[newIndustries] Forests like Fields

[Zephyris]

I would like to see a newGRF option for newIndustries which lets an industry plant forests around it, similar to the way an industry can be told to plant fields around it. I think this should be possible - using my very limited understanding it appears that (according to the TTD savegame structure) there is space in the map array for an additional "field type" so long as the bits in L3 are used for growth stage. Graphics could reuse the normal pine tree sprites (ie. not the forest sprites) for simple support of all ground tile slopes and the farm fences reused to border the forest. Use of the 1/3 or 2/3 grass regrowth ground tiles could help differentiate from normal trees. Control of the feature could be done via newIndustry action0 feature 1A.

Is this a good idea? Would it be as simple as I hope to make happen? I think it could add realism and extra graphical interest to newIndustry sets ... or is there a workaround I haven't spotted?

[Mchl]

It certainly is a nice idea. Forest industry, as it is now looks weird.

[athanasios]

If it can be done, I like it.

[Daz]

This has been discussed before but nothing was done about it. But it was said that the forest would act like a farm. I liked the idea.

[rEXpert]

Sounds kinda like how it was done in locomotion. I'd like to see this.

[Daz]

Yea exactly like that.

[belugas]

I think it can be done, although it would be a bit of a tricky one.
The newgrf spec does not allow that, take note.
So it would be a new feature.

Not too sure how, i guess it would need some kind of a new CLEAR tile class, link it to the behaviour of the CLEAR_FIELDS one, and in DrawTile_Clear, add a new entry that would need to address trees the same way as the tree_cmd DrawTile_Trees would do.
Or, re-route all code from _tile_type_clear_procs to _tile_type_trees_procs when we're dealing with that new CLEAR tile class..
Dunno...
it all sounds pretty messy to me...
THe main problem is that it cannot simply be a forest, since you need to plant-new-trees-plant-new-fields. But the graphics have to be rerouted to the normal trees handling. Crossover a lot.
SO... if anyone can come up with a better plan, by all means...
And don't tell me it would be easy unless you bring something to chew on

[Zephyris]

As an alternative would it be simpler to treat the forest like normal farmland but use an alternate set of ground tiles (ie. a full additional set of 9x19 sprites) which include the forest trees. This would avoid the crossover into the normal tree growth/graphics handling, however it would give problems with transparency of the trees.

[frosch]

Ok, the rest of the post is _very_ imaginative. But I guess I am allowed to post such junk into the suggestion forum

I see three options:

1) The easy one:
A new flag in industry property 1A that does the reverse of bit 1.

2) The medium one:
Field types already know the industry they belong to. So theoretically the industry could be asked how to draw the tile. I.e. some way to specify a sprite layout.
Problems are:
a) How shall the layout be specified, i.e. some industry callback that results in a industrytilelayout? (there is no similiar thing in current specs)
b) Currently when a farm closes fields are removed during the usual tile loop. But when the fields now need the industry to be drawn they have to be removed before the industry closes. Luckily industry closures are announced one month earlier, so they could vanish during this month.

3) The hard one:
Add a callback do build/remove industrytiles.
Also add a callback which tiles are allowed to be removed by the player and for which cost.
Problems:
a) Some variables expect a tile offset from [0,...,15] x [0,...,15] wrt the main (north) industry tile.
b) Some grf authors might be very restrictive on whether the player is allowed to remove a tile.
c) I guess there are a lot more.

Note that the more advanced options would also allow to
i) make oil fields or mines which every few years stop extraction on some tiles and start on others
ii) make secondary industries which can expand to increase throughput

Note that the easiest one has the advance that it does not have to care about industry closures.

[Zephyris]

It would make sense to define ground tile sets via a full action1/2/3 system

action1: 19x ground sprite sprite sets

action2: link action2 ID to action1 sprite sets:
replace "loading stages" with "growth stages, under snow line"
replace "loaded stages" with "growth stages, above snow line"
associate action1 sprite sets with the action2 ID

action3: link an action2 set with a "ground tile ID"
replace "vehicle ID" with "ground tile ID"
only allow a single (ie. default) action2 ID for each ground tile ID.

action0 could then be used to define the usage of each ground tile set:
tile type: base tiles/coast tiles/rock tiles/rough tiles/snow line 1/snow line 2/snow line 3/fields
first tile in growth cycle: 00 = no, 01 = yes
next ground tile ID in growth cycle: XX
tile lifetime: in days, FF if the end of a growth cycle (eg. for normal ground)
associated industry ID for fields: XX

Well, this would be good for my dreams!

[Batti5]

There sud be switch between classic & new.

[LordAzamath]

There should be a warning given (like the warning if a new post has been made and you still want to post) if you are about to bump some thread with such information... Especially as it seems this idea didn't get anywhere..

[555gln22]

Stupid question, but doesn't this already happen in the tropical climate?

[LaDoncella]

no it doesnt.
The idea here is an industry that uses fields of trees like the farm.
In tropic its just an industry that choops trees arround it.

[This is my name]

Good one! I always wanted to have a nice, big forest. Maybe the forest could share some code with farms?

[Batti5]

i like it, there should also Machinery to collect the chopped wood as eyecandy.

[ostlandr]

That sounds pretty realistic to me! Rename "forest" to "logging camp" in temperate, and make it fairly cheap to build and/or plentiful on the map. Could the number of tiles of trees chopped be made to correspond with production, and when there are no more trees the industry shuts down (as in PBI?) For balance, it would be necessary to raise the cost of planting trees.
"Tree Farm" could be a separate industry that appears around 1980 or later. Small trees planted in neat rows, and a feller/buncher crawling around cutting them down.

no it doesnt.
The idea here is an industry that uses fields of trees like the farm.
In tropic its just an industry that choops trees arround it.