Well summarised
And, going back to a theoretical situation, if this discussion was taking place a year earlier?
I would still vote against eating/sleeping mechanics, because I don't think it adds to immersion, as it side-tracks you from the focus of the game, and I don't think it adds to realism because finding food in games tends to involve chests in crypts, or garbage cans. And, as a purely personal preference, I would have prefered them to spend the development effort elsewhere.
However, if we'd found out that the developers had decided to include it, optional or mandatory, I would not have suggested they remove it.
And, going back to a theoretical situation, if this discussion was taking place a year earlier?
I would still vote against eating/sleeping mechanics, because I don't think it adds to immersion, as it side-tracks you from the focus of the game, and I don't think it adds to realism because finding food in games tends to involve chests in crypts, or garbage cans. And, as a purely personal preference, I would have prefered them to spend the development effort elsewhere.
However, if we'd found out that the developers had decided to include it, optional or mandatory, I would not have suggested they remove it.