RK Ed Choice: Are Meals counted as food?

[CathyM]

I just noticed that my food count does't include the meals I bought (thinking I was giving my bannies a fastfood banquet) - do I have to have a pub to "serve" them? I had three bannies starve while I had 570-ish "meals" in storage... I think I don't understand meals...

I appreciate all of you who willingly help out us newbies! 

[Nilla]

Yes, these meals replace alcohol as "happy maker" and can´t be eaten.

[RedKetchup]

it has same functions as alcohol or CC luxeries. it doesnt give health or prevent starvation but make them happy

[moonbelf]

@CathyM Just know they died happy and with a smile 

[RedKetchup]

@CathyM Just know they died happy and with a smile 

what a nice death !

[CathyM]

LOL! Okay, then I won't buy them from traders when my bannies are hungry.  It's nice that they are saleable.
But if I buy them from traders, do I need a pub to "serve" them, otherwise they just stay in my storehouse?

RedKetchup- I really love all these options and new things to discover in this EC version of the game! I'm a bit slow, but definitely hooked on giving my bannies every available comfort and happiness. 

[CathyM]

A related question: why don't hungry bannies go get food?? I had two starve, and I was following one, and her box said she was seeking food, but she wasn't - she went to her job and worked until she starved, even though food was in a barn right next to that workplace! Once I have a market or grocery anywhere, does that mean the bannies won't get food from the barns?? Because I had 3 starve when I had 200+ food reported in the overall tab... it was frustrating. 

[Nilla]

I´ve always had the ambition to "understand" all aspects of this game. I can´t say I was totally successful but I´ve studied a lot of things. A long time ago, I studied the behaviour of the Bannis when there was only a small surplus of food. And unless you´ve just started an Adam and Eve game 200 is a very small surplus.

When the store gets down to these low levels it looks like the Bannis get totally "nuts". They don't work, they simply walk around "searching for food". And as you said they pass barns or markets with some food and starve to death just in front of such a barn. I think the game mechanic works like this; if a Banni needs food, a certain amount of food is reserved in some storage for just this Banni. Normally when you have plenty of food, this reservation is made in the closest market or barn. So you´ll never notice anything. If you´re short on food this reservation is set in the closest market or store containing food at this moment. It may be far away and it takes time for this Banni to get there. In the meantime, no one else can get "his" food. That´s the reason that someone starves at a marketplace containing some food or in front of a barn.

This is my theory. Not 100% sure that it work s like this but I´m sure of one thing: You´ll need a much higher surplus of food to get a settlement working. If the Bannis only walking around looking for food, they produce very little and thing get worse and worse.

[irrelevant]

This is my theory.

I believe this is correct, it totally fits in with the way other things work in this game.

[moonbelf]

I'm sure your theory is correct Nilla. Seems to me that's exactly how it works.

The more surplus food one has the better it is for the bannies.

[CathyM]

Wow! That's good to know! Thanks, Nilla, for being so observant! As I watch, more little questions like that become evident, but I haven't played enough to figure out the reasoning.