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[AceSV]

I want to try making more creature variations.  I made a long list of possible variations in a Suggestions thread, but I want to try making some of the easier ones myself. 

Such as:
Saber Tooth/Saber Tusk - Makes an animal's teeth or tusks extra large, increasing the deadliness of their bite or gore attacks. 
Dire - Animal becomes larger(but not giant), stronger and more aggressive.  Might combine Dire and Saber Tooth. 
Swift - Animal becomes faster.  (Possibly just makes the animal exactly as fast as a cheetah or falcon instead of multiplying speed) 
Wooly - Animal becomes shearable and lives in colder biomes. 
Dwarf/Pygmy - Animal becomes smaller.  For Calm or Good biomes.
Fluffy - Animal becomes benign, shearable and gets a pet value increase.  For Calm or Good biomes.

Any advice for me before I start?  Pitfalls I should avoid? 

This is also just now occurring to me, how should I test if it's working?

[Askot Bokbondeler]

ptw

[AceSV]

Okay, I thought I'd start with Woolly and Fluffy creatures since shearability has been confusing to me in the past. 

A sheep has:

Code: [Select]

[BODY_DETAIL_PLAN:STANDARD_MATERIALS]
[USE_MATERIAL_TEMPLATE:HOOF:HOOF_TEMPLATE]
[USE_MATERIAL_TEMPLATE:HORN:HORN_TEMPLATE]
[SELECT_MATERIAL:HAIR]
[STATE_NAME:ALL_SOLID:wool]
[STATE_ADJ:ALL_SOLID:wool]
[YARN]
[BODY_DETAIL_PLAN:STANDARD_TISSUES]
[USE_TISSUE_TEMPLATE:HOOF:HOOF_TEMPLATE]
[USE_TISSUE_TEMPLATE:HORN:HORN_TEMPLATE]
[SELECT_TISSUE:HAIR]
[TISSUE_NAME:wool:NP]
...
[SET_TL_GROUP:BY_CATEGORY:ALL:HAIR]
[TL_COLOR_MODIFIER:WHITE:1]
[TLCM_NOUN:wool:SINGULAR]
[TISSUE_LAYER_APPEARANCE_MODIFIER:LENGTH:0:0:0:0:0:0:0]
[APP_MOD_NOUN:wool:SINGULAR]
[APP_MOD_RATE:1:DAILY:0:300:0:0:NO_END]
[APP_MOD_DESC_RANGE:10:50:100:150:200:300]
[SHEARABLE_TISSUE_LAYER:LENGTH:300]
...
[SELECT_TISSUE_LAYER:HAIR:BY_CATEGORY:ALL]
[TL_RELATIVE_THICKNESS:10]


So would I have to redo the entire BODY_DETAIL_PLAN tokens?  I don't want the animal to lose any iconic features, like a rhino's horns.  I'd also like to be able to make a few silly animals, like Fluffy Monitor Lizards or Fluffy Penguins, which means I'd need to give them hair. 

I don't understand how [YARN] works just sitting there either.  Could I replace that with say [SHELL] and shear shells or [SOAP] and shear soap off of them?

[Klisz]

So would I have to redo the entire BODY_DETAIL_PLAN tokens?

No, you just need to use the SELECT_WHATEVER portions and the SET_TL_GROUP, as long as it already has a HAIR material and tissue (so your monitor lizard and penguin ideas wouldn't work, unfortunately).

I don't understand how [YARN] works just sitting there either.  Could I replace that with say [SHELL] and shear shells or [SOAP] and shear soap off of them?

YARN is just a material token that lets the stuff be spun into yarn thread. I think SHELL and SOAP should both work, but maybe not the latter since it'd be a bodypart and not a block.

