Life Raft better than Wooden raft?

[Battury]

So, until you've gathered all the parts for the engine, is there any reason to use the wooden raft? Personally, I find that it is much more dangerous considering how easy it is to get knocked off it. Maybe making it a couple feet wider and longer might make it a little better, but until the engine, there seems to be no reason to use it.
I remember being stranded in the ocean one time while this strange fog rolled in and I couldn't see more than a few feet in front of me, and the "shark music" started playing, and a bunch of swordfish started bumping into my life raft. I was certain they were going to poke a hole in it, and I would be stranded in open water, but nothing happened...
So, can the life raft deflate? Because if not, it definitely seems to be the best choice.

[Mauri]

No I don't think the raft can deflate..


I myself have abandoned rafts altogether, cause I just can't seem to keep them. Sharks always knock me off and fling my raft somewhere really far. I just swim everywhere, that way I don't have to have a slot for paddle. :D

[CatPerson]

The wood raft may be a little paddle-faster. That's about it. If you turn it over, it's also a bit more stable. I do prefer the liferaft, however, myself. :)

[Lonesome 77]

Life raft is probably best unless you get a motor. No you can't deflate it--I've attacked it with a knife and other weapons and it doesn't deflate. That'd be interesting if it could in the future.

[Drake]

The wooden raft is slightly faster and can have motors installed to make it faster. The life raft, however, has better stability.

[Battury]

I would be fine with a wooden raft if it was just plain bigger. Or if you could string wooden rafts together to make bigger ones. That would be cool.

[Macaroni Salad]

Originally posted by Battury:

I would be fine with a wooden raft if it was just plain bigger. Or if you could string wooden rafts together to make bigger ones. That would be cool.

Bigger boats mean slower rafts.

[Lonesome 77]

Originally posted by Battury:

I would be fine with a wooden raft if it was just plain bigger. Or if you could string wooden rafts together to make bigger ones. That would be cool.

I think that being able to have a larger raft would be great. Of course that'd mean there'd have to be more wood available for it, and that means larger islands.

[user_names_these_days]

Originally posted by niceguy4573:

Originally posted by Battury:

I would be fine with a wooden raft if it was just plain bigger. Or if you could string wooden rafts together to make bigger ones. That would be cool.

Bigger boats mean slower rafts.

cloth is being added so sails would be a nice option to craft.

as long as they degraded over time

[Lonesome 77]

Sails would be great. I wonder how long sails would take to degrade--anyone with a sailboat here that might know? Or, I suppose sails now are probably different material. I wonder about ships in the age of sail. Hmm. But yeah sails would be very good, though it seems like we'd also need to have wind in the game. Who knows maybe that will be in the future. Same with more waves--as it is there's none of either, but imagine the trouble you might be in in the future, if they added them, if you get ashore, hop out of your raft, do stuff, and then your raft is washed away!

Of course I almost always pull my raft a ways up the shore--simply because it adds a wee bit of realism (it's what I've done with canoes, kayaks, etc usually in real life)

[Battury]

Originally posted by niceguy4573:

Originally posted by Battury:

I would be fine with a wooden raft if it was just plain bigger. Or if you could string wooden rafts together to make bigger ones. That would be cool.

Bigger boats mean slower rafts.

This is true, but if there was enough room on the raft to place items, you could, in theory, make only or two trips to an island instead of dedicating half a week to going back and forth and draining it of resources.

[Lonesome 77]

Yes I'm 100% behind being able to carry things reliably in your raft (at least life raft)

[Battury]

Originally posted by Vikingr:

Yes I'm 100% behind being able to carry things reliably in your raft (at least life raft)

Yeah, I remember when I first got the game, I decided to pile things into my raft, but you can only carry one small item and make the raft still work. But even if there was a risk involved, you know? Like, I'd take the risk of piling items onto the raft and them possibly falling into the ocean if a shark hit me.

[Buttercup]

Originally posted by Vikingr:

Sails would be great. I wonder how long sails would take to degrade--anyone with a sailboat here that might know? Or, I suppose sails now are probably different material. I wonder about ships in the age of sail. Hmm. But yeah sails would be very good, though it seems like we'd also need to have wind in the game. Who knows maybe that will be in the future. Same with more waves--as it is there's none of either, but imagine the trouble you might be in in the future, if they added them, if you get ashore, hop out of your raft, do stuff, and then your raft is washed away!

Of course I almost always pull my raft a ways up the shore--simply because it adds a wee bit of realism (it's what I've done with canoes, kayaks, etc usually in real life)

All depends on the weather, I have a couple sailboats, and you have one heavy duty set of sails (for storms) and then you have lighter, better sails, although they are easy to rip in storms

[Jmee]

I consider the original Life Raft to be safer for paddling, yes. The wooden one is too small and has no edges to help you stay on. The only time it might be superior is when you're "attached" to it if you have a boat motor... but you still have to waste an inventory slot carrying a paddle in case you run out of fuel (and what do you do with empty jerry cans once you've used them? I hate having pointless garbage lying around my island...)

But on the subject of the life raft deflating, I actually think this should eventually happen, or perhaps only after a serious shark attack. I mean, it's "yum yum yellow," yellow is believed to be in stark contrast with ocean water so sharks notice it more easily. Chances are they'd at least give it a test bite, and coupled with shallow reefs with sharp coral and all sorts of sticks on your beach, I don't think an inflatable raft would really last all that long. Might give people more reason to craft their own later on... otherwise why would you ever stop using the life raft?

[LadstonFelisGaming]

I personally prefer the wooden raft due to its speed. Yeah, it's less stable, but you can't be knocked around if they can't catch you. :3