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Wings and Other Flying Related Genes Suggestions (w/ Concept Art)


betwixted

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I know this has already suggested and that wings will be implemented later on, but I'm just so excited for the possibilities of wings and flight! I've even drawn some illustrations of Nichelings with wings to help visualize my ideas, as well as give a breakdown of all the flying related genes for each.

 

For how it would work in-game, if the wings are made into arms, each wing would give +1 Flight. You would need +2 Flight in order to fly; so thus, you'd need both arms to be wings in order to fly. If the wings are a body, then maybe just +Flight is given. Depending upon the wing, it could also give an extra stat, i.e. Bat Wings giving +1 Collecting, or Pterosaur Wings giving +1 Movement. +Aerodynamic would also be needed to fly.

I'm not sure how flight will work mechanically, if it'll be like another type of movement (i.e. Walking, Swimming) and you can travel X amount of tiles (but much longer distance than either walking or swimming), or if it'll be something different. Whatever the case, there's still many possible wing and flying related genes you could have! All of these ideas are just examples of what wings could potentially be like.

 

For example, you could have...

 

Gliding Body! Not enabling for true flight, but allowing for gliding when jumping off of high tiles/trees!

48tggco.png

Stats:

  • Gliding Body - +Gliding (Glide for 4 tiles or farther when at the top of a tree or tree stump.)
  • Prehensile Tail - +Climbing (Able to climb up trees.)

 

OR...

 

Bat-like Wings, allowing for true flight, maybe short distance only

mjR5PAA.png

Stats:

  • Bat Wing - +1 Flight per Wing, +1 Collecting per wing
  • Aerodynamic horns - +1 Strength, +Aerodynamic (The only horns you can fly with unless more variations are added.)

 

 

OR...

 

Pterosaur-like Wings, allowing for true flight, maybe long distance

maGYVTO.png

Stats:

  • Pterosaur Wing(arms) - +1 Flight per Wing, +1 Walking Speed per wing
  • Crow beak: +1 Smelling, +1 Cracking, +1 Strength
  • Aerodynamic horns - +1 Strength, +Aerodynamic

 

OR...

 

Walking-On Wings, which enable the hindlegs to be used as paws

vbewlw5.png

Stats:

  • Stilt wings (arms) - IF ONLY ONE WING PRESENT: +1 Walking Speed per Wing
    IF BOTH WINGS PRESENT: +1 Flight per Wing, +1 Walking Speed per Wing, +1 Swimming per Wing, +Off the Ground (A Nicheling needs +2 Flight in order to fly (so two wings), and +2 Off the Ground in order to have their hindlegs off the ground to become graspers.)
  • Aerodynamic Snout - +3 Smelling, +Aerodynamic
  • Nimble Hindlegs: IF OFF THE GROUND, THEN: +3 Collecting; IF NOT OFF THE GROUND, THEN: +2 Speed, +1 Swimming

 

OR...

 

Traditional add a third pair of limbs on the back route: Dragon Wing Body, "Feathered" Wing Body (feathers are actually modified fur), and/or "Feathered" Dragon Wing Body, all allowing for true flight!

AMVhXdW.png

Stats:

  • Dragon Wing Body - Flight
  • Feathered Wing Body - Flight
  • Feathered Dragon Wing Body - Flight

(All genes give the ability of flight, they're just different cosmetically)

 

OR...

 

Hummingbird wings, allowing for hovering in the air and drinking nectar!

?interpolation=lanczos-none&output-format=jpeg&output-quality=95&fit=inside%7C1024%3A758&composite-to=*,*%7C1024%3A758&background-color=black

Stats:

  • Hummingbird Wing - +1 Flight per Wing, +Hover, +1 Hover Speed per Wing
    (Hover is only active when both wing genes are present. Hover works as a new form of locotion, allowing Nichelings to move across tiles (like walking/swimming). Wings will only work if Petite Body, Small Hind Legs, and Hummingbird tail are present.)
  • Petite Body - +Petite, +Iridescent, +3 Scentless, +3 Stealth, +1 Heat Reistant
    (Petite makes a Nicheling look very small and scales down genes to size. Also makes Nichelings weaker to attacks, so they will take an extra day's worth of damage. Does not stack with normal damage. Iridescent makes a Nicheling look shiny.
  • Hummingbird Beak - +3 Nectar Feeding, +3 Smell
    (Allows Nicheling to collect +3 food in the form of nectar per gem used.)
  • Small Hind Legs - +1 Speed, +1 Swimming
    (Will act as a crippled verison of Hind Legs when not on Hummingbird Nicheling.)
  • Hummingbird Tail - +Aerodynamic, +1 or 2 Hover Speed
    (Gives Aerodynamic to let a Nicheling fly, as well as either 1 or 2 Hover Speed. (I'm leaning towards +2).)

