How do the dispensers work?

[TheVoidDragon]

I've built the nutrient paste dispenser in the dining room area near a table, it has power and it has a hopper next to it with some food in. Rather than using it, my colonists will either get raw food out the freezer in the next room, or grab the food out of the hopper itself. Can someone explain why this is happening? I can't figure out why they aren't using it.

[Mkok]

There are few thinks I can think of:
1. The dispenser tile must be empty (the one where they pick up food).
2. Nutrient paste tastes terrible, if you have decent quality raw food, maybe they prefer to eat it raw (berries and corn taste better raw)
3. a bug?

Maybe it should be possible to force colonists to eat nutrient paste, instead of raw food? if you have a bunch of tasty berries, and you need them to last you entire winter, it might be necessary to turn them into disgusting paste to avoid starving.

[TheVoidDragon]

There are few thinks I can think of:
1. The dispenser tile must be empty (the one where they pick up food).
2. Nutrient paste tastes terrible, if you have decent quality raw food, maybe they prefer to eat it raw (berries and corn taste better raw)
3. a bug?

Maybe it should be possible to force colonists to eat nutrient paste, instead of raw food? if you have a bunch of tasty berries, and you need them to last you entire winter, it might be necessary to turn them into disgusting paste to avoid starving.

I built it specifically because it uses less food than normal and it gives a slightly less worse mood than leaving it raw, doesn't it? The tile is empty so i really have no idea why it isn't being used.

[Mkok]

What food are you putting into it? As I said, some foods dont give mood debuffs when eaten raw.

[TheVoidDragon]

What food are you putting into it? As I said, some foods dont give mood debuffs when eaten raw.

It's raw meat.

[SpaceDorf]

Can you post a screenshot ? maybe the hopper is facing the wrong way.

I made this mistake more than once.

[TheVoidDragon]

Can you post a screenshot ? maybe the hopper is facing the wrong way.

I made this mistake more than once.

It has to be facing a certain way?



He's just grabbed that out of the hopper.

Edit: Ah! seems you're right, it works now i've turned it around!

[SpaceDorf]

Yes, it's facing the wrong way 

The round end has to face toward the dispenser.
See it as Hopper from Minecraft, or as funnel, the pointy ( or round in this case ) has to point toward
the intake. The open end is for putting stuff into it.

Like I said, I did this several times .. the optical logic of "the open end should connect to the machine" is just to sound ..