Do "non-food/consumable" items wear in storage?

[LDbubba]

Haven't been able to verify it, but do "non-food/consumable" items wear-out in storage?

I could see that food and other short-life consumables that might spoil would deteriorate when placed in a locker, etc. but it would no sense whatsoever for a hatchet to magically rust away over a matter of a few days in a locker!

I've read that if you leave items where they are, they will not deteriorate, so by having this "work-around" it makes it pointless and illogical to have them deteriorate in storage (moving them a few feet makes them suddenly fall apart!)

Can anyone confirm?

[joki]

Yes, for instance matches start to war, as soon as you have picked them up. That's why you might wanna put them back (RMB), just remember their places and pick them up later once you need them.

Imo wearing not starting before being picked up, but starting after, is some game mechanic that might need addresssing, e.g. by only having matches wearing, while being carried. So it would be fine for you, to pick them up, bring them to your base and drop them on the floor, so they stop wearing again.

[tsotha]

Matches start to degrade as soon as you touch them even if you put them back, so there's no reason not to take them. They will degrade more slowly in a container, though, so some people only carry around as many matches at they'll need before returning to base.

The ones that are worth their weight in gold are sitting on shelves or in open crates, where you can identify them as matches without touching them. When you find those make a note of where they are and come back when the ones you found in containers are gone. That will vastly increase the possible length of your game, particularly since you need fewer matches in the late game.

[elloco999]

Yes, finding matches in a container will start the degradation even if you put them back. The same goes for everything you find in a container (if it degrades at all over time). That's the reason why you don't want to go looting all houses at the start of the game if you want to have a long game. Only loot until you have everything you need and then wait until you need something again before looting some more.

[LDbubba]

Matches start to degrade as soon as you touch them even if you put them back, so there's no reason not to take them. They will degrade more slowly in a container, though, so some people only carry around as many matches at they'll need before returning to base.

The ones that are worth their weight in gold are sitting on shelves or in open crates, where you can identify them as matches without touching them. When you find those make a note of where they are and come back when the ones you found in containers are gone. That will vastly increase the possible length of your game, particularly since you need fewer matches in the late game.

Interesting, but simply dumb and unrealistic... :roll:

If the "stored" degradation of non-perishable items is intentional, then the devs. need to really think hard about why it would logically occur, other than it being an arbitrary "challenge" in the game. There are myriad ways to address game balance and challenges without resorting to arbitrary and illogical mechanics. Think harder...

If it's a known bug, then fix it...

[HarryM]

Guess I'm going to have to pay more attention to matches, didn't even realize they had a health status...

[tsotha]

It's not a bug. It's a game play mechanic to force people to explore. Doesn't really work, IMO, since they degrade slowly enough that it's not a problem until long after you've explored everything looking for more immediate supplies (like rifle bullets).

The real effect of degrading matches is it puts a cap on how long you can melt snow. Once your last source of fire (matches, firestriker, magnifying glass) is gone you die as soon as your existing hoard of water runs out. Unless, I guess, you can keep a fire burning 24/7.

IMO the biggest problem with TLD as a "survival" game (and yes, yes, I realize it's still in alpha) is there are lots of counterintuitive things you need to do to maximize your survival time purely because of game mechanics. Not opening containers until you run out of supplies, for instance, because things you haven't touched yet don't degrade. Taking off your clothes before fighting a wolf or travelling in a blizzard. Saving metal scraps to repair a degrading knife. Spending most of your time starving because it takes days and days to starve to death but only half a day to heal up to full strength.

[Subversion]

The real effect of degrading matches is it puts a cap on how long you can melt snow. Once your last source of fire (matches, firestriker, magnifying glass) is gone you die as soon as your existing hoard of water runs out. Unless, I guess, you can keep a fire burning 24/7.

The magnifying glass doesn't degrade over time or with use, last I checked. So while you would have to start all your fires outdoors, in sunlight, you can still have them after all other options are exhausted.

[elloco999]

When did you check this last? I've heard that the magnifying glass does degrade after the last update. I haven't found one yet since the last update, so I couldn't test it myself.