After careful consideration, it was no longer tenable for my proposals on dinosaur behavior to remain in the same thread as the Genetics System. Instead, they are being split up on account of length and too much divergence on topic. This is also on account of substantial additions and revisions I have been making to my existing threads that have most likely not been observed. This thread will now serve as Part 4 and the Genetics System as Part 5.
General Behaviors
Grazing is a necessity, herbivores need to be able to meet a minimum food requirement by grazing
Scavenging is a new behavior that applies to all carnivores and is the counterpart to grazing
Defecating is self-explanatory, only included this behavior for one very specific use case scenario
Pack Hunting is something we've all wanted, requires 3+ animals of the same species
Swarming is similar to pack hunting but larger numbers with an exemption to the population limit (exclusive to Compsognathus)
Free Roaming allows dinosaurs to roam free of any type of fencing or barriers, guests unfazed (exclusive to Compsognathus)
Fleeing is a behavior associated with the combat system, hunting, and on occasion an escape mechanic
Escape Mechanics
Stampedes are a stress response for herbivores and can serve as an escape mechanic (same-species only)
Climbing is a Dromaeosaur only escape mechanic, requiring Anti-Climb or electrified fencing to combat
In its current incarnation this is primarily concerned with guests being able to view your dinosaurs. This is no longer the case, visibility is now a vitally important system we will need. Every dinosaur and reptile is going to have a certain preset range of sight in which they are able to perform actions. Carnivores will need to be able to have prey in their sight range in order to hunt be it a goat, cow, or a herbivore. Herbivores conversely will need sight range in order to detect and respond to threats whether that be fleeing with the herd or rallying to meet the threat. Different species will have different sight ranges, some shorter, some longer, and they can be genetically modified as well.
The day/night cycle and weather phenomena are critically important to sight, visibility will typically drop off during night and dense fog events, for example.
Stat Rebalancing
In terms of balance, this should be simple to do. Beginning with a straight up numerical boost for all herbivore Attack/Defense stats in the game will immediately make them more competitive and thus combat more engaging as certain matchups are instantly more feasible. Carnivores conversely need some stat reductions, but the general 3-hit kill standard is best ended to reduce how brief and predictable fights can be.
Stats that are influenced by genetic modifications usually just equate to a strike doing a bit more % damage or it speeds up the frequency of attacks. The former is fine with the aforementioned rebalancing particularly of the egregiously overpowered Allosaurus. For the latter, the addition of the new trait "Agility" would better communicate the frequency of attacks. Agility increases movement speed and adds "Dodge Chance" this would be very noticeable visually.
Naturally, smaller dinosaurs would have more agility by default than larger ones. The addition of dodge chance as a variable into the game is important to help ensure combat feels more dynamic as not every hit is guaranteed and creates more probabilities for comebacks. In other words, Agility is vital for combat and helps makes battles unpredictable while also ensuring small and medium dinosaurs aren't simply overshadowed by large dinosaurs which have higher Attack/Defense stats but must trade off movement speed and dodge chance to compensate.
Territory
The introduction of territorial behavior and sight range to dinosaurs would help push dynamic combat interactions. Carnivores won't go all out to fight each other or hunt herbivores if they are outside established territorial boundaries. Even if they are inside a carnivore's territory, if the intruder isn't within sight range a confrontation could be avoided. Herbivores can also have territorial disputes that would result in combat, this one is too often overlooked. When we think about dinosaur combat we presume a carnivore is involved, that doesn't have to be the case at all.
Territory as a mechanic is very dynamic as it can always change. The adjustment itself is determined based on the enclosure size in square meters, and where the individual or group has wandered. If no other dinosaurs are present, or if the animal is tolerant of other species which aren't viewed as territorial threats, the % of territory is calculated based on where all members of the group are/have been in the enclosure "uncontested."
Territory can overlap between different species, so long as the species do not view each other as threats to their respective territories. Brachiosaurus, for instance, can view a very large span of land as its territory, but is fine with Hadrosaurs, Ornithomimids, and most other herbivores that have overlapping claims as these species don't see one another as threats.
You can check territorial boundaries from the "Management Views" tab of the interface or checking the dinosaur info panel on a selected animal to pull up a territorial map overlay.
Territorial Disputes
Within a species' social group the dominance displays they engage in help determine leadership. Territorial disputes are an expansion on this existing system wherein the fighting for dominance is now between different individuals or groups. Each species has a social threshold, but that should exist only with regards to that particular group. For example, Stegosaurus has a social tolerance of 9, so after they have established an Alpha, what if you add more stegosaurs? Instead of all of them freaking out and trying to break out, what if this would only occur if there is a conflict over territory?
