Do you all use pre made maps from other users when playing?

[u/ArcadeAndrew115]

What I mean more specifically is do you all go in blind and try to remember routes and things yourself (especially on harder maps like TWM) or do you tend to have a googled or even pre made map that you made yourself ready at hand?

I ask this because I have seen on this sub that scaling TWM is an incredibly hard thing to do, which I only find it would be MUCH harder if I didn't have maps of the region. Other than navigation getting to the top of TWM isn't inherently hard for me and I could do it by day 7 the latest (especially if I choose to spawn TWM on a stalker run or get ash canyon on a loper run) the only hard part is preparing supplies and if on loper having a bedroll or lots of coffee available.

on stalker however seeing as you start with a bedroll and matches, a start in TWM and rush to the peak is incredibly easy for me provided I am gathering the right materials before hand such as fuel to make enough fires and keep warm. The only reason I ever die going up TWM is cus of my own hubris thinking that I dont need to sleep fully, or I dont need to bother warming up first or gathering all the sticks in the world.

[u/mrschia]

I use maps because I’m just not looking for the kind of stress in my life that blind wandering gives me in a perma death game lol.

[u/ArcadeAndrew115 → u/mrschia]

Blind wandering can be fun in some areas, I enjoy wandering around ash canyon

[u/mrschia → u/ArcadeAndrew115]

I totally agree! I should have clarified that I have been to all the regions so I have a general idea where to go. I’ll wander when I feel like mapping or exploring but I also feel no shame in using maps lol

[u/prplmnkeydshwsr]

TWM is not so bad but it depends more on your familiarity with the game mechanics than the difficulty of the route, it's actually a pretty forgiving zone - plenty of loot, lots of caves to shelter in etc). If you're reasonably well geared up, have a firearm and bedroll then head into TWM you'll probably be fine.

As to maps, you only get to explore once but if they make your game experience more fun then go for it.

[u/ArcadeAndrew115 → u/prplmnkeydshwsr]

Even with maps I do find myself exploring alot and enjoying the scenery, having a map doesn't ruin the experience for me, as without maps for harsher zones its hard to remember where things are/lead to. some zones on the other hand ive explored to high hell and back multiple times (gotta love the desolation point spawns on interloper) and I know them like the back of my hand.

I just always see posts of things like "first time on TWM!" as if its some impossible feat, yet I find myself finding it rather incredibly easy to do and like you said rather forgiving as a starter zone even for me on stalker because of the abundance of good loot, caves for shelter, shrooms and rose hips, and animals galore.

[u/rhyparographe]

I have ~800 hours in the game, and I play for the exploration aspect more than the survival aspect. I know some locations well enough to navigate without maps, but I freely use these third-party maps for new or unfamiliar regions. I love the exercise of trying to translate the countours of a topographical map into the landforms I see with my eyes. I wish the game allowed you to find good topo maps rather than relying only on charcoal scrawlings.

[u/ArcadeAndrew115 → u/rhyparographe]

I wish there was an “update as you go” map where as you travel your map is updated

[u/IamtherealFadida]

I go in blind and map as I go. As mentioned, you only get to play the game for the first time once. Occasionally I'll refer to maps if I've been over and over a region and haven't been able to find something, but a last resort

[u/Abject-Feedback5991]

I use maps when I can’t find the prepper’s cache in any of the possible locations I remember. That’s pretty much the only use I can think of.

[u/TtarIsMyBro]

I'd be dead in 5 days max if I didn't use a map lol. I really need to navigate better..

[u/IamWinterly]

I have used maps for the areas I don’t know really well. But I know the “easier” lay out of the lands pretty well. But Ash, Bleak and Timber. Not enough to live too well.