Water, the under-utilized resource

[DarkTwinkie]

Because of this thread, water has now been built into the design of the game and plays a fairly large role. It is not a form of currency (we've got other cool ideas on that front) but will be necessary in some form or fashion. Not all water sources are equal as well...

[Lucius]

Because of this thread, water has now been built into the design of the game and plays a fairly large role. It is not a form of currency (we've got other cool ideas on that front) but will be necessary in some form or fashion. Not all water sources are equal as well...

Interesting, can't wait to see what ya'll came up with. (Glad it's not being used as currency )

[Drool]

Because of this thread, water has now been built into the design of the game and plays a fairly large role. It is not a form of currency (we've got other cool ideas on that front) but will be necessary in some form or fashion.

Hopefully no more than "carry a canteen to travel hot zones".

[paultakeda]

Because of this thread, water has now been built into the design of the game and plays a fairly large role. It is not a form of currency (we've got other cool ideas on that front) but will be necessary in some form or fashion. Not all water sources are equal as well...

This is all I disputed. Water cannot be money. Water is a valuable resource; how you implement that will be interesting, particularly as its value is dependent on the environmental zone.

[Wisteso]

Sorry to necro this thread guys, but I did not know about all of the discussion that went on after the thread went silent for a few days.

I'm really excited to know that our debate helped the dev team with the use of water as a resource. Almost forgetting what had been said allowed me to re-read the thread with a fresh perspective. That said, the counter arguments for water being a resource were very well constructed and did convince me against the idea of water as money.

However, the essence of the original post was 1) to get people thinking about something other than caps/dollars being used as money and 2) to get a discussion going about the value of life-sustaining resources that we have come to take for granted

Water was my leading example for both but several other things like bullets or food could also have been substituted in.

There was another post made... viewtopic.php?f=12&t=1173 which covers some of the same ground that I had wanted to cover. Check it out if you haven't yet.

[Woolfe]

There have been several threads around currency, water and Ammo have featured prominently.

However the devs have said water will be important, but will not be the basis of the currency per se.

[CaptainPatch]

I believe that the telling point is that there will undoubtedly be at least a few locations where clean water is abundant. If water = currency, then in those locations inflation would be through the ceiling. Like every other commodity, the value per unit is really low where there is an abundance, and it will be expensive where the commodity is scarce. The geographical disparity WILL promote commerce, as traders take the commodity from places of abundance and then transport to where it will command a high price.

Instead of water = currency, it will instead be something that people spend their currency to acquire. And then, the acquisition will be almost entirely as something to be _consumed_. It would make a poor currency as there would be a constant HUGE drain on the supply of what is being used for money.

[Drool]

It would make a poor currency as there would be a constant HUGE drain on the supply of what is being used for money.

Well, that and the giant river making it a pretty poor choice in general.

[CaptainPatch]

It would make a poor currency as there would be a constant HUGE drain on the supply of what is being used for money.

Well, that and the giant river making it a pretty poor choice in general.

Depends on whether or not the river water has been irradiated. It may be that the springs that feed the streams that feed the river are clean, but once it merges into the river, it traverses some radioactive hot spots, and thereby taints the entire river to some degree.

On a somewhat related topic, ever hear of the Cuyahoga River Fire? http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org/entry.php?rec=1642 It was soooo polluted that it actually caught fire, several times. The BIG one was in 1952. The river fires eventually led to some EPA legislation that reversed the decline in water quality. HOWEVER, the WL universe is diverting from the Real World history at that time. Instead, the USA and the world at large has been putting Industry and R & D on steroids as it prepares for The Next Big War that everyone knows is coming. Pushes for greater Industrialization usually results in the EPA concerns being set aside "for the duration of the current crisis". If that is indeed the case, and given all of the nuclear testing in the immediate vicinity, it very well could be that the Colorado River has become a radioactive cesspool.

[Arcanix]

In a highly radiated environment water might not be the ideal barter item. Remember not everyone have a portable lab deployable at will. This is the wasteland not Manhattan.

[GodComplex]

In a highly radiated environment water might not be the ideal barter item. Remember not everyone have a portable lab deployable at will. This is the wasteland not Manhattan.

True, but you can filter out radiation by filtering it through dirt. Then filter it through charcoal and sand to get the crud out.

[Arcanix]

Ok.

[Odin]

also, people will always tinker around http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7_-zR8tbJs

[Woolfe]

In a highly radiated environment water might not be the ideal barter item. Remember not everyone have a portable lab deployable at will. This is the wasteland not Manhattan.

Bear in mind Wasteland doesn't actually refer to Nuclear radiated Wasteland.

The Wasteland included nuclear radiated, but was mostly just desert.

The Wasteland was the artificial boundary that kept you in the game world

[Svetlovska]

The Solar Still:
"Solar Distiller - You build a water box that you can divide into two separate sides. One end of the box is higher than the other. You cover the box with a sheet of clear Plexiglass or plastic, so that it slants downward, enabling the condensed droplets that form on it to roll from the bad water-side and drop into the good-water side.

Into the bad-water side you put in seawater, urine or other undrinkable liquid, preferably through a hose, so you don't have to take the lid off the box and disrupt the condensation. The other side will catch the clean water when it drops off the plastic after rolling over. You should try to run a hose from this side as well to extract the liquid without disrupting the process." - http://www.thecityedition.com/2012/Wild ... val_2.html

[GodComplex]

I was wondering if you could distill radiation from water and the internet tells me I can, thanks internet.

[Odin]

I was wondering if you could distill radiation from water and the internet tells me I can, thanks internet.

I don't want to rain on your parady but I'm sure in the 50s the internet would have told you that duck and cover was the safest way to survive a nuclear blast. So please don't try it at home the internet can be a treacherous place

[Woolfe]

I was wondering if you could distill radiation from water and the internet tells me I can, thanks internet.

I don't want to rain on your parady but I'm sure in the 50s the internet would have told you that duck and cover was the safest way to survive a nuclear blast. So please don't try it at home the internet can be a treacherous place

50's?

This is Wasteland... The first game was set 75years after an 80's inspired 90's.

[Odin]

I was wondering if you could distill radiation from water and the internet tells me I can, thanks internet.

I don't want to rain on your parady but I'm sure in the 50s the internet would have told you that duck and cover was the safest way to survive a nuclear blast. So please don't try it at home the internet can be a treacherous place

50's?

This is Wasteland... The first game was set 75years after an 80's inspired 90's.

What does you finding internet information on cleaning water of radiation to do with when the game is set? I'm telling you: "Please do not find radiated water and try to clean it and drink it, just because you found a DIY youtube video". I was trying to be funny. I guess i failed... horribly.

[paultakeda]

it very well could be that the Colorado River has become a radioactive cesspool.

If we go by W1 as canon, it isn't. It's quite blue and very tasty. It is also capable of sweeping you down rapids and drowning your party.