Ash: One possible approach to fertilizers

[X-Heiko 11]

Hello there and sorry if this particular idea has already been suggested. I've only seen remotely similar ideas thus far, but please let me present my take on this.

Rationale: The new agriculture system incorporates nutrients, there are differently colored dirt types and TFC is typical for the "a player can be valuable because he masters a difficult profession" kind of touch. I noticed how I would go for modification of nutrient values, and that it'd have to do with ash.

The idea in short: Instead of actually different dirt types, the dirt color is dependent on their nutritional values and can be modified with ash gathered from burning logs in a fireplace. Different logs give different ash, so that tree types that aren't useful for burning or charcoal can be made nutritious and valuable again. Farmers would need a good eye in distinguishing color, and they'd try to use fireplaces more.

Part one: Dirt colors

Say, for example, that the nutrient groups A, B and C are each represented by a color hue. Let's take the additive base colors red, green and blue as an example, although there might be better/more realistic choices. Now, let's also add that under- or overnourished dirt loses color intensity and gains brightness: You want to reach pitch black dirt.

What would a greenish hue on a piece of farmland mean? It could mean there's too much B or too little A and C. If the color is dark, it means the dirt is basically in good shape, so if you have a dark, greenish dirt you might want to plant something that eats up some B.

Differently colored ashes could indicate what nutrients they contain. Even if you're not that experienced as a farmer: If your dirt is extremely pale and red, you give it some of the cyan-ish ash. Which leads to

Part two: Ash types

Everytime you burn logs in your fireplace, it drops two ash piles in the right slots. These you can place on dirt like you would do with bonemeal. Differnt kinds of connections could be made: Fast-growing trees like willows could be extremely low in nutrients, but give a balanced mix. Long-burning wood could be full of nutrient group A, hot-burning wood could mean it's full of B, or similar! I suggest we'd make it so the less popular trees would make for ash that is most useful, ash where you, for instance, have only one component so that you can manipulate the easiest.

This idea is best shown with numbers: If a pile of, say, Sycamore ash has a nutrient value of (150,125,90) - it's an allround wood that grows quickly. Would we now take spruces into the mix, which have no significant strong points, it may turn out the have a value of (0,0,100). This allows an experienced farmer with a good eye to manipulate their soil to their exact wishes.

What does it lead to?

Apart from different kinds of work (like the fireplace and forestry) being linked to agriculture as well and thus giving a interaction point for players in SMP, and so maybe even being a good idea for the Kingdoms/Politics update, this could lay the foundation to a more complex climate system. Dirt could eventually desertify as a result of this idea being developed further...

Seqouia and Kapok could gain totally new qualities: Their ash could be an "easy way" to do it right: Instead of oversaturating, their ash could manipulate all values into a favorable direction. Or they could be "mending ash" that only de-saturates the soil's oversaturated components.

What do I think are its greatest weaknesses?

There are two major problems I see, apart from how difficult it would be code-wise:

• Unless every dirt block that has not been made into farmland had statically preset nutrient values, item stacks of dirt may become even more difficult to handle than now. A simple solution in terms of "ooh quick idea" comes to mind: craft different dirt types together into the artihmetically average dirt.
• People with color deficiencies will hate this idea. At least as part of a config file, there should be an option for a right click to check the dirt and diagnose it via text messages. It could have multiple levels of verbosity, from "This soil is in order" or "This soil is somewhat sour" over "The soil is slightly magenta, but fairly dark" up to "109%, 112%, 75%: Need more C, else fine". This should also be possible for debug purposes.

Thanks for reading! What do you think?

[Bookcreeper 1]

I think this is very good idea, but instead of just ash (which doesnt have too many nutrients in it) there could be different kinds of fertilizer depending on what you need. Maybe composting would be a good addition? Also maybe soil pH would be good (if that doesnt make it too complex that is).

[GismoT 50]

ash was already suggested, but i think you should edit the name of the thread to fertilizers or something and add other ideas as well RESOURCE, compostation was already kind of denied/disliked

but on the other hand the devs are already polishing the agriculture so i think they have already made up their mind so you know,but pls dont nail me

[X-Heiko 11]

Oops, sorry for suggesting something already suggested. I thought my approach differred :/

[GismoT 50]

dude your approach differred, im just saying add more stuff then just ash

you made a nice clean list with pros and cons, but ash is not enough for fertilizing

keep the good work up =)

[Peffern 94]

Another problem. Unless I'm mistaken, this would require each dirt block to store a whole bunch more data.

Another bigger problem. You said that ash from sycamores is called "sycamore ash."

So does that mean there will be ash ash?

[EternalUndeath 1,208]

Another problem. Unless I'm mistaken, this would require each dirt block to store a whole bunch more data.

Another bigger problem. You said that ash from sycamores is called "sycamore ash."

So does that mean there will be ash ash?

what about Gary ash?

it can give soil 10 out of 8 badges nutrient points

[X-Heiko 11]

Another problem. Unless I'm mistaken, this would require each dirt block to store a whole bunch more data.

Yes, I thought I addressed that problem when it comes to inventory. I suggested a crafting recipe: any number of dirt blocks can be mixed to get the same number of dirt blocks, all with the average nutrient values and thus stackable. Or did you mean something else?

"Sycamore ash" was an example, I'm not saying the kind of tree must necessarily be in its name. However, I find "ash ash" funny

[Peffern 94]

I did in fact mean something different. In the world, currently most blocks store only one number, their block ID. With this, dirt blocks in the world would store four times that.

[GismoT 50]

they also store the water info

[EternalUndeath 1,208]

they also store the water info

I think only tilled earth stores water info

[Peffern 94]

Exactly. Now, we'd have to store more data.

[Srgnoodles 1,030]

Exactly. Now, we'd have to store more data.

store ALL the data!

[Peffern 94]

store ALL the data!

1. How'd you steal my meme??!!!

2. Do you ever actually make constructive comments?

[Srgnoodles 1,030]

1. How'd you steal my meme??!!!

2. Do you ever actually make constructive comments?

1 the same way i stole your beard

2 yes, when i feel like it

[X-Heiko 11]

I did in fact mean something different. In the world, currently most blocks store only one number, their block ID. With this, dirt blocks in the world would store four times that.

Don't they store their damage value, too? I mean, nutrients would have to be stored somehow anyway, or am I getting something wrong?

[GismoT 50]

since ic (yes ic not ic2) worked with the damage values to store data, maybe a non hypocrit-copyrightinfringement-code could do the trick

i dont know nothing about java nor minecrat, i am a pascal man

[X-Heiko 11]

I don't know about the inner workings of that, you'd have to ask a developer :/

[dunkleosteus 2,425]

I don't know about the inner workings of that, you'd have to ask a developer :/

meh maybe

[GismoT 50]

yay a maybe!