Lost River (Classic)

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For its modern counterpart or other uses, see Lost River (Anniversary Edition) and Lost River.

For the wolf pack sharing the same name, see Lost River (pack).

Lost River (Classic), formerly known as Lost River , is a classic game world first introduced along with the initial public release of WolfQuest: Classic, then known as WolfQuest 2.7. It is a vast wilderness in the vicinity of abandoned, dilapidated settlements once inhabited by humanity. In the present day, nature continues its gradual reclamation of the land, and wildlife roams freely.

Across all versions of the game, while a mate can be found here in the single-player campaign, the player cannot migrate elsewhere and there are no further objectives past the endless Explore mission. Further restrictions apply.

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Set in an unknown valley somewhere in western America, Lost River is a vast wilderness in the vicinity of an abandoned settlement formerly occupied by humanity. A husk of its former self, structures stand dilapidated, with the majority of buildings inaccessible. A small collection of buildings bearing slogans and artwork serve as references placed by the development team.

It is a purely fictitious location set in a permanent state the fall (or autumn) season in-game. It does borrow some elements from locations found in the real world; a recurring observation is its strong resemblance to Pripyat, Chornobyl.

This game world made its first debut on November 17^th 2015 in WolfQuest: Classic (formerly WolfQuest 2.7), and it would be absent in its successor — WolfQuest: Anniversary Edition — until March 13^th 2020.

History

Not much is known, and much is left up to player interpretation. Nothing in this section has been confirmed. Much of it is built based on observation and evidence found in-game!

True to its namesake, this location is home to a river which is sourced by the Two-Step waterfall. This water source runs from the southwestern canyons and feeds into a stream, which at some point fed into a river that once ran through, under, or around Allison Acres. It is difficult to ascertain where exactly it was, but a clear opening exists next to the road which would have redirected the river's flow through Hank's Ditch.

Whether the river was natural or dug out by the human settlers prior to building in an effort to prevent flooding in Allison Acres by redirecting the flow to run through the ditch is unknown. The Two-Step stream would have connected to Downtown's sewage disposal, where both fed into a large reservoir with a concrete dam constructed on the far side, towards one edge of the game world. Whether this was a natural lake repurposed or a man-made lake is unknown.

WolfQuest: Anniversary Edition introduces the fire tower cabin as a newly-accessible area, inside of which is a notebook sitting open atop a desk. It contains a written account of the watchman's final thoughts while they overlooked the evacuation before they, too, left town. It can be difficult to read in-game.

A newspaper dispenser in Downtown, near the Town Hall/Civic Centre, confirms some form of evacuation occurred and is the key reason behind the town's abandonment. However, only the headings are legible; the rest of the article's subtext uses Lorem Ipsum dummy text. Messages written on garage doors in the residential areas, either as parting messages from former residents or as warnings for those yet to discover the valley, further hint that an evacuation was indeed carried out successfully, with some hinting at the possibility of the river itself leading to the town's downfall.

Legible fire tower diary. (Extracted from the game files.)

Newspaper dispenser with its front page. Only the headline and column headings are legible. (In-game screenshot from 2.7.)

Raw, extracted texture. Upscaled slightly for legibility.

Theories & Speculation

Main article: Lost River/Speculation

There are many theories and many have speculated over the years. It seems Dave enjoys keeping his player base guessing!

• There have been theories surrounding the BCE Facility as a potential cause for Lost River's decline. However, opinions seem divided.
  • Some think the facility was involved with genetic manipulation. There are theories of genetically-modified beavers, or speculation that Floppy is the result of such experimentation. However, there's no real evidence to support scientists' involvement in the town's downfall.
  • Beavers may have been reintroduced to help manage to situation, though this either backfired (based on the flooded Allison Acres area) or perhaps something else upset the balance of life.
• The large tanks in Downtown's "Tank Town" district appear to have long gashes running across their barrels. It's unknown whether this occurred before, during, or after the evacuation, or whether they corroded over time due to improper maintenance. What they contain (or once contained assuming them to be empty in the present day) is unknown.

