Civilization 7: Bronze Age: Stage Complete!

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Aegis J Hyena
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Civilization 7: Bronze Age: Stage Complete!

Post by Aegis J Hyena » Mon Oct 27, 2014 9:11 pm

Y'know what? Screw it, I know I said I was starting next weekend, but let's kick this off anyway.

Everything about what I'm doing for this one is under the spoiler, copypasted from over in the Recruitment thread I put up for it a few days ago.
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With those little notes in mind, let's start things off. For those of you who haven't looked at the other thread, this one is a "Spore-Based" civilization that will rise from bacterium status all the way to medieval times.

We're going to start off with the Conception stage. In this stage, each voter gets to describe one "aspect" of a "bacterium" (such as color, climate it thrives in, special defenses, methods of communication or movement, etc) along with a "deviant mutation" based on that aspect which may or may not carry over (10%, I'll roll) to the final result. Keep the descriptions as general as possible, maybe the length of a single tweet if not two. After I get between 8 and a dozen votes (or Thursday) I will advance things One Billion Years and we'll repeat the process (to a total of three times).

After that, it'll be off to the Advancement stage, where we do it again but it's going to get to be a little bit more difficult.
Last edited by Aegis J Hyena on Tue May 05, 2015 8:57 pm, edited 83 times in total.
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Re: Civilization 7: Stage 1/7

Post by BadgeAddict » Tue Oct 28, 2014 6:22 am

Quality of Conception: The bacteria secretes a dense fog that paralyzes its victims

Mutation of Conception: This fog, contains special enzymes, which allow it to begin to break down the victim in order to provide sustenance.

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Re: Civilization 7: Stage 1/7

Post by kida » Tue Oct 28, 2014 9:31 am

Quality of Conception: The bacteria can create ice

Mutation of Conception: The bacteria can create dry ice

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Re: Civilization 7: Stage 1/7

Post by Nolandking » Tue Oct 28, 2014 9:51 am

Quality of Conception: The bacteria has a cell wall.

Mutation of Conception: The bacteria's cell wall has 2 layers for better protection.
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Re: Civilization 7: Stage 1/7

Post by Alaen » Tue Oct 28, 2014 10:12 am

Quality of Conception: The bacteria uses Electroreception to sense it's surroundings and communicate.

Mutation of Conception: The bacteria can produce shocks to stun prey/predators.
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Re: Civilization 7: Stage 1/7

Post by Aegis J Hyena » Tue Oct 28, 2014 12:15 pm

I like what I'm seeing here, you're giving me some good ideas. I've already rolled the mutations (90+), but not a single one made it. Once three or four more people add to the mix, we'll advance One Billion Years.
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Re: Civilization 7: Stage 1/7

Post by GathersIngredients » Tue Oct 28, 2014 12:21 pm

Quality of Conception: The bacteria communicates with others of its species for increased gain of information and potentially someday co-operation.

Mutation of Conception: The distance the bacteria can communicate increases immensely and the 'gifted individuals' together develop something akin to a hive-mind.
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Re: Civilization 7: Stage 1/7

Post by ChuckDaRighteous » Tue Oct 28, 2014 2:18 pm

quality of conception: the bacteria repairs damage to itself quickly.

mutation of conception: the bacteria replicates more quickly when undamaged.
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Re: Civilization 7: Stage 1/7

Post by Aegis J Hyena » Tue Oct 28, 2014 7:37 pm

Neither Gathers' nor Chuck's mutation made it. One or two more and we'll advance. I've already got the post written, I just want to add one or two more first.
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Re: Civilization 7: Stage 1/7

Post by Patdragon » Tue Oct 28, 2014 11:35 pm

I liked playing spore so will add my two cents

quality of conception: Two Flagella for better movement and sensing

mutation of conception: Multiple flagella much better movement and sensing
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Re: Civilization 7: Stage 1/7

Post by Theis2 » Tue Oct 28, 2014 11:52 pm

quality of conception: Enzymes creates and break down toxic compounds.

mutation of conception: the toxic compounds are released from the bacteria causing other cells to rupture releasing their nutrients.
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Re: Civilization 7: Stage 1/7

Post by Synch » Wed Oct 29, 2014 1:13 am

Quality of conception: the bacterium contains chloroplast, to absorb light energy.

