Outdoors 'n' stuff

[Solaris_Wave]

The second photo is a lot clearer to see you, not just because it is zoomed in but because of the better resolution. I was struggling to spot you in the first photo and I think the low res played a part in that. Also, I wasn't sure of the scale of yourself when compared to the trees. I wasn't too far off your actual location because I saw what looked like a face. However, I couldn't tell precisely and wasn't sure if you were kneeling down or had your head lowered. All of that would be plenty of time for a sniper to take me down.

I enjoyed looking through the photos of the links you posted. The camo patterns are excellent and remind me of a mix of Canadian pattern (CADPAT) and German Flecktarn. The first link's winter pattern has got some great examples of it blending in with the terrain.

On a games and entertainment level, it does make me wish for more combat games that are set in a winter environment. It doesn't matter whether it was an FPS or a tactical scale turn-based strategy. Due to the cold temperatures, there could be some survival mechanics in there but not so it dominates the entire game. I find that with strict survival games, you are constantly hungry and thirsty. Nothing seems to sustain you for more than five minutes.

The game doesn't even have to be in a modern day setting. It could be set on Earth during a new ice age or be on another planet altogether.

Saying all of that also reminds me when I used to play Call Of Duty, over ten years ago and never to the level of mania that others have played it (I always thought it was overrated). There was one map set in the snow and I was laying prone with certain perks that made me harder to detect. I was near the edge of the map and underneath some trees. I was so busy looking towards the main building, and due to my position, I didn't think anybody would end up behind me. An enemy player actually crawled right past me, got up and sprinted off towards the building. They must have thought I was a mound of snow that couldn't be climbed over. I deliberately didn't kill the player as soon as I saw him, because that would have revealed my position (especially if I used a knife). Not only that but the game often respawned an enemy player you killed, behind you for a cheap revenge kill, particularly if your team had all moved up and the sides were swapped over. I waited until they were about to go inside the building before I took the shot. With it being hardcore mode, there was no kill camera either, so the shot could have come from anywhere.

Sniping was too easy in the Call Of Duty games though. All bullets had instantaneous travel and no drop in velocity at any range.

Edited January 31, 2023 by Solaris_Wave

[Hendrix]

On 1/31/2023 at 7:20 PM, Solaris_Wave said:

On a games and entertainment level, it does make me wish for more combat games that are set in a winter environment. It doesn't matter whether it was an FPS or a tactical scale turn-based strategy. Due to the cold temperatures, there could be some survival mechanics in there but not so it dominates the entire game. I find that with strict survival games, you are constantly hungry and thirsty. Nothing seems to sustain you for more than five minutes.

I would guess many developers are reluctant to do a all winter environment simply because they do not believe they can create a world that is varied enough to be interesting and people goes: Hey there's just white everywhere! 😂

I've tried a few survival games but I just find them to become tedious very quickly because of a constant lack of food/water/shelter etc.

 

On 1/31/2023 at 7:20 PM, Solaris_Wave said:

Saying all of that also reminds me when I used to play Call Of Duty, over ten years ago and never to the level of mania that others have played it (I always thought it was overrated). There was one map set in the snow and I was laying prone with certain perks that made me harder to detect. I was near the edge of the map and underneath some trees. I was so busy looking towards the main building, and due to my position, I didn't think anybody would end up behind me. An enemy player actually crawled right past me, got up and sprinted off towards the building. They must have thought I was a mound of snow that couldn't be climbed over. I deliberately didn't kill the player as soon as I saw him, because that would have revealed my position (especially if I used a knife). Not only that but the game often respawned an enemy player you killed, behind you for a cheap revenge kill, particularly if your team had all moved up and the sides were swapped over. I waited until they were about to go inside the building before I took the shot. With it being hardcore mode, there was no kill camera either, so the shot could have come from anywhere.

Never really played COD after the initial WW2 games. Me and my friends always went for the Battlefield series for military shooters. But I do recognize the scenario you described! 😁

[Solaris_Wave]

Battlefield was more my scene as well. I loved the open battlefields, integration of vehicles and the destructible scenery.

