Topic

Bring back the spice trees in Groddle Forest! (and another idea on diversity/abundance tree balance)

Partly because spice is too sparse right now but mainly because...it was absolutely gorgeous in the Forest. It looked beautiful in that backdrop. I can't believe it was disallowed in there; it was absolutely one of the prettiest things in the Forest. And it would definitely help new players get spice since the Forest is one of the main areas newbies come to. [There is a whole thread in the forums about how difficult it is to get both spice and gas here.] And then we would have at least three areas that allow spice; right now spice can only be REPLANTED in two places, Ix and Jethimadh. It seems as if each area needs about three staple kinds of tree, and right now, it's seriously messed up balance-wise, or there wouldn't be a whole thread about spice vs. gas. Of course, eggplants are a bit different as they tend to pop up wherever there are caves and dark bits; and paper trees have special spots and we can't plant or kill those anyway. 

Here's my suggestion on the basic tree types per area, based on what it is now with possible tweaks. I went over this carefully to get it so that no area would contain exactly the same three types and so that each type has FOUR areas to grow in, for now, of the possible 10 areas (not counting Baqala and Choru for obvious reasons). Right now we have too many places with bubbles and not enough with spice and gas, for example. Also, wood is so short-lived that I think it'd be all right to have it allowed in more than four places. This suggestion would make sure of some equality but lots of diversity:
Alakol: bean, bubble, wood [eggplants in caves, as is]
Bortola: bubble, fruit, wood
Chakra Phool: It's mainly eggplant right now. In fact, I don't think gas or spice actually grows here (as mentioned in the spice vs. gas thread). I pretty much only see eggplants? It's such a dark area, eggplants make sense. Could always add wood as again, it is just too short-lived not to have "extra" spots. Or just use this as an area to balance later on, if we see a need for things that isn't being met.
Groddle Forest: fruit, spice, wood [eggplants in underground spots, as is]
Groddle Heights: bean, bubble, fruit
Groddle Meadow: bean, fruit, wood
Ix: gas, spice only—since the area is small anyway; doesn't seem like it needs three types, and there are plenty of other spots for bubble trees.
Jethimadh: gas, spice, wood
Kajuu: bubble, gas, spice [eggplants in underground, as is]
Shimla Mirch: bean, gas, spice

Tell me if my math is wrong, but that would put no bean at less than four growth areas and no area with the exact same tree mix. But even if this particular mix isn't adopted...

1. Please make sure that the types of tree have equal main areas, whether only 3 or 4 or 5, etc. 
2. Oh please bring back the spice in the Forest. It was so beautiful there with the dark rich color in the shady areas. :)

ETA: After reading b3achy's note, if Shimla is to have no patches, then Chakra could be bean, gas, spice (eggplant). Why not? :) And just to be clear, I'm not saying the players should try to keep that particular tree mix; I'm suggesting an idea on tree allowables to the devs. Naturally could be done in a variety of ways, but I was trying to suggest a good mix of both variety and balance:) My 1. and 2. above are also requests to the devs, not the players:)

Posted 18 months ago by RM Subscriber! | Permalink

Replies

  • +1,000
    Yes please bring our tree's back.
    Posted 18 months ago by ~Annie~ Subscriber! | Permalink
  • +1,000
    I use the cooking skills - A LOT. And Allspice is vital to a substantial number of recipes.
    Oh. And wood trees can be harvested without clearing. :) I know. I have one I'm growing in my own backyard.
    Posted 18 months ago by Fokian Fool Subscriber! | Permalink
  • +1000 on the spice in the forest...it was pretty, and I too cut my teeth on spice gathering in the forest, so it's sad to see it gone...it fit there, and was a nice contrast.  And great for newbs...

    @RM, I may have lead you astray with my thread in the general forums.  So, hopefully I can correct a couple points...

    Spice can grow in Chakra, and there are some regular trees there, but less than half the streets there (mostly on the west side), I just figured I'd not bother with the gas vs. spice debate there. Since many of the trees in Chakra are egg plants only (14 streets), just figured that the rest of regular trees (10 streets) could just stay gas and bean for that matter.  