Mutation of conception: chloroplast can both absorb and create light, giving the illusion of camouflage against light and dark backgrounds.
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Re: Civilization 7: Stage 1/7

Post by Aegis J Hyena » Wed Oct 29, 2014 9:57 am

Enzymes in the Dense "Fog" (90+): 66 (Nope)
Dry Ice Creation (90+): 53 (Nope) [I couldn't think of a way to include this anyway so I just made the bacteria very adaptive to cold, so far]
Double Layered Cell Wall (90+): 56 (Nope)
Shock Production (90+): 22 (Nope)
Hive Mind Potential (90+): 73 (Nope)
Troll Regeneration (90+): 35 (Nope)
Multiple Flagella (90+): 22 (Nope)
Enzyme Cloud (90+): 82 (Nope)
Creation of Light (90+): 97 (Nope) Success!



OUR STORY THUS FAR...

One billion years have passed. In that time, the bacterium E. Goblinus Yenaeii has grown from a single celled near-invisible thing to a small (about the length of a middle finger) bacterium with multiple cells, with a central nucleus in the very center to coordinate things. On one end is a lamprey-like "mouth" that first inhales water, chills it to a very low temprature with special "chill cells" just inside the mouth, then sprays it back out as a dense, ice-cold blast that Slows its prey down so that it can strike. This coldness also allows ice to form on its thick-membraned body and encase it in a thick "shell" that not only prevents enemies from piercing it, but is also buoyant... and by adjusting the amount of water that courses through various "corridors" in the ice and its body, allows for quick movement in spurts.

On the other end of the "finger" are several small flagella each tipped with electro-sensors that enable it to sense incoming movement (but only from that one direction); further away from these electro-sensors (roughly where a creature's waist would be) are two long flagella to allow for basic swimming movement, one to either side. Toward the end of the billion years these feelers developed photoreceptors that can both colorchange between light and dark patches like an octopus and regrow like a starfish. These are primarily used for transmitting information if another's feelers are lined up with it.

No recognizable eyes on the "front" of the bacteria, but sunlight doesn't penetrate this far down in the ocean, so it is not like you need them. Yet.

During the one billion years, several mutations came about but nothing stuck. The dense cold water sprayed out was mixed with the bacterium enzymes to dissolve prey faster, but the surrounding bacteria evolved quick defenses, including a repulsive skin that chemically repelled the enzymes back on the attacker. E. Goblinus Yenaii managed to evolve an answer to that, developing its enzymes to break down anything "toxic" in the area. This includes poisons such as oxygen, trace metals, and so on, which grants it a greater energy reserve.

Developing slightly thicker cell walls, the ice layer became thicker the more E. Goblinus stayed at the bottom of the ocean. As survival time lengthened, the ice then became too dense for it to move around, no matter how hollow the layers between body and ice. The same went for developing more than one cell wall layer, which required more energy to maintain than it could capture (even with the addition of the photoreceptors). For a brief time it evolved the ability to produce electroshocks from its feelers to defend itself but prey and predators got wise to this and approached from the mouth end instead. Prey was eaten (allowing the bacteria to survive) but larger predator bacteria were immune to the cold water blast (bringing its numbers down). In either case the bacterium's prey quickly became faster than it was (what with the ice shell) despite its movement.

The electro/photoreceptors almost brought the formation of a potential "shared thought" if the bacterium linked with others of itself but the predators around you began to band together in more numbers than previously done and this "groupthink" was quickly squashed by some very aggressive bacteria. Instead, the bacterium began using Bioluminescence in its photoreceptors which could absorb light for energy (very very little down this deep), reflect light energy, or flash warning patterns or blend in with what surroundings are available. This causes the creation of a larger central receptor at the back of the creature in order to receive such information; while it's not an eye, it's definitely a precursor to one.

Finally, E. Goblinus Yenaii evolved a quicker way to repair itself (and to quickly replicate if undamaged), but it's not enough to make a difference yet.

