# How does heat work?

**URL:** <https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/how-does-heat-work/8863>\
**Category:** The Bunker\
**Created:** [February 7, 2015, 9:31pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/how-does-heat-work/8863 "2015-02-07T21:31:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 14\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Hazerithious](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b782af/32.png) [@Hazerithious](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Hazerithious)\
**Post date:** [February 7, 2015, 9:31pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/how-does-heat-work/8863/1 "2015-02-07T21:31:00Z")

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Not sure which section this should go in but I thought General Discussions would be a safe bet.  
I was wondering how heat works, is it just from one spot (Where the fire is) and radiates outwards in a semi-linear fashion,  
or is it like a thick invisible smoke that fills the room it’s in?

Sorry if this is the wrong section, not familiar with using forums.

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**Author:** ![Coolthulhu](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/coolthulhu/32/2446_2.png) [@Coolthulhu](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Coolthulhu)\
**Post date:** [February 7, 2015, 9:45pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/how-does-heat-work/8863/2 "2015-02-07T21:45:27Z")

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Radiates from fire based on distance and also creates spreading fields of invisible hot air. This invisible hot air is treated like a gas, so it dissipates faster outside buildings.

There’s also a boost for standing next to fire that doesn’t trigger if you’re already too warm (represents survivor getting closer to the flame, extending hands towards it etc.).

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**Author:** ![Hazerithious](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b782af/32.png) [@Hazerithious](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Hazerithious)\
**Post date:** [February 7, 2015, 9:49pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/how-does-heat-work/8863/3 "2015-02-07T21:49:22Z")

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Ah, thanks! So it is kinda like invisible smoke then… Just flows better. I understand now. Thanks for the help!

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**Author:** ![Coolthulhu](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/coolthulhu/32/2446_2.png) [@Coolthulhu](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Coolthulhu)\
**Post date:** [February 7, 2015, 9:53pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/how-does-heat-work/8863/4 "2015-02-07T21:53:22Z")

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The simple heat radiation based on distance is also important - it matters a lot when you stand near burning buildings/trees where the hot air dissipates easily.

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**Author:** ![Packbat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Packbat](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Packbat)\
**Post date:** [February 7, 2015, 11:34pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/how-does-heat-work/8863/5 "2015-02-07T23:34:18Z")

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[If you have enough fire, can the heat radiation ignite nearby objects?](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flashover)

Edit: I ask because I would love for that to already be the case. 😃

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**Author:** ![KA101](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/278dde/32.png) [@KA101](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/KA101)\
**Post date:** [February 7, 2015, 11:52pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/how-does-heat-work/8863/6 "2015-02-07T23:52:44Z")

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[quote=“Packbat, post:5, topic:8863”][If you have enough fire, can the heat radiation ignite nearby objects?](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flashover)

Edit: I ask because I would love for that to already be the case. :D[/quote]

Raging fire (stage 3, the dark red ones) can spontaneously spread, so Kinda.

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**Author:** ![Packbat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Packbat](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Packbat)\
**Post date:** [February 8, 2015, 12:53am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/how-does-heat-work/8863/7 "2015-02-08T00:53:30Z")

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[quote=“KA101, post:6, topic:8863”][quote=“Packbat, post:5, topic:8863”][If you have enough fire, can the heat radiation ignite nearby objects?](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flashover)

Edit: I ask because I would love for that to already be the case. :D[/quote]

Raging fire (stage 3, the dark red ones) can spontaneously spread, so Kinda.[/quote]  
The thing about flashover is that the entire room goes from “has many things on fire in it and is way too hot for comfort” to “EVERYTHING IS ON FIRE” in an instant - which, in my opinion, would make for some awesome player deaths in Cataclysm.