    Also Shimla doesn't seem to have any tree patches that I can find.  There is the lone Paper Plant there, but no other trees grow in Shimla apparently.  Surprised me because I could have sworn there were at least Egg Plants there, but as I was running around this past test for barnies, I didn't see any...and I was looking...

    Sorry for the confusion...

    Just for completion of your list - there are also two trees in Uralia (currently I note 1 gas, 1 bubble from the location checker).  And it's always perplexed me that the 3 trees that grew in the Ilmenski caverns were regular trees (gas and bubble - currently all gas), not egg plants.
    Posted 18 months ago by b3achy Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I actually don't mind there being a scarcity of spice trees. The increased demand would make things interesting. And then we'd be hoarding spice like Bene Gesserit and using salt as money like the ancient Romans.

    But I have to admit, the spice trees really did look nice in Groddle Forest... It was nice to see those deep reds contrast with the greens and browns of the forest.
    Posted 18 months ago by Liridona Subscriber! | Permalink
  • +1 mil
    I run through Allspice about as fast as I run through cherries (which is pretty fast, btw, for those who don't know me). I love spice in forest because I always go through the forest, jump into the hole to Ix, then going back out through the Meadow, all the way back home, harvesting every tree on the way. No spice in the forest means I get too much beans and cherries and not enough spice from the trip through the forest. Doesn't help that the Meadow streets are exclusively for beans and cherries.
    Posted 18 months ago by KitkatCat Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Nah, b3achy, you didn't lead me astray, lol. I just honest to goodness could not for the life of me remember seeing any trees besides eggplants in Chakra. But since it is so dark, on my recommended mix there, I just figured that kind of like Ix, it might as well specialize. Yeah there are a couple odd trees in Uralia; I didn't really even count it since the number is soooo tiny :)

    As to the comment about spice being rare...why? Why rarer than anything else? Just seems odd to me. For some reason, I just don't seem to have as MUCH problem finding spice as I do gas. But I would like to see more balance. And dangit, the spice trees were just SO PRETTY in the forest. *sob*
    Posted 18 months ago by RM Subscriber! | Permalink
  • +1

    Please bring Spice back to the Forest. Besides my need for allspice which is considerable, they just fit there functionally and ascetically.
    Posted 18 months ago by DiggityDad Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Update: No Spice trees in Uralia. The location checker (it's still working even though the game is closed) reports only 11 trees in two locations. Ix, and Jer'.
    Posted 18 months ago by Fokian Fool Subscriber! | Permalink
  • +1  I don't understand this unless it is meant to make it harder to get Badges and do Quests.  We all need Spice and Fruit for our recipes.  We do not need less of either tree. 

    We all need Gas and Bubbles too but not quite as much as Fruit and Spice (seems to me).

    We have less use for Paper but now there are more Paper trees.

    Wood trees may need to be revamped.  They are often harvested to death very quickly and do not grow very much if allowed to mature.  I have not been to a project requiring them in quite a while.  They are needed for at least one recipe and may be needed later when we have the ability to expand our homes.  I raised one in my home at Groddle Forest but despite all the love and water it never grew more than 3 branches and planting and raising it did not count toward either tree Quest.  I did not get credit for my Wood tree and had to poison it to plant something else to fulfill a Quest.  This should be changed IMO.

    Although some trees have disappeared from the streets they are still allowed in garden patches.  I have a Spice tree in my garden in Alakol but I can't plant one on any of the streets.  This fosters neighborly cooperation which may be the purpose (?).
    Posted 18 months ago by Brib Annie Subscriber! | Permalink
  • +1000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
    :)
    Posted 18 months ago by daniel5457 Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Definitely need to have something done about the spice plants...I'm tired of being forced to pay extortionist prices for it off the auction because I cannot find enough spice trees to pick. 