[Meph]

You can also make Angry (PRONE_TO_RAGE), Curious (MISCHIVIOUS), Hungry (CURIOUS_EATER) and thirsty (CURIOUS_DRINKER) versions, as well as poisonous (poison bite) and venomous (syndrome on the meat when eaten) versions, and blessed/intelligent versions with (CAN_LEARN and CAN_SPEAK and EXCITEMENT_SEEKING), which would allow adventurers to have them as companions.

[AceSV]

So would I have to redo the entire BODY_DETAIL_PLAN tokens?

No, you just need to use the SELECT_WHATEVER portions and the SET_TL_GROUP, as long as it already has a HAIR material and tissue (so your monitor lizard and penguin ideas wouldn't work, unfortunately).

Looking at the way the Animal People variation works, maybe I could just use [REMOVE_MATERIAL:HAIR] and [REMOVE_MATERIAL:FEATHER] and [REMOVE_MATERIAL:SCALE] and then add hair back in and make it fluffy.  But since hair is the default, I don't know if there is a [USE_MATERIAL_TEMPLATE:HAIR:HAIR_TEMPLATE]

You can also make Angry (PRONE_TO_RAGE), Curious (MISCHIVIOUS), Hungry (CURIOUS_EATER) and thirsty (CURIOUS_DRINKER) versions, as well as poisonous (poison bite) and venomous (syndrome on the meat when eaten) versions, and blessed/intelligent versions with (CAN_LEARN and CAN_SPEAK and EXCITEMENT_SEEKING), which would allow adventurers to have them as companions.

I would LOVE to make animal companions!  What would I need to really make that happen?  I feel like they don't have a lot of animals sitting around in Adventure Mode like they do in Fortress Mode.  Would it be necessary to domesticate the animals and encounter them in drinking halls, or would I have to make them Benign and approach them in the wild?  (or both?) 

As for the rest, I would probably include those into other variations.  Like PRONE_TO_RAGE would be a part of Dire or Saber Tooth, I would probably combine MISCHIVIOUS, CURIOUS_EATER and CURIOUS_DRINKER, maybe add them to another variation, like Swift animals, or add them to Dire animals to force them into conflict more often or add them to Companion animals (CAN_LEARN and CAN_SPEAK and EXCITEMENT_SEEKING) to make them even more adventurous.  I'd be super interested to see what a MISCHIVIOUS companion does in adventure mode. 


Speaking of Saber Tooth, at first I thought, I know how to do that, it's RELSIZE, but now I'm realizing I have no idea how RELSIZE works.  Or perhaps I could cheat and copy 2Tusks from the elephants. 

[Chevaleresse]

You can also make Angry (PRONE_TO_RAGE), Curious (MISCHIVIOUS), Hungry (CURIOUS_EATER) and thirsty (CURIOUS_DRINKER) versions, as well as poisonous (poison bite) and venomous (syndrome on the meat when eaten) versions, and blessed/intelligent versions with (CAN_LEARN and CAN_SPEAK and EXCITEMENT_SEEKING), which would allow adventurers to have them as companions.

You flipped poisonous and venomous, there.

[Meph]

You can also make Angry (PRONE_TO_RAGE), Curious (MISCHIVIOUS), Hungry (CURIOUS_EATER) and thirsty (CURIOUS_DRINKER) versions, as well as poisonous (poison bite) and venomous (syndrome on the meat when eaten) versions, and blessed/intelligent versions with (CAN_LEARN and CAN_SPEAK and EXCITEMENT_SEEKING), which would allow adventurers to have them as companions.

You flipped poisonous and venomous, there.

I did indeed, thanks for the correction.

[AceSV]

Trying to figure this out is reminding me why I gave up programming.  Everything has to be exactly right to work and no one can tell you what exactly right is, because no one has done what you're trying to do before.  I think I understand what to do for adding simple tags like PRONE_TO_RAGE but I barely understand how tissue and material definitions work with normal creatures so doing this via creature variation is a pain in the nads. 

