[Forum Game] Evolve A Blob to Greatness: The Evolutionary Suggestion Game

[Gorganslayer]

Sugestion: basic light receptors.

Seeing as we are in a shallow sea being able to tell which way is up: (where light is coming from)
And this will help us to start seeing and interacting with our environment

 

[unmerged(271387)]

However, I will suggest that the Tentacle Blob evolve a statocyst, as that will come in handy in its current environment. It will allow Tentacle Blob to detect the downward force of gravity, to know when its buoyancy is equal to the surrounding water, and it may eventually allow us to evolve hearing.

+1

 

[viola]

My laziness is acting up, can someone summarize the current state of our monstrosity?

You can look up at the official updates:

Generation 2

Organism Name: Tentacle Blob

Description: The Tentacle Blob is a significantly more advanced creature than its evolutionary ancestor, the Seafloor Blob. The most important advantage it has adapted is its tentacles, which are long, purplish growths erupting from its body. Despite having a body only about a centimeter in length, the tentacles of a Tentacle Blob can grow to be as long as ten centimeters, flailing wildly in the current (the Tentacle Blob lacks muscles and as such cannot manually manipulate their limbs). Along these tentacles are special outgrowths that can absorb plankton and other simple creatures, which are used for energy and then expelled via the only internal organ of the Tentacle Blob, an anus.To supplement its main diet, the Tentacle Blob still retains some of the cell-absorbing skin cells of the Seafloor Blob, now located towards the bottom of the creature to eat the scraps of meat that fall from dying free-swimming blobs.

Reproduction: The Tentacle Blob releases male cells into the water, which then find other Tentacle Blobs and latch onto them. The cells themselves have small "shells" that protect them, and when they attach themselves to other Tentacle Blobs the shell forms into a powerful armor that protects them as they grow. After a few months, the armor recedes and the cells detach from their "parent" and become fully formed Tentacle Blobs.

Threats: Predators have yet to emerge, but a few blobs have learned how to flow in the open ocean via a primitive gas propulsion system. In time, they may develop a carnivorous nature.

Environment: A shallow sub-tropical sea. Some plant life has evolved, mostly simple fronds, whereas animal life is limited to the Tentacle Blob and their free-swimming cousins.

Adaptions:Tentacles, Bottom-Feeding, Waste Disposal, Protective Shells for Wandering Male Cells, Protective Armor for Developing Blobs.

 

[unmerged(271387)]

My laziness is acting up, can someone summarize the current state of our monstrosity?

I'd propose our end goal be a giant super intelligent, immobile mass on the ocean floor.

While I still would want our organism to be a parasite that becomes important for the host organism from the start of his life, this is also acceptable. Preferably with psychic tentacles.

 

[AzagalTheGreat]

Develop limbs so the blob can swim around and eat floating stuff as well, maybe even Seafloor blobs....

 

[brovahkiin]

+1

+1

 

[unmerged(271387)]

What exactly are you upvoting brovahkiin, the statocyst? I think it would be better for the GM if you were to quote what exactly you upvoted instead of one of my two +1 votes.

 

[happycats517]

Not my suggestions, merely to show information of similar creatures.

However, I will suggest that the Tentacle Blob evolve a statocyst, as that will come in handy in its current environment. It will allow Tentacle Blob to detect the downward force of gravity, to know when its buoyancy is equal to the surrounding water, and it may eventually allow us to evolve hearing.

+1

Suggestion 2: Since other organisms are using gas propulsion, we should develop our own gas bladder. Preferably, inside the butt so that we are farting our way to victory.

+1

 

[brovahkiin]

Not my suggestions, merely to show information of similar creatures.

However, I will suggest that the Tentacle Blob evolve a statocyst, as that will come in handy in its current environment. It will allow Tentacle Blob to detect the downward force of gravity, to know when its buoyancy is equal to the surrounding water, and it may eventually allow us to evolve hearing.

+1 making it clear what I am upvoting

 

[MaximumFailure]

Voting/suggestion period ends now. The votes are being tallied-Generation 3 shall reach you in no more than an hour.

 

[MaximumFailure]

Edit: Oops. Accidentally hit "post" too early.

 

[JohnKjeken]

Suggestion: venomous spines, both to kill prey and protection

 

[MaximumFailure]

Locomotion Tentacles: 2+6=8 Random Evolution
Tentacle Muscles: 3+1=4 Success
Gas Propulsion: 5+1=6 Great Success
Heat Sense: 3+1=4 Success
Suction Cup: 2+1=3 No Effect
Merging: 0+3=3 No Effect
Statocyst: 3+1=4 Success
Grasping Tendrils on Tentacles: 0+3=3 No Effect
Basic Light Receptors: 0+3=3 No Effect

Random Evolution Rolls:

2 Bad Random Evolution

Some really lucky rolls here. Praise the dice gods.

