So I’ve been thinking lately about the creatures that are going to be in Boundless, and how it’s a bit harder than we first thought,for the forum peps at least,to come up with good usable ones that haven’t been done before. But I think I could have cool solution for that problem,breeding. Now I know we’ve talked about breeding before,but not like this. You see first I think we should have a little “Pre-idea talk” before I go into it,because it can be very complicated.
First,every creature in the game should have specific purpose,instead of having them for a “full of life” game look. Like the shooter,it gives Explosive Essence,I believe all creatures should give the player something of use,tamed,killed,etc. Even if its something as little as meat,or bones for armor and weapons,or even poop for fertilizer. Second,this goes long with the first,but with tamed creatures. Much like in Ark:Survival Evolved,all tamed creature can do something kinda unique, Mammoth=Wood,Anky=Stone,I think this could do well in boundless.
Ok,now that you have read my “Pre-idea talk”,I can now share my little idea. Fusion! Now this very different from breeding,because breeding is talking two creatures of the same family,while fusion would be talking two creatures of similar families and mixing them together. So if one little creature is a good fighter,and one animal is a good ore gatherer,when you fusion them,the new creature can do both little fighting and a little gathering. Now I think this can benefit the game as a whole by,one you guys (devs) don’t have to create and test and spent a lot more time on creature the might not have any point,and the the fused creature are only the creatures you’ve already made. Like 1 part first creature,2 parts second creature. Hopefully that made sense,if it didn’t then just ask your questions and I’ll do my best to answer them.
I have thought about the fact that this could be super OP for higher level players,but I haven’t thought of a solution,so if you have one do tell.
Hmmmmm, interesting concept. I can see some potential here.
Take our current docile creature. On some worlds there may be some slight variants. On snow worlds they are bulkier, desert worlds see them skinnier but with larger horns. (other options as well with other unique features)
Snow world variant could drop more meat and skin, Desert world variant dropping more horn and bone. Fusing the variants could have variable out comes. One being Bulky, small horns, mostly dropping Bone and meat. Another being normal size with the larger horns, average Meat and skin but greater horn drops.
Then breeding two of the same variant would yield that same creature.
I’m just wondering what would happen when you dilute the ‘gene pool’ 20-30 generations down or cross-breed 2 animals that are already 20 generations along.
I guess it’s all just stats in the end, but they would need to be saved somewhere for each and every animal that had been bred, which would take resources and bandwidth to perform CRUD (Create/Read/Update/Delete) operations on them.
Basic stock animals will always have the same stats (afaik) or at least a certain amount of randomisation, so it’s less expensive computationally.
I would expect that in order for this to be viable, from a programming stand point, that even the variants would have to be limited and pre-programmed possibilities.
Imagine a series of tags that would function as modifiers, much like adjectives in sentence structure. Some combinations will never work together and never be possible to come out together.
I do see your point though. To many variants in an area would increase the data load a lot. Especially if they all have different physical appearance.
Maybe if visual appearance was limited to a few variants but some other traits being more intangible yet able to be seen by the players in some fashion.
Of course Devs would know better how things would function on the backed. @james@ben? Any comments on viability of this kind of system?
I love the idea of ‘fusion’ instead of breeding. I feel to help implement this idea a good,easy method of doing this would need to be added but still challenging enough so there could be people who specialise in breeding and thus make a living out of it. I think a form of Egg Incubator could be added. The incubator itself is accessible and thus from here you are directed to a screen with numerous slots.
I say each time you kill an animal an orb is dropped containing its life essence. These orbs are only dropped every so often though as to give it the more harder aspect than just everyone being able to do it. Of course these orbs are labelled with:
the animals species
the gender
attributes
This orb then could be collected along with other species and, then when you have your desired orbs you go to the incubator itself and add in the orbs.
These then fuse to form an egg which will take some time to hatch under the incubator.
Your egg will be held in standstill when its ready to hatch until you have collected it and then all you do is place it in your desired pen and you have your new breed.
Rather than making it a drop I think have an extractor tool to tap the essence would be slightly better. My thinking is that anyone not wanting to fuse may not want the drop at all. This would also require more stealth/skill/preparation when looking to get essence from a hostile creature.
I am now thinking something along the lines of the Bio-Engineer fro, Pre-NGE SWG. A friend of mine was quite well known on the server for one of his creations. Killer rabbits. He was able to make a White Durney with a pinkish tint around the mouth and fused it with Rancor DNA!!! They were awesome!
Edit: I do doubt the viability of that in-depth of a system. Just what popped into my mind while thinking on this
Oh yes I know what you mean. I was just expanding on an idea that was then taken and further expanded upon by you. This is just the process to making it as good as it can be. I think an essence absorber does sound much more interesting and I completely skipped on the fact of unnecessary clutter when you kill an animal. This also means there would be a reason for farming and herding animals: to keep them in place whilst you extract their essence. And towards more hostile creatures I think this would definity add for a more fun hunting experience. If poison or tranquilizer type darts were ever implemented then it would mean you could progress further up making it easier and easier to get their essence. Although I do see your point on complexity but that’s what brainstormings all about, right?
Oh yes I know what you mean. I was just expanding on an idea that was then taken and further expanded upon by you. This is just the process to making it as good as it can be. I think an essence absorber does sound much more interesting and I completely skipped on the fact of unnecessary clutter when you kill an animal. This also means there would be a reason for farming and herding animals: to keep them in place whilst you extract their essence. And towards more hostile creatures I think this would definity add for a more fun hunting experience. If poison or tranquilizer type darts were ever implemented then it would mean you could progress further up making it easier and easier to get their essence. Although I do see your point on complexity but that’s what brainstormings all about.
Well,the idea I have for fusion was more along the lines of taming then for wild creatures.I’ve tamed a small wolf like creature that’s good at hunting,and I have a small cat like creature that could spit fire ■■■■■. So when I fusion them,I have a creature that’s not only good for hunting gain,but can spit fire ■■■■■.
While I get what your saying,I think that would make the players that have creatures that have been fused multiple times,way too over powered. But if you fuse a creature,and it’s not too powerful,instead of making it more powerful by “re-fusing” it,just level it up,if that’s a system in the game.
I like your thinking. Recently I just posted a discussion on spells and potions and how to make your own. It involved certain CORE spells and potions so as to not make them too OP when it came to changing them. Perhaps some form of CORE species where implemented. Such as if there were:
Plant eaters
Hostile
Aquatics
Airborne
Then you could only fuse one from each group with another. Within these groups there could be the sub - classifications:
Fire type
Water type
Earth type
Wind type
Water cannot be crossed with fire as it cancels out the process but it can be crossed with earth and wind. Likewise earth cannot be crossed with wind but fire and water. And so on and so fourth.
This would make it much harder to go beyond at least 2 or 3 tiers of fuseing.
I don’t know if this would then limit the player on creativity?
