Soliton

You bring up a really interesting idea so I queried the Forum and only found a few references, mostly back in 2018. Now that climate is a thing in the game could you imagine having migratory herds of animals? To give them a real impact in the game, the spawn rate of non-migratory animals should be dramatically reduced. I dug a pit for some copper and now there are animals stuck in it almost every morning. If non-migratory animals were initially abundant and then diminish precipitously the player would need to travel in a wider area to keep finding meat. However, if you want to make it through the winter (given a certain need to consume some amount of meat protein) you would have to locate and follow a migratory herd to get enough. Assuming the migratory mechanic is consistent, the the player could set up a hunting camp along the path and visit it at every year assuming it is a great distance from their normal base. Now in 2018 Stroam and Redram discussed and recommended having an abundance of wolves follow the herd. Hopefully the developers would take pity on us and have them spawn less frequently around our homes. Lastly, and more to your original point, the real world domestication of horses was a lengthy process. Making it where it takes successive generations of horses to finally allow you to use them as a transport mechanic would seem reasonable. Looking at the wiki I think this already exists in some of the other animals. Sadly I haven't progressed enough in the game to have experienced myself.

I tried to outline the mechanics you identified above and just couldn't quite get there. So as a compromise I offer what we could call the Tier 1 NPC as a stepping stone to your Tier 2 NPC. As an experiment I created the outline in Google Docs pasted it below. When we set on the characteristics of a Tier 1 NPC, we can begin describing those additional functions for the Tier 2 outline. In example: If by "helps" you mean to simply increase the block break rate like I have described then it fits within the Tier 1 outline. However if you mean they can FOCUS on a block not being broken by the player, then a number of new functions would need to be created to enable the NPC to select which block to actually break. I have seen other mods do this by the player creating a "bounding box" and the NPC systematically breaks blocks within it. Unfortunately to my knowledge that function doesn't already exist and would need to be created. Also I don't know how the NPC identifies that they are entering a cave. In your mind would be the set of conditions that resolves as a cave? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tier 1 NPC outline A B C RECOMMENDED CATEGORY FUNCTION 1 ROOM Multi-block item built by player and designated as such upon completion, but can be broken by player and loose that designation. Mechanic similar to CELLAR and GREENHOUSE. 1 1 NPC Spawn NPCs can spawn in a UNLOCKED ROOM and are designated as unemployed. 1 2 ROOM upon NPC being HIRED New function 1 2 2 LOCK ROOM Blocks forming multi-block ROOM are no longer breakable by player (like the Trader Caravan) 1 2 2 NPC FOCUS set to bed Becomes the NPC FOCUS if within 45 meters between sunset and sunrise. NPC FOCUS becomes player at sunrise if NPC is currently HIRED. 1 2 3 Spawn chest in ROOM PAYMENT items are stored in chest. Chest is not openable by player. 1 2 4 Spawn chair in ROOM Because who doesn't want to sit down on occasion. 2 EMPLOYMENT New function 2 1 HIRE/FIRE Dialog box 2 1 1 Player can HIRE unemplyed NPCs. NPC designates current ROOM as theirs by LOCKING it. Bed in ROOM is set as FOCUS. 2 1 2 Player can FIRE an employed NPC. ROOM becomes UNLOCKED and all spawned, as well as NPC placed, items within ROOM are deleted. NPC is deleted. 2 3 Choose PROFESSION Pull down list (Miner, Lumberjack, Digger, Forger,Hunter, Farmer, Mercenary). Designates associated TOOL 2 4 EQUIP NPC New function 2 5 Feed NPC Player must give NPC at least one meal of above SATIETY value 400 2 6 TOOL Player must give NPC one TOOL as designated by PROFESSION. If TOOL becomes broken the ROOM becomes NPC focus. 2 6 1 Miner = Pickaxe 2 6 2 Lumberjack = Axe 2 6 3 Digger = Shovel 2 6 4 Forger = Sythe 2 6 5 Hunter = Bow FOCUS becomes last animal injured by player for at least 20 seconds. Time reset each time animal is injured (Player or NPC). 2 6 6 Farmer = Hoe 2 6 7 Guard = Sword FOCUS becomes last entity that attacks player for at least 20 seconds. Time reset each time attacker injures the player or the NPC. 3 0 HEALTH Use existing player HEALTH function 4 0 SATIETY Use existing player SATIETY function 4 1 SATIETY effect on HEALTH Use existing player function 4 2 SATIETY effect on MOOD New function 4 2 1 Hungry When SATIETY < 25% reduce MOOD by 5%. 4 2 2 Starving When SATIETY = 0 reduce MOOD by cumulative 10% each day. 4 2 3 Well fed When SATIETY > 50% increase MOOD by 5%. Bonus is maintained until SATIETY next drops below 25%. 4 2 4 Stuffed When SATIETY > 90% increase MOOD by 30%. Bonus is maintained until SATIETY next drops below 25%. 4 3 Daily food consumption EMPLOYED NPCs eat regardless of whether FOLLOWING or in ROOM 5 0 MOOD New 5 1 MOOD level Starts at 25% 6 2 SLEEP NPC wants to sleep each day. 6 2 1 SLEEP value Number of hours slept in last day. 6 2 2 SLEEP modifier Reduces MOOD by 5% if less than 4 and by 10% if equal to 0. 6 2 3 SLEEP when traveling If NPC is HIRED and greater than 45 blocks from ROOM then the NPC SLEEP value is set to the number of hours player has slept. 7 QUIT - When MOOD equals 0% New function 7 1 Change employement status Set to FIRED. 8 0 FOCUS - What the NPC wants to interact with. New function 8 1 Unemployed NPCs will only FOCUS on bed in UNLOCKED ROOM. Once a NPC is HIRED their FOCUS will be on the bed in a LOCKED ROOM unless they are currently FOLLOWING player. Dialog box with FOLLOW/ROOM. Only 1 HIRED worker at a time. If player already has one then upon selecting FOLLOW previous NPC's FOCUS is set to ROOM 8 1 1 Select NPC to FOLLOW NPC will attempt to move in accordance to player and keep within 5 meters, but no closer that 1 meter. Their FOCUS will temporarily shift depending on actions of player. 8 1 2 Select NPC to ROOM NPC attempts to pathfind back to room. If distance is too great, NPC will teleport back to ROOM . 8 2 WORK - The shifting FOCUS of the NPC when FOLLOWING the player. FOCUS shifts are dependent on PROFESSION and actions of player. 8 2 1 TOOL use NPC will assist breaking block if they have appropriate tool for breaking that block 8 2 2 TOOL rate NPC rate at which they break blocks is TOOL * MOOD 8 2 3 Work animation It would be so cool if NPC positioned itself and appeared to be working on same block. 8 3 SATIETY decreases relative to amount of WORK I think this function exists for player 9 PAYMENT New function 9 1 Items of VALUE (i.e. gears) given to NPC Stored in NPC inventory until next time NPC is in ROOM and then it is placed in chest. 9 2 MOOD modification MOOD is increased by VALUE of item. 10 Lost NPC - Occurs when FOLLOWING NPC can't pathfind to player New function 10 1 Returns to ROOM FOCUS becomes ROOM. Teleports to ROOM if can't pathfind to ROOM. 10 2 MOOD modification MOOD is decreased by 10% 11 NPC dies New function 11 1 NPC is marked as FIRED Delete in accordance to FIRED function 11 2 MOOD modification All HIRED NPS reduce MOOD by 10%

