Procedural walking from scratch (evolution sim devlog 1-2)

Website: thesaplinggame.com/
Steam: store.steampowered.com/app/99...
Itch: woseseltops.itch.io/thesapling
Newsletter: thesaplinggame.com/newsletter
Twitter: / thesaplinggame
0:00​ Animation in The Sapling
1:51​ The new walking system
5:20 Integrating it back into the main game

[@IgorSantarek]

I was trying to achieve procedural walking and came upon the same problems but I didn't think of checking the distance for only one leg and now you enlightened me! Thank you, sir!

[@hedgehog3180]

In the real evolution of walking there was a bit of a middle step between dragging your body and actual walking where the animal would lift it's body off the ground but still have the legs splayed out and if they wanted to go fast they could almost fully raise their body off the ground and do a kind of run. Early Synapsids did this if you're interested in learning more about it, the PBS Eons channel talks about it. Also just in general how energy efficient a type of movement is means a ton for animals and there's often a trade off between top speed and energy efficiency. Luckily for you humans are actually by far some of the most energy efficient walkers in the animal kingdom if you need a model to study, this is partially because walking upright is just inherently more efficient than using all fours but also has a lot to do with the design of our hips and feet.

[@TheSapling]

Hey Hedgehog, thanks a lot for the recommendation, much appreciated! What Eons episode are you referring to specifically? I've seen a lot of them, but I can't remember anything about this topic :)

[@TodePond]

Really interesting to see the different steps you went through here. Thanks!

[@acrohasatablespoon1408]

unintended pun

[@seal6015]

Super exited for Devlog 3!

[@majkatrebaticka2957]

I too!

[@horationorman5366]

This game looks so promising!!

[@ultraapple3997]

It is!

[@shaggy1hp200]

Spore was my favourite game growing up and always wanted more in depth options in creature/ world design I wish you the best of luck and I will be waiting for its release!

[@TheSapling]

Thanks B)

[@sirapple5287]

Man i hope this game looks amazing! Keep going my man i can’t wait for this game!

[@alexanderfrostmourne2140]

Procedural walking is an excellent step forward to make your game :) I'm excited.

[@empereurnico6048]

a "step forward" Ba dum tschhhhhhh

[@AndrewDavidJ]

That’s cool! Great work! :)

[@talonortiz6004]

Hi you are doing great and I cant wait for more

[@kryztonia]

Yes just yes

[@majkatrebaticka2957]

Pls add enviroment brush to change ground water, terrain high,temperature ,wind spred etc... Pls we need thease!

[@TheSapling]

You are going to like devlog 5 ;)

[@majkatrebaticka2957]

Oh thanks! And i Saw a little bug, and thath bug inspired me to tell you to add fosils! Like i bug too the ground and Saw a Plant and a animal in the ground, and i say: "wow! Thath's so cool, we have fosils in this game!,, Pls add it!

[@majkatrebaticka2957]

@@TheSapling And pls add evolution tree for animals and plants, because i am going nuts of all day long doing it on paper.

[@lourdthebluefoxie]

Yeeeee

[@doktorgeilo8200]

4:34 Ist interesting that I qould need Weeks, if I would follow all the Threads manually.

[@majkatrebaticka2957]

And pls add Wings.

[@majkatrebaticka2957]

Make a 300 sub. special

[@majkatrebaticka2957]

@Molten Milk We have animals to polinate.

[@ultraapple3997]

When next devlog come up?

[@TheSapling]

Aiming for next Tuesday!

[@ultraapple3997]

@@TheSapling nice! Perfekt, Every truhsday

[@oldfallstorm3064]

Reminds me of the game "Spore" made by Maxis

[@gamingcat6034]

no

[@Hi-pk5mf]

Yes from a year later

[@Wyvernnnn]

Could you make it so that they all try to flee from the logo of the programming language Scratch?

[@majkatrebaticka2957]

The old animation is more cool, i want to keep thath.

[@maxaugustssonanimation6652]

I have a question are there going to be hands👽👾 EDIT: I have seen that you're going to be hands

[@icebluscorpion]

You made AIs in the first place, why not building a modular skeleton and letting evolve on its own on how to move and act and react on its enviroment

[@TheSapling]

Excellent question! I've studied a number of cool experiments there and thought for a long time about how to include this, but in the end decided not to because I feared the physics required to make this work would allow for a relatively small amount of creatures in the world.

[@icebluscorpion]

@@TheSapling interesting 🤔