Possible Flux solution: Taint seeds absorb Flux

[Planetmind]

I'm seeing a lot of people talking about possible changes to the Flux system, mostly to do with how to give players more control over it without being overpowered or whatnot. I think that Taint, of all things, has the answer to this question. The whole process of Taint infestation should actually sharply reduce the Flux in the local aura, rather than contribute to it. Taint should, in my opinion, be subtly remodeled so that it serves as a kind of natural mechanism, acting as nature's own method of disposing with excessive amounts of Flux.

Such a mechanism could be much more immersive and interesting than what we have now, which is just those weird and seemingly arbitrary dimensional rifts, though it doesn't necessarily need to replace it altogether. Furthermore, it could be usable as a controllable way to deal with Flux, coming with heavy risks should a controlled Taint release get out of hand. It gives players a better incentive to brave such a risk than just getting Vitium essentia, too.

So, here's what I personally imagine such a system looking like, though keep in mind it doesn't have to be nearly this dramatic:

Giant Taint Seeds actively absorb Flux over time, producing Taint as they do so. When a seed absorbs enough Flux drawn from a 3x3 chunk area, it stops, and converts into a beautiful, unearthly Tainted Bloom. This 3-block tall, incongruous purple-and-silver flower shines in the dark of night, slowly emits purified Vis back into the aura after converting it from the absorbed Flux of it's seed stage, and will very occasionally spew out a little floating Taint Seedling.

The Taint Seedling is a little bird-sized entity resembling a sycamore seed gone full helicopter, with a half a heart of HP. It floats around semi-randomly, preferring to move away from it's parent flower, until it finds a high-Flux chunk. If it doesn't find one within, let's say, 30 seconds, it dies. If it does find enough Flux, however, it'll take root, spawning a new Giant Taint Seed where it lands, potentially even in the same chunk as it's parent if there's enough Flux that one seed wasn't enough to clean it. Oh, and the whole Taint event should start with one of these seeds, maybe spawning from a dimensional rift.

These spreading seeds will continue the cycle, potentially in a very wide area, until either the local aura is cleared of all Flux, or a player kills all the seeds, seedlings and flowers. Furthermore, the flowers wilt over time, cannot be healed by any means, and will die much faster if no flux is present. Similarly, planted seeds cannot be healed, and will quickly die if they cannot find any Flux to consume.

An important balancing act to keep in mind is that no player, no matter how resourceful, should be able to fully automate the Taint cleansing process. It should be something that a player can set in motion and even contain, by all means. But it should not be self-sustaining in a way that lets one just constantly drain the Flux from an Essentia Smelter or whatever else they have producing Flux. That's why the Tainted Blooms would have to wilt over time. I'm sure there are plenty of possible exploits, mostly to do with various auto-spawners, but hopefully those can be worked out too.

I know I'm asking for a lot. Heck, if the whole seedling-seed-flower mechanic is too much to ask for, you could probably just have the currently implemented Giant Taint Seeds absorb flux over time, that'd probably be much easier to put in place anyway.

Oh, and the inspiration for this whole crazy idea mostly comes from the classic movie Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. Look it up, it's a good movie.

[tinytim0]

I like this idea a lot.

[Grandilthe]

Honestly Taint should actually create excessive amounts of flux by doubling what the rift takes in. Taint is supposed to be a physical manifestation of Flux.