Here are some ideas regarding parasites and intelligence
Brood Parasites
One problem with sapient brood parasites is learning. They will most likely be raised by an animal, and will therefore not have the knowledge of their society in adult life. This could be avoided, if the parasite has a period of nonlearning while being reared, and then becoming able to learn only when they flee the nest to their tribe. Another way could be if the host is also sapient. This could lead to the parasites being less creative and able to problem solve, as they can learn of the host’s technology, and bring it back when they run away. However, the host species may become less ‘accepting’ of new infants, in case they are parasites. Infanticide may be more prevalent in the host, to avoid raising a parasite.
Parasitoids
Sapient parasitoids should be forced to domesticate their host, in order to allow breeding. Parasitoids attacking sapient species should also become sapient, and should therefore be forced to enslave and domesticate their host. However, if they alter behaviour to make their host more accepting to the parasitoid, they will not be forced into sapience. Also, if an AI society gets a ritual of infecting themselves with the player’s behaviour-altering parasite/oid, the player will gain control of the society, but will lose it (and likely become extinct) if the ritual stops.
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