Yet another take on hot climates and overheating (No thirst!)

[Ben Velveeta]

So I finally explored some of the warmer regions, and that obviously lead me down the rabbithole of what future heat and hyperthermia mechanics could look like. Some of these ideas are ones I liked from various forum posts and discussions on the matter, others are a few of my own. Just wanted to throw my two cents into the ring to see what others think.

First and foremost, I think the most important thing is that heat mechanics should be no more complicated than the already existing cold mechanics, keeping things simple and intuitive. Just as you start to slowly take damage from hypothermia below 37 degrees, getting too high above a certain threshold will lead to hyperthermia, making you take damage over time till you cool off. 

Hypothermia is a threat during winters in temperate/extremely cold environments, while warmer climates have very mild winters. So, flip the script, summer becoming the season to prepare for in warmer/extremely hot climates. You trade one season to prep for over the other, a harsh winter, or a harsh summer. If you don't need to bundle up in spring and summer up north, you won't need to dress lightly in fall and winter around the equator. I think the most important thing to factor is making high temperatures a parallel of the challenges winter brings; punishing if unaccounted for, but easy to handle if you prepare properly.

I feel with how the game already calculates temperature in so many ways, this wouldn't be too crazy of an overhaul. Fire pits and smithing obviously raise temperature, so maybe doing so outside in open areas (anything that's not a "room") will lower the heat penalty. Cellars and stone buildings would be even more of a boon in turn.  Instead of furs, you spend the milder seasons growing linen to make light clothing that helps shed heat. I also like the idea that certain articles of clothing can help with both, like straw hats helping retain one degree in colder climates, and shedding one from it's shade when its hot.

Which leads to the more decisive topic I've seen, regarding liquids. I do like the idea that drinking water and juice can help with the heat, but I 100% agree that adding a whole thirst meter would just make it a micro managing hell. So again, keep it simple.  Stepping in water and getting wet already lowers body temperature a bit, so I feel that's pretty intuitive. Why not another similar effect for taking a sip of your water jug? Just a small buff that helps shed a little bit of heat for a set amount of time. Enough that it can help cool you down when you're on the verge of overheating, without making it an absolute necessity if you have the proper clothing, nor making an entire thirst mechanic that would be unnecessary in any other situation. 

Finally there's one final point I see brought up; Why bother? Would this even be fun?
If you have that concern, just think about why we find winter a fun challenge to begin with. Its about the threat that comes with the season, the prep needed to survive and thrive in a harsh environment, struggling one year only to barely think about it the next. It encourages you to go out and explore, gather resources, creating a ticking time limit that's always in the back of your mind. 

Or, you know, just head toward the equator and forget about all that entirely. 

That's the most obvious answer in my opinion, concerning the balance. Adding heat gives a new but similar challenge to a region that otherwise is easy mode concerning the seasons. But in turn it encourages traveling between the different regions during the right seasons to make the most of your time there, like maintaining crops during their preferred growing seasons, and gives a reason to come home after your little tropical vacation. A barren hot desert and a barren cold desert should be equally as challenging to survive after all. 

Sorry for the rambling. Short and sweet of it all; just keep it simple. I imagine the devs have had something like this in mind already for a while, just wanted to give my own two cents on the matter. 

[Krougal]

Honestly, it would make sense to make us carry jugs and boil water to make it safe.

Would have to add a waterskin for early game. Before you get a pot...I guess you are drinking dirty water.

Maybe make berries give some hydration.

Of course then there has to be some penalty for drinking dirty water.

Dysentery wouldn't be fun, but then there was an entire game centered around it that used to be very popular

Or, could leave out that part, and just any water is drinkable, drink out of your bucket of water.

Really none of this is fun in the traditional way, it is fun in that it adds more survival mechanics and something to do, which does mean more chores.

[Facethief]

5 minutes ago, Krougal said:

Honestly, it would make sense to make us carry jugs and boil water to make it safe.

Would have to add a waterskin for early game. Before you get a pot...I guess you are drinking dirty water.

Maybe make berries give some hydration.

Of course then there has to be some penalty for drinking dirty water.

Dysentery wouldn't be fun, but then there was an entire game centered around it that used to be very popular

Or, could leave out that part, and just any water is drinkable, drink out of your bucket of water.

