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I'm a minimalist, so I like games where there's a small number of options available. As such, I'm really leery about "new giant' suggestions and things that would alter the world to a huge degree...any chances to this delicate ecosystem-building game should be noninvasive, such that you wouldn't HAVE to use them.

But I also like randomly recommending creative changes, so I was sitting here thinking of what to reccomend and I thought: "insects...each giant should be able to create an insect." I love entomology.

Here's how it works: when a giant moves to a biome and uses this ability, it unleashes insects over the whole world. Squares they affect have a small chance of displaying a little "insect" animation from that point on...not too much, it shouldn't be overwhelming, but the effect could be beautiful. Insects affect specific squares all over the world, usually by increasing or decreasing range. Like real insects, this hugely modifies their environment, for better or worse...and they don't go away when you put them down. Here's an example. The idea with the example I've prevented is to give early-game players a new way to make a lot of resources quickly, but then "burn" them in the late game if they don't play well with the insects they've unleashed.


Forest Giant: Create social insects
- In forests: Honeybee
honey: +1 food from all plants on forest squares
stinging swarms:: bears, orangutangs, and langur monkeys have their ranged decreased by 1

- In swamps: Army Ants (closer to jungles than forests, IMHO)
raids:+1 danger in all squares with rubber, chili pepper, and lychee

- In mountains: Termites
Wood boring: -5 food from all date palm, cacao tree, and dragonfruit
Interesting mounds:+5 tech to all empty desert squares

Swamp Giant: Create Exotic Insects

- In Forests: Lightning Bug:
beautiful glow: +1 tech on all withered shrub, nightshade, and elderberry
strange mutations: -1 tech on all marsh mallow, ginger, and foxglove

- In Deserts: Goliath Beetle:
armored shell: +1 wealth on all desert squares with minerals
sap feeder: - 1 food on all desert lime, cherry tree, and coffea tree

- In swamps: Luna moths
silkweaver: empty swamp squares get +5 wealth
very hungry caterpillars: -3 food to all tomato plants, blueberries, and strawberries


Rock Giant: create bugs (insects with sucking mouthparts, some definitions include mosquitos which aren't "true bugs")

- In forests: cicadas
food source: +1 range for all frogs, chickens, and kangaroo rats
shrub feeders -1 natural range to all strawberries, blueberries, and tea plants

- in swamps: mosquitos
food source: +1 range for all frogs, iguanas, and chickens
parasite: descreases the speed at which villages expand

- In deserts: stinkbugs
Fascinating biochemistry: +1 tech from all plants in desert biomes
horrible stench: -1 range for all kangaroo rats, aramdillos, and rattlesnakes

Ocean giant: just creates crustaceans, which aren't insects, but whatever

- in oceans: Crustaceans
adundant depths:+1 food to all squares in the ocean that are not next to shore
Deadliest catch +1 danger to all squares in the ocean with 1 or more wealth that are not next to shore

The +range -range does a major change to the game, the other are, as you like, minimalist details.
That would be fun indeed, maybe as a mod later on (once the game is easily modable or something similar).
I like the idea of little insects you can look at, considering freeplay (since you have no time limit, you can be in awe with details/graphics in general).

I have to agree, I like the idea!

*Put's it in the box of awesome ideas for the future*

Original ideas! How rare and wonderful! Instead of new biomes or new giants a good fairly balanced (the range can be pretty strong, but it'll cost you a whole patch anyways) I think it would be a good addition.

With some balance tweaks this could totally work. Neat idea.

I like the idea!

In general, I like the idea of insect buffs. Good idea.

I don't really understand what you meant by the skills affecting the whole world though? I think it should be limited to a smaller area instead. It would probably look kind of epic to spread huge insects swarm over the entire world with once click, I agree with that, but that would mean that the skill only will be usefull once, so I don't really like it.