Swimming crocodiles and a case for boats

[BoogerParty]

We’ve all been there. You’ve just made a new exile, you’re jogging along the river, and you hear a familiar growl. You’ve aggroed a crocodile! Do you run? Do you stand and fight? Hah! Why expend the stamina or take the damage when you can just jump in the river and swim away? As you backstroke triumphantly away, you watch the crocodile watch you impotently from the shore, because, as we all know, crocodiles are famously unable to swim.

…Wait.

Hold on a second.

Yeah, this makes no sense. I’m just gonna say it. The crocodiles need to be able to swim and attack players in the water (yes, I know about the ones that jump at you, they’re just animations that disappear immediately and can’t actually hurt you, they don’t count shut up). That they can’t is just absurd. They’re crocodiles. Swimming and hunting in the water is what they do. If they won’t go in the water, they may as well be big crabby geckos.

(Also yes I know they might walk along the bottom of the river after you before turning back to shore. That’s not swimming, shut up.)

In fact, I might go so far as to say they should be more likely to attack you in the water, with an increased aggro range and a much faster movement speed that players can’t easily outswim. Make jumping into the river dangerous for once.

And then, give the players a way to protect themselves on the water: rafts and boats. I’m not talking about being able to build pirate ships and triremes or whatever, that’d be silly. Maybe the first tier would be a flimsy raft made of skinny logs held together with twine. Second tier could be a canoe or a dugout of some sort, and the fanciest we could make would be a craftable version of the one you use to get to the Sunken City.

I’m not proposing the game turn into whatever Atlas was supposed to be, just make the water less of a sanctuary and then give players a safe way to navigate the river or the Siptah coast.

Every time boats come up, someone says they’re not a priority because there isn’t really a use for them outside the river. If the threat of crocodile attack makes the river dangerous to swim in, then I think even that limited use for boats would be justified.

Also I don’t like the current crocodile design and I think if their eyes reflected our torchlight at night it would be super creepy okay thanks bye.

[Usernameextra]

Completely supportive. Its crazy that the most hostile lands allow you to walk swim w.e in water even claim sanctuary, and nothing happens. I think theres one resource under water? Only for orange dye.

EDIT: And a chest or two

[stelagel]

Swimming crocks is something I ask years now, so I am all in to this. Not long ago another fellow exile opened a post about it asking spider climbing too.
The game will be way more difficult if crocs swimm and attack in water, so people don’t agree in this idea and I find their point fair. Yet this is what I want to see too @BoogerParty, so I support it nonetheless .

[Baen]

You’re totally right. Swimming crocs are another thing I thought would have already been in the game. The small boat idea is also a good one. I would also like to see them open the water up further around Siptah. Sharks and other sea life would be awesome. I’m not opposed to ships either. Patrolling the coastline in a ship, I think, would be pretty cool.

[GrayRainbow]

Now that’s the real question

[BoogerParty]

@stelagel

The game will be way more difficult if crocs swimm and attack in water, so people don’t agree in this idea and I find their point fair.

If anyone complains, just tell them to be glad they don’t jump, too.

[AndryBridge]

On Ark there are many of these details, the exploration on the ground was a nightmare. It doesn’t have to be realistic, it wouldn’t be fun for me, it would be frustrating.

[Sir.Henry.Vale]

While I would love the concept of boats in the game. In reality, having boats in CE is way less effective in comparison with Valheim having boats. There you need it to travel. CE it is just an interesting way to get around limited areas where there is water. I would see this is a low priority item so odds this will not happen.

This is a case for a mod author to create since this is more a niche concept request.

[prologue1337]

Crocks should be able to swim yeah, I remember my first encounter and was surprised I was safe in the water from them.

Would also be nice if spiders could climb, even on structures.

And the harpies/bats fly, but also maybe not since flying would be annoying to deal with.

[stelagel]

@Sir.Henry.Vale

This is a case for a mod author to create since this is more a niche concept request.

@KorgFoehammer already uploaded a video.

Updated boat. Still needs work though

Now put dangerous fish in the waters, sharks and alligators that attack and suddenly boats will be a sought after item! Ive already seen thralls attempting swimming to follow you into the water also.

