Plant Gameplay

I think he means fungus is fine but mind-control fungus isn't an option.

zippybomb wrote:

I think he means fungus is fine but mind-control fungus isn't an option.

Correct.

got it.

I think a Cordyceps-like fungus appearing in auto-evo would be interesting. Imagine walking around as your creature when suddenly a member of you pack climbs up a tree and waits to be eaten.

Holomanga wrote:

I think a Cordyceps-like fungus appearing in auto-evo would be interesting. Imagine walking around as your creature when suddenly a member of you pack climbs up a tree and waits to be eaten.

Indeed. However, since it's so small, the fungus wouldn't be part of auto-evo. It would be a disease, and diseases are handled with arbitrary mechanics.

On the concept of life, since this is about "alien" worlds, are we only talking about carbon lifeforms? Or can they be based off of other things? Also, can people play as animal/plant hybrids? Or will it be one or the other??

Ac-curious-Thrive-fan wrote:

On the concept of life, since this is about "alien" worlds, are we only talking about carbon lifeforms? Or can they be based off of other things? Also, can people play as animal/plant hybrids? Or will it be one or the other??

I don't believe that there is such thing, conceptually, as a hybrid between animals and plants.

On an alien planet we could not necessarily make the distinction between an animal and a plant, there may be plants which regularly move but still photosynthesize (such as on a slow rotating planet to keep up with the sun).

Even the common distinction for plants as a sessile, photosynthesizing Organism is not universal. For example several animals remain sessile there entire adult life and a type of worm relies on photosynthesis (albeit symbiotically with plants) to survive. Originally fungi were classified as a type of plant and have been found to be biologically similar to animals.

In the case of evolution, animals and plants just happen to have been separated by a large frame of time. It seems that the only conceptual distinction between the two are niches (which I could talk further about my views on).

Oh dear, I seem to have gone off on a tangent. Basically, I have a very strong belief that animals and plants (and Fungi) can essentially be treated the same by the program for all purposes.

Ac-curious-Thrive-fan wrote:

On the concept of life, since this is about "alien" worlds, are we only talking about carbon lifeforms? Or can they be based off of other things? Also, can people play as animal/plant hybrids? Or will it be one or the other??

GamerXA has covered most of the animal/plant hybrid stuff. In short, the player can play as any organism.

I think we are either sticking with carbon-based, because we understand it the most, or just not making the distinction between carbon-based and other forms of life. Either way, making a distinction will be lots of work, will lead us into highly theoretical areas of biology, and wont really benefit the player in any way, so non-carbon life wont be a feature.

Yea I would also in general love to play as a plant species that develops into a civilization, I would think the path of evolution would take longer as photosynthesis and what not would have to be advanced far enough to support a brain and movement. I know it hasn't occured on earth, but just because it hasn't happended on earth doesn't mean it can't happen or hasn't happen elsewhere in the universe.

Gameplay wise it should be a painfully slower evolution route, but a available one sense there is incentives for developing movement such as gaining access to locations with more water and sunlight (to start), avoiding omnivores and herbivores, societies would start off with the point of defense againest omni/herbivores and with technological advancement plant civs would probably focus more selective breeding and genetics to advanced their photosyntheic capablities, which could also lead to them developing a preference and focus on Organic Technically and solar powered.

As for movement I was thinking in place of stomachs they could develop cavities where they can hunt for richer soil and animal droppings and consume that with intenal roots that are more absorbent. The hunt for locations for better sunlight and soil could be the starting incentives though.

i relly dont want the plant and animal kindoms to be seperate, after all have you seen alien planet? there is some type of animal/plant that shoots out of the ground and poisons the target, in there case a freaking big animal thingy...but it was thousands of them shooting up off the ground to the soft underbelly of the armored giant animal, but they actualy digested the tissues like a cell it dissolved and absorbed it! that would be great to have a rts element for colony animals, nad to have a speed up and slow down time button.....stalking would be much better when your waiting in a small hole or in this case waiting to strike the underbelly of a giant. also i want to have a carnivorous plant

and one last thing.

the organism editor you should choose what food you need to survive, you choose an animal, plant, fungi, or metal, that you can eat (choose more than one obiously) but this may help the issue with what ever you organisms nich needs. this will have some problem solving properties for the player and will make you reason about if you are a preditor you need wepons, ect. hope you like my ideas!

No matter what race Thrive creates for us, we are still playing from a human perspective, which means we kind of have to classify things

GamerXA wrote:

Ac-curious-Thrive-fan wrote:

On the concept of life, since this is about "alien" worlds, are we only talking about carbon lifeforms? Or can they be based off of other things? Also, can people play as animal/plant hybrids? Or will it be one or the other??

I don't believe that there is such thing, conceptually, as a hybrid between animals and plants.

