Moving between maps

[wolf359]

I was under the impression that everything I find, especially food, had to come with me when I crossed over to another map, because it would degrade when left behind. But I was reading here, on a thread regarding wildlife spawning, that the map goes into stasis when you leave it. Is that the same for everything including food? Not a noob, over 300 hours, but I do not know this. I thought when it was found, the clock started and it would be worthless over time, even when you leave the game. Once, I was forced to killed a bear and already had a deer in the fridge. Harvested and cooked the bear, and unfortunately I wasn't able to get back to the game for 10 days. When I got back to the game the deer was rancid and the bear meat was only 34%. So this is why I have this thought process. I usually feel compelled to clean out a map, clearing it of it's resources, and move to a new map when forced to through hunger or cold.

[selfless]

The short answer to what you ask is: Your impression was correct. Degradation continues regardless of where you are for all things that are degrading.

The answer to your unspoken question is: That's one way to play. Very post-modern (I learned this today :ugeek: ). But clearing the map for the sake of clearing the map because you know the map can be cleared is probably not a fully immersive experience. Other approaches work, too. Role play what would your character do? Explore regions you find interesting. Or challenging. Or build your own challenges. Can you survive without killing? Can you survive without canned food? Can I move to a new map with nothing but a pair of boots and a flare? During a blizzard? With raw meat on my head? Only walking backwards? It's a sandbox. Do what you like.

[elloco999]

I'm not 100% sure if degradation continues when you leave a map, but I believe it does.

[quinch1199]

AFAIK Degeneration of food items continues through all maps as long as you are in-game. Degeneration doesn't continue when you are offline and not playing though I'm sure. You hinted above that you didn't play the game for 10 days and came back to find items that were fresh when you last logged in had now become degraded...I'm sure that shouldn't happen as the save file captures a point in time and restarts when you open the safe file again and won't continue if you're not playing the game.

[trev186]

In my exp degradation continues but at a slower rate for some things.

I left a cupboard full of canned food in CH and left to DP and did not return until I harvested all of DP. When I came back some of the food was still there but much of it had degraded (including those evil canned items which claim they "keep forever").

I say some things may have a slower decay because I have heard reports of animal carcasses from wolves and such which were injured but not dead are still around when a player returns.

My personal theory is the inactive maps behave the same as when a player harvests or sleeps.

You can test but I noticed when caught in a blizzard once the following:

1. Lit a fire which would last 2 hours.

2. Slept for 2 hours...Fire still had almost an hour of burn time left

3. Continued to sleep again and was able to stretch the fire almost the full length of a 4 hour blizzard...even though if I were cooking or just standing there the fire would have burnt out.

Also when harvesting I have noticed:

1. Kill creature with wolves nearby

2. WTH harvest anyway YOLO

3. Can see wolf in screen while harvest action happens

4. Wolf barely moves during the process and does not attack

Now the delays for both are not the same I think when harvesting animal AI slows down a lot more than when sleeping. To the point that I am practically safe 100% of the time while harvesting (not to say the animal wont attack u immediately after the harvest but they wont interrupt it) vs sleeping you can still be attacked.

I believe inactive maps behaves like one or the other and may slow down degradation of some items but not 100% sure.