New Question: Does adding NOEAT reset the hunger-timer on a creature? Lets say a creature is starving, and I add NOEAT for one tick, is it still starving afterwards?
EDIT2: Tested it. It seems not to work. After the ticks run out, the creature is back to starving.
I didn't find any newer instances of NOEAT in the thread, so I assume this hasn't been answered yet.
Creatures that are 'natively' NOEAT can be given a self-targeting interaction that strips them of the tag, and when the timer runs out on the interaction-inflicted syndrome their hunger goes away. Testing on this has been somewhat wonky for me. With a lengthy three-month gap between reversion to NOEAT, I've observed a dwarf reaching the vermin-hunting stage and being able to revert back to NOEAT (though this doesn't cancel the vermin-hunting task), but then starving before they can revert a second time. This is likely because they used up all their fat stores during the first three months, and were given no opportunity to replenish themselves.
One observation made: started at ~500,000 fat, died at somewhere between 200,000 and 250,000 fat. Fat count decreased steadily most of the time, but dropped suddenly about half way through. Dwarves with NOEAT and no interactions given to them also showed the same steady decrease. Possible that the syndromed dwarf suffered an unobserved second sudden fat loss that dropped their fat store to 0. I'll need to standardise dwarven fat stores before doing any more fooling around with switching NOEAT off and on.
NODRINK is much easier to work with, as dwarves deprived of liquid will keel over at the same time regardless of their physical makeup. The following syndrome will keep a NODRINK creature running for at least a year, though they'll spend a lot of time thirsty or dehydrated and may or may not die of dehydration if the wait period elapses just as they go to sleep.
[CE_CAN_DO_INTERACTION:START:0]
[CDI:INTERACTION:DRINK_BOOZE]
[CDI:TARGET:A:SELF_ONLY]
[CDI:FREE_ACTION]
[CDI:MAX_TARGET_NUMBER:A:1]
[CDI:WAIT_PERIOD:74400]two months and six days
[CDI:ADV_NAME:Thirst for booze]
[CDI:TARGET_VERB:crave booze:craves booze]<-- remove for actual play
[INTERACTION:DRINK_BOOZE]
[I_TARGET:A:CREATURE]
[IT_LOCATION:CONTEXT_CREATURE]
[IT_REQUIRES:NO_DRINK]
[IT_REQUIRES:BLOODSUCKER]
[IT_CANNOT_HAVE_SYNDROME_CLASS:VAMPDRINK]
[I_EFFECT:ADD_SYNDROME]
[IE_TARGET:A]
[IE_IMMEDIATE]
[SYNDROME]
[SYN_NAME:requires preferred alcohol to get through the working day]
[SYN_CLASS:VAMPDRINK]
[SYN_AFFECTED_CLASS:GENERAL_POISON]
[CE_REMOVE_TAG:NO_DRINK:START:0:END:73200]two months five days
This means nothing if NODRINK can be turned on and off with no side effects, and if you knew that already.