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Canning Essentials: An In-Depth Food Canning Mod v0.8 [90%]


Deadend

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** Tested on build 30.16, NOT backwards compatible with build 29 **

 

I play games like Project Zomboid because I like the semi-realistic scenario and challenges to survive. No other mod has given me the realism I've wanted when it comes to food preservation and most specifically, canning. Ultimately, for a game that strikes to immerse the player into the game world, canning food for prolonged preservation shouldn't be as easy as simply putting food in a jar and sealing it. So I decided to make this mod to enhance my own gameplay and that of those that seek more realism from food preservation.

This mod adds new mechanisms so that survival still remains challenging and food preservation doesn't become a thought of the past. The implementation of everything you can can is based off real life canning. Each canning option closely resembles how that food item would be canned in real life; skipping a few steps and/or details here and there to keep things fun and not overly complicated.

 

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CURRENT FEATURES

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  • Pickling Canning Options: Pickles, Broccoli, Cabbage, Leek, Carrots, Bell Pepper, Radish.
  • Open Kettle Canning Options: Strawberry Jam.
  • Water Bath Canning Options: Strawberry Jam.
  • Pressure Canning Options: Rabbit, Rodent (Rat, Mouse, Squirrel), Bird, Fish(All types except bait fish).
  • Extend your food's lifespan with the Pickling Method. The simplest and fastest way to get into canning. Simply cook up some brine, have your vegetables ready and put it all in a jar, seal it, and you're all done! The food might taste a little salty though, but hey now your food will gain a preservation span of 7 days.
  • Extend your food's lifespan with the Open Kettle Method. You can cook and prepare the food that you wish to can in a kettle, pour it in a jar, seal, and that's it! Food processed this way will gain a preservation span of 15 days.
  • Extend your food's lifespan by using the Water Bath Method.You can cook and prepare the food that you wish to can in a regular pot, pour it in a jar, seal, and then place up to 5 sealed jars in a water bath canner to get a tight seal. Food processed this way will gain a preservation span of 30 days.
  • Extend your food's lifespan with the Pressure Canning Method. You can cook and prepare the food that you wish to can in a regular pot, pour it in a jar, seal, and then place up to 5 sealed jars in a pressure canner to get a tight seal and make sure the food is fully cooked. Food processed this way will gain a preservation span of 60 days.
  • Inspect your canned food to see how many more days left it has until it spoils.

 

Download 

[HERE]

How to install:

unzip the folder you downloaded with WinRAR or a similar program. Drop it in your C:/users/[user]/Zomboid/mods folder (if using MS Windows, otherwise check in-game your Mods tab to see where you're supposed to put mods). If after doing so the mod is not showing up in your Mods tab in-game, exit, open up the loaded.txt file and copy and paste this on its own line 'CanningEssentials' (Without the single quotes).

 

 

GUIDE

- Instructions / Recipes for Canning 101 -

 

Mod Items to Scavenge for:

post-14738-0-31278700-1413256085.png Pint Jars (x6)

post-14738-0-31278700-1413256085.png Quart Jars (x4)

post-14738-0-31278700-1413256085.png Jar Lids (x6)

post-14738-0-31278700-1413256085.png Jar Lids (x12)

post-14738-0-54831300-1407291856.png Glass Quart Jar 

post-14738-0-66696600-1407291903.png Glass Pint Jar

post-14738-0-30531400-1407292021.png Pickling Spice

post-14738-0-52233700-1407292042.png Canning Salt

post-14738-0-30531400-1407292021.png Pectin

post-14738-0-10450000-1407292052.png Pressure Cooker

post-14738-0-81652200-1407292060.png Canning Rack

 

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post-14738-0-00783100-1426189147.pngpost-14738-0-40939900-1426189146.pngPickles:post-14738-0-40939900-1426189146.pngpost-14738-0-00783100-1426189147.png

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* 2 pickles in a pint jar, 4 in a quart jar.

  1. prepare Brine: Canning Salt, Water (in a separate container), Vinegar, Pickling Spice, Cooking Pot.
  2. cook Brine: Brine, heat source (campfire, stove,... etc.).
  3. jar the Cucumbers (makes Pickles): Quart Jar, Jar Lid, Brine, Cucumbers.

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post-14738-0-16398300-1426189126.pngpost-14738-0-64452300-1426189125.pngPickled Broccoli:post-14738-0-64452300-1426189125.pngpost-14738-0-16398300-1426189126.png

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* 2 regular Broccoli or 1 Seeding Broccoli in a pint jar, 4 regular Broccoli or 2 Seeding Broccoli in a quart jar.

