New Dietary Needs in Avalon

[Algernon]

So, how are people enjoying the new changes regarding food and cookery?

[Elmak]

Care to detail the changes?

(And don't tell me I just need to come back to Avalon!)

[Algernon]

Update for Elmak...

We now have a new status dimension, that of overall physical well-being.  No longer can the people of Avalon be fruititarians tossing down a few apples or pears whenever they get a hungry message.  Now, we have to eat balanced diets.

Once an Avalon day, we must eat a freshly-cooked meal.  The meal includes a beverage, and optional desert.  HELP COOKERY shows the process in detail.  There is a main ingredient (e.g. fishcake, pork, chicken, etc.), a secondary ingredient (e.g. bread), and a beverage in a vessel.  Dessert is optional (chocolate cake!) but the meal is more satisfying and beneficial if you include it.  You then stand in front of your stove, light it, and cook the meal.  Then you eat it. 

It drastically alters the food economy, since a variety of ingredients must be procured.  For instance, to my knowledge no one had done any fishing in Mercinae since my brief experiment as a "Fishing Mage" a few years ago.  Now, suddenly, we need fish!  And we need to stock the rods, fishing lines, etc. 

[Algernon]

"Optional desert?"      I've really got the typo virus lately...

Anyway, didn't mention that although snack foods are still available, they don't have the same benefit as a cooked meal, and one's HP adjusts up and down based on one's diet.

[Narissa]

Knew there was a reason I ran my seafishing macro. That thousands of fish will come in handy, indeed *glee*

[Bowdyn]

In general, I have to say that I'm a fan. It adds another aspect of realism to the Avalon world that brings it to life a little better than as Algernon puts it, being fruititarians. Though, I do have a couple of grievances I feel obligated to share...

First, is the fact that the secondary ingredients are all things that HAVE to be cityfashioned. This is all well and good for people who live in cities, and for cities with active enough state aides to keep shops loaded with bread and baked potatoes. But, why make the PRIMARY ingredient something that anyone with high enough labours/farming can collect on their own, and yet make the SECONDARY ingredient something requiring city fashioning. I think there needs to be a "baking" skill introduced to make bread, or some other way of transforming potatoes into useable form without the dependance upon a city and state aideship.

Secondly, is the idea of nonstandard life forms. Those of the ranger profession (read: bears), those of the druid profession (read: trees), and those of the sorcerer profession (read: vampires). These people, in my opinion, have unique abilities, and thus should have unique well-being factors. Bears should be able to hunt salmon in the many rivers for well-being. Trees should be able to spread their roots and soak nutrients from the soil for wellbeing. And vampires well, you see where I'm going... "I vant to suck your bloooood"

These are just my thoughts on the matter.

[Maud]

Secondly, is the idea of nonstandard life forms. Those of the ranger profession (read: bears), those of the druid profession (read: trees), and those of the sorcerer profession (read: vampires). These people, in my opinion, have unique abilities, and thus should have unique well-being factors. Bears should be able to hunt salmon in the many rivers for well-being. Trees should be able to spread their roots and soak nutrients from the soil for wellbeing. And vampires well, you see where I'm going... "I vant to suck your bloooood"

Bowdyn, animists have the ability to force fruit to ripen out of season so we already have a source of nutrition (if need be).  Some kind of hunting option for bears might be cool from an RP perspective, otherwise, why can't they fly-fish?  If you're going to focus on certain professions having unique abilities, do theives get to find/roast the sewer rats?

[Bowdyn]

Bowdyn, animists have the ability to force fruit to ripen out of season so we already have a source of nutrition (if need be).  Some kind of hunting option for bears might be cool from an RP perspective, otherwise, why can't they fly-fish?  If you're going to focus on certain professions having unique abilities, do theives get to find/roast the sewer rats?

Maud... I'm aware of your fruit-ripening ability. But what with the fruit plague and the recent changes to WELL-BEING, it has become pretty useless hasn't it? I was suggesting unique methods for asuaging both hunger AND well-being. This thought that what betters the general well-being of standard bi-pedal humans is a warm stove-cooked meal is a safe assumption for most. However, bears like salmon, trees like to spread their roots, and vampires like to suck blood, if theives want to chow on sewer rat, i say power to 'em. But they are still standard human form.

Though, this brings up a thought. are bears humans disguised as bears? are trees humans disguised as tress? are sorcs humans disguised as the undead? It is not a point of contention that hot meals can apply to everyone's well-being equally. I'm just suggesting that their be more flavourful options for the more flavourful life-forms of Avalon.

[Ygraine]

Again, because I am a relative newbie, I have to admit I am finding this quite hard.

[justify]For those of us who have not been around long enough to build sufficiently high labours skills, just getting the money together for a proper meal is time-consuming enough, plus the necessity of having it cooked for you can be challenging.  However I can see why it was introduced, and I am sure we will all get to grips with it in time.

I actually think Bowdyn's suggestion is an excellent one, and that it could add a completely new dimension to the game - perhaps it could be a seasonal thing for bears, and something similar for vampires, like the full moon? Yes, I know that's strictly speaking normally linked to werewolves, but it would be a way of allowing vampires some leeway to indulge without it being always open season on humans:)[/justify]

Ygraine

[Bowdyn]

I've found that like it or not, it's always open season on humans where sorcs are concerned 

[Kresslack]

Keep your eyes open for more stuff like this. We now have the hunters omellete. Soon animals will be able to be skinned and used for cooking, the skins workable into leather.

[Crael]

Wasnt broke. Didn't need fixing.

A total waste of time and I imagine a huge discouragemtn to smaller people who want to fight a lot - now you cant just bash you have to buy meals with your money to keep your health up.

[Crael]

For what its worth Im also not in favour of the Druids guild despite several friends belonging to it. All its done is allow Thakria to dominate a profession it shouldnt (in roleplay terms) have a lot to do with and get a free endless supply of herbs.

Does anyone know why it was created?

[Narissa]

Whoa whoa, don't assume that. We don't get free herbs - no, all Thakria gets is an influx of useless hugging citizens who are chewing away at resources while not even being able to offer "Thakrian ideals" in return. Most Thaks aren't pleased with the guild either.

[Crael]

That is quite funny. The lost art of hugging. There was a time when Mercinae dominated the hugging scene. Nice to know the city of miracles is doing its best to trump them.