NESLife attempt #3

[Daftpanzer]

Thanks for the feedback, and the new species

@Splime, thanks again for taking the time to do those charts, they look great!

I love the new backgrounds, but I think the other things were better old-school.

So I vote that you keep the new backgrounds, but bring other things back to normal.

Hmm, are you talking about the map then? I may well drop that from future updates. I dont want to turn this into something that takes a week or more to update. I already have a NES for that

PS I like your idea about isloated land/sea masses that only last so long.

I didn't really like the blur effects.

I thought it looked better that way, the less (lack of) detail visible the better

edit:

Okay. What gene is Fast Metabolism? It's not on the list, though I can easily enough tell its meaning.

Ergh actually i think i meant to add to a level to the lungs, i didnt want metabolism on its own either crazyeye. Maybe i should have added it to crawling crazyeye: ). Basically i had that gene earmarked as making the creature more energetic/able to move. I will change this next update, feel free to suggest what that 'gene' should be

How many genes of water retention would it take to really start "living" on land?

It depends on the size and complexity of the creature. Roughly speaking, a typical crawling critter from this game could go most places on land with level 3. level 2 would probably restrict it to moister areas. level 1 would be seashore/riverbank/lakeside. level 4 would be enough to start survivng in deserts etc.

Also how are crawling and walking working together? If I want to add walking to something should I leave the crawling or will that just be an energy waste?

The way i see it, 'Walking' is only really useful for larger animals on land, or smaller animals that want to go really fast. Walking will kinda make crawling obsolete in the same creature. Sorry this is a bit of a grey area...

 

[tuxedohamm]

well crawling could be for the younger creatures before they have the strength for walking, just as some creatures have plankton eating though the adult mostly survives on plants or flesh. Not all creatures would need both. Something like a deer pretty much comes out walking after a few minutes, while us humans are a bit slower and take a year or so...spending that first bit of time crawling. The specifics could be in the descriptions. Though you could say that if you can walk you can crawl. I've certainly seen images of hoofed animals trying to drag themselves after they've been hurt by predators or accidents, though usually those that only do it in those situations are not going to make it.

 

[BananaLee]

Daft, why do you always have to find some way to kill off my species? It seems that every other update my species go extinct...

Up to turn 8, every single one of my evolutions died out


Yuckius Lookus: BananaLee
Evolved from: Yuckius Yuckius
Genes Added: Plankton Eating +1, Eyes +1
Description: It eats better, and it can SEE!

 

[Lord_Iggy]

1. Hmm, are you talking about the map then? I may well drop that from future updates. I dont want to turn this into something that takes a week or more to update. I already have a NES for that

2. PS I like your idea about isloated land/sea masses that only last so long.

3. I thought it looked better that way, the less (lack of) detail visible the better

4. Ergh actually i think i meant to add to a level to the lungs, i didnt want metabolism on its own either crazyeye. Maybe i should have added it to crawling crazyeye: ). Basically i had that gene earmarked as making the creature more energetic/able to move. I will change this next update, feel free to suggest what that 'gene' should be

1. I think the map is unnecessary. In reality, we wouldn't know about the map while evolving anyway.

2. Thanks!

3. I didn't. A little bit of consistant distortion from the water is fine, animals shrunken in the distance is awesome, but blurs, IMHO, make the picture much messier, more difficult, and less pleasant to view.

4. If you can add it to the lungs, that would be great.

 

[TerrisH]

Jet Spike: TerrisH
Evolved from: Sea Urchin
Genes (8): Photosynthesis x2, Water Retention x1, Acid x1, Piercing Spike x1, Crawling Roots x1, Scavenging Roots x1, Smelling x1
New Genes: Water Jetx1, Flesh eating x1
Lost Genes: Water Retention x1
Description: The jet spike was a weird off shoot of the Urchin family. Similar to the urchin, It has two advantages over it's cousin. the first one is the fact it has devloped a primitive external stomach, allowing it to consum prey, not just scrounge off the remains of other creature. the second in it's water pouch. this pouch allows it to propell it'sself VERY VERY fast over a short distance. while somewhat high energy, it usualy only uses the pouch when something brushes it, at which point it uses it's jet to propell it'sself toward the creature the brushed it, embeding it on it's spikes.