In WolfQuest: Anniversary Edition, Lost River (Classic) is largely unchanged, save for some quality of life improvements and small changes to accommodate the map in the modern remake. The episode arc remains the same across all game modes, and in single-player a mate can be sought after and courted, but along with the player it will be unable to migrate elsewhere. Apart from helping to hunt prey and harass predators, there is little else to do with a companion in tow. Additionally, this mate will not generate a family snapshot, which in turn will prevent them from appearing at all in the mate selector when setting up a new Slough Creek single-player game.

Improvements (Modern)

Staircase logic is less janky than it was in the first iteration. The staircase leading up to the fire tower can be scaled where it was previously blocked by an invisible barrier, and scalable staircases in general could be problematic to climb without issues occurring. The sloping walls of the ditch in Downtown can now be climbed, saving the player from a longer running and/or swimming route to return to the wilderness. However, AI pathing continues to deny NPCs from doing the same, giving players a major strategic advantage while hunting prey and harassing predators. Most areas of steep terrain now prevent the player from climbing steep inclines where there was little to no blocking in its predecessor. Some buildings appear dirtier or more dilapidated, though this aesthetic change is visible only for a select few.

Since being added to the game during early access, eagles were missing in the original iteration of Lost River. Now present, they soar the open skies and will occasionally land to consume unguarded carcasses, or they may be observed fishing in large bodies of water for a chance of catching (and subsequently dropping) rainbow trout. Rival wolves roam in dynamic territories, their names and general territorial claim unchanged. The trio have established much larger territorial claims that take up more of the game world. Hexes appear huge, though this is due to classic Lost River being a much smaller map!

Gone are the elk hunting grounds, as the herds now roam freely across the open valley and its former human settlements at their own leisure. Among the local wildlife populations are red foxes, coyotes, moose, as well as newcomer mule deer and small groups of elderly bull bison.

The map's main campaign remains the same: finding a mate is possible, but the player and their newfound mate cannot migrate elsewhere, and the episode arc ends in an endless state of exploration. Family snapshots are not generated in this location, thus a found mate is permanently locked into Lost River. As before, no den sites exist here.

Regressions (Modern)

Fairly minor, in the form of missing or removed objects. Allison Acres and Grant's Glen lack their signature signs, though they are present in the game files.

In WolfQuest: Classic, Lost River made its first debut with the game's launch in November 2015. It can only be accessed in the full, paid game; those playing the free trial cannot access this game world.

While a mate can be found here, there are no den sites and there is no way to migrate to another location. This is not an ideal location in which to settle, establish territory, or raise a family! Stated in-game when first accessing Lost River and mentioned in the WolfQuest FAQ.

Overview (Classic)

It would appear that Lost River was once a tourist attraction and perhaps even a vacation spot prior to the evacuation. There are many houses, establishments and landmarks to be found throughout the map. Trash is carried by the wind while in or near town and residential areas.

There are two elk hunting grounds and three wolf territories: the Elevation pack on Baer Bluffs, the Van Winkle pack by Allison Acres, and the Lost River pack by the Back Forty.

Players cannot leave the game world due to four invisible barriers at the edges of the map, preventing access to the void area. While it is possible to find dispersals and establish a bond with them, it has been confirmed that it is not possible to migrate to Slough Creek.

This game world is set during the fall or autumn season.

Territories (Classic)

To the north-east is the beginning of the road and an abandoned caravan, passing an abandoned cabin by the Back Forty; to the south-east is the Two-Step and Allison Acres; to the south is a barricaded exit/entrance; situated south-west is Downtown, Hank's Ditch and the locked down BCE Facility; directly west is another barricaded exit/entrance, the lake and Grant's Glen.

For sustenance and hunting, there are two hunting grounds zones: one in the heart of Downtown, and the other in the wilderness by the Back Forty.

