Item degrading: when does it start?

[Sioux]

Does the degrading of items start when you pick them up, or do they degrade anyhow? So, is it better to leave those items where you've found them until you need them to keep them 'fresh'?

Until now I've been collecting everything and putting the stuff I don't need right away in containers. But maybe I should just leave them where they are? Or doesn't it matter? Hope my question is clear, thanks.

[Aedaric]

I'll let you know.

[accurize2]

My experience has been anything that isn't a carcass will wait to start degrading until you pick it up and put it in your inventory. I tend to leave a lot of items in my primary camp right where they are. If I'm using the camp office, I'll search the cupboard, find some items, but rather than left clicking to put the item in my inventory, I'll right click to put it back. They won't degrade if you do that.

The exception to this rule is meat on carcasses, the meat will degrade in a carcass, regardless if you harvest it or not. Once frozen on the carcass the meat will degrade at a slower rate though. However, the meat will degrade faster if you harvest it, even if it was orginally frozen.

[Sioux]

Thank you accurize2! That's some usefull information you gave.

so summarising:

1. There is no item degrading if you do not take the item (except meat on a carcass);

2. Picking up an item and putting it right back does not trigger the degradingproces;

3. Unharvested meat on a carcass will degrade (but at a slower rate);

4. Harvested meat will degrade faster then unharvested meat.

Thanks again!

[elloco999]

Follow up questions:

If you pick up an item and place it in a container (say a drawer), does it degrade as fast as when you keep it with you?

And do items degrade faster if you drop them outside v.s. inside?

[Burning Bridges]

I am not going to make claims to know a definite answer and perhaps the developers should speak out about this, because they are the ones that put in the exact numbers.

But from my experience, you can prevent most problems by respecting the proper order of containers with respect to decay

1. personal inventory (highest decay)

2. dropped on floor

3. containers inside buildings

4. containers outside building (lowest decay)

I put everything that I need for long term survival (clothing, matches, ammo, rifle tools etc) in rucksacks and corpses outside. Never put anything in the floor in your building, unless it's an item that does not decay.

Meat is also never carried in inventory or stored in the hut, only in containers outside the building. That way it lasts for a week without problems, and by then you will have consumed it all.

If I find something I don't need, I always leave on the shelf without even looking at it. That way it stays there and does not decay.

I also have this theory that the first aid locker has the lowest or no item degradation whatsoever. I just discovered this lately and I am too early in the game to say that with authority. But I would recommend you place some super important items like matches and firestarters inside the first aid locker and see if they degrade at all.

[Burning Bridges]

I am not sure if dropping items inside or outside makes a difference. I would suggest NOT to leave items on the ground AT ALL, because the rate is pretty crazy no matter what.

I dropped a prybar in the snow and it degraded 2% in a few days. I also used to put my rifle and bedroll on the floor for the first 2 weeks and it almost ruined them.

[Icenberg]

So, i've heard a lot of questions and doubts, here and on steam, around items degrading and where to store them to slow down the degradation as much as possible but so far i can't find any proper answer from the developers. Did they make it clear or we are still waiting?

Sorry, english is not my native language.

[miandelam]

I asked the question on steam if items degrade at a different rate for different containers and one of the devs answered that at the moment this isn't the case. I didn't ask though if it'makes a difference if it's outside or inside so that might still be the case but I assume that's also the same now.

I can pretty much guess that it would be a difficult thing to do but I'd love it if things wouldn't start to degrade when you touch them. I hate that you have to do some sort of weird game workaround( wait before you pick it up) that you just wouldn't do in real life and we only have to resort to it because we're in a game. Painkillers found on the floor or in a hunting cabin are most definitely better off after I put it in a first aid kit. Anyway I don't know the answer to that one.

[elloco999]

When did you get that answer miandelam?

Personally I've noticed outside containers are no longer better for storing raw/ cooked food, but they were in v.152-v.170. It may be that all containers act the same for all items now, but that certainly wasn't the case in earlier versions.

[miandelam]

20th of December so after last update.

The game supports custom degradation rates for containers, but currently all containers slow degradation by the same amount. This is likely to change in the future.

Alan Lawrance

[elloco999]

Good to know. Maybe there was a problem with how containers were working (I know that some outside containers acted like inside containers) so they decided to make all containers equal for now.

[Icenberg]

20th of December so after last update.

The game supports custom degradation rates for containers, but currently all containers slow degradation by the same amount. This is likely to change in the future.

Alan Lawrance

Thank you really much mate!

[Icenberg]

Ah, sorry... and anything about when the degrading actually start?

[elloco999]

The degrading of an item starts the second you touch it. If you click an item the degradation starts, or if you find an item while searching a container, it starts. Even if you put it back.