Biomes, Terrain & Climate


  • TF#6 - DIPLOMAT

    I am curious of everyone's take on biomes, terrain and climate; and how it will affect trade and battle.

    It will be interesting to see if people will take longer routes to trade instead of taking shorter, more dangerous ones due to climate hazards or difficult terrain. Also, if terrain buffs will exist, and if resource abundance varies from biome to biome. I know different planets will have different specific resources due to the overall climate of the planet but they may equal out in total abundance (one has more ore, the other has more herbs).

    Biomes
    "We’ve selected a mountain area as the first biome to produce art assets for. This is definitely one of the most “classic” types of environment for a fantasy game, but again, it has allowed us to produce a decent amount of variety (forests, plain valleys, streams, rivers, lakes) in a relatively short time." -State of the Game #1 Biomes are going to play a huge part in resource accumulation and town layouts. I'm curious how a road system will be worked into the biomes of the worlds. Also, town layout should be slightly dependent on biomes, as most real early towns were founded near a water source, which would be cool to see, especially for the naval combat or tradeships 😉

    Terrain
    Terrain will play a interesting part in travel I believe. If a mountain range is blocking your path you have to go around it and if a river is dividing the land you most cross it. These actions will cost time and probably come with some nasty effects in certain cases. If wagons go slower over hills than on flat ground it will affect trade drastically. Lakes and streams will be water sources and fishing spots for some easy resource gathering. I would like to see speed affects on different terrain, for example; sand could make mounts slower and grasslands would be a bit neutral, whereas paved ground would maximize their speed, same goes for players.

    Climate
    Climate will hopefully play a very important role in farming and ranching. We already know climates will affect players with negative and possibly positive statuses. Cold climates will require more warm clothing to be worn or you will likely get hypothermia, and deserts will likely dehydrate your character and make them uncomfortably hot. I wonder if climate will affect wild animals or even mounts, or if ice and snow will form and become difficult terrain to pass through.

    This was just a big post of random thoughts and ideas. Hope to hear what you guys think about the subject!


  • TF#9 - FIRST AMBASSADOR

    I sort of hope that we can actually make our own roads...which, admittedly, would be a pain in the neck to program, so, I don't see it happening, but I still think it would be cool. Or, maybe there are "basic" roads, and people can improve them so they allow faster motion, or something. Like, if you have 3 towns under a guild, then they could build roads to each other and make trade easier, but if 2 guilds go to war, you have to worry about either tearing up the roads to so the enemy can't use them, or keep them to advance your own forces. Fun stuff.

    Sort of the same thought on terrain - can we build tunnels? or bridges? - charge tolls and contest ownership of different strategic points and bottle-necks?

    Not sure I want to see that much strategic war...especially in an entirely player run mmo XD we aren't the most responsible sorts XD but it is an interesting idea.

    I hadn't paid much attention to climate actually. I find the ideas listed to be very interesting! I've got a minor love of Don't Starve, so this all sounds familiar. in a sort of half dreaded way...oh lords, winter is coming...and the dogs....Shiver Shiver XD


  • TF#4 - EMISSARY

    @therippyone said in Biomes, Terrain & Climate:

    there are "basic" roads, and people can improve them so they allow faster motion, or something. Like, if you have 3 towns under a guild, then they could build roads to each other and make trade easier, but if 2 guilds go to war, you have to worry about either tearing up the roads to so the enemy can't use them, or keep them to advance your own forces. Fun stuff.

    Yes, that is how they explained it in the Q&A's:

    @fibs said in Summary of July 24 stream (INCOMPLETE):

    The generated game world has clear "paths" leading between City Zones, so that players can find cities more easily. Roads can be paved along these pathways. Walking on a paved road increases movement speed compared to grass.

    @vengu said in Summary of the Crafting & Building Q&A livestream.:

    You can build roads and they give movement bonuses.The governor decides where to build them. There are different types of roads with different bonuses.

    @therippyone said in Biomes, Terrain & Climate:

    charge tolls and contest ownership of different strategic points and bottle-necks?

    Roads lead from city zone to city zone. So, by default those places will be haunted until players clear them out:

    @vengu said in Summary of the Crafting & Building Q&A livestream.:

    Unclaimed city spots are haunted. It will take a group to claim them. (Unless you pledged governor or above).

