whetstone

[oscar spedale]

Greetings from argentina. I´m a huge fan of the long dark. I was thiking about the whetstone, i would like to found in a cave a natural whetstone. Like a natural stone that acomplish the same goal as the whetsone

What the group think about it??

thanks you

[ManicManiac]

They are already reasonably plentiful, and as the hidden skill advances we get more efficient with their use (we all so have chance to find them beachcombing - though the odds are slim).  There has been much discusson in the past about craftable whetstones, but honestly I don't think it's really nessiary (all things considered).

It is a neat idea, but as I've mentioned in other threads:

On ‎7‎/‎9‎/‎2019 at 1:48 AM, ManicManiac said:

As to your whetstone question, it seems that the whetstones are plentiful enough that the majority of players will have died long before they would exhaust the world of whetstones.  For those who do live long enough, and are cavalier with their tools and wear them down quickly... once all whetstones are ruined, you still have access to the resources necessary to make improvised tools (which will extend your survival potential until  you exhaust all sources of metal - which I think general consensus is that would take a very long time).

I'll also defer to the source:

On ‎4‎/‎27‎/‎2019 at 1:52 AM, Raphael van Lierop said:

...really the resource constraints of having to live with a limited number of Rifles, Cleaning Kits, Whetstones, etc. is kind of on purpose.

and a quote from Milton Mailbag Dispatch 18:

Quote

...The value of a whetstone is increased because it is limited. If you can craft a whetstone out of any old rock, and the whetstone helps keep cutting tools in great shape, then it has a negative impact on game balance and reduces the value of both things. In general the harder it is to maintain stuff the more valuable those things are, and the more valuable they are the more careful you are about using and preserving them. And scarcity creates the need for choice, which is what the whole game is about.  

 

Edited October 4, 2019 by ManicManiac

[DarkTreader]

If there were some kind of craftable whetstone alternative, I feel like it should have some substantial cost to it.

Perhaps something akin to a leather razor strop, requiring a moose hide to make, leather to repair. Maybe triple the time it takes to sharpen the blade, or make the strop only able to bring the blade back up to, say, 50%.

There would be some people who would probably try and rush creating one on a potential long-term game, just so that they can supplement their whetstone supply (removing the need to burn whetstone uses lower than 50%), but overall, I think they would wind up being an end-game construction. Once leather comes at a premium, you'd wind up saving it as much as you would whetstones - having to wait 10 days for a hide to cure, then 10 hours to craft a satchel, then harvest it for the leather...

 

I could see a use for it. But, as @ManicManiac stated above, the scarcity of these kinds of resources is a key part of the game. The longer you survive, the harder it should be.

[ajb1978]

Well if you're going with a strop, that's what you would use to finish the edge, so it should only be usable on knives that are already nearly perfect.  Say 90% or higher. A whetstone could get it up to 90%, then switch to the strop to get it to 100% or something.  So if you regularly strop your blade you can keep it in perfect condition.

[RegentRelic]

The most likely for of wet stone that we could make or find would propyl be a Japanese water stone also known as a Poseidon stone. Or a Novaculite wet stone which I have never seen in the gulf of Alaska but I am sure can still form natural. Most other non heavily processed metals and stones will do more harm then good. Also these two are the among the most common and can be found any where.

[Lonelyloper]

I don't think they're like to make any changes like this because the in game wet stones are already wear out ridiculously quickly compared with the real world. So it seems to me that the devs want them to be finite. 

[TheHunter280]

@DarkTreader I like your mention of leather strop, although it's not used as you suggest, it's a finishing touche. It could be used as a nice supplement to whetstone by giving a 10% bonus harvesting time

[RegentRelic]

On 10/12/2019 at 3:08 AM, Lonelyloper said:

I don't think they're like to make any changes like this because the in game wet stones are already wear out ridiculously quickly compared with the real world. So it seems to me that the devs want them to be finite. 

He is right hinterland has clearly thought through balancing the whetstone and probably won’t rethink their decision anytime soon.

[MrsHoneypot]

Just to throw it in the mix.

What about those old fashioned grindstone wheels? It takes more effort to use, because it uses pedal-power, but it´s quicker than a hand held whetstone and a little more versatile than a strop.

The down side to the wheel is that it´s easy to over-sharpen or even break a blade.

I´m not sure where you´d find it though.

 

[RegentRelic]

Yes and then we could get some of the experience back for enchanted knifes and axes.

[MrsHoneypot]

I found a picure of what I meant. 

Just so you know that it wasn´t a piece of my imagination. 

[Luca Loquax]

Oh my kingdom for just ONE more whetstone..

[DaPepster]

I would rather have the whetstone already in the game not degrading 5% with each use... I mean, whetstones can last an incredibly long time IRL, in most cases, it's the only one a person ever has in their lifetime.

[Timmytwothumbs]

I kinda like this idea. I've thought before that having an old foot pedal powered grinding stone would fit the theme well and it would be great to have one in Broken railroad or Desolation point or somewhere that you have to travel far to in order to make it a special trip. But if something like this were added they would have to make the whetstones we already have less common that way they would be very valuable because they are light and convenient. But a special (maybe random?) place you can travel to and sharpen up all of your pointy things would be really cool in my opinion. 

[Lonelyloper]

I like this idea. If the devs do decide to give us infinite sharpening, I think this would be the way to do it. I think there should be a bit of effort required to get to the sharpening wheel, so maybe put it somewhere most players don't typically make their main base, like the Mountaineers Hut or the Spence Homestead. 

[RegentRelic]

On 10/29/2019 at 4:12 AM, Lonelyloper said:

most players don't typically make their main base, like the Mountaineers Hut or the Spence Homestead. 

This is usually where I make my main base.

[Lonelyloper]

@RegentRelic Then if I was in charge of TLD,  you would have some very sharp knives