  1. prepare Brine: Canning Salt, Water (in a separate container), Vinegar, Pickling Spice, Cooking Pot.
  2. cook Brine: Brine, heat source (campfire, stove,... etc.).
  3. jar the Broccoli (makes Pickled Broccoli): Quart Jar, Jar Lid, Brine, Broccoli.

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post-14738-0-70921800-1426189126.pngPickled Cabbage:post-14738-0-70921800-1426189126.png

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* Can only be jarred in a quart jar.

  1. prepare Brine: Canning Salt, Water (in a separate container), Vinegar, Pickling Spice, Cooking Pot.
  2. cook Brine: Brine, heat source (campfire, stove,... etc.).
  3. jar the Cabbage (makes Pickled Cabbage): Quart Jar, Jar Lid, Brine, Cabbage.

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post-14738-0-39402400-1426189128.pngpost-14738-0-07095400-1426189128.pngPickled Leek:post-14738-0-07095400-1426189128.pngpost-14738-0-39402400-1426189128.png

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* 2 Leek in a pint jar, 4 in a quart jar.

  1. prepare Brine: Canning Salt, Water (in a separate container), Vinegar, Pickling Spice, Cooking Pot.
  2. cook Brine: Brine, heat source (campfire, stove,... etc.).
  3. jar the Leek (makes Pickled Leek): Quart Jar, Jar Lid, Brine, Leek.

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post-14738-0-60138500-1426189127.pngpost-14738-0-21714100-1426189127.pngPickled Carrots:post-14738-0-21714100-1426189127.pngpost-14738-0-60138500-1426189127.png

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* 1 Carrot in a pint jar, 2 in a quart jar.

  1. prepare Brine: Canning Salt, Water (in a separate container), Vinegar, Pickling Spice, Cooking Pot.
  2. cook Brine: Brine, heat source (campfire, stove,... etc.).
  3. jar the Carrots (makes Pickled Carrots): Quart Jar, Jar Lid, Brine, Carrots.

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post-14738-0-84440000-1426189147.pngpost-14738-0-50794600-1426189147.pngPickled Radish:post-14738-0-50794600-1426189147.pngpost-14738-0-84440000-1426189147.png

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* 3 Red Radish in a pint jar, 5 in a quart jar.

  1. prepare Brine: Canning Salt, Water (in a separate container), Vinegar, Pickling Spice, Cooking Pot.
  2. cook Brine: Brine, heat source (campfire, stove,... etc.).
  3. jar the Red Radish (makes Pickled Radish): Quart Jar, Jar Lid, Brine, Red Radish.

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post-14738-0-08545600-1426189125.pngpost-14738-0-53087900-1426189124.pngPickled Bell Pepper:post-14738-0-53087900-1426189124.pngpost-14738-0-08545600-1426189125.png

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* 1 Bell Pepper in a pint jar, 2 in a quart jar.

  1. prepare Brine: Canning Salt, Water (in a separate container), Vinegar, Pickling Spice, Cooking Pot.
  2. cook Brine: Brine, heat source (campfire, stove,... etc.).
  3. jar the Bell Pepper (makes Pickled Bell Pepper): Quart Jar, Jar Lid, Brine, Bell Pepper.

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post-14738-0-29025200-1418768618.pngpost-14738-0-67979600-1418768604.pngBird:post-14738-0-67979600-1418768604.pngpost-14738-0-29025200-1418768618.png

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* 1 bird in a pint jar, 2 in a quart jar.

  1. prepare Pulled Bird Meat: 1 bird, Cooking Pot.
  2. cook the Pulled Bird Meat: Pulled Bird Meat, heat source (campfire, stove,... etc.).
  3. jar the meat (makes Canned Bird): Quart Jar, Jar Lid, Pulled Bird Meat.
  4. prepare pressure canner: Pressure Cooker with water, Canning Rack.
  5. Place jars inside canner: Pressure Canner, Jar(s).
  6. bring canner to a boil: Pressure Canner, heat source (campfire, stove,... etc.).
  7. remove Jars: Pressure Canner.

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post-14738-0-12838400-1418768627.pngFish:post-14738-0-12838400-1418768627.png

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can only be jarred in a quart jar. Any fish, except bait fish.

