Niche 2?? Brainstorming time

[Philo]

For the past few months my brain has decided it wants to think about a potential Niche 2 🧠 
No promises or anything yet, since this is a big decision our studio needs to make with many factors going into it.
But still, out of curiosity: If we ever made a new Niche what features / changes would you absolutely want to see in it :D?
At this point everything is on the table: Modding, Multiplayer, turn it into a Real Time Strategy Game, go wild! 

[takoyamaaaS]

EEK :3

ermmm i think more animations would be cool, like nichelings sleeping when all their actions are used up or panting when theyre hot if tje action system is even going to be used in this potential niche 2

mod support would be cool even if it was just simple stuff to make your own genes or islands or somethin like that :3

[GreenTheGreat]

whoa.....................................

I am very excited for this brainstorming session, even if it never even exists, it may be fun to see what we come up with!!!

Personally I think 1. modded genes would be interesting, the ability to add genetics to the game in order to make it how players want to. 2. multiplayer seems complex, but maybe could be cool?

3. this is a big one I was thinking about. The gradual evolution of genes. The ability to get bigger and smaller over time, to actually go through processes. I would love to be able to see my nichelings interact like actual creatures, have children that aren't just either or but mix genes.

I'll have more eventually

[Modiano Urania]

I'd like to see the mobile only genes (fur and eye colors too) included in niche 2!

Modding too ofc 

Maybe defender bears can return 

Expanded savanna biomes

More wetland types

Moor biome

More hybrids (ramfoxes?)

More biome-unique animals

Possibility for a nicheling to be smaller or bigger than average (this could be only cosmetic)

Storms (inspired by the first trailer)

Oh speaking of weather what about a desert biome it could have sandstorms

Perhaps an ability to pick from cacti without getting hurt (with armor still providing defense)

That's all I can think about for now

[Stranger]

NICHE TWO WOULD BE SUCH A COOL IDEA! 

1. I know whatever is came up with I will love no matter what, so I don't have much suggestions, but I think multiplayer would definitely be cool, and maybe new genes (from suggestions maybe). 

2. Also I think it would be amazing to have (I don't know the word for it, defective?) genes where, for instance, a nicheling born with antlers has a small chance of having stubby antlers instead of normal ones. It would impact the stats too. 

3. Like Tako said, some small animations would be cool! 

4. And last of all, some new npc animals maybe? So far nichelings can only breed with friendly bearyena, but it would be cool to expand on that. 

Ok that's it I know it's a lot but these are just some ideas :). 

[Stranger]

3 minutes ago, Stranger said:

NICHE TWO WOULD BE SUCH A COOL IDEA! 

1. I know whatever is came up with I will love no matter what, so I don't have much suggestions, but I think multiplayer would definitely be cool, and maybe new genes (from suggestions maybe). 

2. Also I think it would be amazing to have (I don't know the word for it, defective?) genes where, for instance, a nicheling born with antlers has a small chance of having stubby antlers instead of normal ones. It would impact the stats too. 

3. Like Tako said, some small animations would be cool! 

4. And last of all, some new npc animals maybe? So far nichelings can only breed with friendly bearyena, but it would be cool to expand on that. 

Ok that's it I know it's a lot but these are just some ideas :). 

Oh and new cosmetic options, like fur and eye colours, patterns, and size of the nicheling would be nice. 

[Modiano Urania]

3 minutes ago, Merrydiano said:

I'd like to see the mobile only genes (fur and eye colors too) included in niche 2!

Modding too ofc 

Maybe defender bears can return 

Expanded savanna biomes

More wetland types

Moor biome

More hybrids (ramfoxes?)

More biome-unique animals

Possibility for a nicheling to be smaller or bigger than average (this could be only cosmetic)

Storms (inspired by the first trailer)

Oh speaking of weather what about a desert biome it could have sandstorms

Perhaps an ability to pick from cacti without getting hurt (with armor still providing defense)

That's all I can think about for now

Oh oh thought about something else

 

Console commands  being more "stable"

Blind nichelings being able to move by switching to smelling or hearing mode

Deafness and noseblindness

Scars!

More diseases

Heterochromia

[lizardcake]

mods are an obvious answer, but i wanted to brainstorm a bit more.

i highly doubt they're original ideas but i think they're cool so i'm posting them anyways.

also, me being me, i couldn't not include some concept art.

 

first of all, an underwater and mushroom/underground biome. i just think they're cool ok?

if not all of the nichelings' actions were used up (or it could just be a random event) there could be a chance of waking up during the night. there would also be new genes to help with surviving (since it would be more dangerous). introducing: cat eyes!

some other genes (such as bat or bearyena head) would also give +1 night vision

i'd also love to bring back my lizarpion suggestion from a while back, just because i think it's still kind of cool

new concept art:

and i 100% agree with tako that more animations would be fantastic

i also understand that a sequel might not even ever exist but it's fun to just brainstorm around :))

[BirbMonster]

I was looking at this thread and didn't realise Philo posted it??? Holy moly

[MATTRESS]

AAAAA OH MY GOD OH MY GOD IM REALLY NORMAL RIGHT NOW !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i will write down my ideas Soon I have SO MANY

[lizardcake]

another thing i think would be neat but you might have already thought of is sneaking in some references to your other games!

for example, a select port could have a vaguely onbu shaped rock :))

[CABINET]

I've thought that it would be neat if some genes, namely horns/antlers had small cosmetic variation! So there could be several different antler models that are randomly chosen. Maybe there could be a gene that controls the variation, or it could be completely up to RNG. I like the former better since it would allow for easier customization in sandbox mode

Oh, and a MASSIVE +1 to modding support!

