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

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MaximumFailure

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Evolve A Blob to Greatness: The Evolutionary Suggestion Game is based on a genre of forum games played mainly at the Bay 12 forums. The essential idea of an "Evolutionary Suggestion Game" is the slow, deliberate evolution of a simple organism into a complex, sentient being. Each iteration of the genre includes its own rules, but here are mine.

Rules

The adaptions the organism receives over the course of its evolutionary career are suggested by the players, though as Gamemaster I will reserve the right to veto a certain suggestion if I find it necessary. The voting is essentially done like this, with one player presenting a suggestion:

Random Forum User said:
-Eyes That Shoot Lasers

Another seconding it:

Random Forum User #2 said:
Random Forum User said:
-Eyes That Shoot Lasers
+1.

Then potentially adding their own suggestion:

Random Forum User #2 said:
Random Forum User said:
-Eyes That Shoot Lasers
+1

-Ability to Count Only in Prime Numbers

Of course, due to their stupidity both of those ideas require a veto:

MaskedPersonage said:
Random Forum User and Random Forum User #2, I veto your suggestions.

Each player will be limited to two suggestions and two votes. The player cannot vote for one of their own suggestions. The player does not need to use all their suggestions and votes in a single generation (i.e. turn), but if you do not use them then you do not receive additional suggestions or votes during the next generation.

Whether or not a suggestion will be successful is decided by a simple formula: Number of Votes+Random Dice Roll=Chance of Evolution

If the Chance of Evolution is 1, then it is a Critical Failure. Critical Failures result in severe devolution. Ex. If a suggestion to evolve better eyesight has a Chance of Evolution of 1, then the organism will lose their eyes, or something equally distressing.

If the Chance of Evolution is 2, then it is a Failure. Failures result in slight devolution. Ex. If a suggestion to evolve better eyesight has a Chance of Evolution of 2, then the organism will have slightly worse eyesight.

If the Chance of Evolution is 3, then there is No Effect.

If the Chance of Evolution is 4 or 5, then it is a Success.

If the Chance of Evolution is 6, then it is a Great Success. A Great Success will result in successful evolution further in that direction. Ex. If a suggestion to evolve eyes has a Chance of Evolution of 6, then not only will the organism obtain eyes but it might also receive increased senses in another, related area, such as hearing.

If the Chance of Evolution is greater then 6, it causes a Random Evolution. This results in a suggested evolution being successful, but also causes another, unrelated evolution to occur. This evolution could be either good or bad, depending on the results of an additional dice roll. If the roll results in a 1 or 2, it is bad. If it is 3, then there is no random evolution. If it is 4 or 5, the random evolution is good. If the additional dice roll results in a 6, then the effect will be the same as if the Chance of Evolution was originally a 6, i.e. the same effect as a Great Success.

Each turn is referred to as a Generation, and the results of the turn are calculated to represent the adaptions received in the next Generation. Every 5 Generations a Environmental Crisis will occur. During an Environmental Crisis, some major negative change will occur in our organism's environment. This could be anything from the emergence of a new predatory animal, the spread of a disease/parasite, or a natural disaster like a Volcanic Eruption. Survival depends on how well the organism can adapt to the change in environment.

Ex.After describing how the votes of Generation 4 evolved the organism in Generation 5, I will announce an Environmental Crisis, like so:

Environmental Crisis!

A parasite is spreading throughout the colonies of the [Insert Organism Name Here]. Its name is the [Insert Parasite Name Here], and it seems to be laying its eggs near the eggs of the [Insert Organism Name Here]. When the eggs of the [Insert Organism Name Here] are ready to hatch, they are instantly infested by the larvae of the [Insert Parasite Name Here] and are soon devoured from the inside out. If this situation continues unimpeded, [Insert Organism Name Here] is in danger of extinction.

Then, the players will be forced to come up with suggestions specifically meant to deal with the issues present by the Environmental Crisis.

Each new Generation, players will have two days to come up with suggestions and vote. If this results in too few suggestions, then I will adjust it to a three or four day period.

Without further ado, here is our initial creature:



Generation One

Organism Name: Seafloor Blob

Description: The Seafloor Blob is a simple “animal”, without complex internal organ systems. They live on the titular seafloor, absorbing nutrients from cells in the water. They are immobile, have no senses, and are in a highly competitive environment. Each individual blob is about a centimeter in length.

Reproduction: The Seafloor Blob releases male cells in the current, causing growths to grow from other Seafloor Blobs. Eventually, these growths separate from their “parent” and become new Seafloor Blobs.

Threats: No major predators (or indeed anything that could be described as a “carnivore”) have evolved yet. The only direct competition is that of other Seafloor Blobs, of which there are many different types-but only the ones quickest to adapt will survive the coming years.

Environment: A shallow sub-tropical sea. Little plant or animal life exists beside the Seafloor Blob.