  1. prepare Fish Chunks: 1 Fish, Knife, Cooking Pot.
  2. cook the Fish Chunks: Fish Chunks, heat source (campfire, stove,... etc.).
  3. jar the meat (makes Canned Fish): Quart Jar, Jar Lid, Fish Chunks.
  4. prepare pressure canner: Pressure Cooker with water, Canning Rack.
  5. Place jars inside canner: Pressure Canner, Jar(s).
  6. bring canner to a boil: Pressure Canner, heat source (campfire, stove,... etc.).
  7. remove Jars: Pressure Canner.

 

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post-14738-0-20445700-1418768653.pngpost-14738-0-23247800-1418768664.pngRodent:post-14738-0-23247800-1418768664.pngpost-14738-0-20445700-1418768653.png

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* rat/squirrel can only be jarred in a quart jar. Mouse can be jarred in a pint jar; 2 mice in a quart.

  1. prepare Rodent Meat: 1 Squirrel/Rat/Mouse, Knife, Cooking Pot.
  2. cook the Rodent Meat: Rodent Meat, heat source (campfire, stove,... etc.).
  3. jar the meat (makes Canned Rodent): Quart/Pint Jar, Jar Lid, Rodent Meat.
  4. prepare pressure canner: Pressure Cooker with water, Canning Rack.
  5. Place jars inside canner: Pressure Canner, Jar(s).
  6. bring canner to a boil: Pressure Canner, heat source (campfire, stove,... etc.).
  7. remove Jars: Pressure Canner.

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post-14738-0-27585900-1418768644.pngRabbit:post-14738-0-27585900-1418768644.png

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* can only be jarred in a quart jar.

  1. prepare Rabbit Chunks: 1 Rabbit, Knife, Cooking Pot.
  2. cook the Rabbit Chunks: Rabbit Chunks, heat source (campfire, stove,... etc.).
  3. jar the meat (makes Canned Rabbit): Quart Jar, Jar Lid, Rabbit Chunks.
  4. prepare pressure canner: Pressure Cooker with water, Canning Rack.
  5. Place jars inside canner: Pressure Canner, Jar(s).
  6. bring canner to a boil: Pressure Canner, heat source (campfire, stove,... etc.).
  7. remove Jars: Pressure Canner.

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post-14738-0-54274300-1407292546.pngpost-14738-0-62633600-1407292545.pngStrawberry Jam:post-14738-0-62633600-1407292545.pngpost-14738-0-54274300-1407292546.png

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  1. prepare strawberry mush: 7 Strawberries, Sugar, Water, Pectin, Cooking Pot (use kettle if you intend to use the Open Kettle Method, use double the water and strawberries to fill up a quart sized jar. Water needs to be in a separate container).
  2. cook the strawberry mush: Strawberry Mush, heat source (campfire, stove,... etc.).
  3. jar the mush (makes strawberry jam): Quart/Pint Jar, Jar Lid, Strawberry Mush.

at this point you're done if you used the Open Kettle Method, otherwise continue.

  1. prepare water bath canner: Pot of Water, Canning Rack.
  2. Place jars inside canner: Water Bath Canner, Jar(s).
  3. bring canner to a boil: Water Bath Canner, heat source (campfire, stove,... etc.).
  4. remove Jars: Water Bath Canner.

 

 

Changelog:

v0.8:
- disabled the default canning feature that was recently implemented in the game (build 29 I believe?). i.e. the code I've added should stop the EmptyJar item from spawning in your game. Which is the core item to use any of the canning options that were implemented by the devs. So now you get to either go with the simplified version of canning that the devs have implemented or install this mod. Most of the canning options the game offered have now been integrated in this mod and those that are not will soon be making their way in along with many more options, so enjoy.
- added pickling; the easiest of all canning methods, heat the brine (salt, vinegar and water) then pour on jar with vegetables and seal, done. Begins to spoil after a week though. The only downside is that since they're not fermented and aren't water processed it requires a strong brine to last longer. Therefore its very salty and acidic, making you want a cup of water after you done eating a jar of this stuff.
- added pickled bell pepper as a canning option.
- added pickled raddish as a canning option. 
- added pickled carrots as a canning option.
- added pickled leek as a canning option. 
- added pickled cabbage as a canning option.
- added pickled brocolli as a canning option.
- added pickles (pickled cucumbers) as a canning option. 
- edited the base pickles food item that was already in-game to display as "cucumbers" and act more as any other food item that can expire and rot.
- Fixed rodent, bird, fish, and rabbit canning options not requiring water.
- rebalanced canned food bonuses, penalties, and hunger reduction. Now not all canning options are truly not the same. 
- rebalanced weights of all mod items to go along more with similar in-game item weights. Generally speaking, all mod items now weight much less. 
 

