TuxLife

tuxedohamm

Disguised as crow.
Joined
Oct 25, 2005
Messages
902
Location
With a murder


TuxLife

Somewhere deep in the blackness of space, space hamsters, penguins, mooses, dragons, pigs, bears, wolves, and any other spacefarring, animal-alien beings you can think up, came together upon a lonely planet in an otherwise boring star system. This sole planet had met the exact requirements geologically and atmospherically that they sought.

With them were a smattering of basic lifeforms held in stasis, waiting to be released into their new enviroment. These creatures had been collected early in the history of another distant planet and had been the originaters of a vast array of life there.

Here our near-omniscient experimenters desired a new cycle. A test to see how evolution might be different when given a new start. This world had either been void of life, or whoever got here first erradicated all traces prior to this moment and before the remaining animal-alien beings arrived. Now, with everyone assembled, the oceans have been seeded with plankton and the most basic multicelled creatures. Once again evolution is free to take control.

Rules:

You may evolve 1 new species per turn. This evolution will be evolved from an existing species that is not extinct.

During updates, I will determine which species survive and which go extinct. Global changes will affect these things and distasters will occur as they have a habit of doing.

I will then post ugly attempts at beautiful illustrations of your newly evolved species with details elaborating their wonderful existance as the meal for a hungry carnavore. Stats will be posted and the process will begin again.

It is unlikely I will accept new species that are not evolutions of existing species. Most ideas can be developed from the basic creatures present in Update 0. If you feel you truely have something unique that can only come into existance in no other method, PM me and I'll think about it/discuss the idea with you.

Genes:

Genes in this game are simplified representations of your species true genome. You might consider your description to be the regulatory genes that control how the rest of the genes are expressed. However, no description will override genes you don't have.

I will provide a basic list of possibilities, but anything half-realistic will be accepted. Granted, I do retain the option to change or reject anything that I dislike.

More genes equals greater complexity, but will require greater energy demands.

Highly successful cretures will earn their creators an extra gene to spend on a new species.

Joining:

Anyone may join at anytime. You are not committing to ever playing again. The only rule is you may only create one evolution per turn.


Evolution Template:

(new species name) : (player name)
Evolved from: (Old species name)
Gene added (You may only add 1 gene + any bonus):
Gene removed (optional, you may remove up to 1 gene): [Make sure you leave at least 1 gene for eating/energy consumption!!!]
Description:




Credits:
Most of the rules are re-wordings of rules from NesLife 3. I've even based my images roughly off the style used by Daftpanzer in that game. Stolen/borrowed with permission.
 
Spoiler Era 0 :
Update 0:

In the beginning there was plankton and there was:


Warm Water Shallows:

Spongers and Slimers rested on the shallow sea floors slowly collecting plankton and sunlight respectively. The Floater drifted with the currents, but its limited control meant often the creatures would drift out to regions devoid of food. The Crawlers scavenged on the bodies of dead creatures, but as supply was still low, they have yet to thrive.

Open Ocean:

The occasional Floater could be found out here, but otherwise it was a vast open area devoid of much life.

Deep Ocean:

Deep on the sea floor the Miners slowly grew, but not too close to the thermal vents that spotted some regions. Occasional dead bodies would drift down to the deep sea floor.

Polar Oceans

Currently, nothing survives the intense cold. Those creatures that do venture this way quickly die.

Shore

Nothing lives on land. Only remains wash up.


Era 1: The Clawstrum Era
Era 2: The Smellustrum Layer
Era 3: The Skavounian Period
Era 4: The Cipherous Era
Era 5: The Early Anthozor Period
Era 6: Impudensae Era

Era 7 Update Status: New submissions accepted.
Spoiler :

New Submissions Accepted
 
Creatures:
Creature List
- Updated 07-18-2012


Genes (work in progress):
Genes listed are only those used by a creature at some point in the game. You are free to come up with new ideas for genes when evolving a creature.
Spoiler For Genes :

Energy:
Spoiler :

Eating Dead Things: Consumption of rotting animals and/or plants. The creature is able to withstand the bacteria that is present. A creature with this gene will actively scavenge for food that is already dead regardless of its level of decomposition. It will not hunt, and will avoid predators if possible.

Flesh Eating: Consumption of fresh animal meat. High level of energy provided, but food must be caught and usually killed. A creature with this gene will actively hunt other animals.

Mineral Eating: Very low levels of energy. Creatures with this gene either absorb nutrients from the soil, or consume dirt and do the same in their digestive system. (I've dropped Chemosynthesis from this. If you want chemosynthesis, come up with a good idea and make it :D)

Parasitic Tendrils: Variable energy levels depending on host. Creatures with this gene will seek out hosts with high energy levels to feed on. Tendrils will suck/sap nutrients/fat/blood directly from host without killing it (usually - struggling creatures might die when host to a parasite).

