This is the name of one of our branches (look here for shortlog) and I currently spend my much too short Clonk working time on this. Judging from the positive feedback I got so far, the project is popular among the devs and those people reading the forum (look here for feedback thread). This might very well become the standard in the next release and that is big enough to me for writing an article about it.

Heavy resources utilise the already existent ‘carry heavy’ library that you might or might not know from objects like the boompack or the barrel. In short: These are big and heavy objects that a clonk needs to carry with both hands, effectively blocking access to the regular inventory. Carrying such in melees is a tactical choice, in settlements it is slowing you down. With the heavy resource branch in effect, it will slow you even more, rendering the transport of resources more of a challenge than it is now (with a large space of 5 slots, the inventory is quite effective). Designing your transport routes will be a task to consider.

This clonk is carrying a heavy rock.

The first change with big impact is to prevent the clonk from scaling and brachiating while carrying a heavy object. The landscape, especially the shape you gave it, becomes an obstacles again. In addition, all material objects (rock, ore, coal, …) are replaced by a carry heavy version. Trees can be cut into logs which are also carry heavy. Refined materials (metal, planks) also get carry heavy.

What are planks you ask? Planks are obtained from the sawmill by cutting logs. Planks will serve as high tier construction material. The sawmill will change from a must-have to a nice-to-have building, giving you more freedom to choose the first steps into a settlement game.

My next steps will be to iron out all the small flaws that make handling the heavy objects weird right now. Also, I need to remotivate the graphics department because as you can see, the heavy objects lack proper graphics right now.  Testing is already possible for those who have downloaded the repository; just switch to the ‘heavy resources’ branch. I haven’t done any engine changes yet, so using an autobuild is possible. I will also see to upload a ready-to-go package with all game files necessary to play.

After that, me and hopefully everyone else will think about new ways to make transportation more exciting. Ideas are welcome. How can we make changing the landscape more comfortable? Do we need new buildings or vehicles to ease movement of the big chunks? Especially a whole lot of them?