Idea for More Cooking

[Venthari]

So as I see it, Gumbo is the best food in the game vanilla wise. The things it requires, imo, should be craftable. Honestly all the canned foods should be craftable... But it should be possible to make empty cans with Iron, then using a cooking station that has a pot, you can turn stuff into canned food. Large Beef Rations made with 20 Raw Meat, Lamb Ration with 10, Chicken Rations should be made with chicken meat, so a new meat type for that, and chicken meat would also be used to make stock along with bones and maybe chrysanthemum or goldenrod? As for the Can of Peas, that would just take adding a Pea crop to the game and it could have a similar model to Hops since peas are grown on a viny plant. What do y'all think?

 

[Riamus]

I don't think it's needed. Yes, cans are limited. I think that's a good thing. You can survive just fine off other foods. They may not fill you up as much, but it doesn't really matter. Having cans be limited helps to give variety in what you cook. When you have cans, you make the better meals. When you don't, you make the middle meals that don't require cans. I don't see any problem with that.

 

[Venthari]

True but you get far enough in the game, much like a RL survival situation, and eventually you can just do it yourself instead of having to scrounge for it. I dunno, was just a thought ^-^

 

[Kalnazzar]

So as I see it, Gumbo is the best food in the game vanilla wise. The things it requires, imo, should be craftable. Honestly all the canned foods should be craftable... But it should be possible to make empty cans with Iron, then using a cooking station that has a pot, you can turn stuff into canned food. Large Beef Rations made with 20 Raw Meat, Lamb Ration with 10, Chicken Rations should be made with chicken meat, so a new meat type for that, and chicken meat would also be used to make stock along with bones and maybe chrysanthemum or goldenrod? As for the Can of Peas, that would just take adding a Pea crop to the game and it could have a similar model to Hops since peas are grown on a viny plant. What do y'all think?

I've been thinking for a while now that the food system could really use some expansion—mainly to give players more ways to play. A great suggestion @Venthari, the idea of letting players craft canned food themselves. For example: empty cans could be made from iron, and at a cooking station with a pot, you could craft preserved foods like Large Beef Rations (using 20 raw meat), Lamb Rations (using 10), and even introduce Chicken Rations with a new type of chicken meat, which could also be used for making stock. For Peas, a new crop could be added.

That idea really lined up with something I was already thinking about—only using jars. We already have animal fat, so why not melt it into lard, which could then be used to preserve food in jars? This could work alongside a food spoilage system, making preservation and planning more meaningful. The Fun Pimps have mentioned considering a degrading system—along with durability—for weapons, armor, tools, and vehicles, where after a certain number of repairs, items would break permanently. Personally, I think these broken items should still be salvageable for parts, to keep them useful. I'd also love to see items like workstation tools (pots, beakers, anvils, etc.) and mods (like the water purifier) degrade slowly over time, needing to be replaced. They could add a new station/storage an Ice Box the fuel would be snow to slow spoilage.


To go even deeper: imagine if cooked food had quality levels, similar to how weapons, armor, and tools can vary in quality. This quality would be governed by a classic learn-by-doing skill system tied directly to cooking Garnishes or spices could enhance buffs and food satisfaction, helping you stay full longer. All of this would open the door to a deeper player economy, especially on servers with player markets—giving traders more valuable items to sell and players more reasons to buy. At the end of the day, it’s all about player freedom. Expanding food and preservation systems like this would simply give everyone more choice in how they survive.

 

[aceguy7]

Also i think a nice idea is having an extra slot on the campfire for a frying pan...for bacon and eggs or fish if they add fishing. Just a little extra step in survival to think about.

 

[Venthari]

Also i think a nice idea is having an extra slot on the campfire for a frying pan...for bacon and eggs or fish if they add fishing. Just a little extra step in survival to think about.

Especially since theyve been removing a lot of the survival aspects of the game which I am glad at the 2.0 townhall they said theyre gonna revert some of the 2.0 changes and adjust others. I want my thermal clothes back lol

@Kalnazzar What if they made the ability to can foods a like the "final perk" for getting 75/75 or even expand it to be a 100/100 and the final unlock of the cooking skill is making canned foods that way its not broken as heck early game but very helpful late game where the last thing you really want to deal with is cooking food lol

 

[Suxar]

So as I see it, Gumbo is the best food in the game vanilla wise.

I usually cook Hobo Stew. It fills you up well and the ingredients are available. You still have to carry food with you and it doesn't make much difference whether you carry 4 or 8 food, it takes up 1 slot anyway.

 

[Kalnazzar]

Especially since theyve been removing a lot of the survival aspects of the game which I am glad at the 2.0 townhall they said theyre gonna revert some of the 2.0 changes and adjust others. I want my thermal clothes back lol

@Kalnazzar What if they made the ability to can foods a like the "final perk" for getting 75/75 or even expand it to be a 100/100 and the final unlock of the cooking skill is making canned foods that way its not broken as heck early game but very helpful late game where the last thing you really want to deal with is cooking food lol

So what I mentioned to you was just a small piece of the cooking improvements I think could really enhance the system—especially for players who enjoy being the dedicated cook for their group or party. In my proposed hybrid system, all crafted food and drinks would have 3 quality levels, just like our weapons, armor, and tools. Unlocking new food and drink recipes would still use the current “Learn by Reading” method, which works well. But your actual effectiveness—like yield, quality, and efficiency—should come from a skill-based system: “Learn by Doing.”

I go into more detail in my main post:

Player Choice Is the Heart of a Sandbox Game

With this hybrid structure, cooking perks currently under the new “General” tab in 2.0 would be reworked and spread across key Cooking Skill milestones—like level 10, 30, 50, 70, and 100—unlocking passive improvements and higher food quality tiers. On top of that, additional milestones (like 25, 50, 75, and 100) would unlock Techniques—special passive skills earned through practice.
Technique: Culinary Efficiency
Unlocked at: Cooking Skill Level 75
Description: Your mastery in the kitchen has taught you how to stretch every ingredient to its fullest. Through careful preparation, portioning, and flavor balancing, nothing goes to waste.
Effect:

• Passive: When cooking meals at a workstation, you gain a small chance to craft +1 extra portion of the dish (without using additional ingredients).

• Rare bonus: On very rare occasions, you’ll produce +2 extra portions, maximizing the yield of your hard-earned food.

Flavor Text:
“A skilled chef doesn’t just cook—they honor every scrap, every ounce, and every flavor.”

At level 100, we could even unlock a Food Preservation Technique, letting you extend the shelf life of meals or even jar/preserve them in batches—tying in beautifully with the idea of making canned food a high-tier late-game perk.

This system keeps cooking fun, useful, and scalable—and most importantly, it gives players a reason to engage with the system over time instead of skipping it entirely or relying solely on vending machines. Let players who love cooking become masters of the craft—not just by reading magazines, but by actually cooking.

 

[YourMirror]