Miscellaneous Bugs And Questions That Don't Deserve Their Own Thread Thread

PropTheRedstoner wrote:

NickTheNick wrote:

Basically we are currently working on the Microbe Stage release we've got out, fleshing it out with more features like some GUI, microbe interactions, editor and gameplay cohesion, etc. From there it would be a good idea to finally take what we have and start some outreach to get some more people on to the development team.

Hey, is there a download link for prototype microbe stage yet? I've looked around and haven't been able to find a working link anywhere.

https://thrivegame.canadaboard.net/t1276-thrive-releases
Its very early, however.

Yep, scroll down for the newest releases.

Scottnov wrote:

Will the new release have some better looking graphics.

A couple of more complex models with animations will be used for various things but the microbe itself has not yet received an upgrade. It's probably the most important thing to look at after this next release, but it's a difficult problem and we will try to get someone with experience to work on it in a dedicated manner. However if we can't get anyone, I will spend some time learning about GPU buffers and soft bodies and try to figure it out. In either case it will still be some time before we see an upgrade to the microbe graphics.

where can i download the most latestest version

crovea wrote:

On a entirely different note, I thought I'd suggest an idea for once, couldn't find anything similar around so here it is:

I was reading through the microbe design document and noticed the thing about players, upon death, respawning as a copy of their old microbe.
What if the player had a simulated number displayed for the population of his microbe type.
The number would be calculated based on how long he has had that specific microbe type active and how well he is doing (in terms of losing health/dying and staying high/low on important compounds).

If the population is 0 or very low, the player will not respawn as a copy of that type, but a different one. Could be a previous iteration of his microbe, a random other microbe type or having to start over completely.

This way it puts some varying excitement into the game (When you just evolved your microbe for example) while putting pressure on you to do well. Obviously the difficulty of maintaining a good population number could be adjusted and probably shouldn't be very hard, but I think it would be a cool feature to have the players microbe type go extinct if he dies over and over. Other effects could be coupled into population, such as how easy it is to find others of his kin to merge with. The basic idea of this could perhaps also be taken into the next few single-creature stages. You would need to figure out how this interacts with saved games.

Not sure how much the two cross over, but this thread (specifically Seregon's second post down) details a comprehensive description of how population dynamics might work, although I believe it's more tailored towards the later stages. It's a VERY long post, but in my opinion still the best ever written on this forum.

Scottnov wrote:

PropTheRedstoner wrote:

NickTheNick wrote:

Basically we are currently working on the Microbe Stage release we've got out, fleshing it out with more features like some GUI, microbe interactions, editor and gameplay cohesion, etc. From there it would be a good idea to finally take what we have and start some outreach to get some more people on to the development team.

Hey, is there a download link for prototype microbe stage yet? I've looked around and haven't been able to find a working link anywhere.

https://thrivegame.canadaboard.net/t1276-thrive-releases
Its very early, however.

Thanks, really helpful.

PropTheRedstoner wrote:

Scottnov wrote:

PropTheRedstoner wrote:

NickTheNick wrote:

Basically we are currently working on the Microbe Stage release we've got out, fleshing it out with more features like some GUI, microbe interactions, editor and gameplay cohesion, etc. From there it would be a good idea to finally take what we have and start some outreach to get some more people on to the development team.

Hey, is there a download link for prototype microbe stage yet? I've looked around and haven't been able to find a working link anywhere.

https://thrivegame.canadaboard.net/t1276-thrive-releases
Its very early, however.

Thanks, really helpful.

No problem!

QUICK IDEA:

Maybe perhaps space stage could be multiplayer, or things done by other players in space stage could influence your game. Example: Player A's race invents the X drive, where X is any form of propulsion that somebody thought of while on lunch break, Player B, if they have made contact with Player A's race, could research and adapt that technology. Player C's race is still in multi-cellular stage, and nobody cares about them, so an organization like PETA forms among Player A's and Player B's to stop using the X form of propulsion as it is creating spacial anomalies that are killing off Player C's race. Player C then gets tired of Player A giving him crap all the time and griefing him in all games, and switches his game to offline mode, rendering the point moot and making a fool of the newly formed Space-Peta.

