Hello there! I would like to share my idea and vision about implementing 'favorite foods' mechanic to this beautiful game.
First of all - what is this all about?
The idea is to separate all consumable food and drink items into three separate categories for each character and further change gained stats from foods depending on their category. It's kinda minor gameplay changes.
My vision of this feature:
Every character should have their favorite, unfavorite and neutral types of foods. Eating or drinking favorites gives you more mood increase... but you can never get enough. Eating or drinking unfavorites gives you a bit of sadness... and you prefer to eat it no more.
To separate food into three categories we need three custom tables unique for each character... in fact we can use only two.
Liked foods
UnhapyChange = -15 (parametrized; will explain later): gives more mood boost on eating
HungerChange = x*0.5 (parametrized; will explain later): fills you but makes you wanting more of that shi..
ThirstChange = x*0.5 (parametrized; will explain later): fills you but makes you wanting more of that
Disliked foods
UnhapyChange = +15 (parametrized; will explain later): gives mood debuff on eating
HungerChange = x*1.5 (parametrized; will explain later): you don't really want anymore of it or anything else
ThirstChange = x*1.5 (parametrized; will explain later): you don't really want anymore of it or anything else
Neutral foods
default numbers on foods
One custom table for 'Liked foods'. One custom table for 'Disliked foods'. And all the food items out of those two tables can be count as 'Neutral foods'.
These tables should be created with a new character after character creation. After saving and exiting the game those tables and their content should be saved with other character information. After loading character/game those tables and their content should be loaded too.
If the tables for character cannot be loaded during loading game save, those tables should be created with empty content. This should help installing mod into existing runs.
Every generated food item ingame has it own stat change. I'll explain on a standard pot of soup:
item PotOfSoup
{
HungerChange = -30,
ThirstChange = -30,
Type = Food,
UnhappyChange = -20,
...
}
So if that pot of soup is one of my character's 'Liked' food, then it should give next stat changes on full consuming: HungerChange = -15, ThirstChange = -15 and UnhappyChange = -35.
If that pot of soup is in my character's 'Disliked' food table, then it should give next stat changes on full consuming: HungerChange = -45, ThirstChange = -45 and UnhappyChange = -5.
If the pot of soup is not in 'Liked' or 'Disliked' tables, it should give default stat changes on full consuming.
Well that makes pot of soup desirable even as unfavorite food, but those numbers are simplistic and I want them to be modifiable through settings so everyone can tune their experience themselves. Also this system can make fun situations like 'my character likes PotOfSoup but dislikes BowlOfSoup wtf?' Well that's fun isn't it? some people really do prefer to eat food from cooking dishes rather than from table dishes.
On character creation screen should be button to customize their preferred foods.
By default both tables should be empty.
From start the 'Neutral Food Items' table should consist of all consumable food items. I think the property {Type = Food} is enough for that... When I move one entity to the 'Liked' or 'Disliked' tables it should disappear from another tables. So the one entity can be either 'Neutral' OR 'Liked' OR 'Disliked'.
Tables should be temporary saved for the whole character creation process.
For example, I'm creating a character. I opened the preferred food editor and added some foods. Then I closed editor and did some changes to character's traits or visuals or whatever. Then I decided to edit my preferred foods again and opened the editor - I should see the editor in a state that I leaved it before.
Also there should be options to save/load presets of preferred food tables.
Settings.
I think most settings should be modifiable by user via mod settings menu. In mod settings i see next options:
'Add random foods to preferred list upon creating character'.
Checkbox
True by default
Tooltip: If set upon starting game with new character adds up to 5 random 'Neutral' foods to 'Liked' list and up to 5 random 'Neutral' foods to 'Disliked' list.
If there is less than 10 food items in Neutral list, then try to add 5 times of 1 item to 'Liked' and 'Disliked' lists until no Neutral foods remained. After that send a warning message to the console like 'Only 7 neutral foods found in the list. 4 added to the Liked and 3 added to the Disliked'.
Should only be executed upon creating a new character via creation menu. Should not be executed upon loading game / character.
'Dynamic taste changes'
Checkbox
True by default
Tooltip: If set character can get new Liked or Disliked food upon eating.
As tooltip says, if checkbox is set, there should be a slight chance to add consumed 'Neutral' food item in 'Liked' or 'Disliked' list. Also i understand the fact that you can 'taste' one single item a dozen of times before really consuming it by selecting 'Eat' and start running. Let's think that every 'tasting' counts.
'Chance to like food or drink'
Field for the fractional number
'0.1' by default
disabled if checkbox 'Dynamic taste changes' is disabled
Tooltip: Percent chance to like food or drink upon consuming
The number presents the percent chance to add 'Neutral' food item to the 'Liked' list upon tasting it (selecting 'Eat' or 'Drink' and starting to perform action). '0.1' means there is 0.1% chance to convert 'Neutral' food item to 'Liked' food item.
'Chance to dislike food or drink'
Field for the fractional number
'0.1' by default
disabled if checkbox 'Dynamic taste changes' is disabled
Tooltip: Percent chance to dislike food or drink upon consuming
The number presents the percent chance to add 'Neutral' food item to the 'Disliked' list upon tasting it
'Liked food and drink mood bonus'
Field for the fractional number
'-15.0' by default
Tooltip: How much additional unhappiness you lose upon consuming favorite food or drink
That should be the number to use in formulas
'Liked food and drink hunger and thirst multiplier'
Field for the fractional number
'0.5' by default
Tooltip: Shows your craving for favorite food. It's never enough. Multiplies amount of hunger and thirst gain from fully consumed favorite food or drink.
That should be the number to use in formulas
'Disliked food and drink mood debuff'
Field for the fractional number
'+15.0' by default
Tooltip: How much additional unhappiness you gain upon consuming disliked food or drink
That should be the number to use in formulas
'Disliked food and drink hunger and thirst multiplier'
Field for the fractional number
'1.5' by default
Tooltip: Shows your hatred for disliked food. Multiplies amount of hunger and thirst gain from fully consumed disliked food or drink.
That should be the number to use in formulas
'DEBUG: Edit Preferred food tables'
Button
Upon clicking opens the menu to edit preferred food tables. Similar to the one in character creation menu. It is useful for testing and for adding food preferences into existing game. And also for casual cheaters.
Localization. Well it's obvious that mod and all it's text should be localized for as much languages as possible. I can try to help with that but I can express myself only in Russian and English. So my localization will be as much as work with google dictionary.
Multiplayer. Well yes. I'd like to see this thing working in multiplayer if it is ever implemented again.
That's like it for basics. Of course there can be done further modifications like causing nausea from consuming disliked foods and chance to 'forget' your liked/disliked foods and so on. But I wonder if there is anybody who will start to implement this idea as it is. Me myself is just unworthy enough. But I'm open to discuss.
Ah and also. Why am I suggesting to increase unhappiness reduction while also REDUCING amount of hunger/thirst gaining on food items? Shouldn't it be increased unhappiness reduction and increased amount of hunger/thirst gain on favorite food?
Well, that's only my idea and vision. As I mentioned in tooltips for settings: when it's about your favorite foods, you'll never have enough. So you'll continue to consume it until you eventually explode. That's how most human are. You may not agree with me and I understand it. So there are mod settings - do as you wish.
