Animals

[blaise bailey]

Where have they gone.. i dunno if this is a bug or intentional but i used to love training up my hunters and capturing animals

But since .30 they seem to have all but dissapeared... i play on huge map so there is still abit of time before cultural boarders cover the map yet I rarely see any animals

and ive played two games recently and never seen half the animals (only lions, wolves and bears... oh and a gorrila lol. hes pretty hardcore) i havent seen ANY dens like the old versions

the wonder that requires capturing all animal types was very hard to get as it was, but now I would say impossible

I have been playing on quick (where I used to play on Normal) this could be the reason ?

It would also be nice to see animals spawn in later game too... maybe certain isolated islands or areas eventually becoming "Animal Sanctuaries" possibly part of a scripted event

P.S. Will we ever see polar bears on the ice caps

 

[reveler]

There is a really nice event to help you out.

 

[blaise bailey]

well ive played the game right the way through and there was no event

unless you are refering too the ritual "nature calls" (i think thats its name).. but thats not so much an event as it requires someone to build it and certainly doesnt help in early/mid game

 

[Vittra]

You can get lions, tigers, wolfs, and gorillas, I think, from an event.

You can add in a small bit of code to the xml (CIV4UnitInfos in the Units folder)

Spoiler :

<TerrainNative>
<TerrainType>TERRAIN_GRASS</TerrainType>
<bTerrainNative>1</bTerrainNative>
</TerrainNative>
<TerrainNative>
<TerrainType>TERRAIN_PLAINS</TerrainType>
<bTerrainNative>1</bTerrainNative>
</TerrainNative>
<TerrainNative>
<TerrainType>TERRAIN_DESERT</TerrainType>
<bTerrainNative>1</bTerrainNative>
</TerrainNative>

between <TerrainNatives> and </TerrainNatives> for the Pride, and

Spoiler :

<TerrainNative>
<TerrainType>TERRAIN_TUNDRA</TerrainType>
<bTerrainNative>1</bTerrainNative>
</TerrainNative>
<TerrainNative>
<TerrainType>TERRAIN_SNOW</TerrainType>
<bTerrainNative>1</bTerrainNative>
</TerrainNative>

likewise for the pack, along with

Spoiler :

<FeatureNative>
<FeatureType>FEATURE_FOREST</FeatureType>
<bFeatureNative>1</bFeatureNative>
</FeatureNative>

just below it, and you'll see Prides and Packs again like before.

 

[blaise bailey]

thanks for the info Vittra

However im still confused, is this something that has been actively changed in .30 or is it a bug and will be fixed again in a later version ?

 

[Rex rgis of Ter]

If you want more animals, check the wildlands option which doubles the amount of animals in the game, but reduces orc barbarians.

 

[Sarisin]

I play at Epic speed, and I would say the first 150 turns there are animals to be captured - lions, wolves, bears, gorilla, and tiger (I usually see one of each of those two), and giant spiders. Of course, unless you are very lucky with goodie huts, you won't likely have Animal Husbandry and/or Hunting during the first 150 turns so it IS tough.

However, after that, there have been nothing but Bears - many of them until the map (I use Large) fills up.

Building Nature's Revolt later might help you, but I never saw tigers or gorillas come out of that.

The event that lets you buy an animal can help, and I actually got it twice in one game to buy a gorilla and a tiger, but was still short 1 wolf.

I agree that building the Grand Menagerie is very tough, as it should be, I guess.

 

[Vittra]

In one of my recent games, I got it enough to buy every animal and three hunters.

 

[Mesix]

In my games, it is the elephants that seem to spawn nonstop.

 

[Sarisin]

In my games, it is the elephants that seem to spawn nonstop.

Hmmm, I wonder how that happens. The Bears are the only ones with lairs that seem to go into spawn hyperdrive sometimes.

I do see some elephants early on, but Scouts can't touch them even fully promoted with subdue animal. However, by the time the real barbs show up they, too, seem to disappear leaving only Bears.

 

[MacGyverInSpace]

However, if you buy and cage the gorilla from that event, well...hope you have a combat 3 or greater beastmaster...

I would like to see the barb side split up, so that animal barbs could have their own team which would be at peace with all other players. Their units would all start with HN as normal and a promotion that allow grants "Can only defend" if thats possible, and would be able to spawn inside cultural borders.

The details are sketchy, I know, but I want animals inside cultural borders, unable to attack or disrupt tile working, and able to share tiles with other units. So, maybe no HN promo, no 'Can only defend' just at peace with all players and when a unit moves into the same tile as an animal, use some script magic to ask the player if it wants to attack it - maybe simulate the combat engine via python! Yay 350 second turns on small!

You don't have to quote the post above yours.

 

[MagisterCultuum]

However, if you buy and cage the gorilla from that event, well...hope you have a combat 3 or greater beastmaster...

I would like to see the barb side split up, so that animal barbs could have their own team which would be at peace with all other players. Their units would all start with HN as normal and a promotion that allow grants "Can only defend" if thats possible, and would be able to spawn inside cultural borders.

The details are sketchy, I know, but I want animals inside cultural borders, unable to attack or disrupt tile working, and able to share tiles with other units. So, maybe no HN promo, no 'Can only defend' just at peace with all players and when a unit moves into the same tile as an animal, use some script magic to ask the player if it wants to attack it - maybe simulate the combat engine via python! Yay 350 second turns on small!

