RELEASED FrackinUniverse 6.4.3

So I've noticed that in the past few weeks, you've come with a slew of updates, which is awesome. I'm wondering if it's at the point where it is recommended to just start a new character though, as I already went through the old tutorial quests, and I'm not sure if it will start them up again.

 

Playing through from first to last tier on a new character I've realized that the plant-creation aspect of FU needs love. It works, but it doesn't feel "fun" because it's such a chore overall. There are just so many steps to certain plants.

So, I'm going to put more time into fleshing out what I started recently as a rough plan for reworking genes, plants and such.

I'm thinking around the following thus far:

#1 wild spawned FU plants will drop their seeds. Plants will be spread across the various biomes so that each one offers something new for the player to find.

#2 genes will be streamlined or reworked entirely: Tiers would be removed, instead increasing the number of the baseline gene in a given recipe (where it might have been Strength III it would now be Strength(x3). More genes would exist overall, with more applications and sources(monsters, etc)

#3 recipes would be reworked entirely, using a Seed type (Diodia), any relevant genes(Organic Synthesis, Energetic), and any resources that are required (Wire, DNA Sample) for the result (Diodia Hybrid).

#4 The Gene Design Lab would need to be reworked to be both recipe-based but also require experimentation. This might be best achieved by having unlocks reworked in different ways. I'm not sure pure experimentation is the best way to go since there are just so many seeds and only one or two potential matches for any given combination. Way too many variables. And I don't want to write 3000 codexes for all the combos, so don't ask! More though required here.

#5 Only a few genes would be craftable, compared to now. The vast majority would come entirely from exploration, or via extracting from seeds and other organic materials through a re-purposed Xenolab. The craftable genes (Void, and other high-tier ones) would be moved to the BioChem lab. This means most genes would be entirely based on where and how the player chose to explore. This rewards exploration with more things they can do. Being able to extract seeds for Genes means you won't be forced to craft 45 trillion little things all the time just go get a seed you want. That's a good thing.


The main thing I am going for is more experimenty, less grindy-crafty. So the player still needs to figure out things on their own (where to get various genes, for instance) but isn't hampered too much in their plant crafting choices since they will be more likely to have what is required on-hand (or simply stop by a particular biome to gather what they need)

What I need to know is whether or not you guys would want it to work even remotely like this. A lot of people like the normal crafting station method.

Thoughts, additions? The key here is keep it SIMPLE, not complicated. The less work for the player, the better. So long as its fun and interesting instead of a chore.

 

YES. INFINITY TIMES YES.

Honestly, getting genes via extraction is how I first expected this mod to work waaay back when I first tried it when it was still Frackin' Flora, and I've always been a little sad that that wasn't the case. Especially because there's so much potential in slorping genes out of the vanilla plants and making hybrids with those. It feels far more flavorful, encourages meaningful exploration instead of just chest-stuffing resource packrattery, and means less hopping between different stations just to assemble a bunch of genes. And exploring to find new stuff is way more fun that exploring to make stacks of 1000 Dirt and Plant Fiber and such and then walking a couple of blocks between several different parts of a lab to make a bunch of stuff over and over again.

 

yea, the current method worked better when there was only a few plants you could create...not 100+. There's just so much...stuff. So streamlining haaaaaas to happen. And yea, what you describe was my initial intent...it just never panned out that way for whatever reason.

 

I more or less second this mindset. This would also make crops from the base game useful for something besides chest stuffers (I mean who really cooks every type of food and then eats it?!?!).

 

even more so when hunger is no more. also i'm 50/50 on the idea.

 

My biggest issue with crafting after adding FU has been inventory space. There's jut so much new stuff that I am spend more time searching through my containers than I do actually crafting. I really enjoy crafting all the new stuff, I just wish there was an easier way to organize it.

 

Well the easist way I found is to sort things so that only cretain types of items go in a container. I put things like base game ores and bars into a container near where arrive at my base, while putting seeds in a crate by my farm area, and putting all my food into a frigde. It also helps that I use the enhanced storaged mod (horder edition of course!) and the over 9000 mods to save on space.

I also loot pretty much any container I find regardless if I need them right then. That way as my stockpile expands I can split items further into subgroups. Say split FU goods into organic and inorganic FU goods.[DOUBLEPOST=1448307143][/DOUBLEPOST]I'd also like to point out that it seems the Beekeeper NPC you can spawn at your base wears no pants. Clearly bees stings can be stopped by purple underwear.

 

yea, the base game needs love for inventory sorting, for sure. There's a mod that helps sort your stuff for you out there somewhere...can't recall the name, but folks say it works amazingly well.

Broadcast Chest or some such thing.

 

I've actually tried that, and it works decent for getting things into the chest quickly. However, it doesn't really sort the FU items very well. Puts genetic material with refined bars, and things like that.

 

Resources on the chopping block thus far:

Peptide Chain (only used for genes)
Advanced Peptide (only used in 5 gene recipes)
Amino Acid (used in only 10 gene recipes)
Blob Bush Jelly ( 3 total recipes at random)
Agaran Ichor (1 recipe. useless)
silk spider (technically not in use, but some still spawn on occasion)
silk worm (technically not in use, but some still spawn on occasion)
aquatic homeostasis
cell harden 2
cell harden 3
cell resist 2
cell resist 3
chloroplast 2
chloroplast 3
defense 2
defense 3
immune 2
immune 3
muscle 2
muscle 3
nerve 2
nerve 3
oculargene
regen 2
regen 3

 

I guess if most genes aren't "crafted" like they currently are Amino Acids and Peptide Chains have much less use. I find myslef making tons of them in the current setup. Both seem like fitting things to play with for a mod like this. I'd add them to any gene your still able to craft since they are core part of any cell.

