Variation within a population
Angry Hillbilly 2
Join Date: 2012-03-31 Member: 149741Members
Join Date: 2012-03-31 Member: 149741Members
<div class="IPBDescription">Had a sudden neat idea</div>I was sat looking through my old biology text books and with the words natural selection 2 on the screen infront of me that got me thinking. The game is CALLED NATRUAL SELECTION so why not have some even more fun with it :) :
As you may or may not know. Darwins first law says that "within a population there is variation" and remembering this i had a sudden idea for a rather neat and simple feature that would add even more unique properties to the Kharaa.
The premise of the idea is that randomly when evoloving/spawning (one or both) there would be a small chance of a variation to occur that gives the player a small bonus with that life. So say randomly they could recive a bonus of 5% health or speed increse . Something very minor but could help a little when in combat. This bonus would be retained for the entire life of the player or perhaps when they next mutate. (The player of course on screen would be alerted to this on screen and so would the alien commander with info on the bonus under the players name.)
The extra way in which this could also work is the alien commander would have the ablity that is researched (or come with one of the hive types*) called Mutagen.
This would allow him/her to put down a sort of (bit like mist but differant) over an area of eggs. Any player that spawns from one of the affected eggs will have an incresed chance of gaining one of these bonuses.
*perhaps the shift seems most fitting as it is an evolution advantage based hive
This also would NOT be direct interaction with the players as it is by chance which egg they will spawn from so thus the commander retains his role of "Cosmic Gardiner". There pushing the team along but keeping the ball rolling.
Now i must stress. The bonus would be small. Nothin in comparison to having something like Carapce or Celerity...etc but a little extra something to basically cause "Variation" within a team and would definatly have some sort of effect. This could also drastically affect tactics not only in pub games but also in clan matches. Say a player suddenly recives a little speed bonus they might opt to be a scout over someone else without the bonus..etc.
I feel that this could really add an even more Organic feel to the Kharaa and seperate them from the marrines even more. The aliens really would feel natural compared to the much more mechanical marrines.
The idea is a little rough but thats the basic premise. Any more structuring ideas of it would be greatly welcomed :P
As you may or may not know. Darwins first law says that "within a population there is variation" and remembering this i had a sudden idea for a rather neat and simple feature that would add even more unique properties to the Kharaa.
The premise of the idea is that randomly when evoloving/spawning (one or both) there would be a small chance of a variation to occur that gives the player a small bonus with that life. So say randomly they could recive a bonus of 5% health or speed increse . Something very minor but could help a little when in combat. This bonus would be retained for the entire life of the player or perhaps when they next mutate. (The player of course on screen would be alerted to this on screen and so would the alien commander with info on the bonus under the players name.)
The extra way in which this could also work is the alien commander would have the ablity that is researched (or come with one of the hive types*) called Mutagen.
This would allow him/her to put down a sort of (bit like mist but differant) over an area of eggs. Any player that spawns from one of the affected eggs will have an incresed chance of gaining one of these bonuses.
*perhaps the shift seems most fitting as it is an evolution advantage based hive
This also would NOT be direct interaction with the players as it is by chance which egg they will spawn from so thus the commander retains his role of "Cosmic Gardiner". There pushing the team along but keeping the ball rolling.
Now i must stress. The bonus would be small. Nothin in comparison to having something like Carapce or Celerity...etc but a little extra something to basically cause "Variation" within a team and would definatly have some sort of effect. This could also drastically affect tactics not only in pub games but also in clan matches. Say a player suddenly recives a little speed bonus they might opt to be a scout over someone else without the bonus..etc.
I feel that this could really add an even more Organic feel to the Kharaa and seperate them from the marrines even more. The aliens really would feel natural compared to the much more mechanical marrines.
The idea is a little rough but thats the basic premise. Any more structuring ideas of it would be greatly welcomed :P
Comments
Do not think for a second that I think NS2 even slightly follows the laws of natrural selection. I am well aware of the effects of the laws doing biology lol :P . I am mearly saying we could have some intersting bending uses for it in game.