I never played the first few, PC-only games, such as BF:1942, BF2 and BF:Vietnam. I played the first one to come out on the XBox 360, which was BF2: Modern Combat. I didn't really like it because it would demote you in rank if you didn't get enough kills per match. Despite its scope, I found that the best way for me to play it and gain ranks, was to run around like I was playing a faster multiplayer, arcade FPS and get loads of kills in close quarters. However, that wasn't the way I wanted to actually play it.

Bad Company 1 came out afterwards and was so much more enjoyable. The sound effects and the destructible scenery created such an immersive experience. Bad Company 2 went one better with how much you could destroy and some of my most memorable experiences were in that game.

BF3 was the last one I played and brought more realism to the game. It felt like a step sideways rather than a step forward though. The developers had to remove the fully destructible scenery and there were only certain parts of the maps that could get wrecked. I never played any of the others because I never moved to a new generation XBox and at the time, didn't have a gaming PC. I feel like I have kind of missed out on the right time to play any of the sequels.

Edited February 3, 2023 by Solaris_Wave

[LoboNocturno]

I also used to hunt some years ago when i was living back in West Africa, unlike you guys around the snow and cold weather, i was hunting mostly around the mangrove swamp in tropical climate, also mostly odd creatures like monitor lizards, some different kind of snakes (once including a well sized African Rock Python, Africans biggest snake) and some wild birds. Never hunted with a rifle though, mostly by self made traps or bare hands. Was really a life time experience, the environment were just similar like in JA3 but just real, also with lots of ruined buildings from the pass civils wars.

[Solaris_Wave]

Very nice photos, especially the second one, for obvious reasons. I have never been to Africa (only to various countries and islands in the Mediterranean) but I am surprised you didn't have a rifle with you, even for defence. Especially, when you think of what animals live in Africa.

Did you carry any other kind of weapon?

Edited March 13, 2023 by Solaris_Wave

[LoboNocturno]

@Solaris_Wave Thanks, to be honest i didnt carry any shooting weapon at all, i mean i didnt go like you can see in the documentaries to the savannah where are lions, leopards, hyena clans etc, that could easily kill a adult human, that kind of animals are also mostly in Eastern & Southern Africa. Back in West Africa you dont have many wild animals that are willing to attack you, yes you also have hyena clans and leopards there but few, may very far away from humans as many wild animals are running to death from humans, especially back in Liberia many animals are about to extinct since all animals (in rare cases including humans) find their self in the pot.

 

Liberia is a snake heaven though, you can find almost all kind of dangerous Africans snakes right there, from Forest Cobra to Gaboon Viper (also called Cassava snake back there). Hunted it several times, the biggest viper in the world with the biggest fangs of all snakes, some people used to die from it as its easily to step on, a very sluggish snake that strikes lightning fast, master of camouflage, also during the war period some people used to die from it when people went to hide in the bushes, the Gaboon viper is a delicacy though for some local people.

 

Checkout this snake guide : https://liberia.arcelormittal.com/~/media/Files/A/ArcelorMittal-Liberia/reports-and-presentations/Guide-to-the-Snakes-of-Liberia.pdf

 

There are also crocodiles of course, but to overwhelm a crocodile in land its not so hard though, never captured nile crocodiles though but once a dwarf crocodile which is also unique to West Africa. I had captured black caiman though back in the days when i was in Guyana. The biggest animal i ever captured back in Liberia was a well sized Rock Phyton that i encountered totally by luck, it was crossing in the night from a bushy way, yes they are mainly very nocturnal, it was probably more then 4m long and around 80 pounds of muscles, had a machete with me so easy work, then we shared the meat with several people, fiesta time. 

Am mainly specialised to hunt reptiles and smaller mammals such pangolins or royal antelopes, (unless you want to hunt down bigger crocs or it would surely make it easier to kill nile monitors, Africa`s biggest lizard, can be also fast in short distance but i prepared mainly simple traps, as example with fish or chunk of chicken with a hidden hook, sometimes also captured it with my bare hands when it was cornered), so unless you want to hunt animals that can also run away fast then you need a rifle most definitely. The local hunters had some simple hunting rifles though with what they hunt bushbucks, forest hogs, monkeys, wild cats etc....

