Update mechanics on utility animals

[Cymas]

They don't all necessarily need a full TLC, but newer utility animals have some traits that older ones would really benefit from. For example:

Add power/delicate harvesting to all harvesting specialists so players can have finer control over their use.

Autonomous gathering to the ones who don't already have it, such as the anky.

Maybe reduce the weight of crafted structures in certain inventories such as wood structures in beaver/mammoth/thorny, stone in doed, metal in anky.

Add a "combat/defense mode" behavior to harvesters that will automatically disable resource harvesting during battle. I've lost more than a few utility animals to getting overencumbered from smacking rocks/trees etc while trying to defend against wilds in dangerous gathering areas.

Make the oviraptor's egg boost a toggleable behavior setting like the way mating is now. It is so outdated and silly that we still have to fill them with stone/wood etc just to get any use out of them. The beetle and snail would both benefit from this with their abilities too, honestly. Nobody wants to put anything that produces resources on wander because of them glitching through structures on render, so why keep broken mechanics as integral to the function of anything.

[Qwertymine]

On 4/25/2019 at 5:30 AM, Cymas said:

Add a "combat/defense mode" behavior to harvesters that will automatically disable resource harvesting during battle. I've lost more than a few utility animals to getting overencumbered from smacking rocks/trees etc while trying to defend against wilds in dangerous gathering areas.

I don't see how this would help. Most harvest dinos can't get away from threats, and those who can are usually powerful enough to just kill those threats. Having a guardian dino like a Rex can help with this, as you can not only use it for protection, but also loading resources. 

[WilliamMichell]

I like these ideas very much, hopefully more people will vote on it.

[Cymas]

The problem isn't that they can't get away, it's if you're attacked from behind or the sides and the animal is too encumbered you can't turn around to fight properly. Most harvesters have melee pumped up high enough that they can handle threats, but you can't kill something if you can't hit it, and if you're out farming you likely don't have a lot of gear on you because weight.

[Aushegun]

Yes, yes and yes..... Cymas for the win!