Designing hot and and cool scenarios (evolution sim devlog 1-5)

Website: thesaplinggame.com/
Steam: store.steampowered.com/app/99...
Itch: woseseltops.itch.io/thesapling
Newsletter: thesaplinggame.com/newsletter
Twitter: / thesaplinggame
0:00 Intro: how playtesters hated the game
1:16 Scenario: the greenhouse
2:06 Scenario: the ice age
3:32 Soil editing
4:27 Family trees
5:08 Outro

[@Karnivor-0us]

maybe animals can have a parental instinct that makes them protect eggs, maybe by making a nest to guard and small carnivores can form packs to hunt large prey, also will you do what you did last time and leave the simulation on for a week?

[@TheSapling]

Hey Everlootion, as always, thanks for writing down your ideas! I am indeed planning to do a long simulation run for this update again, but it might take a few months before I am ready to do so :).

[@majkatrebaticka2957]

@@TheSapling Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!! Yeeeeeees!!!! 😆I'm excited

[@petersmythe6462]

You can probably do this with the instincts. 1. Always approach eggs. 2. Attack anything the color of a predator.

[@user-xe1ss3sh7q]

Also would be great if flying creatures could become flightless if no predators are present.

[@Karnivor-0us]

@@user-xe1ss3sh7q if you give flying creatures weight they can become flightless

[@catkook543]

i love the idea of having different environment types, allows you to build for different types of niches which can then allow for a grater amount of bio diversity. i feel like if you allow for some sort of creature that can swim that'd be lovely.

[@TheSapling]

No promises, but fully agreed!

[@itsjustalf7747]

We’ve been blessed once more I can’t waitt

[@majkatrebaticka2957]

This is aj blesing from the gods (developers)

[@itsjustalf7747]

@@majkatrebaticka2957 in a way he is god 👁👄👁 hes makeing plants and animals from scratch

[@petersmythe6462]

The little penguin things don't usually survive until the ice age, leaving their continents devoid of animal life.

[@patricesmith11]

I think this game is really coming together very nicely which brings me to another suggestion, what do you think of the idea of New body parts that are based on or resemble the body parts of animals that existed throughout the history of planet earth so that people could re-create their favorite animals living or extinct, and watch them evolve from there

[@TheSapling]

Hi Donovan, so you mean for example dinosaur bodyparts? I really like that idea, as you can tell by the pterosaur wings (I know a pterosaur is not a dinosaur)... any specific bodyparts you had in mind?

[@patricesmith11]

@@TheSapling why not humanoid body parts so people could attempt to re-create the evolution of mankind or maybe some other body parts like canine or feline body parts because there’s one thing about dogs and cats that makes them great in nature once they are settled in adapt and evolve to their new environment then couple million years later they are the kings of that ecosystem and along with dinosaur parts maybe you should add in body parts that resemble creatures from the Cambrian to the Holocene epoch to the present day. Maybe also a way to sort and categorize body parts according to the taxonomic categories of kingdom, phylum, class, order and family but it’s a toggle feature to help people find body parts easier. By the way do you plan on adding fungi as well you’ve already got plants and animals so why not?

[@TheSapling]

@@patricesmith11 Hey Donovan, thanks again for writing down your ideas! Same question as with the dinosaurs... any specific human, dog or cat bodyparts you have in mind? As for fungi: I can't really think of something really cool (simulation wise or just looking pretty) that players could do with them... any ideas there?

[@TheYeetedMeat]

@@TheSapling I think you should make limbs and features based on Alalcomenaeus

[@talonortiz6004]

Hi I love watching ur devlogs every Tuesday it gives me a reason to go to school on Tuesday and I come home and watch you immediately

[@TheSapling]

Wow, thanks, really good to know :) ! I will create the final devlog of this season, about the music, once I fixed enough bugs for the new update, so this might take a while. Next Tuesday will be the trailer!

[@talonortiz6004]

I will be waiting with high hopes good luck.

[@ultraapple3997]

Thi is so cute! Pls add fish and seaweed. Idk how some people hate this game. It's avesome, this game is avesome!

[@ultraapple3997]

My dream is come true!

[@ultraapple3997]

👌:3

[@majkatrebaticka2957]

Yes!

[@talonortiz6004]

Agread

[@TheSapling]

Haha fortunately negative responses these days are few and far between, and the rare cases are often constructive and helpful!

[@doktorgeilo8200]

I am totally with you, when you explained that an "ugly" games with good mechanics is better than otherwise. First: I love your design and people who think that this is ugly, are shortsighted, narrowminded kids with no creativeness, which consumed a lot and never thought about the work people spend in it and I feel that you have put your blood and sweat in it. Or in short: The winners of the capitalism wich can respect game designing. Secondly: For me, the mechanics are the game changers of a game. Just like you described how you got lost in the Family trees for hours. That Said: I think that Evolution Simulators make us feel like God, which makes this category of games so interesting for the Gamer Community. At the end I wonder, would, even if evolution therorys might say different, I enjoy the mechanics more, if animals evolve bodyparts faster the time they use them more. So if using skills, would change the direction of evolution. PS: Sorry for the complicated phrases.

