Obtaining food consistently

[zifnow]

Hello travelers,
after a decent amount of death spirals I found what I deem the most consistent way to feed my caravan:

- Size, no more than 80-90 rations required per day, at least in the start;
- Scouting, absolutely paramount for hunting: 12-14 scouts to get 30-35% chance of success;
- Movement, saving 2 points to be able to go hunt before camp.
- Hunting master and hounds.

This way I can manage to keep 5-6 days of ratio in my travel route, and hoping for the best when it come to RNG. Then I replenish in cities, large amount at minimal prices or 1-2 days at higher price.

Is it a good way to plan? How can I improve it?

[Jean-Maurice Nya]

I prefer to buy the food I need to travel. I only hunt if I know I'm going off-road for a while.
Food is cheap globally, and quests/tasks cover the cost by a good margin.

[Rodrius]

Originally posted by Jean-Maurice Nya:

I prefer to buy the food I need to travel. I only hunt if I know I'm going off-road for a while.
Food is cheap globally, and quests/tasks cover the cost by a good margin.

How much you hunt means how much you can go off-road(except some areas), and movement(all mounted/yrgs). If you want a caravan that takes exploration or fight tasks...
Roads means legions taxation risk, you ideally want go off-road.

[Nordil(Hun)]

Originally posted by Rodrius:

Originally posted by Jean-Maurice Nya:

I prefer to buy the food I need to travel. I only hunt if I know I'm going off-road for a while.
Food is cheap globally, and quests/tasks cover the cost by a good margin.

How much you hunt means how much you can go off-road(except some areas), and movement(all mounted/yrgs). If you want a caravan that takes exploration or fight tasks...
Roads means legions taxation risk, you ideally want go off-road.

I think you meant off road a bit too literally.
What off roading means in this case, at least what i would mean, is that you are not doing one of your usual trade runs, but instead go for explorations.
Because technically most folks when they do trade runs also go off road, as it is usually faster that way.

[Sopbucket]

Step 1: Get Vorax

Step 2: Get a stack of herbs (35), and a stack of mushrooms (50)

Step 3: Set food rations to 50% each day

Step 4: When nutrition gets down to 3 (hungry), talk to Vorax and ask him to make his "shroom broth". This uses 1 herb, 3 mushrooms, and 40 supplies. You'll need to do this every other day.

At your level of consumption, this only saves 25 supplies each day. Maybe that isn't worth it, but it makes quite a difference when you have a bigger caravan. It also saps your morale and obedience, so you need to keep an eye on those.

Falcons are another animal that boosts hunting. Your companion's hunting and beast lore skill bonuses stack as well, so don't neglect those. You don't necessarily need to save 2 movement every turn in order to hunt and forage, you will stay around 4 vigor if you hunt at 0 or 1 movement and don't do anything else to sap your vigor.

[zifnow]

Thanks guys! After a bit of experimenting I can survive but I am a little disappointed by some mechanic, exploration seems fairly useless for now. Scouting cost movement point, then foraging would cost points again for meager amounts and for now i see no point investing in it.

Better moving more or less toward your destination, save those 2 last points, and send hunters off. The only real known issue is that you can have a bad streak of RNG which utterly destroy you.

Maybe in the future with large amounts of resources and more time to invest in the wild scouting would be of better use.

I like the game, it has some mostly nice vibes, I find the disappointing corners acceptable, it's a lovely thing to spend time and "spectate" how your story develop.

[Nordil(Hun)]

It is possible to keep your crew fed via hunting and foraging, however you really need to map out the surroundings. That which provides the greatest chances for foraging or hunting success.
Also foraging makes your folks tired. So careful with that.
But if you want to go out exploring the best option is to carry as much as you can supplieswise and also try to get as much as you can:D
(I remember how hard for me was to find the bandit tectum in the flush green area in the southeast.:D)

[Rodrius]

Originally posted by zifnow:

Thanks guys! After a bit of experimenting I can survive but I am a little disappointed by some mechanic, exploration seems fairly useless for now. Scouting cost movement point, then foraging would cost points again for meager amounts and for now i see no point investing in it.

Better moving more or less toward your destination, save those 2 last points, and send hunters off. The only real known issue is that you can have a bad streak of RNG which utterly destroy you.

Maybe in the future with large amounts of resources and more time to invest in the wild scouting would be of better use.

I like the game, it has some mostly nice vibes, I find the disappointing corners acceptable, it's a lovely thing to spend time and "spectate" how your story develop.

You normally uses auto-scout, it's free but critical error means a scout dies, not a problem when you have 10-15. I just auto the forward tile to minimize that risk in not hunting turns. You should understand the game before criticizing it.

[zifnow]

where is specified auto scouting is free of movement cost? I didn't noticed it.

