The Spore Game, Now in Under-The-Sea Form!

[Croverus]

Also known as Species O

Having the other four canisters being played, I'm starting up the mysterious missing 5th canister, which plunged deep into the ocean deapths. The Signal was lost, but has merely been delayed.

Links to the other games:
Species A
Species X
Species Y
Species Z

Game Info, retrieved from ThirdEmperor's threads:
The Game Mechanics:

Spoiler

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The Basics:
The mechanics are pretty darn simple. Six stats, including health, Attack, Defense, Perception, Intelligence, Speed, and yes, Health. Whatever the players vote for, roll a number of dice equal to the creatures score in the relevant stat, the more even numbers result from said roll, the better the result of the attempted action. Attack also covers feats of strength, and defense feats of endurance. Heck, I should probably change them to Strength and Endurance.

DNA and Stuff:
DNA is evolutionary fuel. You need it to evolve, so I suppose it's basically XP, except you get it from devouring your enemies, and pretty much anything else. DNA is given out on a basis of Reward vs. Risk, meaning a easily acquired meal is worth perhaps 2 points, the corpse of a more difficult opponent is worth four, and truly fine (and incredibly dangerous) cuisine is worth six points.

Evolving:
Evolutions are unlocked via a variety of means. The first is killing and eating someone or something with the evolution you want. The other options are observing a creature with the evolution, or being exposed to a harmful effect, which most of the time will unlock a evolution to counter it. Living in a very hot region, for instance, will allow you to purchase the heat resistance evolution. As for how evolutions are priced, as a rough rule of thumb a evolution that increases a stat by 1 is worth 4 DNA points, so something half as useful would be worth 2.

And that's pretty much it. Note that I didn't invent this game and do not claim credit for it. I did invent these particular rules though, inspired by what I saw of other games, although every single one of said games had a completely different rule set. Feel free to run your own games, using as little or as much of this as you please.

The Levies:

Spoiler

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Irgise
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Attack: 10 (Starting attack 1, Teeth, Jaw, Endo-Skeleton, Horn x3, Split Horn)
Ranged Attack: 3 (Sonic Pulse, Improved Sonic Pulse, Crystalline Shell)
Defense: 1 (Thickened Membrane)
Size/Health: 6
Visual Perception: 2 (2x Eye 1)
Perception to detect Noise: 2 (Ear, trained with Sonar)
Perception to detect Smell: 1 (Nose)
Perception to detect Movement: 5 (Feelers 3, Sonar 2)
Speed: 10 (Flippers, Spine, Dorsal Fin x2, Jets, Tail, Tail fin)
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Proto-Brain: Your species has the ability to process basic concepts.
Sonic Pulse: +3 Ranged Attack against enemies with ears.
Larynx: Sonic Pulse doesn't cost stomach.
Improved Enzymes: Increased DNA gain from food.
Geovore: +50% DNA from rocks, -50% from all other foods.
Advanced Lenses: Gives Darkvision
Senses: Sight, hearing, smell and touch (see above)
Stable: Dorsal Fins prevent rolling over
Fast Turner: Tail fin allows for tight turns.
Tunneler: You can tunnel through dirt and stone at very fast speeds.
Cautious: Reduced price on stealth based evolutions.
Honour the Dead: Your race honors those that fall in battle, which prevents a lose of morale and increases the willingness of your race to engage an enemy.
Spines: Deals 1 damage to anything that attacks you.
Improved Vocal Cords: You can communicate via a wide range of sounds, and over long distances.
Shifting Camouflage: +1 to stealth in all environments, only kicks in when you've spent a full minute in current environment.
Improved Camouflage: +2 to stealth in sandy, jungle and rocky environments. Does not stack with Shifting Camouflage.
Absolute Stillness: +2 Stealth when not moving.
Gills: Breathe underwater perfectly, however take 1 damage every minute you are out of water.
Pressure Glands: Exist comfortably in pressurized environments, including deep water; not suited for extremes

The Available Evolutions:

Spoiler

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Pheromones: 6 DNA. (Allows communication via scent.)

Improve Camouflage: 2 DNA (Select one type of camp you already own, you gain an additional +1 to Stealth while in that environment)

Improved Shifting Camouflage: 8 DNA (If you remain perfectly still for more than a round, your skin color shifts to perfectly match your surroundings, giving you +2 Stealth. Requires Shifting Camouflage, and three kinds of Improved Camouflage)

Cilia: 4 DNA (+1 Perception, allows you to detect nearby movement)

Feelers: 8 DNA (+2 Perception, Requires Cilia, detects movement and can catch microscopic objects)

Grow Ears: 4 DNA (Increases Perception by 1, lets you to hear)

Generate Ink: 5 DNA (Any area you spend long amounts of time in is filled with a murky secretion, giving all cells within it without Improved Vision -2 Perception)

Increase Acidity: 6 DNA (Makes you extremely unappetizing, deals damage to creatures that try to eat you. Requires Generate Slime.)

