The Thrive devteam knows you're all waiting for the game, with varying degrees of patience, and we want to try to get you all involved in development as much as possible, because we know that regular people have great ideas and insights. That's why we're letting all of our ModDB and Facebook fans in on a little bit of a contest.
Part of our new concept for game evolution is the use of specific biomes to structure evolution. These biomes allow us to specify what organisms fit where within the game, and how they can evolve. I'm not going to lay down all of the specifics, but if you're interested in any sort of alien environment (which you probably are, if you're reading this), this is for you.
The development team wants to include a lot of biomes in the game, and have them be very diverse, and the best way to do that, of course, is get as many people as possible working on them. Yes, we're asking you, our fans, to create biomes for us.
Now, before you get started, we have a few guidelines for you to follow. First off, remember that this is a realistic game, and we want realistic biomes. Keep that in mind as you create your biomes.
Rules
-you may submit as many biomes as you like
-submit your concepts in the comments below. If you have multiple and don't want to submit them all in comments, you can PM them to Revolutionary Games.
-you must use the following template
rules wrote:
Biome Title
occurs: Where does the biome occur on a planet?
resources: What resources are in the biome? water, minerals, etc
elevation: Where is the biome above or below sea level?
climate: What is the temperature and the weather generally like?
topography: Is your biome flat/hilly/mountanous/etc?
biodiversity: Are there a lot of organisms in your biome or only a few?
autotroph niches: plants: see below
heterotroph niches: animals: see below
other: Anything special you have to say about this environment.For the "Niches", please use this reference. Don't name specific animals or plants, just generally what kinds you might expect to find.
Tiny= 1-20 cm largest measurement (up to the size of a rat)
Small= 21-100 cm largest measurement (up to the size of a big dog [based on my yellow lab])
Midsize=101-300 cm largest measurement (up to the size of an adult male polar bear)
Midlarge= 301-700 cm largest measurement (up to the size of a killer whale)
large= 701-1500 cm largest measurement (up to the size of a T-rex)
huge=1501-4000 cm largest measurement (tops off at larger than blue whales (25m))
gargantuan=4001+ cm largest measurement (the world's talles tree is to 83 meters tall)
That might seem like a lot, but it's really quie easy to do. if you're not sure on any of the categories, just leave it blank, and we'll fill them in if your biome gets chosen. Here's a few biomes our development team has already created.
developers wrote: Tidal Forest
occurs: where land meets ocean (or a large body of water) on a planet with a strongly attractive moon
resources: Saltwater
elevation:dependant on moon's gravity +/- tide height above/below sea level
climate: 10-70 celsius
topography: gently sloped towards ocean
biodiversity: very high
autotroph niches: all except for huge and gargantuan
heterotroph niches: tiny to midsize amphibious carnivore, tiny to midsize amphibious herbivore, tiny to midsize flying carnivore, midsize carnivore (nonamphibious)
other: Has lots of corals, wich provide a very complex ground covering and trap pools of water inside their networks.
developers wrote: Cloud Forest
occurs: In Mountanous areas with high moisture
resources: Primarily dirt, abundant water, and it's own biodiversity
elevation: 500 m to 4000 m above sea level. * Elevation depends on planet average temp - the higher the temperature, the higher the clouds form and the higher the forest.
climate: About 8 to 20 C average temp, and about 500 to 10000 mm/year of rainfall. Atmospheric conditions will be altered by this biome.
topography: Required = one side slopes downwards towards the ocean, one side reaches much higher than the cloud forest to create the rainshadow effect.
biodiversity: High. Diversity of woody plants is lower than in similar forests at a lower elevation.
autotroph niches: All. (Redwoods are Gargantuan) Also, epiphytes (bromeliads, spanish moss, mistletoe) and "parasitic" plants.
heterotroph niches: up to midsize, herbivorous, carnivorous and omnivorous.
other: Very high soil acidity, top layer comprised almost entirely of moss and peat. High Biomass and Biodiversity, stratified canopy.
developers wrote: Abyss
occurs: wherever there is open ocean with no bottom within required elevation
resources: saltwater, marine snow
elevation:1001- m below sea level
climate: very cold in most areas, almost 0 celsius.
topography: required= no topography
biodiversity: not very diverse, mostly empty space
autotroph niches: none
heterotroph niches: (all aquatic) tiny to midsize filter feeders, tiny to midsize carnivores
other: may share inhabitants with other ocean biomes, dependant on a constant marine snow of detrius. High probability of bioluminescence.
What are you waiting for? Get started on your biomes! We're not going to impose a limited number of winners, because we don't know how much our fans are willing to make, so there's a great chance your biome will be part of Thrive.
