Magnifying glass and firestriker

[vimrich]

I got the magnifying glass at 100% or close to that. I've used it TWICE and it's now around 47%?! I figured eventually my matches will run out, and so I should start conserving by cooking outside if the weather is nice. But with this fast of degradation, the magnifying glass is no better than a box of 10 matches. Is that really what you had in mind hinterland?

FWIW, I think the magnifying glass and firestriker should offer some sort of long term hope of starting fires. At least make it so you can repair them. Perhaps make it harder to start a fire though - or you spend lots of calories to start a fire this way?

Made it to day 50, and still a great game but I'm starting to see the end if I can't make fire ever after the last match, firestriker and magnifying glass are gone. I can go to one fire every few days maybe, but still, it's just math till it's over.

[Random Fires]

I've only survived some 20 days more. Died with striker unused, and a silly amount of matches. Used the mag for laughs while in inventory. Basically save both for end times.

[Incariuz]

When you find the matches spread across all 3 maps, they'll take you quite the distance. I don't think I've ever even used up half the matches I've found, and never end up using magnifying glasses or firestrikers. Worse case scenario I'd think, is all your matches degrading to the point of being unusable, but so long as you travel a bit at a time, and only collect supplies when you will need them soon, you should be able to survive hundreds, if not thousands of days without issue.

[coryduran]

When you find the matches spread across all 3 maps, they'll take you quite the distance. I don't think I've ever even used up half the matches I've found, and never end up using magnifying glasses or firestrikers. Worse case scenario I'd think, is all your matches degrading to the point of being unusable, but so long as you travel a bit at a time, and only collect supplies when you will need them soon, you should be able to survive hundreds, if not thousands of days without issue.

Same here, I've never really had to use the magnifying glass or the firestriker. I'm 100 days in on my current stalker run, and I have 14 sets of matches that are untouched (ie haven't started to degrade) not to mention the 15+ sets I have in storage across the maps.

[Scyzara]

Firestriker and Magnifying glass are great tools for really long runs as they become incredibly valuable once all your matches have degraded.

If you pick up all matches as soon as you find them, this might be the case after maybe 200 days. If you, on the other hand, never pick up more matches than you really need, you can probably survive for more than 500 days without using the firestriker or lens. So yeah, you don't really NEED those tools for short or mid-length runs, but you'll be deeply grateful to have them during really long runs.

@OP: The magnifying glass shouldn't degrade at all on use, that's what makes it so potent for long-term survival. If your lens really degrades on use (you can test that by making some more fires and see if it deteriorates further), that's most likely a bug.

Edit:

Hm, I just tested the magnifying glass in my own savegame to make sure the dev's didn't change the way it works. Everything's fine for me, the glass stays at 83% condition no matter how many fires I ignite with it. Just as it's supposed to be.^^

[vimrich]

Well, I'm at a bit over 50 days, so far not left ML. I have tons of meat, and I can eat it raw, but I still need a fire every two or three days to make drinkable water. I have 60 matches left, a firestriker at 47% that degrades 2% each use (=22 more matches) and a magnifying glass. I'm pretty sure it was 100% when I found it, and after only two uses is now under 50% as well. Maybe it's a random thing like fishing line getting lost?

Do the math and at current rate, I'll run dry in about 200 to 250 days. Even if I hoard wood and make long lasting fires to melt tons of snow all at one, never cook any meat, it only prolongs the inevitable. At some point, I'll have no way to start a fire at all.

[Bill Tarling]

I have 60 matches left, a firestriker at 47% that degrades 2% each use (=22 more matches) and a magnifying glass.

Do the math and at current rate, I'll run dry in about 200 to 250 days. Even if I hoard wood and make long lasting fires to melt tons of snow all at one, never cook any meat, it only prolongs the inevitable. At some point, I'll have no way to start a fire at all.

Magnifying glass isn't decaying, so you have perpetual fire starting resource there.

Don't need to take so many matches to carry around - taking them starts the decay timer. Just come back to the area(s) once you start running low on supplies. Some containers can also slow down some decay rates.

You can actually last a lot longer than your figures with even fewer supplies than you listed.

[coryduran]

You find magnifying glasses at all kind of condition, so you might find a magnifying glass at 50%, it doesn't matter though because it shouldn't decay at all. It sounds like perhaps you assumed it was at 100%? I don't know. I'd say test it, and like it's been said before, don't carry more than one or two sets of matches on you, leave the rest in good containers, and avoid picking up matches from the environment when you don't need to (don't even go into inspection mode).

-edit-

This is my cheat sheet. As I explore I take note of what's where and what I haven't triggered decay for yet. I basically avoid picking up any food/matches that can be seen in the environment (anything you find while searching should be picked up and taken with you imo, since inspecting triggers decay anyway). I pick up tools because they only decay with use.

-edit 2-

I didn't use to play like this, and getting to 100-200 is relatively doable without doing stuff like this. You can hoard and centralize supplies and still make it to 120, 150 pretty easily, but I realized that if I wanted to go for longer runs, this is necessary, especially in regards to fire starting.

