Omg yeah I had the style of Root in mind too!
I go back and forth on how much of the dwarf fortress vibes to let in. Probably it’d be a bit distressing to see your adorable villager friends just straight up die. On the other hand, it would be kind of interesting to experience them getting old and passing away, plus racking up memories, hangups, traumas and complicated social connections like the dwarves do.
I’ve been playing heaps of Alpha Sapphire on the 3DS, on and off, and really delighted to find that the online mmo-lite elements are still working. So I’m mostly wandering around finding other people’s secret bases, trading and then spending way too much time using Pokemon Amie. This game is lovely, and I’m still finding new things in it. I think it might be my favourite Pokemon game.