Chapter 3: A Brief Respite

In this chapter we will look at some more of the basic knowledge such as finding wood, medical treatment and fire starting.Upon opening the backpack menu, you will be greeted with the following:There isn't too much going on here, but let's see what we can. Please do note that you can sort all of the items in your bag by Alphabetical Order, Item Condition or Weight Value. You may also choose to view items by their respective categories, they are as follows from left to right: All, Medical, Clothing, Food and Drink, Equipment, Materials.You may have noticed the bar in the upper left of the tile menu. This is your carry weight. Should you have high levels of fatigue then the maximum carry weight can fall down to as low as 15.00Kg. Any time you carry more weight than your maximum you will become encumbered.Being encumbered is a status effect and will result in your movement slowing down at a steady rate that rises the higher over the carry limit you are. This can be especially dangerous in stormy weather as it prevents you from sprinting to nearby shelter, so try not to carry stuff you don't need (you can always store items in drawers and lockers to keep them safe.)Next, we can see all of the items that we are carrying. Each item can have two things denoted at the bottom. The carry weight measured in Kilogrammes and the condition that the item is in (★100% being brand new and ★0% being ruined.) if an item becomes ruined there will be a large red cross over the item to let you know. Keep an eye on the condition of your clothing as you will need to repair them over time.Lastly, on the right there is a small description of the item. You may also choose to drop the item or to perform an action such as repairing the item or harvesting it for materials.Next up we have the first aid menu, which makes up half of the conditions menu, discussed earlier.When you injure yourself (a small red popup will appear in the bottom right, see above picture) you should open up your condition menu. If you have an affliction that requires medical treatment it will be listed, click on the redbutton to begin treatment.In this menu we have a detailed overview of any afflictions we currently have, as well as a list at the bottom of all of our medical supplies on our person.If we look below, we can see an example of a sprained wrist. To remedy it we must consume two Painkillers or the natural substitute Rose Hip Tea. If we have no medical items we can choose to rest for two hours as an alternative, though please do be aware that not all medical conditions can be fixed by resting. After any of those steps have been taken you will have treated the injury successfully and the affliciton will be removed.It is vital that all injuries are treated as soon as possible as they will lead to your condition lowering over time, which can lead to a very quick death. So be careful out there.Okay now that we have all that stuff out the way lets move onto foraging. Wood can now only be gathered by breaking down wooden objects within buildings, or by harvesting tree-fall from outdoors.Harvesting is a simple premise, search areas for different types of tree-fall or furniture. Note that harvesting inside will only allow you to find reclaimed wood, whereas outside has both soft and hard wood like Fir Wood; also using a tool such as a hatchet, will speed this process up significantly, which makes a lot of difference in the long run.Next is a matter of simply clicking onto receive the items under 'Yield'. The more wood you will yield, the longer it takes and the more calories are burned. So be careful, as doing this outside in cold weather can quickly result in a large drop in body temperature.Foraged wood or tinder will be dropped at your feet, also bear in mind wood can be heavy so it's often advisable to forage near to your camp or pack light.Fire starting, one of the few miracles left in the remote wilderness. Fires are the key to life, they allow us to cook our meals, warm our bodies and purify our water. Fire starting in a survival situation can be demoralising, you might fail again and again, but perseverance is vital.To start a fire approach a stove and click youror if outside select the Start Fire option from the survival menu. You will then be greeted with a menu like so:Let's look at the top of this menu first.We have the Estimated Fire Duration, which is how long your fire will burn before turning to embers (ingame time.)Your ability to create fire is noted as the Fire Starting Base Skill (Fifty by default). Fire making isn't an exact science, and as a new survivor your first few fires will likely fail. Failing will use up the starter, the tinder and if you used any, some of your accelerant. However, there is good news! Every time you light a fire successfully you improve your ability; as this increases so does your percentage chance to succeed, which is shown on the top right.This seems like a lot but it really isn't too bad. To start a fire you must select three things: A Starter such as matches to ignite the fire, a Tinder such as tinder plugs or newspaper and then finally a Fuel. There is also a fourth option Accelerant - adding an accelerant such as kerosene will greatly reduce the time it takes to start a fire and will also boost the the likelihood that you will succeed. It's then as simple as clicking on start fire and hoping for the best.One thing I definitely recommend is having a ready supply of firewood before you start. This will allow you to stoke the fire up to a maximum of roughly eleven hours and thirty minutes burn time. Doing this allows you ample time to cook foods and melt snow for water and time to then purify the water.If you plan on holding up in a building, try to leave a minimum of one hour or so left on the fire so that you can forage more wood and then stoke the fire. You should also stoke the fire before resting. Not only does this provide a warmth bonus, but it means that when you get up, you simply need to forage more wood and add it to the fire. Again, remember to not sleep longer than the fire will last. I usually add enough wood to burn for eleven hours, then sleep eight hours and upon awaking I forage and stoke the fire once more. I have kept a fire burning for well over a week just by using this method. So if you are short on Starters this can be invaluable.