Growing trees and forests

[DDDsDD999]

5x5? Maybe it was changed, because looks that stem takes one area and I can build on all areas around it...

christ.... read my damn post.

recap: if anything with a hitbox exists in the 5x5 area around a tree it stops growing.

5x5 specifically is incorrect, at least with mulberry trees I've tested with. I've had objects on the 2nd tile out from mulberry trees and they weren't stunted.

[Tonkyhonk]

im pretty sure people used to say "3x3".
5x5 is, i believe, what people use for safety measure.
also, some trees like fir has got bigger hitbox than just 1 tile when fully grown, obviously.

[Sylwira]

Now it starts to get understandable... You're right, some trees use area 3x3.
And out of curiosity... what exactly was the problem with those ungrown trees? If they just didn't grow, it wouldn't be much of a problem...

[btaylor]

Now it starts to get understandable... You're right, some trees use area 3x3.
And out of curiosity... what exactly was the problem with those ungrown trees? If they just didn't grow, it wouldn't be much of a problem...

They grew in places where they shouldn't. On paved tiles, in people's tree farms ruining the other trees growth phase. They were a nuisance and rather than iron out the bugs they were just pulled from the game.

[Sylwira]

Sad... I will fight for tree rights!
I planted my first tree...

[Sylwira]

For me it seems that 'not being able to grow' shouldn't be problem at all. It's even more realistic this way, a tree that don't have enough space can't grow big and strong...
The main problem was about spawning, I guess it was totally random. If it was possible to make trees appear only around fully grown ones it would solve most of the problems (all trees around villages are usually cut down anyway). And if probability of a tree growing, when there are many objects around was lower, it would be even better, but I guess it's not that easy to do
Maybe it could be done a little other way round than I suggested first... What about something like this: trees tries to appear on random spots, but first it has to check two factors:
- how many objects are in close range
- how fare are the closest fully grown trees
Based on this, it calculates the probability of sprouting, and chooses kind of one of the closest trees.