61 replies to this topic

[TheMicroPlanet]

I think the low quality of the pictures on the cards gives the board game a more "board gamey" look (that is too say, I like it a lot).

[Ants_Dakota]

Also, you can use my profile pic, if you want.

Also, I agree with TheMicroPlanet

 

[Ants4fun]

Are you including Camponotus? They are found on nearly all of the continents besides Antarctica, and those colder more inhospitable places for ants.

Yes

You can use these pics if you want... I can get some better ones if you need any, or need the queen instead of worker or whatever.

Can you get one with Pogonomyrmex workers and queen? That would look best on card

https://flic.kr/p/2iqxKEM Hopefully that will bring you to a picture on my flickr page. Then you can browse and choose what you want. Unfortunately, I didn’t get a whole lot of great pics with the queen, but there are a couple. Feel free to use the Camponotus pennsyvlanicus pics too.

[Ants_Dakota]

Another question, How do you do those pictures on the cards? Do you draw that, or do you use a computer setting?

[Da_NewAntOnTheBlock]

Good question. I've been wondering that myself 

[RushmoreAnts]

You may use mine:

 

 

 

[Da_NewAntOnTheBlock]

Pretty ants

[RushmoreAnts]

I hope the center winged queen gets workers. I love colonies with winged queens. 

Edited by AntsDakota, February 17 2020 - 9:17 AM.

[Da_NewAntOnTheBlock]

I like the one on the far left with her beautiful gastor (looks like Lasius based off of her gastor).

[RushmoreAnts]

I fed that one honey before the other two arrived. That's probably why. 

[Serafine]

Just as an idea, Solenopsis fire ants should get free movement along rivers (rafting). You could even randomly roll whether they land or drift further along the river each turn (that would add some randomness to it as a downside, you may not always land where you want).

If you add in events like flooding they could be immune to that but drift in a random direction each turn until they hit land (or a river).

 

Camponotus could get additional food bonuses due to their Blochmannia endosymbionts, particularly when there are large bird or reptile populations in the tile (they harvest vertebrate poop and urine as a nitrogen source which their endosymbionts can turn into useful amino acids).

[Da_NewAntOnTheBlock]

I respect your knowledge, but cringe at the thoughts and speculation of how you found it out

[Da_NewAntOnTheBlock]

If you really want to include an interesting species, include trap jaw ants and skull collecting ants (their attributes should be obvious, trap-jaw ants have an attack boost because of their mandibles and skull collecting have a raiding boost, mainly against trap-jaw ants because of their superior formic acid spraying accuracy compared to other formica species). 

[DDD101DDD]

How many species will the game have? I think if there are too many, players will get really confused, especially if they're not ant keepers.

[Da_NewAntOnTheBlock]

Yes, that is a good point. My suggestion would be make a beta version-a version where it's not released and get's tested to see it's strengths and flaws. Great idea DDD!

[Ants_Dakota]

I think that would be a good idea.

[Serafine]

I respect your knowledge, but cringe at the thoughts and speculation of how you found it out

Well, it sort of started as a joke during a chat discussion about Blochmannia symbionts and what they do but recently it got scientific proof:
Camponotus ants mine sand for vertebrate urine to extract nitrogen: Ants mine urine in sand for nitrogen
 

If you really want to include an interesting species, include trap jaw ants and skull collecting ants (their attributes should be obvious, trap-jaw ants have an attack boost because of their mandibles and skull collecting have a raiding boost, mainly against trap-jaw ants because of their superior formic acid spraying accuracy compared to other formica species).

There's actually a lot of indicators that the massive trapjaws of Odontomachus have evolved as a defensive feature that allows the ant to catapult itself out of harms way (particularly when it falls into an ant lion trap). So something like a free retreat out of combat might make more sense for that genus.

Formica archibaldi does not have a special spray, their trick is to mimic the chemical signatures of their prey (and they can actually fine-tune it to match the specific Odontomachus colonies in their area) - the Odontomachus ant simply can't identify the attacker until it is too late. They also don't raid Odonotmachus colonies but instead pick off single workers (which isn't too hard as Odonotmachus isn't exactly known for great teamwork).

[Ants4fun]

Maybe add permanent inquillines? One example is Polyrachis lama. This interesting species parasites ants in a completely different subfamily, which is relatively unheard of. These ants raise their brood in Diacamma sp. nests. Another fascinating aspect of this ant’s life cycle is that they apparently raise their brood in various nests. One report indicates that out of 48 Diacamma colonies containing these inquiline parasites, only 7 contained queens. It is thought that they integrate themselves in various colonies, to make use of various colonies’ resources at the same time.
https://link.springe...0040-009-0024-2
https://antwiki.org/..._et_al_2000.pdf

Maybe have them be able to cross enemy lines without being seen.

[AntHUB]

near east wow very weird. definitely don't use a near east map, very strange.

what? the map? what's wrong with it?

[AntHUB]

 

 

Are you including Camponotus? They are found on nearly all of the continents besides Antarctica, and those colder more inhospitable places for ants.

Yes

You can use these pics if you want... I can get some better ones if you need any, or need the queen instead of worker or whatever.

Can you get one with Pogonomyrmex workers and queen? That would look best on card

https://flic.kr/p/2iqxKEM Hopefully that will bring you to a picture on my flickr page. Then you can browse and choose what you want. Unfortunately, I didn’t get a whole lot of great pics with the queen, but there are a couple. Feel free to use the Camponotus pennsyvlanicus pics too.

 

Thanks So much I'm on it!

 

Just as an idea, Solenopsis fire ants should get free movement along rivers (rafting). You could even randomly roll whether they land or drift further along the river each turn (that would add some randomness to it as a downside, you may not always land where you want).

If you add in events like flooding they could be immune to that but drift in a random direction each turn until they hit land (or a river).

 

Camponotus could get additional food bonuses due to their Blochmannia endosymbionts, particularly when there are large bird or reptile populations in the tile (they harvest vertebrate poop and urine as a nitrogen source which their endosymbionts can turn into useful amino acids).

I had this idea too great minds think alike I guess?

I will be editing solenopsis card ability because I haven't messed with the ant cards for a week or so, It will include flood resistance as well as pesticide resistance.