 

 

There's so many more possibilities, like insect wings, owl wings, albatross wings, etc! I just wanted to put out a few ideas of the ideas I had. I hope you enjoy them!

 

All of these artworks plus a more in depth description can be on my Steam:

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That is some amazing concept art!

Personally, I don't think there should be "real" flight. It's not really realistic that they would take flight just like that. Perhaps adding gliding as either the only kind of flight or some kind of "stage" towards actual flying? Here is a suggestion on how gliding could be implemented:

 

A trait that would give the critters rudimentary wings  to "glide" with (that is, move very far at once) from an elevated position. Perhaps +1 movement from a tree stump? If another trait, the climbing paw, tail or leg, is added, perhaps the creature could climb trees, where it can get a +3 movement boost and be safe from bearyenas, who can't climb.

 

(originally from my now-retracted gliding suggestion.)

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That is some amazing concept art!

Personally, I don't think there should be "real" flight. It's not really realistic that they would take flight just like that. Perhaps adding gliding as either the only kind of flight or some kind of "stage" towards actual flying? Here is a suggestion on how gliding could be implemented:

 

A trait that would give the critters rudimentary wings  to "glide" with (that is, move very far at once) from an elevated position. Perhaps +1 movement from a tree stump? If another trait, the climbing paw, tail or leg, is added, perhaps the creature could climb trees, where it can get a +3 movement boost and be safe from bearyenas, who can't climb.

 

(originally from my now-retracted gliding suggestion.)

Thank you!

That's actually exactly how I imagine Gliding Body would work. In fact, all of the traits you've listed like the climbing the Nicheling pictured with Gliding Body has. I've made in-depth trait break-downs for all of the Nichelings pictured in Steam. I'll add links in the main post. Here it is for Gliding Body: http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1133331609

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That is some amazing concept art!

Personally, I don't think there should be "real" flight. It's not really realistic that they would take flight just like that. Perhaps adding gliding as either the only kind of flight or some kind of "stage" towards actual flying? Here is a suggestion on how gliding could be implemented:

 

A trait that would give the critters rudimentary wings  to "glide" with (that is, move very far at once) from an elevated position. Perhaps +1 movement from a tree stump? If another trait, the climbing paw, tail or leg, is added, perhaps the creature could climb trees, where it can get a +3 movement boost and be safe from bearyenas, who can't climb.

 

(originally from my now-retracted gliding suggestion.)

 

What makes flying unrealistic? It would still be limited to so many tiles (maybe the formula could be twice or three times what said creature can walk), take up vital action slots and can easily come with its own risks or downsides. Perhaps, similar to the Pokemon games, flying would need to use all three action slots (taking off, flying, and landing again) where only the flying action gives creatures immunity to attack. I imagine, if it were me playing, those two things alone would make me think carefully about performing a fly. Also, if you accidentally fly short of your target or there aren't enough tiles to perform a clean landing (let's say 2 tiles are needed) your creature crashes and loses some health and bleeds. In other words I think there are plenty of ways flying could be implemented without feeling cheaty. Just my two cents though.

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That is some amazing concept art!

Personally, I don't think there should be "real" flight. It's not really realistic that they would take flight just like that. Perhaps adding gliding as either the only kind of flight or some kind of "stage" towards actual flying? Here is a suggestion on how gliding could be implemented:

 

A trait that would give the critters rudimentary wings  to "glide" with (that is, move very far at once) from an elevated position. Perhaps +1 movement from a tree stump? If another trait, the climbing paw, tail or leg, is added, perhaps the creature could climb trees, where it can get a +3 movement boost and be safe from bearyenas, who can't climb.

 

(originally from my now-retracted gliding suggestion.)

 

What makes flying unrealistic? It would still be limited to so many tiles (maybe the formula could be twice or three times what said creature can walk), take up vital action slots and can easily come with its own risks or downsides. Perhaps, similar to the Pokemon games, flying would need to use all three action slots (taking off, flying, and landing again) where only the flying action gives creatures immunity to attack. I imagine, if it were me playing, those two things alone would make me think carefully about performing a fly. Also, if you accidentally fly short of your target or there aren't enough tiles to perform a clean landing (let's say 2 tiles are needed) your creature crashes and loses some health and bleeds. In other words I think there are plenty of ways flying could be implemented without feeling cheaty. Just my two cents though.