 

 

[Solaris_Wave]

I always wonder what creatures are defined as 'delicacies'. They either seem to be creatures that nobody else would want to eat (tree grubs), or they seem to be anything that tries to kill you first, fails and then gets killed in return.

I can imagine two humans standing around a deadly, but now just plain dead, animal:

"That thing tried to kill me!"

"At least we killed it first!"

"What do we do with it now?"

"Well…we could eat it?"

[Taurean]

River inlet in my little town in Norway. Taken about 6 weeks ago, end of january this year. I wonder if there will be water interaction in JA3. Would probably complicate things quite a bit.. at least if they take into realistic consideration of everything getting soaked and such.

Edited March 22, 2023 by Taurean

[Solaris_Wave]

We have wondered about river interaction before. I commented about the JA3 poster having gunboats on it. That opens up possibilities of using rivers to travel if the roads are heavily patrolled. Insertion and fire support by boat sounds great.

Not only that but we also previously discussed the possibilities of encountering natural predatory wildlife hiding in rivers and lakes.

I really hope such things will be added. It could be a lot of fun, as well as also being dangerous.

Edited March 22, 2023 by Solaris_Wave

[GODSPEED]

On 1/9/2023 at 2:31 AM, Hendrix said:

...

Hey man! Thought I'd pass by say hi 🍻

 

How has the weather been in your area?

You are closer to the mountains and countryside, right?

 

Until when does the snow last for you?

[Hendrix]

@GODSPEED Hey Buddy! 🍻

Winter has not given up yet. -10 to -15 Celsius during the nights and around 0 to +5 during the afternoon. There is still between 0.5 and 1 meters of snow outside, so this year I think we can expect the snow to stay until mid april. But if I go to the coast there is hardly any snow at all. Last year however the snow was gone by now.

As for were I live and if it is considered to be in the country or not that's a matter of perspective I guess. 😂 Someone from Stockholm, Malmö or Gothenburg would consider this to be Bumfuck Nowere with Polar bears, while someone from the rural places in the very north claims that the area is a part of Stockholm (wich is a 5 hour drive away).

I would estimate that 85 - 90% of the population is concentrated to the southern 1/3 of Sweden.

I live in a suburban area on the outskirts of a small town, so it is just at the edge of what further west counts as a rural area. Then I got the Baltic coast just 1.5 kilometers to the east. I grew up and lived in a rural area about a hour drive west of here until a few years ago though (the same area where I still hunt).

As for mountains, the area and even provinces around here are made up of a billowing (I think thats the right term) hilly forest landscapes. They are not like the high mountains above tree level in the west of Sweden on the boarder to Norway or the step and dramatic Norwegian fjords.

What about you? How's Montreal?

[GODSPEED]

On 3/31/2023 at 3:34 AM, Hendrix said:

@GODSPEED Hey Buddy! 🍻

Someone from Stockholm, Malmö or Gothenburg would consider this to be Bumfuck Nowere with Polar bears, while someone from the rural places in the very north claims that the area is a part of Stockholm (wich is a 5 hour drive away).

🤣🤣🤣

Ok, I get it; more like forested valleys in your region, less like the rocky mountains. I live on the island of Montreal, but also in what is considered a suburban section. People like 15 minutes away consider sometimes say things like: "Wow! you live far!!!" Makes me wanna cry... I'm so used to visiting my grand-parents who live 2 hours away in the actual countryside.. I don't even find it far.

Some people either only know Downtown city, or countryside living.

For weather..
..every year seems to be a new surprise in the recent years. 😅

This year, it's been a very warm year. For the past month it's seems to vary between +4 / -4 every day with odd warm/cold day. The occasional snowfall. I expect snow to have completely vanished by the end of next week (apart from where there are huge piles of snow). Below is what it looked like around my area for the past few weeks.

Robins (the bird in the photo) have been coming back, so that announces the coming of warmer currents.


