New tech idea: Xenopaleontology

[Sloth]

The Exobot tech by eleazar gave me an idea for a new tech: Xenopaleontology

Prequesites: Xenoarchaeology and Xenological Genetics
Unlocks: A building that can be build on a planet with the Ancient Ruins special. Finished, this building will turn into a colony ship of the species that lived on the planet in ancient times (cloned from genetic samples). I considered a randomly chosen species which is not in the game already, but i think an otherwise unavailable new species would be way cooler (it could also have some interesting traits).

What do you think?

[Bigjoe5]

Bigjoe5 approves.

[Vezzra]

That's a very interesting idea. I'd like to see that one implemented!

[rnl]

What if that species hates all things not it's own, Thinking "Ghost of Mar" like only you created them bodies. Now you created a new enemy instead of a slave race.

[eleazar]

Being able to resurrect a species from ancient DNA implies a very high level of power. The kind of power that would reasonably allow them to do things in creating/modifying species that the engine doesn't allow.

An explanation for getting new species with fewer plot holes is: that in ancient ruins cryosleep chambers are discovered and/or a corpscicle ship was discovered in space.

It sounds interesting as long as it it reasonably rare.

[Sloth]

Being able to resurrect a species from ancient DNA implies a very high level of power. The kind of power that would reasonably allow them to do things in creating/modifying species that the engine doesn't allow.

Here is what the description of Xenological Genetics sais:

By studying other life forms and using that knowledge to improve upon one's own genetic code, it is possible to develop many useful adaptations that would be otherwise impossible.

To further decrease plot holes we can add an additional sentence to the description of the ANCIENT_RUINS_DEPLETED_SPECIAL like "During the archaelogical studies of the ruins, well preserved bodies of the extinct species XY were discovered".
This way we also have the option to add more than one exstinct species in the future by making several ANCIENT_RUINS_DEPLETED_SPECIAL, one of which gets chosen randomly.

Are you ok with that eleazar?

[Sloth]

I want to start developing this feature.

Sounds very fun and interesting, particularly for the species to not be otherwise available and to have one or more interesting traits

I went through the species in the Story section, but came to the coclusion that it's better to create a new one rather than bend a species designed for another purpose. So let's design a new species that fits the role.
I already have some ideas for a name, picture and personality, but this is not the Story section. Let's talk about game mechanics.

Some questions for the community:
1. Should there be a new tech that unlocks the building (Xenopaleontology) or should the building be unlocked by Xenoarchaeology?

2. What about the power level of the species? I would suggest about equal to the starting species (i.e. a little better than humans). It should be desireable to aquire it, but should not make you eradicate your other species with Concentration Camps.

3. Interesting traits were mentioned, any ideas? (since the species will be rare, i guess it shouldn't require too much coding/scripting work).

4. Which EP should the new species have? Something underrepresented like Radiated?

[Dilvish]

Musings, different possibilities:

A) the building (or one of the related buildings) does not need to be built on the Ruins planet itself, but can be on an outpost anywhere within X starlane jumps (the researchers do need to be able to visit reasonably often). The resulting race is guaranteed to consider that outpost environment to be Good

B) the resulting race has great research or industry, but can't colonize (plus the building results in a colony base being made for them, not a colony ship, so they must settle locally)

C) Sometimes things run amok, and instead of getting a nice new race the planet is overrun with semi-living bioweapon experiments that drive population to zero for the next Forty turns

D) during those 40 turns theres a chance the bioweapons will jump to an adjacent or supply connected system, unless some steps are taken (maybe ownership fo the system goes monster, and ships are periodically generated that will spread the bioweapon unless shot down while still in the infected system.

E) the resulting race can live in any environment as Good, so long as there are [natural tunnels, etc]

[unjashfan]

This is very interesting! I like it a lot! Will there be just one species or a couple of rare ones that get unlocked at random?

1. Should there be a new tech that unlocks the building (Xenopaleontology) or should the building be unlocked by Xenoarchaeology?

I think there should be a new tech, otherwise xenoarchaeology would unlock too much stuff at once.

3. Interesting traits were mentioned, any ideas? (since the species will be rare, i guess it shouldn't require too much coding/scripting work).

It might be interesting if the species could do something no other species can, something like the ability to colonize gas giants, provide special bonuses to nearby planets, or have special foci that only they have access to.

[Sloth]

A) the building (or one of the related buildings) does not need to be built on the Ruins planet itself, but can be on an outpost anywhere within X starlane jumps (the researchers do need to be able to visit reasonably often). The resulting race is guaranteed to consider that outpost environment to be Good
B) the resulting race has great research or industry, but can't colonize (plus the building results in a colony base being made for them, not a colony ship, so they must settle locally)

I think this would cause problems when you control multiple Ancient Ruins Depleted specials, as each special should produce exactly one species.

C) Sometimes things run amok, and instead of getting a nice new race the planet is overrun with semi-living bioweapon experiments that drive population to zero for the next Forty turns

Once Random events are added, we can add one that only happens when you are constructing one of the buildings.

Will there be just one species or a couple of rare ones that get unlocked at random?

I want to start with one species, but in the long term, i want to create at least two Ancient Ruins Depleted specials and each should produce a different species (so that you can't be sure what you get before researching Xenoarchaeology).

[Bigjoe5]

C) Sometimes things run amok, and instead of getting a nice new race the planet is overrun with semi-living bioweapon experiments that drive population to zero for the next Forty turns

Once Random events are added, we can add one that only happens when you are constructing one of the buildings.

We should be able to accomplish this currently with hidden techs, provided the necessary condition exists (building under construction).

[Geoff the Medio]

...provided the necessary condition exists (building under construction).

There is an Enqueued condition, but it doesn't distinguish between "under construction" and "enqueued but not currently receiving PP" or "enqueued by has not yet received any PP".

[eleazar]

I'd recommend:

Phase one

• Create three species
  Adapt from forums or create from scratch
  Three EPs equally spaced around the wheel
  Different metabolism types, i.e. Phototrophic, Robotic, etc.
  Make them powerful, roughly equivalent to starting species
  Make colony ship with species another random prize of the Ruins

Phase two

• Consider fancier "activation" posibilities

None of this is for 0.4.2 of course.

[Sloth]

Create three species
Adapt from forums or create from scratch
Three EPs equally spaced around the wheel

I'm currently working on one species. Do you have a suggestion for another species from the Story forums to put here?

Different metabolism types, i.e. Phototrophic, Robotic, etc.

Exobots make Robotic species available to everyone already (and it sounds a little strange for an ancient species). The other metabolism sound fine though (especially Self-Sustaining).

Make them powerful, roughly equivalent to starting species

Maybe we can start with one having Great Research and one with Great Industry. The third can have Trade or Influence as a bonus.

Make colony ship with species another random prize of the Ruins

What's wrong with the Exobot approach? We can make the building very expensive so that Ancient Ruins really have three stages of benefits.

[Sloth]

Here is the first implementation of resurecting an ancient species (to expand upon):

1. Added the non-playable, non-native species Kilandow. For details see here: viewtopic.php?f=7&t=7206.
2. Xenoarchaeology will unlock the building "Kilandow Colony Origin".
3. The ANCIENT_RUINS_DEPLETED_SPECIAL will mention that the ruins were of Kilandow origin.
4. The building "Kilandow Colony Origin" can be build on a planet with the ANCIENT_RUINS_DEPLETED_SPECIAL. It's rather expensive costing 800 + 120 * [[COLONY_UPKEEP_MULTIPLICATOR]].
5. Like the "Exobot Colony Origin" the "Kilandow Colony Origin" will turn into a colony ship one turn after it's build.