When do villagers eat? When do they get "hungry"?

[Maehlice]

This is more of an "under the hood" question about the game's programming.

Do they wait to eat when their food level reaches zero, or if food is available, will they just constantly eat to remain full?

Will villagers ever over-eat? I.e., if they're programmed to get hungry and eat when their health is below 30%, will they eat a Pie or a Tart (+100 Food) even though they may only be at -70 food? Or, will they wait or maybe cycle to the next available food to prevent waste?

[*Morri*]

They eat something when their food level reaches 0. If what they eat exceeds their max food level, the remainder is stored at their house (not visible to you), and they'll use that up first.

[Maehlice]

Thanks!

[*Morri*]

It's the same for drink; so if they eat something that has a higher water value than food value (mushroom soup used to be like that, not sure if it's still the case), they store the excess water in their house, and won't need to drink for a while because of that. Nothing goes to waste, unless you destroy the house.

[Maehlice]

Follow up question:

Does their hunger and thirst reset at each season change?

It seems like it should reset to 0 ... or at least roll over from the previous season.?.

[TheRealMuehle]

Originally posted by *Morri*:

It's the same for drink; so if they eat something that has a higher water value than food value (mushroom soup used to be like that, not sure if it's still the case), they store the excess water in their house, and won't need to drink for a while because of that. Nothing goes to waste, unless you destroy the house.

Now I have a question, too:
Do they also use that water, if the soup is only allowed as food?
Found out that you can store forbidden food at houses without the NPC touching it.

[*Morri*]

Originally posted by Maehlice:

Follow up question:
Does their hunger and thirst reset at each season change?

No clue.

Originally posted by TheRealMuehle:

Do they also use that water, if the soup is only allowed as food?

I don't think so. But i'm not sure.

[Lurksmore]

Originally posted by *Morri*:

Originally posted by TheRealMuehle:

Do they also use that water, if the soup is only allowed as food?

I don't think so. But i'm not sure.

I think they would. They ate soup cuz hungry. Hope they didn't boil away all the water.

[kimlaone]

The villagers want to eat only during working hours - from 8 am to 6 pm. I usually if I have little food (for example, if they are hungry at 3 pm, then I can wait until 6 pm and then feed them - put 1 berry / mushroom in each chest. Then their hunger will disappear and their mood will improve. In the morning I can give them more nutritious food - meat, soup ...

As for food and drink - from my observations, if there is no ban on a drink, then the villagers use it. I allowed mine to drink only water from a bucket and a wineskin. One day they wanted to eat and drink, and I fed them (gave them berries). But since berries were prohibited in the drinking tab, they simply ate their fill, but still wanted to drink. After I put a checkmark next to the berries in the drinking list and gave them berries again, their thirst went away.

[TheRealMuehle]

Originally posted by kimlaone:

[...]
As for food and drink - from my observations, if there is no ban on a drink, then the villagers use it. I allowed mine to drink only water from a bucket and a wineskin. One day they wanted to eat and drink, and I fed them (gave them berries). But since berries were prohibited in the drinking tab, they simply ate their fill, but still wanted to drink. After I put a checkmark next to the berries in the drinking list and gave them berries again, their thirst went away.

😮 Omg, I'm throwing away so much water, then!
Thank you!

[Maehlice]

Originally posted by kimlaone:

As for food and drink - from my observations, if there is no ban on a drink, then the villagers use it. I allowed mine to drink only water from a bucket and a wineskin. One day they wanted to eat and drink, and I fed them (gave them berries). But since berries were prohibited in the drinking tab, they simply ate their fill, but still wanted to drink. After I put a checkmark next to the berries in the drinking list and gave them berries again, their thirst went away.

Wait a sec. Lemme see if I understand this ...

If a Berry isn't enabled as being for Water and is consumed "as food", the water value won't apply?

But if that same Berry is enabled as both Food and Water, only then is the water value applied to the villager when it's consumed "as food"?

