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Author Topic: Watery Diversity  (Read 30779 times)

Belteshazzar

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Re: Watery Diversity
« Reply #45 on: August 10, 2009, 04:54:17 pm »

The good thing about acid is that it makes a good cleanser and refiner of metals. You could even mine through limestone deposits with it, preserving metal veins and crystals in their unbroken form (as long as you maintained proper airflow, otherwise expect your lower mines to become flooded with CO2.)

Also a good place to dispose of skeleton, because Calcium carbonates dissolve in acid its the best weapon to defeat necromancers and such.

However, low acid quantities such as those produced in peat bogs will have the opposite effect on corpses, killing microorganisms and preserving flesh for millinia. Ironically acid peat bogs are self sustaining environments all thing equal as Sphagnum moss (also a remarkably powerful antiseptic, wound dressing, sponge, and even a natural refrigerant) enjoys high acidity and pumps more acid into the environment to spread it's reach and kill competitors.

Eventual a cycle sets up in which the Sphagnum kills itself from acid overdose, then immediately recovers when acidity drops to barely tolerable levels, subsequently killing itself again, thus preventing anything else from even having a change to claim the ground. Increasingly thick layers of moss can preserve untold eons of history within their Cthonic grasp. The ancients often revered such places as an interspace between this life and the next, the unusual chemical nature of the bog even caused easily forge-able nodules of 'bog iron' to form within the bog (often forged in over spagnum fueled fires and quenched in the bogwaters), often such cultures offered sacrifices of their dead (and soon to be dead) to the bog in exchange for its innumerable gifts.
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Heron TSG

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Re: Watery Diversity
« Reply #46 on: August 14, 2009, 12:34:14 am »

If you have acid pools, you really need tar-pits. Including skeletal dinosaurs. Tar moves like magma, and can burn.

will add to Aboveground diversity tomorrow.


However, low acid quantities such as those produced in peat bogs will have the opposite effect on corpses, killing microorganisms and preserving flesh for millinia. Ironically acid peat bogs are self sustaining environments all thing equal as Sphagnum moss (also a remarkably powerful antiseptic, wound dressing, sponge, and even a natural refrigerant) enjoys high acidity and pumps more acid into the environment to spread it's reach and kill competitors.

Eventual a cycle sets up in which the Sphagnum kills itself from acid overdose, then immediately recovers when acidity drops to barely tolerable levels, subsequently killing itself again, thus preventing anything else from even having a change to claim the ground. Increasingly thick layers of moss can preserve untold eons of history within their Cthonic grasp. The ancients often revered such places as an interspace between this life and the next, the unusual chemical nature of the bog even caused easily forge-able nodules of 'bog iron' to form within the bog (often forged in over spagnum fueled fires and quenched in the bogwaters), often such cultures offered sacrifices of their dead (and soon to be dead) to the bog in exchange for its innumerable gifts.

also adding THIS to AG diversity.
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Est Sularus Oth Mithas
The Artist Formerly Known as Barbarossa TSG

Bricks

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Re: Watery Diversity
« Reply #47 on: August 14, 2009, 11:03:04 am »

Because settling on an island does tend to isolate you from the more random threats of the world, how about 'washed up' events?  I don't know how to measure how ocean-hardy a critter is, but it could lead to some interesting variety when Brine-Rusted Collosus or a Waterlogged Dragon shows up on your shores.  Perhaps a "Waterlogged *" creature modifier or "Drowned *" undead modifier like zombie or skeletal would be cool.  The waterlogged critters could start out exhausted to the point of passing out on arrival, but then after a short rest become desperate for survival and territory.  Drowned undead always seemed pretty horrifying to me, slower, more single-minded, and more resilient than your average zombie.  And the descriptions would be sick.

Also, various treasures or artifacts could wash up, perhaps leading to some explanation for why certain items disappeared from the world.
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Tlaon

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Re: Watery Diversity
« Reply #48 on: August 16, 2009, 02:26:38 am »

Any setting that includes water should also include pirates.  Human pirates are obvious, maybe the default.  Maybe goblin pirates also?  I guess goblins are more mountainous.  Any water civ should definitely have pirates, and maybe emissaries that come up to trade with the land dwellers.  In terms of water civs, merpeople are classic and should definitely be included.  Also maybe selkies (seal people)?

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Re: Watery Diversity
« Reply #49 on: August 16, 2009, 01:38:06 pm »

Any setting that includes water should also include pirates.  Human pirates are obvious, maybe the default.  Maybe goblin pirates also?  I guess goblins are more mountainous.  Any water civ should definitely have pirates, and maybe emissaries that come up to trade with the land dwellers.  In terms of water civs, merpeople are classic and should definitely be included.  Also maybe selkies (seal people)?

Aren't merpeople already in the game?

Pirates, and to a lesser degree, merchant sailors, should be more diverse in terms of racial background, cobbled together from whatever criminals and outcasts the game spits out.  I'd love to see a ship with an elven captain, goblin first mate, and kobold deck hands.
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PaperJack

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Re: Watery Diversity
« Reply #50 on: August 16, 2009, 02:56:34 pm »

some rivers should spawn gold nuggets inside them periodically, or of some other metal or mineral.
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sonerohi

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Re: Watery Diversity
« Reply #51 on: August 16, 2009, 03:48:06 pm »

Elves trying to stop overfishing.
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Neonivek

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Re: Watery Diversity
« Reply #52 on: August 16, 2009, 04:10:28 pm »

A Large monster: Island Turtle: This creature is certainly large enough to constitute being a Megabeast but lacks any ability or edge. It is just an ordinary giant creature.
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Davion

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Re: Watery Diversity
« Reply #53 on: August 18, 2009, 07:34:13 pm »

Megabeasts that have characteristics seen in real life deep-sea creatures, since most of them look like they were spawned from Hell itself, anyway.

