Matabolism-Dependant Non-Growth Specials

For what's not in 'Top Priority Game Design'. Post your ideas, visions, suggestions for the game, rules, modifications, etc.

Moderator: Oberlus

Post Reply
Message
Author
User avatar
labgnome
Juggernaut
Posts: 833
Joined: Mon Mar 02, 2015 5:57 pm

Matabolism-Dependant Non-Growth Specials

#1 Post by labgnome »

While thinking about the planetary atmosphere specials concept I had here ideas of other metabolism-specific effects occurred to me. One thing that's been mentioned is that often there doesn't seem to be too much of a difference for the choices of species in the game right now. One idea that occurred to me is to make specials that have metabolism-specific effects, thus making them more useful, or useful in different ways, to different species. I've grouped my ideas into two types "environment" specials and "ecology specials".

Planetary Environment Specials
These are special features of the environment that can be put to use by different species.

Geothermal Vents
Description: This planet hosts geothermal vents that are a source of heat and useful chemical-compounds. The energy generated at these sites is useful to the industries of many species. For lithic species the ecologies supported at these sites offer medical and scientific and allow for greater infrastructure.
  • bonus to research focus for lithics
  • bonus to infrastructure for litihics
  • bonus to industry focus for other metabolisms
  • possible bonus to supply (?)
  • chance to be found on all planet except barren, asteroids and gas giants
Hydrocarbon Deposits
Description: This planet hosts large deposits of interesting hydrocarbon compounds. These compounds have a number of research applications for many species. For organic species there are a number of industrial and commercial applications and greater infrastructure.
  • bonus to industry focus for organics
  • bonus to infrastructure for organics
  • bonus to research focus for other metabolisms
  • possible bonus to supply (?)
  • chance to be found on all planet types except radiated and inferno
Nanite Swarms
Description: This planet host swarms of nanites left behind by some long-gone civilization. This local ambient nanotechnology can be put to various industrial applications by many species. For robotic species these nanite offer a source of additional infrastructure and research applications toward improving their own designs.
  • bonus to science focus for robotics
  • bonus to infrastructure for robotics
  • bonus to industry for other metabolisms
  • possible boost to planetary defenses (?)
  • chance to be found on all planet types except inferno and gas-giants
Radiation Shield
Description: The magnetic field and atmosphere on this planet provides a shield from sources of harsh radiation. This allows for a greater utilization of the planetary surface for many species. For phototrophic metabolisms, it improves their cognitive functions and allows for increased activity.
  • bonus to research focus for phototrophics
  • bonus to happiness to phototrophics
  • bonus to industry focus for other metabolisms
  • possible boost to planetary shields (?)
  • chance to be found on all planet types except radiated or asteroids
  • possible increased chance to be found on terran planets (?)
Self-Sustaining Fields
Description: The local environment of this planet creates positive feedback systems that produce self-sustaining energy fields. These fields have many useful research applications for many species. For species with self-sustaining metabolisms they provide industrial applications and aesthetic benefits to the local populations.
  • bonus to industry focus for self-sustaining species
  • bonus to happiness for self-sustaining species
  • bonus to research focus for other metabolisms
  • possible boost to planetary shields (?)
  • chance to be found on all planet types except swamp and asteroids
Planetary Ecology Specials
These specials are produced by or are descriptive of some feature of the local ecology.

Living Crystals
Description: This planet host crystal structures that grow, replicate and evolve like biological organisms. They are a source of scientific interest to many species. For species with lithic metabolisms they provide industrial applications and aesthetic bennifits to the local population.
  • bonus to industry focus for lithics
  • bonus to happiness for lithics
  • bonus to research focus for other metabolisms
  • possible malus to infrastructure (?)
  • chance to be found on all planet types except swamp planets
Self-Replicating Units
Description: This planet hosts a population of autonomous self-replicating machines. They are useful for statistical research to many species. For robotic species they can be harnessed for industrial applications and also put to recreational benefit for the local population.
  • bonus to industry focus for robotics
  • bonus to happiness for robotics
  • bonus to research focus for other metabolisms
  • possible malus to supply (?)
  • chance to be found on all planet types except toxic or gas giant planets
Lush Ecology
Description: This planet hosts a lush and vibrant ecology with complex food-chains and symbiotic relationships between countless species. The local biochemistry has industrial applications for many species. For species with organic metabolisms there is plentiful biological research that can be gained, as well as aesthetic an recreational benefits to the local population.
  • bonus to research focus for organics
  • bonus to happiness for organics
  • bonus to industry focus for other metabolisms
  • possible malus to infrastructure (?)
  • chance be found on all planet types except barren, desert or asteroids
Plasmonic Organisms
Description: There are living plasma-cells found on this planet capable of sustaining themselves from the local environment. They have a number of energy application for many species. For species with self-sustaining metabolisms they are beneficial to research applications and allow for increased infrastructure.
  • bonus to research focus for self-sustaining species
  • bonus to infrastructure for self-sustaining species
  • bonus to industry focus for other metabolisms
  • possible malus to stealth (?)
  • chance to be found on all planet types except tundra
Ubiquitous Bio-Luminescence
Description: This planet hosts local organisms, nearly all of which produce their own light. For many species the biochemistry of the local organisims have many research applications. For phototrophic species there are many industrial applications and the easy sources of light allow for greater infrastructure.
  • bonus to industry focus for phototrophics
  • bonus to infrastructure for phototrophics
  • bonus to research focus for other metabolisms
  • possible malus to stealth (?)
  • chance to be found on all planet types
Namely I think it would be interesting not just to see bonuses that not only affect specific types of species, but that affect them in different ways. So that one planet that might have one use for a certain species might have a completely different use to another. I tried to formulate specials who's effects and distribution make sense while also not simply being interchangeable.
All of my contributions should be considered released under creative commons attribution share-alike license, CC-BY-SA 3.0 for use in, by and with the Free Orion project.

User avatar
em3
Vacuum Dragon
Posts: 630
Joined: Sun Sep 25, 2011 2:51 pm

Re: Matabolism-Dependant Non-Growth Specials

#2 Post by em3 »

Ecology specials could be lost when terraforming.
https://github.com/mmoderau
[...] for Man has earned his right to hold this planet against all comers, by virtue of occasionally producing someone totally batshit insane. - Randall Munroe, title text to xkcd #556

User avatar
labgnome
Juggernaut
Posts: 833
Joined: Mon Mar 02, 2015 5:57 pm

Re: Matabolism-Dependant Non-Growth Specials

#3 Post by labgnome »

em3 wrote:Ecology specials could be lost when terraforming.
:oops: That would be terrible... :(

I love it! :twisted:

Removing it should probably generate a ranged or empire-wide happiness malus for the affected metabolism type.
All of my contributions should be considered released under creative commons attribution share-alike license, CC-BY-SA 3.0 for use in, by and with the Free Orion project.

User avatar
labgnome
Juggernaut
Posts: 833
Joined: Mon Mar 02, 2015 5:57 pm

Re: Matabolism-Dependant Non-Growth Specials

#4 Post by labgnome »

I made graphics for them here.
All of my contributions should be considered released under creative commons attribution share-alike license, CC-BY-SA 3.0 for use in, by and with the Free Orion project.

Post Reply