Adaptions: None, yet.



The first Generation's suggestion and voting period begins November 24, 2014 at 5pm EST. It will end on November 26, 2014 at 5pm EST. The delay of one day is so I can answer any questions players may have before the actual suggestion/voting period. Literally anyone is free to join, at all times-there is no need to sign up, all you need to do if post your suggestions/votes once the suggestion/voting period begins.
 
a butt so it can poop

edit: As this is early, I will wait until the very moment that voting moments.
 
Define something that would be ridiculous. For instance, would "It grows fins" be ridiculous because that is evolving too fast?
 
Define something that would be ridiculous. For instance, would "It grows fins" be ridiculous because that is evolving too fast?

Well, if "It grows fins" ends up with a Chance of Evolution of 4 or 5, the organism will not acquire fully-formed modern fish fins, but rather develop proto-fins that are slightly more limited in use. However, it if it had a Chance of Evolution of 6, it could very well receive close to fully-formed fins.

If, for instance, someone suggested "Human-like Intelligence", instead of me vetoing their vote the organism would become more intelligent, but not reach that human-like intelligence right away. If it is a Great Success, then the progress is much greater.

These particular rules only apply if the evolution suggested is a little too advanced. If the player said something like "-Evolve the Ability to Filter Feed", then the organism receives it right away.
 
Now, as these adaptions spread, will the Seafloor Blob eventually split into different organisms that take different routes of evolution to compete with one another, or do we always play as one descended organism?
 
Now, as these adaptions spread, will the Seafloor Blob eventually split into different organisms that take different routes of evolution to compete with one another, or do we always play as one descended organism?

For the sake of simplicity, there will only be one branch of the evolutionary path we will follow. However, other paths will branch off from our own, causing us to have other, related species as competitors.

Also, as it is now about 5pm EST, the suggestion/voting period (I need to think of a better name for that) has begun! It will last until November 26, 5pm EST.
 
Suggestion:
Sea-FLoor Blob develops bottom feeding capabilities.
 
Sounds like something fun!

Let's see, if I understood the Blob's reproduction correctly it releases those male cells in the water and they plant themselves somewhere developing into more Blobs. If I got this right then this is my suggestion:


Suggestion: The Blob's male cells develops a hard shell that protects them and ensure greater rates of reproduction.

My votes:
a butt so it can poop
+1 :p
My suggestion: Little tentacle-like outgrowths that flail around and can absorb nutrients from farther away.
+1
 
Last edited:
Sounds like something fun!

Let's see, if I understood the Blob's reproduction correctly it releases those male cells in the water and they plant themselves somewhere developing into more Blobs. If I got this right then this is my suggestion:




My votes:

+1 :p

+1
I would suggest not putting your suggestion in quotes, as this makes it difficult for me to quote it and say "I like that one!"

However, I shall give you my +1 anyway.
 
My suggestion:

The Seafloor Blob will adapt to eliminate its competing fellow Blobs. Building upon its ability to absorb nutrients from cells in the water, the Seafloor Blob will begin to absorb nutrients from its fellow Blobs by evolving a tendril-like growths, used to reach over to nearby Blobs and feed off their nutrients.

My suggestion: Little tentacle-like outgrowths that flail around and can absorb nutrients from farther away.

+1
 
Suggestion: The Blob's male cells develops a hard shell that protects them and ensure greater rates of reproduction.

+1

Here is my suggestion:
The blob obtains a sense of heat, as that allows it to observe outside conditions to a certain extent. This is especially important in the ocean, where differing temperature currents bring different food sources.
 
Here is my suggestion:
The blob obtains a sense of heat, as that allows it to observe outside conditions to a certain extent. This is especially important in the ocean, where differing temperature currents bring different food sources.
+1
 
Here is my suggestion:
The blob obtains a sense of heat, as that allows it to observe outside conditions to a certain extent. This is especially important in the ocean, where differing temperature currents bring different food sources.

While this is an excellent idea, how will we take advantage of this? Our blob is an immobile creature, so unless if we can get primitive locomotion, we won't take full advantage of this adaptation.

This is why I'm going to propose Primitive Locomotion, and make our blob move via water propulsion in order to take advantage of the sense of heat and be able to move to the most food rich current.
 
Last edited:
While this is an excellent idea, how will we take advantage of this? Our blob is an immobile creature, so unless if we can get primitive locomotion, we won't take full advantage of this adaptation

At the moment, this idea is, I admit, next to useless. However, long term, it comes with several benefits:

1. Food thing I talked about.

2. Sensory indicator of future predators and/or other dangers.

3. Should we ever grow mobile, this will allow us to gauge the relative depth of our creature. With this allowance, we will have a prevention system in place, one which gives a warning if we venture to close to the surface or to far into the depths.

Again, this is long term planning.