Hardcore Mode On.
Fallout: New Vegas introduces an optional Hardcore Mode into the gameplay. Hardcore Mode introduces the need for food, drink and sleep and changes properties of the healing mechanics.
DUST also allows playing in Hardcore Mode, in fact, Hardcore Mode is the intended mode to play DUST in, as the author states on the DUST Survival Simulator Nexus mod page.
Hardcore Mode Game Setting changes[]
DUST introduces changes to the Hardcore Mode, increasing the challenge of keeping the Survivor in good shape compared to Fallout: New Vegas.
Food and drink[]
Times given in the following table are real-time.
| Impact | Vanilla | DUST | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Increased dehydration | 1 point increase every 10 seconds | 1 point increase every 5 seconds | |
| Increased starvation | 1 point increase every 25 seconds | 1 point increase every 6 seconds | |
| Increased sleep depr. | 1 point increase every 50 seconds | 1 point increase every 10 seconds |
The stages, as well as the penalties for the different stages of dehydration and starvation do seem unchanged. Refer to the Nukapedia pages on Starvation and Dehydration for more information.
Note: If you find these changes too steep, the DUST - Reasonable Needs mod available on the Nexus can be used to decrease the rates.
Sleep[]
Increasing the benefit from sleeping is one of the rare occasions, where DUST actually introduces a change in favour of the Survivor.
Times given in the following table are game-time.
| Impact | Vanilla | DUST | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Increased benefit from sleeping | -60 points sleep deprivation per hour slept | -150 points sleep deprivation per hour slept |
The stages, as well as the penalties for the different stages of sleep deprivation do seem unchanged. Refer to the Nukapedia page on Sleep for more information.
Note: DUST removes all beds the player could potentially own, and thus removes replenishing hit points, healing limb damage and gaining the temporary Well Rested perk through sleeping. The Roughin' It perk can be used to mitigate this, check the Bedroll Kit page for more information.
Notes on Timescale, real-time and game-time[]
Timescale defines the relation between real-time and game-time. Multiplying real-time by Timescale yields the corresponding game-time. The default Timescale of Fallout:New Vegas is set to 30, DUST changes the Timescale to 15.
1 second real-time thus represents 15 seconds game-time, 1 minute real-time corresponds to 15 minutes game-time, and so forth.
Sleeping for one game-time hour in DUST translates into four minutes real-time passed as far as the game engine is concerned, which will increase dehydration by 48 and starvation by 40. The Survivors sleep deprivation will be decreased by 150 points, but the penalty for the real-time passed during sleeping (24) will be added after waking up.