 

v0.7:
This version is just a long overdue content update.
- added pressure canning method, gives food a preservation of 60 days. Works the same way as water bath canning, if anything less steps and its faster.
- added medium rodent (squirrel and rat) meat canning - pressure canning method only.
- added small rodent (mouse) meat canning - pressure canning method only.
- added bird meat canning - pressure canning method only.
- added fish canning, this covers all types of fish except bait fish. I might possibly make this more specific in the future such as canning each type of fish. - pressure canning method only.
- added rabbit meat canning - pressure canning method only.
- added boxes of "quart jars (x4)" and "pint jars (x6)", you can find these where you would expect them, kitchen, garages, stores...etc. You can open the box and take out the jars or you can use the box directly when jarring. You can also now box your jars for a small weight reduction.
- modified item spawn rates for individual jars and boxes of lids to  make them a tad bit more difficult to find now that boxes of jars will be streaming in and that the vanilla game now has jar lids.
- changed name of "box of jar lids" to "jar lids (x6)" and "jar lids (x12)" accordingly.
- removed mod's vinegar item, in the future the mod will just use the game's.
- removed jar ring, now you just need a lid to jar.
- removed mod's jar lid item, mod now uses the game's jar lids along with the mod's box of lids.
- changed name of "open jar of strawberry jam" to just "strawberry jam".
 
v0.6:
this version was mostly a lot of background stuff once again. Not much content here in terms of canning options. On the other hand though now the mod's core is more solid.
- reduced preservation span of food through water bath method from 3 months to 1 month. The preservation obtained through the open kettle method has also been reduced from 3 weeks to 2 weeks. 
- The chance of failure from the open kettle method has been removed for the time being.
- new aging system. Decided to make my own aging system instead of using the game's aging system for food as I needed to apply it to normal items as well. Check below as to why this is.
- made sealed jarred food normal items instead of food items. There seemed to be some confusion as to whether or not you needed to open sealed jarred food to eat it since the eat option was there for sealed jarred food. That was because food items having age whereas normal items don't. The confusion along with the fact you were getting cooking exp for opening a jar got me on the path of making an algorithm and the proper modifications to allow select normal items to have age. Even better this new implementation allowed me to give jarred food a preservation property instead of just letting it age for a long period of time and having to place code in to keep track of that. Now with the new preservation property is more like putting food in a fridge in-game before the electricity runs out.
- disabled the exp control system. Originally implemented so you wouldn't get any cooking exp with this mod. Didn't want it affecting your cooking skill until the mod was actually binded to your cooking skill. But it seems it causes an unacceptable bug when cooking books are used. Haven't found a solution and its delaying this version too much since this version was basically ready for release but I held it back to look into this bug.
- jar lids are now non-reusable. But their spawn rates have been increased so they should now be more abudant.
- added a jar lids box of two sizes, 6 and 12 (both have the same icon and name but one weights more than the other). You can box your lids for a slight weight reduction bonus. You don't have to unbox the jar lids to use them. The box itself can be used directly when jarring. But if you want to unbox them, you can.
- changed opened jars of strawberry jam to say 'Open Jar Of Strawberry Jam' instead of 'Strawberry Jam*' to be more clear. Keep in mind that the icon also changes to show the jar without a lid once you open it.
- Jarred food will now lose some nutrional value if prepared through the Open Kettle Method. This as to simulate the fact that you somewhat overcook the food through this method. This, along with the higher chance of failure (in comparison to the other two methods) would be the downside to the open kettle method. The upside being that it offers a quick solution to preserve your food. 
- Jarred food will now lose some nutrional value if processed through the water bath method (or pressure method) more than once. This as to simulate the fact that you somewhat overcook the food by processing it more than once.The penalty occurs until the jar only gives -5 hunger reduction. Therefore you can no longer preserve the same jar of food indefinitely, without some sort of negative effect.
- testing feature made more robust; press 'HOME' key to get instructions for further use, they'll display in the console/terminal. press 'END' key whenever you need to bring up the instructions again. Thanks for anyone trying this mod out! :D
- fixed a bug where you were also able to inspect opened jars of strawberry jam. Though technically not a bug, it wasn't part of my design to inspect open jars. An Open jar of food is just like an open can of food; it'll stay fresh for about 2 days. The inspection feature was more of a bundle of how you would check for a proper, tight, vacuum seal in real life and look for odd discolorations in the food (spoilage).
- removed the need for you to wait for item to cool down after removing it from heat source. Though the requisite was realistic, it was more of a nuiance than anything else.
- fixed bug where Pressure Cooker with water was returning a pot instead of a pressure cooker when depleted. 
- fixed a bug where (aside from the sealed strawberry jam) you would get 2 cooking pots or kettles when jarring strawberry mush; now you just get one back as you were initially supposed to.
- updated inspect option on jarred items; previously if you successfully jarred a food item using the open kettle method and inspect it right away it would tell you the item was 68 days old. If you were unsuccessful on either the OKM or WBM then it would say 88. And if you used an item that had begun to rot it would say something over 90. This is all because the days fresh parameter for sealed jars of food is 90 days. So hopefully you get the math in there. Now it actually tells you how old the jarred item is, from the day it was created. 
- fixed bug where eating 1/2 or 1/4 of an open jar of food wouldn't reduce the remaining hunger reduction.
 
