# Different shelf life visualization

**URL:** <https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/different-shelf-life-visualization/16629>\
**Category:** The Garage\
**Created:** [September 17, 2018, 6:50am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/different-shelf-life-visualization/16629 "2018-09-17T06:50:12Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 10\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Fris0uman](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/fris0uman/32/8607_2.png) [@Fris0uman](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Fris0uman)\
**Post date:** [September 17, 2018, 6:50am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/different-shelf-life-visualization/16629/1 "2018-09-17T06:50:12Z")

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So now some perishables can go off in 6 years, but they still appear in the same blue color than the one that go off in one day.  
Would it be possible to implement different color to reflect different shelf life ?

Like the deeper the blue the longer it lives ?

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**Author:** ![Warlander](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/warlander/32/2990_2.png) [@Warlander](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Warlander)\
**Post date:** [September 17, 2018, 2:48pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/different-shelf-life-visualization/16629/2 "2018-09-17T14:48:53Z")

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To be honest, I think it would make sense to simply show actual time in which the food goes off (maybe with some degree of accuracy like 1 day at most) - IRL you are usually aware how long food will be fit for consumption after buying it, and in CDDA this would make sense as well. (character likely knows when apocalypse started for food in stores without expiration date written on them, on most food left in stores/restaurants/bars there will be expiration date, any gathered food you know when was gathered and can approximate how long it will take for it to spoil)

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**Author:** ![Wayticus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/90db22/32.png) [@Wayticus](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Wayticus)\
**Post date:** [September 17, 2018, 4:18pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/different-shelf-life-visualization/16629/3 "2018-09-17T16:18:57Z")

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Isn’t that what there is already is in game an estimated time it will go bad? Say get some fresh meat you know you have a day or two in cooler temperatures before it goes off.  
I figured the expiration dates were what my character was going off of in game to estimate the time for the packaged goods. Cept the milk that is easy to tell.

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**Author:** ![Fris0uman](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/fris0uman/32/8607_2.png) [@Fris0uman](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Fris0uman)\
**Post date:** [September 20, 2018, 6:40am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/different-shelf-life-visualization/16629/4 "2018-09-20T06:40:14Z")

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So right now you have the time it can last, you have an estimation,which depends on your survival skill, of how long it still have.

But what I’m talkng about is expanding the palette of [grey,blue,yellow,brown]=[unperishable,perishable,old,rotten] with more shades of blue because there’s different kind of perishable.

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**Author:** ![Trigon](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/trigon/32/2668_2.png) [@Trigon](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Trigon)\
**Post date:** [September 20, 2018, 12:40pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/different-shelf-life-visualization/16629/5 "2018-09-20T12:40:42Z")

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Im not opposed to this, though I question what the cutoff between the numbers would be.

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**Author:** ![Fris0uman](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/fris0uman/32/8607_2.png) [@Fris0uman](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Fris0uman)\
**Post date:** [September 20, 2018, 4:41pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/different-shelf-life-visualization/16629/6 "2018-09-20T16:41:02Z")

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The categories could be : 6Years, 1Year , Seasons, Days

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**Author:** ![Trigon](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/trigon/32/2668_2.png) [@Trigon](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Trigon)\
**Post date:** [September 20, 2018, 7:40pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/different-shelf-life-visualization/16629/7 "2018-09-20T19:40:07Z")

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Hmmm. I’d be willing to accept that. Though with the new default season length it might make more sense for the base value to be days. Do something like 360\>180\>90\>60\>30\>14\> Since the food’s lifespan doesn’t scale with season length.

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**Author:** ![Fris0uman](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/fris0uman/32/8607_2.png) [@Fris0uman](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Fris0uman)\
**Post date:** [September 20, 2018, 9:40pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/different-shelf-life-visualization/16629/8 "2018-09-20T21:40:44Z")

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> [@Trigon](#):
>
> Since the food’s lifespan doesn’t scale with season length.

What do you mean ? When something rot in `6years` it’s 6\*360days disregarding season length ? Same for `1 season` ?

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**Author:** ![Trigon](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/trigon/32/2668_2.png) [@Trigon](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Trigon)\
**Post date:** [September 20, 2018, 10:36pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/different-shelf-life-visualization/16629/9 "2018-09-20T22:36:39Z")

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To my understanding yes. The reason the default season length was changed was _because_ nothing scaled to it. So it was more confusing than helpful.

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**Author:** ![TheZoneWizard](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/thezonewizard/32/1397_2.png) [@TheZoneWizard](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/TheZoneWizard)\
**Post date:** [September 21, 2018, 12:07pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/different-shelf-life-visualization/16629/10 "2018-09-21T12:07:39Z")

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Seems silly to start a game whereby everything was rotting to begin with with exceptions of lazy people.

So how is it food not being rotten now is a bad thing? It should take years for new food on a shelf to rot and open to air items a few weeks to a month like bread as normal.