OOC: icky. wanted to put this out. will correct for spellign when I get back for trip. I hate Internet explorer.

 

[Niklas]

I disagree with Iggy, I thought the blur effect was really nice. But taste is taste.

 

[tuxedohamm]

I definately like the distance effect. Size and to some degree the blur. I think upclose life should be clear to see but to really denote distance particularly the far-far distant objects a little blur helps.

 

[Fulton]

Mining Zeeboo : Fulton
Evolved From: Tough Zeeboo
Genes Added (max 2): Mineral Extraction x1, Roots x1
Genes Removed (max 2): None
Description (Optional): The Zeeboo line of evolution had weathered the cataclysm well. However, it had still, as with all life, lost significant numbers. The Zeeboo was entirely powered by photosynthesis and thus, completely reliant on the sun for energy. A new evolution was in order. This new breed of Zeeboo developed the main advantage of the Zeeboo line since its migration to the land: it’s well developed roots.

These roots were increased to aid with survival in more hostile areas, and the ability to absorb energy from the minerals in the ground made these roots a useful tool for Zeeboo living in more hospitable regions. Additionally, should the sun disappear behind a dark cloud again, the Zeeboo could still survive on nutrients from the earth.

 

[Grombar]

Spoiler :

Xenodid: Grombar
Evolved from: Surferdid
Genes (11): Crawling x2, Plant Eating x3, Complex Stomach x2, Claws x2, Cold Resistance x1, Exoskeleton x1, Eyes x2, Water Retention x2, Poison resistance x1
Description: As the Surferdid encountered more types of plants and animals it evolved to protect itself against the main form of "passive" attack/defense. It also found itself spending more time out of the water with its improved water retention (both warm and cold lands where available to him).

Terradid
Evolved from: Xenodid
Genes Added (max 2): Lungs (x1), Exoskeleton (x1)
Genes Removed (max 2)
Description: Life during the eternal night was hard, less plants grew so feeding became harder, more creatures fought for what was a plentiful food source and then came the cold. The Xenodid's could survive cold water but not ice water. As their numbers dropped a change started to come over them giving them more tools to survive with. The first was a primative set of lungs to cycle the air better allowing better survival on land and the second was a hardening of the exoskeleton giving them better protection from the meat eaters of the world. They where now known as the Terradid as they spent most of their time on various land masses, still closer to the wet areas but this was all well and good since thats where most of its food source was anyhow.

 

[Lord_Iggy]

I definately like the distance effect. Size and to some degree the blur. I think upclose life should be clear to see but to really denote distance particularly the far-far distant objects a little blur helps.

True, but some very close creatures were blurred, which disliked.

 

[tuxedohamm]

True, but some very close creatures were blurred, which disliked.

Understandable. I think he was trying to simulate what it would be like to be underwater. That blurring I could care less about.

 

[Daftpanzer]

Its my NES and i will use as many blur effects as i feel like

 

[Lord_Iggy]

You'll have to do a lot worse to your pictures before I stop evolving things in this game.

 

[tuxedohamm]

I like the water blur effect...I was just saying I won't cry if you remove it either

 

[cvlowe]

Sorry, couldn't get online while on vacation last week like I thought I would be able to. I was able to get on CFC a couple times, but when I tried to post, the page froze.

I also have to apologize for my friend marauder68- he uses my wireless router for internet which apparently locked up after I left.

Happy to see my hunters hung in there! They only live in cold now? (sorry, only skimmed through the update, 16 hour drive and all...)

 

[cvlowe]

Great update (now that I have read it!!)

I really like the new artwork style.

