Shovels?

[WCG]

I’m back playing Cataclysm again, after about a year, and enjoying the changes. However, it used to be that I’d build a fireplace right away, and now that seems to be impossible without a shovel.

I need something with a digging quality of 2, so a digging stick won’t work, and I can’t make shovels, even with a welder and an acetylene torch. (Admittedly, I could make a shovel, but it takes a lot more than that!) I can’t seem to find a shovel anywhere, either - not in hardware stores, sporting goods stores, grocery stores…

As I say, a fireplace used to be one of the first things I’d build, and now I can’t make one at all. Well, I suppose I could if I could find a shovel. So, any tips as to where else I might look?

Thanks.

[FoobyDude]

You could round up 8 rocks in a circle like so:

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This prevents smoke from escaping and lets you light a fire without fear of spreading to other things (as long as you’re smart about it)

Pretty easy way to make a fire pit without the pit part.

But as for shovels, you could look in a military surplus or hardware store. Those are some pretty likely places to carry one (whether it be a entrenching tool or an actual shovel).

[CJ99]

It might need the survival tools mod enabled, (I wouldn’t really know as I always play with it on) but you can make a stone shovel. Requires a construction skill of 1 and uses survival to craft it. All you need is thread, a rock, and a stick. Alternatively there’s the makeshift shovel with the same requirements, but using sheet metal instead of stone.

As for finding a real shovel, never found one personally. I suppose hardware stores might have one.

Alternatively, use the digging stick to dig a shallow pit and gather 20 rocks to build a fire pit. Works the same as a fireplace, as long as you don’t mind being outside.

[Valpo]

It doesn t need the mod .

[Random_dragon]

[quote=“FoobyDude, post:2, topic:10338”]You could round up 8 rocks in a circle like so:

---

---

This prevents smoke from escaping and lets you light a fire without fear of spreading to other things (as long as you’re smart about it)

Pretty easy way to make a fire pit without the pit part.

But as for shovels, you could look in a military surplus or hardware store. Those are some pretty likely places to carry one (whether it be a entrenching tool or an actual shovel).[/quote]

I’m…very, highly certain that dropped rocks don’t really do that. They show up on the “bandit ambush” map special solely because More Survival Tools is where you can make fire rings, and the quest for that map special predates my addition of fire rings anyway.

Conversely, stone shovels are craftable in mainline, but the recently-added MAKESHIFT shovels are currently still mod content. XP

I should note that fire rings also capture smoke. This is only relevant if you have dirt floors with a roof, because the placement requirements mandate you start somewhere with diggable terrain. Unless you have an interior area with dirt floors, you’d normally be building it outside.

And if you DO have dirt floors, that gives decent odds (as not many locations have pre-generated dirt floors) that you built your own interior, in which case you bloody earned that dirt-cheap access to smoke-free indoor cooking.

[FoobyDude]

[quote=“FoobyDude, post:2, topic:10338”]-MeSnip: This does work.-

I’m…very, highly certain that dropped rocks don’t really do that. They show up on the “bandit ambush” map special solely because More Survival Tools is where you can make fire rings, and the quest for that map special predates my addition of fire rings anyway.

Conversely, stone shovels are craftable in mainline, but the recently-added MAKESHIFT shovels are currently still mod content. XP

I should note that fire rings also capture smoke. This is only relevant if you have dirt floors with a roof, because the placement requirements mandate you start somewhere with diggable terrain. Unless you have an interior area with dirt floors, you’d normally be building it outside.

And if you DO have dirt floors, that gives decent odds (as not many locations have pre-generated dirt floors) that you built your own interior, in which case you bloody earned that dirt-cheap access to smoke-free indoor cooking.[/quote]

The dropped rock fire ring does work, I’ve been using it since I started playing the game and still am. I’m on day 17 I think (haven’t played in a couple days) and I didn’t upgrade until maybe 3 days prior because I had no need to, it did it’s job just fine.

