Feeding Pal Tips?

[LammerDerps]

My feeding box always has at minimum 2k in berries, and yet my pals are always starving, I do put other things in there, but is something I'm not doing to make them more successful at eating?

[Wonko486]

More food bins, more open space around them. If they aren't using the bin properly, it's probably a pathing problem.

[Elvick]

They're probably getting stuck somewhere. Toss them in the box and take them out they'll usually eat right away if they're hungry (as long as it's not night time/sleep time).

[Lammergeier]

Thanks guys!

[JackieTheDemon]

Sometimes they starve if they get stuck somewhere. Mine have been fine for days. They all enjoy berries.

[Wonko486]

Oh, and bake those berries, they have feed you better.

[Pepsi-Cola]

Originally posted by LammerDerps:

My feeding box always has at minimum 2k in berries, and yet my pals are always starving, I do put other things in there, but is something I'm not doing to make them more successful at eating?

I had the same problem. The solution i found was that I needed to cook my food products before i put them in the feed box. I make about 4 cooking fires and use my fire pals to mass produce/cook food products while I go wander around the map. Then when i come back, I put that food in the feed box.

[Specter]

Another tip is if you find your pals putting raw food in there mixed with cooked food. Make sure whatever actual item you want them to consume first, is in that first item slot. They'll always eat whatever is there first priority. Move that wheat and eggs to the right and move the bread and cooked eggs to the left. Once you get a good amount going and production line. You won't have to worry about it again.

If you're having them come indoors, make sure any tall pals have the proper clearance. Give them two wall heights tall space for them to maneuver. 1 floor is not enough and they will just wander around or stand outside a few feet from the entry way not giving any clear indication why they aren't eating.

Last make sure there is space all around each thing you build they might interact with. Placing things up against walls/trees/rocks will prevent some from ever interacting with that thing. Give a good amount of space around essential things like the feed basket. Place it in a wide open space that can be reached on all sides and enough clearance for the taller ones. I've rebuilt my base 5 times completely now due to that. If they're flying, place it outdoors don't even think about putting it indoors.

[DarkFenix]

Pals getting stuck is my usual issue. Some pals are more prone to this than others (Surfent was really bad for this, I'd even find the stupid thing on the roof of my house).

Obviously you can minimise this by building a nice open base with few obstructions. Still happens on occasion, but when all other factors are accounted for you know a pal that stays hungry for a while almost invariably means it's stuck.

Also I'm not sure about pals' eating AI, do they eat until full or just until not hungry? If it's the latter, a low grade food like berries will mean they make a lot more trips to the feeder, and mean "hungry" is going to pop up a lot more frequently.

The staple foods I keep in my feeder are jam-filled buns (berries + wheat), marinated mushrooms (mushrooms + berries), and omelettes (eggs + tomatoes). All very easy to make in large quantities, all significantly better than ordinary raw or single ingredient foods. That'll likely get another addition once I level up enough to farm lettuce too.

[UrbanGear]

Originally posted by Specter:

Last make sure there is space all around each thing you build they might interact with. Placing things up against walls/trees/rocks will prevent some from ever interacting with that thing.

+1. Had this problem with the crusher. Turns out it gets used from the back. That might have been obvious (didn't look too close at the design), but on the other hand, you'd think they'd have flipped it so the accessible part faced the initial build position.

[Resolute]

I actually had a Pal starve to death because they got stuck on a pile of tomatos that they were trying to pickup off one of my fields.

[Specter]

Originally posted by DarkFenix:

Also I'm not sure about pals' eating AI, do they eat until full or just until not hungry? If it's the latter, a low grade food like berries will mean they make a lot more trips to the feeder, and mean "hungry" is going to pop up a lot more frequently.

I spent an hour the other night just camped by the feed basket watching one time because I got fed up with the ai and them just showing hungry all the time. I would just pick them up and throw them at the feed basket to get them to eat.

This is what I noticed:

1. Always eats from the first item slot in the basket. Shift the raw goods to the right, cooked ones you want eaten first to the left
2. When their food meter is at completely 0. Their health rapidly ticks down. You've got like one minute to force feed them either with the menu or throwing them at the basket.
3. When they get to the hungry state, they will drop whatever their holding and run to the food basket.
4. They will then sit and devour food until they are about 90% full. Maybe its closer to 80% its hard to tell sometimes.
5. Each Pal hunger state and amount they eat is different. Check the details there is a scale of food icons. More that are lit up, the more they consume to reach that 80-90%.
6. There are negative traits regarding food as well. Also positive.
7. Sickness/lack of amenities such as the hot tub also factors