Hostile lifeform list

Species suggestions, story ideas and contributions.
Message
Author
guiguibaah
Creative Contributor
Posts: 441
Joined: Tue Oct 07, 2003 1:00 am

Hostile lifeform list

#1 Post by guiguibaah »

I worked on a list of hostile lifeforms a few months ago and left it unfinished. I thought it would add extra character to the game if the game described what kinds of hostile life there were.

The trick was to thin of something that would be hostile to anything... Humans, Sillicone beings, Machines, Energy creatures, Giant Ants, Etc...
I didn't get very far.

So here is the unfinished work.

- - - - - -

Barren

- Barren Barnacles

Suck energy, crystalline in nature


- Hunguloid dervishes

1. Discovery (humanoid)
There is some debate whether hunguloids should fit into the category as 'hostile life'. Hunguloids are composed of a random mass of rock or rock-like particles that bond together with some sort of gavimetric charge. It has been theorized that it is not the nature of the rocks, but the undetectable charges, that comprise the body of the Hunguloid. Hunguloids could be comprised of ten or twenty large rock chunks, or over 100 smaller fist-sized sized particles. Some scientists assert that the hunguloids and made up of purely random charges, as their movements and destinations seem to be haphazard at best. Others point to witness accounts that suggest a clear intent, such as a mass of hunguloids coming together to attack structures. Hunguloids have been known to bond to building materials.

1. Discovery (one)
My fingers a disruption on this planet they sense. The surface rock not smooth but large are collected. Round and round they are, combined gravitronic charges are they. Unintelligent I sense, but familiar to me is it? Massive are they who smash themselves over my bodies. It is not ticklish, but scratches my surfaces. Rocks and surfaces and rocks smash themselves they smash. Random is it, or a pattern to be discovered? Golems of a sort are they, but forever rolling, rolling on the surface. Is it hungry? Does it thirst? Thoughts or motion to them I cannot feel. I call them hunguloids.

1. Discovery (Gregarious)
Something smells down on this planet. Some blasted colonists report that the rocks are moving - that they lock together with some sort of strange charge and crush the half-witted fools who do not get out of their way. At first it was amusing, now it has become a big nuissance! How many scientists must I lose to study this strange lifeform that does nothing but hurl large rocks at our life-support system and colony vehicles. I don't care that they seem to be bonded bu some odd gravimetric chage, not do I care that the larger the rocks, the stronger they are. What I do care about is how to erradicate these things!


2. Control (humanoid)
There appears to be a minimum size of rock that a hunguloid will refuse to bond with. In order to create a protective perimeter, colonists will blast the area around structures with explosives to reduce both the size of the rocks and the possibility of a hunguloid attack. Hunguloids also seem to be particularily sensitive to intense EM fields and are averse to liquids. We have been able to use these techniques as a protective measure.

2. Control (one)
The hunguloid itch makes me scratch. Most I feel safe from the biting if I soothe the area with light. The more light, the bright light used, reduces the swelling. Still here are they on this rock, but advert from the bright lights my fingers make. If I am quick picking them up I can, placing them in large craters on other side from where I rest.

2. Control (gregarious)
It seems these hunguloids are attracted to energy fields. So they want energy, do they? I'll give them energy. I've ordered the colonists to seed the surface of this rock with nuclear mines. While they are extremely effective at reducing hunguloid numbers, the flying shrapnel has been creating various holes in installations, vehicles and colonists. Costly measure, but entertaining nonetheless.


3. Use (humanoid)
Some enterprising colonists have devised a way to not only reduce the number of hunguloid attacks, but to use hunguloids in such a way that help the day to day live in a colony be more constructive. By surging the area with small but short bursts of electricity the direction of hunguloids can be altered. While not totally immune to hunguloid attacks, the colonists can harness to some limited degree their usefullness in day to day tasks.

3. Use (one)
If I tickle these hunguloids then coat me with protection can they. They sometimes scratch me if not careful at the sight. Great use is made to the second and third parts of my thoughts. Easier they make for me to sleep. They roll around and gather items desire I on the surface rock.

3. Use (gregarious)
Ha ha! Why didn't we think of this before? My scientists tell me that Hunguloids will collect certain rare earths that have some value. I've instituted a hunting leage on the planet to seek out some of these rare earths as a bounty. While the loss of colonists still continutes, there's nothing quite as satisfying as launching a shoulder-mounted charge pack into a hunguloid gathering and watching them compete for the remaining chunks of rocks that are left.


