Survival in the harsh conditions of the Middle Ages often depends not only on the amount of food obtained, but also on the ability to preserve its reserves. In the game Going Medieval this aspect is implemented through a complex system of temperatures and rotting products, which forces players to look for effective solutions for organizing a warehouse. Creating an analogue of a modern refrigerator is not just a whim, but a necessity for the survival of the colony in winter or during long sieges.
The main task of the player is to create an enclosed space where the temperature will be consistently low, preventing spoilage of meat, vegetables and ready-made dishes. Unlike other survival games, you can't just place the chest on the snow; requires careful use of the mechanics of heat transfer, insulation and ventilation. Understanding these processes allows you to turn an ordinary room into a highly efficient refrigerator fridge.
In this guide, we will go through all the stages of construction: from choosing the right location and materials to setting up automatic doors and cooling systems. You'll learn how to avoid common mistakes that cause inventory to quickly rot and how to optimize your space for maximum capacity. A properly designed storage facility will become the foundation for the economic stability of your settlement.
Principles of thermodynamics in the game
Before you pick up a shovel, you need to understand the basic mechanics of the game, as they directly affect the efficiency of your future storage facility. Temperature is Going Medieval transmitted through air and wall materials, and also depends on external weather conditions. The key parameter is thermal conductivity the materials from which the room is built.
Cold air is heavier than warm air, but insulation is more important in game mechanics. If you build a warehouse out of stone without further processing, the summer heat will quickly penetrate inside, ruining the supplies. In winter, stone walls can freeze too much, which is also not always good if you store sensitive crops, although this is an ideal option for meat.
It is important to consider that each object in the game has its own temperature. When you bring a hot object into a cold room, it heats the air around it. Therefore the main goal is to minimize heat exchange with the external environment and internal heat sources, such as working colonists or furnaces.
- 🧊 Insulation: The use of materials with low thermal conductivity (wood, straw) for walls and ceilings.
- 🌡️ Temperature conditions: Maintaining temperatures below 10°C to slow down rot.
- 🚪 Tightness: Minimizing the number of doors and windows to prevent drafts.
⚠️ Attention: Do not ignore the effect of the sun on the walls of the warehouse. The south side of the building heats up significantly more, which can negate all cooling efforts if you do not use canopies or an earthen embankment.
Choosing a location and preparing the foundation
Choosing a location to build a refrigerator is a strategic decision that will determine its effectiveness. The ideal option is to use natural terrain, namely, going underground. The soil has excellent insulating properties and maintains a stable low temperature all year round, especially at depth.
Start by finding a suitable slope or just a flat area where you plan to dig a pit. Depth matters: the lower you go, the more stable the temperature will be, but don't go too deep or you'll run into problems with digging and ventilation. The optimal depth is 2-3 levels below the surface of the ground.
When preparing the foundation, make sure that you have dug enough space not only for the shelves themselves, but also for the passages. Narrow corridors make it difficult for colonists to work and can lead to them holding food in their hands for a long time, heating it up. Plan your space generously, taking into account future automation.
If you are building a ground-based option, be sure to provide double walls. An air gap or filling the space between the walls with an insulator (for example, straw or wood planks) will significantly reduce heat loss. This is especially true for regions with hot climates or sudden temperature changes.
Materials and wall construction
When the location is chosen, it is time for construction. Wall material plays a critical role in thermoregulation. Stone and brick have a high heat capacity, which means they take a long time to cool down, but also take a long time to heat up. Wood, on the contrary, quickly accepts the ambient temperature, but holds the cold worse.
For the inner layer of the refrigerator, it is best to use wood or treated boards, as they create an additional barrier. The outer layer can be made of stone for strength. This combination of materials allows you to create an effective thermosthat keeps the cold inside even in the middle of summer.
Don't forget about the roof. If your refrigerator does not go deep underground, the ceiling should be as thick as possible. Using several layers of different materials (eg stone-wood-straw) gives a better effect than one thick wall of one material. This creates multi-stage protection against thermal radiation.
| Material | Thermal conductivity | Strength | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stone | High | High | External layer, foundation |
| Wood (Wood) | Low | Medium | Interior decoration, shelves |
| Straw | Very low | Low | Insulation in the walls |
| Brick (Brick) | Medium | High | Stone Alternative |
Ventilation system and automatic doors
One of the main problems with using a refrigerator is the need to frequently go inside to load and unload goods. Each door opening lets in warm air, which quickly raises the temperature. The solution to this problem is automatic doors and proper ventilation.
