[Suggestion]: Allow food to spoil in unloaded chunks

[Void-0000]

General Info

• [ ] I would like to propose new content
• [X] I would like to propose changes
• [ ] I would like to propose another thing

Suggestion Description

This could be done by basing spoiling on an "expiry date" instead of a timer, by storing the time the item was created and comparing it to the current time every now and again to update its status. This way, items don't need to be loaded to spoil.

Alternatively, if the current timer system has advantages I've missed (or just to simplify), storing the last timer increment time and recalculating the timers based on that whenever a chunk loads could work as well.

[Mrbysco]

If you apply the time it was created it'll make food even less stackable than it already is in the current system

[Void-0000]

Oh, that makes sense, I hadn't thought of that. What about a "rounded" creation time? If you turn up the rounding to be close to the current system's update frequency, it shouldn't affect how stackable items are, and still allow for unloaded items to spoil.

[VinterNacht]

@Mrbysco One answer to this comes with stacking. When you stack the items, they average their spoilage rate and their creation time. This usually results in a net loss of freshness, so it's a trade-off of inventory space for freshness.