Inferno

- Golgo Dragons

Toxic

- F Spores


Tundra

- Tueform wisps

Wisp-like creatures that exist in suspended water partiles that extend various tendrils to break apart components, such as rock, ice, organic components, and machinery.

-


Swamp

- Bulbous Krackens

Giant octopus-like creatures that burrow in soft soil underneath.

- Worm diggers

SMAC like mindworms


Desert

- Tendril Squids

1. Discovery
Small sticky, sand-like tendrils that lie just underneath a layer of sand. The Tendril horror is a giant creature that burrows over 90 meters deep beneath the surface, creating a small cavern to retract its serrated tentacles and devour its prey. To capture a meal, it extends a pair of slender, serrated tentacles to areas where small vibrations can be felt, such as footsteps in the sand. The tentacles will furriously wrap themselves around the source, and pull the object deep into the sand before its prey can react. The tentacle will bring the animal to the main body located within the mother cavern, where it is torn into parts by the tendril horror's giant serrated beak.

It has been nicknamed the 'tendril squids' due to the suddeness and speed that it grasps ts prey and pulls them underneath the sand. By the time a rescue attempt can be made, the victim has been devoured. Many a survivor has been left in shock talking to a companion who is suddenly pulled beneath the sand.

2. Control
Those who have survived and lived to tell the tale were often well-armed individuals who were attacked by smaller, juvenile tendril squids. Training colonists to carry emergency rebreathers, an emergency beacon, and a standard impact rifle has helped to increase the rescue and recovery of attacked colonists. This also helps squid hunter teams to extract the body and tendrils of the squids. The empty cave is monitored for introduction of another tendil squid, as tendril squids seem to prefer pre-occupied cave zones.

3. Use
It appears that tendril squids are fairly territorial in nature. Not only do they prevent one squid from inhabiting the same area, they will seed the sand with special phermones to communicate to other squids of their habitat. The hormones they secrete works to agglutinate the sand, helping reduce the amount of sandstorms in an area. Domesticated tendril squids have been used to stabilize certain areas that are prone to heavy sandstorm activity.


Ocean

- Blacktide

1. Discovery
A highly toxic byproduct released by various multi-cellular microorganisms that dwell in subterranean vents. Although similar to algea in some respects, these microorganisms are lithovoric. Attempts to remove these organisms from various vents prove difficult, if not impossible, as time has allowed them to form vast underground colonies spanning from one underwater thermal vent to the next. Every few planetary cycles, these microorganisms release a very potent toxin that is highly toxic to any biological organism. It difficult to develop an anti-toxin due to several different varieties that are mixed between colonies.

Upon being affected by the toxin, whether theough injestion of direct contact, the living host suffers a severe case of necropsy. The host begins to rot away from the inside out, until nothing is left but rotting parts to cloud the waters. Hence comes the name 'blacktide'. The toxin further acts as a corrosive agent to erode electical contacts and various industial compounds, making it difficult for robots to collect samples.

2. Control

3. Use


Terran

Irradiated
There are three kinds of people in this world - those who can count, and those who can't.

Ablaze
Creative Contributor
Posts: 314
Joined: Tue Aug 26, 2003 6:10 pm
Location: Amidst the Inferno.

#2 Post by Ablaze »

This is cool stuff, I like it.

Maybe I'll work on adding to what you've got here if I get a free moment.
Time flies like the wind, fruit flies like bananas.

User avatar
Krikkitone
Creative Contributor
Posts: 1559
Joined: Sat Sep 13, 2003 6:52 pm

#3 Post by Krikkitone »

To make them equally Hostile to all races, then I would make them either
1. attack for the purpose of defense (ie they get rid of Moving individuals)
2. destroy structures for eating
or
3. destroy structures as a byproduct of their existence

so Hunguloid, good
Tendril squid, bad (unless some other source of food is given them and the tearing apart is not for eating but for killing)

drek
Designer Emeritus
Posts: 935
Joined: Thu Jun 26, 2003 8:07 am

#4 Post by drek »

Huh,

great thread, gui. This sort of thing is exactly what the story section of the board should be used for: proposing stories that actually occur in game. I hope that once the event engine is in, someone remembers this thread is here and mines it.

Impaler
Creative Contributor
Posts: 1060
Joined: Sun Jun 29, 2003 12:40 am
Location: Tucson, Arizona USA

#5 Post by Impaler »

I like the idea of eventualy being able to use the life forms in some productive way.

Barren Barnicles sound much like the Stellar Barnicles I proposed a long time ago, it was inspired by Comand and Concour Tiberium and was intended to a Space Based plauge of crystals that infest ships hulls.

