CleverRaven/Cataclysm-DDA

Allow NPCs to milk cows

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#86410 opened on Apr 11, 2026

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<Suggestion / Discussion>Good First Issue[C++]

Description

Is your feature request related to a problem? Please describe.

When you bring farm animals to your camp, most of the time they will remain unmilked, because you won't have the time to milk them every day.

If a camp has NPCs, it makes sense to delegate this task to them.

Solution you would like.

Camp NPCs can be assigned "Milk animals" job.

They will take empty liquid containers (e.g. glass bottle or gallon-size zipper bag) from the freezer that is closest to the animal, pour "raw milk" into these bottles, then return filled bottles to the freezer where they took them.

Describe alternatives you have considered.

Milking machines. Refrigerated storage tank for liquids.

Additional context

No response

Contributor guide

Tech stack
cpp
Domain
backend
Issue type
feature
DifficultyEstimated implementation difficulty for a new contributor, from 1 for very small changes to 5 for expert-level work.
4
Estimated timeA rough time range for an experienced contributor to investigate, implement, test, and prepare a pull request.
3-5 days
Activity statusHow available the issue appears right now: fresh, active, stale, blocked, or waiting on maintainer input.
fresh
ClarityHow clearly the issue explains the expected change, acceptance criteria, and next step.
clear
Prerequisites
C++ programmingCataclysm DDA NPC system knowledgegame item and container mechanics
Newbie friendlinessA 1-100 score estimating how approachable this issue is for first-time contributors.
40
Research direction
Investigate existing NPC job implementations (e.g., farming, butchering) in src/activity handlers.cpp and src/npcmove.cpp. Understand how jobs are assigned and executed. Identify the data structures for liquid containers and food items. No linked PRs; the issue is fresh and unassigned.