Your suggestion concerning a helper augmenting the efforts of a player rather than doing a task themselves never even occurred to me and would be an excellent way to implement NPCs as it reduces the AI aspect of the entity. I assume you would want them to follow you around, but that should relatively easy given how other entities move within the game. It would actually be kinda cool to see them chopping the same tree or using a pickaxe on the same block. Moreover, your suggestions about mood would be a very good way of addressing previously expressed concerns about "cost" and should help keep them in balance. Also it stays away from having to develop a bunch of character stats to individualize the NPC. The only thing I don't see an easy way of doing in context of the game, as I understand it, would be your comments about parks, gardens, taverns, etc effecting mood. I wonder if entities (if I am using that term correctly to describes things in the game that move under their own volition) keep track of factors like hunger? I also wonder if mood should be effected by the temporal mechanics? If you take them into a cave or other counter-clockwise spinney area could they potentially they go crazy and flee? So in review a Tier 0 NPC could be used to describe the existing traders. A Tier 1 NPC would need the following mechanics An interface to make them employable Track HEALTH Hunger Damage Healing(?) Sleep Track MOOD Relative Hunger Quality of Tool Amount of Work Payment (i.e. other items of value like gears) Environmental rewards (bed, etc...) Ability to follow player Ability to target and interact with the same block as the player Amount of augmentation will be a sliding scale based on MOOD Possible mechanics Susceptibility to Temporal mechanics Disgruntlement with employment (MOOD gets to low they leave) Does that sound about right?

