Gardening

  So because, I have this idea that is just beginging to kick around, I'm going to post a little about it. Its not a lot, so I really can't post it in the New Projects sub-forum. Not only that: But I seek creativity! So what better part of this place could it be to place it here? Now, onto the meat of the whole idea.

I have been sitting around going though old links of places that I would like to visit, and thinking about food. In which that lead to how food is grown, seeds, trees, etc. Then, because I got tired of surfing, I came here and WHAM. Gardening Game. Well, not exactly. But at least a game, where gardening could quite possibly be crucial (or... well close to it) to the play, to create items usable to characters, quest items, and used to power the most powerful spells a person could cast.

For instance, say a Fireball spell needs the componant of sulfur powder. One can grow sulfur rocks to grind into the powder, or even grow special powder to make it even more powerful! And plants can grow a LOT of things. Rocks, Nuggets, Foodstuffs, Fertilizing crystals (or some form there of), Thinking of having everything elemental based to create variety. If you plant on one day with a specific seed, and pot, the next time it might be different if its on another day, or if its the same day and a different pot! Fertilizing with different crystals. (or Pods, Stakes, Pebbles, whatever.)

Kay, so that being said: What would you think of that? Cool? Dumb? (If so, why to either feeling.) Any ideas for items a plant can grow? You'll get your name in the credits as support or some other special title. 

UPDATES:
Working on Storyline
Working on Characters
Working on Class Tree
Greenhouse/Creation Mechanics

We have a chat room in Crankeye's Chat! Type in /join #Eclipsilion
(it is hosted on irc.nekom.org still, not windfyre, sorry!)
Enter the fun. :3

That sounds pretty wicked. If you like, I can try to come up with the basic system (event based) and send it to you for editing. It wouldn't be very difficult to set up, just to get everything running properly, and customized. But that also depends on how complex you want to get with it. Sound cool?

(Obviously, you'd have to give me some specifics first. )

That does sound cool but I think it would be easier with a script since there is a LOT of variables:

Days of the week each have an element.
Pots have certain elements.
The seeds have an element tied to them and even the fertilizer.

I have a whole list of pots, a list of seeds and named the days of the week and a working list of fertilizer. I'm hoping that they could even come in two varieties. Normal, and Strong. (Or perhaps a famous third element of Very strong, or perhaps even make a Weak - Normal - Strong triangle.)

Of course one must have a day/night system for the game, but it would have to run on game time because growing in realtime would be a pain in the arse if it is a crucial part to progress.

Well, I could at least give it a shot. I can do magic with conditional branches, let me just tell you.

Ok, but I must warn you I'm sure there will be a lot of items. Items that could easily get into the 50s and quite possibly through to the 100s or so.

So what kind of specifics would you need?

I think keeping this simple would be pretty neat =o

As in, if you tried to make a full game and made gardening just a part of it, I dunno, I'm sort of biased against RPG Maker games I guess

I'd play this though if something ever came of this idea =).

If you were after relaxing gardening music, maybe I could help :p You could have different environments maybe like forest, river, VOLCANO, backyard

Ok, but I must warn you I'm sure there will be a lot of items. Items that could easily get into the 50s and quite possibly through to the 100s or so.

So what kind of specifics would you need?

Well, how many plants, how many seeds, what would grow best where, what is affected by what and how much/in what way, how long it takes things to grow, what is needed for a certain thing to grow, the end product for each growth...

And I could probably do graphics, plants are relatively simple.

Glad there's interest. The main character is from a farm so hence the whole gardening importance.

It first starts of that you are awarded a permanent place in a/the/some city for doing something really really nice. And then, after some game time has passed, and after speaking to certain people you can buy a magical greenhouse addon. Afterwards, upon completion of your new way of gardening quest, You can unlock areas to plant in and can buy pots. Yes, different areas have different elemental attributes as well :p Or it could just be really cool for backgrounds... You also get this Sunflower-guy (Or some other cheesey plant-man) helper to help you. Up to 10 pots may be active in growing. (An unlockable 16 max or about 2 pots per area growing at once.)

There are: 4 regular pots, 4 special pots used for certain quests, and you have to do the previous quest to recieve the special pot to use as well, however one of the special pots: there is only ONE of in the entire game. 5 types of seed bags, two of them rare drops/buys. 8 elemental fertilizers.

If I could, Silverlion, I'd totally trick out this game and crank out scripts/graphics/music. ... But I'm not THAT talented at all. xD I wouldn't even know where to begin. So I will be using RPG Maker XP. Sorry.  ^^


Edit: Oh yeah: This IS just the begining. I don't have recipies down yet. Hehe. I'm just wondering on how much hype this might get, or how big of a flop.

Well, what you are doing is actually pretty simple! It would just be very time consuming to put together. Just like all art! Simple in process, and yet the final product is so very complicated...

I do sprites, like I said, so I'll do anything new you need. Halo, Zypher, Arlen, and Silverline are all musicians, so you should totally pester them.

