Space Animal Husbandry

[Flame13223]

So recently I got that event where a space amoeba starts to follow you and then it joins you as a combat unit. And that made me think a bit about other critters that can join you like dragons and other stuff and I remember people used to make threads about having like a devouring swarm with organic ships akin to Zerg or Tyrannids.

So then I got this idea, what if in the future, and I mean long after 2.2, there were an option to actually train space amoeba and other critters to fight for you. I mean, like, tame them and breed and stuff on a large scale and not just amoeba but other critters too. Basically an alternative to your normal fleet, instead you could have a fleet mixed in with xeno wildlife.

You could even have like corvette/destroyer/cruiser/battleship sizes but instead with amoeba/crystallid/tiyanki/dragon or something like that. Obviously you don't start out with them, you kinda have to like, find them and research them and then take tech options/choices/ascension perks for it to become a part of your empire.

And you could maybe have technologies related to genetic engineering to unlock upgrades for them, and create newer, stronger versions, like instead of researching missiles and new guns and stuff you just research new genetic patterns for stronger beasts.

The potential for more stuff with it is high, I mean you could think of plenty of new ideas for it on how it could work and everything, unique modules for starports to allow their recruitment, and new technologies, maybe an ascension perk, etc...

 

[Greenslade]

It's a huge idea that would be a pain in the ass to balance but I like it.

 

[brantodb01]

I like this idea and I feel theres also alot of room for rp events. Such as if youre xenophile or have a specific policy and harmonious with them they like you alot more as theyre treated well and if youre xenophobe theyre mistreated and more likely to turn on you.

 

[Cri11e]

Sounds like a great addition to the bio ascension path imo.
Maybe coupled in a story pack with organic ships which have been requested many times before.

 

[Flame13223]

It's a huge idea that would be a pain in the ass to balance but I like it.

Yeah that's kind of how I view it myself as well. But imho its worth it for variety's sake later down the line, I mean there's no rush to make it

 

[Tisifoni12]

I'm minded of the episode of Firefly when the hold is full of a herd of longhorn cattle that they're hauling from one planet to another . . .

 

[tomstegmeier]

I'm minded of the episode of Firefly when the hold is full of a herd of longhorn cattle that they're hauling from one planet to another . . .

they forgot they were cows, but now they remember. Great episode...

my first thought was not bvioship, but cattle... so herding the amoebas like giant space cow and eat them... why cant we domesticate these space animals with space cowboys?

 

[Tisifoni12]

they forgot they were cows, but now they remember. Great episode...

my first thought was not bvioship, but cattle... so herding the amoebas like giant space cow and eat them... why cant we domesticate these space animals with space cowboys?

Well that reminds me of a novel called Deep Range by Arthur C Clark whose main character was a whale herder.

It was his only book that was 'aquatic'.

 

[Flame13223]

Well that reminds me of a novel called Deep Range by Arthur C Clark whose main character was a whale herder.

Tiyanki are pretty much space whales...I'd love a giant herd of space whales that patrol my borders...


Reminds me of that Dr.Who episode where humans use a giant space whale as a vessel to escape a planet but then start to torture the poor creature to maintain control because they didn't know the whale did it because it felt pity and wanted to help them...


Sooo, habitats on top of a giant space whale? =)) Or a Terry Pratchett like space turtle with 4 elephants standing on top of it holding a diskworld? Just kidding.

 

[caedussl]

Sounds like a great addition to the bio ascension path imo.
Maybe coupled in a story pack with organic ships which have been requested many times before.

I'm sure a biological story pack is coming. It just makes sense.

 

[Flame13223]

I'm sure a biological story pack is coming. It just makes sense.

Yeah, definitely the next big expansion after Megacorp imho. I mean there's not that many other forms of empire that you need to include at this point. Reworking devouring swarms and adding more hive mind options will surely be in the next expansion.

 

[Flame13223]

Funny thing, I just noticed while playing that there's a tech called Amoeba breeding program, its the one that you get for Carrier slots.

 

[beckermt]

I would absolutely love if you could recruit the various space animals as stand-ins for the ship classes. It would add such a delightfully unique flavor to the empire. Especially for xenophilic bio-fanatics! Why build a ship when you can grow one! See: the Polaris from Escape Velocity: Nova

 

[Flame13223]

I would absolutely love if you could recruit the various space animals as stand-ins for the ship classes. It would add such a delightfully unique flavor to the empire. Especially for xenophilic bio-fanatics! Why build a ship when you can grow one! See: the Polaris from Escape Velocity: Nova

You know what? That just gave me an idea right now for an event chain related to it.

So, Tiyanki (space whales) have always been a part of the game, but recently with 2.1? (I think its 2.1 but might be 2.0) they added the Tiyanki Matriarch as a leviathan. So what I was thinking is, maybe you could unlock a special event chain if you attack the Tiyanki matriach with a Tiyanki fleet, (you could maybe have a Battleship replacement called the Tiyanki Bull that you can upgrade to be pretty dope) then instead of killing the Matriarch her hp stops at like 20% and you gain the option to instead capture it and it will join your empire and it will act as a Titan essentially and give you benefits to Tiyanki reproduction as well.

 

[Crewman#6]

I notice that Pacifist empires can make space critters non-hostile. So maybe your idea for farming a navy of domesticated space horrors could also be restricted to Pacifist empires. Making that eccentric choice of ethic far more attractive.

As for growing bio-engineered organic ships, that's got a gloriously sinister sci-fi pedigree. So maybe Devouring Swarm empires could access that via a disturbing biological ascension path.

As an alternative biological ascension route, who doesn't want to splice all their pop's genomes with space amoebae and wander the galaxy as a great herd of nomadic jellyfish?

 

[beckermt]

I notice that Pacifist empires can make space critters non-hostile. So maybe your idea for farming a navy of domesticated space horrors could also be restricted to Pacifist empires. Making that eccentric choice of ethic far more attractive.

As for growing bio-engineered organic ships, that's got a gloriously sinister sci-fi pedigree. So maybe Devouring Swarm empires could access that via a disturbing biological ascension path.

As an alternative biological ascension route, who doesn't want to splice all their pop's genomes with space amoebae and wander the galaxy as a great herd of nomadic jellyfish?

I think xenophiles can also make them non-hostile.

 

[Powder hound]

I’ve always wanted the option to be able to passively study the space fauna such as the Fire Drake, Stallarite Devourer etc. Would they notice a science ship observing at a “safe” distance and then derive tech or resources from them. Who knows maybe Stellarite “poop” is more powerful than Betharian.

 

[PhroX]

Forget all this stuff about using space critters as weapons. I want to farm tiyanki for food.

 

[Flame13223]

Forget all this stuff about using space critters as weapons. I want to farm tiyanki for food.

Space farm that generates food? Not a bad idea.

 

[Crewman#6]

It's important to never to overcook your Tiyanki as the tentacles can gain an unpleasant rubbery texture. Because a standard serving of tentacle feeds thousands, this can impact negatively on a planet's Unrest statistic.