v0.5.1:
- There was a small tiny syntax error in the lua code that broke down the whole mod, items spawned but you couldn't do anything with them. I had forgotten to comment a link I had put to this forum post *facepalm*. I should have re-tested mod before posting. Anyways, this little quick fix version is just that, to make this mod actually playable. Now you can actually try out the mod :D
 
v0.5: 
The entire mod was re-worked for this version. This lays the foundation for further development of the mod. Includes the bulk (background/functionality scripting/code) of the mod. Now I can focus on implementing more canning options.
- added Jar Food Inspection. Currently it more or so actually tells you the age. On future versions this will be worked on to be more of hint to how old the item is. Maybe implementing something along the lines of a label. You'll get better at it as your cooking skill improves.
- added open kettle method (chance of jar not sealing properly).
- added water bath method (vacumn sealing jars of food). Currently there is no limit to how many times you can use this method on the same jar of food (i.e. you can preserve a jar of food indefinitely by re-using this method). Eventually though, this method will have a risk of failure like the open kettle method, which decreases with your cooking skill.
- opening a sealed jar unlocks its bonuses like unhappiness and boredom reductions and returns the used lid and ring. Don't eat a seal jar, I couldn't find another way to display hunger reduction without making that item a food item. If you eat it, you won't get back your ring and lid or bonuses. And on top of that you're very likely to get sick (consider it as you being uncivil and just eating the whole thing, glass and all :D). So make sure you open it!! This goes as well for the Water Bath Canner (you'll lose the canning rack if you eat it, should have probably added the property where it makes you sick or kills you, you're eating metal!).
- implemented basic code to control cooking exp gained. Currently you only get exp from preparing the food you're going to can and from vacumn sealing jars of food. Further down the line exp will most likely only be gained when successfully sealing a jar and just a bit when failing. This lays the foundation for later on binding canning to your cooking skill.
- implemented all items that need spawning for this mod. All canning options that will be added to this mod have been planned out (designed) so further updates to the mod won't require new items to spawn (tried my best to make sure all items I'll need in the future are there so hopefully this stays true).
- removed canning radish (needs to be revised for new systems).
- removed canning tomatoes (needs to be revised for new systems).
- added canning strawberries (strawberry jam).
- removed jarred food distribution (spawning). Jars of Food won't be spawned, so the only way to get them is to make them :D
 
v0.3:
- option to can radish implemented
 
v0.1:
- prototype of the mod release
- option to can tomatoes implemented

 

 

TEST THE MOD: if you'd like to see how the mod works without having to collect everything and test it out; press the 'HOME' key to enable the testing feature, instructions will appear in your console that runs along with Project Zomboid. Press the 'END' key if the instructions don't show up after pressing the 'home' key. Keep in mind each time you spawn a set of items for testing the testing feature is disabled. This is as to avoid having you accidentally spawn items without wanting to do so.

P.S: There might be an error where you press HOME and then another key to spawn items and won't work; try about 3 times and it should work.

 

 

Q&A:

I would love to get some feedback on this mod. if you have any questions, comments, suggestions,...etc. Go ahead and post :D. Also if you think the mod is too complicated or challenging, let me know how you would scale it down to make it more fun.

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So far so good. All sprites working. Mods working. Everything seems fine

Only little problem is LOTS of glass lids and glass cases or w/e the other can spawn is (on my phone ATM so can't check my game sorry) are spawning. The cans don't seem very rare since I can get at least 5 of them from almost every house.

Only suggestion is to maybe lower the spawn rates for the loot, everything else seems to be 100% so far!

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Update:

new v0.2 released, check progress log for more info.

