41 minutes ago, meganoth said:But what if they are actually crafting and the unusual way you do things is that you don't craft stuff when you have the opportunity? In a game that is called a something crafting something game.
Not sure why you have talked so much about looting when the real question is about "to craft or not to craft".
You said you simply wait for your armor to drop in loot however long that takes. What if they simply craft missing pieces when they have the time, i.e. at night ? With the potential advantage that they may survive a narrow fight without infection or death the next day. With the disadvantage that they might find exactly the same armor the next day.
You know the saying "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush" ? 😉
Which is why I asked if you knew how much crafting is typical for players. I know some really want to craft but I really think many players don't care whether they craft or loot so long as they get what they need. If crafting a lot of stuff is being done by most people, then yes, you'll use more duct tape and need more water. If it's only done when necessary and people are more likely to loot for stuff, then they'd need less water. And if they don't ever craft beyond food and drink and perhaps certain things like ammo or building blocks or things you can't find or buy, then they need even less. As I said, I don't know what actually is typical for the average player. Where this falls greatly determines what amount of water is needed for a typical player. For early game, most duct tape costs are going to be either pipe weapons or armor, right? How many people craft those? Do more people craft those or not? I know that I've never had issues getting basic armor within the first 2-3 days and never craft that or clothing in any game I've played. Maybe I haven't gotten every piece in that time, but close enough. If you don't craft armor, that saves quite a lot of duct tape. Pipe weapons might be more likely to be crafted, though they aren't really that difficult to find usually. And even if you do craft one, that's a single cost unless you're upgrading it constantly by crafting every upgrade level.
I just don't see crafting being an issue for water scarcity in early game for most players. Some, yes. Most? Probably not. But again, I'm guessing and was hoping you might know. In mid game or later, crafting needs a crazy amount of duct tape now, so you it does affect your water needs a lot if you plan to craft much of anything.