Happiness and Needs Guide

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This guide explains how to keep companions stable and breeding-ready.

Why This Matters

• Needs and happiness are core progression gates.
• If needs drop too low, happiness suffers.
• Low happiness blocks breeding and slows long-term line improvement.
• In the near future, animals will be able to die from starvation and dehydration.
  • But you will be able to turn that off if you wish.

Default Need Decay

• Hunger: 1 per minute
• Thirst: 1.3 per minute

These values add up quickly on larger farms or mixed Beast/livestock setups.

Keeping Needs Stable

1. Keep accessible water sources inside enclosures.
2. Keep the species' preferred food accessible in storage inside enclosures.
3. Keep pathing clear so companions can actually reach food/water.
4. Avoid overcrowding in one pen.

Feed trough note:

• Feed trough water charges can be consumed for hydration and refilled with water buckets.
• Troughs are useful in enclosed pens where natural water access is awkward.
• Feed crafting and generic feed happiness notes: Feed Items
• Trough mechanics and bucket refill details: Feed Trough

See food preferences here:

• Animal Taming Reference
• Beast Taming Reference

Happiness and Breeding

• Breeding checks include a happiness gate (commonly 70 in current configs).
• Pair matching will fail if happiness is too low.
• Stable care loops (food, water, safe enclosure, low stress) keep breeding cadence predictable.

See breeding timings and cooldown behavior:

• Breeding and Growth Guide

Fast Checklist

1. Food available and in range.
2. Water available and reachable.
3. No obvious enclosure/pathing block.
4. Companion is tamed, adult, and not in combat/sleep when breeding is expected.

[Screenshot Placeholder: Companion panel with stable hunger, thirst, and happiness] [Screenshot Placeholder: Food chest + water source layout that supports continuous care]