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**Author:** ![Burnt\_Earth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9fc348/32.png) [@Burnt\_Earth](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Burnt_Earth)\
**Post date:** [February 8, 2015, 12:58am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/how-does-heat-work/8863/8 "2015-02-08T00:58:44Z")

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Oh, since it brought the topic to my mind…

So I have a wood stove, does the time or intensity of the fire reflect how much crap I put in there to burn? So if I burn 1 splintered wood, does the fire last 1% of what 100 splintered woods would produce? Is it possible for a wood stove to set fire to adjacent flammable things? If I dump a jerry can of gas, hundreds of papers and wood and damaged plutonium cells and then leave a spot of gasoline in the tile next to it, will it combust?

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**Author:** ![KA101](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/278dde/32.png) [@KA101](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/KA101)\
**Post date:** [February 8, 2015, 1:05am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/how-does-heat-work/8863/9 "2015-02-08T01:05:24Z")

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1. Then I guess we don’t have flashover.

2. Stoves, etc stop fires from spreading, that’s one of the main reasons to use them–so no the adjacent tile shouldn’t catch fire. More fuel should last longer, yeah.

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**Author:** ![Closet\_Pankin](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/closet_pankin/32/376_2.png) [@Closet\_Pankin](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Closet_Pankin)\
**Post date:** [February 10, 2015, 8:38pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/how-does-heat-work/8863/10 "2015-02-10T20:38:08Z")

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I’ve noticed that no matter what, my stove and fireplace wouldn’t heat up my shelter in the winter and it’d always be cold.

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**Author:** ![Coolthulhu](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/coolthulhu/32/2446_2.png) [@Coolthulhu](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Coolthulhu)\
**Post date:** [February 10, 2015, 8:54pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/how-does-heat-work/8863/11 "2015-02-10T20:54:12Z")

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> [@Closet Pankin](#):
>
> I’ve noticed that no matter what, my stove and fireplace wouldn’t heat up my shelter in the winter and it’d always be cold.

How old is your version?

About a month ago only visible fires would produce radiant heat, meaning you had to stand next to the fire to get heated up.

All fires produce hot air fields, but small fires produce only slightly warm air which quickly dissipates.

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**Author:** ![Closet\_Pankin](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/closet_pankin/32/376_2.png) [@Closet\_Pankin](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Closet_Pankin)\
**Post date:** [February 10, 2015, 8:59pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/how-does-heat-work/8863/12 "2015-02-10T20:59:46Z")

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> [@Coolthulhu](#):
>
> [quote=“Closet Pankin, post:10, topic:8863”]I’ve noticed that no matter what, my stove and fireplace wouldn’t heat up my shelter in the winter and it’d always be cold.

How old is your version?

About a month ago only visible fires would produce radiant heat, meaning you had to stand next to the fire to get heated up.

All fires produce hot air fields, but small fires produce only slightly warm air which quickly dissipates.[/quote]

That was about a month ago in the experimental, so that might be it. But now stoves work too?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![KA101](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/278dde/32.png) [@KA101](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/KA101)\
**Post date:** [February 10, 2015, 11:12pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/how-does-heat-work/8863/13 "2015-02-10T23:12:22Z")

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One change that went unnoticed: stairways are now considered Indoors, so if you’re in an evac shelter, they won’t drain your hot air. I didn’t add SUPPORTS\_ROOF, though, so they don’t hold up the ceiling (or collapse on you).

(Yes, the evac shelters used to all have a large hole in the ceiling.)

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Closet\_Pankin](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/closet_pankin/32/376_2.png) [@Closet\_Pankin](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Closet_Pankin)\
**Post date:** [February 11, 2015, 5:01am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/how-does-heat-work/8863/14 "2015-02-11T05:01:27Z")

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[quote=“KA101, post:13, topic:8863”]One change that went unnoticed: stairways are now considered Indoors, so if you’re in an evac shelter, they won’t drain your hot air. I didn’t add SUPPORTS\_ROOF, though, so they don’t hold up the ceiling (or collapse on you).

(Yes, the evac shelters used to all have a large hole in the ceiling.)[/quote]

Neat!