And I think that is the same of anything some people would prefer a speed boost over helath vice versa but im not sure that really affects anything. I think it would as i have said make the aliens just feel a little more organic and immersive with small variation in players per life. Would also give the marrines a varible enemy to fight as well.
As for the e-sports community i dont think randomness like this affects things too much. I think it would make things even more interesting allowing for switches in tactics if a sudden favourble mutation occurs. Allows the playing wtih dice a bit and gives the alien commander a little bit more to do without DIRECTLY interacting with the players.
OK, hah, wasn't sure. It's surprising how frequently people don't understand how the process actually works, and you are, by your own admission, an angry hillbilly. :p
Also who would you play as in an evolutionary game, God? The process is by definition autonomous!
Lol nuuuuu Ive got an A in A-level Biology and about to do Materials Science and Engineering at uni so i garantee scientific ignorance is not somthing i have :P and im far from a hillbilly lol the name is just something that stuck as a gamer name after me and a freind watch a flash cartoon of the same name yearrrrrsss ago (and im talking like 2001 :P Just look at the location bar on the left n ul see :P)
ANYWAY back on topic.
*leves space here for more explination will edit soon not enough time to atm*
In that, 1 con could be the chance of spawning with a retarded leg, granting the creature -10% movement speed.
Its a cool idea i agree, but there must be cons if theres pros.
Well, a few years ago there was atleast one NS1 server that had this server side plugin. I'm sure many of you played there and remember it. For those of you who don't, I'll tell you this: whenever (after a certain cooldown) you typed <i>rollthedice</i>, the plugin would randomly choose a boost, handicap or event from a preset list. Its usage was in no way mandatory but many did use it hoping to get devour as a lerk, a free jp as a marine or 999 armor points while hoping not to get slapped to 1 hp for example. And because of all this, it would be fun as a mod but not as a game feature because
<!--quoteo(post=1945044:date=Jun 20 2012, 01:15 AM:name=crypt)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (crypt @ Jun 20 2012, 01:15 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1945044"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->generally "randomness" is not well received in a competitive environment.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
And like there were good and bad things happening to you in the <i>rollthedice</i>, I too think that there should be pros and cons in this mutation system.
Mutations would be generated at the beginning of the round, at the end the fitness of a particular genotype would be computed using k/d or score, the most fit genotypes would reproduce more, using recombination (sex, mixing the vectors). Genotypes would be stored in the server and evolve during several weeks.
Having both marines a aliens evolve would ensure some kind of balance.
Also in order to make the fitness landscape more interesting, correlation between the parameters should be introduced, for example more speed would come at a cost of armor. The parameters would also need to be bounded.
In that, 1 con could be the chance of spawning with a retarded leg, granting the creature -10% movement speed.
Its a cool idea i agree, but there must be cons if theres pros.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I had actually been thinking about the idea of disadvantages so say u choose to a mutated egg these prob of having a small dissadvantage like some have said a bit like RTD but i didnt know what people would think lol. So there could be "runt" of the pack or something only minor things but yea :)
Additionally, it would be cool if the changes were reflected visual as well. For example: A skulk with a speed modifier would have longer/shorter legs, and a fade with a damage modifier would have larger/smaller arm muscles. It would also be nice if mutations had a chance of occurring while evolving as well as spawning.
On the Marine side, it could be set up so that on 'J1' it gives each marine a randomly generated phenotype which they keep until the end of the match (since Marines don't technically die when they go down).
Mutations would be generated at the beginning of the round, at the end the fitness of a particular genotype would be computed using k/d or score, the most fit genotypes would reproduce more, using recombination (sex, mixing the vectors). Genotypes would be stored in the server and evolve during several weeks.
Having both marines a aliens evolve would ensure some kind of balance.
Also in order to make the fitness landscape more interesting, correlation between the parameters should be introduced, for example more speed would come at a cost of armor. The parameters would also need to be bounded.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I think thats what the BUS wass upposed to be...
I dont know how people come up with this conclusion?
I always imagine that marines are being sent from "earth" through the infantry portals to fight in this space environment (the current map).
The marines do die, its just that more expendable soldiers are constantly replacing the fallen.