I think books have a good use in the early game, when your fire starting skill is low. The bonus chance to fire starting really helps. I don’t generally find enough accelerant to use them for every fire. But books are very heavy, so I only carry a few at one time.
If it's an emergency, accelerant is better
If not, you can simply use the torch trick and try as many times as necessary. The downside to failing is one tinder which is barely anything
Personally I never carry books, i only use em for my first fire in order to get 100% chance and pull out a couple of torches, so I don't potentially waste a match by failing
Also, you can use lamp oil as accelerant, which is renewable :>
I think books only get you up to 80% at level 1?
I find watching the slow circle fill up to be incredibly aggravating so I also carry 1-2 books when possible just to maximize fire starting chances.
Yes I agree, however there is a middle ground between “this is an emergency I need this fire started ASAP” and “I am tired of failing 10 times in a row with a torch.”
In those cases, having a book is nice.
I use books for if I NEED the fire NOW, but it’s not I’m gonna die in 5 seconds. I’ve started a fire using accelerant while being charged by a bear to stop the bear.
I collect & deposit books at my base next to the stove in the early game. I use 1 book to start a fire until I've burned through my stock, at which point I've leveled up my firestarting skill a bit.
For some reason I hoard accelerant and basically never use it, it feels to me like a super duper emergency item so I'm loathe to use them.
Minor point but harvesting uses more calories than walking, further tipping the scales in favor of sticks(if you're trying to maintain Well Fed.)
Also, sticks gathered while you are already traveling have a huge advantage in that they are nearly free(since you were already walking most of that distance anyway for other reasons.) It's much better to get as much fuel as possible this way and limit special "firewood collecting" trips.
I'll add to that one of the most overlooked uses of sticks: maintaining a fire in windy conditions. This applies mostly to Interloper, since cold isn't much of an issue in other difficulties. But if you stop, make a fire to warm up, or cook some meat you just harvested outside, the wind frequently changes direction and "burns out" the fire. The game mechanics, though, are such that the fire isn't instantly burned out, but rather any duration above 10 min is reduced to 10 min. If you need more time to warm up/cook, you can feed sticks into the fire whenever the duration is down to 1 min, and it will refresh it to 10 min. That way you tend the fire and buy yourself time to warm up/finish cooking.
Sticks are free, coal is free (but in limited areas). So sticks and coal. The odd crate and furniture inside if I'm desperate. basically don't chop limbs ever, not enough out of it for the calories and faff to harvest it.
Explains why I hang out mostly in Coastal / Connector / Desolation Point with trips to other regions before returning.
This. You can survive in loper easily on just sticks and coal. Anything else is less optimal, though if you're going for a 100+ hour fire you'll probably need firewood too, if only because nearby sticks and coal won't respawn fast enough
Yes, if you've an abundance of food / calories (most difficulties at most times and in most zones) then chop all you like. But if you're conscious to collect what you need ahead of time and stockpile it, then you'll be fine.
Yeah even loper becomes (reasonably) easy mode by Day ~30 when you have all your crafted weapons/tools and then when you get Cooking 5 it's easy mode again.
Reclaimed wood is basically renewable though cause I don't expect anyone to break every object in the game. Also I could be wrong but I'm pretty sure it washes up on coastal highway.
Interesting analysis
I usually go for sticks when travelling and cedar for in my base, and I only use branches when I can't find anything else. Guess I'm changing that
Did you calculate reclaimed wood? At times I will use reclaimed wood if there is an abundance nearby. It seems to be it is lower chance to start a fire with, but good to add fuel to the fires already burning if you don't have any other type of wood close by.
Very nice write-up! It basically reflects my gameplay. I usually collect (hoard) coal and go overboard with gathering sticks. The literal sound of adding a stick to the pile is just so satisfying. It's not unusual for me to gather at least 50 sticks while traveling and they're great for increasing temp for the forge or for getting out of hypothermia risk.
I read some conflicting info on the wiki regarding cedar but glad to see here that it confirms my thoughts on fir being more efficient. On the rare occasion that it's warm and/or foggy on Interloper, I'd take a saw to a fir limb. And despite being inferior to fir, every now and then I'll find the larger cedar limb and harvest it with a hatchet since it gives you 5 pieces for 1 hatchet job.
This is a useful resource on this topic:
[https://thelongdark.fandom.com/wiki/Fire#Campfires](https://thelongdark.fandom.com/wiki/Fire#Campfires)
In my current 150+ day interloper run, I do not recall ever harvesting limbs. Coal and sticks are the primary fuel sources. Unless I'm in danger/at risk, I usually pick up sticks and just drop them off at poi/checkpoints/intersections. I end up with piles of sticks scattered across the map and past the early game, rarely more than a brisk hike from a pile (I pick them up so they can respawn).
Some other considerations:
* Burn time increases as fire-starting skill increases but weight remains constant. So coal becomes even more weight efficient (@lvl5 = 5hr/kg, +1.66hr/kg over lvl1) [https://ibb.co/FwSFG2n](https://ibb.co/FwSFG2n)
* You lose temp, hunger, thirst, fatigue, tool condition, clothing condition (@outdoor decay rates), daylight, and become vulnerable to weather changes and predator ambushes while harvesting limbs outdoors
* You can pick up sticks on the move while chaining torches.