In Going Medieval you can set the doors so that they open only when there is a colonist nearby and close immediately after he passes. However, for a refrigerator it is better to use double vestibule. Create a small dressing room with two doors that never open at the same time. This will create an airlock that retains the cold.
Ventilation is necessary to remove warm air if it does get inside, or to supply cold air from the street in winter. You can create channels in the walls leading outside and equip them with dampers. In winter, the dampers open to freeze the room, in summer they close tightly.
☑️ Setting up the vestibule
It is also worth paying attention to the location of the doors relative to the sun. If the entrance to the refrigerator is on the sunny side, even briefly opening the door can heat the room. Try to orient the entrance to the north or in the shade from other buildings and trees.
Organization of the internal space
The internal arrangement of the refrigerator requires a systematic approach. Simply piling boxes of food in a pile is a bad idea, as it makes access difficult and impairs air circulation (although the game's air mechanics are simplified, accessibility for colonists is critical).
Use racks and shelves. Raising supplies off the floor allows you to utilize vertical space and makes cleaning easier. In addition, separating products by type (meat, vegetables, ready-made food) helps you quickly find what you need and control expiration dates. For meat, you can select a separate zone with a lower temperature.
It is important to leave enough space for aisles. If a colonist stumbles over boxes or takes a long time to find a place for goods, he will spend more time in the refrigerator, heating it with his body. The optimal width of the passage is two cells, which allows two characters to pass each other.
⚠️ Attention: Do not store hot food in the refrigerator. Allow food to cool in the kitchen or outdoors before storing it in storage. Introducing a hot object can raise the temperature of the entire room by several degrees.
Automation and logistics
For the refrigerator to truly operate effectively in Going Medieval, logistics must be established. Colonists should know that they should bring food here and not to the general warehouse. To do this, use storage zones (Storage Zones) with specific settings.
Set up a zone inside the refrigerator so that it only accepts perishable foods. Set the priority to "High" for this area so that porters bring meat and vegetables here first. The remaining goods (tools, clothing, building materials) should be stored in warm warehouses.
If you have established production, you can set up the chain: Kitchen -> Cooling -> Refrigerator. This requires careful prioritization of tasks, but the results are worth it. Your supplies will last for months, allowing you to survive winter or drought without loss.
The Secret to Maximum Efficiency
Create a separate area for “Just Cooked” next to the kitchen, but outside the refrigerator, with a low priority. Once the food has cooled, the porters will move it to the main refrigerator without lingering in the cold room.
Check your zone settings regularly. If you have changed the variety of products you produce, you may need to add new types of items to the list of items allowed in your refrigerator. Otherwise, valuable resources may end up abandoned on the floor.
Seasonal maintenance and optimization
A refrigerator is not a building that can be built and forgotten. Changing seasons requires player intervention. In the summer, you need to isolate the room as much as possible, perhaps even turn off the ventilation and close all entrances, if there is such a technical possibility through the door settings.
In winter, the time of the “big freeze” comes. Open the vent dampers (if you have them) or simply leave the door open overnight to freeze the room to minimum temperatures before loading a new batch of food. This will create a reserve of cold, which will be used up gradually.
Monitor the condition of the walls and roof. If it starts to rain or snow, make sure no moisture gets inside. While there are no direct cheese mechanics in the game, visual controls and protection from the elements help keep things tidy. Also check if the porters have not blocked the aisles with boxes.
After all, a well-functioning refrigerator in Going Medieval is a sign of a mature and thoughtful settlement. It frees you from the constant race for food and allows you to focus on developing technology and expanding territories. Investing time in the right refrigerator pays off handsomely.
Can ice be used for cooling?
In the current version of the game, the mechanics of using ice as an active cooler (as in some mods or other games) are poorly implemented or absent in the form of a “piece of ice” item that can be carried. The main cooling occurs due to ambient temperature and insulation. However, if you are playing with mods or during the winter season, storing food in an unheated room with access to outside air is the best alternative.
What is the ideal temperature for storage?
The ideal temperature is considered to be below 10°C. At this temperature, the rate of food spoilage is significantly reduced. A temperature around 0°C or slightly lower (but not freezing if the game simulates this for specific crops) is optimal for meat. Vegetables may require slightly less extreme conditions, but it is better to keep it colder in a general refrigerator.
Do you need lighting in the refrigerator?
From the point of view of game mechanics, lighting does not affect the temperature or speed of spoilage. However, colonists need light to work (build, carry objects) at night or in deep dungeons. One lamp at the entrance or inside is quite enough for the comfort of workers, but do not overdo it, since light sources can slightly heat the space.