Haven't played in months, can't figure out how to play now

[ShinyBlue]

What it says on the tin. Played a lot last winter and spring, was busy with real life all summer, and I'm finally getting back to playing only to discover that a lot of the mechanics have significantly changed (plus my old savegame dropped all my inventory and stored inventory from all over the map at the feet of my avatar, rendering my savegame pretty much unplayable, though from reading around I see I am not the only one and I just started over.)

Getting used to the interface changes has been odd. I know I can't get firewood until I locate a hatchet, and cans are brute force or nothing until I get a can opener, but other stuff doesn't make much sense.

Biggest issues:

I can't melt snow. I can find the menu, but it won't let me adjust amounts, so it's stuck at 0.0L. Is there a specific way to do this? Am I doing it wrong? This is the biggest issue, as I'll die of dehydration without being able to melt snow.

If I have matches equipped so I can use them with the number keys, I cannot deactivate them without going into inventory and unequipping them. I can switch to flares, but can't put them away (so, yeah, every slightly-off mouseclick interaction tries to burn a match). Is this a bug?

[Scyzara]

Biggest issues:

I can't melt snow. I can find the menu, but it won't let me adjust amounts, so it's stuck at 0.0L. Is there a specific way to do this? Am I doing it wrong? This is the biggest issue, as I'll die of dehydration without being able to melt snow.

Light a fire, right-klick on it, then klick on the water drop symbol and melt as much snow as you like. The amount of snow you want to melt (and boil) can be adjusted with the tiny arrows (see screenshot).

If I have matches equipped so I can use them with the number keys, I cannot deactivate them without going into inventory and unequipping them. I can switch to flares, but can't put them away (so, yeah, every slightly-off mouseclick interaction tries to burn a match). Is this a bug?

You can press H ('holster') to unequip things. Works with matches, rifles, lanterns, etc.

[Vagos]

Holster is pain I could personally prefer ~ which is next to 1.

[elloco999]

In most games the tilde (~) key is reserved for opening the console. Just because we players don't get the console doesn't mean there is no console, it is probably only available to the devs, testers and probably the Scout Corps.

But if they enable you to rebind the keys, you could bind the ~ to the holster action.

[selfless]

I rebind "E" to holster and "Q" to inventory so everything is one-handed. "F" is start a fire BTW.

[exeexe]

i rebind left mouseclick to q

[Thelek]

HINT: You do nod NEED a hatcet to obtain firewood. You can gather sticks and harvest branches by hand and you can break up crates (small & large) and most chairs by hand. Also, a can opener is not required to open cans without smashing the can, you may also usea knife or hatchet.

You will find that all tools are multi-purpose. You just have to figure out which tool works in a particulat situation. An example would be using a hacksaw tu harvest the meat of a frozen carcass then using the knife to harvest the hide and guts. Frozen carcass harvested in less than 3 hours.

[elloco999]

So what can you use the can opener for other than opening cans?

I rebind "E" to holster and "Q" to inventory so everything is one-handed. "F" is start a fire BTW.

Isn't '4' the button to start a fire? Used that one 3 times yesterday.

[Thelek]

Scrap metal. I never keep them. Noreason tocarry the extra weight.