Really none of this is fun in the traditional way, it is fun in that it adds more survival mechanics and something to do, which does mean more chores.

I think dysentery and such shouldn’t be a problem unless you’re making explicitly risky decisions, just like you shouldn’t have to worry about your clothes’ durability unless you’re boxing polar bears. What said risky decisions should be is unclear to me; probably drinking salt water, for the most part.

[Krougal]

1 minute ago, Facethief said:

I think dysentery and such shouldn’t be a problem unless you’re making explicitly risky decisions, just like you shouldn’t have to worry about your clothes’ durability unless you’re boxing polar bears. What said risky decisions should be is unclear to me; probably drinking salt water, for the most part.

Well, we already have the salt water, true. I was thinking if there were dirty and clean water as well.

It always comes down to how much realism is too much.

7DTD has an endless raging debate for several versions now because they removed the humble glass jar, and the ability to collect water from water sources.

The first day or so until you find a cooking pot, or build a forge and make one, you may need to drink dirty water and lose some HP and quite possibly get dysentery, which is pretty bad. It pretty much becomes a non-issue after that, unless you are an idiot.

So it is generally a worthless mechanic, and could be skipped altogether, and so you would just need fresh water/juice/wine or berries or other fruit or it could be included for that extra bit of realism and inconvenience.

 

[LadyWYT]

5 hours ago, Ben Velveeta said:

Hypothermia is a threat during winters in temperate/extremely cold environments, while warmer climates have very mild winters. So, flip the script, summer becoming the season to prepare for in warmer/extremely hot climates. You trade one season to prep for over the other, a harsh winter, or a harsh summer. If you don't need to bundle up in spring and summer up north, you won't need to dress lightly in fall and winter around the equator. I think the most important thing to factor is making high temperatures a parallel of the challenges winter brings; punishing if unaccounted for, but easy to handle if you prepare properly.

I feel with how the game already calculates temperature in so many ways, this wouldn't be too crazy of an overhaul. Fire pits and smithing obviously raise temperature, so maybe doing so outside in open areas (anything that's not a "room") will lower the heat penalty. Cellars and stone buildings would be even more of a boon in turn.  Instead of furs, you spend the milder seasons growing linen to make light clothing that helps shed heat. I also like the idea that certain articles of clothing can help with both, like straw hats helping retain one degree in colder climates, and shedding one from it's shade when its hot.

Welcome to the forums! Interesting alternative to a thirst mechanic, and laid out very well. However, I would be concerned about this kind of mechanic being harder to manage than the current cold mechanic. For the cold, all you really need to do is wear warm clothing and stand by a fire occasionally when you get too cold, and it's rather easy to figure out when you're getting too cold as well. Getting wet will chill you down faster, sure, but I will note that in the current state of the game...you can actually warm up by going for a swim in freezing water. Counterintuitive, yes, and I don't know why it works, but it does(albeit the rate you warm up is slow). As for getting too hot...I could be missing something, but it seems like that would be harder to notice in the game, especially since it's relatively easy to be outside in hot weather than cold.

I think a better, simpler option is to just give the player a debuff if they stay out in the heat too long. An additional trait system--both for temporary and permanent effects--has been floated by the devs, but whether or not it gets implemented remains to be seen. Assuming it does though, all you'd need to do is give the player a light debuff(small loss of movement speed) whenever the heat is starting to get to them, to prompt them to find a way to cool off. The light debuff could be removed after spending a few moments in a cool room, drinking a refreshing beverage, or going for a swim. However, should the player ignore the light debuff and continue exposing themselves to the heat, then the debuff could be upgraded to a more serious penalty(more movement speed lost, with a bit of health), that will take longer to recover from.

You could still apply bonuses to heat resistance by wearing light clothing and appropriate headgear, as well as apply penalties for wearing heavy furs in the summer. 

[hstone32]

Hypothermia damage isn't the only risk encountered in cold winters. I'm suprised that it seems no one has noticed that being out in the cold also adds a 50% spike to your hunger rate. I think if any foods or drinks get added that prevent hypothermia, they should also temporarily suspend the hunger debuf. currently hot climates don't inflict that same penalty. Should they in the future?