Photosynthesis: Converts sunlight into energy. Low level of energy, but abundant access. Creatures with this gene are for the most part considered to be plants.

Plankton Eating: Filtering of plankton (all types) from the water. Large amounts must be consumed for reasonable energy levels. Creatures with this gene will actively seek out plankton swarms and other than predator avoidance, will generally remain with the plankton to feed.

Plant Eating: Consumption of plants. Reasonable levels of energy, provided lots of time is spent eating. Creatures with this gene will seek out growths of plants to consume and generally.

Complex Stomach: More complex digestive system to allow for multiple food sources. This gene alone will not provide an energy source. Creatures with this gene will have an easier time getting energy from multiple sources such as Plant Eating and Flesh Eating. If only one energy source gene is present, Complex Stomach will provide a small allowance during lean times for the creature to on occasion eat something other than what the genes suggest, but will not change behavior. (Example: a creature with Flesh Eating and Complex Stomach will typically hunt animals for food. If times are lean, it may occasionally try to eat a plant or a rotting creature, but will get little benefit and risks digestive problems that may kill it anyway.)

Movement:
Spoiler :

Buoyancy Sacs: Pouches that allow creature to float on the surface of water. Keeps creature on the surface and allows them to float along with water currents, or allow specific parts of a bottom dwelling creature to float higher than the rest of the creature. When used to float the whole creature, it doesn't provide the level of control as Drifting to change depth, but doesn't spend as much energy as Drifting. Considered to be always on.

Crawling: Moving along the ground/sea floor at a slow rate of speed. Creatures will leave a number of legs on ground if not the actual body of the creature as it moves only a few legs in a given step.

Digging: Moving through dirt/sand underground. A creature with only this gene will avoid coming to the surface; if on the surface, it will actively try to get back underground. Claws, teeth or other features provided will improve the ability of the creature to move through dirt when digging.

Drifting: Buoyancy control allowing creature to float in water and adjust when in the water column the creature floats. This allows creature to adjust depth to reach different currents in the water. More control than Buoyancy Sacs, but uses slightly more energy.

Swimming: Controlled movement through water. Increased levels allow for greater speed or increased stamina based on description. Creatures cannot float and will need to take other genes or will rest on sea floor when tired or low on energy.

Sails: Thin, light weight protrusions that when held rigid allow the creature to be pushed by air currents. Only useful if creature sits on water surface, drifts in air, or otherwise really light weight and not located underwater or underground.

Weapons:
Spoiler :

Barbed Hooks: Small hook-like growths cover a region of the creature and are capable of snagging onto other creatures. Removal of hook from snagged creature will result in tearing damage to snagged creature; it is possible to use this to tear off easily swallowed pieces of a creature.

Claws: A hard extension located on the end of an appendage can be clamping like a crab's claw or scraping like a lion's.

Poison Spike: A singular spike that either injects or is coated in a poison. Creature is mostly immune to its own poison and able to consume creatures killed by it.

Teeth: Sharp, bone-like protrusions inside a creature's mouth that allow a creature to more easily tear or bite off bits of food.

Structural/Defensive:
Spoiler :

Holdfasts:
Phorsey:
Shell:

Sensory:
Spoiler :

Chemical Reception:
Electrical Sense:
Eyes:
Touch Sense:

Chemical:
Spoiler :

Poison Spike:
Toxic:

Environmental:
Spoiler :

Cold Resistance:
Heat Resistance:
Pressure Resistance:
Water Retention:

Reproduction:
Spoiler :

Colonial Colony:
Mass Reproduction:

Manipulatives/Trappers:
Spoiler :

Adhesive Tentacles:
Silk Excretion:
Tentacles:

Social:
Spoiler :

Pack Hunting:



Feel free to post. I will leave this up for a day or so before any updates to ensure players are interested.
 
Floater : NPC
Genes (2): Plankton Eating x1, Drifting x1
Description: Floats along with currents and filters plankton from the water.

Floater Eater : TerrisH
Evolved from: Floater
Gene added: Flesh eating
Description: The Floater Eater was still fairly simple like it's floater ancestors, drifting about seas, primarily feeding on plankton. However, It also supplemented this diet with the flesh of any creature that it bumped into, or bumped into it. miniscules hooks (less then 1/100 of it's length) caught on any that did so, and then slowly rotated it's mouth to face the caught creature. Slightly larger hooks around the rim of the mouth then start to rip small, plankton sized chunks of flesh off the creature, at which point it's already developed means to feed on plankton take over. While these meals are rare compared to it's normal food supply, they do provide a rich supplement to it.
On the occasion that two Floater Eaters encounter each other, what follows is a epic, slow motion battle. Each FE trying to maneuver it's mouth into play, twisting and turning each other for advantage.
 
