# Tips, Tricks, and Newb Questions!

**URL:** <https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42>\
**Category:** The Bunker\
**Created:** [January 3, 2013, 3:04am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42 "2013-01-03T03:04:39Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 617

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**Author:** ![MorsTactica](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/morstactica/32/481_2.png) [@MorsTactica](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/MorsTactica)\
**Post date:** [December 17, 2015, 11:41pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/12322 "2015-12-17T23:41:17Z")

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> [@Random\_dragon](#):
>
> [quote=“MorsTactica, post:12320, topic:42”]So, total noob question, I tried searching both the wiki, item browser, and forum but I can’t seem to find the item names for making a custom class. I’d like to make a profession with the stuff I’ve gathered over time to see how I’d do, because I’ve manually wish-grantered in my stuff but it grows tiresome to re-wishgrant 30+items each time I die (often). I know it has to be out there, I’m just not finding it.

In the data/json folder, look at professions.json and it should show you how a profession is formatted.[/quote]

I understand all that, I just need the item IDs so I can make mine. IE cargo pants are “pants\_cargo”

Edit for clarification: I am trying to have a profession in which I start with my real life gear, like my 870 I keep under the bed and the go bag I keep by the door.

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**Author:** ![pisskop](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/pisskop/32/1327_2.png) [@pisskop](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/pisskop)\
**Post date:** [December 17, 2015, 11:44pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/12323 "2015-12-17T23:44:14Z")

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Its right there, in the file.

“ident” being the id.

and example is “ident”: “bionic\_prepper”,

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![MorsTactica](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/morstactica/32/481_2.png) [@MorsTactica](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/MorsTactica)\
**Post date:** [December 17, 2015, 11:48pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/12324 "2015-12-17T23:48:26Z")

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[quote=“pisskop, post:12323, topic:42”]Its right there, in the file.

“ident” being the id.

and example is “ident”: “bionic\_prepper”,[/quote]

Let’s try this request again.

I am looking for a list of items in the game and their corresponding item IDs, so that I may then add said gear to a custom made profession, a task I already understand.

I imagine it looking something like this:

Remington 870— "shotgun\_870"  
00 Buckshot— "ammo\_00buck"  
Multitool— “knife\_multi”

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**Author:** ![Random\_dragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/4da419/32.png) [@Random\_dragon](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Random_dragon)\
**Post date:** [December 17, 2015, 11:55pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/12325 "2015-12-17T23:55:14Z")

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[quote=“MorsTactica, post:12322, topic:42”]I understand all that, I just need the item IDs so I can make mine. IE cargo pants are “pants\_cargo”

Edit for clarification: I am trying to have a profession in which I start with my real life gear, like my 870 I keep under the bed and the go bag I keep by the door.[/quote]

Hmm. Easiest way to quickly look up item ID is in the debug wish menu, each page for an item has the item ID above its description.

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**Author:** ![MorsTactica](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/morstactica/32/481_2.png) [@MorsTactica](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/MorsTactica)\
**Post date:** [December 17, 2015, 11:57pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/12326 "2015-12-17T23:57:01Z")

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[quote=“Random\_dragon, post:12325, topic:42”][quote=“MorsTactica, post:12322, topic:42”]I understand all that, I just need the item IDs so I can make mine. IE cargo pants are “pants\_cargo”

Edit for clarification: I am trying to have a profession in which I start with my real life gear, like my 870 I keep under the bed and the go bag I keep by the door.[/quote]

Hmm. Easiest way to quickly look up item ID is in the debug wish menu, each page for an item has the item ID above its description.[/quote]

Alright, cool. Thanks!

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**Author:** ![G.E.C](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/g.e.c/32/324_2.png) [@G.E.C](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/G.E.C)\
**Post date:** [December 18, 2015, 1:00am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/12327 "2015-12-18T01:00:36Z")

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Can someone explain to me how throwing works? I have 10 in throwing and it STILL takes 3-4 throwing axes to kill a zombie child, but somehow I am killing brutes, moose and bears in just 3 axes. Is damage proportional to the size of the creature? Or is there something else going on?

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**Author:** ![Noctifer](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/noctifer/32/458_2.png) [@Noctifer](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Noctifer)\
**Post date:** [December 18, 2015, 1:02am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/12328 "2015-12-18T01:02:08Z")

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Its the accuracy because of size, its harder to hit a child than a walking wall of muscle.

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**Author:** ![G.E.C](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/g.e.c/32/324_2.png) [@G.E.C](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/G.E.C)\
**Post date:** [December 18, 2015, 1:11am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/12329 "2015-12-18T01:11:20Z")

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> [@Noctifer](#):
>
> Its the accuracy because of size, its harder to hit a child than a walking wall of muscle.