[Krougal]

1 minute ago, hstone32 said:

Hypothermia damage isn't the only risk encountered in cold winters. I'm suprised that it seems no one has noticed that being out in the cold also adds a 50% spike to your hunger rate. I think if any foods or drinks get added that prevent hypothermia, they should also temporarily suspend the hunger debuf. currently hot climates don't inflict that same penalty. Should they in the future?

Depends. If they added hydration, then it should drain that faster.

[ThatMaxGuy]

On 8/12/2025 at 4:59 AM, Krougal said:

Depends. If they added hydration, then it should drain that faster.

I really don't think they should add hydration/thirst, like Ben said, it'd be micro managing hell. 

Personally I believe hot weather should be harder than cold weather, but less resource-expensive. In cold weather you need heat, and that requires fuel, heavy clothing and food as your hunger increases, while in hot weather you have to fight off heat. Don't stay under the sun, don't do hard labor: I know from experience heat can sap all your stamina out of you, so a change to walking speed instead of hunger rate could make sense.

In cold winters things don't grow, but you can work on things like smithing no problem, in hot summers the debuff to plants and animals could be reduced (if not eliminated), while physical work raises your heat, meaning you can do less of it. Trading the need to stock up on resources with a slower development. 

[Krougal]

2 hours ago, ThatMaxGuy said:

I really don't think they should add hydration/thirst, like Ben said, it'd be micro managing hell. 

Personally I believe hot weather should be harder than cold weather, but less resource-expensive. In cold weather you need heat, and that requires fuel, heavy clothing and food as your hunger increases, while in hot weather you have to fight off heat. Don't stay under the sun, don't do hard labor: I know from experience heat can sap all your stamina out of you, so a change to walking speed instead of hunger rate could make sense.

In cold winters things don't grow, but you can work on things like smithing no problem, in hot summers the debuff to plants and animals could be reduced (if not eliminated), while physical work raises your heat, meaning you can do less of it. Trading the need to stock up on resources with a slower development. 

Yeah, but what is the solution then? Make us take a siesta?

I agree a change to hunger for heat makes no sense.

A change to walking speed sounds horrible. Think about it.

Honestly, I would rather deal with thirst than what you are proposing.

[Thorfinn]

On 8/11/2025 at 5:06 PM, LadyWYT said:

Assuming it does though, all you'd need to do is give the player a light debuff(small loss of movement speed) whenever the heat is starting to get to them

The rest, no problem. But this in particular is death to n00bs. Running away is essential when you have neither weapons, armor or health. If the debuff were something like chopping speed or time involved in collecting sticks or berries or crops, no big deal.

On 8/11/2025 at 3:50 PM, Krougal said:

The first day or so until you find a cooking pot, or build a forge and make one, you may need to drink dirty water and lose some HP and quite possibly get dysentery, which is pretty bad. It pretty much becomes a non-issue after that, unless you are an idiot.

This. (I take it you have modding in metal cooking pots?) Make it more difficult for n00bs and no practical effect on skilled players except sucking up an inventory slot? Doesn't seem like a good idea.

-=-=-=-

While I personally cannot stand hot weather, there needs to be some "easy mode". At present, that is what starting in May does with defaults. At least for maybe 6 months. Usually, if it's winter prep, like slow in getting a garden in, too busy crafting the "perfect" base rather than play a survival game, I just recommend to start in a warmer climate. With this change, what do I recommend?

[ThatMaxGuy]

16 minutes ago, Krougal said:

Yeah, but what is the solution then? Make us take a siesta?

Kinda. You don't want to take your time? Stay in a cold place, but you better stock up on food. Don't want to spend time stocking up? Stay in a hot place, but don't overexert. They both affect how fast you progress through the game, just in different ways. 

55 minutes ago, Krougal said:

A change to walking speed sounds horrible. Think about it.

I don't feel like a lower walking speed is that bad. I'm not talking about something massive, and it wouldn't be always in hot weather, only when the hyperthermia kicks in.

57 minutes ago, Krougal said:

Honestly, I would rather deal with thirst than what you are proposing.

Thirst is just hunger 2, I've never enjoyed it in any game. But it is a matter of opinion, and you're entitled to yours. 

