# Reading and skill rust

**URL:** <https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/reading-and-skill-rust/2175>\
**Category:** The Garage\
**Created:** [July 11, 2013, 8:39pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/reading-and-skill-rust/2175 "2013-07-11T20:39:09Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 15\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![pingpong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4bbf92/32.png) [@pingpong](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/pingpong)\
**Post date:** [July 11, 2013, 8:39pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/reading-and-skill-rust/2175/1 "2013-07-11T20:39:09Z")

</div>

Reading atm doesn’t stop skill rusting, so if you’re reading too slowly you can actually get to the point where you practically read forever.

Someone tells me that they basically read for a week straight, ended up famished parched exhausted with a cold.

Also they told me 5 force stops it, which would be something good to know.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Sonny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/58f4c7/32.png) [@Sonny](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Sonny)\
**Post date:** [July 11, 2013, 9:38pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/reading-and-skill-rust/2175/2 "2013-07-11T21:38:45Z")

</div>

Skill rust is silly, even without Forgetful trait… IMO if you make three chainsaws one day and can’t remember how to make them second day is just silly.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Labtop\_215](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a6a055/32.png) [@Labtop\_215](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Labtop_215)\
**Post date:** [July 12, 2013, 1:08am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/reading-and-skill-rust/2175/3 "2013-07-12T01:08:03Z")

</div>

Yea, I just play with skill rust off and don’t take the forgetful trait myself (since I find removing skill rust while taking the forgetful trait to ruin the challenge personally).

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![KWilt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c5a1d2/32.png) [@KWilt](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/KWilt)\
**Post date:** [July 12, 2013, 2:02am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/reading-and-skill-rust/2175/4 "2013-07-12T02:02:50Z")

</div>

I’ve always played with the skill rust set to the ‘1’ setting, where it doesn’t degrade any lower than your current skill level, but your progress to the next level degrades. It’s got the touch that Cata tries to implement in practice being necessary, but doesn’t make it annoying so you drop all the way to 0 in construction because you haven’t needed to build anything recently.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Zireael](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/zireael/32/956_2.png) [@Zireael](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Zireael)\
**Post date:** [July 12, 2013, 7:25am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/reading-and-skill-rust/2175/5 "2013-07-12T07:25:25Z")

</div>

Skill rust 1 should be the default setting, IMHO.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Lainge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e495f1/32.png) [@Lainge](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Lainge)\
**Post date:** [July 12, 2013, 10:18am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/reading-and-skill-rust/2175/6 "2013-07-12T10:18:38Z")

</div>

The only problem with 1 is that I had 19 in mechanics just be repairing a vehicle (using integrated toolset with internal furnace) in no time at all and that was with it set to 0. With no rust I can see getting to whatever the heck the maximum is with relatively no difficulty.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Mate](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/mate/32/73_2.png) [@Mate](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Mate)\
**Post date:** [July 12, 2013, 1:06pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/reading-and-skill-rust/2175/7 "2013-07-12T13:06:16Z")

</div>

Skill rust as of now is like forgetting how to knit your shoes every summer.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Sonny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/58f4c7/32.png) [@Sonny](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Sonny)\
**Post date:** [July 12, 2013, 2:23pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/reading-and-skill-rust/2175/8 "2013-07-12T14:23:54Z")

</div>

I think skills go up too fast and rust down too fast, but that might be just me…

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![darth\_servo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e79b87/32.png) [@darth\_servo](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/darth_servo)\
**Post date:** [July 12, 2013, 3:56pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/reading-and-skill-rust/2175/9 "2013-07-12T15:56:46Z")

</div>

> [@Lainge](#):
>
> The only problem with 1 is that I had 19 in mechanics just be repairing a vehicle (using integrated toolset with internal furnace) in no time at all and that was with it set to 0. With no rust I can see getting to whatever the heck the maximum is with relatively no difficulty.

Skill rust is unrealistic (and brutal) in this game at the moment, so I turn it off. That being said, I spent a week of game time in a secure garage with piles of food and fresh water, building a super-car and ended up with 44 mechanics skill.

Personally, I’d like to see something along the lines of the following:

1. Skill rust only takes effect when your focus is very low. If you maintain a high focus, you can avoid it.
2. Skill rust does not affect any skill that has been used or has rusted within the last day. All skills that are eligible can rust at the same time.
3. The chance for skill rust to occur is based on a combination of how long ago the skill was last used and how high the skill is. Base chance might be +1% for every day the skill hasn’t been used.
4. If a skill is at the (0%) training level, it has only half as much chance of rusting. This makes it easier for you to lose training between skill levels than to drop from one skill level to the lower level.
5. The same reduced chance applies to skills below 1 (0%).
6. Finally, Intelligence can add or subtract from how much you lose when a skill rusts. The amount lost could be random, but there should always be a minimum of 1% and a reasonable maximum (10% at most).
7. Optionally, instead of losing a % of skill, skill rust could remove a recipe you have learned for that skill.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Zireael](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/zireael/32/956_2.png) [@Zireael](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Zireael)\
**Post date:** [July 12, 2013, 4:26pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/reading-and-skill-rust/2175/10 "2013-07-12T16:26:27Z")

</div>

Agree with all of the above, except that skill rust should never decrease the level of the skill.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Sonny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/58f4c7/32.png) [@Sonny](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Sonny)\
**Post date:** [July 12, 2013, 4:38pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/reading-and-skill-rust/2175/11 "2013-07-12T16:38:32Z")

</div>

> [@Zireael](#):
>
> Agree with all of the above, except that skill rust should never decrease the level of the skill.

It’s already like this, in options  
0 - default Vanilla ultra fast skill rust  
1 - stops at level number  
2 - none

I play with none, but 1 seems okay.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![woflsipder](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/woflsipder/32/90_2.png) [@woflsipder](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/woflsipder)\
**Post date:** [July 12, 2013, 6:05pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/reading-and-skill-rust/2175/12 "2013-07-12T18:05:45Z")

</div>

But if you think about it , i haven’t used my bike for 2 years , i still can use it just fine. Skill rust is way , way too fast now , when you get a skill over 10 level , it will rust every 5 seconds you dont use it and that’s juts stupid if you can be expert at one skill and forget most of it while sleeping.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Sonny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/58f4c7/32.png) [@Sonny](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Sonny)\
**Post date:** [July 12, 2013, 6:09pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/reading-and-skill-rust/2175/13 "2013-07-12T18:09:41Z")

</div>

Yea, it’s more of a race with skill rust after certain point when you want some better recipes.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Zireael](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/zireael/32/956_2.png) [@Zireael](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Zireael)\
**Post date:** [July 12, 2013, 7:15pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/reading-and-skill-rust/2175/14 "2013-07-12T19:15:10Z")

</div>

Yeah, skill rust should be slowed down.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![i2amroy](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/i2amroy/32/909_2.png) [@i2amroy](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/i2amroy)\
**Post date:** [July 13, 2013, 2:05am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/reading-and-skill-rust/2175/15 "2013-07-13T02:05:35Z")

</div>

Eventually skill rust will be reworked along with the book reading system and recipe handling. For further details on what the current planned system is, read [this comment](https://github.com/CleverRaven/Cataclysm-DDA/issues/613#issuecomment-18253014) on Github.