I’m going to start this thread for Brainstorming. Any ideas you may have are welcome. I’ll up date as I can, though sharing ideas is kind of in-between work and life.
The other day I was thinking about things like AI. How could a semi-AI work or be human recognizable? I told myself Legacy. AI wouldn’t be much different than learning something through habits or practices. Anything predictable becomes ether a habit or practice. And that’s when it hit me. Horror games are interesting because the influence isn’t practice or habit. It’s instinct and fear, even though you can think to predict it. Surely something similar would fit in survival as well, though would better form constructive habits and practices. The instincts of this are what I would like to detail on some. That’s because in life we build a theorem. habits =/+ practices = legacy =/+ common sense = progress. Then we can add primitive > advanced > modern +/= Progress. Now we’re looking at a bigger picture, over a long period of time = legacy. This again has to include life cycle and generations, or other problems, in order to debilitate some progress.
Tradition, culture and pass times are all used the same way, though not as indirect as a primitive system (Indirect or hidden, maybe backend, in the way the user isn’t totally aware of them. Like system tracked and controlled systems). The reason they are branched is, we need focal attention to show progress and culture. Unlike the above detailed theorem, I would like to see these parts of the colonist lives more readily (actively happening in game, while the user creates objectives or other ideals the colony will build on). The theorem is still effective, and we can use it to help us manage and manipulate when events happen, without using tedious menus (The menus are hidden and system controlled, like a check balance system. This backend will be use as the “AI”, in order to create changes the game has to offer. Then depending on the user’s responses, will progress through the advancement of those backend growth trees). The theorem is designed to reduce the menus, allowing us to educate our target audience over time so it doesn’t become overwhelming (Keeping some parts of menus hidden, will allow developers to manipulate the problems a colony faces. In turn the user will respond to problems, building legacy points and allowing the AI to select possible growth directions). Though we can add some attention to the primitive system, limiting to those primitives will help consulate what we want to mainly focus (Culture, tradition and pass times). We also have a basis to add in many unpredictable features (Survival: whether, animals, blight, enemies, ect). With this non-focal feature users can build legacy from a primitive, colonist will likewise build tradition, culture and pass times.
- Cultural
Culture is something interesting, in the way it breeds indifference and variables (This is why we limited each culture to Region, Resources and Primitive as a starting place). As one culture has developed, they’ve worked with limited resources and that’s been a defining factor. Each culture can have an independent purpose, allowing the progress to happen focally (each culture will be within its own respect, an independent of united efforts). The reason I am detailing this is, this breeds folk lore ingenious to a culture. That culture wants to succeed and trust it can, based on the primitives (habits and practices) they’ve built in legacy. Though will not be able to cooperate with cultures of indifference without acceptance and/or domestication. Reform and law come to mind (one culture is aggressive and the other is authoritative), this will ignite the demand for reform or acceptance. (This uses some form of unity or domestication, to create a contemporary). Which brings me too territorial. Most or all cultures will have a territorial demeanor based on, leaders they know and trust. Which I am considering the means to an end or the overall goal. Success with this theorem will include, leadership that breeds contemporary advancements, survivability of the cultures as a whole and the ability to expand without compromise.
Another cultural example is, Grim Dawn has a lot of monsters that form gangs. Those gangs represent a culture, by the details of the environment they’ve built around them (Building, clothing and speech). Parts of those gangs could be used in a limiting factor, breaking down a gang into collective details then sharing those details across many Farthest Frontier’s cultures. This allows each of Farthest Frontier’s cultures to have something in common for advancement in cooperation. An example using constellations will help. Use constellations to develop two or more cultures, based on small things they have in common, from the broken-down details mentioned above (Each constellation will be familiar in a unique way, though not the same from culture to culture). Finally, through the theorem, two or more cultures can build and develop beyond their means as one culture (what many cultures was, is now becoming a nation).
Okay instinct is simple. It’s a primitive means to survive, much like an autopilot we have naturally built into us (our beginning). Through instinct we adapt and build common sense (culturing). As we advance, and our common sense grows, we become confident and “established”. Survival may still be an active part of the game, though we can start to control problems. Making survival less of a threat and more of a practice or habit. This is how we identify achievements, building into a legacy. But where one threat isn’t adequate another may evolve or become more apparent. This is the balance. Once all things are accomplished, there must be means to advance (this is unity).
