Carnivore animals should protect their kills.
Bears, Wolves, etc add a lot of atmosphere by hunting and leaving prey carcasses, however, they don't eat everything fully. They'll often wander away after only a single meal, and don't seem to care if your pawns move close to them. Carnivores should remain close close to their kills, and attack pawns who get close; similar to the Manhunter mechanic, but only within a certain radius of the killed animal.
Animals should have cubs, pups which follow the adults. The same system that allows tamed animals to follow pawns should have young animals follow adult animals. Adult bears should be more likely in the Spring-time to have 1-2 bear cubs, and those adult bears should be aggressive to anyone moving close to those cubs. Wolves and other pack animals should have 1-3 adult wolves following a single Alpha wolf. Possibly, the Wildness of each animal increases as it gets older, so capturing young pups and taming them becomes a useful skill.
Carnivore Animals should make sounds.
1.0 adds a lot of tools so the user knows what carnivores are around, and when a carnivore is hunting a pawn, and that's awesome. A sound file of a Wolf Howling, or Lion roaring, or a fox...doing whatever a fox does, could give similar indications to the user.
Animal Locations should be micro-terrain dependent.
IRL, animals will congregate around water holes, or change they behavior at different times of day. Animals should have desired areas, and change based on time of day. At some point, the animal switches from a sleeping area with no restrictions, to moving within a radius of water, with preference being given to moving water.
Item 'Fetch' Quests should also be used as a Visitor mechanic.
Quests are currently given by factions, and the player receives items, good will, etc by completing the terms of the mission. This should also be used by visitors to the player's faction, and near identical except for there being no required travel.
"8 travellers from the Blue Danube faction have arrived and request 16 Meals, and 8 beds for the night. They offer you X, Y, Z."
"2 ranchers have arrived and request to purchase 3 Muffalo. They offer 3 Smokeweed and 50 silver."
"5 tribal warriors appear and demand 9 firearms. They offer XYZ in trade. They may attack if not appeased."
"9 Soldiers from the Blue Danube faction appear on the outskirts of your settlement, they are heavily armed make no moves to attack. They are sending a envoy to make a demand. They appear to know your prisoner, and wish to offer a ransom." (Similar to trading caravan, except a different composition, area they stay in, and different actions for the 'leader'.)
"A local faction requests your assistance defending their settlement from a raid. They are a farming settlement 0.8 days travel away, and are unable to meet the tribute demands of a ronin warlord. They are a settlement of 15 pawns and have wood, stone and steel resources, but have no experience building defenses or crafting weapons. They request seven of your magnificent warriors to assist them build defenses, craft weapons, and fight. The warlord will return on Day XYZ." (The Player/Raid/Ally mechanic already exists, but instead of defending the player settlement, the player defends another allied settlement. There should be a known day for the attack, but with the player able to show up before hand to prepare. 7 Samurai/Magnificent 7 style.)
Bears, Wolves, etc add a lot of atmosphere by hunting and leaving prey carcasses, however, they don't eat everything fully. They'll often wander away after only a single meal, and don't seem to care if your pawns move close to them. Carnivores should remain close close to their kills, and attack pawns who get close; similar to the Manhunter mechanic, but only within a certain radius of the killed animal.
Animals should have cubs, pups which follow the adults. The same system that allows tamed animals to follow pawns should have young animals follow adult animals. Adult bears should be more likely in the Spring-time to have 1-2 bear cubs, and those adult bears should be aggressive to anyone moving close to those cubs. Wolves and other pack animals should have 1-3 adult wolves following a single Alpha wolf. Possibly, the Wildness of each animal increases as it gets older, so capturing young pups and taming them becomes a useful skill.
Carnivore Animals should make sounds.
1.0 adds a lot of tools so the user knows what carnivores are around, and when a carnivore is hunting a pawn, and that's awesome. A sound file of a Wolf Howling, or Lion roaring, or a fox...doing whatever a fox does, could give similar indications to the user.
Animal Locations should be micro-terrain dependent.
IRL, animals will congregate around water holes, or change they behavior at different times of day. Animals should have desired areas, and change based on time of day. At some point, the animal switches from a sleeping area with no restrictions, to moving within a radius of water, with preference being given to moving water.
Item 'Fetch' Quests should also be used as a Visitor mechanic.
Quests are currently given by factions, and the player receives items, good will, etc by completing the terms of the mission. This should also be used by visitors to the player's faction, and near identical except for there being no required travel.
"8 travellers from the Blue Danube faction have arrived and request 16 Meals, and 8 beds for the night. They offer you X, Y, Z."
"2 ranchers have arrived and request to purchase 3 Muffalo. They offer 3 Smokeweed and 50 silver."
"5 tribal warriors appear and demand 9 firearms. They offer XYZ in trade. They may attack if not appeased."
"9 Soldiers from the Blue Danube faction appear on the outskirts of your settlement, they are heavily armed make no moves to attack. They are sending a envoy to make a demand. They appear to know your prisoner, and wish to offer a ransom." (Similar to trading caravan, except a different composition, area they stay in, and different actions for the 'leader'.)
"A local faction requests your assistance defending their settlement from a raid. They are a farming settlement 0.8 days travel away, and are unable to meet the tribute demands of a ronin warlord. They are a settlement of 15 pawns and have wood, stone and steel resources, but have no experience building defenses or crafting weapons. They request seven of your magnificent warriors to assist them build defenses, craft weapons, and fight. The warlord will return on Day XYZ." (The Player/Raid/Ally mechanic already exists, but instead of defending the player settlement, the player defends another allied settlement. There should be a known day for the attack, but with the player able to show up before hand to prepare. 7 Samurai/Magnificent 7 style.)