[Suggestion] Feedback: Animal Hunger & Thirst Mechanics
With the Genetics and Husbandry update, animal care is clearly intended to be a meaningful playstyle. However, tamed animals currently cannot die from starvation or dehydration, while prospectors can. This inconsistency weakens immersion and reduces husbandry to optional maintenance rather than meaningful survival gameplay.
Many players simply do not feed or water their animals because there is no real consequence. If animals could eventually die from neglect (with generous time windows), feeding and watering would become intentional survival decisions instead of optional chores.
Adding starvation and dehydration as eventual failure states would better align the mechanics with the survival focus of Icarus and reinforce the purpose of the Genetics and Husbandry systems.
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11 Mar
EventideHighlighted comment
But now I go out on a mission, leaving 8 tames/mounts with some food and forget about them for too long. When I come back, my base is wrecked? All my farm animals are 'missing' and presumed eaten? Players are going to complain in the forums: be careful what you wish for ;) -
24 Feb
TidalbladeInstead of starvation killing tamed animals outright, consider having neglected animals lose taming and revert to semi-wild behavior. Hungry animals could wander away, become aggressive, or attack nearby livestock rather than simply dying. This preserves realism and consequences while avoiding permanent loss of high-level or genetically valuable animals. Players would still need to manage their herds, but neglected animals remain recoverable through retaming. This approach fits natural animal behavior better than instant death and supports Mendel breeding by protecting long-term investment while still discouraging neglect.
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27 Feb
ZuckerjuleDomesticated animals shouldn't die from neglect. Let's look at reality: a neglected cat or dog would run away and find something to do, become more aggressive, and might even attack the chickens. Animals might also become less able in their natural abilities. I could more easily imagine that than letting everything die immediately.
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24 Mar
TaiPlease no especially with the shitty new food system. It's so hard to keep a group of animals fed in single player and be able to do things. I can't just send them up to orbit on Elysium. It's just a loss of progress at that point because it's a pain in the ass to get them leveled up and a big loss if a more rare pet/mount dies like raptors or slinkers.