You could theoretically have 18 Stegosaurs in an enclosure if all the animals in that particular enclosure have the population tolerance. Territorial boundaries would be determined based on how separate groups interact with one another. Granted, you still need an enclosure large enough to meet the comfort thresholds of all the animals within it. Say two separate herds of Stegosaurs encounter one another for the first time, they are hostile to one another. Their social thresholds have been breached by the encounter and one might be trespassing on territory claimed by the other.
During a dispute one or more animals will start with dominance displays and vocalizations to warn and try to scare off the other. Sometimes this may succeed to resolve a dispute based on the needs of each animal, their stats, their species, and age of the animal (hatchling, juvenile, adult), etc. A dinosaur in greater need of water in an opposing territory may be more willing to engage in combat to more quickly have its need met versus one that is satisfied. A hatchling would be expected to flee from a dominance display of an adult, a Gallimimus from a territorial Ankylosaur, or a Torosaurus from a Triceratops will really high stats.
However, let's say the animals are equals, now there is no clear and easy way to resolve the dispute. The dominance displays and vocalizations aren't making any headway because the intruding dinosaur is desperate to satisfy its need and the defending individual refuses to relinquish its territorial claim, the only resolution is combat. For pack hunting animals, they will vocalize a call for reinforcements in order to combat animals they can't fight 1v1. Very Large & Tiny Dinosaurs have overlapping territories so will not engage in disputes.
The victor will determine territorial boundaries based on one of these outcomes:
1) Defender = maintain territorial control
2) Intruder = seize new territory
3) Neutral = unchanged, neither combatant has a legitimate territorial claim
Awarding Territory
The total square meters of the territory is determined, 15% is forfeited by the loser if an individual, otherwise the % of territory is divided among the members of the group then you subtract the % possessed by the animal that lost the dispute and award it to the victor. This can be especially punishing for small groups/packs which individually have a higher percentage of the territorial claim than an individual. (e.g. 3 raptors each have 33.3% claim of the total pack owned territory) The territorial loss will always correspond with the area(s) closest to where the loss occurred.
Fencing
This has bothered me for a long time, fencing behaves... strangely. Seeing a Stygimoloch smash through a Concrete Wall or a raptor headbutting a steel fence are very immersion breaking. There isn't much of a dynamic with dinosaur behavior and the fences --- though I do appreciate that " agitated " dinosaurs may test fencing for weaknesses, Much of the new and improved behavior will involve how your animals respond to containment when stressed and agitated.
Behavior & Parenting
Most of the species are not going to make their nests out in the open. Parents will build their nests near water or under the protection of foliage. Keep a close eye on the enclosures themselves and any change in behavior of your dinosaurs for indication that breeding may have occurred. Pregnant dinosaurs, for instance, will move slower, appear slightly larger, and will spend more time where their nests are located.
Most species will be very protective of their clutch of eggs, Maisaura being by far the most aggressive as they are quick to respond with force. Behavior may vary a bit between species with carnivores generally less nurturing on average. This extends to the different sexes, female Maiasaura will defend theirs nests, but the males' behavior may not be too dissimilar to what it is normally. Tyrannosaur parents, in contrast, might be extremely protective of their young distinct from the behavior of other carnivores. Each sex can have differences in how they parent depending on the species.
The hatchlings themselves will mostly behave akin to adults except clingy and a bit more playful. Using the T-Rex again, species still have social tolerances, parents may only tolerate 1-2 young before their social requirements are exceeded. If more than 2 young are present, an intolerant parent may eat one of their young resolving the comfort issue. Carnivores & herbivores will have some distinctions in parenting style broadly as well. Adult herbivores will naturally surround the young and keep them towards the center of the herd. For carnivores, the young will follow the parents or stay unattended in their nests for brief periods of time. Both carnivore and herbivore parents will, however, respond with tremendous aggression if anything approaches their young.
Siblings and other young dinosaurs may have playful interactions with one another, but this is typically only for herbivores. Carnivores primarily produce less young and they tend to not have high social requirements or much tolerance for other species. Large carnivores will also respond with aggression towards small carnivores they can normally share enclosures with if they approach their nests/young whereas small carnivores may seek to save their young by relocating their nests.
