[A15] CK - Animal & Plant Pack v1.3.1 (11/04/16)

[Coercion]

to add to kaptain's post above, if this was placed by a crop zone, it would be a type of grass or ground cover, such as common bahia (instead of trampled earth), that is basically free to plant and lives a very long time. It could also be locked behind a cheap research (sod farming) and provide a resource similiar to hay after a very long growth period.

Once again though, this would be added mainly as a compromise to prevent future plant growth in specific areas of the rainforest (without using too much work or resources).

[Seinne]

I like the idea of the flattened area as a floor. I would do that around every building I have, since I already cheat in a 2 block wide paved area so I can see my doors and paths anyway. But how about adding a "worn path" tile instead of just trampled vegetation.

Or, not sure is it's possible, but could you tie in the cleaners ability to hunt down every last spec of dust, and have them maintain a sprout free environment? Basically a plant cutting version of the cleaners skill?

[Coercion]

@Seinne: thanks for the feedback

If this is added as a floor (not a crop), it may be added as "trampled earth" without vegetation, because (a) it would not behave like other plants (e.g. not edible by animals, infinite lifespan, placed with construction skill, not need sunlight, etc.) and (b) it would be allowed anywhere, including places without existing vegetation (e.g. caves, stone tiles, dirt tiles, etc.) Is there a reason that you would prefer constructing a floor over placing a crop zone? Is there a reason that you would prefer "trampled earth" over vegetation?

While a good idea, I think that modifying the plant cutting mechanics is out of the scope of this mod.

[Seinne]

Well, when I saw your picture above of the suggested fix, I liked it, that's probably how villages look in a jungle when they start. But then my mind jumped to...well they look like that at first but after awhile wherever you go gets worn and nothing grows there, ala a path.

Every jungle movie you've ever seen has paths that are worn into the ground (that probably should have grown back eons ago) with vegetation growing along the sides of it.

I was thinking a brown tile with a hint of grass spouts in it randomly, with a speed bonus slightly less than paved stone.

[Coercion]

A crop zone will allow small plants (weeds) or grass to be displayed over the exsiting ground tile (e.g. dirt) unlike a floor tile (which replaces the floor texture completly). We may be able to create different growing stages for plants (i.e. texture changes to show change overtime) in a crop zone as well. We can use multiple textures that would be randomly selected and patchworked together to create a more natural look for plants or paths when using a crop zone. Also, this will be available in every biome, so floor tiles that do not match the rainforest may clutter other playthroughs. Just some things to think about.

I think that a floor tile requiring no work and no resources, but providing other bonuses is overpowered. So, either way, the solution will provide no speed bonus or beauty bonus. With that said, it will remove the movement penalty of the rainforest plants (allowing pawns to move faster).

[Tammabanana]

Every jungle movie you've ever seen has paths that are worn into the ground (that probably should have grown back eons ago) with vegetation growing along the sides of it.

IRL, empty paths through vegetation stay clear only for as long as humans/large animals are using them. Within a few months they'll start sprouting mostly weeds, and a few saplings. If the saplings don't get broken by passing creatures or deliberately cut, your path will be gone when the saplings get big enough.

A crop zone would allow for that kind of constant maintenance, I think, and if you wanted something more permanent, you could lay an existing floor over it. Assuming that the vegetation in the crop zone would take less work to clear than most other rainforest weeds?

[Seinne]

sounds good the way you explain it. I have no idea ow to mod, or what's possible, but my head is full of ideas.

[Coercion]

this is my in game vision of how the grass/ ground cover would work as a crop field:

1. the player draws a crop zone over the area(s) that the player wants cleared.
2. pawns assigned to growing will clear the tain forest plants in this area and then proceed to plant no-work (instant) ground cover. [forbid the zone to ignore it]
* other pawns could help clear with the plant cut order
3. after a very long period of time the plants may be able to change (or get bigger), show weed growth and eventually die (disapear)
* the plants would randomly choose from a few different textures and be randomly staggered in a crop tile
4. the pawns sssigned to growing would cut and re-plant new ground cover/ grass.
* the plants would provide no movement bonus or penalty
* the plants could be harvested for a hay like reaource

[kcirdor]

The Super powered Mod Tilled Soil(i edited the fertilization down to slightly better than regular soil though) uses the Floors menu to place Tilled Soil, which allows growth. Not sure if that is similar to what y'all are trying to accomplish but it could give you something to look at in regards to how they accomplished that.

[Seinne]

That sounds about like how I thought you'd have to use it.

So if that's the case, I would absolutely use it around my buildings, but not as a path. Because I like having set routes for my pawns to travel across the map, and maintaining crops, even as little as your suggesting, would wear my pawns out, I'd stick with regular floor tiles. Side question, what about having dead veg near the walls? Fire hazard or do you care about it in a tropical environment that gets so much rain?

I agree, no cost floors with a speed benefit is a bit op, but I still like the idea of adding a dirt path/trampled earth look so maybe add a low cost to build no bonus path option as well. I don't think any player of this game would complain about getting too many choices.

Basically withthe look of  this mod, any of the stone pathways, with the edge visible for every tile, looks a bit off. Would a floor tile made to look like its 'rough' counterpart work? Because, in this biome with the amount of vegetation, I think any path will look like it's about to be overwhelmed by plants anyways. And I think 'dirt' path would work in most biomes except ice sheet and tundra, not sure how'd draw it, maybe as a trench through the snow?

Anyways, to sum up.

Would absolutely use the trampled plants to keep a 2 box clearing away from my buildings.

But not as a pathing mechanism. (would use, and cringe at, stone walkways).

Love the mod, love what you are doing and where it's going.

Between writing these, just encountered my first manhunting tiger pack, serious FU guys, tore through my door and tore the arms off my best constructor and crafter before I could rally the troops.

Can't wait till you move onto the next biome.

I"ll shut up now

[Coercion]

Since it rains so much, fire is not really an issue. With that said, we may reduce the flammability of wild rainforest plants because of the moisture in the area (making fire a non-concern).

[Coercion]

v1.3.1 has been released with the following updates 

- Fixes compatibility issues with the "EDB Prepare carefully" mod
- Coffee Beans and Dream Root can no longer be used in cooking
- Reduces the size of the apiary to only take up one crop tile
- Makes edits to grammar and nomenclature
- Makes changes to animal and plant rarity and statistics
- Honeycomb now gives the "ate fine meal" bonus (similiar to insect jelly)

[Tammabanana]

Toxic fallout is putting an end to my post-fire regrowth experiment. Attached, as far as the regrowth is going to get. Looks like the ferns plan to take over the world.

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[Hydromancerx]

I made art for an Aurochs (the ancestor of cows). Please add it to your mod. They should give milk like cows and drop horns. Their biomes should be Temperate Forest and Boreal Forest. Their intelligence should be the same as a cow.

I know its not a Jungle animal but since it drops horns it fits better in your mod than the Taiga Mod. However I think that should be merged with your mod anyways.

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[kaptain_kavern]

Hey bud,

I don't know if they gonna fit with the graphic style used; and to be honest I can't tell, it's not my speciality at all :p

But while we are waiting Coercion's expertise, I made you this : Aurochs!

Behold the Aurochs! mod, with them as a "standalone animal mod".
They doesn't drop horns (i'll need a horn texture for this :p ) but they should be compatible with nearly all mods - because no needs to touch the biomedef for that - (you can set their ratio per biomes in the Races_Animal_Aurochs.xml files, at line 47, after <wildBiomes>)

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