Do you want to see living psydo eco-systems

ArchivedUser

There are many facets to the planned Node and other systems in game that will be inter-related that create the sandbox side to the game that many are enthused about.

These are, for the most part, a player generated action & consequence system creating a player sided action/reaction eco-system.

Now with mined resources also noted to be limited and to be either repleted over time or new discovered in different location, there is  psydo eco-system for that.

There are also the season cycles and possible day/night sequences that provide another hint at eco-system dynamics.

One area, I have not been able to find info on, be it it has not been discussed yet or talked about is other similar reactive environments.

I would love to see eco-system balances with regeneration and or player assisted regeneration.

Take a simplistic example below for mobs:

• Certain mobs exist in a forested area.
• One set of players kill the mobs at a reasonable rate and they repopulate at a sustainable rate, the system is balanced
• Another set of players farm the mobs at a rate higher than their determined repopulation rate. They deplete. The higher tier mobs that may have fed off of these low level mobs now either move on to another area, become more agressive and/or also die out.

Then we have the trees, fields etc.

• Players deplete the trees in an area where the mobs are.
• If a reasonable amount of trees are removed then the mobs stay in their habitat.
• If the trees are farmed far higher than their regeneration rate, the mobs move on and/or die out.
• The trees cease to regenerate well or at all.

Animal Husbandry / Foresting etc

• Nice professions to counter these situations might be player skills for limited animal husbandry, forestry, farming etc.

Node Leader Management

• For management of these systems to create balance in the environment around a node.
• Could there be Metropolis management systems, player controlled, similar to the tax mechanisms, creating bounties/quests for/ or against farming of particular mobs/resources.
• This would be in an effort for resource management.
• Go with the law become rewarded, go against the law become infamous/penalized.
• Management might also include policing/bounties for neighboring node players taking resources aswell.

In short if a metropolis does not offer policy and/or dedicate people (resource) to manage and maintain their region's "eco-system", then it can dramatically change for the better or worse.
 
What do you think?

ArchivedUser

Confirmed, AKABear is Al Gore, and this is his "Inconvenient Truth"

ArchivedUser

I know that they said there will be certain plants that only grow in certain types of areas, specifically plants that grow underground

ArchivedUser

I think it's unlikely that we will see the eco system be so complex that the hunters of prey that are overkilled will move elsewhere. That sounds too close to Storybricks behavior... and the devs aren't planning the AI to be as sophisticated as Storybricks.

I do expect that players might be able to deplete the fauna similar to flora and minerals and the fauna might repopulate in other regions.

It will be very interesting to see how breeding affects the animal populations in the wild.

Also will be interesting to see if player governments can create restrictions on all types of goods and activities. Bounties for specific types of contraband. Restrictions against certain types of magic or religions or classes.
Restrictions against specific types of plants or animals or mounts or pets or weapons.

ArchivedUser

Karthos said:

Confirmed, AKABear is Al Gore, and this is his "Inconvenient Truth"

The demographic of this game includes approx 30% NA players. I had to look this up as it had no meaning! Interesting!

I'm not advocating creating "Global Warming" nor a "Planetary Emmergency", that being said, if much of a region's environment is just as reactive as other elements..then it brings just one more dynamic into play!

The objective to keep everything in motion! 
Bustling towns & vibrant environments, testament to the players activities withing.

Ghost towns and desolate environments, testament to the miss-management!

Shifting communities from un-successful environments to new lands or successful nodes.

Play every day and make a difference.
Take 6 months out, and you return to a new game! 

ArchivedUser

I think the AL Gore statement was more in jest then seriousness

ArchivedUser

Ninja Shadow said:

I think the AL Gore statement was more in jest then seriousness

Thought so too!

ArchivedUser

I vaguely remember them touching on something similar to some of these systems in a stream. If I'm remembering right they were trying to avoid each system managing itself and instead used events as a substitute. 

ArchivedUser

Fevir in his youtube video, when describing Albion Online which has a similar system the one I would like to see as a "geo-politics"

See video starting from key point here: 
https://youtu.be/6WdqpXsxMUk?t=156

Nice vid Fevir BTW

ArchivedUser

I like the idea... but most eco-systems won't survive MMO players I think. As in, populated areas will probably end up being relatively desolate wastelands as players kill and harvest everything simultaneously in multiple nodes and their Zoi,

Having a more scripted approach to approximate eco-systems to mob spawning/resource spawning might be the way to go. The developers have shared the example about veins of ore depleting and the respawn might be at a different location. 

ArchivedUser

I agree with the scripted approach. However, I would like to see this as the base line only.

Players influence the wavering from the base line! Want more from your environment, you need to manage it.

A few mmorpgs do successfully have such systems. What it comes down to for Ashes is how much they have decided to plan in for the core game and how adaptable the game will be after launch to change, add, enchance or replace too!

ArchivedUser

I understand the system you are asking for and thought GW2 had something like this, at least for certain things.

If you remove one element from the area, lets use those glowy horned deer, this could cause a number of potential issues; predators would move to a new area or be forced to actively hunt say the players, allow another group of prey animals to move in and take their place, etc

Another example.....If you remove the predators then there could be an overpopulation of prey fauna which could deplete the area of certain resources, say a plant we players would need hoe crafting. You would have to do population control just go get the plant to return.

Or....deforesting an area could drive away certain animals, again causing problems in the game. The possibilities are nearly endless!

It would all be an interweaved eco-system that requires balance. I would love it but thinking about what would be required to program all of that makes my head spin.

ArchivedUser

AkaBear said:

I agree with the scripted approach. However, I would like to see this as the base line only.

Players influence the wavering from the base line! Want more from your environment, you need to manage it.

A few mmorpgs do successfully have such systems. What it comes down to for Ashes is how much they have decided to plan in for the core game and how adaptable the game will be after launch to change, add, enchance or replace too!

It'll be interesting to see if a fully developed metropolis will lead to overcrowding and or overharvesting. Leading to a reliance on trade and/or people leaving the node to harvest somewhere else. 

Perhaps what I meant to say by the scripted approach is just... more of a limited living eco-system approach.

ArchivedUser

I imagine if a metropolis becomes overpopulated it would cause crafters to sell their goods to towns with less competition.  The market stalls seem limited as well. 

ArchivedUser

If these resources/systems are visible, it is going to be challenging to make it work in a MMO.

However, if they are harvested/caught/farmed without actually seeing the resource, it could be done like how they did with SWG's resource mining system.

But nonetheless, living eco systems in the game will definitely get me excited.

ArchivedUser

SpectoRz said:

If these resources/systems are visible, it is going to be challenging to make it work in a MMO.

However, if they are harvested/caught/farmed without actually seeing the resource, it could be done like how they did with SWG's resource mining system.

But nonetheless, living eco systems in the game will definitely get me excited.

SWG resource system is still my personal favourite. One of the most effective differentiator between the server's best crafter vs. just another crafter despite both crafters having the same levels will be their access to quality resources. 

It made people really seek out the "good" crafters.