MP is just given to the player as 100 every time and I dont like that., the player should earn the MP . after the player reproduces or becomes sexuality mature they should have an option to not go into the editor and get a bonus (like in stealths evo game). this would give the players the incentive to keep playing before evolving increasing the playtime and imo make the game funner by adding some more risk. How this would work is every time the player reproduces a pop up asks them if they want to evolve or keep playing and receive X amount of MP as a bonus to their next edit session. This adds risk and reword to the game the player can ether play it safe and evolve right away but have only a small amount of MP to use (lower then 100) or they can risk it all and keep going to get more Mp but might die and end up with nothing.
…but you do earn it: by reproducing.
Also, Thrive aims to be more realistic, and having massive editor sessions due to the player grinding for a while allows for leaps in their genome large enough to not make sense evolutionary-wise. (E.G. you could create an organ that would not be able to exist because of evolution due to its complexity, since they might not have ‘in-between phases’)
I mean you would have to have a cap
it could be represented by old age or something but it cant stay how it is. Spore uses a similar but less realistic version of this.
We did talk about a few ideas like this even for microbes, where if you can swap genes with another cell you get an MP bonus and stuff like that. I think it’s an interesting idea.
Wasn’t there a thing in the GDD about gaining extra MP if you consume a nucleus or something?
I agree that it would be better if you could earn extra MP, as long as there’s a cap and you would get some amount of MP just for reproducing.
I agree that changes should be made in small increments instead of huge editor sessions, though I think implementing horizontal gene transfer might be a good idea. I think you could transfer genes with a cell and then receive a rebate on organelles found in that cell. So if you transfer with a photosynthesizer, chloroplasts are cheaper the next time you visit the editor.
I wasnt saying it would add on to the 100 we already get I was saying we start out at a lower starting point.
On your first reproduction you get a small amount so if you want to tweak your species you can right away but in order to do larger changes like evolve a new organelle you would need at least 2-3.
maybe the first one would give you 40 MP so you cant get a new organelle but you can upgrade and move things around and each reproduction give you 50% of the previous one until its not worth the risk of dyeing.
(disclaimer all numbers are rough so dont complain about them)
This is one of those central realism vs gameplay debates we keep having.
On one hand, a fixed reproduction rate with each generation matches real-world genetics where, ignoring anomalous events like a massive burst of radiation (maybe that could be an added feature at some point, say random low-intensity gamma ray bursts or changing ozone concentrations?), the chance of a genetic mutation is roughly equal in each generation. This in turn leads to gameplay possibilities based on the real-world consequences of this system. Organisms which reproduce faster can evolve faster. Perhaps this could be a fun trade-off, choosing between long lives with more nutrient gathering or shorter lives with faster evolution potential.
On the other, the current MP system does lead to a few bottlenecks in the gameplay system around it. Some organelles are very expensive and therefore few other changes can be made in the same generation. The possibility of more MP means more of these organelles can be placed. Especially handy with symmetry, since at the moment the symmetry option is useless for any organelle costing more than 50 MP. In a variable MP world, some organelles could even be priced above 100 MP, restricting them from use unless you’ve played well enough to gain more MP than normal.
That’s another point - this creates another method of gameplay feedback into the evolution system. There’s a real risk of us designing a game where your cell’s design is everything. If it’s well-adapted enough, CPA will do the rest and you’ll progress regardless of how well you actually swim around as your cell. We need some way to make the player’s choices in gameplay matter to their species’ success as well. I don’t know whether changing our MP system is the answer, but it’s an option.