New Road Type: Foot Paths

[Arson 19]

FOOT PATHS

 

I would like to put forth a new suggestion for a type of pathing: Foot Paths. Foot paths (or dirt paths) could be a simple form of pathing requiring low Paving skill.

 

 

 

 

 

You Want To Do WHAT To My Game!?

 

This begs the immediate question: "Why does Wurm need foot paths when we already have dirt paths?" Presently, dirt paths are functional, but rather unsightly as packed dirt paths. Foot paths would offer a more attractive solution to people that would like to add pathing while altering the landscape as little as possible. Often times, caring players that wish to make paths through forests without causing much damage desire to add simple pathing (such as gravel), but with less intervention. 

 

Ok, I'm Listening...

 

Here are a few points to consider in favor of Foot Paths:

 

• Low Paving Skill Requirement - new players can easily take advantage of paths that are inherently non-interventionist.
  
• Attractiveness - Foot Pathing could offer a more attractive alternative by including shrubbery/grass along the tile edges, and helps new players contribute in a way that veterans can appreciate.
  
• Easy Implementation - adding foot paths should be as simple as adding a new art tile to Wurm. The functionality need not differ much from present dirt paths.
  
• Terrain Variation - foot paths could have numerous art style choices to add flavor. Players could create foot paths to support desert, forest, steppe etc tiles to keep a similar look. 
  
• Path Turns - foot path art, ideally, would cover approximately 1/3 of the present dirt tile and include straight, wavy, and curved paths to allow players to create an appearance of pathing utilizing Wurm's present tile method.
  

 

Show Me The Goods

 

Examples: 

 

Steppe foot path: http://i.imgur.com/g1H8lTl.jpg

Forest foot path: http://i.imgur.com/u6nHzgj.png

Desert foot path: http://i.imgur.com/e6M7nAr.jpg

Grass foot path: http://i.imgur.com/g1H8lTl.jpg

 

 

So How Does This Work?

 

The idea is to take the appearance of the present dirt tile and alter it so the outside 1/3 of the tile displays the surrounding tile (sand, steppe, grass), and have the inside 1/3 appear as dirt.  Please see the image below. 

 

 

I think that Foot Paths would be a nice way to add variation in current pathing options without requiring a lot of effort from developers. Please consider foot paths as an option for Wurm. 

 

Feel free to leave feedback, and thank you! 

 

 

[Protunia 735]

I'd go for it.... just a simple path type that does not turn to grass besides gravel.

Edited May 24, 2013 by Protunia

[Corwen 164]

+1

 

But bridges first!

Edited May 25, 2013 by Corwen

[Exeffer 29]

A neat addition, good idea +1

Edited May 25, 2013 by Exeffer

[Mynnah 15]

+1 I like it.  

I live in the bush (real life) and we have the main road (cobble ingame) and a dirt foot path that runs next to it, It make perfect sense to me to have a footpath

[tobaul 28]

I like this as I am not fond of paved roads on all of my deeds, several have grass roads just for the look it gives, this would look even better.

[Protunia 735]

This type of path would look really nice with the new type of trees coming too!

[Falkirk 22]

This would allow for parks and a more natural-looking connector to another deed in the woods rather than a straight, paved road.

 

+1

[Hula_Girl 266]

Good idea, even packed dirt looks way too intrusive in some areas.

 

+1

[Kegan 3,926]

Gravel does not look bad it is the best path looking paving we have in my opinion but i could go for a smaller option too.

[Aurorane 27]

This is fantastic. +1 so many times. :3
I obsess about aesthetics. Of course I'd love this.

[Wraithglow 787]

Would you have to have different options "dirt path east-west" and "dirt path north-south" to have the narrower path though? and how would run speed be determined? how would it transition from dirt to sand, etc etc.

 

some considerations.

[EliasTheCrimson 348]

I'd love it, but I could see this becoming problematic when you start considering tiles going diagonally, especially in such a way that they become wider than a single tile. I guess you could have the game attempt to determine the boundaries of the path and figure out what tile textures to use and in what orientation, but even if the computational work isn't an issue we'd still be having a lot of new tile types...

Edited May 26, 2013 by EliasTheCrimson

[Protunia 735]

Would you have to have different options "dirt path east-west" and "dirt path north-south" to have the narrower path though? and how would run speed be determined? how would it transition from dirt to sand, etc etc.

 

some considerations.

 

 

I think that's too complicated......... make it like any other tile there is no transition.  speed would be up to devs and prolly like gravel.

