[Suggestion]: Core concept improvements for clarity and flare.

[enigmafyv]

General Info

• I would like to propose new content
• I would like to propose changes
• I would like to propose another thing

Suggestion Description

[TL;DR / BL;UF] There are too many suggestions to summarize, sorry. Best to just take it one bite at a time. Thanks in advance for your consideration.

Please consider the following, multiple changes to add clarity and flare to this great mod that could be that much better. I offer this up as I appreciate what it's capable of, but difficult to understand. Thanks for creating this neat little mod.

SUMMARY of changes to Statues mod

• Formatting
• Introduction to new concepts
  • Activate
  • Downgrade
• New Terms (to go with concepts)
  • Activate
  • Sculpt
  • Chisel (new meaning)
• Chapter Rewrites, Additions, and Modifications
  • Introduction
  • Additional Chapters
  • Chapter rewrites
• UI updates
  • S.T.A.T.U.E.
  • HUD
  • Book
• Further Suggestions (at end)

Formatting

The following formats are described to help understand why each of the sections are formatted the way they are.

Major Component

Minor Component or Suggestions

Personal Notes or Subtext within the Statues book

Re/Written section of the book. Consider adding it to the Statues book.

Syntax: key = value: Used for comparing current terminology to newly suggested terms.

Introduction to new concepts

Activate

This is currently called upgrade, which is confusing because, on first use, it's not actually upgrading the statue, it's just allowing it to be upgraded. Instead, call this initial phase 'Activate' or 'Activating the Statue'.

Downgrade

Introduce a downgrade option. You're already doing this with the 'Despawner' and 'Unglowing'. Why not consider just removing or negating any upgrade and call it chiseling (downgrading). This would allow for perpetual modification of a statue instead of having to create multiples with the right combination of upgrades.

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New Terms

Please consider the following term changes to add clarity:

Syntax: In game term = meaning

• Features = replaces the term 'Upgrades', since upgrades suggest improvements, whereas Despawner and Unglowing aren't improvements but the removal of improvements, so it's confusing. Features also follows the concept that real statues can have features that accent the piece of art.
• Activate = Enables a statue to accept features (Currently also referred to as 'Upgrade' which is confusing.)
• Sculpt = Upgrade
• Chisel = Downgrade

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CHAPTER REWRITES, ADDITIONS, AND MODIFICATIONS

Introduction [UPON OPENING THE BOOK]

PERSONAL NOTE

Consider adding a description to the mod right upon opening the book so people understand what the mod is about. Yes, people understand they can get access to statues, and while they initially seem like cosmetic "niceties", they're much more than that. With the current description, it seems pretty uninteresting. So why not spice it up a bit!

"Statues: Little useful Mobs"

Welcome to Statues where fashion meets function. Statues are not only a work of art and beauty but also useful tools. They add creative and artistic decorum to the world and they also have abilities, called "features", that enhance the world, allowing you to accent not only the visual aspect of a statue, but also their audible and functional aspects as well. These magical sculptures provide features that allow them to "come alive!"

Statues provides decorative character to your world by providing a way to illuminate your space, or add sounds when interacting with them. Even better, it allows you to spawn mobs in the world that would allow for continued riches!

The following chapters outlines the components of Statues and provides instructions on how to get started, exploring all of its capabilities.

CHAPTER: S.T.A.T.U.E.

A Statue Table for applying Tiered Upgrade Enhancements (S.T.A.T.U.E.), more simply known as the 'statue table', is used just as its name implies, to apply or remove features to a statue. A S.T.A.T.U.E. can be created with the following recipe (#TODO: add recipe image). Once crafted, place it down anywhere and use it like a workbench. Upon opening the statue table, you place a statue in the middle slot of the table and the materials in the outside slots.

Note: In lieu of having the recipes in this manual, use JEI to see what the different recipes are.

PERSONAL NOTE

While JEI can show the recipes for all statue items, it's best to include the main items in the manual. These include the Statue Table and the Statue Core.
For those that don't have recipes in the book, make a general statement (caveat) that all recipes can be found in JEI.

CHAPTER: Statue Activation [NEWLY INTRODUCED]

Before you can begin applying features to your statue, you must first activate it. This allows the statue's features to be modified with each level it gains, consuming one 'Feature Slot' per level.

Activating a statue consists of having three items:

1. A statue (i.e. a Zombie statue)
2. A Statue Core (obtained from a Statue Bat), and
3. A Statue Table for applying Tiered Upgrade Enhancements (S.T.A.T.U.E.)

PERSONAL NOTE

• Each of the listed items above should be linked to their specific page.
• Acronyms always come after their fully qualified names as it reads more clearly.

Activation Item 1: Obtaining a Statue

You must obtain a statue of the desired mob in order to apply features to it. Killing any mob has a 1% chance of dropping a statue of the same type. Note: this drop rate can be changed in the config.

Activation Item 2: Obtaining a Statue Core

You must also have a Statue Core in your possession. Both the statue and the Statue Core are needed to activate the statue in the next item.

Activation Item 3: The S.T.A.T.U.E.

A S.T.A.T.U.E., or 'statue table', is the workbench needed for activating the statue as well as applying/removing features to/from a statue.

