FreeOrion

Would it be possible to have planets with only a single huge organism on them which would cover almost the entire surface of the planet?

These planets could then only support a minimal researcher population and colonizing them and building a research station on them could give some sort of bonuses to the biological research.

Of course these kinds of planets would be very rare and there could also be an option to destroy the organism by planetary bombardment, which might of course get the disapprovement of the peace loving species.

In principle, yes.

The "single organism" could be treated as a form of native life, I suppose... or a special that severely limits population but gives a significant research bonus...

Yeah. This sounds like a nifty idea for a planetary special.

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Computer programming is fun.

Well It probably wouldn't limit population any more than say a swamp type world did (you would just have to hack away at the creature every time you wanted to build new farms)

But in any case, it sounds like a good special.

Erm... you did notice that eventually homeworld type will be a variable?

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Computer programming is fun.

Well yes, I meant a swamp type world FOR a terran type race. (ie It'll limit it but not much)

Ah.. I see. But I'm actually kinda leaning in the direction of having this special reduce the max population by 80%, to a minimum of 1. Therefore you'll always be able to colonize the planet, but unless it's a world that would have had a very good value (say 15 or more), you won't get much except the research bonus.

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Computer programming is fun.

The reason why I suggested that the organism would limit the planets population is that it would cover almost the entire surface of the planet and as living things in general don`t like being hacked into pieces removing large areas of the organism would probably kill it. And so you would loose your research bonus and end up with a huge amount of organic waste.

Well I'd figure a living thing that covered a whole planet would be able to deal with losing a few thousand square kilometer (equivalent of losing the tip of a thumb)... not to mention plenty of plants/fungi do just fine with parts chopped off.

The organism may get angry if you try cutting it into pieces. It may regard you similary to as a virus is seen in a human body.
The virus is tiny in comparison to a human, but it may still kill you.

I like the idea of this being a planetary special that requires a massive orbital bombardment to get rid of. IF you want to get rid of it.

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Computer programming is fun.

Well that largely depends on the nature of the organism... a World girdling Fungus would do nothing more than have a minor local response, ie heal and start regrowing. On the other hand, there could be a complex Immune type response, that could be coordinated all around the planet. (although I wouldn't make it something a Space Age Civ couldn't deal with... again just a significant penalty to growth...unless we are doing things like Psionics... in which case the creature may rely on Space Age civs landing on it to take them over and get itself planted on other Worlds)

blah

This is a fun game.

Buildings are the dominant species on Earth. They outweigh all human biomass. Humans are their servants, both building and working within them. Humans even are subject to the torturous tasks of cleaning, dressing and maintaining the builings.

If you want to go by biomass, bacteria wins.

By species . insects probably.