Colony Core

Colony Core

#BioForge #BioForge_V2_0 #Build_V0_54T #Block #LegacyUpdated

Registry ID: bioforge:colony_core.

#Blocks Microbial Mat Sporocarp Infested Block The Colony Core is the heart of an underground pathogen colony. It is created automatically when you place an inoculated Contaminated Substrate block (only for environmental pathogens - Fungi or Bacteria). The core consumes resources to spread Microbial Mats and Infested Blocks within its territory, acting as a centralised hive mind for the colony.

How it is created

• Place an inoculated Contaminated Substrate on any solid block.
• If the pathogen is environmental (Fungi or Bacteria), the substrate block immediately transforms into a Colony Core block, and the strain data is transferred to the core’s block entity.
• If the pathogen is not environmental (Virus, Parasite, Prion), the block breaks and a message appears (“This pathogen cannot form a colony…”).

Core properties

Property	Default	Description
Resources	25	The core starts with 25 units. It gains resources from infected blocks/mats when they die. Max 5000.
Colony radius	20 blocks	The core can only influence blocks within this distance (Chebyshev distance? Actually closerThan - Euclidean).
Max Infested Blocks	100	Maximum number of InfestedBlock blocks that can exist in the colony (counted by the core).
Pathogen & strain	From the substrate	Stores the full strain data (obfuscated), including pathogen type, transmission types, and symptom values.

Resource system

• Gaining resources: When an Infested Block or Microbial Mat is destroyed (or dies), the core gains 10 resources per death (see InfestedBlockDeathHandler).
• Spending resources:
  • Placing a new Microbial Mat costs 1 resource (per attempt, with 1‑3 attempts per random tick).
  • Converting a Microbial Mat into an Infested Block (underground spread) costs 2 resources.
• The core’s resource count is saved and synchronised with the block entity.

Spreading behaviour

Every random tick (not every tick), the Colony Core attempts to spread:

1. 1‑3 attempts per random tick.
2. For each attempt, it consumes 1 resource.
3. It picks a random target position within 3 blocks horizontally and 0‑1 blocks vertically (50% chance dy=1, else dy=0).
4. If the target is air and the block below it is a valid substrate (tag bioforge:substrate/organic), it places a Microbial Mat block (growth stage 0) and links it to the core.
5. The Microbial Mat block entity receives the same strain data and core position.

The spread is constrained by the colony radius - any mat or infested block outside the radius will die and revert to its host state (or dirt).

Other core functions

• Tracks infested block count - increments when a new Infested Block is created (via Microbial Mat conversion), decrements when an Infested Block dies.
• Can be swabbed - Right‑clicking the core with a clean Swab gives you a contaminated swab with the colony’s strain (message: “Swab contaminated with colony core strain”).
• Supports only environmental pathogens - The core will only function if the pathogen is Fungi or Bacteria. Other pathogens cannot form a colony.

Interaction with other blocks

• Microbial Mats - The core spawns them on valid substrates. Mats grow over time and can convert into Infested Blocks or Sporocarps (if Fungi).
• Infested Blocks - Created when a Microbial Mat grows enough and the core spends resources. They also generate resources for the core when they die.
• Necrotic Patch - When a Microbial Mat is outside the colony radius or exposed to sunlight (non‑Fungi), it turns into a Necrotic Patch, which slowly decays to air.

Visual & text feedback

• The core block has a purple colour (MapColor.COLOR_PURPLE).
• There is no GUI or overlay for resources - you cannot see resource count in‑game without commands.
• Swabbing the core gives a chat message: “Swab contaminated with colony core strain.”