 

 

also add small ears please :3

[Andromeda_]

OMG 

new biomes would definitely be nice, like a volcano or desert 

more details on the models would be really cool 

maybe you could have your nichelings wake up during night like Liz said? 

i don't really have anything cause everyone else already said their amazing ideas-

[Stranger]

Speaking of models, while the 3d models for normal niche now are great, updated models would also be cool. As of now I don't have any ideas on how to update them, but just a thought. 

[Peanutpup77]

1. I would love to see maps that are all underwater, and also to have more underwater genes!

 

2. I think a new setting in sandbox that would let your nichelings have litters would be cool. For example, if you set the litters setting to minimum 1 and maximum 4, a random number generator would pick a number between 1 and 4.

 

3. The ability to split your nichelings into 2 groups would be awesome! Instead of having them all as one group that shares the same food and nesting material, you could have 2 groups that need to both earn their own food.

 

[Lilytuft]

On 1/21/2024 at 6:06 PM, Stranger said:

 

2. Also I think it would be amazing to have (I don't know the word for it, defective?) genes where, for instance, a nicheling born with antlers has a small chance of having stubby antlers instead of normal ones. It would impact the stats too. 

oooo Like a deformed variant for genes other than paw?

I was going through an old sketchbook recently and found some designs for deformed variants of all the different paw types

[Corgi]

Abilities to alter their environment (although not trying to go too far as to turn into a Minecraft/farming situation, rather optimizing an island for convenience...) such as removing rocks, planting trees/shrubs/grass/cacti, permanently removing trees/shrubs/grass/cacti, dig new water streams, build new blocks of land. Expanding on that, having more items they can climb on (love the tree stumps), allowing more vertical mechanics.  

Lastly, might be far reaching, connecting islands together, allowing animals to travel back and forth? The plot twist; if animals are left on an island while player is toggled to different island, they will be able to act freely (gather food, breed, move around). Ultimately revealing a global map of all the discovered islands would be neat. Thanks!

[Lilytuft]

Hjhgshdfgshf I need to go through all my old feature request threads (and also even older sketchbooks where I have more unpublished ideas) but for now:

Bring back warning dots!

[Andromeda_]

Thought of something: 

Maybe more appearance-only traits (like albinism/melanism). Maybe piebaldism, leucism, etc.

[Peanutpup77]

I just thought of something new -

Maybe on the mountains you could have areas where the nichelings would have to climb to get to the next part of the island. Climbing could be a skill - a 1 in climbing would let you climb up 1 block, a 2 would let you climb up 2 blocks, so on and so forth.

[Modiano Urania]

Thinking about how maybe there could be a "death roll" in the last days in the lifespan (this wouldn't be influenced by damage, it'd be something like 20-25 days old so if a nicheling has less than 5 days left because of damage the death roll wouldn't happen unless it's already in its twenties) with the chance heightening each day. So low chance to die "early", medium chance to die in the middle and high change to die late

Could be modified in sandbox mode

[Stranger]

On 1/22/2024 at 3:27 PM, Peanutpup77 said:

1. I would love to see maps that are all underwater, and also to have more underwater genes!

 

2. I think a new setting in sandbox that would let your nichelings have litters would be cool. For example, if you set the litters setting to minimum 1 and maximum 4, a random number generator would pick a number between 1 and 4.

 

3. The ability to split your nichelings into 2 groups would be awesome! Instead of having them all as one group that shares the same food and nesting material, you could have 2 groups that need to both earn their own food.

 

Big yes to all three of these! Separate groups would be really fun to play with.

[bostonlobstah]

Oh wow, a sequel to Niche would be so cool! Let me think—maybe more types of birds would be cool! That can fly, don’t hunt babies, and drop less food?

oh wait—what about neutral or enemy tribes of wanderers! Kind of like Adam’s family but stick together more. And if you befriend the tribe enough you can merge tribes, or if you attack them or steal their resources, members or territory they become hostile so you have to be careful. Maybe different tribes will act more or less hostile regardless. There could even be groups of rogue males…actually no that would suck haha

last idea, to expand what someone said earlier: nocturnal nichelings and predators. Idk how the mechanics would play out, I just think it would be cool to play at night

[Lilytuft]

23 hours ago, Corgi said:

 

Lastly, might be far reaching, connecting islands together, allowing animals to travel back and forth? The plot twist; if animals are left on an island while player is toggled to different island, they will be able to act freely (gather food, breed, move around). Ultimately revealing a global map of all the discovered islands would be neat. Thanks!

Okay, this part is really cool :0

[Ju5t_Ch4lv1n]

Maybe a longer life span for the nichelings?

like 1-100 days for baby & child, 1-125 days(maybe 150 max) for teen, 1-275 for adults and 35-450 for elders and maybe more?

Because not only you can have your little critters live longer but you can also have them be a baby longer (who wants to have a baby nicheling for 4x longer than adulthood? lol) and another age level, Elder; this can be used for like an extension to your nichelings otherwise "Normal lifespan", as long the nicheling doesn't have too much damage where that level is removed basically it could for like an extra 35 days to an already 200 day-old nicheling, there could be an option where either can be a breed-able age level (cats) or not (like humans for an example), sorry if this sounds confusing.

(another question, i wonder how you program age in niche btw, is it easy? hard? also i know this is just an idea but just something i wanted to suggest to the sequel.👍)

Edit: Elders should be at least a bit weaker than adults and teens.

Another Edit: I Think the modding thing's cool too!