On an alien planet we could not necessarily make the distinction between an animal and a plant, there may be plants which regularly move but still photosynthesize (such as on a slow rotating planet to keep up with the sun).

Even the common distinction for plants as a sessile, photosynthesizing Organism is not universal. For example several animals remain sessile there entire adult life and a type of worm relies on photosynthesis (albeit symbiotically with plants) to survive. Originally fungi were classified as a type of plant and have been found to be biologically similar to animals.

In the case of evolution, animals and plants just happen to have been separated by a large frame of time. It seems that the only conceptual distinction between the two are niches (which I could talk further about my views on).

Oh dear, I seem to have gone off on a tangent. Basically, I have a very strong belief that animals and plants (and Fungi) can essentially be treated the same by the program for all purposes.

there ARE a snail on Earth that eats some plants in the beggining of its life and then becomes a snail-and-plant hybrid

Spoiler:

Thriving Cheese wrote:

GamerXA wrote:

Ac-curious-Thrive-fan wrote:

On the concept of life, since this is about "alien" worlds, are we only talking about carbon lifeforms? Or can they be based off of other things? Also, can people play as animal/plant hybrids? Or will it be one or the other??

I don't believe that there is such thing, conceptually, as a hybrid between animals and plants.

On an alien planet we could not necessarily make the distinction between an animal and a plant, there may be plants which regularly move but still photosynthesize (such as on a slow rotating planet to keep up with the sun).

Even the common distinction for plants as a sessile, photosynthesizing Organism is not universal. For example several animals remain sessile there entire adult life and a type of worm relies on photosynthesis (albeit symbiotically with plants) to survive. Originally fungi were classified as a type of plant and have been found to be biologically similar to animals.

In the case of evolution, animals and plants just happen to have been separated by a large frame of time. It seems that the only conceptual distinction between the two are niches (which I could talk further about my views on).

Oh dear, I seem to have gone off on a tangent. Basically, I have a very strong belief that animals and plants (and Fungi) can essentially be treated the same by the program for all purposes.

there ARE a snail on Earth that eats some plants in the beggining of its life and then becomes a snail-and-plant hybrid

Spoiler:

This is not really relevant for now... It will take a long time until we reach the Aware (Don't remember what was the name of the stage where you come to the land).

Also, the last post was in September.

Still, i think we alredy had agreed that a mix between plants and animals could be possible. Basically, a moving photosyntetic creature.

Even through that mostly afects multicelular stage (which subdivides into aware and awake, being first person-action and third person-strategy respectively), it still affects unicelular, as in order to be photosytesic, you would need chloropasts, which you can only obtain in unicelular.

Daniferrito wrote:

Still, i think we alredy had agreed that a mix between plants and animals could be possible. Basically, a moving photosyntetic creature.

Even through that mostly afects multicelular stage (which subdivides into aware and awake, being first person-action and third person-strategy respectively), it still affects unicelular, as in order to be photosytesic, you would need chloropasts, which you can only obtain in unicelular.

Well, I think that Auto - Evo covers all these stuff, Also, this is an old post... After all.

I know this is just lengthening a thread that doesn't need more attention, but that snail is an example of symbiosis, not mixotrophism.

While on the subject of playing as plants, why not have another type of playable vegetation? Like mushrooms? or grass? If you played as a mushroom, maybe you could develop a type of harmful toxin to keep herbivores from eating you?

Cellular Dinosaur wrote:

While on the subject of playing as plants, why not have another type of playable vegetation? Like mushrooms? or grass? If you played as a mushroom, maybe you could develop a type of harmful toxin to keep herbivores from eating you?

I believe the consensus on this was that we wanted it, intend to program it and do the groundwork, but logically this form of gameplay will have more restrictions than a standard land animal, like the underwater option that has already been discussed. (Mushrooms are not plants, they are fungi, but I know what you meant. Theoretically, you could play as any type of plant or fungus if you really wanted to under the current concept.)

basically plant/fungal gamepley == RTS gameplay with survival and tower defense mechanics disguised as a gardener gameplay (huh, Plant vs Zombies?), or that's how i see it. it has sense, you play resource management and reproduction but the only action you have in the game is trying to survive against hazards and predation.

out of the joke, i dunno if this has been discussed before, but taking the example of the symbiotic slug. what about doing something in reverse with the plant?, i mean, the plant evolves to use for example, pheromones in order to control other organisms, or do it a la pikmin, infect a creature and take control of its brain functions (bulbmins). ok that sounds unlikely but the point i want to get is to see if a plant could reach sapience evolving towards a control role or just becoming gradually mobile via parasitism.

