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Author Topic: Archetypical Zoology Mod [VBASE]  (Read 3866 times)

Solifuge

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Archetypical Zoology Mod [VBASE]
« on: August 31, 2010, 01:56:53 pm »

I'm gearing up to make an expanded zoology using Captain Mayday's VBASE mod-kit. Before I embark on this, however, I need help compiling an extensive list of animals real, mythological, and extinct, in the following categories. Suggestions for categories and animals are welcome! Also, if you have ideas for new monsters, or a monster from a myth or story you remember, feel free to suggest them too, no matter how obscure or trivial you might think they are.

The goal of this mod isn't to fill out the world with hundreds of similar species for varieties sake, but rather to include animals from all different climates that players of DF will see or interact with differently. To a player, a White-Handed Gibbon is pretty much the same as a Pilleated Gibbon except for coloration, while a Sea Turtle and a Snapping Turtle are markedly different; one shyly swims around the ocean eating krill, while the other could snip your toe off in a murky pool. As such, I won't be using every animal suggested here, but this is designed to assemble a huge list that covers every biome, to whittle things down from.

When suggesting an animal, try to include a link to information, especially for more obscure mythological or real creatures. Also, for biologists, the classifications I'm using aren't completely taxonomically accurate. I'm trying to focus on logical groupings, rather than biological ones.
« Last Edit: September 01, 2010, 02:05:05 am by Solifuge »
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Solifuge

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Re: Diversified VBASE Zoology
« Reply #1 on: August 31, 2010, 01:57:47 pm »

Classifications and Added Animals:

Spoiler: MAMMALS: (click to show/hide)

Spoiler: REPTILES: (click to show/hide)

Spoiler: AMPHIBIANS: (click to show/hide)

Spoiler: FISH: (click to show/hide)

Spoiler: INSECTS: (click to show/hide)

Spoiler: BIRDS: (click to show/hide)

Spoiler: HUMANOIDS: (click to show/hide)

Spoiler: MYTHOLOGICAL: (click to show/hide)
« Last Edit: September 01, 2010, 04:44:10 pm by Solifuge »
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Urist Mcinternetuser

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Re: Diversified VBASE Zoology
« Reply #2 on: August 31, 2010, 03:33:44 pm »

You should add Martens     
     http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martens
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Internet Kraken

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Re: Diversified VBASE Zoology
« Reply #3 on: August 31, 2010, 04:27:02 pm »

I could help you with this, somewhat. I've been doing a lot of creature modding lately. Most of them are fictional creatures that I came up with though, rather than popular ones (aside from Sirens). However, I was going to start making more vermin fish to expand fishing diversity.

In my opinion, fish that live in the deep sea should be found in caves, since it's impossible to actually embark in an area that reaches the deep sea. We could add gulper eels and football fish.
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Rose

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Re: Diversified VBASE Zoology
« Reply #4 on: August 31, 2010, 10:14:36 pm »

no otters?

D:
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Solifuge

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Re: Archetypical Zoology Mod [VBASE]
« Reply #5 on: September 01, 2010, 12:07:47 am »

Oh, the second post isn't a list; I'm just giving examples of animals that would be included in the above groups. Otters and Martins are both going in, and would both be located under "Mammal > Ermine", since they're both weasel-like. They're some of my favorite animals, so they're sure as heck going in. :P

Anywho, to kick things off, here are a handful of archetypal Felines:


Housecat:
Size: 4 to 6 kg
Lifespan: 10-20 years
Litter Size: 3-6 kittens
Climate: Temperate Savannah and Woodland
A small, domesticated carnivorous mammal, valued for its companionship and ability to hunt vermin. Their fur comes in a wide variety of colors and patterns. When wild, they are primarily nocturnal, and live in temperate grasslands and forests.
Traits: Domestic, Vermin Hunter, Claws, Bite

Wildcat:
Size: 5 to 7 kg
Lifespan: 8-16 years
Litter Size: 3-6 kittens
Climate: Temperate Steppe, Savannah, and Bushland.
A small, carnivorous mammal which preys on smaller animals. They are solitary, nocturnal ambush predators. Their fur ranges from pale yellow to medium brown, with black markings and light grey underparts.
Traits: Vermin Hunter, Claws, Bite