Once I figure out how (which could take quite a while), I'm planning to split up the barbarian state into 3 "minor civs" in my modmod:

Creatures of Nature (animals and beasts, like Gurid, and possibly some fawns, centaurs, and lamias occasionally) (Neutral alignment) (I think that the AI seeks and destroys HN units fanatically, so making them lose the promo but be at war with most civs would make them last longer. I might make some unable to defend, but would prefer just a peaceful AI.)

The Barbarian Hordes (Orks, Acheron) (maybe, probably evil alignment)

The Legion of Darkness (Undead/Demons, Barbatos, the 4 horsemen, the Avatar of Wrath) (evil alignment)

I'm thinking that the Clan and the barb-trait Doviello leader only start at peace with the Barbarian Hordes, that Hyborem is only at peace with the Legion of Darkness, and that the elven civs might start at peace with the Creatures of Nature. I'd probably create an AV ritual that gives temporary peace with the Legion of Darkness, and maybe a Leaves ritual that gives peace with the Creatures of Nature. I'd also really like to make the declare war mechanism be something less annoying than the current one, perhaps just adding several random events that could lead to war, and a few that could return you to peace.

I would probably give the barbarian states several different traits, and make them lose them at the deaths of their heroes. (Preferably I would make it so that they don't gain the trait until the hero shows up. For example, the Barbarian Horde might be weak at the beginning, but gain the Aggressive, Charismatic, Defensive, Raiders, and Expansive Traits when Orthus shows up and lose all these traits when he is killed. I would probably make Barbatos and each Armageddon Hero give different traits to the Legion of Darkness, until they are defeated.)

One serious problem is deciding what to do with units that turn barbarian from promotions. Normally it seems like they should join the barbarian horde from something like enraged or burning blood, but I think that werewolves should join the creatures of nature instead. The (currently enraged, but I might need to change this) promotion granted by the Wrath Armageddon event should make the units join the Legion of Darkness.

I was also thinking it would be cool for units of the barbarian state(s) and civs with the barbarian trait to occasionally fight units of their same civ at random, possibly killing/injuring the units but giving them the xp that they are missing out on by being at peace with the barbs.

 

[xienwolf]

Peace with the Animal faction is kinda pointless since everything is HN and will still attack you.

 

[MagisterCultuum]

Well, I said that I would almost certainly remove HN from animals if and when I make it that way (or were you talking to MacGyverInSpace?)

 

[xienwolf]

Aye, primarily at least

 

[Caradoc]

I've found the best way to get more animals is use the 'sto' map program, which is sometimes called "full of resources". It will place as many animals on the map as you like, so you don't have to wait for them to spawn.

 

[jenks]

You can get lions, tigers, wolfs, and gorillas, I think, from an event.

You can add in a small bit of code to the xml (CIV4UnitInfos in the Units folder)

Spoiler :

<TerrainNative>
<TerrainType>TERRAIN_GRASS</TerrainType>
<bTerrainNative>1</bTerrainNative>
</TerrainNative>
<TerrainNative>
<TerrainType>TERRAIN_PLAINS</TerrainType>
<bTerrainNative>1</bTerrainNative>
</TerrainNative>
<TerrainNative>
<TerrainType>TERRAIN_DESERT</TerrainType>
<bTerrainNative>1</bTerrainNative>
</TerrainNative>

between <TerrainNatives> and </TerrainNatives> for the Pride, and

Spoiler :

<TerrainNative>
<TerrainType>TERRAIN_TUNDRA</TerrainType>
<bTerrainNative>1</bTerrainNative>
</TerrainNative>
<TerrainNative>
<TerrainType>TERRAIN_SNOW</TerrainType>
<bTerrainNative>1</bTerrainNative>
</TerrainNative>

likewise for the pack, along with

Spoiler :

<FeatureNative>
<FeatureType>FEATURE_FOREST</FeatureType>
<bFeatureNative>1</bFeatureNative>
</FeatureNative>

just below it, and you'll see Prides and Packs again like before.

nice one Vittra

imo this all needs putting back in the game ... else why are animal 'packs' in there at all? it was a nice and sensible feature that gave lions and wolves a chance to survive just that bit longer

 

[xienwolf]

If you grant them Terrain Natives do they just spawn and wander like a normal animal, or do they generate new normal wolves/lions like a wandering Den? From what I have understood that is what they used to do.

 

[Darkheart]

The first time I played FFh2 023, I didn't realise there was a patch, so it would have been the first 023 issue. I played huge/marathon map, and very quickly, everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, was covered in wolfpacks, stacked 5 high. To even leave my borders I had to capture an elephant and use that as a shield just to be able to survive the wolf rush!
I'd read an article written by Kael, about how he wanted to make the wilderness more dangerous......"NO S**T!!!!"

Animals have definately cycled, I miss lion dens, and elephants now are just annoying. I still quite regularly build Grand Menagerie, it's an awesome wonder and will pretty much guarrantee a legendary culture city by late mid-game. It means though you have to get AH early (1st or 2nd tech) and it also helps if you can work your way along a jungle line, for gorrillas and tigers. But it only takes one Spider to spoil the plan.

Good luck

Edit BTW I strongly believe that developing cultures benefit greatly from the early worship of performing bears.

 

[unclethrill]

Here, Here, Those elephants are everywhere and I can't even poach Ivory from them!