Okay. I give up. How Do The Open-Top Barrels Work?

[Colonel_Camel]

The crafting menu says that they are for storing water. Great idea! But how do we fill them?

In the absence of any other obvious way of filling them, I just assumed that you had to leave them outdoors and wait for a rainy day to fill them. But a rainstorm's come and gone since I placed my open barrel outdoors, and it was still empty!

[Ky0_GC]

simple, open barrels, just don't work for now...

[red51]

Unfortunately the barrels can't be filled with water yet (due to the lack of buckets) =/ Sorry for the confusion... but this is on our to-do list. With one of the next updates, rain will slowly fill open containers (like the open barrel and the trough) if they're placed outside.

[Colonel_Camel]

Originally posted by red51:

Unfortunately the barrels can't be filled with water yet (due to the lack of buckets) =/ Sorry for the confusion... but this is on our to-do list. With one of the next updates, rain will slowly fill open containers (like the open barrel and the trough) if they're placed outside.

TBH, I was kind of expecting an answer like that.

I actually double-checked the crafting menu to see if buckets were in there and I'd just missed them somehow. It made me realize how strange their absence is. They used to be part of the game; now they aren't; but in a future update they will be again? Why weren't they just carried over along with all the other stuff that survived the last major update?

[Hungry Hank the toilet]

Originally posted by red51:

Unfortunately the barrels can't be filled with water yet (due to the lack of buckets) =/ Sorry for the confusion... but this is on our to-do list. With one of the next updates, rain will slowly fill open containers (like the open barrel and the trough) if they're placed outside.

Will you be able to take that water and fill a bucket with it?

[Draven Crow]

Originally posted by Colonel_Camel:

Originally posted by red51:

Unfortunately the barrels can't be filled with water yet (due to the lack of buckets) =/ Sorry for the confusion... but this is on our to-do list. With one of the next updates, rain will slowly fill open containers (like the open barrel and the trough) if they're placed outside.

TBH, I was kind of expecting an answer like that.

I actually double-checked the crafting menu to see if buckets were in there and I'd just missed them somehow. It made me realize how strange their absence is. They used to be part of the game; now they aren't; but in a future update they will be again? Why weren't they just carried over along with all the other stuff that survived the last major update?

He's rebuilding the full game into Unity, yes there is still missing stuff like banisters, buckets, light fixtures and other stuff but considering all the work he's doing and what he's added they are small things atm. Likely they'll be added back in in good time.

[red51]

Originally posted by Colonel_Camel:

They used to be part of the game; now they aren't; but in a future update they will be again? Why weren't they just carried over along with all the other stuff that survived the last major update?

Well, basically it's the same reason why other items like the musket or crossbow are still missing... unfortunately we can't just carry them over, because the old models and animations won't fit the new version (so we definitely need new/reworked models and animations for them) ^^

However, when it comes to the bucket specifically, we also want to rework the mechanic to collect and place water in the world (which was the main purpose of buckets in the Java version). Honestly that didn't work very well in the Java version, so we don't want to use the same, clunky mechanic in the new version again...
Alternatively we could add the buckets without the ability to place water in the world (so you could only place water in barrels and other containers, but not directly in the world), we're thinking about that...

Originally posted by Hungry Hank the toilet:

Will you be able to take that water and fill a bucket with it?

Yes, once buckets are in the game, you will be able to fill barrels with buckets and also to take water from barrels ;)

[CursedXistence]

Originally posted by red51:

However, when it comes to the bucket specifically, we also want to rework the mechanic to collect and place water in the world (which was the main purpose of buckets in the Java version). Honestly that didn't work very well in the Java version, so we don't want to use the same, clunky mechanic in the new version again...
Alternatively we could add the buckets without the ability to place water in the world (so you could only place water in barrels and other containers, but not directly in the world), we're thinking about that...

