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Author Topic: Civ-specific Livestock & Crops  (Read 1438 times)

AceSV

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Civ-specific Livestock & Crops
« on: February 19, 2015, 06:12:30 am »

This came up because I wanted to mod civs with special livestock and was disappointed to find out I could not.  I want to have things like Lizard people with reptilian livestock, Bird people with avian livestock, Ant people with arthropod livestock, Cold people with muskox and bears, Desert people with pet scorpions and tortoises, etc. 

Even in a normal game, I would prefer the idea that dwarves have a few kinds of uniquely dwarven livestock, live badgers and foxes instead of dogs and cats (cuz they burrow), or elk instead of cows (cuz mountains).  It is odd to me to that Dwarves and Humans somehow started with same bunch of animals, and then they begin branching out their civilizations from their start biomes. 
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That Wolf

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Re: Civ-specific Livestock & Crops
« Reply #1 on: February 19, 2015, 12:07:53 pm »

Humans raising little pygmy humans and halflings
Its weird to say that just because it has racial similaritys you would domesticate it when you need different species for the different skills they have. Like humans and canines, used for scent and hunting prowess. Chickens forced to evolve laying eggs almost every day just so we can eat, horses for speed and strength blah blah etc.
To me its silly to recruit a weaker version of a Species when we could do more of our own work ourselves better than a tiny person.
I could defo see a dwarven dog species. For dwarven needs, perhaps a mount.
Imagine an albino war mastiff with tremor sense in barding carrying a dwarf holding a hand axe.

Cause society doesnt work withot the work. Much of the work is done by animals, animals that we breed. Breed to make better at the job they do.
Hell we do it with vegitables, fruits, grains and moulds.

And back to fantasy.
Its your idea, I see no problem in it.
I just have like the species variation path instead of lizards growing lizards. (They would farm rats for rat cheese and meat)
Til quite recently humans ate alot of rats.
Now we eat holy animals.
Btw how good are burgers
And music. Music is sick
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AceSV

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Re: Civ-specific Livestock & Crops
« Reply #2 on: February 19, 2015, 01:19:25 pm »

Humans raising little pygmy humans and halflings
Its weird to say that just because it has racial similaritys you would domesticate it when you need different species for the different skills they have. Like humans and canines, used for scent and hunting prowess. Chickens forced to evolve laying eggs almost every day just so we can eat, horses for speed and strength blah blah etc.
To me its silly to recruit a weaker version of a Species when we could do more of our own work ourselves better than a tiny person.
I could defo see a dwarven dog species. For dwarven needs, perhaps a mount.
Imagine an albino war mastiff with tremor sense in barding carrying a dwarf holding a hand axe.

Cause society doesnt work withot the work. Much of the work is done by animals, animals that we breed. Breed to make better at the job they do.
Hell we do it with vegitables, fruits, grains and moulds.

And back to fantasy.
Its your idea, I see no problem in it.
I just have like the species variation path instead of lizards growing lizards. (They would farm rats for rat cheese and meat)
Til quite recently humans ate alot of rats.
Now we eat holy animals.
Btw how good are burgers
And music. Music is sick


However, Humans are mammals, and most of our livestock are mammals, which is partially because we relate to mammals.  Because we are mammals, we see other mammals as very diverse while lumping reptiles, birds and fish into big vague groups without much thought.  But if you actually know what you're looking at, there's a world of difference between a chicken, a duck and a hawk, or a goanna, iguana and gecko.  A race of Goanna-men riding crocodiles into battle, using gigantic tortoises to pull their wagons or collected python eggs doesn't sound any weirder than humans riding horses or milking cows or eating pigs.  A Goanna-man raising other monitor lizards might be like humans raising other primates, but if you imagine a Goanna-man's reptilian sense of ethics, that doesn't seem especially weird either.  And a Goanna-man (or woman) would probably consider themselves as different from a plain goanna as we would consider ourselves different from a slow loris. 
« Last Edit: February 19, 2015, 01:40:39 pm by AceSV »
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4maskwolf

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Re: Civ-specific Livestock & Crops
« Reply #3 on: February 19, 2015, 01:31:05 pm »

I think that more generally, though, allowing the player to define new "classes" of livestock and giving civilizations a tag that tells them what classes of domestic animals they start with would be a good thing.

Dirst

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Re: Civ-specific Livestock & Crops
« Reply #4 on: February 19, 2015, 01:34:06 pm »

You can get at this a little bit by plunking the dwarfy livestock into mountain biomes, but finer control would definitely be welcome, probably with a creature-class system.  Think of how the focal species' needs differ a bit from humans', and you have an idea how to mod in some creatures tuned to their needs.  Dwarves would probably prefer animals that can go underground without complaint, with their hunting animals being more bear-like than dog-like, bats as pollinators, and the vermin-hunter that digs after its prey more like a cave anteater than a cat.

You don't see this kind of stuff in fantasy movies because (1) no one seems to take dwarves seriously and (2) no one wants to explain all of this stuff to an audience.
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That Wolf

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Re: Civ-specific Livestock & Crops
« Reply #5 on: February 19, 2015, 01:37:14 pm »

Haha yes thanks for the visuals.
As far as the mammilian thing.
I read something about the bonding of mammals because of our similar development.
Being feed by the mother/mother figure directly and being born in the presence of the parents.
While reptilians are often born just with their clutch mates and dont get breast feed.
Yeah some exceptions. But it was basicly like a pack bonding thing.
We have been with dogs for as long as civilisation, dogs and fire have taken us so far.

Back to fantasy however I see it working. Still weird.
Haha I find it weird that dragons are classed as a reptilian but are warm blooded.
Like you said. Just cause it has scales or feathers doesnt make it a specific species.
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Pwned dwarf

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Re: Civ-specific Livestock & Crops
« Reply #6 on: February 20, 2015, 11:19:00 pm »

i'd be unfair if some civ had strong animals and another had weak animals
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4maskwolf

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Re: Civ-specific Livestock & Crops
« Reply #7 on: February 21, 2015, 11:17:59 am »

i'd be unfair if some civ had strong animals and another had weak animals
This is already sort of true, though: the elves have access to awesome animals that the dwarves don't have access to when starting the game.  And the dwarves have access to some crazy-ass underground animals that the elves don't have.

AceSV

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Re: Civ-specific Livestock & Crops
« Reply #8 on: February 21, 2015, 11:25:48 am »

Oh yeah, don't forget crops.  Knight-Dwarves have Cave Wheat, Samurai-Dwarves have Cave Rice, etc. 

i'd be unfair if some civ had strong animals and another had weak animals

Why should it be fair?
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That Wolf

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Re: Civ-specific Livestock & Crops
« Reply #9 on: February 21, 2015, 12:16:33 pm »

Haha cave rice.
This is a shitake helmet roast it consists of finely minced rice beer, finely minced shitake helmet, finely minced prepared elf brain and finely minced shitake helmet.

Yeah the fairness part is a little weird to suggest, seeing the game as it currently stands it isnt fair (while yes it has become easier compared to older versions) it should never be fair, when is life fair?..
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I am not afraid of an army of Warriors led by a Child; I am afraid of an army of Children led by a Warrior.