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[Loren Schmidt]

I'm all for games containing some sort of ecosystem. Even simple things like reproduction or a basic food web can add a lot to a game.

Sadly I'm deathly afraid of side projects, so I'm afraid I'll only be a spectator

P.S.- I'd post another creature, but I'm busy making a 'call for testers' post.

[Laremere]

This ecosystem idea sound like a really good idea. Like always, I have a few ideas.  I think making levels planetoids would be much more fun then boxes, and gives more to the suspension of disbelief.  There also could be different levels, where you need x number of creature types to last x number of time.  Each level would be a different plantoid.  Some levels would be smaller, or bigger, and there also could be levels that are just water with a sea floor, or even levels with a mix, having to create several ecosystems that all last at the same time.


I think customizable creatures would be much more fun then standard creatures.  Sure there could be a set of standard creatures that you start with, but you should be able to edit them, or completely do something different if you want.  This would add much more to replayability since it would allow for many different working combos instead of just finding the perfect combination of standard creatures, and losing all the fun.  Each creature could be made out of a short list of combinations:
Walking-How fast it can walk.  0 means it can't walk on land.
Swimming-How fast it can swim.  0 means it can't swim.  This or walking are required to have at least one available.
Flying-How fast it can fly. 0 means it can't fly.
Attack-How well it can attack a creature.
Defense-How well it can defend itself.
Size-How big it is.  This determines how much damage it can take before dying, how much food it gives to something that eats, and how much food it needs to eat before it can mate.

When a creature has filled up on food, it then looks for a mate.  When to mating creatures find each other, they make a baby that grow as it eats until it is big enough to mate, it then stops growing and then start filling up to mate itself.  Once a creature has mated, they start looking for food again.  When a creature does things, it loses energy. (mating takes allot, other things take only a tiny bit at a time) If it gets too hungry, it dies from lack of food.

I think plants are a must for the base of the ecosystem.  Plants could have two values: Size, and spread rate.

There could be a food web screen.  Each creature and plant would be represented as a small coin.  Right clicking them would move them around, and left clicking and dragging to another creature would make an arrow indicating that the first creature now eats the second one.




Take what you want from this post, and leave what you don't want.  I have a tendency to post long ideas that often don't quite fit with the spirit of things, and can't really tell.

[FishyBoy]

That is a seriously excellent idea.

[Loren Schmidt]

I have a tendency to post long ideas that often don't quite fit with the spirit of things, and can't really tell.

Those were all good ideas, though.

I also always worry I'm going off on a tangent, especially when making long posts. I think that's only natural.

[Laremere]

Ok, so it was a good post.  Like I said I never can tell.  Considering how much support there is for this, I think a topic in projects forum is called for.  Can we get a mod or admin in here and split the topic?

[deadeye]

Here's a step-by-step gif of how I drew the creature in my compo entry.  Linked because it's kind of spoilery:

http://willhostforfood.com/users/deadeye/creature.gif

Feedback appreciated, I'm still rather amateurish at sprite art.

[JLJac]

Hell yeas! Is it able to attack the player somehow?

Btw, thanks for getting the thread back on track

[deadeye]

Hell yeas! Is it able to attack the player somehow?

Nah, it just sort of sits there









VVV Yep, that.  I realized after I designed it that I subconsciously stole the idea from Eternal Darkness. VVV

[Cheater‽]

Hell yeas! Is it able to attack the player somehow?

Btw, thanks for getting the thread back on track

It's chained up. 

[JLJac]

I am not an idiot. Thought that maybe it could squirt some eye-slime or something. Think creative!

[Hideous]

It's in a Commonplace Book Competition game. Go play it, if you want to vote.

[Moth]

Griftbox (eats presents with expensive contents),
Ornamental (preys on popcorn strings)
and Stocking Suffer (enjoys the arms of small children).

This is the kind of stuff my players put up with when I DM.

[Gnarf]

I've heard of players putting up with elves and wizards and shit. You're playing it safe, really.

And those are neat.

[Moth]

Yeah unfortunately like half of my players are the super srs "Drizzt Do'Urden is the best character of all time so my character will be just like him" sort.

[Willows]

If I weren't myself but stalked me I'd be annoyed at how often I post this.



That's as far as I went before I got bored and ran out of time. It lives in a swamp, and isn't very creative.

[Noel Berry]

I really love that creature, Willows. It's really amazing

[Hempuli‽]

Looks supa-great!

[KniteBlargh]

Eh... Just whipped this out to take a break from abstract stuff. Ink on sketch paper.

[Cheater‽]

 

[Jared C]