okay understand...maybe "cognant evolution" would be a better "natural word"?Originally posted by TheEngineer:
I considered splitting to describe the ability to release a fully "working" organism. just like splitting of a paramecium.
But perhaps with some modification of DNA, so a kind of inperfect copy.
Cloning should be considered to aim a "perfect" copy.
Maybe I should add "genetically engineered" to stress an artifical aspect.
But what if a species is naturally able to actively modify the result of a reproduction ?
Would be highly adaptable, wouldnt it ?
Like "uh, another iceage coming. Prehaps my next children should have fur"
Creating ORIGINAL alien races, not borrowed ideas
- Thread starter Maladominus
- Start date
TheEngineer
SOC-14 1K
"Cognant evolution" !
Sound pretty good. I will note that
Sound pretty good. I will note that
Maladominus
SOC-14 1K
If I remember from undergraduate Biology class.... the official term for "splitting" would be binary fission.
Of course, that term is usually applied to tiny single-cellular bacterial lifeforms. I'm not sure it actually works for larger creatures. Does it?
Of course, that term is usually applied to tiny single-cellular bacterial lifeforms. I'm not sure it actually works for larger creatures. Does it?
archhealer
SOC-12
Well, provided the mechanisms were geared for it, there's not reason why not. Although, for really complex organisms, it's very likely that the 'clone' wouldn't so much split off, as for an embryonic tissue 'pod', like an egg or something, to develope from identical genetic information and then grow independantly of the 'parent' organism, either internally or externally. But yeah, splitting can work for complex organisms just as well as simple ones.
The trick is to remember that organisms which use splitting as their primary means of reproduction, usually take a lot longer to evolve any fixed traits. However, when they do, they tend to speciate much more quickly, sometimes in single generation.
Most simple organisms make up for the lack of mutation rate by having massive reproductive rates, allowing them to produce many more generations in the same span of time as most more complex organisms, so overall, they're about equal. Higher organisms, like vertabrates, would have an appallingly slow rate of mutation if they cloned, so a species would be basically stagnant in that ragard.
The trick is to remember that organisms which use splitting as their primary means of reproduction, usually take a lot longer to evolve any fixed traits. However, when they do, they tend to speciate much more quickly, sometimes in single generation.
Most simple organisms make up for the lack of mutation rate by having massive reproductive rates, allowing them to produce many more generations in the same span of time as most more complex organisms, so overall, they're about equal. Higher organisms, like vertabrates, would have an appallingly slow rate of mutation if they cloned, so a species would be basically stagnant in that ragard.
Timerover51
SOC-14 5K
My apologies for bumping this thread, but reading it did get me to do a bit of thinking.
For a much broader range of aliens, which are drawn from science fiction and not from games, it would be hard to beat Wayne Barlowe's Barlowe's Guide to Extraterrestrials . As for cribbing creatures from Dungeon and Dragons, the "Displacer Beast" is cribbed from A. E. Von Vogt's story "Black Destroyer" which in modified form appears in his "Voyage of the Space Beagle", which is the source of two of Barlowe's Extraterrestrials, one of which does reproduce by splitting. For creating Aliens distinct from the ones in Traveller and other games, I would highly recommend the book, which can be found online. A planet full of Dilbians would be fun to add to any sub-sector or game.
If an alien is so totally different from Humanity, how is a human going to adequately portray them? If there is virtually nothing in common, how is one to think or react like them? Any alien created is going to be limited to what a human player can run or use.
T5 does have the material from creating random Aliens. Whether they are believable or not is heavily dependent on the die rolls. Personally, I would rather use the given material to build one without the die rolls, but to each his own way of doing things.
For a much broader range of aliens, which are drawn from science fiction and not from games, it would be hard to beat Wayne Barlowe's Barlowe's Guide to Extraterrestrials . As for cribbing creatures from Dungeon and Dragons, the "Displacer Beast" is cribbed from A. E. Von Vogt's story "Black Destroyer" which in modified form appears in his "Voyage of the Space Beagle", which is the source of two of Barlowe's Extraterrestrials, one of which does reproduce by splitting. For creating Aliens distinct from the ones in Traveller and other games, I would highly recommend the book, which can be found online. A planet full of Dilbians would be fun to add to any sub-sector or game.
If an alien is so totally different from Humanity, how is a human going to adequately portray them? If there is virtually nothing in common, how is one to think or react like them? Any alien created is going to be limited to what a human player can run or use.
T5 does have the material from creating random Aliens. Whether they are believable or not is heavily dependent on the die rolls. Personally, I would rather use the given material to build one without the die rolls, but to each his own way of doing things.
mike wightman
SOC-14 10K
Some games I have that do this well:
T5, GURPS Uplift, GURPS Space 4e.
T5, GURPS Uplift, GURPS Space 4e.
Marc has made it clear in the past: in ALL editions the random process is there for those who want to use it as random; if you want to pick the rolls instead, and you're the ref, fine.
Marc writes toolkits.
ShawnDriscoll
SOC-14 1K
I expect players to do their homework first if they choose to portray them. They should know their history/culture/politics besides all the biology stuff about them. And the other players will need to know about them as well. And decide together how the alien is to be handled in-game before starting any game session.
$5 on DriveThru rpg...