One good thing did come about from all this failed mutation. In order to quickly kill the slowed bacteria around it and defend itself from assault, E. Goblinus Yenaii developed two jellyfish-like stinger cells in its mouth. The first cell is filled with oxygen filtered from the bacteria's waste products; oxygen is a powerful toxin to bacteria. The other has a paralytic poison to both hold its prey fast and slow down or stall larger predator bacteria.

Now, E. Goblinus Yenaii flows along with the currents in a lower level of the ocean, but no longer does it bottom-feed. You have three choices from here --- maintain position (and streamline thyself), ascend to an upper water level (with more predators, forcing rapid evolution to survive), or return to the bottom where there is more dead bacteria to munch on (more food, but evolutions will be weaker). If you decide to remain on the bottom, thermal vents are available to "colonize".


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How Do You Evolve?



Ok, time to do this again. Round 2. One concept/evolution, one mutation. And of course the choice where to go from here, whether it be to remain on the bottom or start ascending the waters and into more dangerous territory. After another 8 votes or so, we'll advance One Billion Years.
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Re: Civilization 7: Stage 1/7 (Round 2)

Post by ChuckDaRighteous » Wed Oct 29, 2014 10:10 am

concept: crystal structures in ice armor refracts light further allowing it to hide or stalk unseen

mutation: ice shell becomes colder and more resistant to melting

Maintain position and streamline.

Is the intel is for the current position and would change if we went up or down? Or is it just more predators up and more prey down?
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Re: Civilization 7: Stage 1/7 (Round 2)

Post by BadgeAddict » Wed Oct 29, 2014 10:11 am

Quality of Round 2: Realizing that resources can come from both plant matter and other Bacteria, E. Goblinus adjusts itself to be able to break down all areas of resources (Both Meat & plants).

Mutation of Round 2: This new abundance of resources allows E. Goblinus to quickly increase itself in size temporarily as both an defensive and offensive solution vs. predators.

Choice: Begin Ascension

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Re: Civilization 7: Stage 1/7 (Round 2)

Post by Aegis J Hyena » Wed Oct 29, 2014 10:21 am

All intel is current up to that point. The intel won't change until I do the final summary after the next billion years.
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Re: Civilization 7: Stage 1/7 (Round 2)

Post by kida » Wed Oct 29, 2014 10:41 am

concept: E. Goblinus evolve the ice shield to contains ice thorns causing damage to attacking enemies in melee combat

mutation: Mutants E. Goblinus bacteria is able to shoot the ice thorns toward its enemies allowing for range damage

choice:
Maintain position and streamline - 1 (Chuck)
Begin Ascension - 2 (kida, Badge)
Descend to the bottom - 0 ()

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Re: Civilization 7: Stage 1/7 (Round 2)

Post by M0rtimer » Wed Oct 29, 2014 10:56 am

...Ah, what the hell. Let's see if I won't completely lose track of this this time around.

Quality of conception: Sensing that in this dangerous environment flight is sometimes a better solution than fight, it grants the ability to shed it's ice skin to make a rapid escape, before reforming the ice protection layer.

Mutation of conception: Rather than just escaping, a part of the cell stays behind to control the ice shell- Be it for distracting or perhaps even fighting the original foe.

choice:
Maintain position and streamline - 1 (Chuck)
Begin Ascension - 3 (kida, Badge, M0rt)
Descend to the bottom - 0 ()

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Re: Civilization 7: Stage 1/7 (Round 2)

Post by Nolandking » Wed Oct 29, 2014 1:22 pm

Quality of conception: The bacteria gain a cell membrane so as to controls the movement of substances in and out of bacteria allow for energy conservation.

Mutation of conception: The cell membrane is enlarged for more energy storage.

choice:
Maintain position and streamline - 1 (Chuck)
Begin Ascension - 4 (kida, Badge, M0rt, Nolandking)
Descend to the bottom - 0 ()
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Re: Civilization 7: Stage 1/7 (Round 2)

Post by Synch » Wed Oct 29, 2014 3:44 pm

Quality of Round 2: Improved photoreceptors allows counterillumination and transparency in lighter shallower water. (Sorry, didn''t know how best to word this. Basically, more jellyfish-like camouflage for water with more light.)
Mutation of Round 2: Photoreceptors can project reflected light to act as a disorienting or stunning beam on predators/prey.
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Re: Civilization 7: Stage 1/7 (Round 2)