[@sparkingaura8386]

Btw a aquatic update whould be cool

[@maxaugustssonanimation6652]

We needed differently color plants And leaves

[@lourdthebluefoxie]

OH MAH GOHD

[@piglin469]

idea for countering spikes maybe a mouth adapted to eat them so they take no damage and make carnivorous plants

[@TheSapling]

Hey Piglin, thanks for your suggestion! Several players have told me that camels can eat cacti, so I'm thinking of a mouth in that direction :)

[@akujiazure2607]

Do you think you could ever add a expanded scavenger style like a rot mechanic or some mouths that are better at eating bones? And if you ad rot could fungi be able to adapt and grow? And have you ever thought about insects or invertebrates? For scavengers/clean up or simple water creates, could also add another carnivore mouth type for bugs.

[@TheSapling]

Hi Akuji, thanks for writing down your ideas, really inspiring! The reason why scavenging is really simple right now (that is, some species just survive by quickly running to meat lying around) is that meat decays quickly right now to prevent the whole map being full with meat. If I figure out a solution for that scavenger and bone eater mouths would indeed be really cool. As for insects, I guess animals don't look really insect like because their legs are below there body instead of to the side; would require a third walking mode (besides normal walking and dragging)!

[@miss-sagemoon]

I came here because the greenhouse scenario was so hard I was getting frustrated only to be met a couple minutes in with the dev saying they want to make sure each scenario is a smooth step

[@person4579]

Cant wait

[@MrRyanholder]

I didn't even get past the second level. I didn't get how I was supposed to make a species survive with the most basic leaf in an area with an uncompatable temperature.

[@roadie5316]

if you show the evolution tree as a cladogram only showing the significant changes that separated from its ancestor it would be a lot easier to tell the changes over time and you can make it larger

[@TheSapling]

Hi Roadie, agreed that there is a lot of room for improvement for the evolution tree!

[@Leyva0scarVRL]

Perfect i bougth the game beacuse of these videos and i am really loking foward to the update The only criticisism i have is that i cant save and load a scenario due to a bug, i hope it is solved when the new update comes up :)

[@TheSapling]

Thanks Oscar, also for reporting the bug! Didn't know there was a save/load problem, but my best guess is that it will be fixed in the new update because an important part of the save/load system has been rewritten (and tested extensively). Let me know if your problem persists after the Fight & Flight update is released!

[@nv3796]

IF the map/world is round,... it doubles as a planet when made much bigger in size (not now). Then... in future, it will be easy to integrate multi planet system! Player missions can be to involve as fast as possible to escape a dying/exploding/both star

[@pigeonwithagun7986]

Is there any terrain modification in the sandbox? I really love the look of this game

[@TheSapling]

Hey Pigeon, thanks! It is possible to edit the stats (how warm, how wet, etc) but not the looks so far.

[@myrinsk]

pog

[@jennifermatthes4030]

Can you make mass extinctions later on? I’d love to challenge my life and see what sprouts from the reborn world

[@TheSapling]

Without making promises, it's indeed an idea I really like!

[@theavacadoguy2640]

Do you plan to add aquatic life?

[@TheSapling]

Hey AvacadoGuy, I try to never make any promises so I can change my mind without disappointing people (and I indeed change my mind all the time). Having said that, I like the idea of roughly following what players are interested in, and this is the most requested feature BY FAR ;)

[@theavacadoguy2640]

@@TheSapling Another suggestion I have is to be able to choose what map you want for the sandbox, EG: When you click on sandbox you can choose from any of the scenario maps plus the current sandbox map.

[@sheepsheep_sheep1061]

Maybe add the scenario maps for sandbox

[@griffinhunter3206]

Are you planning to bring it to mac? I like the idea but cannot play it on windows

[@TheSapling]

There are no plans in the near future, but I would like to once this game actually makes me enough money to actually buy an Apple device :) .

[@griffinhunter3206]

@@TheSapling I hope you have great success, and that you are able to get enough money to buy an Apple device.

[@theavacadoguy2640]

Can animals evolve instincts on their own or do you have to give it to them manually?

[@TheSapling]

If you turn on random mutations: on their own!

[@patricesmith11]

What do you think of the idea of the climate affecting the types of biomes that will appear and types of adaptations that animals will evolve over time in your game world for example if the climate gets colder then jungle biomes will turn into forests and forests into grasslands and so on. And if insects are eventually added can you make it so that the size an insect can reach is capped by the amount of oxygen in the atmosphere sense insects breathe through their bodies unlike most animals to breathe through their nose or mouth also you can increase the oxygen in the atmosphere simply by placing more trees if that’s how that works

[@TheSapling]

Hi Donovan, climate more or less already works that way! If you change the temperature in sandbox mode, other types of plant species will grow there. Breathing and oxygen is something that is completely ignored in the simulation right, interesting suggestions!

