Food

Last updated for version `1.8.0-BETA-7`

*Main article:* Horizon Wiki
This article explains the survival mechanis of food (basic need) concerning non-player characters (NPCs) and the player character (PC) and the opportunities that come with it.

## General

Food is a resource that satisfies Settler needs, increases Recruitment Chance and affects the passive production of a number of items in FO4 Horizon. It also affects the strength of the player character. As the player character's food needs increase, he will experience debuffs and generally become weaker.

### NPC

In vanilla FO4, the food rate affected basic settler needs, happiness, recruitment chance, defense rate, and how many crops the player gets per cycle. In FO4 Horizon all of this is expanded and altered.

Next to the basic needs of settlers, Horizon forces the player to keep an eye on items (supply kits) which can be produced. Since the player can not only recruit settlers, but also Tenants (invisible settlers), they also need food. The NPCs also receive so-called rations, which are credited to the workbench in a certain time interval.

### Player Character

The basic needs of the player character are 96 hunger points per day. The current hunger points can be seen anytime using the Field Kit. In Horizon, hunger points equals caps. Furthermore, the daily requirement is positively influenced by the Timescale add-on, the requirement are higher (1.5x per in-game hour) with the installation of this add-on.

The player character experiences various debuffs as the hunger level increases. Debuffs span and scale across decreased healing, Charisma, Luck up to periodic damage. At a value of 288 (in-game 72h/3days) this leads to periodic damage. Thus, the player can die.

Parasites  require food. If the player has become infected then the hunger level increases even more. Hunger need is twice the amount, 96 pts become 192 pts per day.

## Production

### Food Rating

Food is primarily just like Water and Defense a Settlement rating which is displayed at the top of the screen in the workshop menu. This rate scale infinite but should always be even with water to ensure optimal production of Supply Kits. Likewise, food and water rates are tied to defense too. The sum of food and water equals the defense rate you need to optimally defend a settlement and protect it from attacks. Example:

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{\displaystyle Food \ 40 + Water \ 40 = Defense \ 80}

A food rate of 1 per settler is necessary to satisfy Happiness and to keep the Recruitment Chance at a maximum.

📝 **Note:** Food rating does not directly affect Crop production or crop rating. Both rating are something completly different. Crop production depends on crop stability and crop fertilizing.

### Supply Kit

Supply kits are items which consist mainly of food and water. These are useful for caravan traveling, for Settler Missions or to craft Military Kits (also used for settler mission). Supply kits are produced passively as long as settler needs are satisfied. Every settler needs 20 water and 20 food to be happy, 20 more points each are required to produce +1 supply kit. This rate increases linearly, so for every 20 Water/Food rate, 1 more supply kit will be available in the Production Storage by default.

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{\displaystyle Food \ 20 + Water \ 20 = 1\mathrm{x} \ Supply \ Kit}

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{\displaystyle Food \ 50 + Water \ 50 = 2\mathrm{x} \ Supply \ Kits}

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{\displaystyle Food \ 100 + Water \ 100 = 5\mathrm{x} \ Supply \ Kits}

Remainders are carried over each production cycle (similar to Overflow), so Food/Water 50 will yield to 2 supply kits in the first and 3 in the second production cycle.

📝 **Note:** Depending on the amount of settlement communities and installation (Desolation Mode yes/no), the Production Limit may vary.

Another option to obtain supply kits is to craft them. The Cooking Station allows to craft supply kits via 4 different recipes, essentially food items such as Crops and Purified Water are needed.

### Settler Ration

Settler rations are used as food specifically for settlers to be shared through Supply Lines for settlements that lack food. They have no purpose to players though. They neutralize hunger, but give rads equal to eating most crops. Technically, these also count as food and can therefore be thrown in the compost.

### Workshop Ration

Workshop rations are automatically given to compensate food and water while beeing inside of a settlement to allow to spend time without feeling like survival supplies are wasting away. This system can be disabled any time in the Architect Options menu.

