[Suggestion] - add "mealtime" to scheduling

[stigma]

Hey all,

I think there is one very obvious thing missing from the restricted scheduling you can set up - mealtimes.
Keeping your pawns well-fed in an efficient way can be a little bit fiddly even with plenty of food.

For example with good beds they are liable to sleep effectively, not be too hungry when they wake up - then go and do work away from the sleeping area, except that just an hour or two later they get really hungry and have to walk all the way back to base to eat. Worst case they might go to mine some distant vein, only to do 1 tile and then realize "oh, I'm actually urgently hungry!" and then spend 2 hours walking back, and then a further 2 hours returning. This is a lot of wasted time (and a strain on pawns mood) based on pawns basically being too stupid to plan for basic needs, but more importantly the player having few tools to influence this behavior.

It would be really helpful if we could schedule mealtimes. Essentially, any timeslot with mealtime should place eating as the highest priority, and also decrease the threshold for colonists wanting to eat. At these times they should attempt to fill their bellies, having a smaller snack if barely hungry, or even overeating a little if need be if all that is nearby are full meals for example. Essentially, mealtime should ensure that pawns have full bellies for the day ahead.

I think this would lessen a lot of annyances with pawns going hungry and/or complaining about not eating at a table even when you have loads of food and nice dinnerhalls for them to use, without trivializing the management (ie. with large bases and distances you will still need more areas for eating).

PS: Does anyone know how/why pawns sometimes carry meals around? It's nice when they do - smart behaviour, almost packing a lunch, but how can I encourage/force this behaviour?

-Stigma

[Shian]

I agree. There's times where pawns aren't hungry when they go to bed but are starving by the time they get up. Eat before bed, then dummy? Especially when you pad wake up and sleep with joy times.

I don't like it when they carry food because then they just eat wherever and not go back to a table that's just two hallways away. Come on...

[winddbourne]

I also agree, this is a great idea.

[Casazzo]

+1. great idea that would reduce redundant micromanagement significantly.

[FlayedOne]

I like the general idea, but how would it work? If a pawn was close to a source of food would he eat for the whole scheduled time? Would the pawn go to get a second meal if he finished the first one before the end of the scheduled time?

[Pax_Empyrean]

This is a great idea.

I like the general idea, but how would it work? If a pawn was close to a source of food would he eat for the whole scheduled time? Would the pawn go to get a second meal if he finished the first one before the end of the scheduled time?

A good way to deal with this would be to have them switch over to whatever behavior you have scheduled next after they eat.

[stigma]

I like the general idea, but how would it work? If a pawn was close to a source of food would he eat for the whole scheduled time? Would the pawn go to get a second meal if he finished the first one before the end of the scheduled time?

No, the priority for eating would just be #1, and the threshold for "am I hungry enough to want to eat" would be lower.

Once the colonist is actually satisfied (say, 70-80% or more on the food-meter) he just acts like normal (unrestricted mode).

If eating was the only allowed action with no limiter then there would be issues, but that's not what I'm suggesting - mealtime would just highly encourage your pawns to eat, but otherwise obey fairly normal behaviour rules.

-Stigma