What is taking Tree respawn so long?

[snipaho]

1 year ago in the week 62 update, the Thumper went live. In this same update, the following words were uttered: "In future, ways to regenerate trees are planned."

Why has this not yet happened? Resource respawn is very important for open world maps. They are just trees. They should simply regrow on their own. Some crazy device and mini game is not needed to make trees regrow nor should it be that difficult. Allow us to dig and plant them manually if that's what it takes. I will do anything to be able to hug a tree again. Anything...

Perhaps they could respawn as "small tree" and get progressively bigger as there are multiple sizes of small tree already in the game assets. Eventually, they will reach their full size. Or if you want to be lazy, just make the full size tree respawn after x hours of gameplay.

We all know that wind storms and lightning follow players around. Even if we don't harvest the trees near our bases, they will inevitably all be destroyed by nature, resulting in an empty wasteland that was once pristine, mature forest.

"It hasn't been done yet because the Devs are busy with other things", you say? Well, I have some MMO coding experience so I hereby volunteer to do it for them for free. Just let me at the code!

[Snipe]

what are you needing big amounts of wood for?

Once you make brick/stone buildings, wood becomes less needed and that was a long time ago.

Me and a buddy are open-world on a our dedicated and about 150hrs in and don't have much need for wood except for sap. And total wood we have used so far is about 100 square meters, very small considering the size of the forest. Am i missing something?

It would be nice to plant them though like in Valheim.

[Spaceminnow]

N0ma13 の投稿を引用：

Ygolnac の投稿を引用：

The storms are not completly global per biome. They can damage a base even if you are far away, but they only burn and fell trees in the "tile" the player is in.

Yes that's the player/game mechanic.
I'm talking about the lore.
The storms don't care if there's a human there or not. The entire planet would be barren well before our person even made it on their first drop.
How to explain how there's even a single life form on the planet when storms destroy the trees.
No trees in forest = no undergrowth = no animals, etc.
If enough time passes between mission drops for the planet to have healed itself and does so faster than storms tear it down, in-game regrowth should be pretty quick as well. We're not spending 20 years between drops after all.

Spaceminnow の投稿を引用：

The planet "Icarus" doesn't need to change for you;
...it is beautiful @@

In my opinion...Open World is a practice stage for missions.
Use it.
Perfect your initial workshop build.

It is beautiful, that's my point. The storms would make it 'not' be beautiful.
If it can maintain it's beauty through the storms drop after drop after drop, it should in an open world too.

Open world is there for people to play how they want. If you're not in open world to build a permanent base, this entire conversation doesn't affect your gameplay.

I believe the context of "Outposts" is where the HUGE base building should reside.
In "Open World" you test your survival skill...not complain about tree regrowth...

If Icarus could speak it may say, "Go kick rocks...@...@...@..."

[Rekal]

Snipe の投稿を引用：

what are you needing big amounts of wood for?

It's purely cosmetic. There's more than enough wood on every map to never bottleneck actual game play.

People build their massive base in Open World and are surprised when the large number of storms in the game added to their use of trees and fiber plus their refusal to move end up making the area look clear cut. They think the area around their base is now ugly because no trees/vegetation. Thus "Why can't I plant trees to make my base pretty!?" /shrug

So you have the two trains of thought from these folks: Let us respawn trees like the Thumper - which was actually said by the Devs to be planned and the origin of this thread - and the other apparently is to stop the Storms from making my base ugly.

To the respawn trees bunch I say go vote on the feature upvote page so the Dev's think it's an actual priority which it isn't. And in the mean time go play in Outpost mode so you can have your pretty base.

To the stop the storms bunch I say go play in Outpost mode so you can have your pretty base.

I think it boils down to how people are so stuck on the hording mentality. They refuse to accept any type of material loss because they're convinced that it means their time was wasted. Never mind the XP your character has gained from gathering, building, and crafting. Never mind the player skill you have developed from building multiple times in different locations. Never mind it's a video game and the entire point is to waste time.

So they refuse to play the missions and instead build a base in Open World where they can keep all their digital 1s and 0s with the thought that it is somehow a permanent base they'll never have to leave for the entire game. Which isn't the case. There are three main maps so a single Open World base isn't going to cut it if they want to "complete" the game.

Icarus on the other hand is a different kind of beast in the survival genre because it is all about completing objectives and leaving behind the excess. That makes people whine and it's kinda funny.