CHAPTER: Statue Core

Statue Cores are dropped by the Statue Bat and are used to activate a statue in the Statue Table for applying Tiered Upgrade Enhancements (S.T.A.T.U.E.)

CHAPTER: Statue Bat

Just like the vanilla bat, the Statue Bat can be found in dark areas. Beware however as it fights back and will hurt you if you try to kill it. This bat has a small percentage of dropping Statue Cores which are used to activate statues.

CHAPTER: Upgrading a Statue

Currently, there are several features that can be added, and subsequently removed, from a statue.

After activating the statue, you can level it up (max level: 16) by killing 10 mobs per level, so long as the statue is in your hotbar or main inventory. You can only gain levels by killing the same mob as the statue. With each level gained, the statue gains an additional feature slot, for a total of 16 slots.

As feature slots become available, you must apply materials to the statue (in the statue table) thereby allowing you to add or remove features. See the various 'Features' chapters for each available feature you can sculpt the statue with.

CHAPTER: Features (Previously 'Upgrades')

There are several features available for statues that you can upgrade. Applying materials to the statue, in the statue table, will alter its features. Each feature applied to the statue consumes a feature slot along with the materials used to upgrade or downgrade them. No matter the level, once the feature is applied and the slots are consumed, you cannot undo/remove any of the features. If you want to change an aspect of a statue you must obtain a different statue and start over, activating and leveling it up once again.

The following is a brief description of each features. Select each features chapter to read more about each of the abilities.

CHAPTER: Extras

Curios

The statue can be held in a curio/bauble slot when held in hand and right-clicked while targeting air.

Please note that while in a bauble slot, it will not collect levels for killing mobs and MUST be in your hotbar or your main inventory to register a kill.

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CHAPTER: FEATURE UPGRADES

The following features can be upgraded to allow for greater emphasis of that specific feature. For example, as you will read on the 'Glowing' page, for each level of 'Glowing' the light level will increase around the statue.

Consuming feature slots are permanent. You only have 16 levels/feature slots to upgrade with. If you want a statue to be a bright source of light and a spawner, then you will have to divvy up how many feature upgrades you can apply of each before running out of available feature slots. Once a feature slot is consumed, it cannot be freed up to be used again.

Terms Reminders

• Activate = Enables a statue to accept features (Currently also referred to as 'Upgrade' which is confusing.)
• Sculpt = Upgrade
• Chisel = Downgrade
• Features = replaces the term 'Upgrades', since upgrades suggest improvements, whereas Despawner and Unglowing aren't improvements but the removal of improvements, so it's confusing. Features also follows the concept that real statues can have features that accent the piece of art.

CHAPTER: Glowing

Description: Causes the statue to emit light equivalent to the level of Glowing, preventing all other mob types from spawning in the immediate area. This acts as a regular light source (i.e. torch, glowstone, etc…)
Total Sculpting Levels: 16
Can be chiseled?: Yes, with 'Unglowing'
Ingredients: [SHOW INGREDIENTS ON RIGHT PAGE]

CHAPTER: Spawner

Description: Turns the statue into a spawner that spawns the mob the statue is based on. The more levels in this feature, the more number of mobs spawn at a time. This does not change the pace at which they spawn as that's accomplished by applying the 'Speed' feature.
Total Sculpting Levels: 16
Can be unchiseled?: Yes, with 'Unspawner'
Ingredients: [SHOW INGREDIENTS ON RIGHT PAGE]

… Repeat format for each of the features …

Feature Upgrades

• Glowing
• Spawner
• Mob Killer
• Looting
• Automation
• Speed
• Interaction
• Sound

Feature Downgrades

• Despawner
• Unglowing

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SUGGESTIONS

S1. Applying a curio/bauble: Changing the R-click behavior to Shift+R-Click to avoid accidentally placing it in a bauble/curio slot, as this is currently very easy to do.
S2. Level Collection: Allow the statue to collect level points while in a bauble slot.
S3. HUD UI Improvement: While holding the statue in a bauble slot, provide a HUD menu for showing the status of the statue, similar to the 'Deep Learning' from the 'Hostile Neural Network' mod. This way, at a glance, the player will know how many kills they need before their next level.
S4. Book UI Improvement: Change the picture, next to the 'Statue Core' text, to the actual 'Statue Core'
S5. Book UI Improvement: Place the 'Statue Bat' on the page after 'Statue Core' with its own description and corresponding picture next to it.
S6. Statue Table UI Improvement: Consider only showing an 'Activate' button upon first placing a new statue. Once the statue has been activated, then change the UI to have two buttons, one for 'Sculpt' (or upgrading) and the other for "Chisel" (or downgrading). Combining them into one button (Chisel; a.k.a. upgrade) seems confusing at the moment.
S7. Consider making each of the CHAPTERS their own clickable links at the beginning of the book, for ease of access.
S8. Consider making each 'Feature' it's own chapter so they can also benefit from being a clickable link at the beginning of the book. This saves from having to thumb through a bunch of pages to find what you're looking for.

Book Omission Suggestions

This entry will provide an overview of how the system works and what upgrades are available.

This is understood. That's what manuals are for. Telling people this is superfluous/unnecessary. Consider removing/omitting it altogether.

--- If you got this far, then you're awesome! Thanks for hanging in there. Have a great day! ---

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