Manul:
Size: 3 to 5 kg
Lifespan: 8-16 years
Litter Size: 3-6 kittens
Climate: Cold Badland, Rocky Desert, and Steppe
A small carnivorous feline, with round ears, stocky bodies, long tails, and a short face. Their long, dense fur gives them a stout, plushy appearance. They are solitary, crepuscular ambush hunters, and hunt smaller animals. Their coloration ranges from ochre to grey, with black markings and light grey underparts.
Traits: Vermin Hunter, Claws, Bite, Cold-Tolerant

Lynx:
Size: 20 to 30 kg
Lifespan: 15-25 years
Litter Size: 1-4 kittens
Climate: Temperate and Cold Boreal Forest, Montane Forest, and Steppe
A medium predatory feline with tufted ears, broad paws, a ruffed face, and a short tail. They are primarily solitary, nocturnal hunters, but occasionally hunt in small groups. Their fur ranges from golden brown to beige-white with white underparts, and are sometimes marked with dark spots.
Traits: Predator, Claws, Bite, Cold-Tolerant
« Last Edit: September 17, 2010, 01:17:14 pm by Solifuge »
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vyznev

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Re: Archetypical Zoology Mod [VBASE]
« Reply #6 on: September 01, 2010, 09:27:24 am »

Just so you know... platypuses aren't marsupials, they're monotremes.  Examples of actual marsupials would be e.g. kangaroos, koalas, opossums or tasmanian devils. [/nitpick]
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Ratbert_CP

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Re: Archetypical Zoology Mod [VBASE]
« Reply #7 on: September 01, 2010, 09:30:40 am »

Just so you know... platypuses aren't marsupials, they're monotremes.  Examples of actual marsupials would be e.g. kangaroos, koalas, opossums or tasmanian devils. [/nitpick]
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Solifuge

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Re: Archetypical Zoology Mod [VBASE]
« Reply #8 on: September 01, 2010, 12:57:39 pm »

Derp, I meant to put Monotreme there, but I somehow borked it with all this taxonomic jargon scattered in various text documents. In all honesty, I should just rename that category "Potpourri", to fit all the animals that don't fit elsewhere (I'm trying to make it a logical organization, rather than a taxonomically accurate one).

Anyway, if you guys could list a few animals from your local area, or a few favorite or obscure animals, that'd help me a ton. With VBASE I've got to recreate every single animal from the ground up, whether they are in vanilla DF or not, and I want to have all the biomes well-fleshed out.
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Vicomt

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Re: Archetypical Zoology Mod [VBASE]
« Reply #9 on: September 01, 2010, 02:24:31 pm »

Just one point, I would differentiate between Goats and Sheep in the ruminants, goats are much more vicious, less good to eat, and don't product wool to the same extent.

Deon

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Re: Archetypical Zoology Mod [VBASE]
« Reply #10 on: September 01, 2010, 02:37:14 pm »

Wasn't here a thread full of various creatures as a project for the upcoming df2010? It somehow died...
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Kaelem Gaen

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Re: Archetypical Zoology Mod [VBASE]
« Reply #11 on: September 01, 2010, 04:22:08 pm »

This sounds pretty cool,  I hope it keeps going.

Hmmm animals

Ursidae -   Giant Panda (Yes probably already thought about)

Cryptidia(yay for dog latin)- Hodag

Solifuge

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Re: Archetypical Zoology Mod [VBASE]
« Reply #12 on: September 01, 2010, 04:24:20 pm »

The Ark Mod was doing that, but as far as I could tell it had gone quiet. SirHoneyBadger had the Multitudinous Vermin mod too, but I believe that stalled out due to the scope of it.

This project is aiming to create a set of animals using the VBASE system, where Creature Entities are built off of basic models with modular parts (using the Variant System), rather than coded from scratch. It's a lot more efficient, consistent, and easier to work with. The goal is to give every biome plenty of animal variety, without creating a huge glut of nearly-identical animals. I don't see the point in having 15 different identical entities for Gibbons, or 20 different songbird vermin, while the game completely lacks any kind of Moose, Rhinoceros, Sloth, Kangaroo, and all sorts of other things.

And honestly, is a Dwarf really going to care if the Gibbon he or she is butchering is White Handed or Pileated?
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Captain Mayday

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Re: Archetypical Zoology Mod [VBASE]
« Reply #13 on: September 01, 2010, 06:54:18 pm »

I'll post what I have in terms of critters for legendary lands later, so you can borrow from them.
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Captain Mayday

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Re: Archetypical Zoology Mod [VBASE]
« Reply #14 on: September 03, 2010, 01:32:24 am »

Okay, check out my Legendary Lands mod for plenty of examples and stuff to 'borrow' for this mod.
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