I've played many muds that had this implemented, and never felt like it was a hassle. The ones that do it best handle it thus:
When you are hungry or thirsty, regeneration takes longer. If you are both, it compounds.
A waterskin can be filled and can keep you satiated for a journey at least.
If you choose to go hungry or thirsty for a while, nothing negative occurs to your character aside from the slower regeneration.
So - this makes it necessary to buy some food or hunt / forage some foodstuffs and fill one's waterskin (which can be done for free at a fountain, lake, etc) before going out to hunt or quest, otherwise hunger can be disregarded if we're just socializing and can't be bothered to find some food.
As an aside, it may be fun if we had a new tool: dowsing rods, for foraging for water.
When you are hungry or thirsty, regeneration takes longer. If you are both, it compounds.
A waterskin can be filled and can keep you satiated for a journey at least.
If you choose to go hungry or thirsty for a while, nothing negative occurs to your character aside from the slower regeneration.
So - this makes it necessary to buy some food or hunt / forage some foodstuffs and fill one's waterskin (which can be done for free at a fountain, lake, etc) before going out to hunt or quest, otherwise hunger can be disregarded if we're just socializing and can't be bothered to find some food.
As an aside, it may be fun if we had a new tool: dowsing rods, for foraging for water.