[Arson 19]

Would you have to have different options "dirt path east-west" and "dirt path north-south" to have the narrower path though? and how would run speed be determined? how would it transition from dirt to sand, etc etc.

 

some considerations.

 

My suggestion is simply that of a new art tile. New gameplay mechanics could easily be added to something like this, but it would no longer be an easy project, and certainly not a priority. Keeping things simple makes it easier to implement. 

[Arson 19]

Thanks for the supportive comments, folks. I've always had a lot of ideas for Wurm, but generally shy away from posting because people love to attack your ideas, or any sort of change. I doubt this will ever see the light of day, but I wanted to share something with the community that I thought could only improve the game we play. 

[Keldun 335]

hmm, we already have tile transitions.

 

It would obviously depend on the exact implementation, but it might be possible to increase the area for transition on these tiles to get this effect.

 

In that case it would automatically solve all N/S, E/W, double width and corner issues itself.

[Druidnature 1,118]

I could make a path threw my woods...

For I have always walked the pathless woods...

A HUGE +1 I'd love it... Packed dirt just doesent work, and gravel isn't my thing.

[Maylilyx 7]

+1

[Torgrim 403]

You can only make straight paths with this suggestion unless you add turns, crossroads, diagonal paths etc...  it would be really neat to have it but it's not as simple as the OP makes it out to be.

 

Also, what is meant by "Terrain Variation - foot paths could have numerous art style choices to add flavor. Players could create foot paths to support desert, forest, steppe etc tiles to keep a similar look."?

 

How could players add this?!

 

I still +1 the idea

[silakka 2,360]

omfg

I wanted to suggest this few days ago, but forgot about it

I even took a picture with my own phone to post xD

 

vvery big +1 and would make a lot sense for year 1030.

[Arson 19]

You can only make straight paths with this suggestion unless you add turns, crossroads, diagonal paths etc...  it would be really neat to have it but it's not as simple as the OP makes it out to be.

 

Also, what is meant by "Terrain Variation - foot paths could have numerous art style choices to add flavor. Players could create foot paths to support desert, forest, steppe etc tiles to keep a similar look."?

 

How could players add this?!

 

I still +1 the idea

There are a few ways to handle footpaths to allow for twists and turns utilizing only art. If you didn't want to go through the trouble of making a directional art tile they could be designed in such a way that each tile simply looks a bit trampled, but not in any particular direction. This would be in like with all other tiles in wurm where the tile is mostly uniform in appearance. In the case of footpaths this option would be the least desirable since the object here is to give the appearance of a small, secret path. 

 

Another option would be to simply give players the option to alter the tile art once the tile is laid. For example you could have the option on dirt to Pave>Create Footpath. Once the straight footpath is formed then you click the tile and Pave>Footpath turn and the art would change to a footpath with a different art tile. This is no different than the present function of right clicking and packing a dirt, grass, or tundra tile to packed dirt. You're simply changing the appearance of one tile to another. Going as far as crossroads foot pathing probably defeats the original purpose of footpaths which is to create small, discreet paths. We already have roads for anything busier. 

To answer your last question about terrain variation: this was in reference to the images I linked afterward. This would give players the option of creating footpaths on different types of tiles that already exist in the game. For example, a player doesn't want a wooded footpath if he lives in the middle of the desert. he would want a footpath that looks like it comes from the desert. Hence, the other footpaths I linked as examples. Players could choose which appearance for a footpath they want when they created it and, again, this would just be a matter of art. No additional functionality need be added if that's the desire. 

[Aurorane 27]

Either as written above by Arson, or like a shop sign - I think either would be fantastic.
And it is just for art - someone mentioned a very frustrating point about wurm vs other games (Okay, Minecraft) that I'm sure throws others off, too.
"In Minecraft, you can take something and make something else very unique from it. In Wurm, you can create... more Wurm."
So for those of us who are obsessed with our eye for beauty, I think it's very important to make our places feel like... us, not just another part of Wurm.

Footpaths really would be a good start.

[FrostByte 3]

+1 although an addition of an automatic variant (i.e. created on commonly walked over grass tiles, logging direction of travel and then if the tile is walked over say 3-4 times a day over say a 2 wurm-week period it forms a worn path through the grass...  This would aid newbs who are building their settlements a simple way to start finding their way around and make rather nice marks from where common pvp server hunting grounds are...)

Edited June 15, 2013 by FrostByte

[Metrix 24]

+1