planetsim/docs/flora_generation_plan.md

Flora Generation Plan

For flora, I want the system to generate plant life based on biome, climate, terrain, water availability, and regional consistency. Like fauna, flora should not always be exact real-world species, but broader plant types that fit naturally into the environment.

1. Basic Plant Types

First, we should define basic plant categories that can appear across many environments, with variations depending on biome and climate.

For example:

Grasses
    Dry grass in savannas
    Marsh grass in wetlands
    Alpine grass in mountains
Shrubs
    Desert shrubs
    Thorny shrubs
    Berry bushes
Trees
    Tropical trees
    Conifer trees
    Deciduous trees
    Mangrove trees
Fungi
    Forest mushrooms
    Swamp fungi
    Cave fungi

These should work similarly to the “basic animal types” from the fauna system. A plant type can exist in many places, but its exact form changes depending on the environment. 2. Flora Classification

Flora should be described using broad plant groups rather than exact species.

Possible classification fields:

Plant group
Growth form
Size category
Climate preference
Water requirement
Terrain preference
Ecological role

Example: text

Plant: Desert shrub Group: Angiosperm Growth Form: Shrub Size: Small Climate: Arid / Hot Water Requirement: Low Terrain: Sandy / Rocky Role: Ground cover / Food source

Another example: text

Plant: Giant rainforest tree Group: Angiosperm Growth Form: Tree Size: Huge Climate: Tropical / Humid Water Requirement: High Terrain: Soil-rich lowland Role: Canopy / Habitat

Possible growth forms:

Grass
Moss
Fern
Shrub
Bush
Tree
Vine
Reed
Cactus / succulent
Fungus
Aquatic plant

Possible size categories:

Tiny
Small
Medium
Big
Huge

3. Biome-Based Flora

Each biome should have a set of likely plant types.

Examples: Desert

Likely flora:

Cacti / succulents
Dry shrubs
Thorn bushes
Sparse grasses
Drought-resistant flowers

Rare flora:

Oasis trees
Reeds near water
Desert fungi after rain

Forest

Likely flora:

Deciduous trees
Conifer trees
Ferns
Moss
Mushrooms
Berry bushes

Rare flora:

Ancient giant trees
Poisonous flowers
Medicinal herbs

Swamp / Wetland

Likely flora:

Reeds
Mangroves
Water lilies
Moss
Wetland grasses
Fungi

Rare flora:

Carnivorous plants
Giant swamp trees
Rare medicinal roots

Grassland / Steppe

Likely flora:

Grasses
Wildflowers
Small shrubs
Herbs

Rare flora:

Lone trees
Thorn bushes
Seasonal flowers

Mountain / Alpine

Likely flora:

Alpine grass
Lichens
Moss
Small shrubs
Hardy flowers

Rare flora:

Ancient mountain trees
Rare herbs
Snow-resistant plants

Tundra

Likely flora:

Moss
Lichens
Low shrubs
Cold-resistant grasses

Rare flora:

Seasonal flowers
Fungi
Hardy berry bushes

4. Cell Population System

Flora can also use a slot and point system, similar to fauna.

For example:

Each cell has 15 flora slots
Each cell has 30 flora points

Plants are added until either the slots or points are filled.

Suggested point cost by size: Size Point Cost Tiny 1 Small 2 Medium 3 Big 5 Huge 8

Flora may need more slots than fauna because plants are usually more numerous and layered.

A cell could contain: text

Cell Flora:

• Forest floor moss, Tiny, 1 point
• Ferns, Small, 2 points
• Berry bushes, Small, 2 points
• Deciduous trees, Big, 5 points
• Ancient oak-like trees, Huge, 8 points

The system stops adding plants once either:

All flora slots are filled, or
All flora points are used

5. Flora Layers

To make flora feel more natural, each cell can have vegetation layers.

Possible layers:

Ground layer
Herb layer
Shrub layer
Understory layer
Canopy layer
Aquatic layer

Not every biome needs every layer.

Example for a forest: text

Ground Layer: Moss, fungi Herb Layer: Ferns, flowers Shrub Layer: Berry bushes Understory Layer: Young trees Canopy Layer: Large trees

Example for a desert: text

Ground Layer: Dry grass, small succulents Shrub Layer: Thorn bushes Tree Layer: Rare oasis trees

This helps prevent weird combinations, like a dense rainforest canopy appearing in a dry desert cell. 6. Climate and Terrain Rules

Flora should be strongly influenced by environmental conditions.

Important factors:

Temperature
Rainfall
Soil quality
Terrain type
Elevation
Nearby water
Sunlight
Seasonality

Examples:

High rainfall increases trees, moss, ferns, and fungi.
Low rainfall increases cacti, succulents, dry shrubs, and sparse grasses.
Cold climate increases moss, lichen, conifers, and low shrubs.
High elevation reduces large trees and favors alpine plants.
Wet terrain increases reeds, aquatic plants, mangroves, and swamp trees.
Poor soil reduces plant density.
Fertile soil increases plant diversity and size.

7. Regional Distribution

Like fauna, flora should check neighboring cells to create a more natural and homogeneous distribution.

Rules could be:

Same biome and same climate: high probability of sharing the same flora.
Same climate but different terrain: moderate probability of similar flora.
Different climate: generate new flora.
Nearby rivers, lakes, and coasts can spread wetland or aquatic plants.
Mountain ranges, deserts, and oceans can act as barriers to plant spread.

This means forests should gradually change into grasslands or swamps instead of switching completely from one cell to the next. 8. Rarity and Special Plants

The system should support common, uncommon, rare, and unique flora.

Possible rarity levels:

Common
Uncommon
Rare
Very rare
Unique

Examples: text

Common: Grass, moss, reeds Uncommon: Berry bushes, medicinal herbs Rare: Carnivorous plants, glowing mushrooms Very Rare: Ancient trees, magical flowers Unique: World-tree fragment, legendary herb

Rarity can be affected by biome and world rules.

For example:

Carnivorous plants are rare in swamps.
Glowing mushrooms are rare in caves or dark forests.
Ancient trees are rare in old forests.
Medicinal herbs are uncommon in mountains or forests.

9. Ecological Role

Each plant type should have an ecological role. This can later connect flora to fauna, crafting, survival, or gameplay systems.

Possible roles:

Food source
Shelter
Nesting material
Medicine
Poison
Crafting material
Building material
Fuel
Soil stabilizer
Water indicator
Magical / special resource

Example: text

Plant: Berry bush Growth Form: Bush Size: Small Climate: Temperate Water Requirement: Medium Role: Food source for animals and humans

Example: text

Plant: Thorn shrub Growth Form: Shrub Size: Small Climate: Arid Water Requirement: Low Role: Shelter for small animals, natural barrier

10. Overall Goal

The goal is to create a flora system that feels natural, biome-based, and regionally consistent. Plants should be generated from broad categories, growth forms, ecological roles, and environmental requirements rather than needing to define every exact species.

The flora system should also support later gameplay features such as animal habitats, food chains, crafting materials, medicine, poison, and rare discoveries.