Post by Aegis J Hyena » Wed Oct 29, 2014 4:02 pm

One or two more and we'll advance another time, this time becoming visible to the naked eye...
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Re: Civilization 7: Stage 1/7 (Round 2)

Post by GathersIngredients » Wed Oct 29, 2014 4:34 pm

Quality of Round 2: the species grows some tentacles/flagellae/sucktion cups (how ever this is spelt) that are not for propulsion, but for holding onto stuff (like prey, the ground to withstand currents, ...)
Mutation of Round 2: the tentacles grow into actual useful limbs

vote:
Maintain position and streamline - 1 (Chuck)
Begin Ascension - 5 (kida, Badge, M0rt, Nolandking, Gathers)
Descend to the bottom - 0 ()
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Re: Civilization 7: Stage 1/7 (Round 2)

Post by Synch » Wed Oct 29, 2014 4:44 pm

Oops forgot my vote!

vote:
Maintain position and streamline - 1 (Chuck)
Begin Ascension - 6 (kida, Badge, M0rt, Nolandking, Gathers, Synch)
Descend to the bottom - 0 ()
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Re: Civilization 7: Stage 1/7 (Round 2)

Post by Alaen » Wed Oct 29, 2014 5:14 pm

Quality of Round 2: Cooperation with others of it's kind, to counter pack predators.
Mutation of Round 2: Increased intelligence.

vote:
Maintain position and streamline - 2 (Chuck, Alaen)
Begin Ascension - 6 (kida, Badge, M0rt, Nolandking, Gathers, Synch,)
Descend to the bottom - 0 ()
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Re: Civilization 7: Stage 1/7 (Round 2)

Post by Aegis J Hyena » Wed Oct 29, 2014 5:17 pm

Colder Ice Shell (88+): 94 (Success)
Size Alteration (88+): 47 (Nope)
Spinethorns (88+): 33 (Nope)
Seperation of Saucer Section (88+): 50 (Nope)
Enlarged Cell Membrane (88+): 38 (Nope)
Stunning Eye Beam (88+): 61 (Nope)
Useful Limbs (88+): 38 (Nope)

At the Two Billion Years mark, E. Goblinus Yenaii has changed. Over the last billion years it has been slowly ascending into warmer waters, it has grown to be visible to the naked eye, now about seven inches long and maybe four or five wide. The cold ice shell gives it a rainbow coloring to those things down here that can see, as the dirt and other garbage stuck to its shell adds imperfections. The ice shell has developed not only a colder temprature (so as to freeze creatures who come in contact with it), but it also has picked up bits of dirt and otherwise, incorperating it into the shell and making it tougher to penetrate (as a second defensive layer). Its "skin" under the shell is now sticky, not enough to hold things fast to paralyze them with its stinger tentacles, but sticky enough to pick up bits of floating plankton and the like to add to its stealth and coloration patterns. So far so good; it seems to be working as it floats along with the current.

The shell itself is now -extremely- cold, enough to have a noticable effect on the warm water current around it. While E. Goblinus' "life force" keeps it chilled against the warm waters of its current environment, smaller creatures know to stay away from the aura of cold, while larger creatures are driven away (and those that are foolish enough to attack are now stuck to its ice shell, which has grown noticable spines). Food is now scarce but you've also had a much easier chance of survival, and were it not for the fact that E. Goblinus is now breaking down all potential sources of food it comes across, you'd be in a bit of trouble.

The dirt flecks and other assorted plankton stuck to its outer body absorb what light is available (nowhere near anything useful yet, but close), giving it a stealth pattern for when it is regrowing its ice shell for defense. Even for those that can actually see it at these depths, some of the dirt molecules have a crystalline structure that enables E. Goblinus to bend light emitted from its tentacle tips and give itself some "stealth" from the front end, making anything swimming head on towards its central back eye be unable to see it that well until they bump into it.