As the hatchlings grow into juveniles things will start to streamline. Juveniles will obtain stats, but these will not match an adult until full maturity is achieved. Juveniles, however, can defend themselves and fight as they behave with more independence from their parents. The children will also inherit their parent's genetic modifications as a consequence, so you really got to watch out. Parents will low social thresholds may treat juveniles as if they were an adult violating their comfort margins contrasting with how they might tolerate hatchlings, this is highly species dependent.
- Dinosaur Behavior
- Visibility & Sight Range
- Dinosaur Combat
- Stat Rebalancing
- Territorial Disputes
- Fencing Interactions
- Breeding & Parenting
Dinosaur Behavior
I will first discuss some immediate changes that need to happen as general dinosaur behavior with added importance for the functioning of the Genetics System.
General Behaviors
Grazing is a necessity, herbivores need to be able to meet a minimum food requirement by grazing
Scavenging is a new behavior that applies to all carnivores and is the counterpart to grazing
Defecating is self-explanatory, only included this behavior for one very specific use case scenario
Pack Hunting is something we've all wanted, requires 3+ animals of the same species
Swarming is similar to pack hunting but larger numbers with an exemption to the population limit (exclusive to Compsognathus)
Free Roaming allows dinosaurs to roam free of any type of fencing or barriers, guests unfazed (exclusive to Compsognathus)
Fleeing is a behavior associated with the combat system, hunting, and on occasion an escape mechanic
Escape Mechanics
Stampedes are a stress response for herbivores and can serve as an escape mechanic (same-species only)
Climbing is a Dromaeosaur only escape mechanic, requiring Anti-Climb or electrified fencing to combat
Visibility & Sight Range
In its current incarnation this is primarily concerned with guests being able to view your dinosaurs. This is no longer the case, visibility is now a vitally important system we will need. Every dinosaur and reptile is going to have a certain preset range of sight in which they are able to perform actions. Carnivores will need to be able to have prey in their sight range in order to hunt be it a goat, cow, or a herbivore. Herbivores conversely will need sight range in order to detect and respond to threats whether that be fleeing with the herd or rallying to meet the threat. Different species will have different sight ranges, some shorter, some longer, and they can be genetically modified as well.
The day/night cycle and weather phenomena are critically important to sight, visibility will typically drop off during night and dense fog events, for example.
Dinosaur Combat
It had to be said, the combat in the game needs an overhaul. There is far too much waiting to line up for initiation of combat between two animals, they circle each other endlessly, and occasionally call off a fight. I propose a cap of 1 full rotation in subsequent order. A random list of actions will be triggered following this stand off which will make combat more dynamic. New attacks and their associated animations will need implementing. Each attack will have a different % of damage associated with it, making combat both visually and functionally more varied and interesting.
Contracts and Missions objectives involving dinosaur combat suffer badly due to how stale and frustrating this nature of combat can be. Nothing is worse than nearly getting that contract completed only for the two dinosaurs to just decide to call it off after 5 minutes of circling and nipping at each other. It is also made worse by nearly impossible objectives for a species (especially herbivores) nor is it all that interesting from a visual perspective.
The system is far too rigid, herbivores have stats that are much too low, and its entirely too predictable and boring. Some basic additions such as the fleeing mechanic would help dramatically, there would be a % chance of escape that could lead to a chase with varying results. Further stat rebalancing and complementary systems would feed into the combat system.
It had to be said, the combat in the game needs an overhaul. There is far too much waiting to line up for initiation of combat between two animals, they circle each other endlessly, and occasionally call off a fight. I propose a cap of 1 full rotation in subsequent order. A random list of actions will be triggered following this stand off which will make combat more dynamic. New attacks and their associated animations will need implementing. Each attack will have a different % of damage associated with it, making combat both visually and functionally more varied and interesting.
Contracts and Missions objectives involving dinosaur combat suffer badly due to how stale and frustrating this nature of combat can be. Nothing is worse than nearly getting that contract completed only for the two dinosaurs to just decide to call it off after 5 minutes of circling and nipping at each other. It is also made worse by nearly impossible objectives for a species (especially herbivores) nor is it all that interesting from a visual perspective.
The system is far too rigid, herbivores have stats that are much too low, and its entirely too predictable and boring. Some basic additions such as the fleeing mechanic would help dramatically, there would be a % chance of escape that could lead to a chase with varying results. Further stat rebalancing and complementary systems would feed into the combat system.
Stat Rebalancing
In terms of balance, this should be simple to do. Beginning with a straight up numerical boost for all herbivore Attack/Defense stats in the game will immediately make them more competitive and thus combat more engaging as certain matchups are instantly more feasible. Carnivores conversely need some stat reductions, but the general 3-hit kill standard is best ended to reduce how brief and predictable fights can be.
