant valley farm

[@sandstormgaming806]

It’s such a reliable location @kortelie

[@EskilWallestein]

The broken railrode house is probably better because of the 6 slot stove

[@ladysybaris]

But then again... there's that incessant damn roof rattle... 🤔

[@Seriously_Unserious]

As I watch through this video, I seem to see a pattern here, favoring bigger over safer. Most of the recommended/favorite bases are the most dangerous in the region. Hibernia is ground 0 for wolves, and the lone bear in the region, as well as off to the side of most of the locations you'll want to explore. I usually prefer the lighthouse as it's got enough storage for what you'll find in the region, and is central enough to the major locations and exits to be convenient, and while there is a wolf spawn at the intersection with the road, it's not super aggressive in spawning wolves there, so you can kill any wolves in your way and be free of them for a good while. Once you're on the islands or out on the ice, you're usually far away from the wolves and not likely to encounter them, plus there's good rabbit groves and deer spawns nearby, in several different directions, meaning you can usually eventually find some food even if you've depleated one spawn. Plus with fishing anywhere, you can set up an ice fishing hole near enough to a blob of land that you can slip a snow shelter in next to it and have partially sheltered ice fishing without a hut if you can find the right spot. It's closer to the lighthouse then the Whaling plant.

[@sandstormgaming806]

I do like the lighthouse as well so I completely understand that

[@Micholex]

You can technically use the prepper cache in forlong muskeg

[@sandstormgaming806]

Good point!

[@i-will-bite]

Or caves like the one to Bleak Inlet. though i guess it's not exactly IN the region. I personally LOVE Marsh Ridge cave - close to Milton basin, close to two moose spawns, rabbits, ptarmigans and birch bark, place to fish nearby.

[@Seriously_Unserious]

If you get the same location I got for it, you may have a wolf standing on the hatch when you crawl out. I prefer to take that risk into account when choosing ideal bases in a region.

[@GreySquirrelly1016]

Trappers cabin is a good one, it’s where I am now, but my favourite is the cave in raven falls Railway, the one closest to the dam

[@sandstormgaming806]

Nice! Ima go compare the two

[@Seriously_Unserious]

I like it, though I tend to use it mostly as a staging base, either when exploring that corner of the map, or for planning trips between ML and MT.

[@GeorgeP1066]

Milton Farmhouse *and* the Maintenance Yard are both infested with wolves. Absolutely wild to me that you mention wolves for Spence Homestead (which are nearby but not right outside) but didn't mention them for two bases that are infamous for having wolves right on top of them. EDIT: Made it to the end of the video and it's obvious this guide doesn't apply to Stalker or above because half the bases mentioned are potentially deadly on those settings due to hostile wildlife that you didn't even mention (Last Resort Cannery's whole deal is having a giant pack of timberwolves inside it). None of these base recommendations are *bad* but the fact that you're not even mentioning these threats tells me you're playing on a difficulty level where these threats probably aren't even spawning.

[@sandstormgaming806]

Good point. You’re right about the wolves

[@Seriously_Unserious]

@@sandstormgaming806 I'll also add that the maintenence shed, and Last Resort Cannery have areas that are livewire deathtraps in them as well during auroras. That's another thing worth mentioning when giving the pros and cons of bases. One of the critical things in assessing if a base is worth using is doing a threat assessement so you know what could kill or hurt you if you chose that base. EG, the lighthouse in DP is generally out of the line of fire for most threats, but the entrance to the peninsula and island chain it's on does have some possible wolves, and the route to the lighthouse is long when coming and going, making wolf attacks and hypothermia possible threats to contend with. Hibernia is on one of the favorite routes of a bear, has multiple wolf spawns nearby, and the building itself is big, dark and cluttered, meaning you'll need a light source or risk getting lost and stuck in there. There's also places on the upper floor where you can fall through holes in the floor, and though you don't take damage or injury from the fall, it can dump you in an unknown part of the basement in pitch black, leaving you stuck there passing time until it's light out if you don't have any light sources on you.