I would agree with you if it didn’t say “HEADSHOT, 20 damage” on a child while a headshot on a brute does 50+ damage. Like what? Did I just cut off it’s ear and my character just said “eh, good enough, let’s call that a headshot”

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**Author:** ![Noctifer](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/noctifer/32/458_2.png) [@Noctifer](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Noctifer)\
**Post date:** [December 18, 2015, 1:13am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/12330 "2015-12-18T01:13:18Z")

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Hmm, maybe remorse? Idk if it affects actual combat but killing zombie children makes you feel guilty.

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**Author:** ![G.E.C](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/g.e.c/32/324_2.png) [@G.E.C](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/G.E.C)\
**Post date:** [December 18, 2015, 1:18am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/12331 "2015-12-18T01:18:10Z")

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Nah, my character already got over them. It’s weird because I can kill dogs and other small creatures in 2 axes. It seems like children are my weakness.

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**Author:** ![Random\_dragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/4da419/32.png) [@Random\_dragon](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Random_dragon)\
**Post date:** [December 18, 2015, 2:09am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/12332 "2015-12-18T02:09:29Z")

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Given you can also have good hits and grazing hits, I suspect damage is also affected by how accurate a hit you land, so their better evasion affecting your damage makes sense. Though in that case you’d think that you’d just get headshots less often, not get worse headshots. \>w\>

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**Author:** ![G.E.C](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/g.e.c/32/324_2.png) [@G.E.C](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/G.E.C)\
**Post date:** [December 18, 2015, 2:40am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/12333 "2015-12-18T02:40:46Z")

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In a completly unrelated question, is there anyway to stop slimes from spawning near a slime pit? Kind of like how you can kill the ant queen to stop ants from spawning or destroying the fungal spire to stop fungaloids from spawning.

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**Author:** ![BeerBeer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c67d28/32.png) [@BeerBeer](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/BeerBeer)\
**Post date:** [December 18, 2015, 3:13am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/12334 "2015-12-18T03:13:22Z")

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> [@G.E.C](#):
>
> In a completly unrelated question, is there anyway to stop slimes from spawning near a slime pit? Kind of like how you can kill the ant queen to stop ants from spawning or destroying the fungal spire to stop fungaloids from spawning.

AFAIK, no. I’ll quote myself from page 813:

> [@BeerBeer](#):
>
> [quote=“Azrad, post:12187, topic:42”]Something I’ve been wondering for a while now. Do slime pits generate blobs, or will killing every blob in the area stop blob spawning?

They keep spawning forever, unless something has changed from a few months ago. I, in fact, messed with the slime pit settings back then to tweak down the spawnrate, successfully even. The game will keep up a certain number of slimes, so killing them to reduce the numbers is pointless. It’s more or less simple to tweak the settings once you find the right file and the right line. I don’t remember the file name now, but there are controls for the area size (radius) in which they spawn, and for how many slimes should exist at a given time (min-max).

Unlike ants, slimes don’t have a queen creature, unless you count the brain blob, or whatever it was called. Ants supposedly stop spawning once you kill the queen, and then you can finish off an ant hill once and for all. Killing the brain blob doesn’t stop the spawning, unlike one might expect. But again, my knowledge is at least few months old, so…[/quote]

You should be able to find the brain blob deeper in the slime pit just in case things have changed. The pit goes down several levels, and the slime is flammable. Finding the stairs down, that’s tricky, possibly depending on the graphics choices made. Burn away the slime and… 🙂

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**Author:** ![Rot](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/rot/32/454_2.png) [@Rot](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Rot)\
**Post date:** [December 18, 2015, 12:33pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/12335 "2015-12-18T12:33:05Z")

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I find it strange when I blast zombs with my Barrett .50 cal they only come out as “damaged” or “Bruised” or something, irl i’m pretty sure they’d be nothing but a fine red mist and pulp at pretty much ANY range.

Then again my katana with 12 melee and 10 cutting with the corresponding martial art can splatter pretty much anything I need.

Game logic.

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**Author:** ![Azrad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Azrad](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Azrad)\
**Post date:** [December 18, 2015, 2:03pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/12336 "2015-12-18T14:03:32Z")

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> [@BeerBeer](#):
>
> [quote=“G.E.C, post:12333, topic:42”]In a completly unrelated question, is there anyway to stop slimes from spawning near a slime pit? Kind of like how you can kill the ant queen to stop ants from spawning or destroying the fungal spire to stop fungaloids from spawning.

AFAIK, no. I’ll quote myself from page 813:

> [@BeerBeer](#):
>
> [quote=“Azrad, post:12187, topic:42”]Something I’ve been wondering for a while now. Do slime pits generate blobs, or will killing every blob in the area stop blob spawning?

They keep spawning forever, unless something has changed from a few months ago. I, in fact, messed with the slime pit settings back then to tweak down the spawnrate, successfully even. The game will keep up a certain number of slimes, so killing them to reduce the numbers is pointless. It’s more or less simple to tweak the settings once you find the right file and the right line. I don’t remember the file name now, but there are controls for the area size (radius) in which they spawn, and for how many slimes should exist at a given time (min-max).