Here's a wild stab at Sabertooth creatures.  I want to:

• Increase creature size 150%
• Add Tusks
• Add Tusk material (ivory)
• Add Tusk attack

Adding creature size is available from the Giant Creature variation: 

Code: [Select]

[CV_NEW_TAG:CHANGE_BODY_SIZE_PERC:150]
Elephants have tusks, so I can borrow the tags from them.  It looks like the important ones are:

Code: [Select]

[BODY:QUADRUPED_NECK:...:2TUSKS...]
[BODY_DETAIL_PLAN:STANDARD_MATERIALS]
[USE_MATERIAL_TEMPLATE:IVORY:TOOTH_TEMPLATE]
[STATE_NAME:ALL_SOLID:ivory]
[STATE_ADJ:ALL_SOLID:ivory]
[BODY_DETAIL_PLAN:STANDARD_TISSUES]
[USE_TISSUE_TEMPLATE:IVORY:IVORY_TEMPLATE]
[TISSUE_NAME:ivory:NP]
In an ideal world it would be enough to do:

Code: [Select]

[CV_NEW_TAG:2TUSKS] but that sounds implausible.  Maybe I should replace "BODY:" with "BODY:2TUSKS:"? 

The way some of the other variant creatures are set up, it looks like the materials should go like:

Code: [Select]

[GO_TO_TAG:BODY_DETAIL_PLAN:STANDARD_MATERIALS]
[CV_NEW_TAG:USE_MATERIAL_TEMPLATE:IVORY:TOOTH_TEMPLATE]
[CV_NEW_TAG:STATE_NAME:ALL_SOLID:ivory]
[CV_NEW_TAG:STATE_ADJ:ALL_SOLID:ivory]
[GO_TO_TAG:BODY_DETAIL_PLAN:STANDARD_TISSUES]
[CV_NEW_TAG:USE_TISSUE_TEMPLATE:IVORY:IVORY_TEMPLATE]
[CV_NEW_TAG:TISSUE_NAME:ivory:NP]
And finally, there's already a creature variation for adding tusk attacks.  [APPLY_CREATURE_VARIATION:TUSK_ATTACK]

Then probably borrow some of the lines from Giant animal that erase pet value and so forth. 

And still, I'm not sure if that would really accomplish anything. 

[Dirst]

I'm away from my computer right now, but check out the animal person variation.  That one most definitely fiddles with BODY arguments.

[AceSV]

I'm away from my computer right now, but check out the animal person variation.  That one most definitely fiddles with BODY arguments.

The animal people just change body plans into other body plans, for example:

Code: [Select]

[CV_CONVERT_TAG]
[CVCT_MASTER:BODY]
[CVCT_TARGET:QUADRUPED]
[CVCT_REPLACEMENT:HUMANOID]
I don't see an example for adding something to BODY other than by completely rewriting it.  If you can't do that, I guess I could just have the creature variation remove the body tag and then copy paste the old body tag with 2TUSK added. 

Also looking at this closer, I should make a custom body part instead of 2TUSKS that's larger. 

[ImagoDeo]

Also looking at this closer, I should make a custom body part instead of 2TUSKS that's larger.

When I think 'Sabertooth' I think something with really big eye teeth, not tusks. Your standard saber-tooth tiger looks something like this (thanks, Google Images):

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Ergo, a sabertoothed version of something, to my mind, is basically the standard creature (bigger perhaps) with the size of its teeth increased substantially. It would be pretty easy to make a creature variation that increases body size and increases the size of the teeth. Most creatures won't already have eye teeth, though, so you'd have to make sure that they're there and then increase their size.

The CVCT tags will help with that. You should be able to replace GENERIC_TEETH with GENERIC_TEETH_WITH_LARGE_EYE_TEETH. Then apply a size modifier by bodypart category and add a [CHANGE_BODY_SIZE_PERC:x] tag. Done!

[AceSV]

Well that would definitely be easier, but I think would lose some flavor compared to having an animal that uses tusks in its attacks and generating ivory when butchered. 

I still haven't actually tried either way yet.  I should just try it. 

