Mason Tech Tree

Mason is primarily a game about construction in a frontier settlement. It is therefor necessary for players to develop technology in much the same way as in numerous other real time strategy or roleplaying games to achieve their goals.

The basics of a simulated technology tree are being developed for Mason in Cyphesis. The fundamental element of the system is the tool, and new steps in the technology tree are created by adding a new tool to the system, or adding new functionality to an existing tool. The tables below shows the tools currently available in Cyphesis, and is now open for contributions of new ideas.

These tools are used to create raw materials, or convert materials from one form into another.

Mason Tools for converting items

Tool	Source	Duration	Result	Description
pickaxe	world	Instant	stone	Pickaxe used to cut rough stone from rocky parts of the terrain
scythe	world	Instant	grass	Scythe used to cut grass from areas of the terrain
shovel	world	Instant	earth	The shovel digs up a pile of earth from grassy parts of the terrain
shovel	world	Instant	sand	The shovel digs up a pile of sand from sandy parts of the terrain
axe	tree	Two stage task	lumber	Axe is used to fell trees into rough lumber
axe	lumber	Single stage task	stake	Axe is used to sharpen lumber into a stake
saw	lumber	Multiple stage task	board	Saw is used to turn lumber into boards
bucket	body of water	Instant	water	Bucket can extract water from rivers and lakes
pickaxe	mineral ground	Instant	ore	pickaxe can mine ore from mineral rocks
plow	soft ground	Instant	plowed field area	plow can be used to turn a piece of soft ground into a plowed field

These tools are used to affect entities in the world as will be required for certain types of construction activity without creating any new entity, or destroying an existing one.

Mason Tools for modifying entities

Tool	Target	Duration	Description
hammer	-	Single stage task	Drive entity into the ground
pole	-	Indefinite task	Rotate entity away from the player

The tools implemented so far have been done largely to allow players and mobs to create a stockade, or palisade from tree trunks. Characters use an axe to fell trees to create lumber, sharpen the lumber into stakes, tilt the stakes upright using the pole, then drive them into the ground using the hammer.

Planting

Planting normally happens with a tools such as a trowel being used on a seed. This table describes the different plantable entities and their seeds.

Mason planting

Plant	Tool	Seed	Description
oak	trowel	acorn	-
fir	trowel	fir cone	-
appletree	trowel	apple	-
birch	trowel	birch seed?	-
carrot	trowel	carrot seed	-
turnip	trowel	turnip seed	-

Key

	Proposed
	Development
	Testing
	Implemented

Please feel free to add proposed items to the tables above, adding notes to the discussion page if necessary.

--Alriddoch 20:41, 18 June 2006 (CEST)