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Propane: Rare Fuel for Grills


GrandPunkRailroad

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Awesome game, loving it!

 

I think PZ could use a rare late game opportunity to prepare a hot meal without starting a fire by utilizing those mysterious electric grills..

 

Propane would be a logical way to fuel all those outdoor grills. I imagine that propane tanks would be a limited resource, rare as gas cans, and heavy (like 8-10 or more?). It'd never be found at grills, but'd have to be found elsewhere and hauled back.

 

Recipe to light grill: Propane added as fuel, kindling/match/lighter required to light.

 

Usage: maybe 12-16 game hrs/tank? That'd be enough for maybe 3 meals..

 

To add in game: There'd have to be new inventory images made for the propane bottle and the grill (to separate it from the kitchen stove image). All the grills would have to be located and disconnected from the electric grid. Mechanics of grills would have to be changed: add fuel and light like campfire, but only accept propane.

 

I just thought it'd be fun to have a use for those outdoor grills. It'd be more realistic for them to be disconnected from electricity. And I'd relish the ability, even just once, to cook up that last chicken on the grill, just after the power goes out, or to put a pot of soup on, in a nauseous state without juggling the campfire kit together.

 

Propane as a fuel has been mentioned before (head torches, propane gas, water purification thread by psykikk), but wasn't focused exclusively on this issue.  And this does not seem to be included in the common suggestion thread..

 

Cheers!

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Thanks for the feedback!

 

@Daec: Thx! I'm new to forum posting, unfamiliar w/ etiquette. I support psykikk's two other ideas as well, and look forward to them being implemented, but after browsing the read before posting thread, it seems single subject posts as more likely to be considered, so referenced his post, and attempted to clarify our idea.

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Fuel covered coals can be lit with lighter fuel and a lighter to start the process, but it takes times to build up to a burnable state to start cooking.

 

You basically can toss coal and wood in there and light it with tools, then wait until the wood and coal is consumed. Wood and Coal could heat up in the  grill until they disappear when fully 'cooked' and becomes a part of the grill as a timed heat source for cooking (for a few hours).

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Fuel covered coals can be lit with lighter fuel and a lighter to start the process, but it takes times to build up to a burnable state to start cooking.

 

You basically can toss coal and wood in there and light it with tools, then wait until the wood and coal is consumed. Wood and Coal could heat up in the  grill until they disappear when fully 'cooked' and becomes a part of the grill as a timed heat source for cooking (for a few hours).

I see, so it seems you're suggesting using wood to make coal, which could be used as a fuel for the grills. And then having the gas from the gas cans as a necessary ingredient to light (as lighter fluid)? This isn't really the path I had intended, although it does seem that the addition of coal as a craft-able product and for use as a fuel would be welcomed if it were possible to use as a fuel for the grill.

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I feel propane tanks in this game is a must not only for cooking but for traps and explosives. In any apocalyptic setting you better believe people will be using this gas in a variety of applications. +1

Once the developers have implemented explosions (i.e. grenade), I could see potential for a propane bomb. But realistically this is unlikely as creating explosions from propane bottles is nearly impossible, and explosions as weapons or traps may affect difficulty/balance of game detrimentally so might not be included. As much as I'd like to throw a grenade..

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I feel propane tanks in this game is a must not only for cooking but for traps and explosives. In any apocalyptic setting you better believe people will be using this gas in a variety of applications. +1

Once the developers have implemented explosions (i.e. grenade), I could see potential for a propane bomb. But realistically this is unlikely as creating explosions from propane bottles is nearly impossible, and explosions as weapons or traps may affect difficulty/balance of game detrimentally so might not be included. As much as I'd like to throw a grenade..

 

I work as a commercial equipment repairman currently and have a lot of experience with propane. Although the gas is not as dangerous as the common perception of it, It would still be simple to have a pilot light near the object and if you had a way to puncture the container ie gun it would create an "explosion" closer to that of a fireball rather than gunpowder. 

 

How i see this working is when they eventually add a type of "crafting" system add a gun, tripwire, lighter (with a limited duration), perhaps hammer and nails and voila you have a propane trap. One that would need attention to ensure the lighter was always being replacedd.

 

edit: Or minus the gun and one could shoot it manually

 

double edit: as for the balance of the game that would need to be taken into consideration but would provide some much needed defense objects for the already venerable safe houses.

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What I mean by late game is after power goes out and you're relatively secure. Then it might be worthwhile to pursue grilling once in a while. The game can get a little dull without the desperate threats to survival that dominate early on. And so late game crafting could be a welcome diversion. I just imagined how cool it'd be to use the grills. They realistically should be unconnected from the power. Propane seems to be a logical fuel, and might fit the world without destroying the delicate survival balance that is PZ.

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What I mean by late game is after power goes out and you're relatively secure. Then it might be worthwhile to pursue grilling once in a while. The game can get a little dull without the desperate threats to survival that dominate early on. And so late game crafting could be a welcome diversion. I just imagined how cool it'd be to use the grills. They realistically should be unconnected from the power. Propane seems to be a logical fuel, and might fit the world without destroying the delicate survival balance that is PZ.

Agreed - also with the new cooking system in place it will allow our chefs to cook their meals on something besides an open flame. Thinking a bit further perhaps an addition onto the cooking system that takes into account what you are using to cook the food on/ in might give a cooking "boost" - something along the lines of less likely or more leeway before the food burns in a more advanced oven/ grill rather than over a fire

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Grills are basically a more modern type of campfire.

When I said putting wood or coal into the grill, the grill 'consumes' the item once you attempt to light it.

 

But the consuming process takes time, so the item will turn red until it's completed and vanishes in the process. At that point the grill is 'on' and can be used to cook. When cooking on a grill you CANNOT cause a fire when you leave cooked food in it. It just turns to char.

 

The reason why kitchen stoves sets on fire is because the heat builds up continuously until it couldn't handle it.

 

But for a grill, it's using residual heat from the wood/coals, which you heated it up beforehand to high levels.

 

But you could make it possible to turn planks into wood chips, and then cook wood chips in a campfire to turn it into wood coals.

 

Of course, who puts hot coals in their backpacks?

You can only pick up coals after it cools down, meaning the campfire needs to be put out and the coal's temperature needs to revert to normal.

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  • 11 months later...

Well, after a 10 month hiatus, I'm back. To revisit the game in it's current state (vanilla 30). Wanted to follow up on this post, as it was brought about by a problem I had, namely getting burned.. I lost one eager survivor to a hot cuppa I didn't even need, or rather standing too close to a campfire. Too much role play maybe, but who doesn't like a hot cuppa joe after a wet day a month in to the zombie apocalypse. But to get back to the point, the propane grills have been an awesome inclusion! And I'm so glad that it was considered an idea worthy of someone at IndieStone's time. Thanks! I think it has worked well. Super heavy, just barely fit a tank in an empty large backpack, and I haven't been burned to death yet! Love to cook post power outage! Just wanted to say thanks IS! Love the game, and to venture from topic somewhat; food balance seems to be better than before, after raiding 1/4 of Muld. I am looking at slim rations through the coming weeks, when before I felt like I had piles of food. This makes the game more engaging, and neccesitates using cooking, trapping, foraging, and farming. Love the mechanics, looking forward to more recipes. Awesome job!

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