    If you are going to allow the decimation of any of the trees, then at least set the trees in our yards to unlimited harvesting.
    Frustrating and irritating does not = fun
    If it's already  like this just in beta, I shudder to think what it'll be like when we  go live
    Posted 18 months ago by sgjo Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Yeah, I have four tree patches and my trees are three gas, one spice. But that's not really enough. We definitely need more of both...they seem to be growing ever more scarce. Good idea on the unlimited harvesting in the yard, but I don't see that happening. Gosh, I just loved the Forest spice trees. I best shut up on this for now:) lol
    Posted 18 months ago by RM Subscriber! | Permalink
  • yes please. the only reason why i have had enough allspice is thanks to the generosity of other players. more spice trees, or the ability to create new patches (not excessively, just a few/as desired in backyards) would really be appreciated.
    Posted 18 months ago by tealhair Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I agree. I hate having to tramp all the way to Ix to get sufficient spice to cook with. 
    Posted 18 months ago by Essie Kitten Subscriber! | Permalink
  • In terms of pure aesthetics, I completely agree that I'd love to see spice return to the Forest.  I loved seeing those deep reds in there, and it really suited the area.  I suppose if we can't have them back in the Forest, then can we please have them in a new forested area?  It's too pretty a combination not to have in Ur.  

    As for the tweaking... I can understand where you're coming from and why you'd like the worlds tweaked, but at the same time, I'm wondering if better management of trees in subsequent areas we build might mitigate the need to do mass tweaking in most of the current areas.  (Did we really need three new areas in a row that all took bubble trees?)  Since the world is still growing and changing (as we saw with the ever moving Shimla Mirch for a few tests), hopefully it's not necessary to go that route.  One of the other things that I think could also help with spice and gas availability would be to have residential areas with patches in gas and spice growing areas.  That was the one thing that really helped when bean trees were wiped out from the Meadows and Forests - they could still be readily found in all the residential areas.  (Why no, I'm not interested in housing in Ix.  Why on earth would you think such a thing?  *innocent look*)
    Posted 18 months ago by Marebito Subscriber! | Permalink
  • +1000...i also believe,that spice tree's would also look better in Kajuu  more so than bubble trees,i think they suit Alakol better and there seem to be tons of them at the moment!
    Posted 18 months ago by Joos Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Most definitely, Joo's! The one I had found right after moving to Morbana was very much loved by me the minute a new day arrived...until it disappeared and I wasn't allowed to replant one back in that spot :(

    Groddle, Kajuu and of course W. and E. Spice, to me, are the most perfect places for the spice trees...they look so beautiful in those areas.

    And it's not any one type of tree that gets pretty much wiped out that bothers me - ANY tree that gets pushed to damned near extinction is wrong!  And, altho I'm not a wood tree user (I get plenty of wood just from harvesting other trees) I think they should be given some consideration by the Devs as well.
    I mean, it's frustrating enough as a higher lvl player to not be able to find the trees that are needed for what I'm doing (I use a lot of every kind of picking, squeezing, nibbling, gardening and milking thing there is to use...a WHOLE lot of all of it lol) But I really feel for the newer players who are looking for those things and cannot afford the auctions to get what's needed. Some of those prices are totally beyond outlandish!

    When I lived in Marylpole, I ended up having to plant all 5 of my patches with spice trees because they were being wiped out - then it went from spice trees to fruit trees being wiped and re-planted with all bean trees. Now that I live in Morbana I have 2 spice and 2 fruit trees and I really don't want to have to turn all 4 patches to spice trees, again, for fear of the fruit trees being next on the hit list again.

    And, unless something is done, the tree problem is going to escalate drastically when this game goes live due to the quests that call for needing patches to complete and, of course, griefers :(
    Posted 18 months ago by sgjo Subscriber! | Permalink
  • +1 RM :)
    Posted 18 months ago by ♥joby♥ Subscriber! | Permalink
  • +1000 to these ideas - this last test I spent close to 20000 (no exaggeration) on allspice being auctioned - just because I enjoy cooking (and sharing my cooking) - and I HAVE a spice tree in my yard!  If we didn't need allspice for so many things it would be different, but we do.  

    And as far as the aesthetic issue goes, spice trees were so lovely in the Forest - it just seems too bad that they can't be there anymore.  