- Native Species
Animals are awesome in many ways. Realistically they are useful for: Cattle, leather, companionship and labor. Also, a problem because: Dangerous, limit food supply, damage colonies and spread diseases. These also lead into Mythology, this influences a healthy creativity. Children stories about monsters eating them or, the 30-point buck, creates an illustration colonist use to adapt. Colonist protecting the young and even creating the need to see those things from stories, allows for exploration and legacy, (Dream catchers, hunt teams and exploration). Which brings me to one of my goals. In Grim Dawn there are many character classes, I think with these primitive influences can rendition (Mogdrogen a shaman as a character class, built from a primitive legacy. Or, recreating a class as a group(s) of people with in the colony). Like ironing out details, flushing out abilities, elaborating or upgrading those classes. The legacy system will help to have supportive back story, creating a greater influence in progression (upgrading the colony from primitive buildings and practices). Finally allowing to show advancement in colonies over the development of classes (The people becoming advanced as does the architectures). Deities Are a important part of that and think could fit as the first leadership or hierarchy. Before allowing progression without awareness of existance.
Some animals offer resources as well, that offer success in many fields of study. Bats for example are a natural predator of bugs. Bugs eat and ruin crops, making it hard to survive. Bats eat them, helping to reduce the damage caused by bugs. Also bat guano creates nitrogen, phosphate, and potassium that fertilizes crops. Advanced uses of guano could be used for explosives. This all leads to flushing out Grim Dawns character class Demolitionist. A colony party or group could have one or several of the Demolitionist abilities, to help support advancement of the class.
Chickens are also a multiple benefit animal. They are a multiple food source, meat and eggs. Though additionally they poop fertilizer. Colonist that advance in husbandry will be able to help this advance into a profitable trade or agriculture.
Here’s a link for research supporting my Animals section. Wolverines: Behind the Myth, Alaska Department of Fish and Game
Fisher | Defenders of Wildlife
Otter Symbolism (6 Meanings) - As Spirit Animals & in Dreams (symbolismandmetaphor.com)
Apex Predators - Animal Corner
2: Advancement
I am starting to get closer to the overall point I am trying to make. Which in brief and simple terms is building an AI requires information to support variables. With these variables we have a system that should in the end function without human input. Then we add some of those inputs to improve things.
Less briefly. The goal is to make each colony start in a primitive form, basically limiting things to simple tasks. These simple tasks won’t require player input, this is because, one of two things. 1: Selecting starting colony type, will set itself up for a certain active role or. 2: The players available actions have not yet been determined based on any information of player activity, (Such as location). This will allow most things to play themselves, like gather and hunting (This means most simple tasks can play out, with the use of AI. Not including player required activities). These simple tasks can be identified using genre specific tasks, and the simplicity of the “colonist role” for those tasks, (Regarding RTS as an example, we have some mechanics like gather resources, uncover map and clear areas, that’ll require no more than sentries or drones to accomplish). Next is how long the primitive development will take, is up to the game options and player. This part could be skipped as a player requested skip, launching the game into a later state. It’s in my consideration that the first 45 minutes through 3 hours of game play, will be a primitive establishment of legacy. Allowing your basic colony to form some skills, and start to advance into later parts of the game with a stronger legacy. The types of things colonist will become effective in doing are things as follows (Organizing hunts, building huts, basic exploration, and have a monument). These things will help build the basis for advancement of community and traditions, that will multiply over the course of game play. As the colony advances, legacy will work like a level system. A brief example of this is as follows, Level 1 skills are granted by the game. Level 5 unlocks new skills, you must perform actively to gain exp. Level 10 unlocks another skill type, performing more efficient tasks. Level 15 you gain a new “ability” and this is advances the difficulty of tasks you can perform, not only for one skill your colony has developed, though overall usefulness of the colony. In this layout we can look at the advancement of the game, level 1-5 is the most primitive tasks, level 6-14 are gaining efficiency and the number of tasks one colonist can perform. Level 15 may involve another culture or people with new knowledge or the overall community achievement bonuses they’ve earned. It’s basically the same system intuitively, though made for advancement in a survival/city builder/civilization game type.
I am trying to say something along the line of, Can your game play itself. This means with complex mechanics and time; will the AI be able to play itself up to the limits of a single colony. If yes, can the game advance beyond, including the multi-colony civilization. If yes, can the game accomplish all technology advancements. If so, then we need balance for difficulty. I’d think if the game can accomplish totally the things the game has to offer, we can start to look at difficulty. If the games AI can accomplish in every 1 game of 100, it’s going to be hard. But if the AI can accomplish 100% of with the game has to offer 100% of the time, it’ll be an easy game. If it can 100% of the time, accomplish that 100% goal, we need to add problems. In other post I haven’t neglected that.
Now if we have AI, the question then is. What menus are important enough, to manipulate AI and what menus are easily replaced by AI. Finally what menus are needed because AI can’t.
The primitive creates a logic to populating the colony, create a passive level system and stylized culture. Though I’m not outright saying sex needs to happen, in order to increase population, I am also not saying we can’t just hire units as we need them. Well now I am 
But I believe in order to create a live able and believe setting within the game, we’ll need some logic to support procreation. And also a means to advance through legacy (the hand me down theory), the believable developmental progress that is legacy.