I think we should knock off a few StarWars creatures here, Sarlac pits, Asteroid worm things and the most feared of them all .... Gungans! (oh wait we already have thouse dont we?). Further more Desert planets must have Giant Sand Worms ala Dune!!

I think 3 native creatures per planet type is a reasonalbe goal, one would be benign, one one be a nuicence/minor penalty and one would be a major penalty. When apropriate a life form could apeare on several planet types that are similar (like Swamp, Terran and Ocean for our Gungan knockoffs)

Idealy each creature carries a unique penalty of some sort rather then simply being a different "skin" for the same generic hostile creature effect.
Fear is the Mind Killer - Frank Herbert -Dune

Kharagh
Pupating Mass
Posts: 97
Joined: Sun Nov 21, 2004 12:51 pm
Location: Germany

#6 Post by Kharagh »

I like the creatures on planets are a great idea. They give the planets a little bit more character. Without any interesting life on the planets the player will have the impression that all those planets just hang around in space, waiting until someone finally finds and colonizes them.

You get this feeling of discovery when something is already there when you arrive at a planet.
Your bold settlers flying to the stars to discover strange new worlds, etc.

However I think we should put a random number of 0 - 4 creatures on each planet. It's kind of boring if you already know there will be 3 creatures on your new planet, one benign, one a nuisance and one hostile.

All creatures having one otr two unique ability would be great. Makes the game a lot more fun and more interesting.

Dreamer
Dyson Forest
Posts: 228
Joined: Sun Mar 13, 2005 6:44 am
Location: Santiago, Chile

#7 Post by Dreamer »

Kharagh wrote:However I think we should put a random number of 0 - 4 creatures on each planet. It's kind of boring if you already know there will be 3 creatures on your new planet, one benign, one a nuisance and one hostile.
Mmm, did I got it wrong? I assumed about 3 creatures per TYPE of planet (aka enviroment) and at most one per individual planet.

An why one benign, one a nuisance and one hostile. I would have also hiper-benign specials so the planet becomes a thing to fight for instead of yet another colony. Or better yet, benign and hostile aspects of the same thing. Ok, Dune had worms, but because of the worms they actually had Spice Melange. In the book they eventually begun to EXPORT worms in fact!!!

guiguibaah
Creative Contributor
Posts: 441
Joined: Tue Oct 07, 2003 1:00 am

Hostile Lifeform

#8 Post by guiguibaah »

Actually the list was just to give more background on hostile lifeforms. Instead of clicking on a planet and seeing the "Hostile lifeform" tag, it would be more immersive to have a bit of background on what it is, and perhaps a sketchy picture or two.

I thought it could also be interesting to have a point where a "hostile" lifeform doesn't become hostile anymore, due to enough time your colonists have spent with them. After X amount of turns that planet is colonised, the hostile tag is removed.


I also hinted to different description per race.

However, as you can see, this adds up to a lot of writing. Say 7 different races, +3 different stages = 21 lines of writing. It would be more immersive, but also more work.
There are three kinds of people in this world - those who can count, and those who can't.

Sandlapper
Dyson Forest
Posts: 243
Joined: Sat Nov 01, 2003 11:50 pm
Location: South Carolina, USA

#9 Post by Sandlapper »

It would be interesting to have a hostile/nuisance lifeform suddenly appear in your empire after you just signed that new trade agreement with empire "x" (ala vermin stowawayed in a ship's cargo).

Also, an exceptionally hostile lifeform, like in the "Alien" movie series. that hampers all empires would be neat. Sorta like a major space creature, but planetside, instead of a system attack.

Impaler
Creative Contributor
Posts: 1060
Joined: Sun Jun 29, 2003 12:40 am
Location: Tucson, Arizona USA

#10 Post by Impaler »

Additional LifeForm Detected on Ocean Planet:

Babble Fish, yes the inforgetable Babble fish from The Hichikers Guide to the Galaxy should be one of our native life forms. Not only is it an additional tribute to a great book it also provides a very fresh and interesting bonus to the play who possess it. Being in Possesion of a Babblefish inhabited planet could do one or all of the following things.

Give a small Diplomatic Bonus to the player
Speedup the research of Alien Languages (I proposed a ways back that you need to research an alien races language before you could comunicate with them).
It might also grant access to research some Psionic or telepathic tecnologies earlier then normal.

