Functional Crop Processing: The Juicing Mechanic

I propose adding a system to process crops into juice for better efficiency and inventory management. This is a purely physical mechanic with no magical or potion-related elements.

1. The Tool: Mechanical Press

A simple block crafted from wood and iron. It is used to compress crops into a liquid form.

Input: Fruits or vegetables (Apples, Berries, Beets, Carrots).

Output: Juice.

Logic: 4-5 raw items are condensed into 1 bottle/waterskin of juice.

2. The Purpose: Nutritional Density

Juice does not provide "powers." It simply provides high saturation in a short time.

Efficiency: Drinking juice restores the same amount of hunger as the 5 raw items used to make it, but in a single, fast animation.

Use Case: This is critical for survival in high-pressure situations (caving, combat) where you don't have time to eat multiple raw vegetables one by one.

3. Containers: Leather Waterskins

To avoid reliance on glass, players can craft Leather Waterskins (Leather + String). These are durable, realistic containers for carrying juice or birch sap during long expeditions.

4. Birch Tapping:

Birch trees should produce sap through an iron tap. This is a direct, natural source of hydration and calories that requires no processing, making Birch forests strategically valuable for survival.

5. Realistic Constraints:

Items like Potatoes cannot be juiced, as they require heat (cooking) to be edible. This encourages "Nature Literacy"—knowing which crops are for eating and which are for processing.