 

 

i wish i could lend a hand but i know nothing about programming  :cry:

thank you so much for making this mod  (clyde)

You do enough with your gratitude :) Any feedback is also welcome.

 

So far so good. All sprites working. Mods working. Everything seems fine

Only little problem is LOTS of glass lids and glass cases or w/e the other can spawn is (on my phone ATM so can't check my game sorry) are spawning. The cans don't seem very rare since I can get at least 5 of them from almost every house.

Only suggestion is to maybe lower the spawn rates for the loot, everything else seems to be 100% so far!

I tweaked the spawn rates, check the progress log for more info. Just wondering, what is your loot spawn setting? Are you playing on sandbox mode or survival? And did you continue to play on a previous game save or did you start a new one?

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I tweaked the spawn rates, check the progress log for more info. Just wondering, what is your loot spawn setting? Are you playing on sandbox mode or survival? And did you continue to play on a previous game save or did you start a new one?

I had all the mods already installed before I created a new survival game

 

Am still in the survival game (with no tweaked settings or anything) and haven't updated the mod yet, doing that now and then restarting my game. 

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Update:

- added a future plans section so everyone gets an idea of where I want to go with this mod.

- reworked the guide and 'about the mod' sections to give you better/more info about the mod and how to use it. As well as a format for me to much more easily inform everyone about new items, recipes, and features.

- currently working on v0.3 which will have canned radish fixed (its currently bugged) and should have at least one more canning option to add to the mod.

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Update:

 

- reworked post to better express what this mod is about and what to expect from it. This is due to taking some time to better assimilate myself with PZ modding. Now I can set more viable goals, set it apart in comparison to other food preservation mods out there, and make this something that won't require you to start fresh new games after every update.

 

*The first release of this mod will contain all items that need to be spawned into the game world that the mod will ever need. Every update thereafter will just add code, recipes, and functionality. So you can be sure if you install this mod you won't need to ditch your old saves to play with the mod (you will need to start a new game for the first release however as items don't spawn in containers you've already looted, but that's up to you, if you haven't already looted the whole map in your current game you can simply install the mod). Keep in mind though that an official game update might break the mod and therefore require fixes that 'might' not work with an old save. But that's expected from a game in alpha.

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  • 4 weeks later...

UPDATE:

 

playable version of the mod release. Tested on build 28, backwards compatible with build 27.

- implemented a current features section so you know whats implemented so far without all the technical clutter (moved that clutter to the changelog).

- added new planned extra feature: ability to can food obtained from fishing and trapping. Since in a sense those are forms of farming too.

- implemented design section for me to explain certain design decisions.

- implemented new intro description.

- implemented guide (instructions for using this mod).

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UPDATE:

 

- testing feature implemented (this was already in v0.5, I just forgot to mention it on my previous update. So no need to download anything if you've already downloaded v0.5).

TEST THE MOD: if you'd like to see how the mod works without having to collect everything and test it out; press the 'End' key to get all canning equipment/supplies and the 'Home' key to get some food items for canning. You'll be able to spawn all these items just once per character.

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UPDATE:

 

v0.5.1:
- There was a small tiny syntax error in the lua code that broke down the whole mod, items spawned but you couldn't do anything with them. I had forgotten to comment a link I had put to this forum post *facepalm*. I should have re-tested mod before posting. Anyways, this little quick fix version is just that, to make this mod actually playable. Now you can actually try out the mod :D , my baddd.
 
reminder: download link is updated whenever a new version is released, even though the file's name remains the same. So simply throw the new download in your mods folder and let it replace the old files its updating.
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Regarding lid reusing and limited spawns:

box of lids

 

Spawn those instead of individual lids and make them unreusable. Like a 12-pack. Also remember that the map's going to be expanded greatly in future releases (with vehicles), so running out of stuff will be a lot less of an issue.

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Regarding lid reusing and limited spawns:

box of lids

 

Spawn those instead of individual lids and make them unreusable. Like a 12-pack. Also remember that the map's going to be expanded greatly in future releases (with vehicles), so running out of stuff will be a lot less of an issue.

 

box of lids, I like it. I could implement this in two ways. either make this box of lids a drainable item like sugar and pectin. Or make it be used how the box of ammo is used (you could unpack the lids from the box to use them). What you think?

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It could work both ways...

 

You could make it so you could find some unused lids out of box and then also find a box of lids. It would not cause an extra recipe because a single lid is 1 time use and a package would just drain 1 use out of the package.

 

You could also make different sized packages of lid boxes if you wanted. Just give them a different name based on # of lids in it.

 

The problem with this is eventually you would run out of lids unless you found enough.

