Plasmids

Future Game Microbe Stage
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OVERVIEW/BIOTHEORY

Plasmids are “Floating” circular DNA that are independent from the main genome of the organism (Organisms being cellular, mostly in bacteria but can also be in eukaryotic organisms) that can replicate, be transferred between organisms (typically through a “Pilias”) , and be carried over during miosis, they can also integrate into the main genome.

Visualisation
400px-Plasmid_replication_(english).svg

Plasmids are typically beneficial to the host, giving an survival advantage. They are classified by what they do (Plasmids can belong to different classifications)

  • Type F (Fertility): Plasmids that have ability to multiply and conjugate
  • Type R (Resistance): Plasmids that give increased resistance to something (Environmental or chemical)
  • Type C (Bacteriocins): Plasmids that produce proteins that are toxic to bacteria
  • Type D (Digestive): Plasmids that allow the consumption of non-typical substances.
  • Type V (Virulent) : Plasmids that allow the infection of other organisms (making the organism a Pathogen)

GAME IDEA
I was playing a game called “Control” and you have the ability to upgrade yourself and your weapon with modular upgrades, I was thinking you could also do the same in this game as well.

You can obtain these plasmids from other organisms (either through phagocytosis of a organism or willing transfer, perhaps after some sort of resource trade?) these upgrades can help improve the likelihood of you surviving by

  • increasing temperature resistance
  • decreasing the amount of ATP needed to support homeostasis
  • increasing efficiency of glycolysis
  • increasing chemical/poison resistance.
  • increasing production of proteins (such as poisons or
  • allowing the ability to use different materials to produce glucose (such as salicylic acid which are produced in certain organisms)

When you are in the editor, you can change out active plasmids with stored and collected plasmids , integrate plasmids into the genome for later use, and remove plasmids from the genome.

When editing the genome, you can activate plasmids with MP, certain plasmids have more complex (therefore better, maybe based on tiers?) makeup and therefore take more MP to activate.; you only have a certain amount of space in a genome though.

If you integrate a plasmid into a genome, you can later activate it at a later date. if not integrated, it gets removed from the selection after evolving (effectively getting lost)

Concept:

Plasmidmockup
Plasmidmockup1149×648 16.1 KB

Biome rework
Biomes and organisms get reworked with resistances in mind

  • Certain biomes have increased patches of “Poison” pools, needing resistances to get through effectively (Visualize it like the boat that plows through glaciers in the artic)
  • Certain biomes have differences in temperatures, which can increase the amount of energy needed to keep homeostasis.
  • Certain organisms can produce and be resistant to many types poisons (Some more common than others)
  • Certain organisms are looking for materials (maybe signaled with chemicals that can be consumed?), giving the required materials will grant you a randomized plasmid.

I think that is it for now, might come back to this.
Thanks for viewing this!

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Some posts about plasmids from the dev forums:

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This is a really neat idea, it really reminds me of the earlier protein systems that were tossed around in the dev forums a while back. Of course, yours certainly seems more appealing than those concepts in my opinion.

However, it was eventually decided that the system would ultimately find better use as part of the upgrades feature rather than being an entirely separate thing. This is in hopes of further streamlining the player experience by reducing the amount of micro-adjustments to make and avoiding having too many different tabs and menus which can be really hard to avoid when you want alot of depth.

Your idea would unfortunately be handled similarly, as cool as it is.

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