Stats that are influenced by genetic modifications usually just equate to a strike doing a bit more % damage or it speeds up the frequency of attacks. The former is fine with the aforementioned rebalancing particularly of the egregiously overpowered Allosaurus. For the latter, the addition of the new trait "Agility" would better communicate the frequency of attacks. Agility increases movement speed and adds "Dodge Chance" this would be very noticeable visually.
Naturally, smaller dinosaurs would have more agility by default than larger ones. The addition of dodge chance as a variable into the game is important to help ensure combat feels more dynamic as not every hit is guaranteed and creates more probabilities for comebacks. In other words, Agility is vital for combat and helps makes battles unpredictable while also ensuring small and medium dinosaurs aren't simply overshadowed by large dinosaurs which have higher Attack/Defense stats but must trade off movement speed and dodge chance to compensate.
Territory
The introduction of territorial behavior and sight range to dinosaurs would help push dynamic combat interactions. Carnivores won't go all out to fight each other or hunt herbivores if they are outside established territorial boundaries. Even if they are inside a carnivore's territory, if the intruder isn't within sight range a confrontation could be avoided. Herbivores can also have territorial disputes that would result in combat, this one is too often overlooked. When we think about dinosaur combat we presume a carnivore is involved, that doesn't have to be the case at all.
Territory as a mechanic is very dynamic as it can always change. The adjustment itself is determined based on the enclosure size in square meters, and where the individual or group has wandered. If no other dinosaurs are present, or if the animal is tolerant of other species which aren't viewed as territorial threats, the % of territory is calculated based on where all members of the group are/have been in the enclosure "uncontested."
Territory can overlap between different species, so long as the species do not view each other as threats to their respective territories. Brachiosaurus, for instance, can view a very large span of land as its territory, but is fine with Hadrosaurs, Ornithomimids, and most other herbivores that have overlapping claims as these species don't see one another as threats.
You can check territorial boundaries from the "Management Views" tab of the interface or checking the dinosaur info panel on a selected animal to pull up a territorial map overlay.
Territorial Disputes
Within a species' social group the dominance displays they engage in help determine leadership. Territorial disputes are an expansion on this existing system wherein the fighting for dominance is now between different individuals or groups. Each species has a social threshold, but that should exist only with regards to that particular group. For example, Stegosaurus has a social tolerance of 9, so after they have established an Alpha, what if you add more stegosaurs? Instead of all of them freaking out and trying to break out, what if this would only occur if there is a conflict over territory?
You could theoretically have 18 Stegosaurs in an enclosure if all the animals in that particular enclosure have the population tolerance. Territorial boundaries would be determined based on how separate groups interact with one another. Granted, you still need an enclosure large enough to meet the comfort thresholds of all the animals within it. Say two separate herds of Stegosaurs encounter one another for the first time, they are hostile to one another. Their social thresholds have been breached by the encounter and one might be trespassing on territory claimed by the other.
During a dispute one or more animals will start with dominance displays and vocalizations to warn and try to scare off the other. Sometimes this may succeed to resolve a dispute based on the needs of each animal, their stats, their species, and age of the animal (hatchling, juvenile, adult), etc. A dinosaur in greater need of water in an opposing territory may be more willing to engage in combat to more quickly have its need met versus one that is satisfied. A hatchling would be expected to flee from a dominance display of an adult, a Gallimimus from a territorial Ankylosaur, or a Torosaurus from a Triceratops will really high stats.
However, let's say the animals are equals, now there is no clear and easy way to resolve the dispute. The dominance displays and vocalizations aren't making any headway because the intruding dinosaur is desperate to satisfy its need and the defending individual refuses to relinquish its territorial claim, the only resolution is combat. For pack hunting animals, they will vocalize a call for reinforcements in order to combat animals they can't fight 1v1. Very Large & Tiny Dinosaurs have overlapping territories so will not engage in disputes.
The victor will determine territorial boundaries based on one of these outcomes:
1) Defender = maintain territorial control
2) Intruder = seize new territory
3) Neutral = unchanged, neither combatant has a legitimate territorial claim
Awarding Territory
The total square meters of the territory is determined, 15% is forfeited by the loser if an individual, otherwise the % of territory is divided among the members of the group then you subtract the % possessed by the animal that lost the dispute and award it to the victor. This can be especially punishing for small groups/packs which individually have a higher percentage of the territorial claim than an individual. (e.g. 3 raptors each have 33.3% claim of the total pack owned territory) The territorial loss will always correspond with the area(s) closest to where the loss occurred.