Coral Reef (? may be incorrect, my brain is weird today...)
occurs: in tropical/warm areas relatively close to shore in not-too-deep waters (Salt Water)
resources: rich ground, probably more just can't think of any
elevation: below sea level, near the cost but not too shallow
climate: warm, tropical (Others ?)
topography: N/A
biodiversity: very diverse
autotroph niches: Medium-sized plants, probably big ones too depending on depth
heterotroph niches: Small fish, maybe a larger hunter or two
other: Very beautiful, calm waters. Pleasent and sort of laid back. It could be a great place for Grandpa to evolve his species :D
{EDIT} : Could be used for a tutorial too, since its so calm
Bio-Mechanical
occurs: almost anywhere
resources: extremely high content of metals, crystals, and synth-materials; completely void of water or natural vegetation.
elevation: typically above sea level; can occur at or below sea level, depending on biome protections created (i.e. bio-dome, mass dehumidifier, etc.)
climate: constant 24 degrees farenheight to counteract massive heat genearted by enviorment's inhabitents and their technology; completely void of moisture.
topography: Flat with 90-degree-sloped mesas.
biodiversity: few
autotroph niches: plants: Motrophonics (light-absorbing; tiny to small)
Noctrophonics (carbon-dioxide and carbon-monoxide-absorbing; large)
heterotroph niches: animals: bio-mechanicals and self-aware mechanicals
(tiny to gargantuan; range in duties from garbage transmutation to mechanical repairs to manual plant seeding)
other: enviornment is essentially a massive, self-contained, and self-sustaining industrial and research complex. Enviorment is artificially-created; cannot develop on its own.
I had a heart attack when I saw this game had an update! :D
Biome: Swampy woodland.
occurs: Wetland, dense forests, rainy (stormy) area.
resources: Lots of water (but dirty).
elevation: Ground-level.
climate: Warm.
topography: Often very flat.
biodiversity: High.
autotroph niches: Mid-sized plants but huge trees.
heterotroph niches: Plenty of tiny (insects, frogs, snakes etc) and mid-large (think ~crocodile) animals, few large that can traverse the landscape without any trouble, both from the landscape or other animals.
other: Harsh landscape, dangerous to drink the water directly from the swamp, most animals have some sort of poison and they are highly territorial. Almost all animals have developed some sort of camouflage, carnivorous animals uses its camo to lay in wait for pray, herbivores uses it to hide from them. Very hard to walk through the swamp if you are not developed for swimming in low water levels, or have very powerful legs. Trees do not have lower branches, only at the top to catch the light, so it usually is very gloomy at the bottom of the swamp.
Lava Swamp
occurs: Near the foot of active volcanoes or lava springs
resources: Magma, lots of gases
elevation: Can occur anywhere near a volcano, usually above sea level.
climate: Hot, dry, and arid.
topography: Required = in close proximity to any volcanic activity.
biodiversity:
autotroph niches: plants:
heterotroph niches: animals:
other: Is very dangerous and inhospitable.
Keep up the great work, this is really good stuff! Give us some stuff that's really alien!
Wow, that's cool- a synthetic biome.
Endorheic
Occurs: Usually found in arid and semi arid regions, but not restricted to them. Where collected water has not been able to drain into other bodies of water.
Resources: Salts, sand, water, rock, sediment, evaporite minerals.
Elevation: "various" hundreds of feet above or below sea level.
Climate: Semi-arid "depending on the environment surrounding"
Visual aids: Bonneville Salt Flats, Uyuni salt flat, The Salton Sea, The Arch of Cabo San Lucas, Ponta da Piedade formations.
Topography: White flats hundreds or thousands of square miles wide. Some areas are heavily saturated silt shining under a wide blue sky or shallow bodies of clear, calm water.
Ancient rock formations stand 20ft - 100ft or more out of fine sediment. Pounded by waves centuries ago, they range in many sizes and shapes. Most formation groups are miles away from the next, while some can be just a few yards away from another.
Biodiversity: (Medium - High) Similar to a savanna.
Autotroph niches: (Tiny - Large) Hardy Foliage can live atop the rock islands, or survive off salt water. Mangrove like trees can developed deep root systems. Aquatic vegetation can develop on some water surfaces. Some areas are entire lakes covered by sprawls of plants, which can sustain Large organisms.
heterotroph niches: (Midsize carnivores) - (tiny - huge Herbivores and Omnivores) (different sizes and dominance).