[Spiderking50]

Well that would definitely be easier, but I think would lose some flavor compared to having an animal that uses tusks in its attacks and generating ivory when butchered. 

Depends if you want to be accurate or want the ivory. "Saber toothed" creatures would not have tusks. "Tusked" creatures would have tusks. Saber teeth =/= tusks.

[AceSV]

I've heard smilodons and water deer described as having tusks, but ultimately I want the "saberteeth" to be tangible and relevant within the established framework of DF.  I want the reports to say "the animal attacks with its saberteeth" and I want the player to obtain saberteeth from the animal.  Also these should be fantasy animals not reasonable ones. 

I found VBase and saw it use [CV_NEW_TAG:BODY:2TUSKS] which does the trick.  The tusks appear on the animal and can use them to attack, but the report says the tusks pass right through, which I think means they have no material assigned to them.  I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do to assign materials to the body parts. 

Variation: 

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

[CREATURE_VARIATION:SABER]
   
   [CV_REMOVE_TAG:GENERAL_CHILD_NAME]
   [CV_REMOVE_TAG:GENERAL_BABY_NAME]
   [CV_REMOVE_TAG:CASTE_NAME]
   [CV_REMOVE_TAG:CHILDNAME]
   [CV_REMOVE_TAG:BABYNAME]
   [CV_REMOVE_TAG:POPULATION_NUMBER]
   [CV_REMOVE_TAG:CLUSTER_NUMBER]
   [CV_REMOVE_TAG:MOUNT]
   [CV_REMOVE_TAG:MOUNT_EXOTIC]
   [CV_REMOVE_TAG:SOUND]
   [CV_REMOVE_TAG:DESCRIPTION]
   [CV_REMOVE_TAG:PETVALUE]
   [CV_REMOVE_TAG:FISHITEM]
   [CV_REMOVE_TAG:TRIGGERABLE_GROUP]
   [CV_REMOVE_TAG:PREFSTRING]
   [CV_REMOVE_TAG:MUNDANE]
   [CV_REMOVE_TAG:UBIQUITOUS]

   [CV_NEW_TAG:SELECT_CASTE:ALL]
      [CV_NEW_TAG:CHANGE_BODY_SIZE_PERC:150]
      [CV_NEW_TAG:CHANGE_FREQUENCY_PERC:75]
   [CV_NEW_TAG:SAVAGE]
   
      [CV_NEW_TAG:BODY:2TUSKS]
   
      [CV_NEW_TAG:USE_MATERIAL_TEMPLATE:IVORY:TOOTH_TEMPLATE]
         [CV_NEW_TAG:STATE_NAME:ALL_SOLID:ivory]
         [CV_NEW_TAG:STATE_ADJ:ALL_SOLID:ivory]
   
      [CV_NEW_TAG:USE_TISSUE_TEMPLATE:IVORY:IVORY_TEMPLATE]
         [CV_NEW_TAG:TISSUE_NAME:ivory:NP]

Creature: 

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

[CREATURE:SABER_KANGAROO]
   [COPY_TAGS_FROM:KANGAROO]
   [APPLY_CREATURE_VARIATION:SABER]
   [APPLY_CREATURE_VARIATION:TUSK_STAB_ATTACK]
   [NAME:sabertooth kangaroo:sabertooth kangaroos:sabertooth kangaroo]
   [CASTE_NAME:sabertooth kangaroo:sabertooth kangaroos:sabertooth kangaroo]
   [GENERAL_CHILD_NAME:sabertooth kangaroo joey:sabertooth kangaroo joeys]
   [DESCRIPTION:A huge monster in the shape of a kangaroo.]
   [POPULATION_NUMBER:15:30]
   [CLUSTER_NUMBER:2:4]
   [PETVALUE:500]
   [MOUNT_EXOTIC]
   [GO_TO_END]
   [PREFSTRING:pouches]
   [PREFSTRING:great leaps]