Floater : NPC
Genes (2): Plankton Eating x1, Drifting x1
Description: Floats along with currents and filters plankton from the water.

Tailus : erez87
Evolved from: Floater
Gene added (You may only add 1 gene + any bonus): Swimming x1
Description: As more and more floater communities separated some begun to show greater and greater diversity from the early ancestor. In this group the Floater's muscle tone increased, especially at its back, and a tail appeared. This tail was used by this group of Floater to quickly move from place to place when no food was being eaten, but at times it also moved them further away from food as they had no senses to know where to go. Still this trait was kept in the communities that didn't make mistakes and moved along to the next age...
 
Miner : NPC
Genes (2): Mineral Eating x1, Pressure Resistance x1
Description: Slowly gains energy from the minerals in its enviroment deep at the ocean floor.

Thermal Miners : Eltain
Evolved from: Miners
Gene added : +1 Heat Resistance
Gene removed (optional, you may remove up to 1 gene):
Description: Slowly gains energy from the minerals in its environment deep at the ocean floor. Gradual exposure to the heat caused by the thermal vents at the seas' floors and random mutation eventually caused Thermal Miners to evolve. They thrived merely because of the unpopulated nature of the real estate surrounding the thermal vents.
 
Slimer : NPC
Genes (2): Photosynthesizing x2
Description: Glob of algae-like growth that produces energy from sunlight it receives.

Slimer basicus: Northen Wolf
Evolved from: Slimer
Genes (2): Photosynthesizing x2
Description: Glob of algae-like growth that produces energy from sunlight it receives.

Gene added (You may only add 1 gene + any bonus): Eatting Dead Things x1

Description: Slimers are immobile and small algea. They produce energy from sunlight, but there has been a small evolution - should a dead "thing" fall on Slimer Basicus collective, some parts of it will gradually be absorbed by Slimer Basicus. This evolution has happened because from time to time small corpses of floters, and what else, fall onto Slimers colony blocking some of the sunlight. Whilst, sunlight is still primary way of getting food for Slimer Basicus, reusing energy of dead ocean inhabitants has boosted Slimer Basicus ability to survive. Mainly because dead bodies can be eaten during night - when Photosynthesizing is not that effective.
 
OMG OMG OMG :) I really hope this can run for a long time!

Slimer : NPC
Genes (2): Photosynthesizing x2
Description: Glob of algae-like growth that produces energy from sunlight it receives.

Evolves into

Frozen Slimer :
Genes (2): Photosynthesizing x2, Cold Resistance x1
Description: Glob of algae-like growth that produces energy from sunlight it receives, has gained a resistance to the cold and now spreading into the polar regions.
 
Sponger : NPC
Genes (2): Plankton Eating x2
Description: Clings to the ground, filtering plankton from the enviroment.


-> Add +1 'Swimming'

Oronger: Daftpanzer
The adult stage of these life-forms appears identical to the Sponger. The difference is in the sophisticated 'larval' stage, in which the Oronger now spend most of their lives; small globular animals with bands of tiny cilia for locomotion, and one or two large trailing tentacles lined with similar cilia for catching plankton particles on the move - an inverted form of the adult feeding apparatus. With the Oronger, the sessile adult stage is entered only as a means of spawning the next generation.

EDIT: can't wait for the update :D
 
OK, I'll bite :D

Artropodia milarca : Milarqui
Evolved from: Crawler
Gene added: +1 Plankton Eating
Description: Moves along on ocean bottom eating the remains of the dead. The density of plankton in the seas where the Artropodia milarca lives raised millions of years ago, so eventually one crawler mutated and was able to start feeding on it, thus increasing the quantity and quality of the food they had access to, making their survival more likelier than the old crawlers.
 
Vampira Minor: Omega
Evolved from: Crawler
Gene added: Eat Multi-Celled Creatures X1
Gene removed: None
Description: The Vampira Minor is notable for its ability to eat live multi-celled unlike the crawlers they evolved from. To do this, they evolved a mouth with four ridiciouslly sharp teeth they use to bite and chew on the creatures they eat.
 
Kato skavoun: SouthernKing
Evolved from: Miner
Gene added: +1 Digging
Description: Better able to dig downwards, this creature has evolved to better tap into the sea floor's mineral resources for energy.
 
