# How does NPC butchery work?

**URL:** <https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/how-does-npc-butchery-work/22654>\
**Category:** The Bunker\
**Created:** [February 2, 2020, 4:00am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/how-does-npc-butchery-work/22654 "2020-02-02T04:00:02Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 16\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![hydroplatypus](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/hydroplatypus/32/4070_2.png) [@hydroplatypus](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/hydroplatypus)\
**Post date:** [February 2, 2020, 4:00am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/how-does-npc-butchery-work/22654/1 "2020-02-02T04:00:02Z")

</div>

Have a faction camp set up, and I’m not super familiar with how things work. Have a bunch of corpses that would take a while to butcher, so I thought that I could just assign an NPC to work on the camp, with the butchery job. Seemed to be an option in the assign to work at camp dialogue option that will do exactly that. However they don’t seem to be doing that.

I suspect I have something set up wrong. Do the corpses need to be in a particular zone to be regognized? Is there some other prerequisite that needs to be done before things happen?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![GiggleGrassGatherer](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/gigglegrassgatherer/32/7743_2.png) [@GiggleGrassGatherer](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/GiggleGrassGatherer)\
**Post date:** [February 2, 2020, 4:03am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/how-does-npc-butchery-work/22654/2 "2020-02-02T04:03:49Z")

</div>

Currently, the easiest way to deal with it is to give NPC butchering implements and just set him to work directly (your activities -\> butcher nearby corpses).

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![hydroplatypus](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/hydroplatypus/32/4070_2.png) [@hydroplatypus](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/hydroplatypus)\
**Post date:** [February 2, 2020, 4:06am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/how-does-npc-butchery-work/22654/3 "2020-02-02T04:06:09Z")

</div>

When I try that, the NPC just starts following me around. Is there a way to do that without them following me as I do other things (therefore putting them out of the range of butcherable corpses)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![hydroplatypus](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/hydroplatypus/32/4070_2.png) [@hydroplatypus](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/hydroplatypus)\
**Post date:** [February 2, 2020, 4:08am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/how-does-npc-butchery-work/22654/4 "2020-02-02T04:08:25Z")

</div>

Nevermind, it was because they did not have a knife on their person, so they could not butcher things. that makes the your activities -\> butcher nearby corpses work properly.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Valase](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/valase/32/6972_2.png) [@Valase](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Valase)\
**Post date:** [February 2, 2020, 5:36am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/how-does-npc-butchery-work/22654/5 "2020-02-02T05:36:35Z")

</div>

For a correct camp setup, please take a look at this checklist:

> [@Basecamp - what do I need to make butchering job actually work?](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/basecamp-what-do-i-need-to-make-butchering-job-actually-work/22565/3):
>
> 1. make sure the corpses are in a corpse loot zone, thats where the NPC searches for corpses.
> 2. make sure the NPC has a butchering implement in their inventory or there is a loot zone with a butchering implement inside it nearby ( within 60 tiles )
> 3. if the corpse is big, then they will also need a butchering rack, and a hacksaw.
> 4. if its dark, then they cant do the task.
> 5. as Valase also said - Im not entirely sure if the NPC can path on top of the rack, so might be worth putting the corpse loot zone adjacent to it.

Also, not sure if needed, but place a table (or other flat surface) next to the butchering rack.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![hydroplatypus](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/hydroplatypus/32/4070_2.png) [@hydroplatypus](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/hydroplatypus)\
**Post date:** [February 4, 2020, 3:14am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/how-does-npc-butchery-work/22654/6 "2020-02-04T03:14:23Z")

</div>

Currently have all of the above done, with knife, hacksaw, butchery rack, table, and corpse storage zone. Atomic lamp too so there’s always light. Still the assigned worker seems to be doing nothing when assigned to basecamp butchery.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![kevin.granade](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/kevin.granade/32/1316_2.png) [@kevin.granade](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/kevin.granade)\
**Post date:** [February 4, 2020, 3:31am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/how-does-npc-butchery-work/22654/7 "2020-02-04T03:31:32Z")

</div>

Pretty much the same as any other medium sized animal, you need a flat surface to work on, a knife for cutting skin and flesh, and hacksaw for bones.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![hydroplatypus](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/hydroplatypus/32/4070_2.png) [@hydroplatypus](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/hydroplatypus)\
**Post date:** [February 4, 2020, 3:53am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/how-does-npc-butchery-work/22654/8 "2020-02-04T03:53:05Z")

</div>

Turned out that NPC will intermittently butcher if I put a table nearby - apparently a counter does not count as a flat surface - but detection seems intermittent. They butchered an otter, but missed the wolf on the same tile. Does the hacksaw need to be in their inventory, or is having it in either an adjacent tile or zone work too? Or is there something else needed for larger animals? i’ve got the knife and hacksaw, but struggle to figure out what else they might need.

