Utility Items Sorely Needed

[Zireael]

Flint and steel is a good idea.

Kindling = splintered wood.
Timber = 2x4’s.

[keldoclock]

I have found in real life that cigarette lighters are really bad to use in winter- the problem is they use butane fuel which condenses at right around 32 degrees Fahrenheit- it needs to be gaseous to burn, so in 2-3 seconds after you take it out of your pocket it stops working. I’ve had to start carrying matches when hiking in cold weather.

[youtoo]

please repost in the suggestoins forum. so the developers can see it. They are adding jsons. you may be able to add these yourselves. see the mods forum. Jsons is just a simple way to add items. etc… to the game.

[BadSniper]

[quote=“MarkB, post:2, topic:2784”]And I’ve never heard of even the most inexperienced boy scout accidentally immolating themselves through misuse of flint and steel.[/quote]As a Boy Scout myself, I find this rather hilarious, although I must say some people in our troop are much more likely to accidentally immolate themselves when “tending” our campfires than trying to light them via flint and steel.

[youtoo]

urine recycling device.

[MarkB]

urine recycling device.

There’s already a Recycler CBM which reduces your food and drink needs significantly. Anything less passive might require the introduction of levels of bodily-function management that some players might not be comfortable with.

[detahramet]

I, for one, would be interested in bodily fluid management in the sense of using things like Urine and Feces to attract/deter certain predators. Urine could be recycled into water, or let to dry out so we have access to certain elements that can be used to create gunpowder. Feces could be used to fertilize crops, which we now have the option creating. Or using urine to keep away certain animals by marking an area as territory, or attracting certain larger animals to such scents. And throwing feces at NPCs for shits and giggles.

[Iosyn]

Frankly I’ve always thought that rotten meat should attract zombies and assorted wildlife.

[Sheb]

But I’m not sure adding urin and excrement adds much to the game.

[Iosyn]

But I’m not sure adding urin and excrement adds much to the game.

Yeah, I can see it now. The typical survivor shelter… Filled with loot, food, weaponry… and poop.
Most wouldn’t even poop in the toilets because it’s a water supply, which means it would have to go in a corner somewhere stinking the place up. But don’t worry! you can use it to tan those gorgeous leather bikinis you’ve always wanted
I mean come on, no-one throws away anything if it has a decent use right?

[detahramet]

Don’t forget if it can be weaponized!

Just imagine, once weather and the like improve, having it freeze. Make sure you have very, very dense diet, and you have wonderful wintertime weapon

[keldoclock]

Aaaaaand suddenly you are playing HellMOO.

[BadSniper]

[quote=“Iosyn, post:17, topic:2784”]Yeah, I can see it now. The typical survivor shelter… Filled with loot, food, weaponry… and poop.
Most wouldn’t even poop in the toilets because it’s a water supply, which means it would have to go in a corner somewhere stinking the place up.[/quote]My crew was told to dig a small “cat-hole” in which to crap when we had to go on the trail. At camp, the latrines were basically just holes in the ground with toilet seats built above them.

For a latrine, one could dig a deep pit, and use 2x4s, nails, and something else to use as a toilet seat.

That way, you don’t have to shit into your water supply

[detahramet]

Or just use the sink.

[deadmerits]

And to imagine I was once scrutinized for suggesting that bathing should reduce the scent radius.

But on a more serious note, starting fires with flint and steel, and having access to kindling and timber seems to make the world more real. Rather then worrying about balance and duplicate means of doing the same thing, it would certainly make Cataclysm: DDA seem more like a simulator of real life during the “Cataclysm.”

[i2amroy]

But I’m not sure adding urin and excrement adds much to the game.

Pretty much this. One of the basic rules of good open-world game development is “The Player should never be ‘forced’ to do something”. Forcing the player to stop whatever they are doing and go to the bathroom twice a day or else suffer extreme penalties does not in any way enhance gameplay for the average player. All it simply does is force the player to perform a repetitive, un-fun task or be punished. Positive rewards on doing something, however, are allowed. This is why bathing might be added in eventually as something you can do to receive rewards (morale bonus + scent reduction), but it will never be added in as a “bathe or suffer heavy morale penalties + scent increases”.

Note that “The Player should never be ‘forced’ to do something” (This is sometimes also called the “or else” rule, since it can always be worded as "The player needs to do this or else something bad will happen) should not be confused with “The Player doesn’t have to face the consequences of their actions”. Having a building fall down and (potentially) kill a character because they pulled the lever marked “Collapse building” is fine. Forcing a player to escape a swarm of deadly robots they unleashed by not reading the computer logs detailing why said doors were locked is fine. Melting a player because they walked into a random building isn’t. Similarly spawning a random zombie in an unopened bathroom stall makes an exciting moment that can make the player react to the game well. Making a player have to open every bathroom stall door or there will be a zombie behind it isn’t fun. It’s a fine line to walk, but it’s the type of thing that can make a difference between a 5-star fun game and a game that people drop from boredom/frustration and never play again.

[Iosyn]

Bathing does sound fun. It’s not essential, but it does sound like it could reduce the scent radius.

As long as you don’t use fragrant soap. Sniffer zombies, ahoy!
I wanna build a car that’s just a spiked bath on wheels now.

[detahramet]

Melting a player because they walked into a random building isn’t. Similarly spawning a random zombie in an unopened bathroom stall makes an exciting moment that can make the player react to the game well. Making a player have to open every bathroom stall door or there will be a zombie behind it isn’t fun. It’s a fine line to walk, but it’s the type of thing that can make a difference between a 5-star fun game and a game that people drop from boredom/frustration and never play again.

The difference here is that having a player melt because the walked into a random building and having them have to check every stall or die is not fun if it constantly happens and is repetitive. The difference is a randomly generated world and developer created world. In a developer created world, where they plan the design of the map very carefully, they no better than to do that. Players will likely have similar experiences, and if things aren’t planned out properly so it feels as dynamic as possible, then alot of players will drop the game, especially in a game with permadeath. Thats difference though, Cataclysm ISN’T game that has worlds created by the devs, Its a randomly generated world. If you get a bad world, you can easily create a new one, and explore a large swath of land in a short time before dying inevitably. That time of exploration is important, and it is also fun. The RNG creates a world where it is possible to find zombies in bathrooms, The RNG creates buildings that randomly melt players (though obviously this has to have a way to detect, if it ever were in the game), The RNG leaves clans of Jabberwocks in the forest next to your spawn point, The RNG places your spawn shelter in the middle of the fucking suburbs so that when you go near the window to check out whats outside the static NPC blows your brains out with a poorly aimed shot. If this was Dev created world, then this would all be inexcusable. It isnt. Its created randomly.

Also, back onto the topic of basicly bodily functions, given how mixed it seems the responce on this is, lets just get modder to create something for it and see if it works.

[Iosyn]

It’s randomly generated right now. There’s going to be an integrated world builder at some point, I think.

[detahramet]

It won’t get rid of the random though.