Aquatic homeostasis would seem like a must for any plant that grows underwater so I would like to see it stay.

For the rest of the stuff I won't miss them in the least.

 

peptides and aminos are essential, yes, but we can also operate on the assumption that they are already included in the creation process. Its two less resources to deal with, which is two less inventory spaces to clutter. I dont mind keeping them, but only if there is cause for it.

 

I suggest paring down the 2s and 3s by just requiring more of them OR add another resource as an "advancement" gene... Then you can still gate progression correctly.

With amino acids being the building blocks of life, I would hate to see them go. Perhaps repurposed?

The others will not be missed by me.

As far as the #1-5 question...

#1 - I like, it encourages exploration with no other gimmicky. Simple solution is simple. It does, however remove the whole experimentation mechanic, with I also like. So... Yeah, probably not the best.

#2 - works the best. Simplify the numbers, streamline the system. Cut the fat. Done.

#3 - I like this idea. Using the existing seeds and plants for more uses is brilliant. Perhaps use it for some of the recipes to see how it goes.

#4 - no. Just no. Too much work to make it function with no real benefit. The existing system is fine, just needs simplified down.

#5 - crafting from found seeds is good. Encourages exploration and minimizes clutter. A good option.


I say 2 +3 +4 = successful simplification.

I would also encourage you to keep the labs in some way, for the existing ones now kinda define and are the character of the crafting side of the mod. And they are sexy as hell.

 

well, technically ALL of the points are intended But yes, the stations themselves will remain but be tweaked in various ways. #4 is merely thinking out loud, as not much would (technically) be required. Mainly, it was just saying that the unlocks have to be reworked since 20 resources (give or take a few) will no longer exist. But yes, the goal (as you stated) is to simplify.


Right now I need to do a boatload of spreadsheets to work out each plant , each gene, their effects, how they interact...etc. A lot of work involved there!

And then rewriting pretty much the entire questlines that cover those topics from the ground up

the biggest hurdle I am facing right now is the experimentation aspect. I suspect the best option is to make the gene part of things the experimenty bit now. I'll need to work out the "base" genes, the modified genes, and the advanced genes before I can really expand on any of this. I'm operating on the assumption that whatever form the Xeno Lab takes now it'll likely be lua-based.

also, happy 420, discussion page!


edit: seems I can probably scrap organic synthesis, bio-chip base and biochip as well. They don't really seem to have a use beyond filler.

 

It's called Broadcast Items+Hyper-storage. And yes, it is amazing.

 

Okay, revising the gene list.

Any glaring omissions, or any that seem to be "doubled up" needlessly?



Radioactive Cell
Adaptive Cells
Aquatic Homeostasis
Aquatic Agility
Agility
Chloroplast
Resistance
Poisonous
Corrosive
Immunization
Bioluminesence
Regenerative
electrogenic cell
Assimilation
Mimetic Cell
Energetic
Muscle Strength
Reproductive Potence
Skeletal Strength
Chameleon
Mammalian
Insectoid
Avian
Osteichthyes
Void
Epinephrine Gland (rage)
Dopamine Boost
Thermal Coating
Cryogenic cells
Pyrogenic cells
Reactive
Hardened Cells
Metabolic Boost
Defense Mechanism
Elasticity

 

Maybe a gene to do with radiation. I mean who doesn't want a nuclear powered carrot? The uses for such a gene would be rather clear. Anti-radiation posioning; the plant eats ionizing radiation and removes it from your system. Radiation bomb fungus for those who want some mushroom clouds. And of course as a fuel source.

 

aha, I knew I missed somethign in there. I was thinking on a rad-gene as well. Thanks! added to the post.



bear in mind, new genes or not, the actual in-game plants will remain the same. The use of the genes will simply be (generally) more clear and concise.

However, now that this is all up in the air it is certainly possible to do variants of plants like crazy ,similar to what the early clone-lab did but with more refinement and purpose. But that's a heap of copy/paste, recolors and such. I'd rather find a way to use lua to read a seeds properties and edit them on the fly. If that's possible... score.

 

Aquatic Homeostasis sounds like it could be put on a biochip that could be put onto an armor to give you waterbreathing + speed in water,
The others sound like they could be put on biochips, the chips Power Pressed into alloy (chips + dense alloy? like the way they make circuit boards in RL or something) and the result could be "programs' to improve armor, if armor had such slots to upgrade in. This could have the added benefit of -more- research, so you'd end up with something like Immune 7 to reduce background damage (say Sulphuric worlds) by 70% or something, if you kept combining genes. Would that work or am I talking out of my ass again?

As for writing 5000 codexes, a randomizer comes to mind. You could do an easy fetch quest in the science outpost and it rewards with a codex with 3 random recipes. So rather than 5000 it just goes "ok, generate codex, give it random gibberish item name, and it has X, Y, and Z recipes chosen from a master list." All you'd need is a master "X+Y=Z" list. Or can it not "generate" objects like that the way it does for random drops?