Altum Comedentis: Popcornlord
Evolved from: Crawler
Gene added: +1 Pressure Resistance
Description: Some of the crawlers began to develop genes to survive the deep ocean. Although there was little who lived down there, the falling of dead bodies from the higher parts of the ocean helped these creatures survive, if not thrive.
 
Crawler : NPC
Genes (2): Eatting Dead Things x1, Crawling x1
Description: Moves along on ocean bottom eating the remains of the dead.

+ Sharp Claw Things

Clawer : Terrance888
Genes (3): Eatting Dead Things x1, Crawling x1 , Sharp Claw Things x 1
Description: Moves along on ocean bottom eating the remains of the dead. It evolved some sharp, claw-like tips on their crawlers to fight each other for mates. Soon, they found out that they can make live things dead with this claws. After this, Clawers are born, slicing and dicing until their food is the way they like it; dead and limp.

STORY!
"Greetings dragons and wyrens! The Terrance Telechannel now presents their newest episode of: TuxLife; Evolution Exploration"

[The camera pans onto the fleet floating over Hammus Tuxedorum]

"After the stagnation of Daft Panzerous, the interdimentional fleet sought new entertainment"

[flashes of various NESes; nukes, warfare, death, magic]

"Unfortunately, they find that they still desire the simplest pleasures best."

[The Camera splashes into the ocean, teeming with life]

"This looks familiar, doesn't it folks? Well, that is because the Penguins and Bears called a truce on nuetral territory to respark the evolution they witnessed years ago. [dual screen comparisons of panoramic scenes] Slimes, crawlers, yadayada. Let's look at some of the developing new commers."

[The Camera pans to two crawlers fighting]

"Look, we already have some genetic differences!"

[The screen froze and then zoomed towards the feet of one of the crawlers]

"As you can see, these crawlers have developed special claws on their feet, nice and sharp! They are useful in fighting, no?"

[The fight went on as the unoordinated creatures battered on each other. Chunks of flesh are drifting from the Clawer's opponet]

"These claws help it make things dead, since it can't digest recently living things that well... too much alive and everything."

[Suddenly, the clawer's opponer lunged towards the clawer, and the screen froze and four sharp "teeth" point out of it's mouth]

"Here we have Vampira Minor, it, on the other hand, has no quams in eating thing still alive."

[The teeth bit into the side of the Clawer, it seemed to squeel in pain and the fangs dug into it's flesh and ripped it to pieces. The Vampira Minor broke off to eat them while the Clawer seemed to skitter away]

"However, the Clawer has one last trick up it's sleave..."

[The Vampira seemed to choke, and decided to bite harder, suddenly, a claw pierced it's body. Chunks of "blood" floated out as it gurgled.]

"It's claw is hard to differenciate from the flesh until, of course, it penetrates the poor opponet. Many dead thing eaters died this way, to act as food for other dead thing eaters. Only Clawers can find their claws in the dead bodies, by slicing and dicing it, and by tossing the hard parts they find into the ocean"

[A small army of clawers decend on the unfortunate Vampira Minor]

"That's all folks! Tune in next time for more!"
 
Arrival on Tau Porcus

Through the glittering void of space, a Penguinskan Icetitan-class multi-medium vessel maneuvered its’ way into a steady orbit over the virgin world. It looked for all the world like a drab metal box with the proportions of a giant metal deck of cards. A small transparent bridge was indented into the front , and a massive, tangled array of machinery at the stern held the ship’s propulsion systems, emanating a deep bass hum and pulsating with bright, white light.

At the helm of the vessel stood a human. His skin was a faint shade of mocha, paled from too many years out of direct sunlight. He was clad in a well-worn and faded uniform. It bore a strange design of navy blue with highlights of green, yellow and red that in some long-lost pocket dimension once signified that the man was a Commodore in his long-lost Empire.

“Admiral. Our vessel has arrived at the beacon. We’re commencing a wide-range area scan now.”

The penguin Admiral Trik brushed off several of his medals and nodded.

“Good. If the intelligence we’ve acquired on this gathering is accurate-”

“Contacts sir, fields opening up right now. Reads Polarbearum.”

Trik’s face darkened. Straightening his Admiral’s hat, the penguin brushed away a tactical display and opened up his Comm relays.

“All gunnery officers, capacitate the singularity batteries. All hands on deck. Man your battlestations. Helmsman Stexyl, set fleet directives towards the rift field nexus. Mister Tkip, hazmat the delta tangos to fiduciary coordinates! Shoot the diplomatic corps!”

“Um… sir, that sounds impressive and all but you’re just spouting off words that don’t mean anything. You don’t need to impress anyone.”