6 minutes ago, Thorfinn said:

While I personally cannot stand hot weather, there needs to be some "easy mode". At present, that is what starting in May does with defaults. At least for maybe 6 months. Usually, if it's winter prep, like slow in getting a garden in, too busy crafting the "perfect" base rather than play a survival game, I just recommend to start in a warmer climate. With this change, what do I recommend?

Having no drawback to hot weather is an issue in my opinion, especially for a game that advertises itself as uncompromising. 

Ultimately the team will choose the best course of action, but something needs to be done.

[Krougal]

36 minutes ago, Thorfinn said:

This. (I take it you have modding in metal cooking pots?) Make it more difficult for n00bs and no practical effect on skilled players except sucking up an inventory slot? Doesn't seem like a good idea.

-=-=-=-

While I personally cannot stand hot weather, there needs to be some "easy mode". At present, that is what starting in May does with defaults. At least for maybe 6 months. Usually, if it's winter prep, like slow in getting a garden in, too busy crafting the "perfect" base rather than play a survival game, I just recommend to start in a warmer climate. With this change, what do I recommend?

No, I haven't bothered with metal pots, I was talking about 7DTD, which has these mechanics.

Yeah, warm/hot is definitely easy mod in VS, I got very bored down there. Did build a great base, the harvesting and regrowth of bamboo is awesome.

I hate hot weather myself, live in the deep South, half the year only leave the air-conditioned house in an air-conditioned car to go to an air-conditioned store/dr/whatever.

Yet somehow, the lack of seasons in the game (in those climates) felt like something was missing.

  

24 minutes ago, ThatMaxGuy said:

I don't feel like a lower walking speed is that bad. I'm not talking about something massive, and it wouldn't be always in hot weather, only when the hyperthermia kicks in.

Having no drawback to hot weather is an issue in my opinion, especially for a game that advertises itself as uncompromising. 

Like Thorfinn said, being able to run away is pretty crucial.

Yes, there should be some drawback, especially since cold weather has one.

 

Edited August 15, 2025 by Krougal

[Facethief]

maybe instead of a walk speed debuff, there could be a break speed debuff? Anything but a fully separate thirst system. I’d definitely prefer drinking providing a body temperature decrease, or whatever getting in water does.

[Thorfinn]

2 hours ago, Krougal said:

Yes, there should be some drawback

It just needs to be a real drawback, not a nothingburger like creating a macro to select your waterskin, take a sip, and go back to where you were. In cold weather, you have to stop and light a fire, or go underground, or, paradoxically, chop a hole in the ice and jump in. (I think the latter is probably a result of elevation change, and only works on easier settings, but still...)

Edited August 15, 2025 by Thorfinn

[KoviBat]

I'm not sure what heat effect would be best to apply to the player, but exposed perishable rates could go up. If your food is outside a cellar or room, or if you leave pelts or bowstaves out to dry, maybe they'll cook a little quicker. A little bit of give and take. Unpreserved foods will rot quickly, but things that take time to dry will take less time. Crop moisture could also deplete slightly more in heat, though this is easily handled with the watering can.

While thirst shouldn't be mandatory to this system, taking cold drinks should help lower your players body temperature. I could see putting ice through a Quern or Pulverizer to chill drinks with, be it water, fruit juices, or alcohols. Maybe even room to make smoothies and ice cream, and provides an option to do more with ice, and as a result, incentivize collecting and storing it.

The game has a wind system in place, so that could help regulate heat, being in a room or cellar should help, being in water should help, etc.

On 8/11/2025 at 3:06 PM, LadyWYT said:

Getting wet will chill you down faster, sure, but I will note that in the current state of the game...you can actually warm up by going for a swim in freezing water. Counterintuitive, yes, and I don't know why it works, but it does(albeit the rate you warm up is slow). 

I do believe this is intentional, as it lines up with real life behavior of water. In cold climates, the closer the water is to the surface, where it's cold, the easier it is to freeze, but as you go down, the water is able to retain more heat. It works in the opposite way in hot climates. The surface is warm, and the deeper you go, the colder it gets. And since the water is able to insulate you against the wind and cold air, it will be ever so slightly warmer in the winter, and since it can dissipate heat from the sun, it will be cooler in summer. It's really good for temperature regulation.

