Optimal carry weight

[ajb1978]

So I found myself wondering recently, what exactly is the perfect balance of being over-encumbered, and getting to your destination in a timely fashion. Starting from a base 30kg limit, we all know by now that you start slowing down once you exceed 30kg. But the loss of speed seemed to be a lot slower at first, escalating exponentially the closer you reached 60kg.

So not unlike my lamp oil experiment a few years back, I decided to science the hell out of this.

I used crafted 100% torches as my timer, as they burn for exactly 30 in-game minutes. I used Coastal Highway on Pilgrim, on the open ice on a clear day with no wind, and the default 30kg base carry limit. I then began loading myself up with gear and tracking the distance I travelled between the instant the torch was lit, and the moment it went out. This is not super precise and was merely intended to help me ballpark it, which I think these numbers do nicely.

4.15kg: 1.5km
15.87kg: 1.5km
30.07kg: 1.5km

Good so far... But here's where it tanks.

34.97kg: 1.2km
40.06kg: 0.9km
45.02kg: 0.8km
50.03kg: 0.5km
54.97kg: 0.2km
59.50kg: 0.05km (I had to burn through two torches to get the distance to go up by a measly 0.1km)

So with this in mind, I calculated three scenarios. In all three, I'm transporting 90kg of materials exactly 1km. There is no distinction between what's worn or what's in my pack, I'm assuming I'm dumping everything, heading back naked, picking up the next load.

Scenario 1: Travel heavy the first time, travel light the second.  55kg the first trip takes 2.5 hours. The return trip takes 20 minutes. The final trip with 35kg takes 25 minutes. Total duration is 3.25 hours.

Scenario 2: Equal loads both trips. 45kg the first trip takes 38 minutes, the return trip takes 20, and the second trip takes 38 minutes. Total duration is 1.58 hours.

Scenario 3: Three trips, unencumbered. All 5 trips take 20 minutes each, for a total of 1.65 hours

Now these are unrealistic scenarios, so allowing for equipment worn you wouldn't be able to do scenario 3. You'd need to shave off maybe 10kg to allow for your clothing, meaning you could only transport 20kg at time unencumbered, which means 9 total trips to move the 90kg of supplies....not cool. So yeah, it looks like keeping your inventory at 45kg is the balance between carry limit and making good time. Which pretty much confirms everything I already believed, but it's nice having the math back me up.

[Ghurcb]

2 hours ago, ajb1978 said:

But the loss of speed seemed to be a lot slower at first, escalating exponentially the closer you reached 60kg.

So, I made a graph for how the speed changes, depending on the weight you're carrying, and there's nothing exponential about it. Basically, you lose 1 km/h for each 10 kg. Really simple.

[Ghurcb]

Now that I think about it, in the long dark the time is compressed 12 times. So, if the survivor travels 3km in one in-game hour, they have to move at a speed of 36km/h. And that's not even sprinting! When you sprint you're twice as fast. that would be 70+ km/h. Like a car! Are the calculations correct? I mean, there's no way that can be true...

[ajb1978]

1 hour ago, Ghurcb said:

Now that I think about it, in the long dark the time is compressed 12 times. So, if the survivor travels 3km in one in-game hour, they have to move at a speed of 36km/h. And that's not even sprinting! When you sprint you're twice as fast. that would be 70+ km/h. Like a car! Are the calculations correct? I mean, there's no way that can be true...

If you travel 3km in one hour, you travel 3km/h. 

[Sgt Socks]

@ajb1978 @Ghurcb

This is really interesting, and thank you for putting so much effort into calculating the actual numbers behind encumbrance. It is both valuable and informative.

It is certainly likely to help players who are careful about their carry weight, especially on Loper I should think.

I know, however, that there is no helping me! @Leeandais the same too. Both committed loot goblins and sadly no knowledge is going to prevent us carrying too much every single time. We are currently dreaming about shopping trollies to help us lug our stuff about. Two old bag ladies carrying everything *and* the kitchen sink. Indeed my diaries on here are called "The Encumbered Diaries"! 😁

But if working on a challenge or needing to pay particular attention to carry weight, this will certainly be helpful. Thanks guys.

Edited September 27, 2022 by Sgt Socks

[Ghurcb]

26 minutes ago, Sgt Socks said:

@ajb1978 @Ghurcb

This is really interesting, and thank you for putting so much effort into calculating the actual numbers behind encumbrance. It is both valuable and informative.

It is certainly likely to help players who are careful about their carry weight, especially on Loper I should think.