Alternatively, somebody could be a total [BELGIUM] and create the Reapers from mass effect.

PropTheRedstoner wrote:

QUICK IDEA:

Maybe perhaps space stage could be multiplayer, or things done by other players in space stage could influence your game. Example: Player A's race invents the X drive, where X is any form of propulsion that somebody thought of while on lunch break, Player B, if they have made contact with Player A's race, could research and adapt that technology. Player C's race is still in multi-cellular stage, and nobody cares about them, so an organization like PETA forms among Player A's and Player B's to stop using the X form of propulsion as it is creating spacial anomalies that are killing off Player C's race. Player C then gets tired of Player A giving him crap all the time and griefing him in all games, and switches his game to offline mode, rendering the point moot and making a fool of the newly formed Space-Peta.

Alternatively, somebody could be a total [BELGIUM] and create the Reapers from mass effect.

I like this idea actually. It should be an enabled/disabled thing though.

A few ideas because I was bored and needed stuff to do:

Pretty sure that robots are confirmed at this point, right? Will it be possible to play as a robot race? Like if your main race creates robots that promptly wipe them out, could you play as that race of robots? Alternatively, could there be a small chance that your species was a robot to begin with, if, say, some other race created robotic life that could evolve and stuff for SCIENCE?

Also, the editors should have things for giving the species things like armored plating or fur, and also have some way to give a species automatic seasonal things, such as more insulation during the winter, or the need to hibernate.

Another thing: could it be possible to have a species that gets energy from different ways then normal, such as the Lanius from FTL (they consume metal, for those who don't know)? Possible ways to get energy could include consuming and breaking down non-organic materials on the molecular level to make proteins (think the way plants do photosynthesis) , taking in electrical charge from the environment, storing up heat as energy, etc etc. Just a thought, but having more options for the way the species live would be extremely interesting and would make for some cool gameplay.

I've been told by Nick that robotic races are non-playable. So if your robots wipe out your race it is a game over.

And the Organism Editor should have options for fur and armor plating. Seasonal changes may be up to the Behavior Editor or something in the Caste Editor part of the Organism Editor.

Well indeed it doesn't make much sense to evolve your whatever from a cell and just kill it off like this. Although i find that idea interesting and funny maybe some easter egg that lets your people get their minds in computers and then get "robotic" but since in the end your main character is UFO how is that any different to the gameplay?

Space Stage is actually going to be based on strategy games. It is like this from when the player species reaches sapience.

Tritium wrote:

Well indeed it doesn't make much sense to evolve your whatever from a cell and just kill it off like this. Although i find that idea interesting and funny maybe some easter egg that lets your people get their minds in computers and then get "robotic" but since in the end your main character is UFO how is that any different to the gameplay?

As far as I know, Iit will be possible to be killed off by a robotic revolt. (this has been discussed)
But if you lose, well, you lose.

Also, in the space stage you are playing it more like a 4x strategy game. You will not be controlling a lone ufo. You will be controlling armies of spaceships, controlling your civilization, and conquering the universe.

Ops forgive my illiteracy and thank you for clarifying this.

Okay, I checked and I don't think anyone mentioned this, Would it be possible for a creature to be like a living insect hive? So how this would work is that a creature that's about, let's say a blob that has a shape roughly 4x4x4, now the entire thing is made of small insects with a queen in the center. /the advantage, to this would be that the "creature" could heal rapidly and increase or decrease it's size rapidly, it could also create a new caste to adapt to new environmental changes, allowing it to pseudo-evolve faster. The disadvantages would be that the "creature" would require vastly more food then standard animals as every part of it needs to be fed separately from the rest, also the noise it generates by it's movements (billions of feet and or wings hitting the ground/air/each other) would make stealth nearly impossible.

