Craftable "Windshielded Barrel" for Campfires

[Laika Ivanova]

Hi! Recently I had this idea popping up in my head and after discussing it with a few people I thought I'd throw the whole idea up here on the forums to see what others think.

We all know how annoying wind can get when it...yet again...blows out one of our campfires. We do have interior fires and windshielded fires in certain locations, but it would still be a useful addition to add the ability to craft a windshielded barrel, or some kind of small windshielded object, that can be put on top of a campfire to make it windshielded. To balance it out the barrel should only be able to be crafted at a Forge and it should weigh a lot so it's not just a cheap upgrade you can easily craft in bulks and put it on all your campfires everywhere in the world. Instead, it should be a harder to craft object that is difficult to transport so it ideally only functions as a long term/late game upgrade to a base.

What do you all think about this general idea?

[Leeanda]

In theory a barrel is possible but not sure if its practical. It might be easier to just relocate one to somewhere you'd prefer! But a windbreaker  might be an easier option. Crafted from material and wood would be better as it would be foldable and weigh less!. Only problem is it would be a fire hazard if too close! But positioned properly might work well.

Edited August 29, 2021 by Leeanda

[UTC-10]

Nothing wrong with the idea but it seems unlikely until Wintermute is concluded (or some quest in episode 4 or 5 required it) that it would be implemented any time soon.  

Would be nice, but until it becomes something in the game, just have to take precautions and hope for the best. 

[Laika Ivanova]

On 8/29/2021 at 11:17 PM, Leeanda said:

In theory a barrel is possible but not sure if its practical. It might be easier to just relocate one to somewhere you'd prefer! But a windbreaker  might be an easier option. Crafted from material and wood would be better as it would be foldable and weigh less!. Only problem is it would be a fire hazard if too close! But positioned properly might work well.

Had the same idea with a classic wind breaker but I think it would be too easy to counter wind then.

[Leeanda]

1 hour ago, Laika Ivanova said:

Had the same idea with a classic wind breaker but I think it would be too easy to counter wind then.

Depends on what materials are used I would've thought!  And the wind does tend to change direction very quickly sometimes! Which might I add is always in your face !😃

[Stinky socks]

I think this is a ridiculous idea.

[Leeanda]

5 minutes ago, Stinky socks said:

I think this is a ridiculous idea.

The fire barrels already in use are very handy! They are the only things outdoors you can use during blizzards! 

[Stinky socks]

No no, I mean barrel fire is great, but lugging around clumsily with a huge chunk of metal on your back so you can use it to windshield fire at some point is very bad. @Laika Ivanova is proposing to forge a piece of metal so you can use it to shield fires outside. How can one carry it around?

[Leeanda]

I take your point! But I'm thinking of one made of cloth! 

[Stinky socks]

With winds shifting it'll be very cumbersome to keep repositioning it. I would understand it would have to be mounted on sticks? If you move it during wind change, you'll have the fire exposed and it'll go out anyway.

Perhaps much better idea to find a spot that's shielded vs having to fiddle with contraptions.

[Leeanda]

I did mention that the wind is a fickle little ...(something)😁

[manolitode]

In my early TLD days I would have enjoyed a solution like this immensely. Nowadays I take some pride in setting up campfires where they are mostly or fully wind-shielded by terrain. What this suggestion means is that you'd be able to sleep outside, anywhere on Great Bear, as long as you had your windshield and fuel. It would probably be fun for a bit but also suck the challenge out of the game :) 

But I can't rule an implementation like this out either. Since Hinterland proceed to make the game easier in many aspects, with rope climbing, birch bark, spray cans for navigation etc. Meanwhile they choose to keep hilarious deathtraps around, such as the inescapable CH mine electrocution pits, the Ravine bridge and off-grid exploring. Rant said, with windproof campfires implemented, players would probably start dragging windshields to any base of their liking to sleep outside and avoid cabin fever forever. Result, the game gets a lot easier. So while I acknowledge the desire for windproof campfires I would personally enjoy the game less with them. That said, I think it's an unusual and creative idea, it's just not to my liking :)

[UTC-10]

Something more in line with a woven lattice of sticks (since branches cannot be picked up) might be workable as a temporary, field expedient wind shield. 

It still has to be properly placed for a given situation and may even be moveable around the fire site.    It stops being moveable once its condition drops to less than 50%  (too fragile, it might break into pieces if tried)  and moving it costs 25% of condition so it can be moved just not repeatedly.  Its condition deteriorates at 5% an hour in calm and light wind conditions, 25% an hour in stronger winds, and breaks in blizzard winds.  This is not a long-lasting wind barrier. 

Of course predators will go right through it like it didn't exist and it blocks the character's line of sight so limits, to a degree, the ability to use ranged weapons especially when crouching. 

The "shield" needs to have a cost to gain the wind break effect.  Weaving the lattice might take a game hour to do and take 30 sticks.  It cannot be crafted away (how far away is depends on the devs) from where the fire is to be lit.    It is very bulky (cannot equip a weapon, torch, or lantern while carrying one).  And it won't block a blizzard - breaking almost immediately. 

Of course this then steps into the realm of  player-crafted items that can be placed largely at will - something that has been repeatedly suggested in the past.  Certainly a potentially useful item but with a real trade-off (given how I described it) in terms of time expended, materials expended, and general utility, which makes it highly unlikely to be implemented anytime soon unless something like this fits seriously into some quest in episode 4 or 5.  

I lose fires frequently to irritating wind direction changes.  Just have to live with that and choose as wisely as one can about where to place a campfire.  At least a magnifying lens fire, because it won't cost me a match, mitigates some of the irritation.  Free fire is free fire and losing one does not hurt quite so much.