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[Urdothor]

I was curious whether the [GRAZER] and [STANDARD_GRAZER] tags could be applied to members of a civilization, and what result it would have. Finding no relevant information online I threw the [STANDARD_GRAZER] tag onto the dwarfs and started up a new fortress.

It appears to have functioned properly, more or less, as they begin starving when stuck underground, without grasses. While grazing would temporarily solve the food issues of a fortress, it brings up bigger issues for an overseer, such as the speed one can grow grasses underground for a  large cave adapted civilization, and whether one can protect their underlings(dwarf or otherwise) from attacking creatures whilst out in the open.

So, that appears to answer a question no one but me was asking. It is certainly an interesting method of play to say the least.

Edit: A large population of dwarfs strips a large section of grass bare very quickly. More than once I've been forced to send everyone outside, risking attacks from animals and sieges. It's been Fun.

[Rydel]

That seems like it could work with a civilization designed to live above ground.  Are they able to also eat food normally?

The image of hundreds of dwarves grazing in the field amuses me to no end.

[Sheb]

Do they go and find grass when they're hungry?

[Urdothor]

That seems like it could work with a civilization designed to live above ground.  Are they able to also eat food normally?

The image of hundreds of dwarves grazing in the field amuses me to no end.

No, unfortunately. Perhaps additional tags would give them more variety of diet?
Edit: Or the ability to make an alcohol that cures their hunger, in place of regular food?

Do they go and find grass when they're hungry?

Also a no, but when not tasked with a job, or hungry/thirsty, they seek a meeting area, so I set mine up outside, and then in a large underground pasture.

I have noticed that when doing jobs outside, hauling, chopping wood, they appear to take the time to eat, without any noticeable stopping.

There is the issue of the spamming of the "Give food" job failing though...

[Meph]

Oh, thats awesome. The last time I tried that, it didnt quite work out.

No, wait, I tried SPECIFIC_FOOD like the pandas have. A grazing civ... mh, thats new.

[Urdothor]

Oh, thats awesome. The last time I tried that, it didnt quite work out.

No, wait, I tried SPECIFIC_FOOD like the pandas have. A grazing civ... mh, thats new.

It's got a unique feel too it. It has some issues for the modder to iron out, of course. But it's working well so far, unless everyone has been eating vermin remains while I wasn't looking.
Should check a little closer at the actually...

They went from hungry to fine when I sent them outside earlier, but they only hunt vermin when starving. So, it appears it is indeed working.

[Meph]

Imagine: Insect civ, first born are maggots/larvae. They graze, and depending on which grass (surface, cavern 1, 2 or 3) they transform/get boosts into their adult insect form. The deeper/rarer the grass is, the more badass they get. Embark on GOOD region, get magical healing insects, embark on an EVIL region, get scythe-armed bloodthirsty insects.

[Urdothor]

Imagine: Insect civ, first born are maggots/larvae. They graze, and depending on which grass (surface, cavern 1, 2 or 3) they transform/get boosts into their adult insect form. The deeper/rarer the grass is, the more badass they get. Embark on GOOD region, get magical healing insects, embark on an EVIL region, get scythe-armed bloodthirsty insects.

I literally just had a similar idea using boosts, because I remembered syndrome grass was a thing.

I was also considering the occasional rare negative grass type as well, to equal out their general ease of access to food. Something that causes [OPPOSED_TO_LIFE] or something equally bothersome.

[Meph]

I have that in evil grass in my mod, it makes grazers a really bad idea. ^^

[Urdothor]

I have that in evil grass in my mod, it makes grazers a really bad idea. ^^

A very bad idea indeed. Perhaps, to make it worse, and more confusing, make a large portion of the population immune to its effects, so they don't know to avoid it.

[IndigoFenix]

What happens if you give them both GRAZER and also make them hunt and eat vermin?  (You need to add GOBBLES_VERMIN_CLASS:GENERAL_POISON for this, otherwise they will simply kill vermin but not eat it).  This might let them use vermin as an alternate food source.  It might mess with idle behavior though.

[Urdothor]

What happens if you give them both GRAZER and also make them hunt and eat vermin?  (You need to add GOBBLES_VERMIN_CLASS:GENERAL_POISON for this, otherwise they will simply kill vermin but not eat it).  This might let them use vermin as an alternate food source.  It might mess with idle behavior though.

Just what we needed, more cats.  I'll try it out a bit later when I'm testing the vermin-y related stuff I had planned, like whether a vermin can also be a vermin hunter, among other things.

[Bearskie]

 This thread suggests that grazers simply counts down the hunger ticker. Do they still eat regular food if they're hungry? If yes then it wont exactly be a huge change in gameplay, just the added ability to subsist off grass.

Like mentioned earlier, it would be quite a neat way to introduce environmental syndrome effects without resorting to very obvious regional interactions though. Just slap on a very low grazer value, and have them secretly munch on syndrome grass.

[Urdothor]

-snip-

Where did you find that thread? I literally looked everywhere and found nothing on the subject. I appear to have missed something somehow.

To add to this, I've found that they will not subsist on normal food, that I've noticed, as they refused to go near my available food when stuck underground.
I've noticed a similar thing to the hunger counter. I believe the amount of ticks reduced by grass is not 100,000 hunger ticks as given by the thread, but based on creature size in my case, using standard grazer. They don't eat an enormous amount, leading to hunger not being much issue, but that could obviously be changed to force far more feedings.

[AceSV]

I've got a grazer civ in Furry Fortress 2, the gazeal.  I haven't done much research on them, but I've found as you have that they do not seek out food, but fill their bellies whenever grass is underfoot.  It makes for an interesting engineering challenge to irrigate all of your heavy traffic areas.  Actually, I don't think I've tried them since the taverns were implemented.  I'll have to give that a shot sometime.