An example mock-up:
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
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Heron TSG

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Re: Watery Diversity
« Reply #54 on: August 19, 2009, 09:38:48 am »

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Well, I'll be gone for a week starting tomorrow, so give me more ideas to compile when I get back!
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Est Sularus Oth Mithas
The Artist Formerly Known as Barbarossa TSG

Rowanas

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Re: Watery Diversity
« Reply #55 on: August 19, 2009, 09:40:26 am »

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

I'm blue, abu dee abu die...
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I agree with Urist. Steampunk is like Darth Vader winning Holland's Next Top Model. It would be awesome but not something I'd like in this game.
Unfortunately dying involves the amputation of the entire body from the dwarf.

Heron TSG

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Re: Watery Diversity
« Reply #56 on: September 01, 2009, 11:42:06 pm »

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Est Sularus Oth Mithas
The Artist Formerly Known as Barbarossa TSG

eerr

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Re: Watery Diversity
« Reply #57 on: September 02, 2009, 12:30:08 am »

awhile back I heard about more underground features.

I never saw an underground cave-lake though.

how do I find something that isn't an underground river?(which I also hardly see)chasm of either type, or magma-filled?
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neek

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Re: Watery Diversity
« Reply #58 on: September 02, 2009, 01:31:14 am »

I would also recommend: Lightning. During a heavy storm, can strike down and stun or give some level of wounds to a creature (depending how much conductive metal he's wearing); lacking a continuous stream (say, ending one tile radius, despite whatever constructions are there) would help reduce any exploitation. Can also set trees on fire or burn the ground.

Swarm creatures. Swarm creatures are multi-tile creatures that have low health per individual, but can constitute significant damage as a group but have weak health. Unlike carp, where one is deadly, they can have other effects: Jellyfish warms can stun and potentially drown a creature (and turtles'd eat the swarms right up), locusts can attempt to consume crops and dwarven clothing, mosquito swarms can tire creatures and exert them rather swiftly. Piranha swarms, well, do we really need an explanation?

Tornados. If we're going to have hail and hurricanes, might as well have a massive wind column come down and move across the map, destroying whatever is in its way.

Seeing as we were going on dangerous terrain: Quicksand. Depending on a dwarf's agility (or perhaps tracking) skill can preempt the fun way of finding these, otherwise what appears to be normal terrain becomes a horrifying experience.

New uses of ropes: Climbing ropes can be used to help dwarves in the water climb back into a higher z-level than a slope. Might also be a nice siege device, allowing enemies to scale walls; this is something that can be stored in a backpack.

New use of thread: Nets. Right now, dwarves just do it the dwarvenly way and grab fish out of the water (vermin fish, at that!). Having a net might increase their net gain, or be a requirement to just get the job done. Can also use spears for the part (not as dwarvenly with dwarve hands), or less excitingly, one wood or metal or stone + thread == fishing pole.

I'm not sure how I feel about life vests. It's bad as it is that we can hardly control what they wear--why bother including an item they won't wear if they don't have an open slot for it?
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Heron TSG

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Re: Watery Diversity
« Reply #59 on: September 04, 2009, 07:56:31 am »

I would also recommend: Lightning. During a heavy storm, can strike down and stun or give some level of wounds to a creature (depending how much conductive metal he's wearing); lacking a continuous stream (say, ending one tile radius, despite whatever constructions are there) would help reduce any exploitation. Can also set trees on fire or burn the ground.

Swarm creatures. Swarm creatures are multi-tile creatures that have low health per individual, but can constitute significant damage as a group but have weak health. Unlike carp, where one is deadly, they can have other effects: Jellyfish warms can stun and potentially drown a creature (and turtles'd eat the swarms right up), locusts can attempt to consume crops and dwarven clothing, mosquito swarms can tire creatures and exert them rather swiftly. Piranha swarms, well, do we really need an explanation?

Tornados. If we're going to have hail and hurricanes, might as well have a massive wind column come down and move across the map, destroying whatever is in its way.

Seeing as we were going on dangerous terrain: Quicksand. Depending on a dwarf's agility (or perhaps tracking) skill can preempt the fun way of finding these, otherwise what appears to be normal terrain becomes a horrifying experience.

New uses of ropes: Climbing ropes can be used to help dwarves in the water climb back into a higher z-level than a slope. Might also be a nice siege device, allowing enemies to scale walls; this is something that can be stored in a backpack.

New use of thread: Nets. Right now, dwarves just do it the dwarvenly way and grab fish out of the water (vermin fish, at that!). Having a net might increase their net gain, or be a requirement to just get the job done. Can also use spears for the part (not as dwarvenly with dwarve hands), or less excitingly, one wood or metal or stone + thread == fishing pole.

I'm not sure how I feel about life vests. It's bad as it is that we can hardly control what they wear--why bother including an item they won't wear if they don't have an open slot for it?

Lightning is in aboveground diversity, as well as tornadoes, quicksand, and climbing ropes. Nets are not part of the environment so much as technology.

Swarm creatures are already in the game. (cloud of flies, etc.)
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Est Sularus Oth Mithas
The Artist Formerly Known as Barbarossa TSG
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