Summer

Summer is the second (first if playing The Next Summer scenario) and one of the two deadlier seasons in Cataclysm Dark Days Ahead, alongside winter.

Summer is followed by autumn, once autumn has arrived, you are out of the inferno and can get back to easier life again...

Weather

The intense heat of this season provides the challenge for summer in the game, though the temperature can still carry over some rain and coolness from spring at the start of the season, it will quickly change to common sunny or clear skies as the season progresses. The hot temperature can easily overheat players, so cool clothes are recommended for this season. Players also get thirsty faster during summer.

Plants

Fruits will start growing from many plants during summer, this includes peaches, apricots, blueberries, etc.

Underbrushes will also drop some more new goodies alongside what was available in spring, mushrooms can be foraged from them in summer, fruits that can be found in bushes also appear in underbrushes.

Farming can be carried out during the whole of summer.

Tips

• As it is very hot, cool clothes are a must for summer, try and armour them with Kevlar for better protection, the long-sleeved shirt is good for this.
• Make sure you prepare with plenty of water for summer, as you will actually dehydrate faster, fill up plastic bottles, sealed stomachs, canteens etc and store them.
  • Water is a bit harder to come by in summer due to the lack of rain, so funnels are not going to net you a good water supply, unless you have a river or lake nearby. It's possible to get water from toilets in the buildings, but this source is very limited.
• You may have hard times fighting with zombies if you lack good dodge, as wearing armor will overheat you.
• The fruits that grow during this season will increase your health significantly, so rely on them for this season and maybe preserve your meat for later.
• Food rots faster during summer — any perishable food lying around in houses and shops will have either rotted to being unsafe to eat or even to nothing by the time summer hits, excluding non-perishables and canned foods. Player should consider starting preserving their meals.
• Fire spreads easier during this season, this can be useful, as it allows molotovs and incendiary grenades to work to their full potential, it also allows fire to keep burning better for cooking, just be more careful with anywhere you don't want set on fire... Don't overheat yourself either...
• Plant Mutants can thrive very well in summer, as they will not need to wear very much clothes, and can take food and water from the soil avoiding the problems caused by the lack of rainwater.
• Medical mutants can do well too, as they can take a lot of punishment even with less clothing, so they don't need to wear much armor, especially with Cenobite and Deadened mutations.
• Troglobite mutants, on the other hands, are in a tight spot during the summer - warm&sunny weather will severely penalise you during the days.
• Summer can be a great time to brush up on your swimming skills due to warm weather.