Fencing
This has bothered me for a long time, fencing behaves... strangely. Seeing a Stygimoloch smash through a Concrete Wall or a raptor headbutting a steel fence are very immersion breaking. There isn't much of a dynamic with dinosaur behavior and the fences --- though I do appreciate that " agitated " dinosaurs may test fencing for weaknesses, Much of the new and improved behavior will involve how your animals respond to containment when stressed and agitated.
Fencing Types | Small Dinosaurs | Medium Dinosaurs | Large Dinosaurs |
Light Steel Fencing | Deterrent | Uncontainable | Uncontainable |
Electrified Light Steel Fencing | Contained | Uncontainable | Uncontainable |
Light Cable Fencing | Deterrent | Uncontainable | Uncontainable |
Electrified Light Cable Fencing | Contained | Uncontainable | Uncontainable |
Heavy Steel Fencing | Contained | Deterrent | Deterrent |
Electrified Heavy Steel Fencing | Contained | Contained | Contained |
Heavy Cable Fencing | Contained | Deterrent | Deterrent |
Electrified Heavy Cable Fencing | Contained | Contained | Contained |
Perimeter Fencing | Contained | Contained | Deterrent |
Concrete Fencing | Contained | Contained | Contained |
Electrified Concrete Fencing | Contained | Contained | Contained |
A list of fencing rules for all terrestrial dinosaurs and the effectiveness of those fences per dinosaur category is given. These are general rules; however, they do not hold true for every species. (e.g. Pachys can break Heavy Steel Fences, Raptors climb over fences, etc.)
You may have also noticed that I expanded on the cable fencing in the table. I largely brought them in line with the base game as a result I had to make a few changes. Light Cable Fencing & Heavy Cable Fencing both have electrified and non-electrified variants. I also modified the current Heavy Cable Fencing and renamed it "Perimeter Fencing" which is distinguished by the fact it is the strongest non-electrified fencing type combining Cable, Steel, & Anti-Climb by default and can be upgraded with Chain Link.
Further, as I described in Part 3, the fence types can be upgraded to allow for more effective and situational uses. Anti-Climb can extend the usefulness of lesser fences by creating an additional deterrent for say Dromaeosaurs which can climb over unelectrified steel fencing. This might not stop a Dromaeosaur from eventually escaping, but it buys you time until they either settle down or you take action to rectify the situation.
You may have also noticed that I expanded on the cable fencing in the table. I largely brought them in line with the base game as a result I had to make a few changes. Light Cable Fencing & Heavy Cable Fencing both have electrified and non-electrified variants. I also modified the current Heavy Cable Fencing and renamed it "Perimeter Fencing" which is distinguished by the fact it is the strongest non-electrified fencing type combining Cable, Steel, & Anti-Climb by default and can be upgraded with Chain Link.
Further, as I described in Part 3, the fence types can be upgraded to allow for more effective and situational uses. Anti-Climb can extend the usefulness of lesser fences by creating an additional deterrent for say Dromaeosaurs which can climb over unelectrified steel fencing. This might not stop a Dromaeosaur from eventually escaping, but it buys you time until they either settle down or you take action to rectify the situation.
Special Fencing Scenarios
I should also note that there are a few special categories of dinosaurs: Tiny & Very Large which are not listed. As of right now Tiny would only apply to the Compy and Very Large applies to the sauropods: Brachiosaurus, Mamenchisaurus, and Dreadnoughtus. Very Large dinosaurs don't typically have much distinction from large dinosaurs, but there are a few edge cases in which it matters. Brachiosaurus, for instance has a small interaction with Tiny & Small dinosaurs. So, while you can easily contain Very Large dinosaurs as you presently are able, that is not the case for Tiny dinosaurs.
Compsognathus requires a special fence upgrade if you want it contained. You'll need to upgrade a steel or cable fence with Chain Link to prevent it from escaping, concrete alone has inherent Compy containment functionality. Lastly, Glass Shielding is a situational fencing upgrade necessary to shield your guests from the devastating Spitter (Dilophosaurus) which is unique in that it has a ranged offensive capability.
Fencing Repairs
Fencing repairs now require a "maintenance timer" to tick down until the repairs are complete. This is no longer an instantaneous action, thus requiring more foresight to prevent more escapes or harm to your Rangers. Recall Jurassic World Evolution's first cinematic trailer, the work requires time to bring the fences back online and leaves your workers more vulnerable. Objectives will be very specific to mention "repair" to anticipate player attempts to circumvent the mission by simply replacing damaged fences.