P.s. In regard to RTS. Taking the essentials and turning them into AI, allowing players to focus on more important tasks. Leaving the most basic tasks use an autopilot, based on player preference.
Another cool idea is, Grim Dawn offers a large range of industry and culture. With this game being developed you could plot a system that, offers benefits through quest lines or story missions. Such as helping a colony to advance, with a reward of better gun powder or explosives, better armor or weapons and better buffs from food porn. The point is advance a colony, benefit from colony and win the game. Developing character for another game or rendition those characters, telling a deeper supportive story that’s fully functional and logic. Reducing the overuse of flashy FX, for a cleaner and better overall representation of your game.
Modes. I need an idea how to distinguish modes. I was thinking something like, single colonist tasks, grouping tasks and loyal companions will all have something in common, as to allow pets some active AI routines. Hunters with pets build legacy loyalty. Over the generations of loyalty, subject is gained across many fields. Obedience is mastered and loyalty is gained, with actions of any given field of subject. Though there are times the applied field may obscure into another, allowing development of new fields of study. Cannot select field outside primitive means without legacy gained, and advancements unobscured first. Subjects may become apparent through obscurity of primitive, then skilled legacy allowing advancement to unlock or level into active roles or routines. Hence the use of primitive ways, insuring advancements in the right of legacy. Through the theorem, subjects are gained as earned, with the passive level system.
Example
Assume gatherer is another mode, same rules as hunter. Each subject has skills and legacy to advance the subject like a career. Parties or groups of each subject advances in its own right. Combine both subject fields: Form parties of colonist with all skill sets, to accomplish more in routine. Autopilot is still active in such groups, allowing combined groups to accomplish more. Each subject field has a strict rule set, the autopilot can provide advantages with the legacy support. These parties maybe controlled or automated based on user preference, additionally to the primitive systems AI activity. And through this type of advancement, players will be rewarded. The reward is shown in the legend below.
Legend:
Survival = early/primitive. becomes easier.
Combative = advanced/modern/controlled. Allowing menu use for advanced feature. Such as group effort = success with legacy support. Stories make colonist confident they will succeed.
Defensive = advance/modern/united. Allowing menu use for advanced feature. As stated above, teams will gain confidence with successes.
The legend shows combat and defense as its own career. This is important because, each will advance separately, allowing menu manipulations for AI and situational use, based on each alone. Though will allow advancement for combining the careers in later advancements.
Types of cultural technology.
Bells: Using sand to create a mold to pore molten iron into, forming the shape of a bell.
Dream Catchers: Creating a circular or round type shape from bone, horns, tree branches, then wrapping web like twine, silk, wool or other materiel to fill circular or round shape and finally adding wards of fathers or gemstones to hang from the structure.
Crosses: Form from clay or metal, wood or wax, into a cross shape.
Flags: Fabrics used with dye distinguishing and identifying a colony.
Statues: Clay or wood shaped like a person or thing.
Shrines: Used for praying or gatherings.
Sorry for the sloppy setup. I will clean it up maybe.
Combat
I am trying to find a way to explain this, as though it were integrated into many parts of the game. With examples that compliment story, derive from nature and advance as legacy/developments
Throughout millennia, we have taken examples from many things. One major thing is animals, as a primitive example, leading into more advanced observations. We have watched them to learn, how they act and react, what they do and how they civilize. Like Wolves hunt in packs, Wolverines track their pray. How bees collect honey, ants build homes. I think you’re starting to get the point. Observing this activity in the field, will be a major story telling influence, throughout many cultures and legacies. The goal is with the legacy system, to offer colonist means to develop and advance. Many of the combative observations made in this way, will be interesting to detail because, the threat is observed before it’s assumed. I think combative skills based on their region, will be something culturing because some wildlife is not only unique to that region, but also has influences across many regions. With uniquely regional culturing, we can develop means to create conflict. This will be a passive system we can upgrade, to an active system using the few influences that are common across the whole of the land. With advancement (remember the primitive = passive and that advance = control logic), we can start to build a system of law or rule, colonist from many regions agree or disagree with. Proximity offers an advantage here, as colonist develop through the primitive system, they become an influence that can rebel or support a system. With proximity we can temporarily activate a skill or opinion, within the colony or even based on a greater reach. As colonist learn from a species of animal, we have a basis to develop those short reach effects acting as proximity. With field experience the animals or species that are not limited to one region, give us a basis to have greater proximity. This will become “the system” (controlled), allowing colonist to use a greater proximity of influences. Just like being active in the field, the more they encounter these animals, the more they learn. The greater the territory of the species, the greater the proximity. The more they use this influence, the more proficient they are with it. This will help regulate the speed of development, and the success of advancement. And we can use this logic for more than combat as I have detailed. Furthermore, we can apply this to tracking, trapping and hunting, effecting colonies outside their cultural origins. Thus, having a reason for the system to track many aspects of adaptation, resource use and effects on the greater proximity. Leading to cause and effect of the influence a colony creates. And this is important to the next part.
