Sanity meter?

[Defcon Johnson]

Not sure if they added this feature recently, but I wasn't even aware it existed until I learned that the game prevents you from constructing effigies, a rather vital part of any base's defense, unless this "sanity meter" is below a certain percentage.

Can someone explain to me what exactly the factors are that even affect this thing? It was staying above 90% for a good while, then all of the sudden it's dropped to the 40% range even though I don't think I've done anything drastically different in gameplay. Also what happens if it gets to 0%?

It just doesn't really make much sense to me, I mean you've crashed on a remote island, and now you're under constant threat from pasty white cannibal eunuchs and horrific abominations. How could anyone be expected to remain "sane"?

Also, if you are unable to make effigies if the percentage is too high, maybe it should be "stupidity" rather than "sanity". What moron wouldn't make the effort to send a clear message to these savages to keep away and that you're dangerous?

[Defcon Johnson]

Hm, well I sleep nearly every single night and my sanity is still low. Although, I have been chopping plenty of limbs so that's probably the reason. Also since when can you eat body parts?! I know you can put them on drying racks, but I've never been given the option to consume them.

I'm not sure if they've changed how the AI may react to encountering effigies, but I remember in earlier versions of the game, when I would play with friends one person would construct the base and the other would defend from cannibals and subsequently dismember them and construct effigies. I do recall every single night before we had an effigy completed, we would come under attack, but once the effigy was done, the attacks stopped or at least became less frequent.

Also, they are not ugly, at least not the ones I make. I use the custom preset and make, nice totem-pole style columns of dismembered heads. I've survived over a month now in-game and don't recall dying even once, though I've come close a couple of times. So, I think would consider myself a "good player". Just sayin'. and I personally vouch for the effectiveness of effigies.

[Shriker]

You have to cook the body parts on a fire before eating them.

Effigies are far more trouble than they're worth. In a previous build that I played quite a bit, the effigies were not consumed, you could light them every night. In this build, having to replace them is not nearly as efficient as burning the bodies, getting all the bones and making a full set of bone armor.

Also via the web, you can increase your sanity by listening to the cassette player or sitting on any of the couches/chairs/benches in the game.

Eating fresh meat from animals (not canibals) will increase your sanity.

https://theforest.gamepedia.com/Sanity