Am I reading that correctly?

[kimlaone]

Originally posted by Maehlice:

But if that same Berry is enabled as both Food and Water, only then is the water value applied to the villager when it's consumed "as food"?

I'm afraid not. I thought it worked, but in reality you need at least 2 berries (if you give food after the work day) - one will go to food, the other to drink. I did a small experiment in my village - I banned all types of food and drink. And when the hunger and thirst icons appeared - I made a mark opposite the berry (in both lists). But as soon as I put one berry in the chest at home (the goal was to find out whether hunger and thirst would disappear at the same time), only the hunger icon disappeared (and for a very short time, since the berry has few calories (0.2)... If you prohibit the berry as food, but allow it as a drink, then only the thirst icon will disappear (it disappears for a little longer, since the value of the berry as a source of drink = 2, not 0.2). The same goes for other food that can be both food and drink. For example, porridge with berries - one portion will satisfy hunger and another one - thirst. One plate cannot satisfy both at once (although the calories of porridge are 80 as food and 25 as water, which is much more than the same berries). In general, food and water are different concepts and are considered a separate game. In my opinion, it is wasteful to use soups and other things as water.

[Maehlice]

Originally posted by kimlaone:

Originally posted by Maehlice:

But if that same Berry is enabled as both Food and Water, only then is the water value applied to the villager when it's consumed "as food"?

I'm afraid not. I thought it worked, but in reality you need at least 2 berries (if you give food after the work day) - one will go to food, the other to drink. I did a small experiment in my village - I banned all types of food and drink. And when the hunger and thirst icons appeared - I made a mark opposite the berry (in both lists). But as soon as I put one berry in the chest at home (the goal was to find out whether hunger and thirst would disappear at the same time), only the hunger icon disappeared (and for a very short time, since the berry has few calories (0.2)... If you prohibit the berry as food, but allow it as a drink, then only the thirst icon will disappear (it disappears for a little longer, since the value of the berry as a source of drink = 2, not 0.2). The same goes for other food that can be both food and drink. For example, porridge with berries - one portion will satisfy hunger and another one - thirst. One plate cannot satisfy both at once (although the calories of porridge are 80 as food and 25 as water, which is much more than the same berries). In general, food and water are different concepts and are considered a separate game. In my opinion, it is wasteful to use soups and other things as water.

That's friggin ridiculous. Like actual stupid.

As if it wasn't already bad enough that soups are less efficient at providing "food" than just feeding villagers the raw ingredients.

Man shall not live on bread alone.

Unless they live in Medieval Dynasty.

F*ck me.

[Maehlice]

Like seriously. The most efficient meal plan is f*cking bread and water.

Just when I start to think maybe I should change my negative review. Nope. Not yet.

F*ck me.

[*Morri*]

Originally posted by kimlaone:

One plate cannot satisfy both at once (although the calories of porridge are 80 as food and 25 as water, which is much more than the same berries). In general, food and water are different concepts and are considered a separate game. In my opinion, it is wasteful to use soups and other things as water.

One berry is not a good indicator to test it. With values so low, you need more than one sometimes to make the hunger/thirst symbol go away.

And what you claim is not the case from my experience. I fed my villagers on only mushroom soup for a whole season. They had sufficient water as well. But because of the mushroom soup containing double the water content than food (back then at least), they didn't consume any bucket of water at all. Once the mushroom soup ran out, and they went back to their diet of roasted meat, they STILL didn't consume any drink for about a whole season; til all the water content as well had disappeared from the previously eaten soup.

So both food AND water content of an item are consumed, and nothing goes to waste.

[Maehlice]

Originally posted by *Morri*:

So both food AND water content of an item are consumed, and nothing goes to waste.

I really really really hope you're right and I can eat my words.

Did you have Mushroom Soup selected as both food and water.?.

I just tested this with fruit selected as water only, and the entire village was complaining of hunger.

I'm gonna delete my stores and try a better test.