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UnReal World => Suggestions => Topic started by: afilmforthefuture on December 24, 2017, 01:05:44 AM

Title: Rotting Warning
Post by: afilmforthefuture on December 24, 2017, 01:05:44 AM
Would it be possible to have warnings before things rot? I was just tanning an elk skin and it's a real pain to arrive back only to find you are an hour too late and it is rotten.

Perhaps this could work as follows:

You select an item and request that a warning be delivered to the chatbox just before that item rots. Perhaps this could also work for smoking meat, for example.
Title: Re: Rotting Warning
Post by: Privateer on December 24, 2017, 04:58:25 AM
OR you could look at the item and it tells you when you can continue.
Survival is also about managing your time.
Title: Re: Rotting Warning
Post by: PALU on December 24, 2017, 12:08:03 PM
You need to process things in a timely manner, as Privateer said. Trying to pick things that are still processed up gives you information on when they will be ready, so you can check how long it's left (but you don't get that info by looking at them, so you have to go to the location).

It's not possible to warn you about rotting of meat (at least, and probably of furs as well) because there's a significant random factor involved, so each morning when the day ticks over there's a chance things will degrade, but there's also a chance it will not, so it's not known beforehand (You can see that clearly by having several different pieces of meat acquired at the same time that degrade at different rates. While cooking, for instance, left over partial pieces may degrade slower than the whole pieces it used to stack with, despite the stack being left in the cool cellar all the time, while the one used for cooking was kept in the inventory by the fire at least during the cooking process).

Also note that degradation happens in steps, so meat first goes stale, and fur/skin degrades one level. This means that by the time the skin rots it has already degraded in steps down to harsh.
Title: Re: Rotting Warning
Post by: afilmforthefuture on December 24, 2017, 02:18:39 PM
Thanks for the replies. I don't want to sound like I'm not willing to put in effort, keep track of timing, etc. Of course, I do all that and enjoy it, to some extent. But it is frustrating when it doesn't work out from a gameplay perspective. You can spend a lot of time hunting a stag, say, and finally kill it only for a minor oversight to ruin an hour (e.g.) of play. Thank you for the info about random factors and degrading. I'm pretty new to the game.

I'm not sure I'm doing hideworking correctly, based on what PALU says. I can pick up the "tanning skin" while it is still part-way through the process. This seems to interrupt the tanning and I have to do it again. The times declared also seem to be inaccurate. It often says things like, the skin will be ready by early morning, and I come back at this time and it's not ready. Late morning, still not ready. And so on.
Title: Re: Rotting Warning
Post by: PALU on December 24, 2017, 02:37:29 PM
I've never been able to pick up anything that's in a passive process (cooking, drying, tanning, ...) so that's odd. I haven't paid close attention to how well time ready message correlate to the actual finishing time, but I've seen the same fire displaying two different messages at least.
My basic process for elk hides is:
- Skin/butcher at the killing site. Haul everything back to the homestead and dump the meat in the cellar. Do as much hide preparation I can before going to bed (sometimes none, sometimes cleaning only, usually first tanning stage).
- Wake up, continue tanning.
- Handle meat, next step of tanning if I can, otherwise sleep again.
- Tan, do other stuff. If I follow the normal routine this will be the grueling bonking stage.
- Meat processing takes the back seat, done only when hide processing isn't required.

I don't think I've had hides degrade any time due to time spent using that schedule (tanning ineptitude is another matter).
Title: Re: Rotting Warning
Post by: afilmforthefuture on December 24, 2017, 03:04:40 PM
I'm in the second stage of tanning, before the beating. I can pick it up. If I try and move to the beating stage, I can't. It takes me to the previous stage and the process seems to start from the beginning (tells me to wait until morning).

Edit: I tried it again, staying close to the skin. It says "harsh tanning stag skin". I know that I can't pick it up because then the whole thing will start again. I've saved the game as a backup to test that. So I leave it and do some fishing for an hour. I look at the skin again and it is rotten. Now, that's really harsh. I've installed Buoidda's Crafts mod. Could that be interfering somehow?
Title: Re: Rotting Warning
Post by: Helldiver on December 24, 2017, 03:28:24 PM
Edit: I saw you posted a reply while I was writing mine. It sounds like there’s a problem with your game first and foremost. I would try removing the mod and starting a new savegame for testing purposes, first, as the mod seems like the most likely culprit.

