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Genetics vs. Learning
It strikes me that this new game will need an overhauled science system. The old Civ style of putting resources into science and discovering new stuff doesn't make sense when dealing with dinosaurs. So what will this new science system be like? I figure that there would have to be two distinct areas: genetics and learned behavior.
Genetics would be the evolutionary process where mutations and breeding lead to new advantages (or disadvantages). The thing with mutations is that they happen spontaneously - the player should not be able to research this. It should just happen. Now, once a mutation happens, perhaps selective breeding could take place (though that seems a stretch for dinosaurs but this is a "god game"). Perhaps there might be ways to try to cause a mutation. There also might be overt or hidden side effects to mutations that can cause problems later - breed your dinosaurs for the new super speed trait and then discover 20 years later that it reduces reproductive rates.
Learned behavior is more like the science of Civ. Animals learn strategies and tactics that give them some sort of benefit through trial and error and accident. New ideas would be learned throughout the game without any special effort as the creatures stumble into new ideas. To speed up things, the player could reserve a certain percentage of the population to experimenting, trying out new foods (learning which ones give added benefit, which ones are poisonous, which ones fight back), exploring new types of terrain (living in a desert would give new experiences over living in the jungle) and so on and so forth.
However, there is a catch. For other dinosaurs to learn these new behaviors, they have to be taught. This is ESPECIALLY important for offspring. In addition, if members of your group learn some sort of bad behavior (like getting addicted to some mind-blowing plant), you may have to get rid of them before it spreads to everyone.
In addition, I think it would make good sense that not all mutations or behaviors *must* be discovered in every game. Genetics by its very nature is a crap shoot - who knows what you can get. As for behaviors, it is possible that many behaviors will never be learned (accidents don't always happen). It would lead to a more interesting and replayable game.
OK, I have said enough. What do you think the science system will look like?
Genetics would be the evolutionary process where mutations and breeding lead to new advantages (or disadvantages). The thing with mutations is that they happen spontaneously - the player should not be able to research this. It should just happen. Now, once a mutation happens, perhaps selective breeding could take place (though that seems a stretch for dinosaurs but this is a "god game"). Perhaps there might be ways to try to cause a mutation. There also might be overt or hidden side effects to mutations that can cause problems later - breed your dinosaurs for the new super speed trait and then discover 20 years later that it reduces reproductive rates.
Learned behavior is more like the science of Civ. Animals learn strategies and tactics that give them some sort of benefit through trial and error and accident. New ideas would be learned throughout the game without any special effort as the creatures stumble into new ideas. To speed up things, the player could reserve a certain percentage of the population to experimenting, trying out new foods (learning which ones give added benefit, which ones are poisonous, which ones fight back), exploring new types of terrain (living in a desert would give new experiences over living in the jungle) and so on and so forth.
However, there is a catch. For other dinosaurs to learn these new behaviors, they have to be taught. This is ESPECIALLY important for offspring. In addition, if members of your group learn some sort of bad behavior (like getting addicted to some mind-blowing plant), you may have to get rid of them before it spreads to everyone.
In addition, I think it would make good sense that not all mutations or behaviors *must* be discovered in every game. Genetics by its very nature is a crap shoot - who knows what you can get. As for behaviors, it is possible that many behaviors will never be learned (accidents don't always happen). It would lead to a more interesting and replayable game.
OK, I have said enough. What do you think the science system will look like?
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