Blizzard, Tsunokiette, and I think there was one other (if you REALLY want to use a script) are all scripters, so hit them up...when they're actually around, lol.

This sounds like something that could be really awesome Rev!

Thanks! I'm a musician myself. But I have like... totally no idea how to get my music in the computer. But I love my baby grand. <3 Well my Baby Grand Piano. (And my friend has a digital. Which is awsome, but she's going to get rid of it. ;_; *Makes grabby hands* ) Working on this really cool town theme at the moment.

I do sprite a little bit too. I'm obsessive over my Civilians. I have about 175 files of recolors, and head switches. Its not really interesting to see the same civilians over and over again in each city/town/village or where-ever. Going to get into monster recolors. Love writing and mapping but not perfect in it.

Anything else I'm kinda "uhm d'oh!" in.

Neat! It's good to see someone else out there who pays attention to the little details.

I suppose i can help/take part, whatever arrowone is doing.

You don't have to Nightwolf. Its up to you.

I also have thought of a typical Rival. x3 At the begining you are a farmer right? SO, you must live in a little village. There's typically gotta be this hawt babe, the mayor's daughter; and a big brawny guy who will try to take her away from you! Like woa, how original.  Gotta have a few cliches right? But not overdo it. Least it will get you moving from the start

Flowerpot + Seeds Ideas:
Brass Flowerpot
Porcalain Flowerpot
Clay Flowerpot
Grain Seed Bag
Fruit Seeds Bag
Herb Seedlings Bag


This is certainly not all of them but a fair few. Certainly note: Grains don't produce Wheat all the time, Herbs don't always grow Mint or Rosemary all the time, etc. Plants grow just about anything. If things really get going I will make a thread in the New Projects Section, and we can continue from there. ^^

All right, cool! Which pot is best/worst? Do certain pots grow certain plants more efficiently than others?

There isn't a worse pot, its up to what seeds you plant, what you use for fertilizer. Although there is a Unique pot, which will only yeild special things. Like oober powered items to create armors and weapons for closer to the end game. Pssst it is called. ( Wooden Flowerpot )

So here's a sample recipie:

Grain: Planted in Clay: Fertilized with Fire base = Hp Item, or Syrup based spell component, or Powder based spell component. (It is random! Depending on the Fertilizer, a strong one or a general one wil have bigger or smaller yeilds. The most that you can get from a yeild is 9, weather it comes in handfuls or pinches, or drops.)

I will ofcourse help ma'am, first let me understand this better.

Um...crap. I know HOW to do this, you just set a bunch of variables based on the item, run through all of the branches (determining the outcome at that instant) roll through an animation over the course of a few "days" and produce a random product out of a set variety. The thing is, I don't know how to store more than one variable in an item!

...help?

Heh, thats why I thought a script would be better. Because of multiples. And even then : that is a sample recipie. There can potentially be more in a real recipie. Of course, the thing is: You can still play around travel the city and the plant can 'grow'. Most plants will grow in about a day and 3 days max. I was going to think that if you don't harvest the plant will die, but that might not be a good idea.

There also would be an item to magically progress the day. Night to Morning and Morning to Night. .... Well... hrm.

if someone can shorten whats happening in this, I can help if you want....

What do you mean "shorten whats happening in this"? I'm a little confused.

thats where im confused. I just need to know what needs to happen for the outcome to be successful.

Oh oh oh. I see.

Ok, so you've got the special greenhouse now, met your crazy Cacti dude (Or whatever plant I decide to make him from) who provides you with a free pot: Clay and he asks to to do this introductory quest.

Buy a special seed bag, and come back to him to plant. Yadda yadda: speaking, explaining. What happens when you plant is that it starts out as a seedling in a pot. And the next day, you can fertilize it. When you Fertilize it, the .... "Event" (for lack of better word) looks at what elements are in play and how strong the fertilizer is. The stronger the fertilizer the higher the yield for harvesting, and based on set recipies (Which will be invented as we go along) the possible items are randomized. the next day or however long it takes to completely grow (up to 3 or perhaps even 5 days game time), the randomized item is free to be taken via harvest.

Does that explain it better  Nouman?

er? Apparently I didn't explain it enough. ^^ Ah well.

I shall still be pluging along here. If I get enough storyline for this Gardening game I'll be posting it in the New Projects section. I won't mind if anyone would wants to post ideas in here. :3 Of course you will get your name in the credits if you do!

Now i understand, and now i can help.

I've figured out what plant to base the Greenhouse helper as. Coconut Palm Tree, a native Jamaican plant. Yes, he's going to be rather sterotyped. "Yah mon, there be no weeds here! I'll guarantee it. *wink, wink*"  It will certainly add a little levity to the game. I'm sure most Jamaicans really don't act that way though.

Large striped hat, palm fonds weaved into dreadlocks drape down to the ground,  wears only tropical shorts and sandals. I'll see if I can wressle with myself to draw up some concept art for him. Before trying to sprite him.