I know, however, that there is no helping me! @Leeandais the same too. Both committed loot goblins and sadly no knowledge is going to prevent us carrying too much every single time. We are currently dreaming about shopping trollies to help us lug our stuff about. Two old bag ladies carrying everything *and* the kitchen sink. Indeed my diaries on here are called "The Encumbered Diaries"! 😁

But if working on a challenge or needing to pay particular attention to carry weight, this will certainly be helpful. Thanks guys.

If my calculations are correct, it would take as much time to transport 50kg in one go as it would in two. So, if you're carrying less then 50kg just so that you don't have to go back, you're making the right choice.

[Sgt Socks]

3 minutes ago, Ghurcb said:

If my calculations are correct, it would take as much time to transport 50kg in one go as it would in two. So, if you're carrying less then 50kg just so that you don't have to go back, you're making the right choice.

Thank you for putting it so succinctly, and easy to understand for someone who gets totally baffled by numbers and calculations! (i.e. me)

I am so pleased to know my slow 50kg walks aren't as lunatic as they first appear!

[DaGnome91]

Actually, the maths are a bit more specific, or it seems to me, even if it is indeed quite linear :

You have to take into account your maximum weight capacity without encumberance. If you have a max at 45 kg (well-fed and the moose satchel), your speed will go down first at 45kg, second at 50kg, third at 55kg, then even more at 60kg, again more at 65kg, then finally at 70kg you won't be able to move.
Pay attention that your endurance plays a role too : between 100% and 50%, no malus, but between 50% and 0% the malus will grow in a scalable way (much the same kind)...

I said it's quite linear, because it's not exactly linear but ressembles more to stairs : at 49,9kg, you'll have the same speed that when you carry 45kg. The speed reduction kicks in when you reach the next 5kg-limit.
Also, if I'm correct, if you carry less than half your max capacity (here 22,5kg), your speed is at your max. Ever seen that green light icon in the bottom right of your inventory and wondered what it meant? Even though I don't see it anymore usually (loot-goblin here too)...

Numbers and figures...

Hope this clears it up a bit too ^^

[Ghurcb]

58 minutes ago, DaGnome91 said:

Ever seen that green light icon in the bottom right of your inventory and wondered what it meant?

I'm pretty sure it means that your carrying capacity is increased. For example, here I'm close to 45kg but I still have the green icon.

[DaGnome91]

Might be that too, I don't pay too much attention to those icons anymore...

[Leeanda]

All of this is great information but what about adding in the weather factor.   Or if you use the feats? That damn wind is my bugbear, especially when overburdened.🙂

[DaGnome91]

The weather factors in juste like in any other way : if you're overburdened or not, walking with the wind at whatever angle between 0° and 90° gives the same % malus. So, yes, it stacks.

Same goes for the feats.

By the way, I was asking myself recently if having the wind blowing in an angle between 90° (left or right) and 180° (your back) gives you any % bonus. Anyone know ?
Asking for a goblin friend of mine 😁

Edited September 27, 2022 by DaGnome91

[javijungle]

23 minutes ago, DaGnome91 said:

By the way, I was asking myself recently if having the wind blowing in an angle between 90° (left or right) and 180° (your back) gives you any % bonus. Anyone know ?
Asking for a goblin friend of mine 😁

In my current trip exploring the island I have never seen that the wind in favor lightens the march, only against, in fact I have turned around on some trip with a headwind and I have not noticed that it has helped

[Sgt Socks]

5 hours ago, DaGnome91 said:

Actually, the maths are a bit more specific, or it seems to me, even if it is indeed quite linear :

You have to take into account your maximum weight capacity without encumberance. If you have a max at 45 kg (well-fed and the moose satchel), your speed will go down first at 45kg, second at 50kg, third at 55kg, then even more at 60kg, again more at 65kg, then finally at 70kg you won't be able to move.
Pay attention that your endurance plays a role too : between 100% and 50%, no malus, but between 50% and 0% the malus will grow in a scalable way (much the same kind)...

I said it's quite linear, because it's not exactly linear but ressembles more to stairs : at 49,9kg, you'll have the same speed that when you carry 45kg. The speed reduction kicks in when you reach the next 5kg-limit.
Also, if I'm correct, if you carry less than half your max capacity (here 22,5kg), your speed is at your max. Ever seen that green light icon in the bottom right of your inventory and wondered what it meant? Even though I don't see it anymore usually (loot-goblin here too)...

Numbers and figures...