As real time passes, *ration points* will build up and automatically lead to a workshop ration is given every 3 minutes (real-time) which is 5 hours in-game, as long as at least 1 food/water production in that settlement is available. Ration points are stored permanently until used. The system will resume every time the player enter a settlement. Ration points are displayed in the Architect Options Menu

## Meat

Meat dropped from animals is redesigned. All animals and creatures drop raw, low quality, or inedible meat, regardless of character skill but based on their size (small, medium, and large). With growing Hunting skill the player can learn how and where to harvest full non-diseased cuts from post-war mutant animals.

1 of 3 random meats will always drop from all animals regardless of skill:

* Meat Scrap (Animal and Exotic)
* Gristly Meat
* Diseased Meat

All meat can be put into the Farming Workbench to create compost. Compost in turn is used to create fertilizer. Fertilizer production is passive and runs automatically as long as compost is available.

### Meat Drop Chance

Animal and creatures drop meat based on points in hunting skill (and of course more ranks in hunter perk). Animals yield more meat with less hunting skill as opposed to creature yield. Both can reach a 100% chance. Extra parts is everything from hide, glands, up to intact body parts such as an intact head. These parts can be valuable.

* **Animal:** Brahmin, Gorilla, Mole Rat, Mongrel, Mutant Hound, Rad-rat, Radstag, Wolve, Yao Guai, Small Animal
* **Ceature:** Angler, Deathclaw, Fog Crawler, Gatorclaw, Gulper, Hermit Crab, Mirelurk Crab, Mirelurk Hunter, Mirelurk King, Mirelurk Queen, Mirelurk Spawn

### Meat Scrap

Grinding meat into ground meat always requires 1 meat scrap either animal or exotic. Meat scraps are based on size of the creature and can yield to either to 1x, 2x, 4x, 6x or even 8x meat scraps. All type of meat scraps can be grinded into ground meat, either using the Cooking Station or through Field Scrapping. Meat scraps drop from any hunting skill level.1.8.0.BETA-1:117

#### Ground Meat

Ground Meat is a type of raw meat that allow to mix different raw meats to make an edible meal. Both *Animal* and *Exotic* ground meat is crafted at the cooking station or through field scrapping and both ground meat types are used in almost every crafting recipe in the cooking station.

All ground meat recipes have their own unique output items, so that the list doesn't unsort while crafting.

Ground meat crafting table
 2x
 4x
 6x
 8x

#### Canned Dog Food

Every time the player call in a Combat Pet, dog or an animal, it requires and consumes 1 canned dog food. This item is crafted in the Cooking Station with a variety of recipes to use different meat types. 1 in Animal Friend or Attack Dog unlocks different crafting recipes. Canned dog food can be used for a vanilla dog cage which is cheaper than Horizon Guard Animals.

### Gristly Meat

Gristly meat is a random by-product of harvesting certain enemies like animals or creatures. In addition to converting it into Compost (Farming Workbench), this meat type can be used to craft Fishing Bait.

### Diseased Meat

Diseased Meat is a by-product of harvesting certain enemies like animals or creatures. The only use this meat has is to generate Compost (Farming Workbench).

## Fish

In Horizon there is the possibility to fish. To do this, the player needs either

* a Fishing Rod and Fishing Bait,
* a Fishing Trap or
* Settler Mission: Hunter (Fish).

The following fish, hierarchy by size, can be caught:

* Perch (Ground Meat Exotic x2)
* Smallmouth Bass (Ground Meat Exotic x4)
* Mutated Catfish (Ground Meat Exotic x6)

### Fishing

Fishing is inspired by RickTheNexus's fishing pole. Although it can be a very boring job in Horizon, it is helpful in the beginning, to actively improve Survival skill and get a little more food.

* **Fishing Rod** can often be found at lakes (lying on the pier or boats) or bought.
* **Fishing Bait** must be crafted in the Cooking Station (Ingredients & Tools). Gristly meat is particularly well suited for this purpose, certain crops and, to a limited extent, rotten vegetables can also be used.

### Fishing Pole

If both items are present, fishing rod and fishing bait, the player must ensure that these are also in the inventory (Pip-boy). If this is the case, after selecting the fishing bait, the rod is "connected" to it and the player then receives a "baited" fishing rod. Now the final requirement is to get in the water and use the fishing pole..

