📜 Recipe Engineering Guide (config/recipes.lua)

Every recipe in the compendium supports detailed historical lore, level locks, job restrictions, custom animations, and ingredient alternatives.

---

📋 Complete Recipe Field Reference

Parameter	Type	Description
title	string	Display name of the item in the compendium.
subtitle	string	Historical subtext / description line.
description	string	Detailed lore text displayed in the recipe sidebar.
category	string	Compendium category ('food', 'saloon', 'smithing', 'moonshine', 'supplies', 'criminal').
image	string	Preview icon image located in ui/img/ or native inventory name.
craftTime	number	Active hand-crafting duration in seconds.
queueTime	number	Background asynchronous station brewing duration in seconds.
requiredLevel	number	Minimum trade / outlaw level required to craft (1 to 10).
xp	number	Experience points awarded upon successful craft.
jobs	table|number	0 for all players, or table of allowed jobs { 'saloon', 'bartender' }.
stations	table|number	0 for anywhere, or table of allowed station IDs { 'criminal_thieves' }.
materials	table	List of consumed ingredient items (item, amount, take, alternatives).
output	table	List of rewarded items (item, amount).
type	string	'item' or 'weapon'.
animation	string	Key from Config.Animations executed during workbench crafting.
campfireAnimation	string	Key from Config.Animations executed when crafted at a campfire.

---

🍖 Example 1: Campfire Trail Ration Recipe

Config.Recipes['venison_roasted'] = {
    title             = 'Roasted Venison',
    subtitle          = 'Cooked over hardwood coals',
    description       = 'Tender deer venison steak seasoned with salt over slow burning coals.',
    category          = 'food',
    image             = 'items/cooked_meat.png',
    craftTime         = 5,
    queueTime         = 30,
    requiredLevel     = 1,
    xp                = 15,
    jobs              = 0,
    stations          = 0,
    materials         = {
        { item = 'meat', amount = 1 },
        { item = 'salt', amount = 1 },
    },
    output            = {
        { item = 'cooked_meat', amount = 1 },
    },
    type              = 'item',
    campfireAnimation = 'knifecooking', -- Holds meat and knife over fire
}

---

🧨 Example 2: Location-Locked Outlaw Explosive

Only craftable at the secret Thieves Landing Outlaw Cache:

Config.Recipes['dynamite_stick'] = {
    title         = 'Blasting Dynamite Stick',
    subtitle      = 'Nitroglycerin wrapped in sawdust paper',
    description   = 'Frontier explosive charge engineered for bank vaults and quarry boulders.',
    category      = 'criminal',
    image         = 'items/dynamite.png',
    craftTime     = 12,
    queueTime     = 45,
    requiredLevel = 3,
    xp            = 40,
    jobs          = 0,
    stations      = { 'criminal_thieves' }, -- Strictly exclusive to Thieves Landing Cache!
    materials     = {
        { item = 'gunpowder', amount = 2 },
        { item = 'paper',     amount = 1 },
    },
    output        = {
        { item = 'dynamite', amount = 1 },
    },
    type          = 'item',
    animation     = 'craft',
}

---

🔄 Ingredient Alternatives

Allow players to substitute different herbs or meats for the same recipe:

materials = {
    {
        item = 'wild_mint',
        amount = 1,
        alternatives = { 'oregano', 'thyme' } -- Accepts mint, oregano, or thyme
    }
}