Botany proposal

src/en/space-station-14/departments/service/proposals/botany-proposal.md

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+# Botany 
+
+| Designers | Implemented | GitHub Links |
+|---|---|---|
+| MilonPL | :x: No | TBD |
+
+## Overview
+
+This design document proposes the removal of botany as a standalone sub-department and its integration into the kitchen gameplay loop. The goal is to streamline plant growing mechanics while making them more meaningful as part of food preparation, turning hydroponics into a side activity for chefs rather than a separate role.
+
+## Background
+
+Currently, botany suffers from several issues:
+- Heavily RNG-based gameplay with little player agency
+- Limited interaction with other departments except kitchen and medical
+- Lack of meaningful progression or goals
+- Redundant role that could be better served as part of existing gameplay loops
+
+By integrating botany into the kitchen, we can:
+- Give chefs more varied gameplay during slow periods
+- Maintain the essential function of growing ingredients
+- Create a more focused and purposeful growing system
+
+## Features to be Added
+
+### Kitchen Garden
+
+A compact hydroponics area should be mapped directly adjacent to or within the kitchen. This area would include 3-6 hydroponics trays, depending on the station's size. The limited space encourages choices about what to grow rather than mass production.
+
+### Mutations Overhaul
+
+Mutations should remain as an optimional optimization strategy:
+- Base plants should be viable without mutations
+- Mutations should provide meaningful but not essential benefits, such as:
+  - Higher yield
+  - Shorter growth times
+  - Different growth conditions
+
+### Growing Mechanics
+
+Each tray contains a solution of water and nutrients. Basic nutrient soluition is required for growth, but optional fertilizers can enhance it.
+
+Plants are affected by their environment:
+- Temperature: Each plant has an optimal growing range
+- Atmosphere: Plants need proper gas mix (O2/CO2 balance)
+- Light level: Different plants may require different light levels.
+- Pressure: Atmospheric pressure that affects plant health.
+- Solution pH
+
+The basic growing system should remain simple but rewarding:
+- Water and nutrient requirements
+- Clear visual growth stages
+- Basic maintenance needs (pruning, pest management)
+- 3-5 minute growth cycle for basic plants
+
+## Game Design Rationale
+
+Moving botany into the kitchen creates a more cohesive food preparation gameplay loop while maintaining the essential functions of growing plants. This change addresses several current issues:
+
+- **Focused Role**: Instead of having two somewhat-related sub-departments, we combine them into one more meaningful role
+- **Better Pacing**: Growing plants becomes a background task while preparing food, filling downtime
+
+## Round Flow & Player Interaction
+
+A typical round flow might look like:
+
+1. Chef starts shift by planting basic ingredients needed for common meals
+2. While plants grow, chef prepares initial meals from stored ingredients
+3. During slow periods, chef tends to plants and plans next growing cycle
+4. Medical staff can request specific plants, creating additional tasks
+5. Failed crops create meaningful setbacks without completely disrupting gameplay
+
+### Main Things to Consider
+
+- Balance growing times to maintain engagement without becoming overwhelming
+- Ensure the system remains simple enough to be a side activity
+- Create meaningful choices about what to grow and when
+- Maintain the ability to grow medical plants without making it too easy
+- Design consequences for neglecting plants that don't completely devastate kitchen operations
+
+## Technical Implementation Notes
+
+### Core Structure
+
+The system will be built around three main concepts:
+- Plant holders (hydroponic trays) that c ontain the solutions and can host plants
+- Plant entities that can grow and be harvested
+- Plant data that defines the characteristics and mutations
+
+### Main Components
+
+1. PlantHolderComponent
+    - Stores the solution
+    - Hosts a single plant entity
+    - Tracks environmental conditions
+
+2. PlantComponent
+    - Stores the growth progress
+    - Handles mutations
+    - Defines the ideal growing conditions
+
+### Additional Considerations
+
+- Solutions do not have pH levels, one workaround would be to have different reagents metabolized to increse/decrease the pH.
+- There's no way of checking the light level on a tile. Checking the nearby lights might work.
+- Should be implemented in a way that allows easy future expansions, such as different mutations.