Suggestion for Resource Transport System

[Theseus11]

Ant Queen Taming and Colony Control

Ant Queen Encounter:
Deep within a sprawling underground mega-colony lies the Ant Queen. She’s not just chilling — she’s protected by elite soldiers and only reveals herself after the player proves their worth.

Taming Mechanic:
Rather than a simple feed-and-befriend system, taming the queen involves a multi-stage questline:

Defend the colony from hostile invaders (e.g. Termites, Spiderlings, or a new apex predator like a Mole Cricket).

Gather rare materials: Royal Jelly, Fermented Nectar, Pheromone Glands, and Queen’s Amber.

Once Tamed:
You gain access to the Ant Communication Pheromone Device — a craftable tool that allows you to issue logistical commands to your colony. You now have influence over ant task management, including resource delivery between bases.

---

Ant-Powered Resource Transport System

Ant Caravan System

Base-to-Base Logistics:

Players construct modular Ant Dock Stations at each base, consisting of:

Pheromone Post (used to identify base location)

Ant Platform (launch/arrival point)

Drop-off/Pick-up Storage

Caravan Mechanics:

Worker ants transport items from an outbound crate at Base A to an inbound crate at Base B.

Caravans are visible in the world, walking real paths between bases.

Delivery times are based on:

Distance between bases

Active route hazards

Ant breed and upgrades

Example:
A 400cm route might take 10 in-game minutes. Upgrades (such as better-fed ants, faster breeds, or shortcut trails) can reduce this time by up to 40%.

---

Risk and Strategy

Visible and Vulnerable:

Ant caravans physically travel between bases.

They can be attacked by hostile insects or ambushed en route.

Players can assign soldier ants to escort the caravan or build pheromone decoys to lure enemies away.

If a caravan is destroyed:

Resources are lost.

You’ll receive a notification or marker showing where the last known caravan was attacked, allowing you to investigate and potentially recover some materials.

---

Dedicated Logistics Storage

New Container Types:

Outbound Ant Crate: Where players load items for delivery.

Inbound Ant Crate: Where ants automatically deposit delivered resources.

Optional Add-ons:

Queue Manager Terminal: Lets players queue items for future shipments or set delivery priorities.

Routing Beacon: Used to manually set or modify delivery paths to avoid known danger zones.

---

Progression and Upgrades

As you expand and upgrade the colony:

Unlock new ant breeds (e.g. faster Red Ants, stronger Black Ants, hybrid transporters).

Construct Ant Express Paths — raised, reinforced trails that improve speed and offer mild protection.

Develop pheromone route markers to increase efficiency and avoid backtracking.

---

Bonus Mechanics

Ant Mail System:
Send small items or notes to other players via ant courier in multiplayer mode.

Colony Mood System:
The queen responds to how well you care for her colony. Happy queen = faster, more efficient ants. Neglected queen = slowdowns, random misroutes, or even strikes (ants refusing to work until you improve conditions).

Royal Chamber Expansion:
Expand and customise your colony. Breed task-specific ants like Haulers, Builders, Guards, or even Scouts for route patrol.