Have you had a decent hunting season? Good catch?

[LoboNocturno]

@GODSPEEDHow is your lemon otocinclus & tetras 🐟🐠 doing man ? 😃

[GODSPEED]

1 hour ago, LoboNocturno said:

@GODSPEEDHow is your lemon otocinclus & tetras 🐟🐠 doing man ? 😃

Cillin' in their corners. All they do is wait to eat. 😂

[Hendrix]

On 4/1/2023 at 7:32 PM, GODSPEED said:

People like 15 minutes away consider sometimes say things like: "Wow! you live far!!!" Makes me wanna cry...

Yeah I got a 45 min drive ('bout 55 kilometers) to get to my workplace, so I get the same reaction every now and then. Luckily I have the possibility to work from home a couple of days a week.

 

On 4/1/2023 at 7:32 PM, GODSPEED said:

every year seems to be a new surprise in the recent years

Yeah the winters around here has really changed from when I was a kid. Back then (80's - 90's) the first of snow would show up in the end of November/ early December and stay until late april. Now we are lucky to get snow in December at all and having it stay through out March. Also we often get rain instead of snowfall. The winters are alot warmer aswell.

 

On 4/1/2023 at 7:32 PM, GODSPEED said:

Robins (the bird in the photo) have been coming back, so that announces the coming of warmer currents.

Nice. I think we will have to wait a few more weeks for the migrating birds to show up around here.

 

On 4/1/2023 at 7:32 PM, GODSPEED said:

Have you had a decent hunting season? Good catch?

Nope! Disastrous! 😂 Our bad luck continued throughout the entire season. Saw alot of black grouse and capercaillie during autumn so I was hoping for some good top-hunt during late January to mid February. First day of hunting however I made it 20 meters from the car and into the terrain when my left snowshoe breaks. Tried to push on but it was simply impossible.

 

18 hours ago, GODSPEED said:

Cillin' in their corners. All they do is wait to eat.

Sounds like our cat! 😂

Had a nice day today atleast, made a short hike to a nearby hilltop and grilled some hotdogs.

[Hendrix]

@LoboNocturno

Forgot to reply to your posts about hunting in Africa, fascinating read!

I am not afraid of snakes, while I do not find them pleasant either. But not in a million years would I hunt them in the way you describe!

Give me a rifle and a pissed of bear any day of the week! 

[Solaris_Wave]

What kinds of bear do you have where you live, @Hendrix?

[Hendrix]

@Solaris_Wave brown ones?😅

Joke aside, we only got the classic Brown Bear in Scandinavia.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brown_bear

They have increased a great deal during the last 30 years and today they are fairly common although they are shy and hard to spot. I have not seen one in the wild but I have seen fresh dropings and tracks on several occasions. 

They are not aggressive and unprovoked attacks are very very uncommon, normally restricted to people who hunt them and injure the bear or dogs agitating the bear to attack. But of course it is a wild animal with survival instincts so you have to be respectful of that. One should be especially wary if you spot bear cubs in the wild, because momma bear is not far away and VERY protective.

[Hendrix]

@anon474 I think that is universal for all wild animals. Today many "city-folks" are "Disney-ficated" to the degree that they have 0 understanding of nature and fauna. They seam to belive that animals in the forest gets togheter and sing songs and dance around every now and then and nature is a magical place were nothing bad happens.

When I was a kid, nature-shows on the tv used to show predators kill their prey and eat it. Today if they show a predator going on a hunt at all, they often only show the ones that ends in failure and while showing the Gazelle happily skip back to it's herd, the narrator goes something like: "I guess Mr. Lion will have to go hungry today", whit a voice that sounds like the Lion is stupid for not ordering a pizza.

A few years ago a man here in Sweden was driving on a dirt road and happend upon a bear whom just had taken down a moose and started to eat it alive (yes they do that). He captured the event and posted the video on whatever social media he used and there was a damn outcry of people who questioned him why he didn't help the moose from that evil bear! I belive he was even threatened.

