Fire Starter Kit a new trade good which makes it easier & quicker to start fire

[ineedcords]

Hi,

What do you think of adding 'Fire Starter Kit' as a new trade good which makes it easier & quicker to start a fire?

Reason: The logic behind it would be similar to the existence reason for most other tools: just to make life easier, such as splitting axe. A person with the means would like to obtain one, just be able to perform actionX much better & quicker. Not having it is not a blocker though, similar to crafting some items -without having the best tools for it-, one can still make/craft whatever it is but it will take longer and output quality will be lowered although output quality of fire is probably irrelevant.

Usage Mechanic: For such a fire starter kit usage mechanic similar to axes/knives etc. would make sense e.g.: as long as this 'kit' is in player's inventory or nearby on the ground it is automatically chosen as the preferred method and relevant action bonus is applied.

Benefits: As mentioned in Reason section, when used, such a kit should greatly reduce increase (or even guarantee?) successful fire-starting chance, and also greatly reduce the time it takes to start one.

Kit Contents: Based on my brief research, I can think of at least three options, as detailed below.

A) All wooden hand-drill kit (which is presumably the current/default fire starting kit?)
Based on the demonstration on this video (reference #1a): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NynNqhepCM&ab_channel=NationalGeographic
Another similar video (reference #1b): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HGSWuCPP6YY&ab_channel=BlackScoutSurvival
For this all-wooden hand-drill kit as background info & F1 in-game encyclopaedia text idea: This comes in a leather pouch which makes it water-resistant against precipitation. It probably should not be fully water-proof (against entering water with it), if game engine is capable of tracking that detail on objects.

B) Flint stone + Pyrite kit:
Here is one example video that does not use any wood or any human-made steel component (reference #2): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IANv-Xzn0Gs&ab_channel=MemmatheCavewoman

C) Flint stone + Steel kit:
When I started drafting this suggestion, I assumed only options A & B made historical sense for Iron Age but then I found reference #3b which brings the date of steel to much earlier than what I originally thought. If that is accurate perhaps flint stone + steel kit could be a candidate as well?

Example video (reference #3a): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxagchOOj84&ab_channel=UltimateSurvivalist
Article that claims steel was used as fire starter in early Iron Age (reference #3b): https://www.rockngem.com/examining-pyrite-iron-and-flint-the-fire-makers/
("It was quickly replaced during the early Iron Age when flint and steel became the preferred materials. Fire making “kits” of flint and variously shaped steel strikers were still used by a few isolated cultures in the late 1800s.")

A note on current "fire starting mechanism": Presumably option A is the current fire starter mechanism that is in the game as an abstract item without being listed in the inventory or named anywhere; even so I wonder if it would still make sense to leave it as is and also add option A/B/C as a "higher-quality version" that comes with a price tag in the sense one needs to trade items for it as well as needs to put some effort into obtaining one from someone that is open to trading it.

Thanks


Edit: In the Reason section, I obviously meant 'fire starter kit should increase fire starting chance' but in the original post I somehow put the word the 'decrease' there! Edited & fixed.

[JP_Finn]

Fire starting was previously under SURVIVAL skill (as was building shelter and cutting hole in ice IIRC)
I recall them being reallocated under COMMON (hole in ice might be under FISHING) mostly.
If memory serves, it was done to simplify the early game. After few seasons, the skill was high enough.

As for guaranteed fire or nearly so, using any era correct method is prone to fail due fatigue, rain (dev plans also list wet clothes, firewood; which can stump ones fire starting)

Flint is NOT common in the area, other chert, and various suitable stones exist. I’m not certain the game needs to add different minerals either (that’s Tarn Adams’ game territory)

So in essence the fire starting kit would be “2 branches” or improved fire starting kit “rock and any metal item” and then one would need to collect dry lower spruce twigs, bitch bark, hanging lichen, or dried bast pulp from alder/willow/rowan/etc

(Firestarting is easy with dry kindling, regardless of the heat source. And nigh impossible with wet kindling)

[Tinker]

I would really like some bitch bark! But seriously the curls of birch back are about the only kindling that starts burning even if wet. Dry grass and straw is also good.

I would vote for fire kits of varying quality/effectiveness and for fire lighting being a skill you could improve and even and good kit and high skill would only give 90% success if the were no adverse conditions cold, rain, wet fuel, fatigue etc.

[MrMotorhead]

I like this idea.  A firestarting kit would be very important to anyone surviving in the wilds.  The challenge with implementing it into the game is that there are so many ways to make a kit like this.  It's also a bit like a backpack, something that you -know- your character has but it's not really visible in the game.

I still think it would be worthwhile if your character could spend some time preparing to start a fire and have that be reflected with a better chance to start a fire quickly the next time it's attempted.  Possibly this could require some reagents, such as birch bark, branches (as a stand in for pitch or tar), some cloth or other fiber (could be consumed to represent charcloth), even a new plant could be added, tinder fungus which could be found growing near downed tree trunks.  If your character didn't have any of these things, the preparation might take a bit longer to complete, this would stand in for gathering some dry grass, or finely shaving some wood chips.

Press "f" then instead of a direction, you'd press "r" to restock your tinder supplies or "v" to view your tinder supplies.

This is somewhat already implemented if you consider using a torch, which I frequently do.

Also I think that if you don't have a knife or other iron implement, your character's firestarting attempt should be heavily penalized.