1. The game is more realistic than many survival games, but it isn’t a full on ‘realistic sim’ — some things are changed for gameplay, the scenario of the game doesn’t make perfect sense (but that’s ok imo because the gameplay result is extremely fun), and many things are very amplified specifically to be on the harder side (ex: tools degrading unrealistically fast when you use them and stuff). The game says this in it’s opening disclaimer, that it isn’t trying to fully replicate survival scenarios, stuff like wolves attacking people on sight isn’t how wolves act, etc.

2. Keep in mind the game isn’t in real time. I don’t know what the exact length of day is, but I think a full day-night cycle is about 2 hours or so IRL time, like when you cook stuff on a campfire and visibly see the minutes clock down every several seconds than in actual minutes. 1 minute outside in real time probably is like 15-20 minutes in game time, approximately as I don’t know the exact ratios.

3. Blizzards in game (and IRL from my understanding) are extremely brutal weather events with extremely high winds and heavy snow or ice, you’re not going to survive long in one without cover, even with the absolute best gear and clothes in the entire game. Even in the lower difficulties, being outside in a blizzard at night, in cover from the wind results in negative temperatures with the near best clothing available. Not being in cover, your clothes will wet then freeze, your temperature will drop until you have hypothermia, your frozen clothes will give you frostbite, etc.

Originally posted by kamikazi21358:

2. Keep in mind the game isn’t in real time. I don’t know what the exact length of day is...

Time scale in the game on 1X is 1:12, meaning 1 minute IRL = 12 minutes in-game time, 5 minutes IRL = 1 hour in-game time. (You can change the time scaling in Custom Settings > Environment > Length of Day Multiplier to make the day longer, if you want to.)

Originally posted by Meta03:

I was under an impression this was a realistic sim.

Ahh, therein lies your problem. Very, very little about the game is even remotely "realistic". Your character gets hungry. That's about the limit of the realism. Glimmer fog ain't real :) Try drinking boiling water directly from the stove. Leave meat frozen outside for a week, then try to just pick it up and crunch it down. Etc.

Originally posted by roach:

also you never have to use the bathroom. where does it all go?

Looks like you've found the answer to OP question.