[@filippo6157]

Idk if it already exists, but maybe small random climatic changes could happen (like a slightly dryer or rainier period)

[@TheSapling]

Hi Filippo, doesn't exist yet, thanks for your suggestion! Some people have suggested seasons, which is more or less similar (although not random).

[@jorgenieto9703]

Yes! Can someone help me with the meteore scenario?

[@rathosalpha]

Make a big root plant

[@jorgenieto9703]

@@rathosalpha thanks man

[@joven_drawsart]

What would be cool is if you help animals live longer without food the fatter they are, like bears, seals, ect. It would help with the problem you have for the ice age stage You could also add a muscle feature, which would lower the time animals have between meals but they would be stronger and faster, similar to large predators like lions, they have to eat alot but they can take down larger prey and go longer distances quicker

[@TheSapling]

Hey Andro Spark, thanks for your suggestions, very inspiring!

[@joven_drawsart]

@@TheSapling I love to be of help! If course this is a suggestion as someone who is very invested in this series now ♡ I hope it does bring a few ideas to you and I wish this game and you the best :)

[@Skyypixelgamer]

Do some plants spread further due to how their seeds travel such as dandelions floating around or coconuts floating on water or is that not a feature yet.

[@TheSapling]

Not a feature yet! Totally agree that it would be a really cool feature for this game (but as always, no promises ;) ).

[@Skyypixelgamer]

@@TheSapling Alr got ya.

[@kreo45]

how about an aquatic scenario where life comes to land?

[@TheSapling]

Hi FraidyCat, I try to never make promises so I can freely change my mind (and I indeed change my mind all the time), but something like this is indeed something I'm interested in. And the community as well, as aquatic life is the most requested feature BY FAR ;).

[@kreo45]

@@TheSapling That is so great to hear!! watching your channel has been very eye opening and inspiring, games like these are always a joy. Hope your next cup of coffee is good!

[@shadowguarder2857]

How do animals act and why?

[@MrRyanholder]

It would be nice if you could filter living species in the sandbox.

[@TheSapling]

Hi MrRyanHolder, thanks for your feedback! You can sort the list by the nr of living organism... does that help?

[@MrRyanholder]

@@TheSapling Yes! I don't know how I missed that. I swear before I saw # years old, # years old, which I thought was just a bug, is it a known one to happen from time to time?

[@TheSapling]

@@MrRyanholder Not as far as I'm aware... let me know if you see it again!

[@rathosalpha]

Dev I found something we’re the animals from the other islands won’t come over because I mutanten the other islands creatures

[@TheSapling]

Hey, good find! This a way to cheat I'm well aware of and a fix is on my todo list, it's just that there is always something more important to fix ;)

[@marquanreese7895]

Can u make a system of weather and to be able to create natural disaster

[@TheSapling]

Hi Marquan, thanks for writing down you ideas! I am thinking a lot about both things myself as well, not sure if and how I'll do it though :)

[@marquanreese7895]

@@TheSapling also just letting you know there is a MASSIVE bug in the game whenever u have multiple species do u know of anyway to fix it and I have a good gaming laptop

[@TheSapling]

@@marquanreese7895 Hi Marquan, sorry to hear that! I noticed you also posted in the Steam forums; I've written a detailed reponse over there!

[@icedragon2030]

Can we get something for the genetic tree so that it auto deletes the plants and animals that didn't survive 1-2 generation, I just find that it gets cluttered way to easily

[@TheSapling]

Hey Ice Dragon, thanks for your suggestion! Without making promises, this is something that bothers me as well.

[@superdeadlyaxo1230]

Can you make it so you can make sea plants and animals

[@TheSapling]

Hey Bob, thanks for your suggestion! Without making any promises, it's a cool idea that indeed has been requested very often :)

[@t-sm6qe]

bro fix the ice age scenario everytime i play it all the animals from other islands extinct at the start

[@TheSapling]

Yeah I'm aware the ice age scenario is a mess, and it also doesn't really make sense anymore now that animals can swim under water. Suggestions for a replacement are welcome

[@TheShepard2055]

Can you give radial symmetry on the leaves? Just so it looks more polished and nice, like you can choose symmetry levels from 2 to 6 or something. Each leave is edible.

[@TheSapling]

Hey Jimmy, radial symmetry was actually a feature (inspired by Kerbal Space Program) in an early prototype, but then playtesters went out of their way making plants as asymmetrical as possible ;). Curious if more people want to make symmetrical stuff these days...

[@TheShepard2055]

@@TheSapling I mean I only have two critiques and for the project, more symmetry on plants, and a better creature creator. kzbin.info/www/bejne/eKPChIR3mJ1qqZo think this might help a lot

[@majkatrebaticka2957]

Ok i go build a sand Castle for my Bear army, and i have a secret plan for the projeckt K.T.B. .😈

[@majkatrebaticka2957]

Specialy for molten milk

[@majkatrebaticka2957]

And Happy 1st july For All kids because is kid day.

[@guiafajardo8277]

Aphibians