Improved Sonic Pulse: 4 DNA (Increases Ranged Attack by 1)

Generate Light: 2 DNA (You glow)

Generate Blinding Light: 4 DNA (Allows you to spend 1 Stomach to blind the enemy with a brilliant flash of light)

Grow Horn: 4 DNA (Gives you a crystalline horn, increases attack by 1)

Split Horn: 10 DNA (+1 Attack per horn. Requires Grow Horn)

Harden Shell: 8 DNA (Incorporate some of the metal you ate into your shell, increasing defense by 2)

Resonant Shell: 2 DNA (Makes your shell deflect sonic attacks, giving you +1 Defense against them)

Evolve Exo-Skeletal Structure: 6 DNA (+1 Defense, changes your shell to a exoskeleton)

Sharpen Teeth: 6 (+2 Attack, slower eating)

Flatten Teeth: 3 DNA (Faster eating, cannot take both this and Sharpen Teeth)

Grow Mandibles: 4 DNA (+1 Attack)

Grow Periscope Muscles: 8 DNA (You grow an appendage that you can extend and contract with great strength. You can mount it with hooks, horns, perception sensors, vacuum cups...)

Evolve Vacuum Cups: 4 DNA (You get 1 Stealth while you are Absolute Still while clinging to an object. You get 1 Defense if you cling to an object and have a shell or exoskeleton.)

Generate Numbing Poison: 6 DNA (Weakens anything that eats an Irgise)

Generate Stunning Poison: 8 DNA (Considerably weakens anything that eats an Irgise. Requires Generate Numbing Poison.)

Generate Sickening Poison: 4 DNA (Hurts anything that eats an an Irgise.)

Increase Poison Lethality: 4 DNA (Increases the effectiveness of Sickening Poison.)

Poisonous Attack: 8 DNA (Select an attack. Whenever you use that attack successfully, you poison the target. Adendum: Poison cannot be applied to other than normal damage. This includes electricity, sound, heat, etc.)

Grow Stomach: 6 DNA (+2 Stomach)

Store Nutrients: 8 DNA (Allows you to eat double your Stomach in food. Excess food isn't immediately converted into DNA though, it is consumed at a rate of 1 Stomach point a turn)

Grow Tongue: 4 DNA (Allows you to detect poison in food)

Grow Dorsal Fin: 4 DNA (+1 Speed, Prevents rolling)

Grow Pectoral Fin: 9 DNA (+2 Speed, Better Turning Control)

Grow Pelvic Fin: 6 DNA (+1 Speed, Allows 'gliding' through water)

Grow Tail: 5 DNA (+1 Speed)

Grow Tail Fin: 8 DNA (Requires Tail; +2 Speed, Faster Turning)

Grow Jets: 8 DNA (+2 Speed)

Evolve Forceful Jets: 10 DNA (Requires Jet; +3 Speed (on top of jets); cannot also evovle constant jets)

Evolve Constant Jets: 6 DNA (Requires Jets; +1 Speed (on top of Jets); cannot also evolve forceful jets; can still use half of your stealth bonus for being immoble because you are floating at such a steady pace)

Grow Pressure Glands: 10 DNA (Allows you to adjust your internal pressure to cope with some change to external pressure, doens't help with extremes)

Improves Pressurization: 8 DNA (Allows you to exist in pressure extremes, such as the deepest depths of the ocean)

Grow Spit Glands: 8 DNA (+1 Ranged Attack; Requires Ink, or any of the 3 Poisons; Ink and poisons can now be spat at a target)

Evolve Spine Launchers: 6 DNA (+1 Ranged Attack, allows you to launch your spines with a blast of pressurized water. Costs 1 Stomach per use, requires Spines)

Increase Mass: 4 DNA (Increases your size, as well as increasing your HP by 1

Grow Eye: 4 DNA (Allows you to see stuff instead of feeling it, increases Perception by 1.)

Evolve Advanced Lenses: 9 DNA (+1 Perception, Grants Darkvision)

Evolve Magnifier Lenses: 7 DNA (+2 Perception for close object/ -2 Perception for long distnace, Improves near sight but worsens far sight)

Evolve Telescopic Lenses: 6 DNA (+2 Perception for long distance/-1 Perception to close up; Improves far-sight but worsens near-sight)

Infrared Vision: 8 DNA (+2 Perception against anything that generates heat)

Improve Vision: 6 DNA (+1 Perception, no penalty in murky areas)

The fifth canister had thought to been lost, but a signal was finally recieved. After the inital impact with teh water the sensors had been slightly damaged, and the first day of these had been lost. Finally the signal breaks through the deep waves and the alien race witnesses Irgise who have already adapted a small amount to life. The canister crashed near the edge of the continental plains, embedding in the side of a cliff. The Irgise had adapted to their new watery environment, growing gills to breath easilly in the deep water, and a dorsal fin to move faster. The Mynyons had helped build a small nest around the canister, and the rocks around them are filled with coral and various stationary creatures with other animals swimming ni and out of the area. The hive is on the edge of the cliff, dropping deep down into complete darkness, with the shadows of large creatures moving about. Even at the current depth little light reaches.

