Animal droppings - an indicator and a fertilizer

[Sami]

The past days have been about poop code and poop tiles... as the many different animal droppings, i.e. feces, will appear into the unreal world.

So, what's coming up is that certain animals will start to leave visible droppings that can be found in the terrain.
We're adding droppings for the commonly noticeable and relevant animals; hare, fox, lynx, wolf, reindeer, elk, bear, and so on.
The droppings of different species look a bit different, and upon looking at them you will be told which animal's droppings it is - and also if it's a fresh one.
Some domestic animal droppings are being considered as well, but we'll have to experiment a bit more to see how/if to implement it.

What is to featured as well, and would be in favour with domestic animal droppings, is that the droppings can be also used as fertilizer on your fields.
It will be possible, but not necessary, as the slash-and-burn cultivation already includes fertilization with the ash from the burned wood.
However, we could see fertilizing with the animal droppings increasing the yields slightly.

Here's some screenshots with different kind of droppings indicating the animal presence at these areas.




These are future additions - not yet functional in the current version 3.72.2

[Bert Preast]

The Scatman cometh!  Please say it makes the bog squelching sound when you step onto the tile?

[Galgana]

Good $#!%
Will dogs get pathing logic to linger at droppings? Maybe sometimes they might even destroy them, whether it's by eating the stuff outright or rolling into it.

[PALU]

Spontaneously I would suggest fertilization with dung would slow the rate at which yields would decay for years following the first one of a slash-and-burn field. Since yields don't decay currently I'm not sure fertilization ought to have an effect yet either.

Is there any archeological evidence of dung fertilization being used back then? I guess it would be hard to find any evidence even if it happened, though.

[Sami]

Please say it makes the bog squelching sound when you step onto the tile?

Hehee. We didn't go that far, but would be a nice easter egg in case of bigger droppings at least.

[Sami]

Will dogs get pathing logic to linger at droppings? Maybe sometimes they might even destroy them, whether it's by eating the stuff outright or rolling into it.

No, we didn't think that far either, but the lingering part would also be somewhat gameplay relevant thing.
But we'll try not to build all too ambitious "droppings related to-do list" for now, as there's other stuff in line too.

[Sami]

Spontaneously I would suggest fertilization with dung would slow the rate at which yields would decay for years following the first one of a slash-and-burn field. Since yields don't decay currently I'm not sure fertilization ought to have an effect yet either.

Is there any archeological evidence of dung fertilization being used back then? I guess it would be hard to find any evidence even if it happened, though.

The fertilization (at least for now) will be quite simplified, adding foremostly some roleplay and atmopshere for those who like (and have wanted) it.
I'm quite sure dung was used as fertilization also back then at areas with increasing number of domestic animals, but the mere slash-and-burn cultivation still remained dominant
for until 1700's or so.

[Tinker]

I can see other uses for this new product, I hope it will be available tp modders.
For example there is a mod for digging a hole to collect worms as bait, and in my experience worms love to live in manure piles.

[Sami]

I can see other uses for this new product, I hope it will be available tp modders.
For example there is a mod for digging a hole to collect worms as bait, and in my experience worms love to live in manure piles.

Hmm. The worms used in rod fishing in Finland are, and likely also were back then, most often common earthworms.
I've never witnessed people actually trying to find worms from manure piles, even though those are always plentiful at the countryside.
But nevertheless, droppings can be mixed with modding too.

[Bert Preast]

Please say it makes the bog squelching sound when you step onto the tile?

Hehee. We didn't go that far, but would be a nice easter egg in case of bigger droppings at least.

Take it to the max:  "Bog squelch... PERKELE!"

[littlemoons]

I can see other uses for this new product, I hope it will be available tp modders.

A mod to allow dipping an arrowhead into dung and shooting arrow into a Njerp? 

[Dmytro Ankudinov]

I doubt that there is a chance that pesky Njerp would live long enough to suffer from a poop-infested wound or that the program will care about the Njerp long enough.
Still, it is a funny idea to throw poop at your enemies, or, even better, at that unfriendly-looking huge bear 

[PALU]

@Dmytro Ankudinov: Don't be surprised if said huge bear (or adventurer, for that matter) takes offense at your throwing crap at it though...

I do agree it seems unlikely it matters if enemies get infected wounds or not, as either you or them gets killed long before that, except under unusual circumstances that aren't worth the effort to cater for.

[littlemoons]

@Dmytro Ankudinov: Don't be surprised if said huge bear (or adventurer, for that matter) takes offense at your throwing crap at it though...

I would love if an NPC immediately goes aggro if I did this. 

[JP_Finn]

@Dmytro Ankudinov: Don't be surprised if said huge bear (or adventurer, for that matter) takes offense at your throwing crap at it though...

I would love if an NPC immediately goes aggro if I did this. 

I’m pretty sure throwing anything at non-affiliated NPC aggroes them anyway.