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Dwarf Fortress => DF General Discussion => Topic started by: The_Hawk on August 20, 2006, 04:07:00 pm

Title: Dwarves prefer raw food?
Post by: The_Hawk on August 20, 2006, 04:07:00 pm
Didn't see anything about this behavior after a quick search, so I figured a post was in order.  (This is under 19a, in case it matters.)

I just went through winter with around 60 dwarves.  Despite socking away a good store of elephant meat and plump helmets, the greedy dwarves went through it all in a rush.  Seeing "meat", "fish" and "plant" dwindle to nothing, I started to freak out.  But wait -- what's all this "other"?  I go over and look at my food stores, only to find ample stews of elephant meat and cave fish and so forth. Crisis (hopefully) averted.

So I suppose my question is, has anyone else experienced the dwarves preferring uncooked food to cooked?  If, as I understand it, cooked food never rots and uncooked can if it's not in a barrel, then I don't really mind that they prefer to go through the perishables first, but it seems weird that the greedy and self-absorbed dwarves should be so self-sacrificing as to disfavor hot chow for the good of the fortress.

Title: Re: Dwarves prefer raw food?
Post by: GauHelldragon on August 20, 2006, 05:32:00 pm
It might just be a case of dwarves going for their favored foods instead of a prepared meal
Title: Re: Dwarves prefer raw food?
Post by: Aquillion on August 20, 2006, 06:51:00 pm
More likely what's happening is that your cook isn't set to haul, so prepared meals are accumulating in the kitchen until someone comes to take them to the storeroom.  Dwarves will take things in the storeroom first, so your non-cooked foods are just more readily available.
Title: Re: Dwarves prefer raw food?
Post by: JT on August 20, 2006, 08:22:00 pm
Most of the time, the "Other" foods need preparation before they can be eaten.  For instance, a "raw turtle" isn't supposed to be edible -- it has to be cleaned at a Fishery to turn it into a "turtle", which takes it out of the 'Other' list and sticks it into the 'Fish' list.


[edit]Bah.  I think I totally misinterpreted the first read-through.  Forget I said anything.  Or else.

[ August 20, 2006: Message edited by: JT ]

Title: Re: Dwarves prefer raw food?
Post by: The_Hawk on August 21, 2006, 04:27:00 am
quote:
Originally posted by GauHelldragon:
<STRONG>It might just be a case of dwarves going for their favored foods instead of a prepared meal</STRONG>

I guess that's possible, but if the point of cooked meals is to increase the chances that a given dwarf will get something he likes in a given meal, doesn't them going for their favorites automatically if they're available just make cooking a big waste of time?

quote:
Originally posted by Aquillion:
<STRONG>More likely what's happening is that your cook isn't set to haul, so prepared meals are accumulating in the kitchen until someone comes to take them to the storeroom.</STRONG>

Hmm... an interesting theory.  I'll have to pay attention to who's doing the cooking.  I tend to think this isn't it, though -- I usually leave hauling on for types relevant to the jobs dwarves will be doing, and the guys who usually do my cooking -- peasants and farmers -- I usually set to haul everything.

quote:
Originally posted by JT:
<STRONG>Bah.  I think I totally misinterpreted the first read-through.  Forget I said anything.  Or else.
</STRONG>

Who?  What?  I didn't hear anything.  ;)

Title: Re: Dwarves prefer raw food?
Post by: Toady One on August 21, 2006, 04:31:00 am
In theory, subject to bugs, they should go for their favorite food -- really, the food item they find the most "valuable" including all modifiers.  If the economy has started, they go for what they can reasonably afford or the cheapest if they can't afford anything.

edit:  and, yeah, all the stuff about haul tags etc. applies

[ August 21, 2006: Message edited by: Toady One ]