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[Funk]

sound like it maybe end up as a build them smash if you dont do it all right.
the ai need to run Kingdom /look like it does will be the hard part

makeing a quick test of combat with soom farming will be the easy part.

[Rakonas]

Sounds very nice, but I do hope that some things aren't openly visible in the interface on purpose (for example, being a lord I don't know how the hell you'd be able to look and see the pH level of a field, you'd just have to infer pretty much). Would love to see it in action, I'm guessing you'll release it to the public in alpha stage, right?

[Thes33]

All great comments.  Thanks! 

I'm in agreement with Muz, this is going to be a slow series of releases, first focusing on farming and manor development then gradually adding combat and kingdom features.

As per magikarcher's comments, I am just beginning to learn the 3D graphics aspects, and I can say it isn't easy.  But I've considered a tile-based (even ASCII-based), but I feel it'll take away from the first-person feel.  This is going to have many RPG elements and I feel it'd be hard maintain that without a 3D world.

Now for Rakonas's comment, I'm going to try to stick to medieval level technology, so naturally the idea of pH is well out of the league of characters, however, there will probably be a skill associated with understanding the soil fertility, but in a convoluted way.   The character might understand that the soil is too acidic, or "be possessed of ill-tempered earth fairies", and to deal with the faeries one must break limestone over the earth to drive them out, coincidentally reducing the acidity of the soil.  Things will be dealt with in a paganistic/spiritual sort of way.  In the same sense, I think if magic is introduced to the game later on, it would be mostly alchemy (iron to gold anyone?).

 I've just started putting things together and am mostly working getting the 3D engine together and working basic object hierarchies.  I have a lot of experience programming, been doing it since I was in 8th grade, so I'm learning quickly.  But my time is unfortunately crippled by my work as a graduate student.  But this game is exactly the type of game I have wanted for years, so I figure I might as well be the one to write it if no one else will.

Please continue to post your comments and ideas and I'll keep working on it!
 Thanks!   

[DJ]

I love the idea. Anyway, I think 2D with nice sprites would work best and make development much faster (you're going to have a lot of work with physics in 3D). 3D has novelty value, but after a couple of hours of playing, both are equally immersive.

[LegoLord]

I would guess from the fact that he has such a clear outline and has posted this in "other games" instead of "creative projects" that he already had some clear plan and capability of making it when he started this thread.

And frankly it sounds awesome.

[Muz]

Yeah, definitely agree... 3D is a LOT of work, which is why Toady moved DF/Slaves to Armok from 3D to 2D. It doesn't even look that much better. It's less work to animate in 3D, though, so you have to decide if it's worth it

[Thes33]

Here's the update:  So, 3D graphics are a pain in the ass, but I'm learning what I can and am enjoying the process.  So far I've been working on realistic weather and sky simulation; as a farm sim, the weather needs to be right on.
  Hopefully I'll figure out how to get some nice fluffy clouds this week and I can move on to less geometrically straining tasks.

[Labs]

Sounds great! I'll have to keep an eye on this one. 

[Sowelu]

Oh god, weather.

Take it from a guy with YEARS of experience trying to simulate realistic weather in all sorts of games.  Fake it as hard as you possibly can--or at least, limit the scope.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Limit the region that weather takes place in.  Even if it's a large country, things that happen off-map are totally unimportant.  Keep the number of things you track to a minimum.  It's okay to just say "hmm, let's make this a cold dry year; northern provinces are colder, there's some lucky rainfall over here, aaaand...plenty of random variance on a month-to-month and province-to-province basis".  And then days are mostly random within that because hey, just because a cloud is coming, doesn't mean it'll rain.

Having some simple 2d overlays to propagate moisture east from lakes, more if it's hotter, and drop rainfall faster when approaching higher terrain is cool.

If you're thinking about graphics...you can use stock pictures of fluffy clouds (if overhead view), or a big rotating skybox that's different for each weather type (if FPS).  You DON'T need to programmatically form 3d clouds.

But here's the really important part.

If you start thinking about different conditions at different altitudes, and you are not making a flight simulator, close the book.

If you start thinking about modeling convection so that air flows toward bodies of water at night, bitchslap yourself right now and continue doing so until you let go of the idea because trust me, that way only lies pain.  AN AWFUL LOT OF PAIN.  You can work on that for a LONG time, and still come up with models that A) aren't remotely realistic, B) don't even look good at all, and C) don't add a damn thing to the game even if they worked.

Seriously.  Nobody is going to notice if the density change from warming air isn't quite right.  Or if it's not present at all, say.

Just trying to save you some agony...  Make something awesome that's believable; focus on the awesome, not the believable; and don't overestimate what you need to do for believability.

[Thes33]

Thanks Sowelu for the tips! 

  I don't have any plans to make it that insanely realistic, just basic cloud density and temperature variables.  The cloud density will affect the amount of Perlin-noise generated cloud texture on my sky dome.  Precipitation will probably be pretty simplistic as well.  The angles of the sun was the big thing for me, I wanted accurate angles for accurate seasons and time of day.  I want that to be the only source of telling the time of day (except maybe a sundial for a rich lord).  Luckily there was plenty of work already done in this area, so I'm good to go on that. 

   I'm planning on having the overall amount of sunlight be calculated based on these weather affects which will affect the amount of plant growth in any given day for any given plant.  Other effects such as a tree shading out the sun will also affect these values for individual plants.  So no growing of wheat and vetch under the trees...  (but at least the trees will supply fruit and nuts, and maybe flowers for the bees to gather).

Next on the agenda... growing forests!

[Mephansteras]

Sounds like an interesting idea. I shall watch this.

[LegoLord]

I hope you aren't talking about what the spambot just said, Meph.
Something needs to be done about the rising bots.

Anyway, this is sounding pretty cool so far.  I like the idea of shade reducing how well plants under it grow; sounds much better than the harvest moon method of preventing a bunch of plants being stuffed around a tree.

[Mephansteras]

Hehe. No, I was talking about Fief, not whatever nonsense the spambot was spouting.

[Zangi]

I'll definitely give this a try when it comes out...

[Thes33]

I added more information for what I'm going for on the fief game page:

http://www.arboreantears.com/fief/index.html

I don't want to piggyback on Toady's forum, so I'll only post on here when I get something particularly interesting to report, but otherwise please keep a spare eye on this project.

   Thanks everyone!