Originally posted by Rodrius:

You normally uses auto-scout, it's free but critical error means a scout dies, not a problem when you have 10-15. I just auto the forward tile to minimize that risk in not hunting turns. I think I am a genious.

[Rodrius]

Originally posted by Sopbucket:

Step 1: Get Vorax

Step 2: Get a stack of herbs (35), and a stack of mushrooms (50)

Step 3: Set food rations to 50% each day

Step 4: When nutrition gets down to 3 (hungry), talk to Vorax and ask him to make his "shroom broth". This uses 1 herb, 3 mushrooms, and 40 supplies. You'll need to do this every other day.

At your level of consumption, this only saves 25 supplies each day. Maybe that isn't worth it, but it makes quite a difference when you have a bigger caravan. It also saps your morale and obedience, so you need to keep an eye on those.

Falcons are another animal that boosts hunting. Your companion's hunting and beast lore skill bonuses stack as well, so don't neglect those. You don't necessarily need to save 2 movement every turn in order to hunt and forage, you will stay around 4 vigor if you hunt at 0 or 1 movement and don't do anything else to sap your vigor.

This Vorax food is very situational as it requires 2 stacks(herbs and mushrooms) what means -2 stacks of trade or supplies. It's good when herbs/mushrooms have a good price to sell in your destiny, but if you use slaves, obedience matters. If you hunt you don't wanna lose the moviment bonuses from high morale/vigor and random events can make you lose its points. I see the abuse of half-meal+Vorax food as a non realistic trick, what caravan leader will risk
to die by bad events who turn it só slow to carry the cargo/penalties to a fight/lost people/goods/supplies to rebellion?

For who have yrg beasts with all stacks available and no slaves then constant 2 stacks to Vorax and low obedience is ok, but for me this kills a lot of game challenge, but not so immersion breaking as keeping nutrition 9.

The exception to me is using this appealing ways with Reptile mounts, who eats a lot and requires many to carry big cargo. Then you really need that. The game should allow to feed Reptiles with dead enemy bodies or sacrifice slaves to them.

[Rodrius]

Originally posted by zifnow:

where is specified auto scouting is free of movement cost? I didn't noticed it.

Originally posted by Rodrius:

You normally uses auto-scout, it's free but critical error means a scout dies, not a problem when you have 10-15. I just auto the forward tile to minimize that risk in not hunting turns. I think I am a genious.

Complex "indie" game, the kind of game you need to read guides or read the updates, I don't remember if the tutorial teach that properly...

[zifnow]

Duudeeee thanks your suggestion made me leap a huge step forward! Scouting ahead works very nice!! I have not yet tried the surrounding options.. that would cost me too many deivatios and traveling from poit to point is not that you have so much spare food to waste.

Either way, that auto scout forward is great! Thanks again!

Originally posted by Rodrius:

Originally posted by zifnow:

where is specified auto scouting is free of movement cost? I didn't noticed it.

Complex "indie" game, the kind of game you need to read guides or read the updates, I don't remember if the tutorial teach that properly...

[Jean-Maurice Nya]

I don't need to hunt if I go exploring/questing Rodrius, my vagrus will be full of food as I don't intend to go trading. The end.
Hunting/foraging is still situational overall.

[DarK]

Hunting is a trap. Even a maxed out comitatus with all the upgrades slotted only gets ~60% chances. Only use it if you made a critical error in the wilderness. Better to eat your beasts first too.

Get your morale and vigor to 8. Then set 150% food and use all your MP and MMP. Now you run at 25% less food, and 50% less wages. People have done all the math on this stuff, just search the forum.

[Rodrius]

Originally posted by DarK:

Hunting is a trap. Even a maxed out comitatus with all the upgrades slotted only gets ~60% chances. Only use it if you made a critical error in the wilderness. Better to eat your beasts first too.

Get your morale and vigor to 8. Then set 150% food and use all your MP and MMP. Now you run at 25% less food, and 50% less wages. People have done all the math on this stuff, just search the forum.

Exactly what I called "Immersion break"(expect with Reptiles), the game have no challenge playing this math exploit way. Who want turns the game so easy? Maybe people who can't do the real math according with each new challenge situations.

If you need 170 supplies/day:
Hunting 2x/day = 10(-20move) in 5 days = around 700-1200 supplies(normally +5 days supplies). It's risky and -20move costs around 2days(supplies, salaries), real gain is +3 supplies days each 5 days. A non-hunting 10 days task means 14 days hunting task, but you buy just half supplies.

If supplies costs 2 then it's around 16bross you save for(170x5, half travel 5 days), and the +4 days salary is no more than 5-6bross, you sure saves 10bross hunting. Cheap food is always welcome, when not then hunting shines and you can use that bross to contract a second beast-handler(+hunting/survive scout points) and go beyond the 60%.