Here are suggestions on how they may be added.
subsurface
- The texture needs to be different.
If the cracks are like two 2d planes parallel to each other, the cells situated between them could be shown having the same 2d freedom of movement as it exists in the game right now. The background would have the same color as the rock that is just behind. But showing the cracks from that angle has problems with indicating the places where it isn’t wide enough for the cell to move, or where three junctions meet.
Or there can be a sideways view.
This can show both the cracks and the pores in the sedimentary rock. It can work in different scales, as the crack size increases the cell finds itself in a place similar to the oceans, as the gaps become smaller, the cell can try to fit there, more fluid membranes able to fit smaller gaps. But this has one disadvantage. If the cell moves through a small crack in a cristaline rock, the game would show it moving in a 1 dimensional route(if a predatory cell is ahead, your only option is going back), when in reality, it is 2d.
Perhaps a combination of these could be used for crystaline rocks. If the distance becomes too small, or 3 junctions meet, you switch to sideways view. If another cell is on the path you want to take, you switch to front view.
- The metabolisms are slower, maybe the time between the evolving sessions can be increased or the dna points may be decreased
- Two new substances can be added, gas hydrates are just aestethic. Cold seeps can have high salt(not in the game yet) or hydrogen sulfide content.
- The cell membrane is made less fluid by default.
- There is iron, glucose and hydrogen sulfide. Oxygen usually doesn’t exist, is oxygen in the game?
- Two new compounds may be added, hydrogen and methane. They can be digested with hydrogenase and methanase.
- After you consume glucose, you may generate hydrogen or methane. Things to discuss if chosing how you break down glucose(fermentation, methanogenesis) is added to the game.
- Glucose becomes less as you get down the surface, but hydrogen has a constant source (radiolysis). Chemosynthesis is the same.
- A cell generating hydrogen can be followed by a cell consuming hydrogen, but syntrophy is trickier. It would require sharing compounds with another cell, and chosing to break down glucose into acetite. Syntrophy can maybe result in endosymbiosis and an organelle for hydrogenase, endosymbiosis not in the game yet.
- If the enviroment removes hydrogen, then the number of cells that consume hydrogen in a given patch becomes less, this would be calculated by the game.
- The starting location may be in subsurface
- Size is a constraint, multicellular life can’t advance.
Air
There are two ways of adding it.
- The cells in the air aren’t simulated. But if you are in the surface, you can go to other patches not directly adjacent to your patch by flying.
- The cells are simulated, and there is an air patch. The cells live inside water droplets suspended in air. The map the player plays in may be quite small. Conversation starter:
Space
- After meteor impacts, a pop up apears asking if the player wants to move to another planet.