It makes sense to move everything in here first so it's not in 6 separate threads. Then I can reorganize it and port it into checklists for the next set of updates (which will probably require an intermediate thread)
Upcoming Updates
#2 -- Ropes Update -- Checklisted, howevermight need work since caves are changing again
#3 -- Branches/Rods -- Notes Improved
#4 -- Gashrooms/Metals Update -- Notes Improved
#5 -- Cave Pets Update
#6 -- Cave Fish Scouts
#7 -- Bombs / Torch stuff
#8 -- Misc (anything not covered here yet like quartz stuff)
(( Note: Should really be a cave fish / cyborg function, not a separate item ))
The Seismometer is a key item that can help you track caves fixtures and holes down. Scout animals will help you see stuff on the current branch, while the Seismometer will give you an idea of *what* is in a cave and where it is in its many trees / systems / etc. They'll also tell you stuff about cave systems in the area. Overall a very valuable tool.
The seismometer is unlocked via the PGCS and is auto-crafted therein. It can gain functionality or efficiency also via the PGCS. Its various functions are fueled by gashrooms of various colors (or their extracts), giving them more use. All upgrade PGCS use cave materials in some capacity but also tie into other systems to provide feedback to them.
Its functions include:
Scanning a wilds chunk to see information about the caves systems there.
Scanning adjacent wild chunks.
Scanning a cave system to see if it has crystals or ECS or other goodies.
Seeing the properties of caves -- their Ore and gashroom distribution come to mind here.
Finding the branch where fixtures/holes are.
Finding Warped Keys in that big convoluted system.
The various functions are unlockable via the Seismometer Lab, but you'll get *something* right out of the gate so that particular PGCS isn't completely useless -- probably the one that tells you what ECS a cave contains.
The way the seismometer works is via triangulation -- each scan will give you some kind of vague information depending on where you are, so you'll need to go to various areas to get more scans and then compile the data to figure out where something is. So somewhat similar to how secret locations work in crazy diamonds. Old scans are saved for later use, though you can only have one type of scan ongoing at a time per type -- switching goals of the same type will erase the old data to clear up space.
PGCS Upgrades to the Seismometer will narrow down the information you receive, will give you more area to search, etc. It depends on your current Seismometer function.
A "Bomb Arm" that's an equippable item that gives your bombs properties.
Consumable homogeneous bombs.
Use it in the overworld, why not.
Bomb arms are made from surface resources, but can become metal to go into the anvil/blast furnace.
Bomb arms should be able to go into industry.
Torches work similarly -- you're crafting a Torch Arm, which grants it properties, and then consume homogeneous torches over time. Make sure that the number of torches in both items gets combined in the blast furnace use of it.
This set of changes fully erases the refueling mechanic. It's overcomplicated as-is anyway, and this makes torches, ropes and bombs all on the same consumables system.
Everything here (and possibly below) should go into a Caves Lab -- this should theoretically deprecate the Explorer lab, which is acceptable.
Bombs v1 Brainstorming
I'm still thinking this system through somewhat, but I have some ideas for a final version with more variety:
Basic bomb effects
Forward Bombs
Cross Bombs
Square Bombs
Funnel bomb (like forward bomb but funneled outwards)
Spray (placed tile and random tiles around it)
Still todo
placement range chance of not using bomb secondary explosion chances secondary explosion shape forward/cross width / optional width (esp forward diagonal) opt destroy water/lava/both (all are rare) damage enemies main/secondary -- bomb map
There are some solid ideas in the weapons brainstorming post that can be applied here as well like secondary explosions, flex targeting, etc.
Bomb animations and particularly timers can now be a thing with the new entities framework.
New Quartz System
Get rid of quartzbombs and the "use quartzbomb on altar" and related stuff.
Altars and Aether lenses, if they're interacted with in a cave, will spit white triangles out every other orth adjacent. If this has already happened it won't again.
Interacting with these will give you quartz and remove the tile, but the built here will make it so the quartz won't be rebuilt.
Using pipe ascii and making them have floor tendrils makes a certain amount of sense (avoiding solids), with the coding here based on the cave system's seeding. Some are going to be wilder than others.
Post-starshards update
If a bomb is directly placed on a Cave Hole, it'll turn it into a Starshard. This won't work on user-created cave holes (assuming I get there first).
Killing an overworld cave hole with an activated runestone in it will turn it into that runestone. Which actually makes more sense given the sym change. But anyway this allows you to continue to farm the dungeon, or have easier access to it even.
Other ruins-based ECS are going to appear in these limited caves as well and will also be known about beforehand, I'll get to these when I get to them. Add a note in the right spot.
Scouts can always see Cave Holes/Starshards (automatic separation), but more specialized ones can see how deep they go or what dungeons/ECS they contain. So basically free cave scanners, but more annoying to use and a larger scope. I need to see how this overlaps with the Seismometer. Honestly it makes way more sense to have Cave fish/cyborg scouts fill the role of the seismometer
Add a loose end about making sure all torch properties are represented -- I always forget this. A new type will show ECS transports like runestones too.
cyborgs should still be a thing (change existing notes), however they go into the smithy and the aether lens is still scrapped. Cyborg scouts additionally don't have to be summoned in water. Scouts can be used in caves/dungeons normally, the cyborgification removes the water requirement and also allows smithy functionality. Note that this removes it in the overworld as well! Mount animals, meanwhile, just can't be used in caves/dungeons unless they're cyborged.
Cave fish take over seismometer functions. Theyre automatically cyborgs.
Similarly spectral fish take over dungeon scanning functions. Also cyborgs and also can be smithied.
unrelated but portals should magicsel out all portals to figure out time dilation and destination manually rather than lock down the engine. See below.
also unrelated but need to look into why I wanted to switch to real time. If not necessary then the above would work better
torch arms should improve torch fuel efficiency. They definitely shouldn't be distinct entities with their own fuelings. Maybe do the same thing for lockpicks, bombs, anything with a refueling mechanic.
Words like "empyrum", etc seem like they'd be very useful as a means to rename sinkcores, and other elemental items with poor quality names.
As mentioned elsewhere, scrap the aether lens completely. Too simultaneously complicated and easy.
Instead, pets can be upgraded by putting them into the Smithy and the rest of Industry. The industry fixtures need to distinguish between scout and mount animals, maybe with some kind of filter coding.
Given that, the distinction between Cyborgs and non-cyborgs no longer makes sense, which is good because the whole scout/mount system is more intuitive-- you can bring your pets down into caves and dungeons from the outset.
Should also remove the water requirement for scouts and make the hatching station also use metal so they're all cyborgs from the outset. Could literally call them that too -- the new lore is they're half Robot and half animal, which is kinda cool. Also helps explain how you're able to summon and recall them.
The downside to this is you won't have access to Cyborgs at all until you have access to metal, which might be acceptable.
