Woodcutting Interactivity

[DurinRustbeard]

Hi, after getting my first go of woodcutting I think I have a suggestion or two to improve the player satisfaction and interactivity, atleast from my PoV.

I would like to see the woodcutting interface to be made more like Mining in that you receive warnings, progress reports, and die rolls, also that the tree opens an inventory box.

If there is a chance for pack of animals spawning on top of you then perhaps a dialog box could display the warning that you hear sounds of nearby animals, and that continued work may draw their attention (so then you have a chance to avoid danger). Also if you fail completely at collecting any wood that there be some sort of a text notifier of such. Simply put I would like the risk/reward and interface/function of woodcutting to be made more like or identical to mining.

Thanks!



Notes for justification of Suggestion: I have only tried woodcutting twice now, but these are my initial experiences with it.

My first attempt was with someone guarding me while attempting to cut down some Duskwood, (i had a skill of 10 so it was going to be unlikely for success, but if I was gonna incur fatigue then I wanted to try it on something worthwhile) killing the guardians of the area was difficult to begin with, and when three more popped into existence abruptly due to some failed roll, or something we were caught totally off guard and resulted in one of us dieing. The tree was abandoned

My second attempt was on a regular tree where a moss viper spawned with no prior warning or text dialog saying that I had aroused the viper by cutting the tree. I killed it, and kept cutting. The tree disappeared, I incurred 2 fatigue and found a timber at my feet.

[Kaeldorn]

I know woodcutting is relatively simple, but the existence of an inventory and several steps in mining simply has more purpose. You can't partially chop down a tree and get anything out of it. The most notable risk involved in mining is losing what you've already acquired through a mishap occuring on your next step. Backing out would always result in having gained nothing with woodcutting, so the end result is that though there might be more interactivity, it only lessens the possibility of getting something out of it. And besides an animal attack or broken tools, there's not an awful lot that can go wrong, nor are there any real options to adjust your strategy in chopping that tree down. Stop and continue would be the only options you'd ever get. That's why I opted for only a chance to have an animal attack every X chops on trees (which isn't skill-related). The way it works now, you also get the chance to freely continue hacking away once those enemies are dead. Miners do not get that option.

The worgs that come after you on duskwood are intentionally difficult. The place it's in is probably fit for an 8-11 level range, comparable to the ogre caves. The material is considered to be on par with alchemical silver/cold iron in terms of value. And should be about equally difficult to obtain.

As for the viper, it's not a spawn from the tree. They are a triggered spawn that sneaks around in Viridale, so it probably just came within your reach while you were working there and you didn't see it until it attacked. No actual warning message comes up before creatures spawn, but you do get a textual message that says 'Your felling of trees has aroused hostility!' when they do.

[DurinRustbeard]

The reasons for its simplicity are understandable, tho there could well be reasons for pauses or breaks in progress due to several conditions: (note: these condition options would mean that more than one timber is capable of being cut from each tree, but that seems relatively understandable if your adding variables)

1.The tree's tilt has began to cause a split in the trunk, continuing as you have may ruin the timber,
a) Continue cutting as you have (risk losing all the good wood, or some)
b) reposition and cut from a different angle (+1 fatigue)

2. You hear the sounds of feral animals nearby *roll d20* .. DC 14
a)Sucess: Wait for awhile until the sounds have subsided and you feel the animals have passed on
b)Fail:The animals sound close and will likely arrive soon (4 rounds until spawn trigger) - these spawn could be a way to increase woodcutting's reward by potentially having them drop something of use like hides.

3. It seems this tree has grown around a rock and it is embedded in the trunk.
a) Use the blunt of your axe to break the stone and continue cutting (possibly break axe)
b) Cut above the stone and lose some of the harvest able timber

4. You discover an animal den at the base of the tree.
a) Flush the beast out (maybe spawn a dire badger or wolverine? potential to get a hide to sell to tailors?)
b) Use some planks from your pack to cover the hole and continue working (prevent spawn and keep cutting)

These are just some suggestions, and I know you've done a great job with everything already, I just find Mining more enjoyable and more rewarding with gems, metals, and more interaction. Perhaps as we had spoke the other day there would be some way to tie in another craft or profession into woodcutting like how mining produces the gems for cutters.

I love all the work you've done and hope that my suggestions do nothing to belittle all that you've done, I simply wish to give my suggestions on ways to augment them.

The ability to continue working on the tree is advantageous to mining, but I'd perhaps tie in the monster spawns to work with the woodcutter and maybe give them an opportunity to prevent them or warning to form a defense.

Thanks Kael!

[Hellfire]

I have been playing vanguard Saga of heroes, and I live the crafting and harvesting in that game. I have no done any of those in Sundren but have considered making trees that fall (like in vanguard) after they are harvested

would that be of interest here?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GK_XWepcXv0

[Allielliot]

I think yes.

[DurinRustbeard]

I'd say Heck yea! It would give a change to the environment, and allow people to know that trees have been harvested in the area. I think it would be a nice addition.

[Kaeldorn]

Absolutely.. a major restriction to what was possible to do for lumberjacking have been models/animations. The usual wonderfully detailed trees can't be used for this because they can't be interacted with in any way. The only available models are for a swamp environment and even with them there's no realistic or practical way to handle visual and walkmesh changes.

If you could make something for it, that'd be a great addition. Although I will say beforehand that I'd want various kinds of trees to work with. As in, pine/fir(snow covered)/oak, depending on environment and timber-type.