[Solaris_Wave]

10 hours ago, anon474 said:

Another thing people always have to remember (rememBEAR? GETTIT? GETTIT? I'll see myself out), bears don't know what the law is.

Some bears do know the law. Ol' Smokey Bear harassing the good 'ol boys from Hazzard county or the truckers haulin' ass with a big can full o' gas.

Sorry…I grew up loving the movie, Convoy.

 

9 hours ago, Hendrix said:

When I was a kid, nature-shows on the tv used to show predators kill their prey and eat it. Today if they show a predator going on a hunt at all, they often only show the ones that ends in failure and while showing the Gazelle happily skip back to it's herd, the narrator goes something like: "I guess Mr. Lion will have to go hungry today", whit a voice that sounds like the Lion is stupid for not ordering a pizza.

You still get that with a lot of BBC wildlife documentaries but I must admit I haven't seen as much prey becoming the day's cuisine as I used to. That said, they still insist on showing plenty of insects and bugs chomping down on one another. I wouldn't mind that so much but they seem to love including wet, gristly sound effects while something gets swallowed, has their innards sucked out or they are bitten to death. Thanks guys…I have just sat down to eat my dinner and I am now hearing what sounds like celery being snapped into pieces while old yoghurt is being poured down a plug hole.

Edited April 6, 2023 by Solaris_Wave

[Hendrix]

11 hours ago, Solaris_Wave said:

Some bears do know the law. Ol' Smokey Bear harassing the good 'ol boys from Hazzard county or the truckers haulin' ass with a big can full o' gas.

Sorry…I grew up loving the movie, Convoy.

👍🏻

First saw Convoy a bit later in life (16'ish), I did treasure the VHS tape I had of Smokey & The Bandit though.

🎶 Eastbound and doooown, loaded up and trucki'n. 🎶

Oh, and the Cannonball movies aswell!

[Solaris_Wave]

I liked Cannonball Run as well. I used to often play the intro just to appreciate that black Lamborghini Countach. That is still one of my favourite cars of all time, especially that movie version. It is up there with the Ford Falcon Pursuit Special (a.k.a. the Interceptor) from Mad Max 1.

Edited April 7, 2023 by Solaris_Wave

[Taurean]

I friggin should have been outside today, very nice weather, i just didn't have the fire... and beisdes, the air is kind of cold, there is a bit of wind .. i don't think it would be good enough.. very early springtime still. Let's keep a cool head, eh ^^ I'll get some good pictures sooner or later ....

[Hendrix]

11 hours ago, Solaris_Wave said:

I liked Cannonball Run as well. I used to often play the intro just to appreciate that black Lamborghini Countach. That is still one of my favourite cars of all time, especially that movie version. It is up there with the Ford Falcon Pursuit Special (a.k.a. the Interceptor) from Mad Max 1.

Yeah the Countach is awesome, personally though I like the Lamborghini Miura even more.

Yeah Interceptor is a beast, my favourite classic muscle car is the Dodge Challenger.

Speaking of the Cannonball Run movies and Speed Zone, I have Ray Steven's Cannonball and Rocky Burnette's Perfect Crime on my favourite playlist on Spotify. Damn it is hard to keep the speed limit when those songs start. 😂

 

11 hours ago, Taurean said:

I friggin should have been outside today, very nice weather, i just didn't have the fire... and beisdes, the air is kind of cold, there is a bit of wind .. i don't think it would be good enough.. very early springtime still. Let's keep a cool head, eh ^^ I'll get some good pictures sooner or later ....

Aren't you Norwegian? I thought you lived outside? There's no bad weather, only bad clothes!

Yesterday was fantastic here. Only wish I had gone ice fishing.

[Solaris_Wave]

Speaking of those old wildlife documentaries versus the new ones not showing any successful takedowns, I always liked these…

https://youtu.be/Cj89wuIRQ0w

https://youtu.be/G_C9NKOK7AI?t=7

https://youtu.be/xVcL1tbsidk?t=23

 

I tried to embed them in the forum but they are being stubborn and only showing as links.

Edited April 8, 2023 by Solaris_Wave