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[Marx]

Fruit and fruit trees are missing from the game, and I believe they should be implemented. By implementing fruit and fruit trees, herbalism/plant gathering would be expanded, something resembling above ground farming could be implemented, and food/drink would be diversified.

Fruit could be collected off of trees in the wild. Grow duration would vary based on the fruit, of course. All (?) fruit could be eaten raw or cooked, and would leave behind a seed if eaten raw.

Fruit seeds could be planted in muddy channels above ground (note, for that to work properly floodgates would have to be able to be placed above ground), and would grow into fruit producing trees in 3 years. Fruit trees will not grow or be found in cold or colder temperature climates.

Fruit could of course be cooked in meals, or distilled to make various alcoholic beverages, such as cider or brandy. These drinks could have a higher trade value than other (Dwarven drinks) as they are the more typically desired drinks, but then would be less liked by dwarves.

Thoughts?

[ February 15, 2007: Message edited by: Marx ]

[Eagleon]

I like the idea of fruit trees, but make them relatively rare. Animals should like fruit as well, and should gorge themselves if there's no one around to scare them off. I don't think there's any need for channels and such - in dry climates, they'd realistically have to be grown near a water source like a river or a resevoir (dates anyone?), but elsewhere rainwater would be sufficient. Younger trees should also bear less fruit than well-established ones.

Something for humans and elves to do, perhaps. Dwarves are too short for such nonsense, and the indignity of running around outside climbing trees would get to them.  

[ February 15, 2007: Message edited by: Eagleon ]

[Marx]

Indeed. The seeds if purchased at the start should be fairly expensive, and the trees would be a fairly uncommon sight for a fortress.

The idea behind placement being restricted to a channel was that many fruit trees require tilling for drainage, although my idea of having them be in muddy channels makes no sense.

Perhaps it could be implemented by having an orchard building, which is essentially a farm plot for fruit trees?

[ February 15, 2007: Message edited by: Marx ]

[Lord Blue]

I agree that dwarves shouldn't plant fruit trees (too tall), but perhaps giant, fruit-tree-like, fungi (ala tower caps) that use the same mechanics.

As for the mechanics, what about uilding them from a fruit seed? The seeds are lost when the fruit is cooked, eaten, or brewed. The only way to get fruit seeds would be a farmer's workshop command. That system would keep them from being too easy or too hard to get.

[Fieari]

Customized rare and exotic trees/fruits could be neat too.  There are all kinds of fairy tales with trees that have various gemstones for fruit, for instance.  Dwarves in Narnia (Silver Chair) claimed that diamonds you dig up are simply the hardens husks of living plantlike things.

And magical fruits for when magic is in...

[herrbdog]

Sorry, I read that as 'musical fruits'...

[Fieari]

Those could be added in too.  I mean, after all, the miasma code is already available...

[herrbdog]

Hmmm, interesting... as long as they had a really nice benefit to offset the...
miasma.

Edit: tags (i'm used to html =/)

[ February 16, 2007: Message edited by: herrbdog ]

[MoonCabbage]

Fruit Trees should be like any other tree in that they take several years to fully mature. They should also grow lots of fruit once or twice a year after that. Zoomod added in bees... Toady could add in a function involving bees and trees, more fruit is grown when there are bees to pollinate the flowers.

[Tirpen]

This sounds like something that should definitly be implemented when Toady starts to work on the 'Elf forrest' game mode.