Proximity
In my opinion, this is the most difficult part of development. The reason is, everything in the is connected to this, and I wouldn’t want to deliver a disappointing product. Making sure there’s enough content and progression, is a challenge and I think this kind of system will fulfill that. Again, not without difficulty.
Mobility, combat, resources, crafting, social, ect, all need to have a place or purpose. With the legacy system there’ll be means to track and save progress, on many different levels of the system. The goal is making sure every activity has some kind of tracking batched to it, so the legacy system can make advancements to that activity. This includes story and that’s most likely the most interesting part. Developing changes in dialog and the maturity of stories throughout the legacy of a colony, will be one major way to identify progress. Kind of like starting a pathological game (Strict path), that opens the gameplay and world to free-roaming. The point is everything availed to the player, is something limited by culture, before allowing expanded skills, ability and territory. To achieve this, we limit colonists to a proximity mechanic, telling them when in proximity if something is of interest, weather they are capable of using that or not and how well they can perform that task. The mechanic will give them a few functional uses, while within that proximity. This includes as an example, climbing a rock. When they climb the rock, they can see farther, spotting resources or game to hunt. Another example, mining spot for resources will be a skill level ability, with many resources available to gather, though some limited by colonist skill level to collect.
Example I am a colonist exploring the region for resources, I have known this land for years. I can assume where to go for target resources and have a good idea where to find more obscure resources. As I approach resources, I will have in my skill bar the ability to collect resources. Furthermore, as I meet requirements, I am able to collect resources that require tools or for better results from resources field. I am able to collect more from one field or the rarer feature, to collect precious resources others may not.
Same goes for combat, as I approach a threat, I can combat with it. Though, if I meet requirements, I can use the skill provided by the proximity detector. Depending on the skill associated to the threat, how well I know the threat, I can combat the threat with ease or difficulty. Certainly, there are some skills, the requirements are none. And we need these skills, as a basis to begin our journey.
Another example, I am exploring and meat 
with another person from a different colony. Their people don’t speak our language, though we attempt to communicate. We use the landmarks or other available resources to communicate (earth, land, sea and sky. Assume resources, plant and animal life are land or the respected environment of life). First encounters are normally difficult, though with more communication and activity with these different colonies, we can expect there’ll be some success in establishing relations.
The logic of this, to create a passive skill level, that advances into a proficient use of skill. Furthermore, replacing/upgrading primitive skills, with advanced form of the skill will be explained next. Using a randomize loot drop type system, based on information from legacy, will help identify the skill of the colonists, then reduce the amount of randomness using the legacy system. The goal of this is to advance beyond primitive survival restrictions, into an advanced cultural adaptation. Also, this will allow any colonist to do anything the region, colony or game provided them, so that they may advance the legacy system. Which in turn means more colonists will be able to accomplish those advancements more commonly.
Characters
There is no character specifically designed for the primitive system, in the most early stage. That means only with development, will “Named” characters be born. Using the random loot quality system, we can reproduce “Named” characters to a role defined by the legacy. (Example: We’ve developed means to black smith, though have no defined “Named” character for that role). Instead the role is filled with the “Autopilot” or “AI” system based on the primitive architecture. When the “Named” character is born, they’ll be granted a few amenities, including a home with upgrade for their role, tools and resources to fulfill their role. This is not to replace the community role, only to be advanced and additional form of it. (Example: We have a blacksmith station, though “Named” character also built one for personal use). And the “Named” character will be able to create or do things exceptionally within that role. (Example: The quality of blacksmithing is based on legacy and “Named” character upgrades. Magical, rare, set or legendary quality upgrades). This logic can apply to all skilled trades, with an exception of managing or leadership roles. Being you maybe allowed to create a character at some advanced point in the game, to fill exception roles. The benefits these “Named” character offer the colony, to be determined. Furthermore, stories can be applied with the coming of “Named” characters. This is beyond or deeper story telling, then common tongue of the colonist.
Here I am trying to say, every colonist doesn’t need to have an assigned specific role, based on their skills set. The legacy system is shared, so all colonist unless they’re a “Named” character, can benefit from. This is how we (The end user) identify progression in the game, allowing limited use of a priority system, until advanced technology becomes available. In which there’ll be “named” colonists we will be able to prioritize for our use, using menus based on their skills.
Also, market sales being automated based on food storage and spoilage maybe nice.
Anybody else have any ideas about how civilization maybe formed through any means?