I can pick up the "tanning skin" while it is still part-way through the process. This seems to interrupt the tanning and I have to do it again. The times declared also seem to be inaccurate. It often says things like, the skin will be ready by early morning, and I come back at this time and it's not ready. Late morning, still not ready. And so on.

It doesn’t necessarily sound like you’re doing anything wrong, because the game is allowing you to do things that should literally be impossible. I can never pick anything up during the tanning process, the game just tells me to come back later and won’t complete the action.

I apologize if the questions I’m about to ask seem insultingly obvious, but I am merely asking for troubleshooting purposes, just to rule out the most obvious causes.

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Title: Re: Rotting Warning
Post by: afilmforthefuture on December 24, 2017, 03:41:48 PM
Thank you, Helldiver, I really appreciate it.

I think the first thing to do is for me to remove the mod and start a new game. But, in the meantime, for the record...

1. Yes. Three times. I'm at the "second time with water" stage.
2. Something is definitely wrong because I'm actually in the next phase (e.g. "noon") when it said it should be ready by early morning. As I understand it, that shouldn't be happening.
3. Yes, I understand the difference between making fur and leather and I have not de-haired the skin.
4. 84%
5. I'm on the latest version from the website. You might be right about the mod so I'll re-install and just start playing again. It's a shame because I've really lucked out on this playthrough but never mind... always learning :)
Title: Re: Rotting Warning
Post by: Helldiver on December 24, 2017, 03:55:50 PM
I just checked out the page for Buoidda’s mod, and it seems even the latest version of it is not up-to-date: for version 3.40b as opposed to the new 3.50b, or even the current stable version of 3.40.

It sucks to lose progress, definitely. :( But better than what you’ve been experiencing, which sounds like a total pain in the tuchus.
Title: Re: Rotting Warning
Post by: afilmforthefuture on December 24, 2017, 04:11:00 PM
Thanks, Helldiver, if I still have problems I'll report back :)

Edit: It did indeed turn out to be the mod. I reinstalled without it and everything works fine now. I still think the warning system might be a good idea. I understand the RP aspect but I also wonder... what do people do to remember? I write it down in notepad. So why not have the game do that for you? I don't think it interrupts the RP side of things, just makes things less frustrating, and it could be an option you turn on in the game menu before playing.
Title: Re: Rotting Warning
Post by: PALU on December 25, 2017, 11:24:52 AM
I'm a bit surprised about Buiodda's Crafting mod being the cause, as I haven't (and do not have) a problem with it. For the beta versions all I've done (I think) is to remove the bone and antler extractions in the mod as they're included in the beta itself. However, I've done some additional changes to the mod myself (in 3.40), but I don't think any of those should be responsible for things seeming to work correctly.

However, things not working properly with the mod and working properly without seems to be a rather clear indication something in it or its installation did mess things up.

When it comes to warnings, it would certainly make sense to add a message in the Log similar to the ones you get for laying nets for dehairing, as that process takes quite some time. If so, the report ought to state when the process will finish (it's something like 5 days for an elk skin, so it's a fair while). I don't have much of a problem with drying and smoking, as the products don't seem to take much or any harm from being uncollected for some time (apart from the dog eating some of it).
To help me remember I have my homestead close to water and my tanning site sufficiently close to the cellar that I can see if there are skins tanning or not when I go to eat, except when it's quite dark. The morning routine includes eating and taking care of any skins that are under process as some of the first activities. That usually jogs the memory sufficiently to allow me to remember to check skins for further processing each time I eat (even if it's dark), and to plan activities based on whether there's any skin preparation needed.
Title: Re: Rotting Warning
Post by: afilmforthefuture on December 25, 2017, 10:46:54 PM
I may have messed up the installation. I edited diy and biy to ORIGINAL_diy... as in the instructions but may have missed something.

I was quite early into my game so hadn't yet set up a settlement, etc. So my tanning location was just conveniently close to where I killed the animal. Anyway, I agree with you that some extra messages in the Log would make things easier generally. If I had the option to select which warnings to turn on and which to leave off, personally, I would turn them all on.
Title: Re: Rotting Warning
Post by: afilmforthefuture on December 26, 2017, 12:29:10 AM
Sorry to post again. The problem is still there.