[Koobze]

I agree that overheating would be interesting, and in general having more impact from weather would be great, but not just for the player. Crops can already suffer from overheating, how about animals? Same for rain and wind, if I have a ranch then my animals should need shelter from really bad weather. Maybe I should also need to grow trees, or make other wind-breakers, along the edge of my farm to prevent wind from messing up my crops?

Mostly though I wanted to address people saying "don't add a thirst bar" - I have been playing with the "Balanced Thirst" mod for a long time, and I think it is really great. It is not a big obstacle at all - you can drink from a pond which has mostly-clean water without issue. If you have one of the mods that let you collect rainwater it's also super easy, I just keep a jug on me to sip from as I go and if it's low and it's raining I just put the jug on the ground while foraging in an area and it's topped-up. You can also just eat berries to refill the water meter, which goes down as you exert yourself (running etc) and also goes down a bit when you eat. For me it adds a nice little extra bit of to-do, but doesn't require babysitting, I recommend trying it out.

[Facethief]

6 hours ago, KoviBat said:

I'm not sure what heat effect would be best to apply to the player, but exposed perishable rates could go up. If your food is outside a cellar or room, or if you leave pelts or bowstaves out to dry, maybe they'll cook a little quicker. A little bit of give and take. Unpreserved foods will rot quickly, but things that take time to dry will take less time. Crop moisture could also deplete slightly more in heat, though this is easily handled with the watering can.

This is already a feature, I’m pretty sure.

[LadyWYT]

9 hours ago, KoviBat said:

I do believe this is intentional, as it lines up with real life behavior of water. In cold climates, the closer the water is to the surface, where it's cold, the easier it is to freeze, but as you go down, the water is able to retain more heat. It works in the opposite way in hot climates. The surface is warm, and the deeper you go, the colder it gets. And since the water is able to insulate you against the wind and cold air, it will be ever so slightly warmer in the winter, and since it can dissipate heat from the sun, it will be cooler in summer. It's really good for temperature regulation.

Yes, but there's a reason that falling into a body of water and getting yourself soaking wet while it's freezing out is a near death sentence in a survival situation.

 

9 hours ago, KoviBat said:

I'm not sure what heat effect would be best to apply to the player, but exposed perishable rates could go up. If your food is outside a cellar or room, or if you leave pelts or bowstaves out to dry, maybe they'll cook a little quicker. A little bit of give and take. Unpreserved foods will rot quickly, but things that take time to dry will take less time. Crop moisture could also deplete slightly more in heat, though this is easily handled with the watering can.

 

3 hours ago, Facethief said:

This is already a feature, I’m pretty sure.

It is--higher temperatures will make things spoil faster.

 

8 hours ago, Koobze said:

Mostly though I wanted to address people saying "don't add a thirst bar" - I have been playing with the "Balanced Thirst" mod for a long time, and I think it is really great. It is not a big obstacle at all - you can drink from a pond which has mostly-clean water without issue. If you have one of the mods that let you collect rainwater it's also super easy, I just keep a jug on me to sip from as I go and if it's low and it's raining I just put the jug on the ground while foraging in an area and it's topped-up. You can also just eat berries to refill the water meter, which goes down as you exert yourself (running etc) and also goes down a bit when you eat. For me it adds a nice little extra bit of to-do, but doesn't require babysitting, I recommend trying it out.

I play with Hydrate or Diedrate frequently, as I generally enjoy the extra challenge layer. But that's the beauty of mods...I get to choose that kind of challenge for myself, without affecting the base game for everyone else. I don't think a lot of players would really enjoy a thirst mechanic like that due to the extra micromanagement, especially since there are places in the game you need to go for the story, that don't really have water sources(and each jug you fill takes precious inventory space). Likewise, a thirst mechanic is similar to the hunger bar, in that it's a more in-depth mechanic...having it toggled on/off on a whim doesn't feel right for something like that.

[Bruno Willis]

A good overheating issue could be migraine effects, or heatstroke effects, on your vision and hearing. Your vision could become more and more restricted with a dark circle (like when you're about to pass out) and the game sound could be slowly replaced with a rushing static sound (again, like passing out).

Totally loosing vision is a terrifying challenge, and maybe more interesting than slowing down or taking damage? It would be an obvious indication that something is wrong, but until it gets really bad it wouldn't actually make it harder to run to the nearest cave, river or cellar.