Strange turn 12 ending

[Keybounce]

If the colony has no Food MULEs installed and there is neither Food in the store nor any of the players' storage, the game immediately ends with the message: "The Colony failed due to a complete lack of Food!"

So ... Lets say you've got food up to really high prices on turn 11. On turn 12, everyone stops producing food.

At the end of turn 12, there is one food in the player supply, none in the store, no food mules, and the price falls to nothing (need = 0, supply = 1).

But in that same game, if I had not had a spare food left over, would we have ended turn 12, with zero food needed, but no food mules and no food in storage for a colony death?

[dynadan]

I believe turn 12 is exempt from surprise no food ending.  I think it's because there is no demand.  I don't have any definite evidence, but it seems like a fairly common situation as everyone usually switches their food plots to energy for round 12.

[friendman]

So every turn 12 you don't need food, just because it is the last turn? Should you always switch your food production to something else on the last turn?  I thought it was always good to keep a lot of food just in case.

[Chuckie Chuck]

I make my plots whatever will most likely have the highest value in round 12 (usually crystite, but potentially energy or smithore, never food)  Course river plots would have to be energy or food still, and if they are base value last round, keep it food, but if energy is short, go energy all the way.  My last win was 50/50 crystite and energy last round, and energy went high, crystite hit the toilet.  I won the game (by only 51 points) but I won.

[MuleyMan]

To me, food dying on rd 12 is a bug!  Was NOT like this in original and games could be won with food on rd 12!
I know if the formula price for food on rd 12 was like previous rds, it would make for more variety in the endgame strategy.  LOT's more variety.
As it is now, everyone dumps food on last round since the highest price will be 43.