The Babblefish bonus dose not stack ofcorse.
Fear is the Mind Killer - Frank Herbert -Dune

Impaler
Creative Contributor
Posts: 1060
Joined: Sun Jun 29, 2003 12:40 am
Location: Tucson, Arizona USA

#11 Post by Impaler »

I have a potential name for the Alien knock offs "Crysili". They rea ofcorse jet black have acid for blood and implant ravenous larva in their living victims. Not shure what kind of environment these would live in, probably something Hot (remember they aliens hated cold).
Fear is the Mind Killer - Frank Herbert -Dune

Dunwitch
Space Krill
Posts: 2
Joined: Sun Aug 14, 2005 3:34 am

Hostile Life-forms

#12 Post by Dunwitch »

Was lurking and thought of some more hostile life forms that I thought would add some flavor ...

Hostile Life Forms

Plasmic Vermids: These odd and devastating creatures are small, levitating energy worms. They are able to maintain low-level fission and their bodies are largely a mettalic/fullerene substance. Plasmic Vermids feed on exotic alloys as well as complex carbon molecules. They are able to burrow through any substance softer than diamond without hindrance, and any building, vehicle, or creature caught in the path of a Vermid swarm will suffer massive damage as the Vermids burrow through it. Planets infested with Plasmic Vermids suffer substantial penalties to population growth and industry, but the arcane nucleonic reaction built into their physiology is an excellent research subject so a slight research bonus can be gained by building research facilities on an infested world. If possible, eradication could be accomplished through an intensive research program. Graphic is a swarm of glowing maggot-like things, floating in space.

Deserian Crawlers: Deserian Crawlers are akin to large metallic centipedes. Poisonous, acidic, and difficult to kill, Crawlers infest desert planets as well as some barren worlds. Crawlers feed on organics, and also ingest metallic alloys and crystalline structures into their exoskeletons. Eradication is difficult. Infested planets suffer a significant penalty to population growth. Graphic is a centipede with a metallic sheen.

Lloigor (this is an adaptation of an old classic work of fiction; don't know if that is allowed): The Lloigor are non-corporeal cosmic entities that are bound to their homeworlds and feed on psychic energies generated during extreme duress. Lloigor use telepathy to create rioting, crime, and mayhem amongst sentient populations, and then feed off the resulting psychic distress. Infested planets suffer a major penalty to morale/happiness. The Lloigor are difficult to detect (if possible) until research facilities are built on the planet. Eradication is impossible. Lloigor are only found on planets that have, or have had in the past, sentient life forms. Graphic is a hazy cloud with no discernable shape.

Lotusweed: This small, inoccuous-looking purplish plant spreads like wildfire. It is found only on terrestrial planets. This plant emits vast clouds of spores at all seasons, which fill the atmosphere of the planet and affect all organic life-forms, slowing mental processes and imbuing affected creatures with a false sense of lassitude and well-being. This causes a major penalty to research but a major bonus to happiness/morale, plus a minor penalty to industry. Eradication is possible but expensive. Graphic is a small purplish plant spouting smoke.

Corelings: The Corelings are semi-intelligent creatures that live harmlessly in the molten cores of planets, feeding on magma energy. At irregular intervals, however, they form breeding swarms along faultlines, causing massive earthquakes. Eradication is impossible without destroying the planet. Infested planets suffer a slight penalty to industry and population growth from the periodic earthquakes. Graphic is a black sphere with stubby tentacles, floating in magma.

Lamarckian Ultravirus: Typically found on uninhabited terrestrial worlds, the rapidly-mutating ultravirus is possibly the most deadly organism ever found. It has a built in chemical mechanism for creating enzymes to attack whatever tissues it encounters. Whether it was created in aeons past as the ultimate biological weapon is debatable, but the effects are spectacular. Once a planet reaches a threshold population, an outbreak occurs, spreads rapidly through the population, and kills non-native life-forms at a rate equal to 5-20% of the global population per year. Eradication is very difficult, involving massive on-site research expenditure. Graphic is a microscopic view of a virus.

Stromatopoids: These insectoid creatures are similar to a terrestrial version of the mantis shrimp. With forelegs capable of pulverizing almost any matter, and a propensity to use this ability while randomly foraging, Stromatopoids cause serious damage to buildings and vehicles, breaking them open in their search for food. Industrial capacity suffers a penalty on infested planets. Eradication is fairly easy. Graphic is a likeness of a mantis-like crustacean.

Chupacabras (ok maybe a bad idea...): Chupacabras are small, semi-intelligent predators that have an instinctive ability to psychically project their appearance (or non-appearance) into sentient minds. They prey on organic life-forms, causing a penalty to morale/happiness and population growth. They are found on terrestrial and desert planets. Eradication is difficult. Graphic is a horrific, shrivelled, bat-monkey thing.