Fencing Injuries
It is very much possible even with the right fencing types or in situations in which certain species are okay with ineffective fencing types that your dinosaurs may seek to break out. However, this is not a guaranteed outcome, in fact failure comes with its own consequences. A dinosaur that is trying to chew its way through an electrified cable fence during a power outage can wind up getting electrocuted if the the power is suddenly restored. An agitated Pachy might still try to break out of a Concrete-walled enclosure giving itself a concussion or if persistent enough it can fracture its skull and knock itself unconscious. Similarly, a Dromaeosaur can wind up goring itself on Anti-Climb causing it to bleed out requiring medical treatment. These are very real risks that can arise, so you need to have the foresight to plan ahead or be ready to treat the injured animals.
I should also note that there are a few special categories of dinosaurs: Tiny & Very Large which are not listed. As of right now Tiny would only apply to the Compy and Very Large applies to the sauropods: Brachiosaurus, Mamenchisaurus, and Dreadnoughtus. Very Large dinosaurs don't typically have much distinction from large dinosaurs, but there are a few edge cases in which it matters. Brachiosaurus, for instance has a small interaction with Tiny & Small dinosaurs. So, while you can easily contain Very Large dinosaurs as you presently are able, that is not the case for Tiny dinosaurs.
Compsognathus requires a special fence upgrade if you want it contained. You'll need to upgrade a steel or cable fence with Chain Link to prevent it from escaping, concrete alone has inherent Compy containment functionality. Lastly, Glass Shielding is a situational fencing upgrade necessary to shield your guests from the devastating Spitter (Dilophosaurus) which is unique in that it has a ranged offensive capability.
Fencing Repairs
Fencing repairs now require a "maintenance timer" to tick down until the repairs are complete. This is no longer an instantaneous action, thus requiring more foresight to prevent more escapes or harm to your Rangers. Recall Jurassic World Evolution's first cinematic trailer, the work requires time to bring the fences back online and leaves your workers more vulnerable. Objectives will be very specific to mention "repair" to anticipate player attempts to circumvent the mission by simply replacing damaged fences.
Fencing Injuries
It is very much possible even with the right fencing types or in situations in which certain species are okay with ineffective fencing types that your dinosaurs may seek to break out. However, this is not a guaranteed outcome, in fact failure comes with its own consequences. A dinosaur that is trying to chew its way through an electrified cable fence during a power outage can wind up getting electrocuted if the the power is suddenly restored. An agitated Pachy might still try to break out of a Concrete-walled enclosure giving itself a concussion or if persistent enough it can fracture its skull and knock itself unconscious. Similarly, a Dromaeosaur can wind up goring itself on Anti-Climb causing it to bleed out requiring medical treatment. These are very real risks that can arise, so you need to have the foresight to plan ahead or be ready to treat the injured animals.
Breeding, Nesting, & Parenting
Refer to Part 5 for details on hidden variables and the Genetics System. There was interest in this area, so I would like to expand upon it. So, immediately discussing it this is both a critical dinosaur behavior and the defacto hidden variable.
Breeding is the default hidden variable for all species that have been genetically modified by introducing a 1% risk which increases with each subsequent modification.
If you unlock a synergy for a dinosaur, consider the associated hidden variable as in addition to the breeding variable.
In a clear reference to Jurassic Park, whenever you genetically modify a dinosaur whether it be cosmetic or otherwise you are introducing a major hidden variable into your park. A single genetic modification will cause a 1% risk that your dinosaur will breed. How you want to balance this is still up in the air, but it could be as little as a 1% chance per Day/Night cycle, month, season, etc. --- the calendar could be checked from the Storm Defense Station. You can add 0.5-1% per modification as balancing requires with each animal's hidden variable only able to trigger once per animal.
There will be no notification that this is happening, it will be up to the player to discover these. For instance, if you notice your comfort thresholds in an enclosure are off or you discover a nest it will be clear what is going on. This also means the introduction of genders, by default all the animals are female with that percentage creating the possibility for a modified species to change gender to male. So, if you incubated 4 modified Parasaurs, each of the 4 would have the associated % risk.
It should be apparent that this means you multiply the actual risk of breeding based on the number of modified species you incubate.
Requirements
2+ adults of the same species
Genetically modified animal (minimum 1)
Not bred previously (exception Maisaura)
Share the same enclosure
Healthy and within comfort thresholds
Refer to Part 5 for details on hidden variables and the Genetics System. There was interest in this area, so I would like to expand upon it. So, immediately discussing it this is both a critical dinosaur behavior and the defacto hidden variable.