[N0ma13]

Spaceminnow の投稿を引用：

I believe the context of "Outposts" is where the HUGE base building should reside.
In "Open World" you test your survival skill...not complain about tree regrowth...

If Icarus could speak it may say, "Go kick rocks...@...@...@..."

I feel like you got those backwards.
Outposts are small areas with respawning resources, designed to be a 'support the devs' more than an actual gameplay loop. A 'here's a spot you can hang out in' and that's it.

Open world is the entire map open and persistent. Created specifically for people to build huge bases or explore everything without time limits.
Even has mini-quests and some of the actual missions.

The reason people want tree regrowth in open world is for aesthetics. Getting resources isn't hard, it's seeing an entire area wiped out and knowing it'll always be empty with nothing that can be done about it, and through the fault of weird gamey mechanics rather than player action.

Seriously if you can drop down, clearcut an area, go up. Drop back down immediately and that area is not only fully regrown but even cave walls you mined tunnels through are reformed, I think it's pretty obvious that trees grow fast. But it's ok, if you don't care about trees regrowing you don't have to. Don't upvote the feature. Those of us who care enough, will.

[Spaceminnow]

Yes.
Tree regrowth is still silly to me, but I may understand;
Even though I believe it is silly.

It appears that some players want a "digital campground"
a "get away from civilization feel" for awhile...
It appears they want a maintainable alien wilderness for their characters to reside in.

I am afraid that the game may transform into something they don't want.
It just feels like the requests for more and more technology may turn Icarus into...

Coruscant...
This may take awhile to do solo! :D

https://youtu.be/HCu7FhoDhtc

[Powerferret]

I still dont know whats so hard about using the existing shovel, dig a hole mechanic, and just adding a slow growing tree seed or sappling. It can have all the same mechanics of crops, but just have the tree go through stages that there are already models for; sappling, to small tree, to large tree sortof like 7dtd. Then nothing grows back unless you put the effort into it.

[Spaceminnow]

Powerferret の投稿を引用：

I still dont know whats so hard about using the existing shovel, dig a hole mechanic, and just adding a slow growing tree seed or sappling. It can have all the same mechanics of crops, but just have the tree go through stages that there are already models for; sappling, to small tree, to large tree sortof like 7dtd. Then nothing grows back unless you put the effort into it.

I have read earlier in this thread that players want tree regrowth to make the landscape look beautiful again after devastating storms.
Is this^ completely true?

I believe they only displayed part of the truth to regrow trees.

Tree sap is needed to craft concrete.
Tree sap needs sticks.
Sticks come from wood.
What is to prevent a player to harvest the regrown trees to "expand" the base?

It may be that trees don't regrow in "Open World" to limit or discourage HUGE base building in that play mode.

You must know, in the past, that there were requests for trees not to grow in
"Open World"...
They complained about clearing trees and then the trees would re-spawn in areas they wanted clear...

Now there are requests for trees to regrow.
I can understand how this can be confusing to them.

Though I am against the idea of regrowing trees in "Open World"...
I will help to solve it.

I posted my "green tree" idea on another thread.
If I find it I will add the link here... https://steamcommunity.com/app/1149460/discussions/0/4033602629919971889/#c4140563711255320482

I have another idea that may work.
What about having specific "zones" that re-spawn trees while some zones do not?
They may elect to have re-spawning tree zones to be "much smaller" than the original trees that were there; producing lower yields.

Maybe "some" small trees should only regrow along rivers or lake shores...

Just to ask; You are not obligated to answer...
Would you instruct your character to cut down a regrown tree?
For what purpose?
-Shelter Expansion?
-Bio-Fuel? (There is tech to ween away from tree sap to make bio-fuel)
-Other?

[Powerferret]

Spaceminnow の投稿を引用：

Just to ask; You are not obligated to answer...
Would you instruct your character to cut down a regrown tree?
For what purpose?
-Shelter Expansion?
-Bio-Fuel? (There is tech to ween away from tree sap to make bio-fuel)
-Other?

Honsetly, i probably wouldnt use it too often, but it would be nice to have as an option. Personally id probably just use it for aesthetics, i already do so with the crop bushes and flowers, but if i needed wood real quick for some reason i might chop it down and replant again.

[Spaceminnow]

Powerferret の投稿を引用：

Spaceminnow の投稿を引用：

Just to ask; You are not obligated to answer...
Would you instruct your character to cut down a regrown tree?
For what purpose?
-Shelter Expansion?
-Bio-Fuel? (There is tech to ween away from tree sap to make bio-fuel)
-Other?