Settlements (Classic)

• The Back Forty is a derelict, lightly-wooded area where a lone cabin can be found. This may have been a summer retreat. Further up and towards the dead-end of the road is a caravan.

• Allison Acres appears to be the smallest of three residential areas with the fewest houses. It is completely submerged by a lake created as a result of flooding, beaver invasion, or perhaps a combination of the two. Players must be prepared to swim through deep water to explore it!

• Grant's Glen appears to be a moderately-sized residential area. It is the furthest from any bodies of water and must be visited on the road leading to the Hilltop.

• Downtown is the largest of the three settlements and appears to have been a busy hub for most productive opportunities and businesses, as is evidenced by the presence of various restaurants and diners, stores, a hotel, a town hall/civic center, school, advisories, museum(s), gift shop(s), sundry and food stores. Entertainment venues include an arcade, pool hall, a library and bowling alley. Two delis, gas stations and one meat processing factory are also situated here.

It would seem that emergency services would have been housed within or around Downtown.

Landmarks (Classic)

Main article: Landmarks

• The Two-Step is the location of a narrow waterfall originating from beyond the cliffs on the edge of the game world. It stands between two wolf territories and has two viewpoints — one upper and one lower.

• Hilltop has one viewpoint, a campfire arrangement and a fire lookout tower. Its viewpoint is a great vantage point of Downtown, Hank's Ditch, the reservoir, and Allison Acres.

• The Carnival is situated within Downtown. It houses different rides, stalls, games, and attractions.

• The Cinema, a building also situated in Downtown.

• Hank's Ditch formerly fed the stream or river that flowed through Allison Acres into a reservoir to the south-west of Downtown. A sewage drain likely dumped waste from all three settlements. As a result of Allison Acres' flooding, the ditch has dried up and is no longer useful. The reservoir to the west is blocked off by an arch-gravity dam with the other side presumably leading down into a gorge. Due to its placement towards the edge of the game world, this is not present.

BCE Facility (Classic)

For theories and speculation about the facility, see Theories & Speculation.

The front gate.

The BCE Facility is perhaps the most mysterious landmark with much player speculation. The facility's slogan is Remaking the world one molecule at a time — this could be anything from harmless to sinister. This is for each player to decide for themselves. There are theories about the facility having had some involvement in Lost River's deterioration. The gates of the facility are chained and locked, never to reopen for as long as Lost River remains abandoned by mankind. At night, a distorted floppy moose can be seen running around aimlessly, her extremities flailing wildly within the enclosure.

See also: WolfQuest Wiki:Interactive Maps.

Geography

The theme of this game world features several rocky mountains, cliffs and hills. Roads stretch across the land, cutting a smooth path across rugged and uneven terrain. To the north-east is the beginning of the road and an abandoned caravan, passing an abandoned cabin by the Back Forty; to the south-east is the Two-Step and Allison Acres; to the south is a barricaded exit road; situated south-west is Downtown, Hank's Ditch and the locked down BCE facility; directly west is another barricaded exit, a lake, and Grant's Glen.

Within the heart of Lost River is a tall hilltop; at its peak is a viewpoint and an old fire tower, each overlooking downtown and the entire valley, respectively. The staircase leading up to the fire tower cabin can only be ascended in the Anniversary Edition remake. In Classic, it is blocked on all sides, making it completely inaccessible.

Both roads leading out of town are heavily barricaded. The tunnel in Downtown is dark and has collapsed, making it completely inaccessible, and the southern road is barricaded by a roadblock. In Classic, this roadblock is impassable, while in the Anniversary Edition, it can be passed to reach the outer parameter, however the player will eventually be forced to turn back when they reach the edge of the game world.