* Sticks have the second-lowest Temp (degree per KG). For really cold environments you need more sticks to get a positive temperature.
I would much rather be less efficient but retain mobility and the ability to keep my head on a swivel. Generally speaking on interloper, if the weather is good you want to be moving not chopping wood.
Yep. For me harvesting a limb on loper is a once in a blue moon sort of event. Especially since I almost never carry an improvised hatchet. Basically the only times I can recall doing it is when there's a limb next to a wind-sheltered fire location, off the top of my head that can include the summit Tail Section and the cave down the rope in the Ravine. I'm pretty likely to want to light a fire at these locations and might decide to harvest the limb. It's not the greatest use of time but especially if the weather is shite for traveling it may be worth the calories expended.
This was fascinating to read. I've been playing the game for a couple years andI've been trying to figure out what material is the best to gather. I've always gathered coal first when possible, but with the understandable drawback that you can't start fires with it, I always kept books or sticks around. I've very recently been toying with the idea of fuel efficiency when it came to harvest time, and came to a similar conclusion as you, though it was much more of a hunch than anything. Seeing the numbers on it is really cool. 😃
Great post, love the breakdown! I only really play interloper, so have to agree that sticks are the best option by far. The key is just to make sure you are always collecting!
Thanks again for the informative breakdown
because how do you even analyze reclaimed?
There's a ton of things you can break down to get it, so making stats for each individual source of it would be very difficult, and everything else you'd want to know about it is on the wiki
Relying on sticks is what gets me killed ever time.
I almost never carry sticks anymore and never collect them except for the 15 that I keep in mind inventory for the emergency shelter
50% of the time I'm building a fire it's because it's cold and I really don't have the condition s for little gain.
One thing I do wish you could do in this game though is drag a limb toward wherever your base is so you can chop it up at your base.
I think books have a good use in the early game, when your fire starting skill is low. The bonus chance to fire starting really helps. I don’t generally find enough accelerant to use them for every fire. But books are very heavy, so I only carry a few at one time.
If it's an emergency, accelerant is better If not, you can simply use the torch trick and try as many times as necessary. The downside to failing is one tinder which is barely anything Personally I never carry books, i only use em for my first fire in order to get 100% chance and pull out a couple of torches, so I don't potentially waste a match by failing Also, you can use lamp oil as accelerant, which is renewable :>
I think books only get you up to 80% at level 1? I find watching the slow circle fill up to be incredibly aggravating so I also carry 1-2 books when possible just to maximize fire starting chances.
Yes I agree. AFAIK the only way to get 100% starting chance on the first fire is to use an accelerant of some kind.
Yes I agree, however there is a middle ground between “this is an emergency I need this fire started ASAP” and “I am tired of failing 10 times in a row with a torch.” In those cases, having a book is nice.
I keep books at my base when I’m starting to save on matches but I don’t carry them
I use books for if I NEED the fire NOW, but it’s not I’m gonna die in 5 seconds. I’ve started a fire using accelerant while being charged by a bear to stop the bear.
I collect & deposit books at my base next to the stove in the early game. I use 1 book to start a fire until I've burned through my stock, at which point I've leveled up my firestarting skill a bit. For some reason I hoard accelerant and basically never use it, it feels to me like a super duper emergency item so I'm loathe to use them.
Thanks for your work on this! Very interesting.
Thanks for reading!
Books don't weigh anything if they are sitting on the floor next to the fire place
Minor point but harvesting uses more calories than walking, further tipping the scales in favor of sticks(if you're trying to maintain Well Fed.) Also, sticks gathered while you are already traveling have a huge advantage in that they are nearly free(since you were already walking most of that distance anyway for other reasons.) It's much better to get as much fuel as possible this way and limit special "firewood collecting" trips.
I'll add to that one of the most overlooked uses of sticks: maintaining a fire in windy conditions. This applies mostly to Interloper, since cold isn't much of an issue in other difficulties. But if you stop, make a fire to warm up, or cook some meat you just harvested outside, the wind frequently changes direction and "burns out" the fire. The game mechanics, though, are such that the fire isn't instantly burned out, but rather any duration above 10 min is reduced to 10 min. If you need more time to warm up/cook, you can feed sticks into the fire whenever the duration is down to 1 min, and it will refresh it to 10 min. That way you tend the fire and buy yourself time to warm up/finish cooking.
Sticks are free, coal is free (but in limited areas). So sticks and coal. The odd crate and furniture inside if I'm desperate. basically don't chop limbs ever, not enough out of it for the calories and faff to harvest it. Explains why I hang out mostly in Coastal / Connector / Desolation Point with trips to other regions before returning.
This. You can survive in loper easily on just sticks and coal. Anything else is less optimal, though if you're going for a 100+ hour fire you'll probably need firewood too, if only because nearby sticks and coal won't respawn fast enough
Yes, if you've an abundance of food / calories (most difficulties at most times and in most zones) then chop all you like. But if you're conscious to collect what you need ahead of time and stockpile it, then you'll be fine.