 

I meant flight being unrealistic in  the sense of "this not something that just happens in a couple generations with one or two mutations". True, Niche has very simplified evolution, but even soit just wouldn't be feasable to have one generation doesnt't have anthing resembling wings and then the next one has mastered flight.

If there was an intermediary, where they have have simple gliding that only works from an elevated position, it would be make much more sense.

Look at birds for example, or bats. The entire body has to be changed to allow true flight. Airspace could be compared to another biome with completely different climate in how much has to be changed on a lifeform in order to get there.

 

On your point about not making it feel cheaty: Using all three, or even just two action slots sounds good, and for true flight from the groudn there could be also be food used up? Due to how much energy it takes.

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What makes flying unrealistic? It would still be limited to so many tiles (maybe the formula could be twice or three times what said creature can walk), take up vital action slots and can easily come with its own risks or downsides. Perhaps, similar to the Pokemon games, flying would need to use all three action slots (taking off, flying, and landing again) where only the flying action gives creatures immunity to attack. I imagine, if it were me playing, those two things alone would make me think carefully about performing a fly. Also, if you accidentally fly short of your target or there aren't enough tiles to perform a clean landing (let's say 2 tiles are needed) your creature crashes and loses some health and bleeds. In other words I think there are plenty of ways flying could be implemented without feeling cheaty. Just my two cents though.

 

I meant flight being unrealistic in  the sense of "this not something that just happens in a couple generations with one or two mutations". True, Niche has very simplified evolution, but even soit just wouldn't be feasable to have one generation doesnt't have anthing resembling wings and then the next one has mastered flight.

If there was an intermediary, where they have have simple gliding that only works from an elevated position, it would be make much more sense.

Look at birds for example, or bats. The entire body has to be changed to allow true flight. Airspace could be compared to another biome with completely different climate in how much has to be changed on a lifeform in order to get there.

 

On your point about not making it feel cheaty: Using all three, or even just two action slots sounds good, and for true flight from the groudn there could be also be food used up? Due to how much energy it takes.

 

For an intermediary stage, maybe something similar to Water Body as it functioned back in update 0.5.3. may work. In order to get Water Body, you first needed a water-related gene, such as swimming tail, webbed paw, or webbed hind legs. The same might apply to wings then, where you need Gliding Body or some other flying related genes before getting wings. However, people may get annoyed at this. I believe that's why they removed it with Water Body.

 

Using three action slots sounds like a good compromise, but maybe using 2 would fit so juveniles could fly as well. As for food, maybe 2 pieces of food should be eaten per Nicheling, since flying is a very energy demanding activity.

 

I can see more mechanical uses for flying besides moving. Maybe you can glide in the air like a blue bird and have access to new sources of food, such as skim feeding from the water's surface  (platypus bill could be used for this so it's a more useful gene) or catching flying animals/animals on the ground like Rabbils. Not sure how'd it work mechanically yet, but they're some ideas.

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  • 4 weeks later...

I don't mean to necropost, but I just got around to making some new art for hummingbird wings and related genes!

 

?interpolation=lanczos-none&output-format=jpeg&output-quality=95&fit=inside%7C1024%3A758&composite-to=*,*%7C1024%3A758&background-color=black

 

*Note: The normal sized Nicheling has these traits: Medium Body, x2 Runner Legs, Hind Legs, Short Snout, Medium Tail.

[glow=cyan,2,300]See the main post for the new genes + stats![/glow]

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These are some great ideas!

 

I also had a few ideas about wings...

 

There'd be different genes for different types of wings, with different advantages and disadvantages.

e.g.,

normal feathered wings (+2 movement, -1 stealth)

Owl wings (+1 movement, +2 stealth)

bat wings (no feathers) +2 movement

gliding membrane (+2 movement, uses 1 energy)

etc.

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These are some great ideas!

 

I also had a few ideas about wings...

 

There'd be different genes for different types of wings, with different advantages and disadvantages.

e.g.,

normal feathered wings (+2 movement, -1 stealth)

Owl wings (+1 movement, +2 stealth)

bat wings (no feathers) +2 movement

gliding membrane (+2 movement, uses 1 energy)

etc.

 

Thanks!

 

I really like your ideas! Since I've drawn all the other one's you've mentioned, I think I'll draw Owl Wings next. They sound really interesting. Maybe if hunting from the air is implemented, then they could give the buff +Silent, where they won't be heard by prey.

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