Aarón Rodríguez Hernández

jmm, yea, definittelly would be very good for greenhouses, i have problems for plant rice or some fruit trees in winter, more than half year cant produce that things

oh sorry, i dont speak english so was traslating to spanish all time jaja, what we need to do for devs consider add the suggestion in road map? personally i have a lot of rotted food, and is hard sell prepared food in stores because rot fast

I don't think it would be a performance issue. A condition could be added so that the cellar must exist before the refrigerator can be placed and function. It would only update while the chunk is loaded. The mechanical energy received could be a value to determine how much the temperature is reduced relative to the ambient temperature. If the chunk isn't loaded, a static variable could store the last received values. In that case, the cellar's volume and the machine's mechanical energy requirements would be ignored. Using static values simplifies the calculations and doesn't necessarily detract from the essence of the game.

Actually yes, it would be viable for it to have a non-null cooling effect even when missing one of the conditions. If Aqua Vitae is missing, the compressor can still create pressure variations which also result in temperature changes. And if there's only Aqua Vitae but no mechanical power, evaporation and possible porosity cause a temperature decrease. Neither method alone would reach -5 degrees, but perhaps it could bring a closed room from 30 down to 25. I'd like to keep the cellar and have the refrigerator be a complement, like a fridge or as a cold bonus for the cellar. It could even work the same way an automated quern does with hoppers and tubes, which would also give more use to copper pipes. Likewise, server lag and overload could be mitigated by having the initial calculations, once the system is built, be done gradually rather than all at once — for example, like animal rendering on farms, which causes terrible lag spikes when there are many animals. What would happen if you did that with the refrigerator? Nothing. The refrigerator doesn't need to calculate room temperature every tick; it could perfectly well do so every in-game hour or day.

I still think this is a solid proposal, and I want to push back on the "too advanced" argument. Vintage Story already includes teleporters, gliders, and complex mechanical power machinery. A mechanical refrigeration compressor is less advanced than any of those. The game has clearly established that its tech level permits precision mechanical systems when built from the right materials. The compressor doesn't need industrial CNC tolerances. Brass is in the game, it's ductile, self-lubricating, and easily worked into low-friction moving parts. Lead is in the game, it's resistant to ethanol attack, and it's trivial to cast or shape for components that contact the Aqua Vitae. Both metals are historically appropriate and already implemented. This isn't about introducing anachronistic technology — it's about giving Aqua Vitae a meaningful late-game use beyond drinking. The closed-cycle design fits the game's engineering aesthetic: it requires active mechanical input, has clear trade-offs (heat rejection needs exposed sides), and scales with player infrastructure. It's not a magic block; it's a system that rewards building windmills, waterwheels, and gear networks you've already invested in. The absorption refrigerator and ice cellar alternatives are fine ideas too, but they don't conflict with this. They could be earlier-tier solutions. A mechanical system fills a niche: active, controllable, scalable refrigeration for players who have already built mechanical power networks and want to put that infrastructure to new use.

I'd like to propose a late-game food preservation system based on mechanical refrigeration using Aqua Vitae (ethanol) as the working fluid. The idea is to add a way of actively cooling storage areas using mechanical power (windmills, water wheels, gear systems), instead of relying only on passive methods like cellars or ice. The goal is not to introduce a "magic fridge block", but a physically grounded system that fits Vintage Story's engineering style and progression. Core Concept The system would be based on a closed thermodynamic cycle: Aqua Vitae is used as the working fluid. A mechanical compressor driven by axles or gears creates pressure differences. Heat is expelled through a radiator or heat exchanger. Expansion of the fluid produces cooling in a sealed chamber. The cycle repeats as long as mechanical power is supplied. The result would be a controllable source of cold that can be used for food preservation or specialized storage rooms. - Option 1: Mechanical Icebox (Single-Block Unit) A standalone refrigeration block that acts as a localized cold source — essentially a mechanical "icebox" for the late game. How it works: It connects to the power network via axles or gears. It contains an internal sealed circuit of Aqua Vitae. It must have at least one exposed side to expel heat, serving as a radiator. It generates a cold radius around itself, lowering ambient temperature in nearby blocks. What it does: It preserves food items placed in adjacent containers such as chests, vessels, or shelves within range. It slows or halts food spoilage for items in the cooling zone. Multiple units can be stacked or chained for larger storage areas. Performance factors: Mechanical power input determines the result — higher power means lower temperature and larger radius. The exposed heat outlet is critical; a blocked radiator causes reduced efficiency or complete shutdown. Ambient temperature matters, as hotter biomes require more power to achieve the same cooling. Insulation around the unit extends the effective radius. Placement: Designed for indoor use in pantries, storage rooms, or kitchens. Multiple units can be arranged to cover larger spaces. It is not a magic solution and requires active mechanical infrastructure to function. - Option 2: Structural System (Cellar-Style) A larger system similar to how cellars or greenhouses work. Instead of a single block, it would be a room-based setup. Insulated walls improve efficiency. A central refrigeration block drives the system. Aqua Vitae is stored in a tank or reservoir. Mechanical input comes from outside via shafts. The entire enclosed space would gradually drop in temperature depending on insulation quality, power input, size of the room, and available Aqua Vitae. This would allow players to build proper cold storage rooms or small industrial refrigeration setups.