Flying creatures and creatures that can climb, can be right at home on and around rock formations groups. Most fauna thrive near large water bodies with ample aquatic vegetation. Most creatures here develop tolerance to salt water, similar to reptiles, large mammals, etc. Like camels, Some creatures can store sustenance. Creatures passing over barren areas might dig for sustenance, some may go into a deep hibernation until rain wakes them again. Tiny aquatic life can live in pools with aquatic plants, whether remote or in rivulets between "islands".
I don't like how cluttered mine came out, I might come up with something better and less congested. If needed, it can be deleted.
Excellent concept!
Biome: The Fairy Kingdom.
occurs: Everywhere.
resources: On this planet, their would be vast amounts of natural supermagnets and electrical objects, making mining this world for materials to make wiring usually profitable. (If you wanna know why, look at the bottom :P)
elevation: Varies. Encompasses entire planet!
climate: Varies. Encompasses entire planet!
topography: Varies. Encompasses entire planet!
biodiversity: As many as their are mythological plants and animals, though, there are usually non-mythological creatures to balance things out.
autotroph niches: Things you would think of as mythological and regular plants.
heterotroph niches: Things you would think of as mythological.
other: This biome was created by aliens that wanted to simulate a "perfect" world, but eventually it got out of hand, and their synthesizers started creating a balanced planet, where anything is possible. Expect to encounter cloning machines, how else would the aliens populate a rock? It'd take millions, if not trillions, if years to have the things evolve naturally.
quick edit: as a result of the aliens terraforming this planet to make it like this, they ended up mimicking Earth's atmosphere, before humankind polluted it to a point where we're murdering the Ozone layer.
Please note; I did not put much effort into this, if you like it, tell me, and I may try to refine it.
mash edit; realized what the sizes were for! :D
Darn, wasn't fast enough in putting in all the details... oh well, for plants, there would be from Tiny to Huge. For animals, Tiny to Large.
Not sure about the "Fairy Kingdom" name. Sounds more like an artificial utopia. Not sure what to think of as "mythological" either, ideas will emerge!
I just threw it up, to throw it up, really, I had fun, and a bit of giggling, while was thinking of ways it would work out, but for animals and things, stuff like dragons and all the horrible mythological creatures, and, since it's all really artificial, they "change" by the time, like, daytime: cute, fuzzy animals that are nice, and when night time comes: horrid dragons, hydras, generally things that try/want to kill you and strip the flesh off your bones ;)
Fire Forest
occurs: In plains or mountain areas around lava pits and lava cascade at a volcanic world
resources: Lack of humidity, high iron presence and lava (volcanic environment)
elevation: From "water" level to medium high elevations, not everest mountains, but height size is direct affected
climate: Dry and very hot
topography: varied
biodiversity: on a harsh environment very few organism stand a very competitive food chain
autotroph niches: Large, bacterial
heterotroph niches: Carnivorous animals and parasitic and carnivorous plants
other: The plant itself consist of a symbiotic relation among a animal part that help capturing nutrients from the
atmosphere and the plant side involved the meat part end protect from extreme heat, fire and predators. But at
its upper side has a tentacle tongue that server as a absorption mechanism, also the plant weakness where the
huge predators can reach the meat inside the thick and hard layer layer of the plant. Resembles a huge cigar.
Can growth anywhere from rocks to soft ground.
Float Tree
occurs: everywhere
resources: rich soil
elevation: any where, including water
climate: Dry to Humidity
topography: Anywhere , rock or sand
biodiversity: Diverse and rich
autotroph niches: Gargantuan+++, A huge gas bag server as a balloon to stretch its malleable trunk sky high beyond
the clouds till reach the sun light.
heterotroph niches: parasitically plants and bacterias, other herbivorous animals and birds
other: It produces a extremely light gas and very nutritive juice and fruits.
interesting submissions. keep them coming!
I want a desert. Barren sand dunes, scorching sun, freezing nights and cool caves and burrows. Thats all i want.
We've taken care of most earthly biomes.
I have one crazy idea:
Bacterial/Fungous Jelly
occurs: Warm areas, atmosphere really rich on gases (specially oxigen), really humid places.
resources: the atmosphere that already was commented and the "jelly bacteries (or fungus)"
elevation: Low-mid altitude
climate: Mostly warm
topography: Basically plain on the surface, inside the
biodiversity: Conting the fungus/bacteries, extreme. But other kind of life... well... limited
autotroph niches: Well, most of the time the bacteries/fungus are processing the atmosphere gases... but may also eat another things... read the other part...
heterotroph niches:
INSIDE THE JELLY: mid-big size worm like creatures, which create some kind of goo/subistances to not be attacked by the jelly. They can tho absorv the jelly to extract subistances. But there will be some colosal worms which will eat another creatures, inclusive the surface creatures.
