What's the difference between rafters and trusses in construction, and how does that apply to building a raft in Raft?
Summary
Q.What's the difference between rafters and trusses in construction, and how does that apply to building a raft in Raft?
A.Rafters are individual sloped beams cut and fitted on-site; trusses are prefabricated triangular assemblies that span farther with less material. In Raft the game these technical differences are mostly aesthetic—game mechanics treat foundations and armor (and engine/foundation counts) as the real structural rules, so use “truss” layouts to save tiles and resources and “rafter” builds for looks and customization.
More info
In real-world construction, rafters are single, stick-framed members that run from ridge to eave and give you flexibility for custom rooflines, while trusses are engineered, prefabricated triangular frames that distribute loads across members so you can span long distances with less material and faster installation (see a clear comparison of rafters vs trusses). Sterling Build on rafters vs trusses offers a good primer.
In Raft the simulation is much simpler: the game counts foundations for buoyancy/engine requirements and the shark only targets unarmored outer foundations, so there’s no in-game “structural collapse” to punish poor rafter work. That means “rafters” in Raft are mainly decorative, while thinking like an engineer—using truss-style triangular layouts or hollow/optimized floor patterns—can reduce unnecessary foundation tiles (saving resources and engine burden) and give cleaner open decks. For mechanics, prioritize foundation armor to stop shark damage and watch engine-to-foundation rules when scaling up. See the Raft Wiki pages on Foundation Armor and Engines/Foundations for specifics.