I personally oppose plant gameplay. As much as it fascinates me to do nothing all day but growing roots for nutrition, I don't imagine any play thinking to themselves "when I grow up, I'm going to be a mushroom!" Just my opinion.

It will allow people to create their own plant species. With the idea that the devs have for record-keeping forum of everyone's creations, it means you can add other peoples plants into your game. Basically, you won't see all the same plants in every game.

Okay so, time to put on the serious mode hat.

Plant/Fungal play, besides just designing your own plants and fungi and other flora , the only way that this would be fun without getting old real fast, and this is a focus on fungi like Ophiocordyceps unilateralis(I can't post links so google that name and use wiki to learn about it), which takes over a host like an ant. Now into gameplay, this could become a interesting concept as a form of parasitic fungi play, either breed by actually being ingested, or breed by inhalation, maybe even breed just by being stepped on and having syringe like spines that once a specific amount of pressure presses down a fluid infects the animal that either tried to eat it or stepped on it. then comes the process of playing as a host, of course you don't get to pick your host, so whatever messes with your fungus is what you're stuck with until you can infect something else. Now to even this out of course, the chances of infecting a higher species would be a lot harder, due to things like nasal hairs and natural filters. Or is blood borne, immune systems. Once you finally get a chance to infect something, you get to play with that specific animal for a limited amount of time, make it do whatever you want, but make sure you let it die out in a place that will allow your fungus to reproduce accordingly, in this case i assume a warm, moist, and dark place, granted scavengers will most likely rip the body to shreds and scatter things everywhere either by excrement or otherwise. Just an idea there, i would go into a lot more detail and bring up many other forms of infective spreading as a fungus but i am going to leave room for people to use this, Now then if you really just want to be a PLANT, then maybe you need to go the unrealistic route of a "Thorian"(Sentient plant species that is from Mass Effect 1, just google it, and i think thats a silly idea but meh whos to say its impossible)

I have some ideas for the plant gameplay! I'm not sure if anybody already wrote this but I dont really have time to read all 10 pages...
1. Have you already discussed parasites? Although I think I read somewhere that you won't be able to play as a parasite by your own, but things like tree fungii or insect-like parasites that eat your roots. Or more sneaky parasites like bark beetles wich you sometimes recognize when it's already too late.

2. What about the ability to grow roots out of the ground? It would be easier to "catch" the rain water.

3. Behaviour editor options for the roots and for the branches like "grow straight up if you are surrounded by taller trees" or "grow to the side if you're on top" for the branches and "grow straight down to reach ground water" or "grow to the side to catch rain water more efficientlly" for the roots.

4. Different options of reproduction, although I'm pretty sure you've already disscused this. Here some examples:
a)Produce fruits that are eaten by herbivores wich withdraw them in their excrements.
b) Reproduction through pollen. Simple and to the point.
c)Simply wait for the seeds to fall to the grownd and start growing.

5. The plant could kill creatures nearby, maybe through poison fruits or spikes. Their rotten corpses would make a perfect breeding ground:twisted: 

What do you think of my ideas? I'm exited for your opinions:)

MirrorMonkey2 wrote:

I have some ideas for the plant gameplay! I'm not sure if anybody already wrote this but I dont really have time to read all 10 pages...
1. Have you already discussed parasites? Although I think I read somewhere that you won't be able to play as a parasite by your own, but things like tree fungii or insect-like parasites that eat your roots. Or more sneaky parasites like bark beetles wich you sometimes recognize when it's already too late.

2. What about the ability to grow roots out of the ground?  It would be easier to "catch" the rain water.

3. Behaviour editor options for the roots and for the branches like "grow straight up if you are surrounded by taller trees" or "grow to the side if you're on top" for the branches and "grow straight down to reach ground water" or "grow to the side to catch rain water more efficientlly" for the roots.

4. Different options of reproduction, although I'm pretty sure you've already disscused this. Here some examples:
a)Produce fruits that are eaten by herbivores wich withdraw them in their excrements.
b) Reproduction through pollen. Simple and to the point.
c)Simply wait for the seeds to fall to the grownd and start growing.

5. The plant could kill creatures nearby, maybe through poison fruits or spikes. Their rotten corpses would make a perfect breeding ground:twisted: 

What do you think of my ideas? I'm exited for your opinions:)

1: What is your question?
2:You will almost surely be able to do that, but it only seems necessary on planets with hydrophilic soil, and I haven't got a clue how that would happen.
3: I believe it will be possible to set stimuli for plants, though I don't think tall trees would be a stimulent, maybe the resulting lack of sunlight.
4: Yes
5: I'm almost certain that that will be an option.

MirrorMonkey2 wrote:

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Make sure to post your suggestions in an implementable format, i.e. with systems and relationships clearly identified mathematically and/or programmatically, and it will definitely be helpful and appreciated.