Breeding is the default hidden variable for all species that have been genetically modified by introducing a 1% risk which increases with each subsequent modification.
If you unlock a synergy for a dinosaur, consider the associated hidden variable as in addition to the breeding variable.
In a clear reference to Jurassic Park, whenever you genetically modify a dinosaur whether it be cosmetic or otherwise you are introducing a major hidden variable into your park. A single genetic modification will cause a 1% risk that your dinosaur will breed. How you want to balance this is still up in the air, but it could be as little as a 1% chance per Day/Night cycle, month, season, etc. --- the calendar could be checked from the Storm Defense Station. You can add 0.5-1% per modification as balancing requires with each animal's hidden variable only able to trigger once per animal.
There will be no notification that this is happening, it will be up to the player to discover these. For instance, if you notice your comfort thresholds in an enclosure are off or you discover a nest it will be clear what is going on. This also means the introduction of genders, by default all the animals are female with that percentage creating the possibility for a modified species to change gender to male. So, if you incubated 4 modified Parasaurs, each of the 4 would have the associated % risk.
It should be apparent that this means you multiply the actual risk of breeding based on the number of modified species you incubate.
Requirements
2+ adults of the same species
Genetically modified animal (minimum 1)
Not bred previously (exception Maisaura)
Share the same enclosure
Healthy and within comfort thresholds
Behavior & Parenting
Most of the species are not going to make their nests out in the open. Parents will build their nests near water or under the protection of foliage. Keep a close eye on the enclosures themselves and any change in behavior of your dinosaurs for indication that breeding may have occurred. Pregnant dinosaurs, for instance, will move slower, appear slightly larger, and will spend more time where their nests are located.
Most species will be very protective of their clutch of eggs, Maisaura being by far the most aggressive as they are quick to respond with force. Behavior may vary a bit between species with carnivores generally less nurturing on average. This extends to the different sexes, female Maiasaura will defend theirs nests, but the males' behavior may not be too dissimilar to what it is normally. Tyrannosaur parents, in contrast, might be extremely protective of their young distinct from the behavior of other carnivores. Each sex can have differences in how they parent depending on the species.
The hatchlings themselves will mostly behave akin to adults except clingy and a bit more playful. Using the T-Rex again, species still have social tolerances, parents may only tolerate 1-2 young before their social requirements are exceeded. If more than 2 young are present, an intolerant parent may eat one of their young resolving the comfort issue. Carnivores & herbivores will have some distinctions in parenting style broadly as well. Adult herbivores will naturally surround the young and keep them towards the center of the herd. For carnivores, the young will follow the parents or stay unattended in their nests for brief periods of time. Both carnivore and herbivore parents will, however, respond with tremendous aggression if anything approaches their young.
Siblings and other young dinosaurs may have playful interactions with one another, but this is typically only for herbivores. Carnivores primarily produce less young and they tend to not have high social requirements or much tolerance for other species. Large carnivores will also respond with aggression towards small carnivores they can normally share enclosures with if they approach their nests/young whereas small carnivores may seek to save their young by relocating their nests.
As the hatchlings grow into juveniles things will start to streamline. Juveniles will obtain stats, but these will not match an adult until full maturity is achieved. Juveniles, however, can defend themselves and fight as they behave with more independence from their parents. The children will also inherit their parent's genetic modifications as a consequence, so you really got to watch out. Parents will low social thresholds may treat juveniles as if they were an adult violating their comfort margins contrasting with how they might tolerate hatchlings, this is highly species dependent.
- Nests built under foliage/near water
- Sex-based parental behaviors
- Herbivore/Carnivore distinct parenting
- Offspring can impact social/population thresholds
- Juveniles are treated as adults with lower stats
Special Case
Breeding is an extremely dangerous hidden variable. Never underestimate how quickly you can lose control once this factor kicks in. One last distinction is that Maisaura as a rapid breeder can breed multiple times breaking the standard 1 animal breeding restriction. Moreover, if there is a conflict between two modified species who breed, 1 animal's breeding variable will trigger, the second animal's will not, so the second animal can find a new mate to breed with later on. In practice, that means if a male is present and breeds with a female, but it was the female's breeding variable that was triggered, the male can still breed with a different female.
I should also note, that I did not include any flying or aquatic reptiles in the examples, but those too could or would function under this system too.
