New Player - Water availability Issue

[djehmli]

I came to the forums to find out what I was missing when it came to water resources. Only to discover there really is only the Coconut and the Still. Also discovered boiling water was once available but no longer is.

I've enjoyed the game so far, restarted a few times once I figured out how things worked, but as older players have pointed out, I am finding less enjoyment in the game as it has become a water still farm system versus survival/discovery.

I have multiple options for food gathering
I have multiple options for building resources and crafting resources
I have extremely limited resources for water...

Keep the still, keep the coconuts, bring back distilling fresh from seawater (as it was before my time I don't know how easy the distilling process was, complicate it if necessary) add the ability to 'distill' from the plant life branches using plastic bags/ties.

There are many valid ways for water resources that do not have to be 'easy' which add enjoyment to the game without placing the player into a 'gotta farm water' rut.

And even if water farming WAS easy, there are many other ways to fubar a player when it comes to actual storage which would keep a player on their toes. Container leaks, contamination from external sources, bacteria infestation etc.

TLDR - Water farming turns off new players, additional Non Easy mode water resource implementations desired.

[Graf Schokola]

Water farming is very very easy if you know how. Only thing needed is a ingame tutorial for this.

[Kraft51]

sigh, you say this like it is easy. however i have had 2 stills set up since the first day and they only filled up a quarter of capacity 2 times since .. i'm about a week and a half in game so this is an ongoing issue for me as well, only so many times i can get the runs from drinking coconut milk all the time.

its really taking the fun out of the game. especially considering i don't need to eat or sleep nearly as much as i need water all the time. and its even worse after sleeping, i play some hardcore survivals and this isn't hardcore its just irritating.

[Omen3608]

Hm... maybe you need to fuel your water still with something. A closer look at the still might help. ;)

[djehmli]

Regarding 'fueling' the still, I have a PHD in weed whacking in this game :)

[lostandalone]

Originally posted by Kraft51:

sigh, you say this like it is easy. however i have had 2 stills set up since the first day and they only filled up a quarter of capacity 2 times since .. i'm about a week and a half in game so this is an ongoing issue for me as well, only so many times i can get the runs from drinking coconut milk all the time.

its really taking the fun out of the game. especially considering i don't need to eat or sleep nearly as much as i need water all the time. and its even worse after sleeping, i play some hardcore survivals and this isn't hardcore its just irritating.

You need to add "fuel" to your stills,this can be either palm fronds or fibres.Adding 4 will get you a full still over time.If you have 2 stills you should never run out however if you want to play it safe you can fill clay water bottles direct from the still and each bottle will hold 2 portions of water.

[poppetshadow]

Actually, clay water bottles hold 5 portions of water, leather holds 3, and coconut flasks hold one. A full water still contains 4.

[PestMastah]

I tried fibers... it won't take. They will fit nicely on the campire though....

I've been running out of trees... my main island has ONE palm tree left (and tons of baby ones that never seem to grow). That one palm tree is half growing through the mountain anyways...

I have to go raid nearby tree-infested islands for those palm leafs and I usually bring back 12 at a time... on top of maintaining the small "camps" on those islands with water going as I leave.

There does need to be a couple more options added. I like the distilling water idea.. if fibers can be used (I don't recall mine being able to take them) that would at least help me a bit more.

Perhaps one other plan could be done... (and I am about to suggest it)...

Water holes.. natural spring water holes (like in BlueLagoon) where you can fill up with fresh water.

But leave those islands to being big and rare.

[LSMOguy]

I don’t like that rain water no longer collects in water stills. Anything with a bowl shape would collect rain. Used to collect in stills and buckets. Those were the days.

[Graf Schokola]

Originally posted by LSMOguy:

I don’t like that rain water no longer collects in water stills.

Water stills does collect rain again with version 0.49.01. Do you play a old version?

[djehmli]

i've started to explore and have learned to build still as fast as possible at the new location, prior to anything else. For those having trouble 'fueling'. Keep in mind that for most things you need to have the item you wish to use 'in hand'. Also, some objects have a 'top' and a 'bottom' , The still is no exception. (Trying not be a spoiler, but at the same time provide direction)

Regarding items re populating, the small palms seem to 'resprout' in a couple of days. Anything larger I've chopped up also seems to 'regrow' but at longer time spans.

