The game’s intended progression system works from the single-cellular state all the way up to what’s basically an ascendant species that commands the universe, but this privileges a certain kind of evolution and evolution path over others. While every species in the game is progressing down their own trajectories, the player is invariably seeking the same final goal each time. What I’m wondering is whether there is space (when we get to that point) for different end-goals in the gameplay?
Say, if a player wanted to evolve toward more sophisticated hunting intelligence and predatorial skills, forming civilizations might not be an important objective to the player. We often think of intelligence in very human terms, talking about the ability to reason, and the ability to problem-solve, but there’s a lot more to intelligence than just that. Think of octopi, which are able to change the color of their bodies to match their surroundings. While the actual reaction is chemical (and so is complex thought for humans), octopi are able to utilize their capabilities in a way that we, who can’t change our skin color at will, could never dream of doing. I guess what I’m getting at is, how are we defining the end-point in gameplay? And will the player be required to seek out the same end-point each time, or choose a different path and to fulfill a different goal?