I think there should be a stage before the microbe stage where you either play as RNA in the warm little pond, or as a pre-cellular metabolic network near a hydrothermal vent using iron sulfide as a catalyst for the production of complex molecules, which you eventually create LUCA, from which point the game continues as it is currently.
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Welcome to the forum @BenthicArchaeognatha !
Unfortunately it appears that the idea of a pre-microbe stage has been shelved due to the developers needing to focus on the later stages down the line instead to secure stable funding for this project.
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A pre-cell/RNA world stage would be fun. Other people have also suggested something similar. As aah31415 already pointed out, the Thrive devs will not focus on that idea at the moment. Despite this, you are are welcom to make a pre-cell stage mod for the game. And if the devs like it enough, it could get added to the base game.
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A problem that arises with this is Panspermia. Panspermia in what it is and how it works starts with your lifeforms forming in an Asteroid/Comet and it spawns you in a random patch. The only two work arounds for this are to A: Have a special scene for the inside of the Comet/Asteroid and have it take place there, or B: Have it be in the patch you start in. Both of these are rather hard though A is much easier. Also as aah31415 has already stated, the devs are not planning to add this unless something changes in the foreseeable future . Also regarding what AnthropocenianAge said, you are welcome to make a mod for a pre-microbe stage.
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Welcome to the forums, @BenthicArchaeognatha!
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How could it replace mutation points? How would you control the molecule so it differs from living species?
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I kinda feel like asking a new user to make a mod of an entire stage is a bit muchβ¦
Iβm not sure when it is going to be publicly announced, but Iβve been working on a new separate, secret project for a while that might be very related to this topic.
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Weβll be awaiting to see what comes out of it when it finally arrives then. I am correct to assume it will NOT become a part of Thrive?
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We look forward to seeing this project with great interest.
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I wonder for how long has this secret (well, no more) project been worked onβ¦
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Iβve been thinking about making mods for thrive, or making a similar game, for a bit now, Iβd definitely start more simple though because Iβm not very good with coding and all of that. Iβm not sure how a pre-cellular panspermia scenario would work, maybe it could just be that the asteroid brings a bunch of different precursors to complex organics, including long chain fatty acids, which the player would play as, engulfing those compounds, and catalyzing the formation of proteins/ribosomes and stuff. Iβd also be fine with just having panspermia skip the pre-microbe stage because I donβt know of any concepts of how cellular life would actually come into existence in space
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Iβm pretty sure those were already abundant on early earth. Maybe a better option would be to instead have the meteor bring some proto rna and ribosome stuff onto the planet?
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Oh yeah that makes more sense imo, thanks
I presume you will start working on this pre-cellular fangame right away?
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