[TattooedMac]

You find magnifying glasses at all kind of condition, so you might find a magnifying glass at 50%, it doesn't matter though because it shouldn't decay at all. It sounds like perhaps you assumed it was at 100%? I don't know. I'd say test it, and like it's been said before, don't carry more than one or two sets of matches on you, leave the rest in good containers, and avoid picking up matches from the environment when you don't need to (don't even go into inspection mode).

-edit-

This is my cheat sheet. As I explore I take note of what's where and what I haven't triggered decay for yet. I basically avoid picking up any food/matches that can be seen in the environment (anything you find while searching should be picked up and taken with you imo, since inspecting triggers decay anyway). I pick up tools because they only decay with use.

-edit 2-

I didn't use to play like this, and getting to 100-200 is relatively doable without doing stuff like this. You can hoard and centralize supplies and still make it to 120, 150 pretty easily, but I realized that if I wanted to go for longer runs, this is necessary, especially in regards to fire starting.

And its for this reason that a in-game notepad would be very beneficial

[n00bas]

And its for this reason that a in-game notepad would be very beneficial

I agree that some sort of notepad in-game would really help. It should not break the immersion though, which might be hard to incorporate if you want it to be useful. Adding typewriters or pen/pencil and paper would make sense, but with typewriters you can't delete text (which is needed to make lists, unless you use this or add typex) and with pen and paper you might want a nice font type to simulate manual writing. Besides, with the typewriter you would not be able to make notes any time in the game, only sitting behind your typewriter. To remember your whole inventory and locations after a trip would be difficult. I would love it if a pencil would need to be sharpened (could be with knife of pencil sharpener) and gets smaller with use. Just adding a log where you can type in would break immersion a bit for me.

On OP, my magnifying glass doesn't degrade so it either is a bug or you missed something. A non-degradable or repairable firestriker would be overpowered IMO.

[vimrich]

I tested the magnifying glass. It didn't degrade from use starting fires. I think it must have degraded because I was carrying it during a wolf attack. It was a one time loss from 60ish to 47% condition. Now I just keep it stowed at base.

[Bill Tarling]

And its for this reason that a in-game notepad would be very beneficial

I still have to disagree... I prefer my app called pen and paper... I can flip through it as much as I want, make changes, organize it any way desired, refer to it at any time (including in subsequent games), and an entire notepad entry system isn't required to be programmed so it can fit within the game mechanics and feel.

Additionally, for controller users - sorry, but those on screen keyboards where you have to scroll through every letter are a pain enough for passwords, let alone to write entire memoires... It has to fit console and controller functions, not just PC versions.

I still can't figure out why people are so adamant about having pen and paper in the game, but absolutely feel it's immersion breaking or unrealistic to use real pen and paper to take notes if desired.

[coryduran]

I'm with you bill, I prefer doing it in my way, in fact I think I might even follow your lead and just start writing it in an actual physical journal so it's less frustrating than the app on my phone hah.

[n00bas]

And its for this reason that a in-game notepad would be very beneficial

I still have to disagree... I prefer my app called pen and paper... I can flip through it as much as I want, make changes, organize it any way desired, refer to it at any time (including in subsequent games), and an entire notepad entry system isn't required to be programmed so it can fit within the game mechanics and feel.

Additionally, for controller users - sorry, but those on screen keyboards where you have to scroll through every letter are a pain enough for passwords, let alone to write entire memoires... It has to fit console and controller functions, not just PC versions.

I still can't figure out why people are so adamant about having pen and paper in the game, but absolutely feel it's immersion breaking or unrealistic to use real pen and paper to take notes if desired.

It is interesting to know if Hinterland plans to keep the PC version and console version exactly the same. Since they added controller support to the PC it really feels like an in-game notepad is out of the question (because of the reasons you pointed out). For me personally, it feels like 'cheating' if I use pen and paper myself. If I would be dropped into the wilderness and I wouldn't have got any pen and paper, I would have to remember it as well.

So yeah, I really do want to have notes in a later stage in the game though (I am only 50 days surviving on stalker mode so I can still remember where everything is). I still think we can have notes, because it could be automated. It would require in-game time to do so, but why not make an option to 'make inventory list' from the items you have stored inside a cabinet/room? Of course, there are a few issues with this. It will only create the list from the items you have actually found. Which means that if you see matches on a shelf and don't want to touch them because of decay, it will not be listed. I believe this can be somewhat solved to give the option to make additional notes yourself. You wouldn't need this much, only to list those matches and maybe some additional information about the location (maybe the official location is not enough reference). Even on the console this should be doable (adding 'm20 70' for 20 matches at 70 percent should be all you need).

It will require work from the developers, but since the information is already there the primary focus is to make it natural. It shouldn't be too easy (it shouldn't update automatically when you remove something) and it should also require you to actually find the pen and paper. It would be funny to run out of ink =). So yeah, it can be done (imo). The question is if people actually want this, because it feels like it is not really necessary for the casual gamer. I might put it on the wish list and work it out a little further (I left out some details and stuff like displaying everything needs some attention).

On the OP, no, I haven't found a flint either. Do not know where to look (if it exists at all).

[Lamoi]

I definately think there should be an item like Flint or whatever that doesn't degrade and can be used indefinately.