The "creature" might, might be able to disperse into a cloud or just cover the groung to either escape from danger or colonize an area. What I meant by rapidly healing would be that as long as the queen or a member of a caste capable of becoming queens is alive then it can reproduce possible quite rapidy and say, for example, it's human shaped and one of it's limbs is cut off, said limb could simply rejoin the main body, and possible even parts of it could dodge attacks. Now say part of it is poisoned or gets acid/other harmful material hits part of it, it could eject the infected parts to enable it to survive, also it could have speacilised insects to perform certain objectives, even simulating organs to a degree.

Instead of organs it would have mini-queens that develop a specific kind of insect. What I mean by simulated organs was more along then lines of a stomach mad of insects that process food consumed and send parts of it where it needs to go and like skin made of insects with a harder shell, not necessary but helpful. It would vaguely resemble a giant amoeba in how it functions, but only vaguely as the player would decide weather it acts like that or not. The main queen would act as a pseudo-brain for the pseudo-creature.

It would reproduce by expelling a new queen and some insects along with a replicate of each specialized mini-queen. It may also be capable of combining with another of it's race to become larger in order to rapidly respond too a threat or do something it's currently not capable of alone. although it would be capable of creating another of it's kind or combining I would think something like this would be generally antisocial and be unlikely to actually do so.

Would this be possible?

 :twisted: Deliciously Evil  :twisted: 

About the space stage...
From what has been explained, it sounds more or less like those flash games where your planets or cells slowly gain population or something along those lines, which you then send to planets to take over them by decreasing their population until your population takes over and the "city" or cell or whatever turns to your color and has a number of population.
If you have no idea what I'm talking about, play this game and you will see what I mean:
http://armorgames.com/play/4013/phage-wars-2
If you have played phage wars before, you already know.
Now, I'm sure that space stage will be different from this in some ways, but we should probably put in some other aspects such as exploration, or maybe even controlling a single ship with many of your ships before you. You COULD control one ship and go to an alien's homeplanet and try to kill them, but the chance of you actually surviving that would be so unlikely it isn't even worth trying, because after that you will likely be at war.

This method would also work well for sending scout ships, these are either one ship or very small groups of ships that are not very powerful but are fast and stealthy.
Scout ships can be used in different ways depending on your intention, they could be scouting out enemy territory, exploring space or going to make friends by looking less intimidating. Think about it, if a large fleet of alien vessels approached your planet, wouldn't you defend yourself?

This can also lead to the player having misunderstandings, so if a large fleet of armed vessels approaches your planet, you must make the choice to either stay put and don't do anything, try to make friendly contact, or take battle positions and ready the cannons.
This doesn't mean we don't have the "send large fleets of ships" system anymore, we simply have 2 different types of modes, like organism mode or strategy mode. However this system could also mean you must go into the "control one ship" mode to explore new areas of space that are unexplored, or maybe you can send the AI as well?

Now to cover sending fleets. If you want the AI to attack you can send ships and watch them and maybe direct their attacks as well to a specific place on a planet for less annoyance. If you send yourself with a large fleet behind you, they will follow you around in space, and when you get to the desired planet to attack and enter it's atmosphere, the race inhabiting that planet will either: 1: Warn you of bringing large fleets to their planet (this only happens if you are allies with a race or if they are naturally very friendly). 2: Surrender (this is quite uncommon and only happens if you are particularly deadly and they are particularly weak in comparison). 3: Defend themselves (usually happens when you are at normal relations with a race or at war with an originally friendly race), or 4: Defend themselves and attack your planet as well (occurs only with particularly strong races you are at war with or do not like your race). The AI is good at attacking, so you don't have to constantly babysit each planet or race you want to attack or befriend, which would be annoying.

As your race grows and earns better technology, you could upgrade your ships. This does not instantly change your already built ones however, and if you wish to create the new ships you made you will need to build them from scratch, or break down the old ones into material for making them. You also have a separate ship creator and "blueprint" for scout ships (in case you want to make them different, like being faster or smaller).

What do you think of this idea? And thank you for reading.

What about Tardigrades? You know the ultimate known extremophile? The only creatures to survive every extinction event in earths history? Would creatures like them be possible?  :!: :?:

Also would something like a giant amoeba be possible? I think the cells your creature is made out of should effect what your creature is like.