Bantic Infratoads: These large, stupid amphibians live in marshy areas and avoid contact with larger creatures. During their breeding season, male Bantic Infratoads emit unusual long-range mating calls in the infrasound band, which causes major discomfort in all sentient beings. Infested planets suffer a slight penalty to industrial production and morale/happiness. Eradication is fairly easy. Graphic is a toadlike creature with vocal sac distended.

Lesser Borian Quickwood: This tree sprouts without warning from a dormant rocklike seed, in almost any environment, at an amazing speed. This rapid growth can split rocks, destroy roads and buildings, and disrupt air travel. This causes a minor penalty to industrial capacity. Eradication is moderately easy. Graphic is a huge tree, growing through a building.

Greater Borian Quickwood: Similar to the above, but with a rocky, crystalline bark that resists even nuclear weapons, a faster growth rate, and a larger size. Greater penalty to industry applies. Eradication is somewhat difficult. Graphic as above, but bigger.

Ultravirile Synchrocoral: This small, reefbuilding coral polyp occurs on oceanic planets. Once per solar cycle, all Syncrocorals simulataneously release their gametes into the world-ocean, filling it with sticky, cloudy particles and bringing travel and commerce to a complete halt for several weeks. This causes a small penalty to industry but may boost population growth by enforcing vacation time for breeding. Difficult to eradicate. Graphic is a coral polyp releasing gametes.

Impaler
Creative Contributor
Posts: 1060
Joined: Sun Jun 29, 2003 12:40 am
Location: Tucson, Arizona USA

#13 Post by Impaler »

Nice stuff, the Lotusweed reminds me of a Episode of StarTrek with a sun-flower looking plant that blast polen at people and makes them Hippies. Even Spock and Kirk were affected the only cure was to make a person angry.

Some other trek monsters though could be used.

That Virus that made all Adults Die but keept children young for hundreds of years.
The monster in the Trailor that sucked salt from people bodies and projects illusions into the mind

Another Idea from a nice book I read (somthing by Alastar Reynolds). A Nano fractal grey-goo kind of stuff that twists and warps all kinds of structures into fractal masses destroying your buildings at the molecular level (greatly incressing building maintance costs).
Fear is the Mind Killer - Frank Herbert -Dune

Rob
Space Floater
Posts: 36
Joined: Thu Mar 25, 2004 8:44 am
Location: Treptow (Berlin)

#14 Post by Rob »

Horta

Bonus to Mining ( creates spacious caverns )
More Beuilding maintenance ( damaging the footing of buildings ).

Looks like... Horta. Just ea ltle bit mor realistic.
http://www.70disco.com/startrek/horta.htm
Wer die Welt gezielt verändern will, muss sie zuerst einmal verstehen!
One of your german brothers: http://www.fatal-universe.de

User avatar
Tortanick
Creative Contributor
Posts: 576
Joined: Sat May 26, 2007 8:05 pm

#15 Post by Tortanick »

Unamed: (help please)

An Unamed resembles a sphere roughly the size of a football (soccer) compleatly covered in thick tangled hair of variable colour. Underneath this hair there are two duck like feet, a large mouth with no teeth (they liquidise their food), a couple of ears and a very effective nose. They have no eyes since the hair would blind them anyway but their nose makes up for it. They also have no arms but can manipulate using their hair, every stand can be controlled individually but they're very weak.

Despite being a "hostile lifeform" the Unamed are very friendly and are a reasonably advanced sapient race. They were making progress in most scientific fields until they discovered quantum physics and theories that said they're in multiple places at once but their mind creates an illusionary ordered world, since then they're entire scientific base has focused entirely on creating psychedelic drugs that will allow them to overcome their minds and ascend to the next level of existence. They're close.

Unamed live underground in small communities, typically these will just be a hollow bubble in the soil with no entrances and exits, an Unnamed can dig at walking pace but typically ends up filing in the tunnel behind him, this makes them very hard to find and attack.

So why are they a “hostile lifeform”? well as a by-product of their research into transcendence drugs they're created lots of highly effective relational drugs, free from side effects and chemical addiction, they'll hapally trade these with any alien life who colonises the planet, since they've almost got transcendent drugs whipping up something that relaxes alien life, even crystalline or energy based, is simple. As a result any colony on a planet populated by Unamed suffers from a drug problem, it increases moral but every turn a random number of the population will be too stoned to do any useful work.

The solution to the Unamed problem is to first discover their goals of transcendence, then give them access to you're advanced research facilitates, they'll soon crack the problem and ascend leaving the planet behind forever.

Post Reply