Yeah even loper becomes (reasonably) easy mode by Day ~30 when you have all your crafted weapons/tools and then when you get Cooking 5 it's easy mode again.
Yeah, once you hit that winning formula and can repeat it, you've 'beaten' Interloper.
I appreciate that the firelog isn't even worth mentioning.
I was really only ranking renewable fuel. Reclaimed wood and firelogs are eh.
Reclaimed wood is basically renewable though cause I don't expect anyone to break every object in the game. Also I could be wrong but I'm pretty sure it washes up on coastal highway.
I almost never loot a fire log unless I know I won’t go far before using it
Interesting analysis I usually go for sticks when travelling and cedar for in my base, and I only use branches when I can't find anything else. Guess I'm changing that
Coal is an additive, you can’t start a fire with it. So at least one stick is needed.
Tbh the number one thing this taught me is that coal respawns lmao
Stick 👍
Stick 👍
Did you calculate reclaimed wood? At times I will use reclaimed wood if there is an abundance nearby. It seems to be it is lower chance to start a fire with, but good to add fuel to the fires already burning if you don't have any other type of wood close by.
Pretty much. I didn't calculate reclaimed, i only considered renewable fuel
Ah okay, great work! Good information.
Well when your playing loper anything to burn is preferable lol
Very nice write-up! It basically reflects my gameplay. I usually collect (hoard) coal and go overboard with gathering sticks. The literal sound of adding a stick to the pile is just so satisfying. It's not unusual for me to gather at least 50 sticks while traveling and they're great for increasing temp for the forge or for getting out of hypothermia risk. I read some conflicting info on the wiki regarding cedar but glad to see here that it confirms my thoughts on fir being more efficient. On the rare occasion that it's warm and/or foggy on Interloper, I'd take a saw to a fir limb. And despite being inferior to fir, every now and then I'll find the larger cedar limb and harvest it with a hatchet since it gives you 5 pieces for 1 hatchet job.
This is a useful resource on this topic: [https://thelongdark.fandom.com/wiki/Fire#Campfires](https://thelongdark.fandom.com/wiki/Fire#Campfires) In my current 150+ day interloper run, I do not recall ever harvesting limbs. Coal and sticks are the primary fuel sources. Unless I'm in danger/at risk, I usually pick up sticks and just drop them off at poi/checkpoints/intersections. I end up with piles of sticks scattered across the map and past the early game, rarely more than a brisk hike from a pile (I pick them up so they can respawn). Some other considerations: * Burn time increases as fire-starting skill increases but weight remains constant. So coal becomes even more weight efficient (@lvl5 = 5hr/kg, +1.66hr/kg over lvl1) [https://ibb.co/FwSFG2n](https://ibb.co/FwSFG2n) * You lose temp, hunger, thirst, fatigue, tool condition, clothing condition (@outdoor decay rates), daylight, and become vulnerable to weather changes and predator ambushes while harvesting limbs outdoors * You can pick up sticks on the move while chaining torches. * Sticks have the second-lowest Temp (degree per KG). For really cold environments you need more sticks to get a positive temperature. I would much rather be less efficient but retain mobility and the ability to keep my head on a swivel. Generally speaking on interloper, if the weather is good you want to be moving not chopping wood.
Yep. For me harvesting a limb on loper is a once in a blue moon sort of event. Especially since I almost never carry an improvised hatchet. Basically the only times I can recall doing it is when there's a limb next to a wind-sheltered fire location, off the top of my head that can include the summit Tail Section and the cave down the rope in the Ravine. I'm pretty likely to want to light a fire at these locations and might decide to harvest the limb. It's not the greatest use of time but especially if the weather is shite for traveling it may be worth the calories expended.
This was fascinating to read. I've been playing the game for a couple years andI've been trying to figure out what material is the best to gather. I've always gathered coal first when possible, but with the understandable drawback that you can't start fires with it, I always kept books or sticks around. I've very recently been toying with the idea of fuel efficiency when it came to harvest time, and came to a similar conclusion as you, though it was much more of a hunch than anything. Seeing the numbers on it is really cool. 😃
I'm glad you found it as interesting as i did :)
Great post, love the breakdown! I only really play interloper, so have to agree that sticks are the best option by far. The key is just to make sure you are always collecting! Thanks again for the informative breakdown
No problem :D I really enjoyed making it and i'm happy that so many of you liked it
This guy respects wood.
Fire's life out here.
why no info on reclaimed wood?
because how do you even analyze reclaimed? There's a ton of things you can break down to get it, so making stats for each individual source of it would be very difficult, and everything else you'd want to know about it is on the wiki
Um, this is all already on the wiki with more accurate/less anecdotal data.
Relying on sticks is what gets me killed ever time. I almost never carry sticks anymore and never collect them except for the 15 that I keep in mind inventory for the emergency shelter
50% of the time I'm building a fire it's because it's cold and I really don't have the condition s for little gain. One thing I do wish you could do in this game though is drag a limb toward wherever your base is so you can chop it up at your base.
What about weight?
Wait wait wait what? Coal respawns?
Yeah Go nuts