Astrid's Hardcase

<infobox> <title source="name"><default>Astrid's Hardcase</default></title> <image source="image"><default>No picture.png</default></image> <group>

General

</header>

<label>Item Type</label> <format>{{#switch:{{{item type}}}

 |clothing=Clothing
 |drink=Drink
 |first aid=First aid
 |food=Food
 |material=Material
 |tool=Tool
 |fire starting=Fire Starting
       }}</format>

<default>Item</default> <label>Wintermute</label> <format>{{#switch:yes

 |yes=Yes
 |no=No
       }}</format>

   <label>Renewable</label>

<label>Clothing Slot</label> <format>{{#switch:{{{clothing slot}}}

 |Head=Head
 |Hands=Hands
 |Inner torso=Inner torso
 |Outer torso=Outer torso
 |Inner legs=Inner legs
 |Outer legs=Outer legs
 |Inner feet=Inner feet
 |Outer feet=Outer feet
 |Accessory=Accessory
       }}</format>

<label>Firestarting Slot</label> <format>{{#switch:{{{firestarting slot}}}

 |Starter=Starter
 |Tinder=Tinder
 |Fuel=Fuel
 |Accelerant=Accelerant
       }}</format>

</group> <group>

Statistics

</header>

   <label>Burn density</label><format>{{{burn density}}} hr/kg 
({{#expr:{{{burn density}}}/2.2 round 2}} hr/lb)</format>

<label>Energy density</label><format>{{#if:|{{{energy density}}} cal/kg
({{#expr:{{{energy density}}}/2.2 round 0}} cal/lb)|{{#if:|{{#expr: {{{calories}}}/0 round 0}} cal/kg
({{#expr: {{{calories}}}/0/2.2 round 0}} cal/lb)}}}}</format> <group layout="horizontal">

       <label>Weight</label><format>
{{#if:|{{{weight lower}}} - 0 kg|0 kg}}
{{#if:|({{#expr: {{{weight lower}}}*2.2 round 2}} - {{#expr: 0*2.2 round 2}} lbs)|({{#expr: 0*2.2 round 2}} lbs)}}</format>
       <label>Warmth bonus</label><format>
{{{warmth bonus}}} °C
({{#expr: {{{warmth bonus}}}*1.8 round 1 }} °F)</format>

<label>Windproof bonus</label><format>
{{{windproof bonus}}} °C
({{#expr: {{{windproof bonus}}}*1.8 round 1 }} °F)</format> <label>Calories</label><format>
{{{calories}}} calories</format> <label>Hydration</label><format>
{{{hydration}}}</format> <label>Burn time</label><format>
{{{burn time}}} minutes</format> <label>Heat</label><format>
+{{{heat}}}°C
(+{{#expr: {{{heat}}}*1.8 round 1 }}°F)</format> <label>Bonus chance</label><format>
{{{firestarting modifier}}}</format> <label>Unit weight</label><format>
{{{unit weight}}} kg/{{{unit name}}}
({{#expr:{{{unit weight}}}*2.2 round 3}} lbs/{{{unit name}}})</format> <label>Unit count</label><format>
{{{unit count}}}
{{{unit name}}}</format>

   </group>
   <group layout="horizontal">
       <label>Waterproof bonus</label><format>
{{{waterproofness}}}</format>
       <label>Protection</label><format>
{{{protection}}}</format>
       <label>Mobility</label><format>
{{{mobility}}}</format>
   </group>
   <group layout="horizontal">

<label>Harvest</label> <label>Repair</label> </group> </group> </infobox>

Astrid's Hardcase is a Tool and Collectible found throughout most episodes of Wintermute. It belongs to Astrid Greenwood and is one of the main plot points of the Wintermute story.

Episode 1

Memories

“

In-game Description

}}

”

“

Mackenzie's Description

}}

”

In the mission Memories, Astrid arrives with it at the Jackrabbit Remote Transport hangar and after a short cutscene is treated as a tool. It is treated as a tool and weighs 5.00 kg, and is a required object to be placed inside the floatplane in order to progress the mission.

The Crash

“

}}

”

It is found near the wreckage of the crash site in the beginning of Episode 1 and is picked up by Will Mackenzie and carried for the rest of the episode. It weighs 0.00 kg after at this point and acts as a Collectible for the rest of the game.

Episode 2

The Hardcase is carried over into Episode 2 as a key item but does not play much role in the story until the ending cutscene, where Mathis finds Mackenzie and tortures him for information on how to open it. The episode ends with Mathis knocking out Mackenzie.

Episode 4

Episode 4 requires the player to retrieve it once more after it is stolen by Convicts. It is re-acquired near the end of the Episode, in the Warden's office.

Trivia

As of Episode 4, it is revealed that the case contains the cure for an unknown illness which is affecting the inhabitants of Perseverance Mills, and that Mathis intensely desires having the case for his own curiosity, as well as to spite Mackenzie.

The Hardcase is treated as the MacGuffin for the Wintermute story, as the entire plot is centered around its safe passage and delivery, despite the fact that case is treated as nothing more than a key item that stays in the player's inventory, otherwise being unimportant gameplay wise.

At the end of Episode 5, it is revealed that the case contains experimental vaccines against Alzheimer's.

Gallery

Mackenzie finding the Hardcase after crashing
Mathis holding the hardcase
Mathis striking Mackenzie over the head with the case
The Hardcase and Astrid's Backpack

Update history

{{#switch:update|update=UPDATE|hotfix=HOTFIX|hidden=HIDDEN}} 7 December 2021{{#if:The_Long_Dark/Changelog| (Update)|}}:

Item description has been updated from "Hardcase found in Astrid's backpack at the crash site".