I left the skin to tan. I come back and can't pick it up. It says come back in a couple of hours. I come back and it says "fine tanning elk skin". I try to pick it up and I can pick it up. In my inventory I now have "fine tanning elk skin". I try to move to the next stage of tanning but I am back at the previous stage and it tells me to come back in the small hours. What is going on? I can look at it again and it says "fine rinsed elk skin (being prepared)".
Title: Re: Rotting Warning
Post by: Helldiver on December 26, 2017, 01:02:04 AM
Sorry to post again. The problem is still there.

I left the skin to tan. I come back and can't pick it up. It says come back in a couple of hours. I come back and it says "fine tanning elk skin". I try to pick it up and I can pick it up. In my inventory I now have "fine tanning elk skin". I try to move to the next stage of tanning but I am back at the previous stage and it tells me to come back in the small hours. What is going on? I can look at it again and it says "fine rinsed elk skin (being prepared)".

This sounds normal? As long as the process asked you to use water and not fat or bark in the second stage, you should be fine?

Can you use a beater on the rinsed skin now?

EDIT: Is the problem still that you are able to pick up the skin when you shouldn’t be able to? And I am not sure what you mean by “I am back at the previous stage”... if the flags for skin status keep changing (“tanning skin” —> “rinsed skin”) this sounds like everything is moving along fine, and not like you’re starting over from the beginning.
Title: Re: Rotting Warning
Post by: afilmforthefuture on December 26, 2017, 01:21:49 AM
No. I can pick it up before it is ready for the beating stage. I then have to go through the water stage again, seemingly with the clock re-starting. From what PALU was saying I shouldn't be able to pick it up.
Title: Re: Rotting Warning
Post by: Helldiver on December 26, 2017, 01:26:13 AM
No. I can pick it up before it is ready for the beating stage. I then have to go through the water stage again, seemingly with the clock re-starting. From what PALU was saying I shouldn't be able to pick it up.

You’re right, you shouldn’t be able to do that. Did you uninstall AND reinstall the entire game after removing the mod? Maybe you have some residual files left over from the mod.
Title: Re: Rotting Warning
Post by: afilmforthefuture on December 26, 2017, 04:19:39 PM
I'm a bit worried I'm seriously derailing the thread but anyway... someone can move it if need be...

I was playing 3.40. Then I just bought the game in the Christmas sale. So not only am I sure that I deleted all the original files, I was reinstalling it in a different location (Steam). So that can't possibly be the issue. And yet, the same problem is there. It's not game-killing. I just have to remember not to pick it up before it's ready. But also I can't check how long it has to go because you only get that message when you try to pick it up.
Title: Re: Rotting Warning
Post by: Helldiver on December 26, 2017, 07:55:51 PM
I was playing 3.40. Then I just bought the game in the Christmas sale. So not only am I sure that I deleted all the original files, I was reinstalling it in a different location (Steam). So that can't possibly be the issue. And yet, the same problem is there. It's not game-killing. I just have to remember not to pick it up before it's ready. But also I can't check how long it has to go because you only get that message when you try to pick it up.

Actually, I think you do need to uninstall the old version as well, because even if you have the game installed somewhere else on your machine, URW runs preferentially from the separate installation folder, even if you're launching directly from Steam.

At any rate, I don't think it hurts to try. I would back up any game folders and graphics mods first.

I'm a bit worried I'm seriously derailing the thread but anyway... someone can move it if need be...

Well, you had a suggestion to give. And I think it's a decent suggestion, so I would think there's nothing wrong with leaving this thread here.

But if we want to talk more about this problem you're having, I do think it would be more productive to start a new thread in the Bug Reports forum... even if it's not a bug with the program itself, you'll probably have an easier time getting troubleshooting help over there.
Title: Re: Rotting Warning
Post by: afilmforthefuture on December 27, 2017, 12:15:32 AM
Thanks again. I'll take my concern to the bug forum when I get time.

On topic, I'll just add to counter the initial response that this suggestion would be somehow immersion killing, that there is a clock on the game screen that keeps track of the day and the time of day. I think it's in-keeping with the current gameworld to add a message to the log as suggested above.

Although many people build their cellars and smokehouses and tanning bays close to their homes so can check, many also spread these apart and must sometimes say to themselves, "in two weeks I have to go north to x,y,z". In that case, I think a reminder message would be helpful.