My 2.5 Review

[grz__]

I've played quite a bit in this update and it feels good, the new mechanics are fine, the smell adds a little spice to the game. I love seeing the zombies devour an animal, you can even use it to your advantage to escape from some situations.



The temperature feels right, it's not too harsh or too irrelevant. My only complaint about the temperature would be the movement debuff when jumping. I can live with the movement speed debuff, but not being able to jump over a block doesn't really convince me, especially in stages of the game when there are a lot of irradiated zombies and you have to run in circles over and over again. Otherwise, it's fine. Perhaps a second phase of hypothermia that adds a stamina debuff if you don't protect yourself would be good.


The storms are a bit light right now, useful in the early game but a bit irrelevant in the mid-late game. If it weren't for the zombies, you could almost ignore them, which breaks that sense of danger and urgency that you need to do something to avoid dying. But nothing that can't be solved with an option to add more duration or intensity.


The apiary is cool, although for me it's more aesthetic than useful, since I have a box full of normal antibiotics.


Overall, it's good, just a couple of known bugs like invisible textures and consuming 2 bandages at once when you equip it on your belt.

 

[Sapient6]

The temperature feels right, it's not too harsh or too irrelevant. My only complaint about the temperature would be the movement debuff when jumping.

Agreed. The old temperature system was pointless. I like the new temperature system, but not being able to jump when cold can mean you can't enter a building through an open window. That feels a little bit too punitive, especially in early game. If I had my way being cold would put a hard cap on jumping of 1 block, so normal jumping is unaffected but parkour is more or less nullified (which will, again, affect mostly early game since in late game you've got lots of ways to just never be that cold).

The storms are a bit light right now, useful in the early game but a bit irrelevant in the mid-late game. If it weren't for the zombies, you could almost ignore them, which breaks that sense of danger and urgency that you need to do something to avoid dying. But nothing that can't be solved with an option to add more duration or intensity.

I think storms are right around where they need to be. In 2.4 storms were so harsh that they turned into "Oh, it's time to shelter, do nothing, and wait until the game allows me to continue playing". It didn't feel "dangerous", it was just annoying.

Now in early game they are worth avoiding, especially if you are in a biome you don't have the gear for yet. Mid game they are great for loot.

Late game they are ANNOYING AGAIN. If I'm getting ready to head to travel somewhere for anything I wanted to do, a storm can completely nix that. Not because it is dangerous, but because vehicle steering is disproportionately affected by them.

he apiary is cool, although for me it's more aesthetic than useful, since I have a box full of normal antibiotics.

I use the honey from my apiaries to make honey braised brisket. Because why not. There is no part of that that is "necessary", but I enjoy the idea that my survivor has reached a stage of survival where they are chowing down on some super tasty food.

 

[meganoth]

Agreed. The old temperature system was pointless. I like the new temperature system, but not being able to jump when cold can mean you can't enter a building through an open window. That feels a little bit too punitive, especially in early game. If I had my way being cold would put a hard cap on jumping of 1 block, so normal jumping is unaffected but parkour is more or less nullified (which will, again, affect mostly early game since in late game you've got lots of ways to just never be that cold).

I agree it is maybe too punitive. But your proposed fix would mean practically only AGI players would be disadvantaged. A debuff for cold should preferably hit everyone.

 

[grz__]

Agreed. The old temperature system was pointless. I like the new temperature system, but not being able to jump when cold can mean you can't enter a building through an open window. That feels a little bit too punitive, especially in early game. If I had my way being cold would put a hard cap on jumping of 1 block, so normal jumping is unaffected but parkour is more or less nullified (which will, again, affect mostly early game since in late game you've got lots of ways to just never be that cold).

I think the jump debuff only occurs during storms or when it's very cold. I'm well equipped and have a point in parkour, the temperature debuffs complement the storm well, but I don't like that jump debuff <personal preference>.

I think storms are right around where they need to be. In 2.4 storms were so harsh that they turned into "Oh, it's time to shelter, do nothing, and wait until the game allows me to continue playing". It didn't feel "dangerous", it was just annoying.

Now in early game they are worth avoiding, especially if you are in a biome you don't have the gear for yet. Mid game they are great for loot.

Late game they are ANNOYING AGAIN. If I'm getting ready to head to travel somewhere for anything I wanted to do, a storm can completely nix that. Not because it is dangerous, but because vehicle steering is disproportionately affected by them.

The storm in general feels good in the early game; it has a good balance. The problem is in the mid-late game, where you can practically ignore it. The only thing that prevents you from ignoring the storm is planting enough aloe for bandages. As for the vehicle, the 4x4 is not affected by the storm, unless it's a bug in my game, as I can drive normally.