[@smughatkid08]

My favourite home base is the fishing village in Coastal Highway. You get the nearby forge in Desolation Point, and you can travel directly to Pleasant Valley with the cave system to get the the centre of the map. Travel to Mystery Lake is pretty easy too since the Ravine is pretty safe, other than the bridge crossing. Main advantage of the fishing village is that its quite safe. There's a bear that wanders through sometimes but even when using the outdoor workbench he's never attacked me since you can cancel crafting as soon as you hear him. The fishing hut nearby is good for cooking, fishing and waiting out cabin fever too. The wolves rarely come too close to the houses, necer close enough where they've attacked me before i could go back inside at least.

[@sandstormgaming806]

I like that area a lot too, just gotta keep an eye out for that damn bear

[@spanonanochano7907]

I always start AC, head to the mine and get the backpack/crampons, then to the summit to grab the warm clothing and coffee crates, then Blackrock -> PV -> ML -> Milton -> HRV quick for the moose satchel, lately been moving from there to get the radio and do the tales for that loot but really curious what routes everyone else likes.

[@sandstormgaming806]

I switch up all the time but ima try your direct route

[@jetbean350]

I usually start in MT, and head over to mystery lake and then to pleasant valley to setup my base. Then I head over to ash canyon to get the backpack, then I go back to TM and loot most of the cargo. Then I make a trip or two to get the loot in the farm. Then after that I head over to forsaken airfield to get the radio.

[@Seriously_Unserious]

Mostly good options and reasonings, however for Bleak Inlet, I have to caution against using the cannery as a main base. It's one of the timberwolf pack spawn points and you will be regularly fighting off packs in and out of your base, plus it's far away from any good hunting spots for non hostile wildlife. You will find very few deer around here and only a small handful of rabbits you can hunt/snare, and may have to fight your way through a pack of timberwolves to get to and from your snare lines and hunting sites. I usually prefer either the worker's cabins across the bridge or one of the nearby trailers, or a cave it I'm mainly being active around the frozen delta. Because of the threat of timberwolves and the unstable, windy weather, I segment this region into zones and have a base for each zone. That way as I move about the region, I'm never too far away from a stocked up shelter I can survive at for a few days of blizzards or thick fog. I do not recommend traveling in BI or Blackrock in blizzards as the Timberwolves remain active even in blizzards. Only thing is you can't see them until you're right on top of them, and can't hear them over the howling of the blizzard winds.

[@Burago2k]

Currently i wanted to go somewhere else other than the Farmstead in Pleasant Valley but im thinking of being there again cause its such a good place for literally anything, you have a car to cure cabin fever, you have a stove a LOT of storage 2 story building with a basement with a crafting bench and you can go to desolation point in not so long when you are used to it to craft arrowheads or tools if need be and wolves, deers and bears are always around. In most places you either have to rope to get there which makes carrying stuff way more difficult and you have to haul everything there which in PV you have multiple regions which you don't need to rope. Also in Blackrock there is a moose spawn under the prison lake area which he didn't mention.

[@xAnAngelOfDeathx]

Good video man, liked and subbed. The Long Dark is a masterpiece.

[@sandstormgaming806]

Appreciate that!

[@Seriously_Unserious]