Unlike ants, slimes don’t have a queen creature, unless you count the brain blob, or whatever it was called. Ants supposedly stop spawning once you kill the queen, and then you can finish off an ant hill once and for all. Killing the brain blob doesn’t stop the spawning, unlike one might expect. But again, my knowledge is at least few months old, so…[/quote]

You should be able to find the brain blob deeper in the slime pit just in case things have changed. The pit goes down several levels, and the slime is flammable. Finding the stairs down, that’s tricky, possibly depending on the graphics choices made. Burn away the slime and… :)[/quote]

It’s not as easy as it was before, at least with z-levels turned on. First few levels are all right, but when you reach about five floors down the big blobs has already spawned a massive horde on their own.

Like, I went down a floor below, and a blob stood over the tile my survivor stood on… and there was around 1,000 blobs visible.

Chain lightning doesn’t seem to work, as it would just shock one blob and the bolt won’t travel any further.

Even before, since my tactic is to torch the area and dig to a safe location, I have never seen a brain blob before.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Azrad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Azrad](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Azrad)\
**Post date:** [December 18, 2015, 2:05pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/12337 "2015-12-18T14:05:04Z")

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[quote=“Rot, post:12335, topic:42”]I find it strange when I blast zombs with my Barrett .50 cal they only come out as “damaged” or “Bruised” or something, irl i’m pretty sure they’d be nothing but a fine red mist and pulp at pretty much ANY range.

Then again my katana with 12 melee and 10 cutting with the corresponding martial art can splatter pretty much anything I need.

Game logic.[/quote]

Get your rifles skill up more. My survivor can gib several zombie types with a modified M27 that fires .308 rounds. Nearly anything is one-shot, hulks take two.

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**Author:** ![deoxy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7feea3/32.png) [@deoxy](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/deoxy)\
**Post date:** [December 18, 2015, 3:10pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/12338 "2015-12-18T15:10:17Z")

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[quote=“Rot, post:12335, topic:42”]I find it strange when I blast zombs with my Barrett .50 cal they only come out as “damaged” or “Bruised” or something, irl i’m pretty sure they’d be nothing but a fine red mist and pulp at pretty much ANY range.

Then again my katana with 12 melee and 10 cutting with the corresponding martial art can splatter pretty much anything I need.

Game logic.[/quote]

You’ve watched too many movies and not checked enough of the physics of the real world.

A .50 cal can, at best, put a single decent hole in someone. Oh, sure, human life being fragile, it’s quite plenty to cause death in most cases, but for a zombie that doesn’t care about blood loss or any particular organ, it’s kinda meh.

A solid hit with a large cutting weapon can literally cut a person in half. With good modern steel and the right weapon, that could even include the skull.

There’s really no comparison. Ranged weapons haven’t been made more deadly because, against normal humans, they don’t NEED to be.

(No weapon that can be fired while being held by a person is going to have the firepower to “fine red mist” someone - that’s more like the minigun on the A-10, and even then, there’s going to be quite a bit more left than that.)

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**Author:** ![Arek\_PL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b77776/32.png) [@Arek\_PL](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Arek_PL)\
**Post date:** [December 18, 2015, 3:11pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/12339 "2015-12-18T15:11:54Z")

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well decided to upgrade after long time and im impressed with new ui

and now game is harder  
i die from freezing…  
during summer…

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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:** [December 18, 2015, 3:58pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/12340 "2015-12-18T15:58:43Z")

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[quote=“renton55555, post:12318, topic:42”]Google was of no help so I’ll ask here:

I’ve noticed that the nutrition values of all the foods seem to dramatically fluctuate. At first I thought there was some sort of mechanic where you get more nutrition from eating at different levels of hunger, but now I don’t know what it is. Is this the health mechanic at work?[/quote]

You get more nutrition when hungry and the effect is quite significant. The values are inconsistent, though. It’s an old bug that got forgotten.

> <https://github.com/CleverRaven/Cataclysm-DDA/issues/13729>
>
> The effective nutrition of food is altered based on the hunger of the character (see player::nutrition\_for). However, the formula used there...

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Newper5](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Newper5](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Newper5)\
**Post date:** [December 18, 2015, 4:07pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/tips-tricks-and-newb-questions/42/12341 "2015-12-18T16:07:47Z")

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Two questions here. First, is there -any- way to use a CVD machine in an ice-lab without freezing to death? Because this is the first CVD I’ve ever seen, but it’s awful cold down there.

Second question! My base is set up on an island in a giant river delta, and it’d be neat to build a boat and travel up and down said river. Is there any way to get a boat past a bridge? I’ve not yet tried, but am hoping someone has an answer before I invest all the resources into assembling one and experimenting.

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