Example: Dynamo Lids 12count, Canning Lids 20count, Trader Joes Canning Lids 50count.

 

Stuff like that could work. Adding in single lids findable in random drawers/laundry rooms in houses and it could all work out. Garages could be places to find lids also.

If they every add in basements to houses there is another option for loot spawning.

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It could work both ways...

 

You could make it so you could find some unused lids out of box and then also find a box of lids. It would not cause an extra recipe because a single lid is 1 time use and a package would just drain 1 use out of the package.

 

You could also make different sized packages of lid boxes if you wanted. Just give them a different name based on # of lids in it.

 

The problem with this is eventually you would run out of lids unless you found enough.

Example: Dynamo Lids 12count, Canning Lids 20count, Trader Joes Canning Lids 50count.

 

Stuff like that could work. Adding in single lids findable in random drawers/laundry rooms in houses and it could all work out. Garages could be places to find lids also.

If they every add in basements to houses there is another option for loot spawning.

I'm thinking of making lids almost as common as nails and utensils just a bit rarer. So that running out of them won't be an immediate problem but you would still have to go out and scavenge for them. Probably still adding a boxing/unboxing mechanism along with two box sizes. Making the individual lids more likely to spawn inside houses/kitchens and the boxes in garages/storage.

 

Thanks for the input, I actually had forgotten to include garages as spawn points :o. Guess its inevitable to not have to modify/tweak a bit the distribution / spawning files this early in the mod's development. At least it won't be anything radical, hopefully no one has cleared out their entire game map with this mod installed.

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The best part of drainable items is that you can make a recipe use 1 lid or one use of a box. Allows for multiple sizes of boxes too.

It would be cool if the boxes could be generated with a random number of uses left. IE: A box of 50 lids might have 1/3rd used. But its unlikely we would get that ability.

(Sort of wish I could just leave my nails/ammo in boxes and have it drain nails/ammo based on use til the box was empty lol.)

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I ran into a couple of minor issues when trying this out.

 

I installed Peyno`s lost weapon mod, the map mod that slots in the town of Dreadwood, Canning Essentials, then started a fresh game (sandbox, with abundant loot, but still early on so can`t comment on spawn rates yet).

 

When I came to do a bit of canning I had already read the advanced cooking, so had the x8 multiplier.

I used the home/end to get the items needed, and set to work.

Cooked two batches of mush in a kettle, (one 14 one 7) and followed the six steps in the guide. Produced them all right but the grey experience bar increased towards the left, instead of the right, and cooking exp is showing XP: -3702/1500. I only have six skill points, but the next skill point now needs 4335 xp.

 

*This is from memory, and wasn`t making notes so is fuzzy on exact details. Will need to find more strawberries for further testing* but when I took the can of jam out of the canner it was still showing the red 'dangerous when uncooked' text, and I had the option to eat or open it.

 

I`m sure that after opening the pint jar, eating 1/4 or 1/2 didn`t reduce the amount of available hunger reduction. Eating all ate everything and returned the empty jar.

The quart jar worked as expected, but I put that back into a the bath canner to try resealing it, but didn`t seem to work (although I`m likely doing something incorrectly)

 

Great mod though, I`m looking forward to canning steak and veg stews before all the meat rots :D

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The best part of drainable items is that you can make a recipe use 1 lid or one use of a box. Allows for multiple sizes of boxes too.

next version will have drainable box lids :D I basically implemented both methods. It has the same ammo in boxes mechanism (after a set amount you can box the lids, you can also find them already boxed, you can unbox them as well). With the added alternative that you don't have to unbox them to use them. So whatever recipe requires a jar lid you can just use a jar lids box and "take one out" so to speak, automatically. There'll be two box sizes.

 

I ran into a couple of minor issues when trying this out.

 

I installed Peyno`s lost weapon mod, the map mod that slots in the town of Dreadwood, Canning Essentials, then started a fresh game (sandbox, with abundant loot, but still early on so can`t comment on spawn rates yet).

 

When I came to do a bit of canning I had already read the advanced cooking, so had the x8 multiplier.

I used the home/end to get the items needed, and set to work.

Cooked two batches of mush in a kettle, (one 14 one 7) and followed the six steps in the guide. Produced them all right but the grey experience bar increased towards the left, instead of the right, and cooking exp is showing XP: -3702/1500. I only have six skill points, but the next skill point now needs 4335 xp.