If you still aren’t convinced, maybe you should see for yourself. The smoke only makes it as far as the rocks while outdoors.
But if you thought I was talking about the fire ring inside buildings, then yes- It wouldn’t work.

[Random_dragon]

That is…huh. Have you been testing this on grass or dirt?

[Valpo]

Outdoors the smoke created by smal fires reaches farther then one tile ?

[FoobyDude]

That is…huh. Have you been testing this on grass or dirt?

Both, I’ve even done it on Asphalt.

[Random_dragon]

What the flying fuck. This actually seems to stop the spread of fire. If I’d known this… >.<

Repeating with the dirt turned into wooden floors to see if smoke spreads…

Shortly after this, the rubble was on fire.

Moral of the story? Yes, you can do this. No, it isn’t a smart idea to do INDOORS.

[Valpo]

i just set whatever on fire outside step one tile away from the fire. Then use it for cooking… perfectly safe as long as theres no combustible material directly adjacent.

[Random_dragon]

Unless the grass catches fire. Or the DIRT catches fire. I’ve been rather paranoid around fire because the one and only time I saw dirt ignite, it screwed me over big-time. :V

[FoobyDude]

Unless the grass catches fire. Or the DIRT catches fire. I’ve been rather paranoid around fire because the one and only time I saw dirt ignite, it screwed me over big-time. :V

Something could have leaked from the dirt, and then caught fire…

Oil deposits would be a fucking disaster if you lit a fire above it.

[Valpo]

fire can leap.
but only big fires.
not smal one tile fires.

[Random_dragon]

Bad riolu, that’s a slime pit you tapped, no Texas tea for you.

I’m sticking with my fire ring, this “drop stones on the ground” thing still seems risky.

[FoobyDude]

[quote=“Random_dragon, post:15, topic:10338”]Bad riolu, that’s a slime pit you tapped, no Texas tea for you.

I’m sticking with my fire ring, this “drop stones on the ground” thing still seems risky.[/quote]

That’s ok, I never put any sort of fire cubicle (that’s what I’m gonna name it) I set up inside a building, so I understand your concern not wanting to put one inside a building since it’s a gamble when around other structures, I keep my cubicles about 3 or more spaces away from my building.

[Random_dragon]

It does seem like an amusing flavor thing, but I have the sneaking suspicion that it’s actually a bug where fire seems to START spreading by checking for flammable items, then checks for flammable terrain if that tile lacks items.

This is sheer guesswork though.

[Coolthulhu]

[quote=“FoobyDude, post:2, topic:10338”]You could round up 8 rocks in a circle like so:

---

---

This prevents smoke from escaping and lets you light a fire without fear of spreading to other things (as long as you’re smart about it)[/quote]

It doesn’t.
I edited the code myself.

It may have worked long time ago, but nowadays adding items can’t stop fire from spreading, only help it with spreading.
Smoke is not impaired by items either.

[WCG]

you can make a stone shovel. Requires a construction skill of 1 and uses survival to craft it. All you need is thread, a rock, and a stick.

Construction skill? There’s my problem, I’ll bet. I’ve got fabrication skill and even mechanics skill, but it never occurred to me that making a shovel would be a construction skill. Damn! All this time looking for a shovel…

Thanks for the info!

Alternatively, use the digging stick to dig a shallow pit and gather 20 rocks to build a fire pit. Works the same as a fireplace, as long as you don't mind being outside.

I can just cook at a campfire outside. The smoke is never a problem unless it’s under a roof. Yeah, I was wanting a fireplace indoors. Thanks again for the help.

[Random_dragon]

[quote=“Coolthulhu, post:18, topic:10338”]It doesn’t.
I edited the code myself.

It may have worked long time ago, but nowadays adding items can’t stop fire from spreading, only help it with spreading.
Smoke is not impaired by items either.[/quote]

Hmm. That is weird. As far as I could tell from testing, it still works to some extent, but it might’ve been blind luck.