    I question - is there REALLY a need to make things more difficult to obtain?  I understand that some people (and this is the case in EVERY game I have ever played) RUSH to do all the goals and skills and are chomping at the bit for more, but perhaps just adding more quests or skills, or going down that route for challenges as opposed to making things more difficult for those of us that like to play leisurely - enjoying ourselves, socializing and doing all the many things there are to do in the game!  Some sessions, I spend mining, some cooking and drink making, some learning about things, some hatching animals and organizing, some working on projects, and sometimes I socialize more than anything else - just enjoying the time with my friends - the opportunities to keep yourself busy are endless!  So, why make something that should be a pleasure into an irritation or a difficulty?  We all have enough of THAT in RL.
    Posted 18 months ago by Hab Subscriber! | Permalink
  • i also think wood should be plantable everywhere, since it's the VEAL OF TREES (patent pending to nanookie). it goes away real fast, and is always replaced by something else. it blends in with the scenery everywhere :)
    Posted 18 months ago by greenkozi Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I question - is there REALLY a need to make things more difficult to obtain?  I understand that some people (and this is the case in EVERY game I have ever played) RUSH to do all the goals and skills and are chomping at the bit for more, but perhaps just adding more quests or skills, or going down that route for challenges as opposed to making things more difficult for those of us that like to play leisurely - enjoying ourselves, socializing and doing all the many things there are to do in the game!  Some sessions, I spend mining, some cooking and drink making, some learning about things, some hatching animals and organizing, some working on projects, and sometimes I socialize more than anything else - just enjoying the time with my friends - the opportunities to keep yourself busy are endless!  So, why make something that should be a pleasure into an irritation or a difficulty?  We all have enough of THAT in RL.....so well said Hab Nlab, I agree totally.
    Posted 18 months ago by ~Senorita Snerkles~ Subscriber! | Permalink
  • @Marebito about the tweaking, yeah, probably so:) I know you and I are often running around trying to tweak the trees and keep them going/balanced, LOL. I guess it just seems odd to me that for example bubble trees can be planted in five areas currently (well six I suppose if one counts Uralia) and spice and gas only in three. The balancing suggestion was kind of a jumping off place and a...what mixes would I love to see in my ideal Ur:) type thing. We'll have to see what the new mixes are in new areas...that might help. I'm also kinda with Hab Nlab: While I do enjoy the challenge of trying to find the supplies I need, I don't think it needs to be quite as difficult to find gas and spice. 

    Ooh, good idea on a new Foresty area with spice too. I'd go for that, too. Really yes, the aesthetics kill me the most on the removal from Groddle Forest. Course when new players need spice, it'd be nice if they can get at it, too.

    Thanks for all the feedback, y'all. Man, I love Glitch. (Oh, and snorting with laughter at "the VEAL OF TREES," greenkozi!)
    Posted 18 months ago by RM Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I don't know about unlimited harvests, but I like the idea of having more harvests from our private trees. Perhaps that could be tied to one of the mid-level croppery or gardening skills? 
    Posted 18 months ago by Hank Tudor Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Need balance in the game...please consider the areas and trees available...please please please...I needed gas trees to complete the badges...and we so so need the spice.  Balance in the worlds pretty pretty pretty please!!!!
    Posted 18 months ago by AlmostSilver Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I add my voice for the return of spice trees to Groddle forest, let us please keep a mixed wood of trees not the man made artificial one tree froest that are starting to spring up, bio diversity is the norm so please let it be so here in the fertile lands of Ur
    Posted 18 months ago by Faereluth Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Theres a spice tree in the forest a place for friends to meet
    We water and we pet her for her harvests are a treat
    And all the Glitchen are happy to see the old Spice Tree
    Her dark leaves are so pretty among the greens we see.

    An axeman in the forest passed her by one day
    Saw that she was all alone and took her life away
    And whilst he was at it he took the cherries too
    Leaving only beans behind what good are they to you?

