Our survival elements were, in a word, lacking. Since we are making a survival games this was quite a problem. So we decided to add more survival mechanics to Sierra Madre! We have divided food and water into two categories: edible/potable and inedible/non-potable. When you collect food from animals or collect water from streams or lakes it is not safe to drink or eat. You can eat or drink it, but you might fall ill and loose some of health after eating or drinking it. The effects of consuming unsafe water or food are not immediately felt. It might be an hour before these effects are felt.
So if the basic food and water that is collected is now unsafe how do you go about surviving? With fire!
The camp fire is a new tool that can be used to sterilize food and water. The camp fire can be placed at any time and most anywhere. Once a camp fire has been placed you must add wood to it and light it (wood can be gathered around the map or bought from trading posts). Once the fire is lit you can add food and water to be sterilized. The food and water will cook for a certain amount of time and will be automatically added to your inventory once cooked.
What do y'all think?