Food system

[Saaranir]

Hello,

Just a quick question about the food system, i still haven't figured out.

I was wondering if a specie "eat more" when you have multiple complex food they like avalaible.

Like if i have jerky, my human will start to eat some.
Once i add biscuit, will they then eat jerky AND biscuit when they go on a break, or will they alternate between both and have the boost for both ?

Im asking this because if they do eat both at the same time (and thus double their food consumption), it could change my strategy when i have to ration.

Thanks !

[Insane]

Yes, the food or in general numbers of any production or how much is consumed, is a huge mess in this game. With food it's even more apparent. I haven't lost a single game on veteran yet, but i was so many times low on food because of this inconsistent mess.. I still don't understand how specie eat, how often, how much. The only upgrade i've seen so far, was ability to see which food affects them most, but there is still no information about actual consumption in real time. It's a mess really. No idea how to rely on anything in this game. So far i am just a new player, but i played many games before, and i can tell this system is unreliable as hell. I really just eyeballing it ALL TIMES.

Works so far.. on veteran.. didn't tried anything more yet

[OverThere]

Citizens eat one food when on a break. Modifiers apply, for instance at Prestige 3 or so there is a 50% chance of consuming double food. Depending on the map, there can be modifiers that increase food consumption when a certain hostility level is reached.

When the food is eaten depends on when the citizen takes a break. The gap between breaks varies with species. 120 seconds for humans and beavers, 100 seconds for harpies and lizards.

[Insane]

Originally posted by OverThere:

Citizens eat one food when on a break. Modifiers apply, for instance at Prestige 3 or so there is a 50% chance of consuming double food. Depending on the map, there can be modifiers that increase food consumption when a certain hostility level is reached.

When the food is eaten depends on when the citizen takes a break. The gap between breaks varies with species. 120 seconds for humans and beavers, 100 seconds for harpies and lizards.

The problem still stands. No actual real time indicator of production vs consumption. I literally have to eyeball the entire thing or simply to invest as much as possible into food production hoping that my calculations are correct and it's enough.

[Mmm]

Originally posted by Saaranir:

I was wondering if a specie "eat more" when you have multiple complex food they like avalaible.

Yes, they eat all complex food and use all services they like if they are available (exist and not forbidden). Otherwise they eat only one food.

Common strategy here is to allow only one most efficient complex food (usually Jerky or Skewers) and let everyone eat it, including those who don't like it. And when you need to up resolve (during storm or for reputation) you allow more favorite food/services.

You can even micromanage food consumption if they have too much resolve, let them starve so that it is near 0.

[arjensmit79]

Originally posted by Insane:

The problem still stands. No actual real time indicator of production vs consumption. I literally have to eyeball the entire thing or simply to invest as much as possible into food production hoping that my calculations are correct and it's enough.

I don't try to balance it at all. No need to calculate or anything. In this game you are constantly moving people around anyway. During storm everyone comes off woodcutting. When you do glade events a varying number is needed for that etc. You just keep moving them around. So i just look at what i have in stock.
Food >200, only set people to gather when they really dont have anything else to do.
Food >100, food is fine and ill put a few on gathering if they are available, but not super high priority.
Food <100, keep an eye on it, gathering is a bit of a priority
Food <50, man all food stations, build another camp

Same for wood, same for fuel.
And for production chains too. Theres just so many varyables. Its not settlers where you exactly know "1 forrester, -> 2 woodcutter -> 1 sawmill is in balance. Here its never in balance and you just keep checking what you have and what you need to produce more or less.

[Insane]

Originally posted by arjensmit79:

Originally posted by Insane:

The problem still stands. No actual real time indicator of production vs consumption. I literally have to eyeball the entire thing or simply to invest as much as possible into food production hoping that my calculations are correct and it's enough.

I don't try to balance it at all. No need to calculate or anything. In this game you are constantly moving people around anyway. During storm everyone comes off woodcutting. When you do glade events a varying number is needed for that etc. You just keep moving them around. So i just look at what i have in stock.
Food >200, only set people to gather when they really dont have anything else to do.
Food >100, food is fine and ill put a few on gathering if they are available, but not super high priority.
Food <100, keep an eye on it, gathering is a bit of a priority
Food <50, man all food stations, build another camp

Same for wood, same for fuel.
And for production chains too. Theres just so many varyables. Its not settlers where you exactly know "1 forrester, -> 2 woodcutter -> 1 sawmill is in balance. Here its never in balance and you just keep checking what you have and what you need to produce more or less.

Eyeballing in other words. Same thing and same strategy i am using in this game.

[Insane]

Originally posted by Mmm:

Originally posted by Saaranir:

I was wondering if a specie "eat more" when you have multiple complex food they like avalaible.

Yes, they eat all complex food and use all services they like if they are available (exist and not forbidden). Otherwise they eat only one food.

Common strategy here is to allow only one most efficient complex food (usually Jerky or Skewers) and let everyone eat it, including those who don't like it. And when you need to up resolve (during storm or for reputation) you allow more favorite food/services.

You can even micromanage food consumption if they have too much resolve, let them starve so that it is near 0.

That's a good idea actually. The only time when additional food is needed is during storms. Time between that it's mostly a waste.

[Narandia]

It's kind of a double-layer need system.
-The basic food need: Is met when the villager is able to eat a single unit of any food on break. Priority order goes: complex liked food -> basic food -> other complex food
If they can't eat anything, they gain a hunger debuff stack. Eating anything will clear previously gained hunger stacks. Having food to eat isn't so much boosting resolve as preventing a penalty.
-Complex Food: Works the same as the other advanced needs (Cloaks, Services), just with the added bonus of satisfying the basic food need at the same time. Workers will consume additional food units if the option is there, but also gain a buff to resolve for each type. On the other hand, they won't eat complex food they don't like for this purpose.

Worth noting: if a worker ends up eating complex food they don't like, for lack of alternatives, that will not count for the purposes of additional buffs from cornerstones (like biscuits for farmers), order objectives or drizzle/storm effects conditions. It just simply keeps them from starving. In consumption control, the tooltip when you disallow complex food for a species they don't like, it even mentions that turning even that option of means they'll be starving.

[Saaranir]

Thank you very much to everyone, that clear things up.

As a resume :

- If multiple complex food (that they like) are avalaible, they will eat "more" food. They wont just eat one, and alternate between the food they like.

- Some people have claimed that if no basic food is avalaible, they will eat complex food they don't like. I'm a bit surprised by this cause i've seen beaver starve while I had jerky. But it make sense otherwise, forbidding jerky for beaver wouldn't be an option.

Thank you everyone !

[BUSHBOY]

I think it would be nice if there was more data for the user to go off. Like food consumed every storm. even if it was an accessability thing toggable in options. I like the game, but its so stressful to not even know why I keep failing.

[arjensmit79]

Originally posted by BUSHBOY:

I think it would be nice if there was more data for the user to go off. Like food consumed every storm. even if it was an accessability thing toggable in options. I like the game, but its so stressful to not even know why I keep failing.

I can tell you that no problem:
Base consumption is 1 food per citizen per break.
Breaks happen about once every 2.5 minutes. So thats 4 times per year.
Meaning you consume 4 food per citizen per year.

+50% @ prestige 6 and up.

Year lasts longer @ prestige 15, so there we go to about 7 food per citizen per year. (including the 50%)

As i explained earlier, it doesn't really matter though. If your food drops low, farm and gather more. If its high, let your guys do something more productive. I'm all for wanting to know all the intricate details, but this is not why you are failing.