Environmental & Habitat Behavior
What is contained within your enclosures is often as important as the animals within it. The clearest example of this has to do with the Forest & Grassland requirements of different species. Later, this was expanded to include a Wetland requirement for Spinosaurids. These are pretty broad interactions and habitat preferences for your animals. Further reference to the Paleobotany system placed renewed emphasis on dietary foods provided to your animals with a basis in things they might have enjoyed.
Scenery Items although glorified natural decorations have potential to strengthen dinosaur behavioral interactions. They have needs and desires to satiate which contributes to their comfort and happiness or lack thereof. It might not be uncommon for an animal to scratch itself up against a large boulder or for a ceratopsid to sharpen its horns on the bark of a tree. Scenery items can also feed into the Grazing system, to provide natural nutritional value to your animals rather than developing a dependency solely on paleofeeders. This would make Sandbox islands just that much more impressive and alive.
Where there is benefits there is also drawbacks, however. Some animals may be quite picky about their environment leading to a rapid drop in comfort or certain disliked foods might prove to be disliked with good reason. You could wind up poisoning your animals or leaving them susceptible to disease and parasite risks. This is but another step in making disease an organic and more controlled reality. You could also picture Scenery Items serving as line of sight blockers which has implications for hunting patterns such as ambushes or escape probabilities. Further, through interaction with the environment and scenery items, you could picture dinosaurs marking their territories through their environments, a physical representation of an otherwise invisible system in the overall game world.
This is an area of the game that is really easy to overlook, people either don't care or they obsess on its appearance neither giving the slightest thought to the interactions and gameplay possibilities inherent in enclosure design, planning, and play. The more variables, the more risks, and the more risks the more emergent gameplay potential. I want to give everyone tons of toys to play with and a good amount of control, but use the plurality of options and limited scope of a person's focus to ensure they never get bored, that there is always something to do or to manage in the game. That is where I feel habitat design has a place beyond aesthetics. I will cover the remainder of this in Part 6 on Guest interactions.
Breeding is an extremely dangerous hidden variable. Never underestimate how quickly you can lose control once this factor kicks in. One last distinction is that Maisaura as a rapid breeder can breed multiple times breaking the standard 1 animal breeding restriction. Moreover, if there is a conflict between two modified species who breed, 1 animal's breeding variable will trigger, the second animal's will not, so the second animal can find a new mate to breed with later on. In practice, that means if a male is present and breeds with a female, but it was the female's breeding variable that was triggered, the male can still breed with a different female.
I should also note, that I did not include any flying or aquatic reptiles in the examples, but those too could or would function under this system too.
Environmental & Habitat Behavior
What is contained within your enclosures is often as important as the animals within it. The clearest example of this has to do with the Forest & Grassland requirements of different species. Later, this was expanded to include a Wetland requirement for Spinosaurids. These are pretty broad interactions and habitat preferences for your animals. Further reference to the Paleobotany system placed renewed emphasis on dietary foods provided to your animals with a basis in things they might have enjoyed.
Scenery Items although glorified natural decorations have potential to strengthen dinosaur behavioral interactions. They have needs and desires to satiate which contributes to their comfort and happiness or lack thereof. It might not be uncommon for an animal to scratch itself up against a large boulder or for a ceratopsid to sharpen its horns on the bark of a tree. Scenery items can also feed into the Grazing system, to provide natural nutritional value to your animals rather than developing a dependency solely on paleofeeders. This would make Sandbox islands just that much more impressive and alive.
Where there is benefits there is also drawbacks, however. Some animals may be quite picky about their environment leading to a rapid drop in comfort or certain disliked foods might prove to be disliked with good reason. You could wind up poisoning your animals or leaving them susceptible to disease and parasite risks. This is but another step in making disease an organic and more controlled reality. You could also picture Scenery Items serving as line of sight blockers which has implications for hunting patterns such as ambushes or escape probabilities. Further, through interaction with the environment and scenery items, you could picture dinosaurs marking their territories through their environments, a physical representation of an otherwise invisible system in the overall game world.
This is an area of the game that is really easy to overlook, people either don't care or they obsess on its appearance neither giving the slightest thought to the interactions and gameplay possibilities inherent in enclosure design, planning, and play. The more variables, the more risks, and the more risks the more emergent gameplay potential. I want to give everyone tons of toys to play with and a good amount of control, but use the plurality of options and limited scope of a person's focus to ensure they never get bored, that there is always something to do or to manage in the game. That is where I feel habitat design has a place beyond aesthetics. I will cover the remainder of this in Part 6 on Guest interactions.
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