What about things like lampreys?

@Scottnov

Actually, the space stage is going to be more like a 4X strategy game like Sins of a Solar Empire. You can still build cities on the surface of planets like in the earlier stages, and other empires can too, it just means whoever has the majority on the planet officially owns it.

Also, there aren't going to be pre-determined ship classes in the final version with a working Tech Editor. Players will be able to design their own ship classes using the technology they have unlocked in the Tech Tree. That is the planned freedom of Thrive.

@Notsae66

Things like lampreys should be possible with the Organism Editor and the attached Behavior Editor.

A giant amoeba, I don't think it will be possible as the focus is on eukaryotic cells similar to the ones we evolved from.

@Both

There are threads for these relative subjects available in the Space section of the Game Design section for you Scott. And you can look [url=https://thrivegame.canadaboard.net/t2-oe-current-concept]here/url] for more information on the Organism Stages.

Immortal_Dragon wrote:

@Scottnov

Actually, the space stage is going to be more like a 4X strategy game like Sins of a Solar Empire. You can still build cities on the surface of planets like in the earlier stages, and other empires can too, it just means whoever has the majority on the planet officially owns it.

Also, there aren't going to be pre-determined ship classes in the final version with a working Tech Editor. Players will be able to design their own ship classes using the technology they have unlocked in the Tech Tree. That is the planned freedom of Thrive.

@Notsae66

Things like lampreys should be possible with the Organism Editor and the attached Behavior Editor.

A giant amoeba, I don't think it will be possible as the focus is on eukaryotic cells similar to the ones we evolved from.

@Both

There are threads for these relative subjects available in the Space section of the Game Design section for you Scott. And you can look [url=https://thrivegame.canadaboard.net/t2-oe-current-concept]here/url] for more information on the Organism Stages.

What I meant about scouts, fighters, ect. was that they are designed by the player, but are designed separately.

I apologize if this has already been discussed, but what about drugs? Like hallucinogenics, stimulants, and depressants? what about things like the drug trade for civilization and space stage? Say in multicellular/aware/awake stage you eat a mushroom or something and it has hallucinogenic proprieties would your screen start to distort and/or maybe you'll see things that aren't there and not see things that are.

On the subject of hallucinations, what about things like a mirage and just normal psychological stuff? How would or could mental health or just your creatures mind having an effect be done, if it can be done?

I believe things like that were deemed too complicated for the game. Mirages and the like I'm not sure.

Interesting. understandable although I still feel that drugs could have a sort of effect on civilizations, things like making some people happier or more sad and maybe increase/decrease violence. Possibly things like the British/Chinese opiate war for using drugs as a weapon and for trade. Now I understand it being to complicated for the organism stages and having it visually affect our creature, but what about as a status in the civilization stage as part of crime and part of technology? As many helpful medicine also resulted in harmful drugs and vice-versa.

Notsae66 wrote:

I apologize if this has already been discussed, but what about drugs? Like hallucinogenics, stimulants, and depressants?

To me, this sounds a little bit too complicated too.But I could imagine one of various sliders in the nation editor being drug acceptance. I don't mean if they are accepted by the people, but by the gouvernment. Since you can't really say very legal or very illegal a nation with 30% drug acceptance would just accept the less "risky" drugs (like most western countries accept alcohol and tabacco, but prohibit crystal meth) while a nation with 100% drug acceptance would approve all kind of drugs. If the acceptance was high, there could be a decrease in productivity and a boost in happiness. (I know that's a rather naive perspective of drugs) If you have high drug-acceptance and abruptly illegalize drugs chances of riots will sky-rocket. If many drugs are legal the pharma industry could (Ba-Dum Tss) thrive.

Are there any threads that discuss the behavior editor in detail? This is a very interesting concept and I do not know how it works.
Is it like a sort of trait board which you pick from, or is it much more detailed?

A few quick questions: is GamerXA's caste editor part of the OE CC, and if so, how would the "Transform" settings work, exactly? Are they meant more for sequential hermaphroditism, or more for, say, shapeshifting creatures?