Thorn bush for hatchlings

[covert finch]

Plant: Briar bush (bleed bush, mother's claws)
This medium height, twisting plant of thorny vines and bright flowers is easy to spot. Avoided by adult dragons due to its claw like thorns, it can scratch all but the toughest hides. Many small and baby dragons have had their lives saved by quickly finding refuge in its vines, able to avoid it's thorns.

• A spiky bush that small dragons/hatchlings can hide under safely.
• Larger dragons can get scratched and have bleed applied, resistance and armor taken into account. They can still move through the bush.
• Flowers maybe food for Biolumin?
• Can be placed in front of Hatchling caves to act as a natural barrier. This means that the caves don't have to be so small and risk having dragons get stuck as they get bigger. Dragons will know when they start getting too big for the cave when they start getting scratched by the bush.

[minor saddle]

One problem with this. ASDs may have trouble, but the hot breath dragons like SS, IR, and FS can breathe fire on any natural foliage and I would think it woudl outright destroy it. Burn it to ashes... in doing so, rendering that bush useless. 😦

[covert finch]

I've tried burning thick bramble before, all it does is burn away the leaves and harden the thorns.

[small drum]

This is a pretty good idea. I'm not sure how exactly one would balance it to actively discourage say... an elder FS intent on clearing out hatchie ponds/caves like we have seen a lot previously on PvP. It couldn't be a lethal amount because that would feel really bad to lose your dragon to, but it can't be 'just scratches' or it's not going to deter anyone. And they'd need to be put in the entrance in such a way that you couldn't just glide over them, but also shouldn't obstruct hatchie vision as they try to traverse on foot.

It is a good idea, and something like this would definitely go a long way towards shaping a better meta. I just want to make sure it's implemented in a way that actually serves the function, as opposed to when the Isle did it with sanctuaries and you just get Raptors, Herreras and growing Cerata/Carnos camping the edges out of bee-range.

[sacred spindle]

Kind of cool idea? But bleed is so god-awful in this game I really wouldnt want it to actually apply any. I dont want to imagine dying because I accidentally ran past a bleed-to-death bush during a fight, its bad enough from dragon bites.

EDIT: Maybe it could start applying poison first as a warning as well? Since that generally wont start killing you right away like bleed does. Then if you stick around for more than a few seconds it starts stacking bleed, that I think Im down with!

[barren swan]

maybe it could begin* to give bleed if you stay more than 1 sec in it? so if you just run past it it shouldn't apply

[covert finch]

Hence the bright coloured flowers as a warning, as well as a beacon for hatchlings. It would need lots of balancing, likely having a second or two (which is longer then you might think) before its actually applied - could even have a 'before bleed' scratch that hits first that does no damage but warns you to get out.
Briar bush wouldn't inhibit moment, so easy enough to get out. Its not meant to be a trap, just a safety spot for smaller dragons.

Of course players could power through it and still try and get the hatchlings, its more about making trying to hunt hatchlings more effort then its worth.

[small drum]

I think if they were broad enough patches, and obscured vision from like... you know, above at the camera height an adult would have. Hatchies could literally just crouch inside them and see out but adults couldn't see them. Walking around to look for them wouldn't be worth risking the bleeds. Seems like it would work well.

[covert finch]

Basicly the idea came from Land before Time: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sk5NKeT24n8

[minor saddle]

Ok, my brain was not thinking and I was picturing some stupid wimpy thorn bush xD I had completely forgotten about that massive type of patch. Very interesting. However, my worry still comes form the fire breathers. The fire breath itself I mean. I can see it stopping plasma bolts now, but given how the flames work, what's to stop the fire particles from bleeding through? To stop melee bites into the bush I can see an actual collision box for the bush that stops adults or juvis and also gives pain/dmg/bleed on contact...

I'm no game dev but I always worry about issues where a creature has collision with a wall, but their models head still phases thru it and the head still manages to deal dmg beyond it.