Animals with accurate <baseBodySize>

[Thundercraft]

As a modder, I've taken a close look at various /Core/ XML files. Recently, I've taken a look at animals and pets like dogs, mostly to compare them to modded animals to see how certain tags are supposed to work.

Well, I was surprised to discover that not only do animals lack any sort of <weight> tag, but that <baseBodySize> tags are not very precise. I don't care about fictional animals like the Thrumbo. And I could imagine some variance, since this is set on an alien world some centuries or millennia in the future. But, sometimes, it's quite an inaccurate representation of their relative sizes. Examples:

• Human : baseBodySize = 1.0
• Elephant : baseBodySize = 4.0
• Gazelle : baseBodySize = 0.7
• Iguana : baseBodySize = 0.2
• Dromedary : baseBodySize = 2.0
• Yorkshire Terrier : baseBodySize = 0.3
• Husky : baseBodySize = 1.0
• Labrador Retriever : baseBodySize = 1.0
• Wolf : baseBodySize = 0.85
• Cow : baseBodySize = 2.0

Some of this breaks my suspension of disbelief. Why give the Husky and Labrador Retriever the same baseBodySize as humans? Is this an alternate reality where those are suppose to be very large breeds, on the same scale as the St. Bernard or Marmaduke? And why make the Wolf smaller than the Husky and Labrador Retriever, yet significantly more dangerous than them in combat?

According to Wikipedia (and other sources), here's the average weight:

• Human : average (worldwide) = 62.0 kg (136.7 lb)
• Elephant, African : average weight = 5897 kg (13000 lbs)
• Elephant, Asian : average weight = 5443 kg (12000 lbs)
• Gazelle, Dama (largest) : average weight = 57.5 kg (126.5 lbs)
• Gazelle, Red-fronted (medium) : average weight = 29.7 kg (65 lbs)
• Gazelle, Thomson's (medium) : average weight = 23.7 kg (52 lbs)
• Iguana, Blue : average weight = 14 kg (31 lbs)
• Iguana, Green : average weight = 4 kg (8.8)
• Dromedary : average weight = 459 kg (1012.5 lbs)
• Yorkshire Terrier : average weight = 3.2 kg (7 lbs)
• Husky : average weight = 21.5 kg (47.5 lbs)
• Labrador Retriever : average weight = 30.5 kg (67.2 lbs)
• Wolf (Gray or Timber) : average weight = 40.6 kg (89.5 lbs)
• Cattle ("Cow") : average weight = 907.2 kg (2000 lbs)

Granted, baseBodySize is certainly not meant to be the same thing as weight. However, there is a size relationship with weight and I can't imagine a better animal statistic to use.

If we were to use the human average weight as a baseline, then we could perhaps get a better idea of appropriate sizes by way of ratios and multiplication. For the purpose of this discussion, let's assume a baseBodySize of 1.0 equivalent to the Avg. Human Weight of 136.7 lb and call it "AHW". So...

• Human : average (worldwide) = 62.0 kg (136.7 lb) = 1.0 AHW
• Elephant, African : average weight = 5897 kg (13000 lbs) = 95.1 AHW
• Elephant, Asian : average weight = 5443 kg (12000 lbs) = 87.8 AHW
• Gazelle, Dama (largest) : average weight = 57.5 kg (126.5 lbs) = 0.93 AHW
• Gazelle, Red-fronted (medium) : average weight = 29.7 kg (65 lbs) = 0.46 AHW
• Gazelle, Thomson's (medium) : average weight = 23.7 kg (52 lbs) = 0.38 AHW
• Iguana, Blue : average weight = 14 kg (31 lbs) = 0.23 AHW
• Iguana, Green : average weight = 4 kg (8.8) = 0.06 AHW
• Dromedary : average weight = 459 kg (1012.5 lbs) = 7.4 AHW
• Yorkshire Terrier : average weight = 3.2 kg (7 lbs) = 0.05 AHW
• Husky : average weight = 21.5 kg (47.5 lbs) = 0.35 AHW
• Labrador Retriever : average weight = 30.5 kg (67.2 lbs) = 0.49 AHW
• Wolf (Gray or Timber) : average weight = 40.6 kg (89.5 lbs) = 0.65 AHW
• Cattle ("Cow") : average weight = 907.2 kg (2000 lbs) = 14.63 AHW

Some are close to baseBodySize - the Blue Iguana, for example, at 0.23. The Gazelle is okay, too. And I could forgive the large animals like the Elephant and Cow because: game balance. Also, I would imagine that the baseBodySize scale becomes exponential for anything larger than human. But, even being generous, there are large discrepancies with some of these (mostly the canines and other predators).