Why Won't They Eat?!?

[SimpletonSnowman]

My colonists absolutely refuse to use any nutrient dispenser i set up in my underground base. ive tried using 3 different dispensers in 3 separate locations, and they wont use them. The only one they will use is when i have one outside, but it takes a long time for them to travel outside, and just explodes everytime it rains.

what am i missing? is this a bug? help!

[Tynan]

If there's a doorless path between it and a prisoner bed, it's considered to be in a prison cell and usable for prisoners only. Is this the case?

[murlocdummy]

A food dispenser in a prison is usable by prisoners?  I did not know that.

I'll definitely add one in my next prison, next to the brightly lit prison daylilies, prison carpeted flooring, and prison dining furniture.

[Tynan]

It seemed like the sensible thing. I would expect players to complain about prisoners not eating when there's a food dispenser in the room. Unfortunately it also makes colonists avoid using these dispensers, which causes confusion because it's not really fed back properly (yet).

[DarkThug]

First time I know this !!

I actually think it's weird that a prisoner is allowed to use base's facility freely. (well, may be not since it become a part of prison)
I do think prisoners survival should depend on the whim of warden, to give them food or not, they are prisoners after all. 
However it's not a big deal, I don't mind it either way.

[CmdrQuartz]

I suppose the solution to that, DarkThug, is to disable the dispenser in the prison area if you've decided they don't get any and there is one.

[ShadowDragon8685]

Most likely there's a doorless path to a prisoner bed. You need to add doors! Or un-designate prisoner beds.

DarkThug: Here's a novel concept. If you want the prisoners to be dependent upon the whim of the warden... Don't build them a paste dispenser. Problem solved!

[Galileus]

I've had the same problem even without prison beds - simply because the (underground) room was too big. Making it smaller fixed things. Happened only once, may try to recreate the problem.

[light487]

Is there any way to get colonist to eat anything other than the dispenser stuff at this stage? I always have a negative (I think -8) for them having to eat the paste and that kind of suggests there must be alternative food sources.. I would have thought eating freshly grown vegetables would be something that they could have but I don't see a way to get them to eat...

[ShootyFace]

Is there any way to get colonist to eat anything other than the dispenser stuff at this stage? I always have a negative (I think -8) for them having to eat the paste and that kind of suggests there must be alternative food sources.. I would have thought eating freshly grown vegetables would be something that they could have but I don't see a way to get them to eat...

Not yet, no.

[murlocdummy]

Is there any way to get colonist to eat anything other than the dispenser stuff at this stage? I always have a negative (I think -8) for them having to eat the paste and that kind of suggests there must be alternative food sources.. I would have thought eating freshly grown vegetables would be something that they could have but I don't see a way to get them to eat...

Wait, don't freshly grown vegetables give a -12 to happiness?  I'm pretty sure that eating raw food causes greater unhappiness, which doesn't make sense, since freshly picked raspberries sounds alot better than paste.  Personally, I'd like my colonists to be able to eat freshly pasted squirrel or smoking hot, fried boomrat.

[Amaror]

Is there any way to get colonist to eat anything other than the dispenser stuff at this stage? I always have a negative (I think -8) for them having to eat the paste and that kind of suggests there must be alternative food sources.. I would have thought eating freshly grown vegetables would be something that they could have but I don't see a way to get them to eat...

Wait, don't freshly grown vegetables give a -12 to happiness?  I'm pretty sure that eating raw food causes greater unhappiness, which doesn't make sense, since freshly picked raspberries sounds alot better than paste.  Personally, I'd like my colonists to be able to eat freshly pasted squirrel or smoking hot, fried boomrat.

most of the food in rimworld right now is supposed to be potatoes. Now i want to see you scarf down a raw potato and enjoy that.
Btw. there allready is a cooking skill. Cooking is just not yet implemented. Pre-alpha, guys!

[murlocdummy]

most of the food in rimworld right now is supposed to be potatoes. Now i want to see you scarf down a raw potato and enjoy that.
Btw. there allready is a cooking skill. Cooking is just not yet implemented. Pre-alpha, guys!

It's always nice to know that whenever your settlers pick fresh agave or raspberries, they can instantly genetically engineer them into potatoes in their hands.

[Stormkiko]

It's always nice to know that whenever your settlers pick fresh agave or raspberries, they can instantly genetically engineer them into potatoes in their hands.

Wait... food doesn't just turn into potatoes when you touch it? Uh guys, may have a Midas-esque problem here....

[ShadowDragon8685]

Fresh raspberries and agave probably would be preferable to paste, and definitely preferable to potatoes. Unfortunately, everybody seems to have the Potato-Midas touch, as Stormkiko says.


I wonder if nutrient paste is hot or not. Maybe it's fried, and eating nutrient paste is like eating an extruded mass of potato chip?

Or maybe it's like a cold french fry...

Yeah, I can see that giving you a serious happiness penalty. Nothing worse than cold french fries!