Honsetly, i probably wouldnt use it too often, but it would be nice to have as an option. Personally id probably just use it for aesthetics, i already do so with the crop bushes and flowers, but if i needed wood real quick for some reason i might chop it down and replant again.

I believe they may be trying to prevent an "endless" supply of tree sap to make concrete.

Coruscant^...
Remember?

[Dallas]

As a player with multiple large concrete bases over multiple biomes on the Styx map i have found there is more than enough trees to create as much concrete as any player could want. I have concrete safe-houses all over the map and concrete bridges everywhere and concrete ramps going up many rocky inclines. The Icarus green party hate me. So i don't see the non-regrowth of trees being a limiting factor in tree sap. A small amount of travel for harvesting is all that it takes. I even bring the drop pod with me on timber expeditions, i call it to my harvesting location using a recall beacon, i fill it up then use another beacon when i'm back at my base. So much wood! My opinion on the regrowth idea would be just to allow a player to regrow specific trees just to beautify their base area. This way they'd still have to go on expeditions for any kind of serious wood harvesting.

[Spaceminnow]

I like your idea Dallas :)

Non- harvestable trees, just for decor is ok :)

Are you trying to exhaust all the trees on Styx? :D
How is your FPS rate for so many structures?

[Dallas]

Spaceminnow の投稿を引用：

I like your idea Dallas :)

Non- harvestable trees, just for decor is ok :)

Are you trying to exhaust all the trees on Styx? :D
How is your FPS rate for so many structures?

Thanks! lol no, not trying to exhaust all the trees, in fact there are so many around i've hardly made a dent on them. But outside of the games main missions i like to create my own strategies. My current one is playing Styx open world on hard and building in every biome without opening access to each via missions. So taking the long way around. It's actually fun and challenging.

Interesting about the FPS issue. I have an old Dell XPS with an Nvidia 2060 and am playing on high (not me but the video card settings) and the game runs smoothly.

With the tree replanting idea, it could be that decorative trees planted by the player can't be harvested, or, they could be regular ones that grow slowly. Plus for any decent amount of wood if you're into mega base building, expeditions become essential even if you could regrow a few trees near your back door. The drop pod for transport has become an essential tool in my open world game. It really allows the opening up of the entire map. Plus you can also use it for emergency shelter during storms and hide in it from animal attacks. The pod doesn't take damage and you can even shoot through the hatch. I want one for home :)

[Spaceminnow]

I sense a disturbance in the force...

Rekal? Are you angry?

"It's purely cosmetic. There's more than enough wood on every map to never bottleneck actual game play."

I saw this^ a little later, but you may be within the same context we were posting about...

If you know what to craft; There is no need to regrow trees...

[ZombieHunter]

All survival games have this issue with tree re-spawn. It is hard to strike a nice balance between overly arcade and massive deforestation. The best solution IMO? Provide ample amount of trees and forget the re-spawn. Trees take decades to grow so any kind of re-spawn mechanic just feels like a giant hack.

That being said what I try to do is find a location to build my base and use trees that are located decently far away from my base. I tend to scout out 'cut areas' where I'll cut trees down and then areas close to my base where I won't. I will say, though, that given Icarus's brutal wind and storm mechanics that having trees close to your base is not ideal. They can and will fall on your base and do some damage, unless of course you are at the stone or concrete level. You definitely don't want trees near your greenhouse.

Also remember that storms only destroy trees near you. So in Icarus if a tree falls in a forest and no one is there to hear it, it didn't fall in the first place. So regardless of what you do eventually most of the trees will disappear near your base for one reason or another. I have not figured out why some trees survive wind storms while others do not.

But having said all of that I believe Icarus has really raised the bar for survival games. I feel so spoiled when I play other games and expect the environments to be more dangerous and less static. I love the storms in Icarus and I like that you don't ever feel safe trekking across the map for goodies. It is always something you must prepare for and think about.

So for me I say leave the tree re-spawn mechanic out of the game or allow it in options but don't force it. I really do not want it nor need it in my worlds.

[Dallas]

@ZombieHunter. You make a lot of good points. Since i get the majority of my trees away from my base, respawning doesn't seem necessary as with planning i could leave those close to my base intact. One thing i've found in long-term open world games is how much charcoal i end up needing, and how much i rely on burnt trees to provide enough. Like you i love the storms in Icarus and planning around them is great, especially when you travel between multiple biomes, which makes it a challenge.