You are the leader of this small group, with 3 other Irgise and 8 Mynyons who have busily began constructing the Hive. There are numerous nearby "plant-like" things and creatures that for now have given you a wide bearth. The 3 prominent "plant" include a wide based pink "worm" with hundreds of sticky feelers, it seems to catch whatever strays near and pull them into itself; the second is a long, flat green plant with bulbs that seem to contain seeds. It grows in patches and sways in the water, catchign light. The last looks like colorful rocks growing in branching formations.

The creatures you have run into includea wide, flat being that moves with flippers and fins, its eyes and mouth on one side of its body, and the opposite side seems to latch onto the rocks. It tries to blend in with the cliff face and eat smaller things. Another has two black eyes on stalks and long whiskers to feel around. Six tiny flippers propel it witha tial guiding its direction and small mandicles nibble harmlessly on the colorful rocks and larger creatures. A third being is similar tot he Mynyons in size and shape, but covered in spines and floating along the surface, seemingly without direction. The spines sting nasty as one fo your Irgise discovered. Only one of the large creatures has stopped to examine, and it fed on the green leafy plant. It has a wide mouth with flat teeth, a pair of large flippers manuever it. An Irgise could easily fit inside its mouth, possibly without notice. You can feel it occasionally send out a strong pulse through the water, maybe because its eyes are so small compared to its body.

You have 5 Health.

You have 3 Stomach.

You have 4 DNA.

You're pn the edge of the cliff, with two Mynyns beside you, the others working with your fellow Irgise on the Hive.

[Draconi Redfir]

Here it is! all this time i've been looking in the area with the XYZ threads XD

[Croverus]

Honestly it just showed up, something about it had to be approved by a moderator

Anyway, if you could help me post itslink and let the other threads know. I have to go get started with work and will be busy for a while.

[Draconi Redfir]

Will do. Thouh just a note; the intro seems kind of... chunky. might just be me though.

[brolthemighty]

Okay, hmm....priorities.

Naming
Wide-based Pink Tentacle Worm-like Plant:
Long Flat Green Plant with Seed-Bulbs that sway and catch light:
Colorful Branching Rocks:
Wide-Flat creature w/ eyes and mouth on one side, that sits and waits:
Eye-Stalk and long feeler whiskers with Mandibles:
Mynyon sized creature that floats and is covered in stinging spikes:
Large Creature with flat teeth in a wide mouth, small eyes, and sonar:

Evolutions
We have gained Gills, and Dorsal Fin (SWEET!)

Plan
What direction should we go? With our Sonar, I would say we're fairly well adapted to the darker area, and although no mention was made of it, I doubt that our Heat Adaptation would help here, since water is generally colder the lower you go. Being on a cliff-face, we've probably got a decent supply of rocks at the moment...although it would be good to explore some and branch out.

Alright, so here we go!

[Draconi Redfir]

I for one vote many many many many size increases. The sea is full of giants, we should become one.

[Croverus]

I also liek to chime in little personal tips and hints, feel free to tell me to stop cause it's just a habit of mine for these types of games: As far as the heat resistance, if you find any vents in the deep ocean, it coudl come in handy there.

But yes, the creatures a rather big. In fact you are one of the smaller things in the region right now, though your ofeensive abilities and defenses have given most nearby creatures reason to avoid you.

[brolthemighty]

Larger size means more food needed. I think we should develop other evolutions before increasing in size.

[Trobby]

I think we should name all these things, and see how many evo points we have before settling on any evolution line.

Though this IS going to be exciting, since we've got quite a few things to choose!

Anyway...name suggestions!

Naming
Wide-based Pink Tentacle Worm-like Plant: Jims!

Long Flat Green Plant with Seed-Bulbs that sway and catch light: Grassbulbs

Colorful Branching Rocks: Flashrocks

Wide-Flat creature w/ eyes and mouth on one side, that sits and waits: Wallmaster

Eye-Stalk and long feeler whiskers with Mandibles: Peekers

Mynyon sized creature that floats and is covered in stinging spikes: Lyonyons.

Large Creature with flat teeth in a wide mouth, small eyes, and sonar: Mawls

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Assuming we have echo chambers dug out, since this seems to be our default living arrangement, I suggest we take an Irgris and a Mynyon out to search for nutrient-rich rocks along the seabed..

