Balloons and Shipping

We’ve been working recently on implementing some of the basic gameplay elements required for DwarfCorp (besides the mining, stockpiling, and building we currently have implemented). One of the most basic parts of the game is shipping stuff to and from the Dwarven motherland. We have a super basic system going where a balloon will automatically go to and from the motherland. When it gets to the colony, you’re able to ship off stuff from your stockpiles for profit. When it gets to the motherland, you have the option to place an order for goods from corporate HQ (at a significant markup).

We also decided it would be best to start the player with a simple balloon port at the beginning of the game. This present some challenges since the player can spawn anywhere (even in the middle of the ocean or on top of a mountain). Our current solution is to build a big, flat platform out of wood at the start of the game and spawn a balloon there. It then extends down so that it evenly covers any terrain it is on. This is not a complete solution. If the player spawns on edge of a mountain, for instance, the wooden scaffolds for the balloon port will extend all the way from the top of the mountain to the valley floor below. Similarly, if the player spawns in the ocean, the scaffolds extend all the way down to the bottom of the ocean. At least the player will get a lot of free wood in these cases!