“Fine. Shoot all the guns and go towards the bears.”

“Of course sir.”

And so the Icetitan, drives blazing and matter-distorting weaponry howling, set off in pursuit of the Polar Bear incursion. On the far side of the world, a very similar vessel was reconfiguring itself into an orbital laboratory.

“And here we are.” Gestured Pikt, Forgemaster-Admiral of the Glacier, “Low orbit over the uninhabited planet Tau Porcus. I’m sure you may be wondering why we’re here.”

One penguin raised his flipper.

“Yes, I am wondering just that- I believe I was riding on the back of a flying whale, then I suddenly found myself standing here listening to you ask that question.”

“That can happen sometimes. You’ll get used to it. Welcome to the world of multiversal wayfaring, young Rekk. Now, the reason that we’re here: A well-dressed side of bacon invited us- and several other forces as well. I’ve identified Space Hamsters thusfar, they may have brought the Highland Cows with them.”

“And for what purpose are we here?”

“To create…” Pikt turned around dramatically and pulled away a shroud, “LIFE!”

The penguins looked on in appreciation. The newly-unveiled device was a glowing green generator. Magnetic loops held the howling plasma ring in position, and low handrails kept people from accidentally falling into the rapidly-spinning miasma.

“Behold, my friends, the EVOLVO-RAY!”

The excitement petered out.

“Seriously?” asked one voice?

“Evolvo-ray? I don’t even think that’s original.”

“Come one guys, it’s great-”

“It doesn’t even make sense! It’s not even a ray, it’s a… weird spinning green thing.”

“Yeah okay maybe that was a bit of an oversight but-”

“How does it even work? It looks no different than a standard Tokamak covered in green wrap.”

One penguin poked at it. Plastic.

“Okay, I’m still working out some bugs. This one’s a mockup. But it works- I swear!”

The crowd began to disperse. Pikt looked down, dejected. Idiots, sheep in penguin’s clothing. So little faith in his abilities- it had been over 5 years since that orbital-insertion incident, and they still hadn’t forgotten it. Frankly, any tank that can’t survive re-entry and repeated terminal velocity landings was not worthy of being called an armoured vehicle.

A scowl on his face- no that you’d be able to read expressions from a penguin- Pikt pulled himself into the command chair of his device. Sensor systems zoomed down onto the planet below him. The optics closed in on a small, unassuming mass of photosynthetic cells.

“Bwahahaha! Now, with the power of my Evolvo-Ray, become my first creation that will show them, that will show them all!”

With a sound of vague disappointment, the ray spat out a weedy beam from its base, vaguely illuminating the slimer for a few seconds before fading out. The machinery on board the ship hissed and overheated, flickering out.

“Baby steps. Baby steps.”
 
Terrance, that was sincerely a cool story. One minor flaw, though. It is Vampira Minor, not Vampora Minor. But feel free to use any of kmy creatures in your future stories. :)

Iggy, also a cool story as well. :)

EDIT: Not sure if this counts as a mutation, but could you make my creature black, Tux?
 
Peregrinor : Lord_Iggy
Evolved from: Slimer
Gene added (You may only add 1 gene + any bonus): Buoyancy
Gene removed (optional, you may remove up to 1 gene): None
Description: In one branch of the Slimer family, the gaseous byproducts of the organism's photosynthetic reactions build up inside special multicellular vacuoles. This lifts the whole mass to the surface, where the organism thrives on the richer sunlight. Through this buoyancy, the Peregrinor is able to monopolize sunlight right on the water's surface. Its detachment from the oceanic substrata also allows it to disperse across the world, rendering its population nearly immune to localized catastrophes.
 
Terrance, that was sincerely a cool story. One minor flaw, though. It is Vampira Minor, not Vampora Minor. But feel free to use any of kmy creatures in your future stories. :)

Iggy, also a cool story as well. :)

Thanks! Hopes this NES lasts as long as the solar system!


Specially Trained (And Bred, Shh!) Space Dragons can fly through the Ether like all dragons can fly through the air.
They are watching the war between the Penguins, Polarbearians, Highland Cows and others carefully.
No one knows what they want, but they do have nifty cameras.

 
Okay. Lots of interest. I shall be back at home from shopping soon. Once there I will begin drawing everything up. I've not done this before so I won't give an ETA just yet. However, if you have yet to evolve something, I suggest posting it soon. For those already posted, please no last moment changes.

EDIT: No new stuff. I'll start working on what we have here.
 
Requisite preview to prove I've done something:



Some images might not be to scale with each other. I'm doing most images larger than how they appear in environmental shots so I can have better detail.
 
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