Anniversary Edition Map

WQ-AE Maps LostRiver(Classic).png

Lost River (Classic) map, as it appears at load-in

WQ-AE Maps LostRiver(Classic)-defaultclaims.png

Showing initial pack claim hexes

WQ-AE Maps LostRiver(Classic)-defaultclaims-percentages.png

Initial pack claim with percentages

WQ-AE Maps-MP LostRiver(Classic).png

Lost River (Classic) map in multiplayer

WQ-AE LostRiver(Classic) Hilltop-sample.png

A view from Hilltop

WQ-AE LostRiver(Classic) Downtown-sample.png

A view from Downtown

WQ-AE LostRiver(Classic) Exit-sample.png

A view from the south-eastern exit

Classic 2.7 Map

Lost River, single-player.

Lost River, multiplayer.

Flyover.

Main article: Lost River/Quests

Please visit the linked main page for location quest guides. Miscellaneous guides and tips can be tagged under the guides categories, on the sub-page, or found in the navboxes on this page.

Anniversary Edition

Contributions from WolfQuest: Anniversary Edition's Lost River (Classic) game world are welcome in this gallery!

A view of the abandoned town from the south-east cliffs during the day

The same south-east viewpoint at night

Overhead view from Lost River: Shaping the Terrain

Town Hall / Civic Center

Classic

Contributions from WolfQuest: Classic's Lost River game world are welcome in this gallery!

What lies beyond the reservoir dam.

The cinema features some easter eggs.

Pre-Release

This gallery houses pre-release teasers and early previews. They are sampled from developer's blogs and videos posted by the developer.

First teaser of Lost River.

Bugs

• WolfQuest players have discovered strategies to get into the BCE Facility. See the Floppy guides sub-page.

Trivia

• Lost River somewhat draws inspiration from the Chernobyl disaster, though not an exact replica by any means.
• The concept for Lost River has existed since early WolfQuest development as an idea shared between Dave and Steve of Eduweb. However, due to the realistic nature of and intentions for the game and because funding was strictly for Amethyst Mountain development at that time, such a map could not be realised while Eduweb worked towards the game Minnesota Zoo had assisted with funding or advertising.
  • Since eduweb funded the 2.7 update themselves, this early concept could finally be realized.
• Based on the Town Hall or Civic Center building in Downtown, it shows a year. This may mean the town was established in the 1930's.
  • In Lost River (Classic), the year shown is 1939.
• In the Anniversary Edition and Classic, there is a cola dispenser placed inside Dave's Bowl-o-rama. The reasons for this remains unknown and has never been explained, though it may be copyright-related. It can be seen by clipping the camera through the building's wall. Only the back and part of the side closest to the wall are visible.
  • The front of the machine cannot be seen. Extracted game assets reveal the front of the cola machine. It says "Buca Cola", and the filename references it as "coceMachine", which has inspired coce memes within the community.
• It is unknown how many parallels exist between Lost River and Chornobyl.
  • The absence of planes flying overhead in Classic and the presence of the BCE Facility, whose motto mentions changing the world one molecule at a time may suggest radiation, or some kind of disaster which rendered the area uninhabitable. It is unknown if the area is radioactive.
    • Some accounts state that radiation causes creatures to grow abnormally bigger than they usually would (wolves in Chernobyl are said to be larger than average), it's equally possible that the lack of 1:1 scale is developer error. Whatever the case may be, wolves tend to be much bigger than dogs.
  • Lost River may have been abandoned and forgotten for as-of-yet unknown reasons.
• With the exception of its headline and headers, the newspaper clipping shown in the dispenser in front of Town Hall uses dummy text. (Lorem Ipsum.)
• This map features a lot of Easter Eggs, referencing the WolfQuest Team, their Community Team, and the voluntary community members who were involved with 2.7 beta testing.
• The lone cabin at the Back Forty may is thought to be the one owned by JJ, someone who is referenced on a garage door message addressed to an "Uncle Henry" in Grant's Glen.
• This game world has the most Easter Eggs in the game to date.
  • It is the first map to directly reference the development team.