Edit: some quick testing tells me that putting the hacksaw in their inventory does not help.  
Edit: additionally it keeps telling me that the butchery NPC has finished their task, when there is clearly a non-butchered corpse nearby.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Trigon](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/trigon/32/2668_2.png) [@Trigon](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Trigon)\
**Post date:** [February 4, 2020, 7:19am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/how-does-npc-butchery-work/22654/9 "2020-02-04T07:19:55Z")

</div>

Knife, hacksaw, table, and butchery rack should really be everything you need since the tools are in their inventory. You could lay out a leather tarp/fiber mat/plastic sheet and see if that works better than the table.

None of the corpses are rotten are they? I don’t know why that would make a difference but could be worth checking out.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Valase](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/valase/32/6972_2.png) [@Valase](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Valase)\
**Post date:** [February 4, 2020, 12:49pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/how-does-npc-butchery-work/22654/10 "2020-02-04T12:49:34Z")

</div>

I’m out of ideas… Maybe throw in a fine cutting tool for good measure?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![dpwb](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/dpwb/32/2609_2.png) [@dpwb](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/dpwb)\
**Post date:** [February 4, 2020, 3:22pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/how-does-npc-butchery-work/22654/11 "2020-02-04T15:22:13Z")

</div>

throw up a savegame, and ill find out whats wrong with it, I added the NPC butchery task to the game, and if theres anything weird happening, I should be able to find out and fix it.

And if its not a bug, then when [https://github.com/CleverRaven/Cataclysm-DDA/pull/37300](https://github.com/CleverRaven/Cataclysm-DDA/pull/37300) is merged, the player will have far less confusion in cases such as this.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![hydroplatypus](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/hydroplatypus/32/4070_2.png) [@hydroplatypus](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/hydroplatypus)\
**Post date:** [February 8, 2020, 12:03am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/how-does-npc-butchery-work/22654/12 "2020-02-08T00:03:53Z")

</div>

I don’t know what changed, but after updating the game it seems to be working now.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![ThinkSome](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/278dde/32.png) [@ThinkSome](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/ThinkSome)\
**Post date:** [January 21, 2021, 8:33am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/how-does-npc-butchery-work/22654/13 "2021-01-21T08:33:16Z")

</div>

Does anyone know how to rescue the 5 commits from @dpwb’s (?) pull request off of GitHub? The UI shows me the differences, but does not offer me a way to download them. I cannot add the source repository to remotes as it no longer exists, presumably because @dpwb deleted their GitHub account.

I am having trouble getting NPC butchery to work, as the NPC completes their task without telling me why. I have added about a dozen prints to no avail.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![anothersimulacrum](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/anothersimulacrum/32/10770_2.png) [@anothersimulacrum](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/anothersimulacrum)\
**Post date:** [January 21, 2021, 2:52pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/how-does-npc-butchery-work/22654/14 "2021-01-21T14:52:27Z")

</div>

Have an remote corresponding to the cleverraven repo called `upstream`, then

```auto
git fetch upstream pull/37300/head:local_branch

```

Or just append `.patch` to the end of the URL, and you can then save it (and apply it) as a patch.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![ThinkSome](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/278dde/32.png) [@ThinkSome](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/ThinkSome)\
**Post date:** [January 22, 2021, 12:58pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/how-does-npc-butchery-work/22654/15 "2021-01-22T12:58:07Z")

</div>

I did some rebasing and … well… there’s 1500 lines of errors in compile and my motivation to continue has dropped to 0. Probably adding printfs all over the place will be easier in the short run.

EDIT: I have a butchering rack with a fresh bruised zombie corpse on it, a table 2 tiles north and butchering kit, hacksaw (sawing), grappling hook(rope) in between these. There’s a tree right next to the butchering rack. The NPC, upon told to butcher any corpses, proceeds to move 35 tiles north west (into a vehicle deconstruct zone) and tells me that it has completed assigned task. I double checked that its assigned task is actually butchering by asking it talk-\>d-\>h-\>a.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![ThinkSome](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/278dde/32.png) [@ThinkSome](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/ThinkSome)\
**Post date:** [January 22, 2021, 1:32pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/how-does-npc-butchery-work/22654/16 "2021-01-22T13:32:03Z")

</div>

Addendum: when asked what it is doing while moving away from corpse, the NPC responds by “I’m tidying up”.