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And for evolutions, I think we should Grow Stomach to prepare to carry more food, then Increase Mass, x2 if we have the DNA to do it twice.

[Necroticplague]

I think we should capitalize on both the fact we don't need vision and the fact we are undesirable as food by evolving ink.

[brolthemighty]

Okay, names...

Wide-based Pink Tentacle Worm-like Plant:
Long Flat Green Plant with Seed-Bulbs that sway and catch light:
Colorful Branching Rocks: Oooh, I like FlashRocks
Wide-Flat creature w/ eyes and mouth on one side, that sits and waits:
Eye-Stalk and long feeler whiskers with Mandibles: Peekers is good too
Mynyon sized creature that floats and is covered in stinging spikes: why not Floaters ?
Large Creature with flat teeth in a wide mouth, small eyes, and sonar:

Hmm....I just can't think of much right now.

[Trobby]

Floaters works.

[Draconi Redfir]

i'm not really one for nameing, sorry :P

though we should probably give some orders on what to actually do...

Go for a swim

[Trobby]

Exploration is always useful. (Second, if you couldn't tell)

[Onyavar]

Ah - found it.
Hm, we already have our own small hive at the bottom of the ocean, now lets expand. Increase Mass.
Then, we could swim around and look for trouble. Some of those plants and creatures have not revealed all their strengths and weaknesses yet. My priorities are study before striking. Also, we could find other symbiotic partners.

[Trobby]

Second That.

[Draconi Redfir]

ummm... Third i guess?

[DragonOfUndeath]

Exploration is good

[Croverus]

4 votes is good enough for me this early in the thread. Still waiting for at least thirdings for the names, only 3 names even got a second.

Going into the safety of your hive you rest for a while. Upon awakening you notice you're larger than before, and already the other Irgise are working to make the hive better suited for the larger shapes of your kin. Deciding that the hive is a bit boring you begin to venture out, coming across more of the creatures from this area. You can see the faint rays of light coming down through the water from somewhere above. The light barely touches the rocks on the cliff side below and the cliff face eventually is shrouded in darkness. Vague shapes are occasionally visible. Further up the plantlife seems to become more abundant and the floor steadily rises, you believe it would eventually reach the surface that way.

You have 6 Health.

You have 2 Stomach.

You have 0 DNA.

You can see further up the cliff as well as down until the blackness. You haven't decided to name things yet.

[Trobby]

Continuing to campaign the following names:

Wide-based Pink Tentacle Worm-like Plant: Jims!

Long Flat Green Plant with Seed-Bulbs that sway and catch light: Grassbulbs

Colorful Branching Rocks: Flashrocks

Wide-Flat creature w/ eyes and mouth on one side, that sits and waits: Wallmaster

Eye-Stalk and long feeler whiskers with Mandibles: Peekers

Mynyon sized creature that floats and is covered in stinging spikes: Floaters

Large Creature with flat teeth in a wide mouth, small eyes, and sonar: Mawls


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As for action...I say we continue towards the surface. I'm interested in what the shoreline might hold for us. And if we can't get that far, then maybe we can find something interesting along the way.

[Necroticplague]

Swim towards the surface a little, then eat some of the cliff face for food.

[Trobby]

Swim towards the surface a little, then eat some of the cliff face for food.

This. White text.

[Draconi Redfir]

i'm gunna vote Swim down

[brolthemighty]

I agree with Swim Down. There's no reason to try and make for the shore line really.

[DragonOfUndeath]

Continuing to campaign the following names:

Wide-based Pink Tentacle Worm-like Plant: Jims!

Long Flat Green Plant with Seed-Bulbs that sway and catch light: Grassbulbs

Colorful Branching Rocks: Flashrocks

Wide-Flat creature w/ eyes and mouth on one side, that sits and waits: Wallmaster

Eye-Stalk and long feeler whiskers with Mandibles: Peekers

Mynyon sized creature that floats and is covered in stinging spikes: Floaters

Large Creature with flat teeth in a wide mouth, small eyes, and sonar: Mawls


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As for action...I say we continue towards the surface. I'm interested in what the shoreline might hold for us. And if we can't get that far, then maybe we can find something interesting along the way.

Agreeing with all of this

[Trobby]

Ack...X_X; We need a tiebreaker.

[DragonOfUndeath]

Ack...X_X; We need a tiebreaker.

I'll change my vote
Swim Down

[Onyavar]

Towards the cliff for now. Unleash the beasts of the deep sea!

[Necroticplague]

Since it looks like we're going down, we might as well eat before we leave. We can't tell if any of the rocks will be edible deeper, and our increased size will require more food (in addition, we're low on stomach). So we eat ourselves out bigger burrows, then swim towards the bottom, sticking to the cliff face.

[Trobby]

That sounds like a solid plan for going downward, since we're not headed towards the shore.