Much of the discussion so far parallels the real world agricultural design concept called permaculture. When it was originally conceived in the mid 1970s the goal was to create a way to feed, cloth, house, and protect from the elements a family of 4 on a plot no greater than 5 acres, across a wide range of climate zones. Since then the primary change to this concept has been to add that the same 5 acres must also produce enough excess to provide a meaningful income year round. A quick search of permaculture guides will produce a number of charts for each climate zone that describe the associated planting/maturation cycle, as well as, the necessary animal husbandry to sustain the farm. As this is a worldwide phenomena, I recommend anyone interested to visit a permaculture site to learn more. In the briefest sense, their concept outlines the thought process to develop each farm depending on the limits of the surrounding climate. As example: Start with good maps and an understanding of your local climate Develop Water Supply First Water Storage Water Harvesting Reticulation of Water Define Access Points Restore existing buildings and introduce new structures Subdivide your farm with fencing Improve your soil Plant trees and crops Introduce animals Develop farm economy Obviously, the available permaculture documentation would be overwhelming implement let alone just review. However, the existence of this documentation may prove useful for those wanting to developing an agricultural architecture that mimics the real world. As always, thank you for your time and consideration.

Last night a rabbit raided my sparse crop farm and a quick check of the wiki revealed that racoons are likely coming for my berry bushes soon. So Vintage Story has code for an entity being able to locate food blocks and break them. If so, it might be possible to translate that code into a NPC who can monitor a defined multi-block space (i.e. "room") and perform a harvesting function. Does the rabbit actually pick up these objects within the game or are they actually just deleted? This mechanic seems to be the shortest route to a useful NPC. Alternatively, a NPC who chases off rabbits and racoons would use similar functions as what already exist within the game. Regardless, I absolutely agree that NPCs should cost. They should consume as much food as a player does and will need other "payment". Otherwise they would just leave. Having a "room" that perspective NPC's can show up in also seems to be a really good idea. That way the player gets to decide how much effort to put into this aspect of the game. The secondary aspect of this is that NPCs can be thought of as moving sculptures. Just from an aesthetic perspective it is nice to have them wandering around a homestead.

Hi 3RS, I am new to this forum so I apologize if I am breaching Vintage Story posting etiquette by mentioning a minecraft mod. Assuming I am not about to be banned by the Moderator, you may want to take a look at https://wiki.minecolonies.ldtteam.com/ for an example of how this concept that has been explored. Again, being new, it is my understanding that the purpose of the suggestions forum is to explore ideas to find out what is actually doable and, roughly, how to do it. Since traders already exist in the game it would probably be best to start with them as the template. In my (limited!) experience they only occur inside of their trader "huts" and don't have the ability to move about. Moreover the "huts" themselves are protected from dismantling by the player. So conceivably it would be possible to have specialty traders spawn into the game. Maybe if you cleared a spot and posted a "sign" requesting a trader, one could appear some random number of days afterward while you are sleeping. Since the fundamental rule of reality is that you don't get something for nothing, I suspect there should be some initial and ongoing requirement for reoccurring trades. If there is not enough business then they would pack up and be gone. This could actually be a really good thing as you progress through the technology tree you would need different traders at different times. In example at first having a woodcutter would be good, but soon you will be making most things out of stone. For the balance of the game, it would probably be best if only traders that sell goods you can already produce be allowed. They exist mostly to avoid the grind. Actually creating NPC's that gather resources is probably a couple orders of magnitude more difficult than is reasonable. But maybe we could begin by simple modifications to the existing trader entity. I would imagine creating the method by which the move around would be a good start. Obviously there are many things in the game that move but what can we co-opt from the existing code? My first thought is hostile animals can pursue and attack you. That means the game already has a method of having an entity move to a target. So maybe we have the traders -target either their bed or their trading "hut" depending on the time of day? This would create a welcome sense of movement within a town. Anyway, thanks for your suggestion and I look forward to seeing how it develops.