I use the honey from my apiaries to make honey braised brisket. Because why not. There is no part of that that is "necessary", but I enjoy the idea that my survivor has reached a stage of survival where they are chowing down on some super tasty food

To be honest, I'm not cooking the new recipes. I have to try them to see what benefits they have, but for now, for me, it's a factory of antibiotics that accumulate in the box. Maybe they'll have more uses in the future.

 

[Sapient6]

As for the vehicle, the 4x4 is not affected by the storm, unless it's a bug in my game, as I can drive normally.

Ugh, the 4x4. Easily my least favorite vehicle in the game. I'll begrudgingly accept that it's good for it to have a reason to exist, but it's just such a slow mode of travel. For the 6-8 km I'm likely looking at traveling I'd probably save time sitting on my thumbs waiting for the storm to end and then hopping in the gyrocopter.

Post automatically merged: Jan 7, 2026

I agree it is maybe too punitive. But your proposed fix would mean practically only AGI players would be disadvantaged. A debuff for cold should preferably hit everyone.

Fair enough. I usually pick up enough parkour to make a 2 block jump, so it would affect me (until I was far enough along in the game that it would never affect me again). Hadn't thought about the angle that some people don't pick it up at all and would therefore be less affected by storms under a design like that.

Maybe the best route would be for horizontal jump distance to be impacted but jump height left entirely alone. That or provide players with a mantle ability.

 

[Riamus]

One of my biggest complaints about the temperature is regarding warming up from a campfire. The campfire only affects the single block surrounding it. If you are more than 1m away, you have no warmth from it. I thought I'd drop a campfire in my horde base in the snowy forest just to make sure we stay warm during horde night, only to see the temperature go from 45F next to the fire to 10F 1m away from the fire. It didn't drop off slowly as you move farther away; it was an instant loss of 35F (after about a one second delay). The campfire should warm up at least a few meters around it, and should drop off the temperature as you move away. For example, if it's a set 35F increase next to it, then 1m away could be 25F, 2m could be 15F and 3m could be 5F. It would not be a steep change in temperature and it would allow warmth without being practically on top of the campfire.

And is this also true for torches? I haven't tested it. Do you have to be right next to one or carrying it for it to have any effect on you? The people saying torches would be fine if you dropped them while fighting (since you can't hold it and fight) to add warmth would lose that argument if it only affects the block right next to it. And if the torch affects a larger radius than the campfire... that would make zero sense.

For storms, my biggest complaint is when you go to try to complete the badge only to have a storm start as soon as you arrive, making it a pain to complete the badge without waiting. Or if they start when you are trying to build a base since you can't be out in the open too long and have to keep going into cover, making building a base a pain as well. This doesn't always happen, but it is annoying when it does. Still, the storms now aren't as bad as they were before, and I can live with them.

 

[SabinSnake PS5#1]

Actually, they seriously need to fix the temp for when you're in your house/base. I have over 8 torches in the place, all windows boarded up and have the fireplace going as well, after an hour it's still 42° and i'm still freezing with T3 patchwork clothing on. Like wtf?! Do I have to walk around in my base with a torch in my hand forever to keep warm in the snow biome?!

 

[Sapient6]

One of my biggest complaints about the temperature is regarding warming up from a campfire. The campfire only affects the single block surrounding it. If you are more than 1m away, you have no warmth from it. I thought I'd drop a campfire in my horde base in the snowy forest just to make sure we stay warm during horde night, only to see the temperature go from 45F next to the fire to 10F 1m away from the fire.

Drop a burning barrel. It's not a lot, but I think you get about a 3 block radius. Gives you light, too, and without any need for fuel.

 

[Riamus]

Actually, they seriously need to fix the temp for when you're in your house/base. I have over 8 torches in the place, all windows boarded up and have the fireplace going as well, after an hour it's still 42° and i'm still freezing with T3 patchwork clothing on. Like wtf?! Do I have to walk around in my base with a torch in my hand forever to keep warm in the snow biome?!

I agree that there should be more warmth generated, but with better clothing, it's not bad. I am warm in the snow biome unless it gets below 10F, so 90% of the time I'm fine. But three of my armor pieces have the Blue mods (I don't have space in the helmet) and I have thermacore qualities 3, 1, 3, 5 for clothing IIRC. If I get them all up to quality 5, I probably won't ever have a problem.

Drop a burning barrel. It's not a lot, but I think you get about a 3 block radius. Gives you light, too, and without any need for fuel.

Thanks. I didn't know they added heat to that and I've never crafted one. I may have to do that.

 

[madmole]

For me it seems like all interiors warm you up without need of any heat source as long as they are properly sealed but I could be wrong.

 

[Old Crow]

For me it seems like all interiors warm you up without need of any heat source as long as they are properly sealed but I could be wrong.

Any chance the old perk Well Insulated might make a comeback at some point? Maybe in a weaker form so as not to completely invalidate the new clothing layers and insulated liners, and weather.

