How colonists choose what kind of food to eat

[Shivan]

Ive been playing the game a fair bit now. It seems to me that if the colonists get hungry they will look in a radius of X and then pick the best thing to eat.

Ive tried several times that a colonists will decide to eat grain from my grain store and start heading there. But as he is closer to the base I draft him and undraft him. Then he is closer to the Nutriets dispencer he will choose that then.

Anyone else have that understanding? Are there any mods that increase the "radius" that the colonists look?

[Astasia]

Pawns will search the entire map for a good meal to eat, meaning if you leave unforbidden fine meals way off on the edge of the screen and those are the best option, your pawns will walk all the way over and eat those off the ground instead of eating something closer. I think your issue is more the nutrient paste dispenser, which pawns really don't like to use. The mood debuff from eating two meals from the dispenser is -7, while the mood debuff for eating raw food once is -7, so pawns on their second meal for the day are likely to treat both nutrient paste and raw food equally and grab whatever is closest. Once the first nutrient paste debuff wears off, then they will prefer that again. This is my experience anyway.

If you make simple meals you will never have in an issue with pawns eating raw food (unless they want to, some traits prefer it), assuming you can keep enough in stock at all times.

[Varenvel The Festive Dinosaur]

Originally posted by Emil:

Ive been playing the game a fair bit now. It seems to me that if the colonists get hungry they will look in a radius of X and then pick the best thing to eat.

Ive tried several times that a colonists will decide to eat grain from my grain store and start heading there. But as he is closer to the base I draft him and undraft him. Then he is closer to the Nutriets dispencer he will choose that then.

Anyone else have that understanding? Are there any mods that increase the "radius" that the colonists look?

for colonists its best quality meal avalible in area

For animals its closest prefered meal if simple meal is closer then lavish meal by 8 blocks , animals will almost alweys eat simple meal with ocasional exeption , while in same sytuation colonist will eat alweys the lavish meal

its good to keep on more front acces simple meal and good meals at other end of the room , so if animals you feed with your own food(like trumboros or others early on before you have hay farm and dedicated pen) you can just feed them from simple meeals while your colonists will enjoy full delight

[Astasia]

I should note by pawns I meant colonists. Animals do have a limited radius they will search for food, it's quite short and they will sometimes starve or eat things you don't want them to if not zoned in a way that places them near their food often enough.

[Varenvel The Festive Dinosaur]

Originally posted by Astasia:

I should note by pawns I meant colonists. Animals do have a limited radius they will search for food, it's quite short and they will sometimes starve or eat things you don't want them to if not zoned in a way that places them near their food often enough.

i would not say so , my base is a bit big and "animal area is very wide , and i can see , hungry animals going all way , go into kitchen and eat simple meal whos in fridge(mod) at entance , very rarely they go deeper and eat better meal but that happens maybe 1-200

[dreysion]

Originally posted by Varenvel The Festive Dinosaur:

for colonists its best quality meal avalible in area

For animals its closest prefered meal if simple meal is closer then lavish meal by 8 blocks , animals will almost alweys eat simple meal with ocasional exeption , while in same sytuation colonist will eat alweys the lavish meal

its good to keep on more front acces simple meal and good meals at other end of the room , so if animals you feed with your own food(like trumboros or others early on before you have hay farm and dedicated pen) you can just feed them from simple meeals while your colonists will enjoy full delight

What determines quality? Why do they tend to prefer forbidden insect jelly over simple meals when they're having a mental break? Is it specifically market value that they use or something else?

[mouse_525252]

Originally posted by dreysion:

Originally posted by Varenvel The Festive Dinosaur:

for colonists its best quality meal avalible in area

For animals its closest prefered meal if simple meal is closer then lavish meal by 8 blocks , animals will almost alweys eat simple meal with ocasional exeption , while in same sytuation colonist will eat alweys the lavish meal

its good to keep on more front acces simple meal and good meals at other end of the room , so if animals you feed with your own food(like trumboros or others early on before you have hay farm and dedicated pen) you can just feed them from simple meeals while your colonists will enjoy full delight

What determines quality? Why do they tend to prefer forbidden insect jelly over simple meals when they're having a mental break? Is it specifically market value that they use or something else?

When a mental break occurs, pawns care not for anything you command. Be it forbidden things, zoning, or direct/draft orders. Jelly gives rec, so they usually like it more when low on rec just like with chocolate.

[sbmarauderman03]

IBTL...

[Wrinkle Raisin]

Originally posted by dreysion:

What determines quality? Why do they tend to prefer forbidden insect jelly over simple meals when they're having a mental break? Is it specifically market value that they use or something else?

Jelly gives a mood buff and counts as recreation.