Given what you said about how ore veins spawn their doesn't seem to be a strong utility (playability?) of having a support beam mechanic. I supposed this could be addressed by changing the spawn nature of ores to change them from isolated pockets to more of a regional resource. In other words a significant number pockets would form (at a variety of vertical levels) around a center point, but those center points would be very rare within the overall world generation. This could drive the players to create more complex mines to ensure they extract everything, as they know the next ore cluster could be a very long way away. That being said, your response was about support beams your comment about gravity piqued my curiosity so I looked up it in the wiki. Please correct me if I am wrong, but it seems like gravity is a server side property that is universally applied to all entities of that type. If true then there couldn't be a local exception to that property that would cause adjacent blocks to a block being updated to fall as if effected by gravity. In other words I had wrongly assumed that cave-ins could be approximated by momentarily changing the gravityFactor property (see reference below) of a random number of blocks within small upper hemispherical radius of the broken block. The mechanic of the support beam would have been then to suppress that momentary change within a similar volume. Reference: Passivephysics Adds physics to the entity. waterDragFactor = 1, airDragFallingFactor = 1, groundDragFactor = 1, gravityFactor = 1 Universal Thank you for your comments and helping me better understand the game. Redram, I didn't notice your reply until after I submitted my comment. Let me think about what you said a bit.

References: Baluranne; Forum: Frequently Suggested; Worldgen and Mechanics (very appreciative for this summary) Devlog; Roadmap; More game play content Vintage Story: Feature Wishlist 2020; Transport Mechanics In reading the Forum posts, I found the on-going discussions about Transport Mechanics (TM) interesting but I couldn't find (yet) a clearly described reason (i.e. game mechanic) for implementing them. To state the obvious TM (animals/carts/boats) are used to carry heavy things. But why bother when your character can conceivably carry hundreds of tons of weight in their inventory? So having a TM avoids having to make multiple trips but it may be just easier to make those trips rather than the cost of the TM (i.e rails for minecarts). This leaves TM as mostly aesthetics (which would still be totally cool) for all but a limited number of situations. But what if terrain blocks had mass? The primary complaint is probably that doing so would make building a nightmare as you would be running back and forth for every block. This could be overcome by making the TM's inventory an extension of your personal inventory (essentially the same concept as the reed basket) so long as you are within some number of blocks of it. This motivates the player to use the various TM characteristics to overcome a realistic limitation. Examples are as follows: wheelbarrows are only useful on paths that are only so steep and can carry a moderate amount, horse drawn carts are only useful on surfaces of a certain sturdiness and can turn only so fast but carry more far more than a wheelbarrow, boats are only useful on in water of a certain depth and still need something to move them but carry far more that a horse cart, minecarts are only useful with a rail system but would be necessary to clear mine tailings, and so on ... This drives infrastructural improvements as the player's world expands. This then makes TM the way to move terrain blocks between places that have a local block distribution system. I apologize if I am re-hashing previous discussions and just missed them in my review. Thank you for your patience and consideration.

This is a really good suggestion as it could be adapted into a number of game mechanics. As you stated, just having it naturally spawn would definitely enhance the survival experience. I do wonder if it would be possible for it to take on the "look" of surround blocks so as to be disguised. Alternatively, for each biome having a slightly different look would make a player pay closer attention to the environment (e.g. Goldenrod flowers in TFC to signify the presence of clay) and add to the immersion. Also, I like your suggestion of being able to make it (assumedly in barrels?). This would be great for building moats around your settlement or just as an animal trap. If so, then adding the ability to camouflage would be helpful. Lastly, I suspect you would need to create a item that functions like a horizontal ladder (kept in inventory) so you can escape once you are stuck.

I absolutely missed that detail so thanks for pointing it out. As I am just starting I will do my best to see if that mechanic is in play.

Cool idea, but I was curious as to how you imagine the mechanics would work? Would this mechanic only apply to naturally spawned blocks? It would be worrisome if my house collapsed because I didn't include enough structural elements. I suppose a structural support mechanic could work a bit like the light levels from a torch, meaning they make blocks stick together if they are within a certain hemisphere. Anyway, I look forward to your thoughts on it.

Thank you for your amazing prompt response. Excellent I was just worried I missed something obvious.

Hello to anyone who reads this post. I purchased the game some months ago, but decided to start playing now that 1.13 has been released. I started a new game and was surprised to find that the near 0 deg C temperature had no effect on the health on my character. Moreover I was freely able to swim in icy streams and sit out in the freezing rain. Did I miss a setting to request the associated limitation or is it not part of the current game. Thank you for any insight you can offer. BTW, the game looks simply amazing and I look forward to many hours of play.