 

[Riamus]

For me it seems like all interiors warm you up without need of any heat source as long as they are properly sealed but I could be wrong.

If it requires being properly sealed, that's not really an option all the time. For example, with our horde base, we want to be able to shoot out from all sides, so need to have bars around the walls. With that, it's 10F inside the horde base.

 

[meganoth]

I think a good improvement to heat/cold could be to have the speed at which you are getting colder depend strongly on how much your clothing is away from being sufficient for the current temperature. If that already is the case it should be much more pronounced

For example if your clothes are just a 1-5 quality levels below the point where you would be warm in the winter biome and you stepped outside from the warmth of a campfire or torch you should be fine for minutes, not seconds. So that it makes a difference for gameplay. While if you are without any clothes you should immediately freeze after going out into the cold. Likewise for heat.

 

[theFlu]

we want to be able to shoot out from all sides, so need to have bars around the walls.

Well, the solution is simple, just add walls around the bars too!

Sounds troll, but you could probably do it for a small base, the seal doesn't have to perfect. I'm not sure what method of detection is being used, but simply blocking the majority of the space around you is enough. Valheim simply checks for blocks in all/most 45-degree directions (3D) from the player, if enough of those lines are blocked, you're indoors. Something similar is done here; so building walls around your bars might actually just work, just let the zeds in through some short turning corridors.

Might take a bit of testing though

 

[4sheetzngeegles]

If it requires being properly sealed, that's not really an option all the time. For example, with our horde base, we want to be able to shoot out from all sides, so need to have bars around the walls. With that, it's 10F inside the horde base.

There is one way to cover both of your situations, I learned it by accident when i was blocking myself in, during
a storm in the beginning. Your need is visibility, and seal. Try this and tell me if it works for your situation.

Make a set of frame blocks, instead of the solid. Place them over, the compromised open portals. They will give
the same result as a solid block, but allowing you to see through, and not feel like you are in a tomb. Second
make a set of torches. One per open portal, that are only placed on horde night. This way they don't take up an
inventory slot during regular game play, can be kept in a nearby box for quick disbursement and storage. Plus
putting up a lot during a horde does not matter, because other spawn rules are over- ridden.

They also can be shot through, or quickly picked up on regular and horde nights. I needed to be blocked in for
safety, but I also wanted to see the storm, and potential attack opportunities. I use them as my temp storm roof
base, I just remove or add two blocks to seal and unseal. Hope this helps.

 

[Riamus]

There is one way to cover both of your situations, I learned it by accident when i was blocking myself in, during
a storm in the beginning. Your need is visibility, and seal. Try this and tell me if it works for your situation.

Make a set of frame blocks, instead of the solid. Place them over, the compromised open portals. They will give
the same result as a solid block, but allowing you to see through, and not feel like you are in a tomb. Second
make a set of torches. One per open portal, that are only placed on horde night. This way they don't take up an
inventory slot during regular game play, can be kept in a nearby box for quick disbursement and storage. Plus
putting up a lot during a horde does not matter, because other spawn rules are over- ridden.

They also can be shot through, or quickly picked up on regular and horde nights. I needed to be blocked in for
safety, but I also wanted to see the storm, and potential attack opportunities. I use them as my temp storm roof
base, I just remove or add two blocks to seal and unseal. Hope this helps.

Thanks, but I'm not going to jump through hoops to deal with it. I'll just be cold if I'm cold and give up on any idea that you can warm yourself up with fire in this game, regardless what they say about using heat. If the burning barrels work, I'll do that, but otherwise I will just ignore the temperature. The campfire would have made sense and been convenient, so I would have done it. But temperature is kind of pointless as it is, so it's not worth paying attention to.

 

[Rotor]

The campfire would have made sense and been convenient, so I would have done it.

It needs to be. Although I've only have to use it once and I was next to it while guarding the access to the perch. So, I did not notice the immediate proximity requirement.

 

[4sheetzngeegles]

I just did a test out of curiosity.
I have 4 bars, 2 iron X 2 wooden side by side,
Full sized placeable removeable blocks all around. 1 layer deep
I am able to jump up into the opening nose to bar.
I am in the snow the outside temp is 11' when anything is removed.
With the bars up it is 45' inside.

I applied basic clothing, other than that only have
a loin cloth.

at level one for 3 of them and level 2 for one piece
it gives a buffer of +5' so at 50 but it goes to 51,
I don't have any screen overlay, coughing from the environment
or the shivering from the weather.

As long as the portal is sealed, the simple clothing
offsets the the outdoors weather, to tolerable.

It was done using a second floor window, in a slant roof poi, with
two extra blocks broken out to give me better visibility.

I also tested it with openings, and added the wooden shutter, for
same result, when closed.

An alternate for a single width set of bars , is 1 on top touching inner
block, one on bottom touching outer block, the invisible collider still
seals, the room.