Generation 3

Organism Name: Floaters

Description: The Floater is one of the most advanced creatures in its small ecosystem. It "floats" through the water via a methane-based gas propulsion system located next to its anus. It feeds by moving its huge feeder tentacles, which are nearly a meter in length, around to collect plankton, or using the nutrient absorbing cells on the "bottom" of their bodies. The better nutrition in comparison to its ancestor, the common Tentacle Blob, has caused a massive evolutionary growth spurt. While Floaters only live about four years on average they steadily grow for their entire lifespans, eventually reaching about twenty centimeters. The recent arrival of various algae species have also caused the Floater to develop increased movement on the ocean floor, possessing a separate set of tentacles only four to six centimeters long that move the Floater along at less than 1km per hour. Thankfully, movement is unecessary unless all the algae in an area is depleted. To help sense the presence of algae, the Floater has a limited ability to sense the heat emanating from other organisms, a useful development in the event that the first predators appear. Another new adaption is the Statocyst, a small organ meant for detecting disturbances in the gravity surrounding the Floater (effectively vibrations in the water, a potential precursor to a sense of touch or hearing).

Reproduction: Male cells float through the water, covered in protective shells. They attach themselves to adult blobs and spend the first few months of life growing in a protective casing of armor. Eventually, the armor will recede, and the cells leave their "parent". Unlike previous species, the young of the Floaters are not fully mature upon seperation, which leaves them vulnerable to being swept up in the current before their gas propulsion system is fully developed and therefore starving to death before reaching adulthood.

Threats: No predators have evolved. However, a new and large species has recently emerged in the sea. Known as the Gargantuan Blob, this species has evolved to feed on a mixture of carrion and underwater frond plants, and may soon give rise to a predatory descendant. At the moment, the only truly threatening thing about them is their place as the largest creature yet to exist, growing almost twice as long as a Floater's tentacle.

Environment: A shallow sub-tropical sea. Biodiversity is increasing at alarming rates, with the emergence of far larger plants and animals along with the first algae species.

Adaptions: Moveable Feeding Tentacles, Bottom Feeding, Heat Sense, Waste Disposal, Gas Propulsion, Protective Shells for Wandering Male Cells, Protective Armor for Developing Young, Statocyst.

---

The Random Bad Evolution is what led to young that detached from their parent too early. The Great Success led to massive size increases.

The next suggestion/voting period starts now, and will continue until Sunday, November 30 at 7pm EST.

 

[Dr.Livingstone]

Suggestion: The ability to feel pain

Suggestion: The ability to fear.

This will allow the Floater to both sense damage to its body, in the form of pain, and the ability to be scared of carnivores that will try to eat the Floater. This will also be a precursor to learning. Finally, as a reminder the three components to touch are as follows: the ability to feel temperature differences, the ability to feel pressure, and the ability to feel damage to ones body, AKA pain. With the heat sense we gain one component. With this we get another.

 

[unmerged(271387)]

Suggestion: Limited Stem Cell regeneration. If fleeing from a predator and hurt, this will allow the Floater to recover from the damage done.

Suggestion: Seeder tentacles. This will allow the floater to latch upon the Gargantuan Blob and other assorted large species and use them in the future either to feed off from their source of feeding or just for conserving energy by having the host do all the moving.

 

[viola]

Time to go fully predatory!


Suggestion: our main tentacles will develop a venom that can paralyze and kill anything they touch, when and if the Floater wants. The venom has no effect on the Floater itself, of course (it would be pretty stupid otherwise).

Suggestion: the Floater will develop a Mouth and a Stomach to eat and digest bigger preys.

Suggestion: The ability to fear.

+1
That's primordial intelligence. Very useful stuff.

Suggestion: venomous spines, both to kill prey and protection

+1

 

[Gorganslayer]

Suggestion: Limited Stem Cell regeneration. If fleeing from a predator and hurt, this will allow the Floater to recover from the damage done.

+1

Suggestion: The ability to feel pain

+1

Suggestion: photosynthetic cells.

The blob can now make its own energy and doesnt have to spend as much time searching for food. (seeing as we are in shallow water we can access the sun))

 

[Battle bunny]

Suggestion: The ability to feel pain

Suggestion: our main tentacles will develop a venom that can paralyze and kill anything they touch, when and if the Floater wants. The venom has no effect on the Floater itself, of course (it would be pretty stupid otherwise).

+1 to these. JohnKjeken's suggestion is from a previous turn and thus invalid now. Pain is pretty useful for developing our senses and becoming venomous will dissuade other things from eating us even if we can't yet become the apex predator.

 

[Dexander]

Suggestion: Seeder tentacles. This will allow the floater to latch upon the Gargantuan Blob and other assorted large species and use them in the future either to feed off from their source of feeding or just for conserving energy by having the host do all the moving.

+1

I like this one, no need for mouth just suck the life out of the pray.

Time to go fully predatory!


Suggestion: our main tentacles will develop a venom that can paralyze and kill anything they touch, when and if the Floater wants. The venom has no effect on the Floater itself, of course (it would be pretty stupid otherwise).

+1

It´s easier to feed if the pray is paralyzed

 

[unmerged(271387)]

Cancelled these votes.