💡 **Tip:** Baited Fishing Poles can also be used with Settler Mission: Hunter (Fish).

Fishing takes 4 seconds to complete. A Text Prompt will display progress:

* Fishing ...
* You caught something/nothing.
* Fish or random Item added.

Results are either a failed attempt, or 1 of 3 types of Fish, or Junk (Tin Can, Deflated Kickball, Plastic Pumpkin, Bones, Leather Boot). Fish can be converted into Ground Meat (Exotic) in the Cooking Station. Starting chance to fish is 25%, success chance is boosted by Survival skill. Fishing gains a very small amount of 0.1 Survival skill per cast. Dynamic skill gain caps at 50 survival skill.

The condition of the fishing pole slowly degrades (randomly by 10-20% per cast) until it will finally break. There is no cooldown per cast. Baited fishing rods can be tied to a `Hotkey` and the player is able to spam that key till the baited fishing rod break.

### Fishing Trap

The Fishing Trap is a passive production service. It can be found in the Architect workshop menu (basic production). Fishing traps require fishing bait and Settler Skill: Survival 2.

### Settler Mission

Settlers can also be assigned to missions to obtain fish. To do this, the player needs pre-prepared fishing poles with bait, which must be in a workbench. In order to finally set the settlers on mission, the player still needs a Command Table and at least one Settlement Community! If all requirements are met, a Settler Mission must be started.

## Generic Food

### Moldy Food

Moldy food, despite its name, is useful for crafting Antibiotics and because of that vital to survive, if the player is short on caps. Moldy food can rarely be found in trash bins and all sort containers throughout the commonwealth. If eaten, gives parasites and has a very high risk of other diseases. Can also be used to convert to compost.

### MRE

MRE ("Meal, Ready-to-Eat") is a highly nutritious field ration. The content is pre-cooked. It is introduced by Horizon and inspired by "Fallout: New Vegas" MRE. It has a custom texture using the package mesh. MRE's are valued at 16, has no rads/disease, and can rarely be found in loot that can roll pre-war foods.

### Pre-War Food

In Horizon, none of the pre-war food items contribute to health restoration anymore. As a last resort to survive, the player can use these to quenche hunger, but chances are high risk Illness. Furthermore, the main benefit is to throw them in the compost (Farming Workbench). Certain pre-war food items also give the option to grind some meat scraps.

## Compostable Food

Almost any food item can be placed in the Farming Workbench and will automatically be converted into compost after a production cycle of 90 minutes. Compost, in turn, is converted into Fertilizer (at a rate of 20:1) after a cycle that also lasts 90 minutes. Both, compost and fertilizer, cycle run simultaneously.

Compost is important for building garden planters which in turn allow for planting on any substrate. Fertilizer instead, is important for doubling the crop production but also for a number of crafting recipes not further listed here.

📝 **Note:** Compostable items not used in any other recipe: Cotton Candy Bites, Diseased Meat, Dandy Boy Apples, Fancy Lads Snack Cakes, Potato Crisps, Rotten Fruit, etc.

## Meals

All meals (basic, common an exotic) available using the Cooking Station.

### Food Recipe Comparison

Many recipes, many items, many numbers - this simple crafting table shows the value of the ingredients and compares the actual value in caps with the value of the ingredients in caps.

## Technical Issues

🌀 *The content below transcludes to Technical Issues#Food.*
* All crafting actions in the cooking station give +0.01 Survival Skill,no distinction is made here! Technically, the player can increase survival skill by crafting and disassembling glass bottles.
* Heavily inhabited and built-up settlements that are close together can provoke a so-called display bug, food is then not displayed exactly or not directly updated in the statistics. Autoplanter which require power suffer the most. If the production is directed to a manageable container, e.g. the production storage, the attentive player can easily follow this phenomenon.
* When sleeping with 288 hunger points per day the player character will not experience periodic damage. Thus, sleeping indefinitely is possible.

## See Also

* Cooking Station
* Guide/Hunger & Thirst Management
* Guide/Settlement Building Limitations