    Well beans they have a purpose they make an awesome stew
    But a Glitch cant live on beans alone so what are we to do
    We'll gently ask the Giants send our spice trees back
    To grow again in forests and provide us what we lack

    Well ask the Devs to help them to make the forest bloom
    For truely in the forest every tree should have some room
    And maybe in the future amid beans and cherries fair
    We'll meet again by the old dark Spice and her havest she will share.
    Posted 18 months ago by Faereluth Subscriber! | Permalink
  • + 1 gerzillion RM, for we neeed theeeese spiceeee treeeees in the forest pleeeeeease.
    Posted 18 months ago by Slippy (Throb) Subscriber! | Permalink
  • We need spice trees. And any way to control the mix. This may have already been mentioned. There are spice trees in Kajuu but no way to replant them. We need spice trees. And they keep getting killed off and replaced by bubble trees. We need spice trees. If I see one more bubble or wood tree...ugh. We need spice trees.
    Please and thank you.
    Posted 18 months ago by Dagnabbit Rabbit Subscriber! | Permalink
  • The spice trees in the forest really did add to the visual aspect of the forest.  As well as giving us some cooking assistance.

    Please make spice trees grow again in the Forest.
    Posted 18 months ago by WindBorn Subscriber! | Permalink
  • +100 Faereluth, that's a lovely poem :)

    I miss the spice trees in Groddle Forest. Please bring them back!
    Posted 18 months ago by Millie Subscriber! | Permalink
  • +1

    At the very least, I'd like to see a rule implemented that 80% of East and West Spice patches be planted with spice trees and not other trees. If it's going to be a scarce resource, at least let it remain dominant in the most obvious place to get it. Otherwise new players will be totally confused and veterans will keep grumbling about underseasoned awesome stews. 
    Posted 18 months ago by Sheepy Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Bumping this up, RM, since I don't want to see your awesome thread end up outta sight.
    This really is an important issue, imho, and needs to be kept in the spotlight.
    Posted 17 months ago by sgjo Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Thanks, sgjo, I thought so too but have posted in this poor thread ad infinitum already :)
    Posted 17 months ago by RM Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Faereluth.. Great Poem!!!

    What is a forest without spice trees? :(  We Need Spice Trees in Forest!!
    Posted 17 months ago by Qizara Subscriber! | Permalink
  • +1 to spice trees in the forest, they look right here!
    But I would also like it in Bortola instead of bubble trees...and I agree we should have it back in Kajuu where it looks really right :)

    Note to self: kill bubble tree in back garden and replant with spice or gas, lol. My cupboard is filling up with bags of bubbles I have no use for :D
    Posted 17 months ago by Violet Subscriber! | Permalink
  • @ Violet..  I had bubbles all over the place too.. then I remembered they are also edible lol
    Posted 17 months ago by Qizara Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Violet, send me your spare bubbles:) I have uses for them !!! :D
    Posted 17 months ago by RM Subscriber! | Permalink
  • There's WAY too many bubble trees ingame. Think about it, bubble tree plantable areas:

    Heights
    Alakol
    Bortola (I think?)
    Kajuu

    And these places are pretty darn big. Now look at Spice.......

    Ix
    The swampy areas, but just how many patches are there? Like, next to none.

    And that is all..... what kind of imbalance is this?
    Posted 17 months ago by KitkatCat Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I used to get 4000 currants a game day from selling allspices. Now I get 200 currants. The amount of spice plants are decreasing. There are also hardly any wood trees. Maybe, if you knock down a wood tree or poison any other tree, you have to pay 10,000 currants, and if you do not have enough currants, your home will be taken away and so will ALL your items.
    Posted 17 months ago by MikiD Subscriber! | Permalink
  • +1 !!! Way to go RM!
    Posted 17 months ago by Dr007 Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I am bumping this thread up because now we've got a couple duplicates going :)
    Posted 17 months ago by RM Subscriber! | Permalink
  • i agree about bringing the spice back to groddle forest .. it just .. it just looked good.

    you also recommend taking the bean trees out of groddle forest too, right?

    i wouldn't mind that personally but have heard some people defend the bean tree rather strenuously due to its importance in making awesome stew.

    and shimla .. grrr .. i spent a good while searching shimla for a location to plant spice trees, since it says you can on the seeds .. but there aren't any patches. very frustrating. it would be good if shimla was removed from the seed info or if some tree patches were added to the area.
    Posted 17 months ago by striatic Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Bump, in light of there possibly being a new Ix-only resource.
    Posted 17 months ago by Sheepy Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I think having spice trees plantable in Kajuu as well as Ix would be a good idea, rather than limit them to a very small amount of Ur. I think they'd look perfect there as well, with the dusty background.
    Posted 17 months ago by arcturus Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Just went into Ix, and there were no gas trees!  Only spice.