Its method of movement has increased. It uses the lamprey mouth as a jet engine when it isn't eating something, sucking in water and spewing it out, making it kind of like a reverse squid while using the "central back eye" to "see" its surroundings. Visual range has increased, but depth perception has decreased as it is only a single eye (neither of which is that great to begin with given the depths you're still at. Maybe later though...). It still leaves a cold water trail, which is easy to follow... and predators are beginning to follow the cold water through the warmer currents straight to you, its lunch.

The needles E. Goblinus' mouth used to have are now adapted to be from several "holes" in its body, so anything stuck to its icy shell can be impaled, paralyzed, and then brought to the lamprey end for devouring. The needles are now on tentacle cells, two paralytic and two oxygen deliverers. However, now things are starting to evolve defenses against oxygen.

The "central back eye" has developed into a large light sensor at the end of a stub of a tentacle (not like an eyeball, the tentacle is the same width throughout). The size of a fingertip, it is able to distinguish between light, dark, and shadows/shapes, enabling the learning of predator appearance via their shadows. The photosensitive feelers on the back end have now surrounded the central back eye and have turned into four inch long color/pattern changing tentacles, which are then used to seize prey with a single suction-cup tip. Any larger prey seized is brought to the lamprey mouth, or stuck against its ice shell and impaled first. These tentacles are probably going to lengthen to octopus arms in the next round.

Finally its central nucleus has become a thick knot in the center of the body, protected by a thicker skin that will probably evolve into bone on the next pass.

In order to hunt for food better, E. Goblinus has learned to shed its outer ice shell by "pulsing" its body. Without the ice to stealth it, it's hard to catch food AND remain hidden from predators. To counter this it develops a second cell membrane that holds in an extra "action" worth of energy. This effective single-use Haste enables it to quickly shed its shell, Haste in, catch bits of food or smaller creatures and then speed out.

Your predators have slowly been evolving mosquito-like noses to try and pierce your shell, as well as stingers to try to outdo your poison (as well as become resistant to toxins) and one-shot you on your way to "squirting in" to catch food against your shell. On the plus side, you have evolved the ability to "flash" light from the "central back eye" like a flashlight. It both scares the weaker predators away and briefly stuns anything up close and personal, but it isn't enough to "use as a weapon"... it is more a reflex than an active attack.

You now have some choices:

Do you incorperate the dirt and other stuff stuck to your shell to evolve a crystalline shell (much greater armor/survival but much reduced speed and an inability to shed it), do you shed the shell altogether to increase speed (greater survival, more food caught, but later it might hurt with a lack of defense), do you drop the dirt, strengthening the ice further and catching food by means of cold aura alone, or do you do nothing, gaining weight due to the thickness of the ice shell (ice floats, you'd head toward the surface -quickly-)?

Do you go after your predators aggressively and fight it out to scare them off, or do you rely on your shell and stealth to survive (but lower food output)?

Do you ascend to even warmer waters (Greater predators and food, possibility of melting the ice shell), dive to cooler waters (lesser predators and less healthy food, stronger shell) or stay where you are and streamline?

How Do You Evolve?

Known Abilities

High Cold Resistance
Likely Cold Blooded later
Minor Heat and Poison Resistance
Somewhat Fast Healing
Photoreceptors can recieve/reflect/send light (costs a lot of energy still)
Ice Shell "armor" (AC +2)
Paralytic Needle Strike (Fortitude negates)
Suction Cup Color-Change Tentacles (Reflex or be constricted) w/regeneration
Oxygen Injection (Fortitude 2/3)
Blindsight 3' Radius, can see light/dark/shadow changes from behind

Enemy Intel:

Enemy creatures resistant to cold, know cold = sign of food
Slightly resistant to Paralysis
Enemy creatures are less aggressive, but more powerful
Enemy creatures are evolving long pokey bits to pierce armor (stingers, noses)

Prey Intel:

Prey highest in nutrition has evolved a lethal chemical "bug spray"
Prey has evolved a shell made of the stuff you find in fingernails, heavy and tough to pierce
Prey rolls into a ball for defense
Prey's heat generation has increased, can fight back and damage ice shell armor effectively

After another 7 or 8 conceptions, we'll end the Conception stage and move on to the next. I should have a drawing or two of these things in the next 24 hours so you can see what it is you've created so far... it'll give me something to do.
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