[Anthony]

I agree with the previous comment that they need more options for getting water, and what was wrong with the previous option of boiling sea water?? I thought it was a nice touch. They need to re-implement that

[Gladi8er65]

Originally posted by indigochild16:

I agree with the previous comment that they need more options for getting water, and what was wrong with the previous option of boiling sea water?? I thought it was a nice touch. They need to re-implement that

This option was soooo unrealistic, even in a virtual world... dipping a bucket into the ocean and simply boiling it on a fire doesn't do anything but give you hot, ultra-salty water, which is totally undrinkable...

This option was used as a sort of "place holder" method to get water early in the game, knowing that they would replace it later on in development of the game... and now it has been replaced.

That being said, I think they should have added a method for de-salination (remove salt) of the sea water.... a real world method I've seen on survival videos... is a contraption very similar to the fuel still already implemented in the game.

The basic premise is that a large (sealed) clay vessel is filled with sea water... when heated, makes steam (which contains no salt)... a small tube at the top directs the steam down toward a secondary pot, condensing into droplets and drips into that second pot and gives you drinkable water.

It's essentially the same setup as the fuel still so It wouldn't be unrealistic to see something like that added to the game as another water source, but not sure that will ever happen.

[Cosmo]

Originally posted by Gladi8er65:

That being said, I think they should have added a method for de-salination (remove salt) of the sea water.... a real world method I've seen on survival videos... is a contraption very similar to the fuel still already implemented in the game.

The basic premise is that a large (sealed) clay vessel is filled with sea water... when heated, makes steam (which contains no salt)... a small tube at the top directs the steam down toward a secondary pot, condensing into droplets and drips into that second pot and gives you drinkable water.

It's essentially the same setup as the fuel still so It wouldn't be unrealistic to see something like that added to the game as another water source, but not sure that will ever happen.

They did at one point, but it was removed.. maybe temporarily?

Edit: It would have to be a tweaked design from before though I guess ... unless the buckets came back too that it required.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=648951526&searchtext=collection

Cosmo and Fred

[Gladi8er65]

Originally posted by djehmli:

i've started to explore and have learned to build still as fast as possible at the new location, prior to anything else. For those having trouble 'fueling'. Keep in mind that for most things you need to have the item you wish to use 'in hand'. Also, some objects have a 'top' and a 'bottom' , The still is no exception. (Trying not be a spoiler, but at the same time provide direction)

Regarding items re populating, the small palms seem to 'resprout' in a couple of days. Anything larger I've chopped up also seems to 'regrow' but at longer time spans.

Obviously, Water collection / management are among the most important aspects of the game.

Once you have a good understanding of how to manage this aspect, it becomes much easier to not only keep yourself hydrated but also have excess water to use for farming plots...

The way I approach this is:

STARTING ISLAND- My goal is to loot this island and get to the next island by sundown...as quickly as possible, i make a stone tool then loot any wrecks, pick up every tarp, harvest every yucca and small palm (the fibrous leaves stack to 24), harvest any pipi, aloe, potatoes and fruit.... If i have time i will chop down one small palm tree and harvest the fronds (to carry with me to next island for making shelter)... I basically wont bother with sticks or rocks unless i have room left after collecting all the above items... Sail away to biggest Island I can see from here...

NEW ISLAND- ASAP I build water stils and shelter then save... I build as many stills as I have tarps (including any tarps found on new island)

After shelter is made, all extra fibrous leaves get placed in the stills to get the water production started... Now I loot all the yucca / small palms on the island so that the "regrowth" cycle can get started... Now life gets a lot easier...

I NEVER use coconuts as a water source.... the tutorial is misleading in this regard... coconuts are a laxative and if you get the "squirts", you lose hydration bars rather than gaining them...
If you need to gain hydration/food prior to having your stills producing water, use the rations supplied on your raft.... If you do things right, you should only need to eat maybe one ration before your stills are making enough water to stay alive.

The way I see it, fibrous leaves = life... each one = 1 potential unit of water.... they regrow fairly fast (small palms / yucca) and they stack to 24 per inventory space which makes looting runs to other islands more than worth the effort.

Every time you find new tarps, make new water stills.

Water is not a problem if you you manage it in a smart way... No additional water sources needed in the game.