Personally I say take your time and get the mechanic for placing water in the world working the way you want to before adding buckets, etc. back in. There's enough foods, fresh water, etc. in the game right now that water buckets aren't an immediate need and no point in doing it half way to just have to go back and finish it later. Not to mention that's a mechanic that will tie into a lot of other ones down the line so best to get it working right.

[MustangMR]

Originally posted by CursedXistence:

Originally posted by red51:

However, when it comes to the bucket specifically, we also want to rework the mechanic to collect and place water in the world (which was the main purpose of buckets in the Java version). Honestly that didn't work very well in the Java version, so we don't want to use the same, clunky mechanic in the new version again...
Alternatively we could add the buckets without the ability to place water in the world (so you could only place water in barrels and other containers, but not directly in the world), we're thinking about that...

Personally I say take your time and get the mechanic for placing water in the world working the way you want to before adding buckets, etc. back in. There's enough foods, fresh water, etc. in the game right now that water buckets aren't an immediate need and no point in doing it half way to just have to go back and finish it later. Not to mention that's a mechanic that will tie into a lot of other ones down the line so best to get it working right.

Tend to agree. I don't see much use for a bucket of water if I can't use it to water plants. Not sure what is planned beyond that but maybe being able to pour it into the world like swimming pools or fountains. We will probably build our homes near a lake so drinking water in barrels shouldn't be the first source of water unless animals will need it once husbandry is introduced.

[CursedXistence]

Just to add on to my last post, I personally think the most immediate concern should be adding the rest of the regions, biomes, etc. because that, the rest of the water mechanics, and persistent item placement are the last major foundational changes that the rest all eventually branch out from.

[red51]

Oh, actually buckets are intended to serve two purposes:

1. Collect water (or other fluids) and put it into containers, i.e barrels, troughs etc. This is probably the more important aspect and relevant for survival

2. Collect water and place it somewhere in the world, similar to how it worked in the Java version. This is mainly relevant for building (if you don't want to use the creative mode tools), e.g. when trying to build a swimming pool, creating a pond etc.

The latter is the problematic one, since this didn't work well in the Java version (actually the first wasn't even possible in the Java version, since it didn't have any water containers).

If we want buckets to be able to be used for watering plants (in addition to the watering can), we may have to forget point 2 altogether - then spilling the bucket on the ground would have no real effect (except that the ground gets temporarily wet).

Maybe this is even the cleaner solution? In this case, we just have to find a different way to create swimming pools etc in survival mode...

[MustangMR]

Originally posted by red51:

1. Collect water (or other fluids) and put it into containers, i.e barrels, troughs etc. This is probably the more important aspect and relevant for survival

It is, but I think our point is that the other systems need to be adjusted somewhat for it. Example, filling a trough with water doesn't really mean much if animals don't actually drink it, otherwise it's just aesthetic. They would be penned up and need some kind of water source themselves. On maps with lots of lakes, rain is less critical, and since lakes never dry up, It is desired to have rain water collection so we can build our camps/houses/cities wherever we want, but perhaps in the desert/savanna regions, lakes could be made rarer with the ability to dry up? Then collecting rain and water would be critical, and perhaps a commodity to trade with other cities in the grassland regions, or at least carry it from one to another. Couple ways this could go.

Originally posted by red51:

2. Collect water and place it somewhere in the world, similar to how it worked in the Java version. This is mainly relevant for building (if you don't want to use the creative mode tools), e.g. when trying to build a swimming pool, creating a pond etc.

If we want buckets to be able to be used for watering plants (in addition to the watering can), we may have to forget point 2 altogether - then spilling the bucket on the ground would have no real effect (except that the ground gets temporarily wet).

Maybe this is even the cleaner solution? In this case, we just have to find a different way to create swimming pools etc in survival mode...

I would definitely want the ability to create structures that hold water, like fountains. I'm sure others would too. If the intent is for the bucket to 'pour out' like a natural bucket and actually lower its content as it pours into another structure, like a barrel or fountain, taking into account volume as it raises its content... that'd be cool. Might be overkill though and I would be content with just seeing the effects afterwards of the transferred water, maybe an animation to go with it.