    But once a city spot has been captured by players, I think everyone can pass through without paying taxes. Merchants will have to protect their goods while travelling, from mobs and from 'bandit' players. If they also have to pay taxes in each city they pass...



  • It'll be interesting to see how terrain and environmental interaction affect siege dynamics. For example a siege of a swamp city could see the defenders loading up on electric skills and zapping the water attackers have to stand in. Fire skills are weaker in cold climates so building with flammable materials might not be a bad idea (assuming different building materials have weaknesses). Having a frost mage sneak an army over water for a surprise night time assault might be a thing we see.

    Trade-wise, I think frost spells will be end up being a requirement for traders because it will allow them to bypass bridges in dangerous areas, and generally allow them to take unpredictable routes over water.

    @therippyone said in Biomes, Terrain & Climate:

    Or, maybe there are "basic" roads, and people can improve them so they allow faster motion, or something.

    According to the latest Q&A, that's exactly the case. There are already paths between city zones that can be paved into roads, and these roads decay and have to be maintained.


  • TF#12 - PEOPLE'S HERALD

    So far my hope is that they aren't just basic flavor changes with some impact. I want all of those things to have a substantial impact on play so that they really benefit some things and hinder others.


  • TF#6 - DIPLOMAT

    I like your the idea of material weaknesses. It would put more dynamic on destroying player structures @target


  • TF#10 - CONSUL

    As to taxes on merchants, I would expect that to be something possible for when they sell goods... but of course having taxes too high would prompt merchants to seek out other more profitable destinations.

    I think it will also really depend on how well they are able to make goods that are needed in other areas, and have those goods make an economy. It will be something that takes a little work to get right, and not just "Boom, hahaha, I'm rich!!!" like in so many games without the multiplayer aspect.

    Terrain, movement speed, building materials... all these are things that will indeed play into that, and I agree that things should be interesting.

    For a final note, I think that the idea of toll bridges and tunnels is fine. However, I would highly expect people to simply make other paths around them, especially if there is a need and a nearby town/city wanted more trade.


  • TF#12 - PEOPLE'S HERALD

    Also, unless they add in NPC's to do it, somebody's gonna have stand at a bridge or tunnel to collect tollls. Nobody's gonna want to do that, so if NPC's aren't programmed to do it, it's probably not going to happen.


  • TF#10 - CONSUL

    @therippyone I remember playing a game where dirt roads were created dynamically over time due to repeated travel through the area. It'd be cool to see something similar with higher traffic creating better paved roads and such.


  • TF#10 - CONSUL

    @cinnao You'd be surprised what people are willing to do for a cut of the profits. I'd spend an hour of my game time collecting tolls if the incentive was good enough.


  • TF#12 - PEOPLE'S HERALD

    i really hope that climate will have effects in the game, it always missed me in games i played.


  • TF#4 - EMISSARY

    @grofire said in Biomes, Terrain & Climate:

    i really hope that climate will have effects in the game, it always missed me in games i played.

    in some games climate have effects on players stats and farming, like:

    • grasslands: warm, hunger/thrist decrease slowly, weather sunny 70%/ foggy 10% / rainy 20%, cultivation: Wheat
    • snowy lands : low temperature, hunger decrease a bit faster, weather sunny 50% / snowy 50%, cutivation: mandrake
    • tundra: lowest temperature, hunger drop quickly, weather sunny 20%/ snowy 70% / blizzard 10% (you have to find a shelter/warmer place), cutivation: cranberry
    • desert: hig temperature, thrist decrease quickly, weather sunny 80%/ rainy 5%/ sandstorm 15% (you have to find a shelter), cultivation: cactus

  • TF#9 - FIRST AMBASSADOR

    @bubbo Well, we do know that our characters need to eat, so this seems like a decent bet, climate to hunger/thirst rates


  • TF#11 - PROCONSUL

    @therippyone I believe they already mentioned gear being needed for certain areas. Depending on the climate and all that. so I wouldn't be too shocked if food requirements change for those areas as well?


  • TF#9 - FIRST AMBASSADOR

    @genobee yes, that is what I meant.


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