Bear with me if I'm not up to date. I'm a long time player but I usually don't have internet so I tend to be out of the loop.
The Problem:
Fishing is very basic with little involvement other than a spear or a fishing rod. From my experience, with a spear you starve, with a fishing rod you stand a chance.
Some Ideas/Suggestions for Solutions:
- Add complications and requirements to fishing that makes fishing more involved and easier.
- Fishing could use some bait.
- Bait in your inventory would automatically be used when fishing is activated. Make fishing rod fishing require bait while spear fishing has the advantage of not requiring it.
- Make bait from meat? (I shy away from this option because I don't like the idea of having the player stay in one spot)
- Maybe have a collect fishing bait ability that can be activated from the fishing menu.
- Have the ability to find different kinds of bait for different biomes? (See below about catching target fish)
- If activated while standing in shallow the water you catch small crustaceans or bait fish? (bait fish trap?)
- If activated in certain biomes or around certain objects find certain worms, flies, beetles, moths, etc.
- Maybe collect bait automatically while moving from square to square? (I shy away from this as it isn't as involved)
- Have some sort of fishing ritual where something is thrown on the water to help encourage a catch. (Again I shy away from this because I want to encourage the player to explore)
- Catching target fish
- Have certain fish prefer certain bait
- This would help for people who actually want to smoke and dry lots of one kind of fish (as you spent a couple days catching only one kind)
I don't know for sure, at least this is my two cents. Thanks for all you do Sami! It's a marvelous game!