August Digest #3

SurrounDead

Picked up a Charger car like Walshie the auto trader. Found it at the Longdown Raceway circuit, north of the Observatory (see map image below). Was originally sorting out an infestation south west of the raceway in an off-road discovered. On my way back I then spotted this unsearched area and decided to have a closer look. And came across the cars. 

Was not expecting but happy to grab it and a second jeep. 

Unfortunately the front of my base is now overcrowded with autos. Can't help myself with collecting them as I'll pick up any auto I happen across. May need to expand the parking base because sometimes the vehicles will respawn everywhere. A game glitch perhaps? 

Current base is a property for sale just north of Whitewood and therefore within close reach of the Valley Safe Zone with its main traders.

There's a second permanent Safe Zone in the north not far from the Observatory but it's limited in regards to traders - just the one. But it is well populated by other friendly survivors. 

The third main trader location is the shipwrecked ship far to the north-west on the river, not far from the main port. It has a number of traders but it's not like the main Valley Safe Zone. 

Of course, there are also the many single traders who have permanent trading locations scattered all throughout the valley, generally off-road and out of the way. There's Walshie's Vehicular Shop on the road south of Whitewood near the bridge in the middle of the valley, Trader Joe (eastern edge of the map), Trader Bob (south), and Wilson's Shop (more northern than eastern corner of the map). 

As it stands, I don't need to visit the traders any more anyway as I'm pretty much self-sufficient nowadays. Loads of stockpile stores and equipment as well as being capable of creating all my own ammunition except rocket ammo. Only reason to visit is to build up my cash and credit reserves. 

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Iron Nest - Heavy Turret Simulator

Saw a WOWS YT streamer tonight (Tuesday) playing this and instantly downloaded the demo. Played the calibration mission, and I was immediately hooked. So now I have bought the game.

Playing the game. Setting is an alternate dieselpunk Iberian country. Repeated the Calibration mission then started and completed the Fire and Light mission. I enjoyed it, especially the calculations. Stopped thereafter. Next mission is Liberation of Cuidad Real. 

Figuring out the white chalk pencil. Got the red and yellow figured, as well as the compass. But the white does not generate bearing and distance like the others. 

Your living quarters downstairs has a cat (who can be customized) as your companion along with the usual creature comforts - coffee maker, kitchenette, toilet, shower, bunk bed, map of the country.

Completion of missions provide you with achievements and vouchers as well as other rewards such as a LP record. The record player is upstairs in the gun-plot room in a little alcove behind the left gun. So far, am only using the left gun. Right gun will no doubt be unlocked as the missions get harder and harder. 

The game is simple to pick up. The steps to get the gun firing is easy to master. What probably trips you up will be the calc-ing and instructions. In other words, pay close attention to the instructions. 

But it's very early days. And everything so far it is the usual basic familiarisation stuff.

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Wednesday saw me jump straight into Iron Nest to resume the campaign. Next mission was Liberation. Followed it up by doing Skirmish - Chill - Uncontested Front. This one you can repeat as many times as you want. Then I finished off the session by tackling Counter Battery. 

This one was a tough one because the game introduced the counter-battery threat for the first time. After two failures - slow reactions and disorganised both times - third time proved the winner. 

Ensuring all the information gathering assets are programmed into your calcs - aircraft recces, spotter/recon reports, star shells, etc. But it was more luck on my part than actual skill if I'm being truthful. Completing it however now allows me access to two more missions (see bottom image). Iron Road looks the more difficult so will tackle that one next.

It's stated but it's also obvious: READ the instructions from High Command. Be clear on what's required. 

Don't always accept the reports from your field scouts as they can be inaccurate. Air recon is more reliable and quite important plus the flyover provides useful photo intel. Meanwhile star shells give both direction and distance that needs factoring in adjustment calcs.  

And, yes, the missions get progressively tougher to crack. But therein lies the challenge.

Glory to Castile!

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