    Visually, spice trees look nice in GF.  Gas trees really need a home where zealous spice traders can't drive them out.
    Posted 17 months ago by WindBorn Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Some people never trade spice yet also plant spice trees for personal use harvesting.
    Posted 17 months ago by MaryLiLamb Subscriber! | Permalink
  • There are currently two streets in Ix called "Spice East" and "Spice West".  Unfortunately, when the other streets get planted with spices, it makes it almost impossible for new players to find gas and bubble trees. Is there some reason that all the streets in Ix need to be devoted to spice?

    I think I understand that you, personally, want more spice available.  What about the folks who need gas and bubbles for their badges? 
    Posted 17 months ago by WindBorn Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Last I checked, there was mostly gas in the other streets of Ix (13 trees at the end of the test) except for Flipside and the Spice streets...there are also gas trees in Chakra Phool, Jethimadh and Ilmenski Caverns.  There are bubble trees all over the Heights, Alakol, Bortola, Andra, and Kajuu...definitely no lack of bubbles. 

    If you look at a map, seems Ix is getting divided down the middle...left/light side is for gas; right/dark side is for allspice.  Three whole streets for spice in Ix (though it is more prevalent in Chakra and Jethimadh now too), and three streets in Ix for gas...seems pretty equitable, especially since there is currently a higher need for spice with so many recipes. 
    Posted 17 months ago by ~Pink Flamingo~ Subscriber! | Permalink
  • @Beach Bum,

    When I first posted, I had been to every street in Ix, and found 2 gas trees.  I then planted one street with gas and bubbles, only to come back about 30 minutes later to discover that all the gas and bubble trees had been poisoned and replanted with spice. 

    Making a whole region the exclusive territory for one kind of tree doesn't make a lot of sense to me. 
    Posted 17 months ago by WindBorn Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Beach Bum: I find I have a MUCH higher need for gas than for spice because gas is used in a lot of other types of recipes than food (like the seasoned beans and eggs, notably) and in much higher quantities. So if you aren't cooking all the time, gas is more precious, if you are chasing achievements, for example. I never ever leave bubble trees in Ix 'cause you can get those in the highest number of regions. I always leave the spice on West and East Spice alone and balance the rest of Ix more heavily toward gas. BUT that was sort of my second point in this suggestion, about balancing: The Ix war will never end until gas AND spice get a little more love on regions :) Regions people visit more often, that is. 

    And blast it all, the spice trees were JUST. SO. PRETTY. in the Forest. Said the broken record to the dead horse and all. :) Actually, the gas trees fit in so prettily visually in Ix, too, whereas they look really sad and neglected in the swampy areas....
    Posted 17 months ago by RM Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Seems that both gas and spice can be planted in Jethimadh which is where I currently dwell.  I plant one of each if I find two open spots. If I find one, I figure out what is there already and try to balance the ecosystem.

    Call me crazy.
    Posted 17 months ago by g33kgurrl Subscriber! | Permalink
  • +1000
    Posted 16 months ago by Hank Tudor Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Agree with RM.
    More diversity with the trees!!!!
    Posted 16 months ago by Ruby Specklebottom Subscriber! | Permalink
  • +1 million. There are now 8 regions. EIGHT. That allow for Bubbles. Annnnd Three. Count them 3 regions for Spice and Gas. Oh wait. I missed one. 4 regions for gas. 3 regions for spice. 8!!! regions for bubbles.

    I think I need say no more.
    Posted 16 months ago by Jhennauchan Subscriber! | Permalink
  • You know, about wood trees being so rare: I always thought that you should be able to plant wood trees in the dark patches as well as egg plants. You know, due to there being no leaves for photosynthesis.
    Posted 16 months ago by Johnny Triangles Subscriber! | Permalink