Option to Use Hatchet/Saw to Harvest Metal/Wood

[cekivi]

In the game right now every tool has a specific niche. Survival, however, demands improvisation. Rather than running around looking for the one random hacksaw drop on a map so I can harvest scrap metal I should be able to use whatever I have on hand to do that task. Sort of how you can use a hatchet or a knife or your bare hands to harvest a carcass.

Now, using things as they weren't intended obviously should come at the risk of breaking them. However, I think it would add a lot of depth to the current game if players have the option to use their specialized tools for other things - things they may desperately need to do - at the risk of breaking those tools and then having nothing at all

Possible expanded uses:

• Hatchet: wood (intended), carcasses (intended), scrap metal (risk of breaking - 3x wear), forging (risk of breaking - 5x wear), opening lockers (2x risk of breaking, 5x wear)
  
• Hacksaw: metal (intended), carcasses (not intended with a metal blade - 2x wear), wood (risk of breaking - 3x wear)
  
• Knife: carcasses (intended), wood (2x risk of breaking, 5x wear)

[Boston123]

I don't understand how you are going to break a hatchet by using it as a hammer. That is pretty much what the poll is for. While I wouldn't use it as such if I had a perfectly good hammer ...... i've used my 3/4 as a hammer plenty of times. Wood, metal, plastic, all is good. I've actually used my 3/4 axe to bust open a locked locker in real life. Pop the locker in the corners a couple of times, break the "seals" between the sides, and you can practically open the thing up like a book. No damage to the axe at all.

Same thing with a hacksaw. I use it to "quick-shape" a bowstave plenty of times. You do realize the blades on a hacksaw are designed to be interchangeable, right? You break one or it gets dull, change it out with a new one in 30 seconds or less.

Knives? Knives are made to cut. It doesn't matter if it is flesh, wood, anything. So long as you aren't prying with the blade, the knife pretty much won't break. I've cut down trees (not foot-thick monsters, but still) and split wood with a belt-knife plenty of times. So long as you know what you are doing, the risk of damage is minimal. If anything, "batoning" (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batoning) with a knife is practically an essential survival skill.

[cekivi]

I don't understand how you are going to break a hatchet by using it as a hammer. That is pretty much what the poll is for. While I wouldn't use it as such if I had a perfectly good hammer ...... i've used my 3/4 as a hammer plenty of times. Wood, metal, plastic, all is good. I've actually used my 3/4 axe to bust open a locked locker in real life. Pop the locker in the corners a couple of times, break the "seals" between the sides, and you can practically open the thing up like a book. No damage to the axe at all.

Same thing with a hacksaw. I use it to "quick-shape" a bowstave plenty of times. You do realize the blades on a hacksaw are designed to be interchangeable, right? You break one or it gets dull, change it out with a new one in 30 seconds or less.

Knives? Knives are made to cut. It doesn't matter if it is flesh, wood, anything. So long as you aren't prying with the blade, the knife pretty much won't break. I've cut down trees (not foot-thick monsters, but still) and split wood with a belt-knife plenty of times. So long as you know what you are doing, the risk of damage is minimal. If anything, "batoning" (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batoning) with a knife is practically an essential survival skill.

Yes, I am well aware of that. I've actually done most of these things myself

The faster wear/risk of breaking would be more for gameplay considerations to keep the other tools useful. Otherwise all you'd need is a hatchet and a knife! :lol:

This is also apparently my 100th post. Yea!

[Boston123]

Considering how, in real world wilderness survival, "all you need" is a knife and an axe, it seems to be one of the few aspects of gameplay to actually kinda-sorta line up with realism/authenticity.

[cekivi]

Considering how, in real world wilderness survival, "all you need" is a knife and an axe, it seems to be one of the few aspects of gameplay to actually kinda-sorta line up with realism/authenticity.

Exactly. But you can't quite have that in the game otherwise there's no need to search for and use the other tools

[akodo1]

Considering how, in real world wilderness survival, "all you need" is a knife and an axe, it seems to be one of the few aspects of gameplay to actually kinda-sorta line up with realism/authenticity.

Exactly. But you can't quite have that in the game otherwise there's no need to search for and use the other tools

There is plenty of reason for other to search for and include other tools.

Even if the tools are all capable of doing the same thing you can differentiate by carry weight and effectiveness.

I'd love to see the inclusion of a pocket-knife - can be used to butcher but takes longer. Much lighter to carry though. Full blown axe - chop limbs and destroy furniture in half the time, but significantly heavier than hatchet.

[cekivi]

I'd love to see the inclusion of a pocket-knife - can be used to butcher but takes longer. Much lighter to carry though. Full blown axe - chop limbs and destroy furniture in half the time, but significantly heavier than hatchet.

Those are actually really cool ideas. Plus, on lower difficulties, you can could probably start with the pocket knife to make the early game easier.

[Jebru]

I agree it would be nice to see more tool versatility. The hatchet on lockers is one. But the big one for me is the hacksaw to cut up wood. I would also like to see the wood harvesting mechanism mimic the meat harvesting. Let me have my choice of tools with varying effectiveness, but also let me decide how much or how little I want to take. If I just need one piece of cedar wood to start a fire, don't make me take 45 minutes to chop the whole limb.