Hope this clears it up a bit too ^^

It certainly does DaGnome, fellow loot goblin!

I have definitely noticed the 5kg differences and their direct effect on walking speed. I think that's why dropping what seems to be an inconsequential light item can sometimes make a huge difference.

@Leeanda told me about her slowest walk where dropping a fishing tackle made a huge difference.  It would certainly make sense based on this explanation.

Unlike @javijungleI have thought I could feel a benefit from a tail wind. Not enormous but noticeable. However nowhere near as noticeable as the head winds, which I think is unfair.

I also agree with @Leeanda - no matter which way you turn the wind always seems to be blowing you back or sideways! It drives me nuts. Pretty much like where I live in real life!

[Leeanda]

I hate to add this ,but I've also noticed that walking sideways (while risky on anything except pilgrim,) is quicker than face forwards.  

 

[Sgt Socks]

20 minutes ago, Leeanda said:

I hate to add this ,but I've also noticed that walking sideways (while risky on anything except pilgrim,) is quicker than face forwards.  

 

Really? Or are you pulling my leg 🤔😊

If that is the case, I'll go all out crab when I am next on one of  my heaviest loot journeys!

[Leeanda]

7 minutes ago, Sgt Socks said:

Really? Or are you pulling my leg 🤔😊

If that is the case, I'll go all out crab when I am next on one of  my heaviest loot journeys!

Honestly I think it does ,,if not it just feels like it's quicker but the footsteps do go faster.

[piddy3825]

well now I am curious as to how the carry buffs are affected speed of movement if at all considering technical backpack adds 5 kilos of carry capacity as does the moose hide satchel and of course the well fed buff.  I usually use all three of these buffs in combination giving me a total of 45 kilos of carry capacity and honestly at that level of encumberance don't notice any significant slowdown in movement speed.  but anything over that does seem to affect my character rather quickly especially when ever I exceed 50kilos of carry weight.  

[mfuegemann]

43 minutes ago, piddy3825 said:

well now I am curious as to how the carry buffs are affected speed of movement if at all considering technical backpack adds 5 kilos of carry capacity as does the moose hide satchel and of course the well fed buff.  I usually use all three of these buffs in combination giving me a total of 45 kilos of carry capacity and honestly at that level of encumberance don't notice any significant slowdown in movement speed.  but anything over that does seem to affect my character rather quickly especially when ever I exceed 50kilos of carry weight.  

The curve is just moved by the buffs. The encunberance penalties are the same for every kg over Your max. carrying weight.
As a rule of thumb, I try to stay below max+10kg if possible.

[piddy3825]

25 minutes ago, mfuegemann said:

The curve is just moved by the buffs. The encunberance penalties are the same for every kg over Your max. carrying weight.
As a rule of thumb, I try to stay below max+10kg if possible.

yeah, I kinda figured as much.  I usually keep my average carry weight around 25 kilos anyway and typically only load up when I've been out hunting or gathering firewood.  Other than that the only time I am really grossly over encumbered is when I've just finished looting the summit at TWM or when I'm carrying 12 cooking pots outta Milton!

[DaGnome91]

Never noticed a difference from walking sideways, except that I'm dying a bit more easily... 🤪

To be fair, I'm a huge fan of the crampons and what they permit us to do: going downhill has never been so easy, even overburdened ! Yes, carrying down from TWM Summit all those lanterns, hatchets, knives, hammers and the occasionnal rifle along whatever food and clothes you found has never been so delightful !

But walking sideways has its own limits : bumping into a bear during a heavy snowfall is one (sounds are muffled and you make some yourself), falling off a cliff is another one...

Edited September 29, 2022 by DaGnome91

[Leeanda]

Just now, DaGnome91 said:

Never noticed a difference from walking sideways, except that I'm dying a bit more easily... 🤪

To be fair, I'm a huge fan of the crampons and what they permit us to do: going downhill has never been so easy, even overburdened ! Yes, carrying down from TWM Summit all those lanterns, hatchets, knives, hammers and the occasionnal rifle along whatever food and clothes you found has never been so delightful !

But walking sideways has its own limits : bumping into a bear during a heavy snowfall is one (sounds are muffled and you make some yourself), falling off a cliff is another one...

Lol..  I only do it occasionally on open ground. Mainly if it's windy.  And clear enough 🙂

[DaGnome91]

13 minutes ago, Leeanda said:

Lol..  I only do it occasionally on open ground. Mainly if it's windy.  And clear enough 🙂

I don't know such places... 😉