OUTSIDE/SURFACE: big creatures with big legs. they would absorv the jelly or even make photosintesis.
other: Think on this like a a really big sea, with creatures living inside and even some of them walking on the surfice, that covering a big part of the planet.
The jelly would attack small creatures (animals from another biomes invading the area), fallen surface creatures and dead animals.
The bacterial/fungous jelly can´t survive on hight areas because they would die because the cold climate and the "smaller" amount of oxigen. Also would not live on vulcanic areas, because the hot temperature.
maybe it´s hard to code... but that´s my idea... sorry for my "Engrish", too
sounds sort of like a documentary I once watched about the possibilities of creatures living on a planet. there was a jell ocean and it ate creatures that got too close. there were also large creatures that walked on it and ate some of the goo with their feet. is that where you got it?
Heyy, that's not bad at all. I think we'll be tying this up at the end of the month, so get any ideas you have in to us soon.
Officially ended. Stay tuned for winners!
cool!
Awesome!! And please don't forget Wardi's entry on the Summary page!
Winners will be up soon!
Megadasia (Giant wood)
occurs: on small planets, where gravity is minimal and life can grow oversize, in temperated areas.
resources: lot of wood, water in case of lakes.
elevation: 0 to 500-600 meters.
climate: 15 to 30 celsius.
topography: flat or hilly.
Biodiversity: Oversized life forms.
Autotroph niches: From midlarge to gargantuan.
Heterotroph niches: large and huge insects, huge and gargantuan mammals and birds. rare reptile animals.
other: land covered by grass and sometimes by moss. Lakes are common.
Sea "Forest"
occurs: around 1,000km Depth of an ocean mostly tropical oceans but can also be expected underneath the ice of an ice covered ocean
resources: Salt water, Fresh Water, Minerals
elevation: -1,000 depth of ocean
climate: water is generally around -500 Celsius to 35 Celsius
topography: Flat.
biodiversity: Are there a lot of organisms in your biome or only a few?
autotroph niches: plants: Trees that are well developed for life under the sea, seaweed, fungus.
heterotroph niches: animals: Aquatic Bottom feeders. Aquatic carnivores, sometimes out growing the forest. Medium sized Aquatic Carnivores, Small to medium sized Aquatic Herbivores, Microbes, Sea "snakes" Aquatic organisms that are more able to swim between the branches of the trees mostly carnivores.
other: Forest under the Sea level
Deep Swamp
occurs: Very wet with small islands
resources: water,minerals,wet wood,strong wood.
elevation:-150m to + 2m
climate: Temperature:15 celsius and water is generated in -25 and it falls at the temperature of 5- degres (The water is 0 Degress :D sometimes 1 or 3 when hotest 5)
topography: flaty
biodiversity:BIG!
autotroph niches: plants:from medium to gigantular
heterotroph niches: animals:Aquatic Bottom feeders. Aquatic carnivores, sometimes out growing the forest. Medium sized Aquatic Carnivores, Small to medium sized Aquatic Herbivores, Microbes, Sea "snakes" Aquatic organisms that are more able to swim between the branches of the trees mostly carnivores are Croc like beings and Some dino like creatures
Biome Title- Moss lands
occurs: near the tropics
resources: Rock, water, mossy plants
elevation: above sea level
climate: Decent calm weather, but since it is easy for clouds to move over it, it can suffer from storms.
topography: mountainous/flat
biodiversity: ranges from a lot to medium.
autotroph niches: plants: tiny- small (mostly moss type plants because of the lack of soil)
heterotroph niches: animals: small- mid large
other: These occur on young planets, they are zones which lay in a good temperature for life, but have not yet gotten a buildup of soil. They are where 2 tectonic plates met, so they are large mountains with huge sheets of rock for the ground. The sheets of rock have water flowing between them (normally in small ravines and cracks that can be up to 300 feet deep, but certain ones are only 20 or so feet deep, and have streams), and mosses and lichens growing on them (eventually the mosses will build up soil by dying and decomposing). This attracts animals for soft spots to lay and fresh mountain water to drink. Sometimes you can find hot springs.
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I have created a world made of crystal with crystal plants and animals. The planet is called Crystall. It has a double-sun system and the suns emit a unique radiation that allows the inhabitants to process food and other body functions. If they are taken away from their world and from their suns' energy, their bodies will start to fall apart. There is no water on Crystall, but glass with a low enough viscocity level that it flows like water. They all eat other crystal plants and animals. I wish I could show all the pictures I've drawn. Maybe you could make it so you could choose to make your creature live on a crystal planet.