Brown Hunter: cvlowe
Evolved from Orange Hunter
Genes added: Complex stomach +1, Scales +1
Genes (18): Flesh eating x3, Complex Stomach x2, Vibration Sense x1, Smelling x1, Swimming x2, Cartilage x1, Gills x2, Jaws x1, Fangs x1, Scales x1, Live Young x1, Pack Hunting x1, Cold Resistance x1

Survival after the MEE required the hunters to become even more efficient at extracting nutrients from their prey, and to be able to better scavenge other types of food sources as well.

While becoming more efficient feeders, an even more noticeable change developed in the line. After milenia of tangling with some of the more poisonous creatures in the ocean, and various other predators, the development of scales helped the hunter to be able to better survive these encounters. Their small, rough placoid scales (also called denticles), have the same structure as their teeth. Though not as tough as an exoskeleton, they are tough enough to protect against all but the most determined foes. Their prime advantage, however, is in their flexibility. Not only do they not interfere with the hunter's swimming ability, they actually make it more "hydrodynamic," giving the Hunter a further edge in speed and efficiency while swimming around the ocean.

 

[CJcoolman]

Omi2: NPC
Evolved from: Omi
Genes (5): Plankton eating x1, Swimming x1, Eyes x1, Cold Resistance x1
Description: The evolved form of Omi is able to live in cold water, where more plankton can be found.

Da: CJcoolman
Genes added: Eating dead things x1, electrical sense x1
Genes (6): Plankton eating x1, Eating dead things x1, Swimming x1, Eyes x1, Electrical sense x1, Cold Resistance x1
Da likes to eat dead things. The end.

 

[Lord_Iggy]

The Scensuryte gazed forwards with its three* stalked eyes. They focused in on a tough-looking Zeeboo bud. The creature scuttled forward, and its scissorlike claws slowly worked the plant matter off. It ingested the sour sustenance, then paused. A deep rumbling shook it, and it nearly fell off the plant. Holding on for dear life, along with two other Scensurytes, one eye looked up to see a mountain in the distance. It only now noticed the plume of black smoke rising from its top.

In its tiny brain, a simple connection was made.

Smoke. Fire. Flee.

The brutal shaking continued. One of its comrades lost its grip during a particularly violent upheaval, and fell to the sandy ground. It flipped itself over, and staggered away. The Scensurytes still on the branch faced a terrible conflict of instincts- Stay on the Branch! vs Run away from Fire!

One Scensuryte decided to go down. It started moving towards the base of the Zeeboo when another violent shake dislodged it. The animal landed sideways on a rocky area, and broke open.

The final Scensuryte jumped, and landed upright. It briefly glanced at its fallen partner, writhing futilely in agony, then began to flee after the first Scensuryte.

The fallen creature, giving up its struggle and accepting the cold hands of death, weakly gazed back towards the mountain. Fire belched from its ashen peak, while a horrific pyroclastic flow raced towards it. Its mind went dark just before the superhot wave hit, forever sealing it underground. Its two fellow Scensurytes suffered the same fate seconds later.

Hundreds of millions of years later, two archaeologists danced around their quarry. Three ancient Scensuryte arthropods in close proximity, and the fossilized remains of a Zeeboo. What an incredible find!

*Daft, could this be fixed? Or at least, can you make sure that its descendents are triocular?

 

[Daftpanzer]

Welcome back, cvlowe and CJcoolman!

@Niklas, I meant to say thanks for updating the ‘slime’/algae chart. Thanks It looks great.

@Lord_Iggy, I loved the story! How is your trip going? Im very honoured that you’re still taking the time to post in this thread

About the Scensuryte picture – I will leave it as it is now, if thats ok. Though I’ll make sure its descendents have three eyes.

@All, thanks for the input. I am busy with my other NES so im not sure when I will update this next. I can only say ‘sometime’ this week.

 

[Lord_Iggy]

@Daft- No problem. It's extremely fun writing stories for this NES. It's by far my favourite right now.

@The Scensuryte- Sounds good!