[Sir.Henry.Vale]

I recall seeing that before but I wasn’t sure if it was completed or not to mention a mod in WIP.

[stelagel]

I am a console player and I don’t have the joy to use mods. Leaving a good comment and give some appreciation to the people who work so much won’t hurt you know . After all you never know what of all these will end up in game.

[TeleTesselator]

I disagree - and a couple of things.

First, Conan is supposed to have “crocodiles” but the models are of alligators I think.

Alligators are pretty tame in water and mostly attack on shore - so the animations and AI fit the actual models. You have to get pretty close to them before they will come after you and they won’t bother swimming too far to get you.

There is a Giant Crocodile that uses the model of an actual crocodile but I assume we’re talking about the ones littering the river shores and swamps.

If we go by the names however and say they are indeed actually crocodiles then the AI is fairly wrong and introducing small boats is no solution either.

Crocodile hatchlings:

Alligator hatchlings:

[BoogerParty]

@TeleTesselator

First, Conan is supposed to have “crocodiles” but the models are of alligators I think.

The in-game model is so spectacularly wrong that I feel like trying to assign it to a real species is impossible. No real crocodilian has (or had) those big spiky protrusions on its snout, or had its nostrils located so far back. It desperately needs an overhaul, but I didn’t want to go on another rant about that in the OP.

@TeleTesselator

Crocodile hatchlings:

This is a gharial, which is highly adapted to prey on fish and isn’t a good model for a more generalized croc shape. If we look at, say, a Nile crocodile hatchling, which if the Exiled Lands are near Stygia the crocs in this game should resemble, it looks much closer to the in-game hatchling model:

[TeleTesselator]

@BoogerParty

The in-game model is so spectacularly wrong that…

Yeah that was kinda my take and one of the reasons I replied about them not swimming after you and attacking in the water. What they are in CE is what they are in CE. We can’t really say what they should act like. Especially considering this is supposed to be what, about 11,500 years ago, and given the fact that animal behaviors change over time. Right, Plato told the story of Atlantis around 360 B.C. and claimed that Atlantis fell 9,000 years before - and Conan is supposed to be set just after the fall (sinking) of Atlantis.

I should admit right up front though that I know diddley about crocks or gators.

[TeleTesselator]

Let’s dump a buttload of piranha in the n00b river then! F’it…

[ugh_thump]

Ohh and then have the land just open up in earthquakes that swallow new players, all their gear and base all in one. PvE builds slipping beneath the sands!

Oh speaking of sand! And quicksand! Death to all players everywhere at all times! MWahahahahhahaha … cough splutter

But yes Crocs munching on you in water with a limited leash range would be good.

[Usernameextra]

“hh and then have the land just open up in earthquakes that swallow new players, all their gear and base all in one. PvE builds slipping beneath the sands!”

This would be pretty sweet.

[Hakeem]

I really like the concept of a “living world” which entails animals that have sleep, feeding, patrol/migration and predator/prey interaction cycles. Some games manage this and others don’t bother.

Conan has all the tools I believe to make it work, they just have to be implemented which perhaps down the road could be a “Living World Age”.

• Crocodiles: (as noted they have alligator design) already leap out of the water in rare “event” type instances but don’t actually persist there. It is both terrifying and cool to see. Real crocs in the water would be an added risk when running during PvP for example to escape combat or swim with an overencumbered inventory full of post-raid loot.

• Real Fish: They have the 2D fish in the rivers and ocean, but they could add in marine life similar to grubs and rabbits that have pathing zones. As grubs and rabbits were put into the game with intent, it is not impossible for aquatic life to be added.

One user pointed out that Ark was a nightmare due to the “real world” environment of pathing animals and aquatic threats. However those were 6 foot tall 25 foot long creatures of pure hatred and hunger leaping 20+ feet and ripping you to pieces in a dark swamp.

I would argue this could be done differently lol.

[Usernameextra]

Im all for more “survivalist” challanges as i feel the game got way to lenient on the survival aspect recently, but water predators and a reason to dive is something ive wanted since launch time