I have some thoughts also on the base pick for Coastal Highway. The Quonset Garage is the default option for most players, but it has a fatal flaw that disqualifies it for me as a viable option. It's completely surrounded by several aggressive wolf spawns that keep the area surrounded by muliple wolves, plus a moose can spawn out your back door and a bear can walk right past your front door. All in all, too many threats make you feel like you're trapped in your base under siege. I prefer one of the nearby houses that are just off to the side of the Quonset Chaos. My top pick's a house with a large porch and an indoor fireplace, surrounded by many fishing nets. If that place is burned out, then my 2nd choice is the house up the hill from it. The porch house is still a bit too close to some of the wolf spawns for comfort, but the indoor fire options and large porch for safer exits does compensate for this shortcoming, the house at the top of the hill has no indoor fire options, but is far enough away from the chaos you're usually unlikely to attract the wolves even when coming home from a hunting or fishing trip with a stinky load, even if you do attract the locals, you'll usually see them coming up the road from far enough away you can take action, either dumping your smelly stuff or getting ready to shoot. These houses are also still close enough to the Garage to access the workbenches inside when you need them, while still limiting your exposure to the wolves.

[@cameronadey7004]

i like Quonset because the food walks right up to the door

[@rielochoa4786]

Very nice video mate and helpful, thank you. I think I like the prison as my base, looks very safe inside

[@sandstormgaming806]

Thanks!

[@Tibor0803]

The only problem I have with Pleasant Valley Farmstead is that it's workbench is pretty dark even in the brightest days as it's located down in the basement. Auroras can brighten the place, so I can properly navigate and find the craftables stored down there.

[@sandstormgaming806]

Good point!

[@Burago2k]

Its a pain sometimes for sure, but the more you pile up the less of a hustle it is since you have lanterns and whatnot.

[@lilstrats944]

My home is Trapper’s Cabin, it’s cozy and the rifle rack is very useful. Sometimes I put one or two rock caches outside. I turn the dam into a supply depot then I have bases in different regions for the supply depot. TLD has grown to be so massive that you have to make a choice around 50 to 100 days. As the condition of food, clothing and meds degrade in places you haven’t been yet. Orca Gas Station in MT. Camp Office in ML. Spence’s Homestead in FM. Maintenance Shed in BR. Train Station in TFT. Farmstead in PV for Blackrock workshop. Thompson’s Crossing in PV. Quonset for CH and DP. Mountaineer’s Hut for TM and AC.

[@sandstormgaming806]

Yo this is a nice layout. I like all of the places that you’ve picked

[@lilstrats944]

@@sandstormgaming806 My favorite part is how I can drag the travois from the dam to trappers, only stopping for wildlife or fuel. It makes wood and meat supply runs so much easier. I could have hundreds of fish and venison at trappers with enough grinding. Tip ups combined with the travois changes the game entirely. I do not loot, I clear.

[@sandstormgaming806]

@@lilstrats944 "I do not loot, I clear". Dope ass statement!

[@lilstrats944]

@@sandstormgaming806 My play style makes me love the Cheat Death. Imagine sweeping the entire map. Dying in BI then spawning in empty MT would be wild.

[@dank_jesus]

On point with each suggestion man!

[@sandstormgaming806]

Thanks!

[@jokinjakesgaming]

Sweet concept for a video

[@sandstormgaming806]

Thank ya

[@planto360]

in broken railroad i love the hunting lodge its my favorite base

[@sandstormgaming806]

Not a bad choice. Favorite base in any region?

[@planto360]

@@sandstormgaming806 trappers cabin is my go to and favorite but quenset garage is a close second

[@neooblisk0084]

I enjoy the ambiance of it but I can never justify wasting time and calories going past the maintanence yard

[@michaelsly267]

Cool vid!

[@sandstormgaming806]

Thanks!

[@upduckie9643]

As an interloper player I definitely wouldn't suggest having bases in every region because you will soon stave to death

[@sandstormgaming806]

Nice point!

[@upduckie9643]

@@sandstormgaming806 have you played interloper?

[@sandstormgaming806]

Yeah, not often though

[@jigglynorris2559]

Stalker player here. Tbh pick one map and have a main base and have sub bases with necessary supplies throughout the map (Water, Matches, Firewood, Meat). My main base is Trappers Cabin in Mystery Lake. Got Sub Bases in Blackrock, Timberwolf Mountain, Coastal Highway, Mountain Town, and Transfer Pass. It'll help a lot.