 

*This is from memory, and wasn`t making notes so is fuzzy on exact details. Will need to find more strawberries for further testing* but when I took the can of jam out of the canner it was still showing the red 'dangerous when uncooked' text, and I had the option to eat or open it.

 

I`m sure that after opening the pint jar, eating 1/4 or 1/2 didn`t reduce the amount of available hunger reduction. Eating all ate everything and returned the empty jar.

The quart jar worked as expected, but I put that back into a the bath canner to try resealing it, but didn`t seem to work (although I`m likely doing something incorrectly)

 

Great mod though, I`m looking forward to canning steak and veg stews before all the meat rots :D

First of all, thanks for testing/trying out the mod and taking the time to give me some feedback :D

 

For the exp problem I guess it has to do with the fact that through various stages some exp is taken from you because its assumed a coming step will give that exp back to you, therefore neglecting any exp gain. I needed a way to control the exp since the mod sort of throws off the cooking skill if I didn't. The system works through the tests I've ran but I didn't take exp multipliers into consideration. So thanks for spotting that. I'll try to replicate this and see about fixing it for the upcoming version.

 

The 'dangerous when uncooked' message on the strawberry jam was sort of to avoid people eating the strawberry jam without opening the jar first. Once you open the jar the message dissapears.There was no other way that I could easily display the hunger reduction and have the item age without making the 'sealed' jar of strawberry jam a food item (which automatically displays an option to eat it). So that's somewhat of a shortcoming and confusing part of the mod. I'll see about going about this in a different more clear / user-friendly way for v0.7.

 

Yup, in version 0.5/0.5.1 there was a bug where eating 1/2 or 1/4 of an open jar of strawberry jam wouldn't reduce the hunger reduction. It's been fixed for the upcoming version. 

 

Putting a sealed jar of strawberry jam in a water bath canner and then bringing it to a boil (cooking it) in a heat source is meant to simulate the process of creating a vacuum seal. In real life, the high temperature from the boiling water makes the remaining air in the jar seep out through the seal; this creates an airless environment, a vacuum seal.

So once you open the jar (you can tell by the icon not having a yellowish gold like seal on it, an asterisk, no longer dangerous to eat, happiness bonus) you can't vacuum seal it again unless you seal it with a jar lid and ring first. Putting an opened jar of food inside a pot of water would technically make the food seep out into the entire pot.

Resealing opened jars of food isn't implemented in the mod yet but It'll probably make it into the mod eventually. It wasn't initially implemented because normally after you open a sealed jar of food you eat it or refrigerate it. But I guess this is one of those situations where realism needs to be bridged for the sake of gameplay.

 

 

I'm glad you like the mod so far. And yeh, meat and stews are in the plans for further expansion of the mod after the initial release. small animal meats might actually make it into the intial release though since much of the functionality for that is already implemented.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Update:

Not really an update on the mod itself. But more of an update to anyone that's looking forward to this mod. But its about time I would have released the next version. It was pretty much ready until the last bug report with the cooking book multiplier and such. I've been looking into alternatives to do certain things for the mod to be more user-friendly and also to try to fix these issues. I'll be releasing the next version soon-ish (when I manage to free my self up) which will contain a lot of tweaks, bug fixes and some more canning options.

Might want to make resealing an open jar take a higher level of cooking to do.

Exactly what I was thinking. Definitely tying that to the cooking level as well.
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Too bad we can't make our own skill/skillbook features. (Or can we?)

 

IE: Make a new skill (or two) called: Canning/Preservation.

And give the new skill its own level/experience stuff and tell the game to not give cooking experience.

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Too bad we can't make our own skill/skillbook features. (Or can we?)

 

IE: Make a new skill (or two) called: Canning/Preservation.

And give the new skill its own level/experience stuff and tell the game to not give cooking experience.

 

Haven't yet figured a way to tell the game to "not give cooking experience" (but I will look further into it). I am planning for something along the lines of skillbooks though. Basically, realistically speaking mostly no one would know how to properly can food in an apocalypse. They would figure it'd be an easy task but if you don't have a strict recipe to follow its very risky business. So I was thinking of bundling the canning options into different cooking skill levels and on top of that you would need to find these skillbooks (beginner, intermediate, expert canning) and read them to unlock the canning options for whatever level your cooking skill is at. For the first few times you can something, you would need to have the recipe book (skillbook) in hand (or at least in your inventory) to follow the instructions carefully step by step. After a few times it would be assumed that your character would know how to can that certain food without the need of a recipe book (so in the case where I decide to extend this mod's support to MP, the recipe book could then be passed from a player to another after one has "learned the recipe well" so to speak).

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