Microbe Progression
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It is important to detail progression in the Microbe Stage for two big reasons. First, the Microbe Stage will represent the beginning of a playthrough of Thrive, thus serving as the establishing act in a player’s journey on an alien planet. And second, how progression is dealt with within the Microbe Stage sets the standard for how progression will generally work throughout an entire game of Thrive – or, at least, until the beginning of the Society Stage.
The total play time should be substantial but not excessive – likely around two hours on average to reach the end of the game (or the next stage once it’s implemented). Some strategies may cater more towards quicker progression, while others may be more leisurely.
General Principles of Progression in Thrive
Before discussing the Microbe Stage in particular, it might be best to begin by describing the general nature of “progression” in Thrive as a whole – established principles which our concepts generally abide by, no matter the stage. As Thrive is a sandbox game simulating the process of evolution, progression in Thrive will mirror progression in an evolutionary sense. However, while the biological concept of evolution has no end goal or motive, Thrive places a win condition on the player; macroscopically, reach Ascension; microscopically, reach the end of the stage. As such, “progressing” in Thrive can generally be understood as “reaching higher complexity”, in contrast to the fact that complexity in biological does not necessarily equate to evolutionary success.
A notable principle to keep in mind is that rather than having a very linear and defined progression, such as a tech tree of sorts, progression in Thrive works through a more “phase-based” and iterative system of progression, with various parts of a similar complexity level being offered to the player at once, in accordance to a sandbox approach to evolution. A player doesn’t progress by repetitively unlocking parts through flat upgrades to a pre-requisite part – again, there isn’t a tech tree of interconnected parts stemming from one another.
This may seem unintuitive at first – afterall, evolution is a linear process, working only on existing morphological traits. However, there is a strong benefit to this methodology. Not only would a very linear unlock scheme potentially bloat progression, increasing the “grindability” of Thrive, but this approach to progression inherently reinforces the idea that certain adaptations and morphologies are flat-out better than other adaptations – a big no-no in our eyes. A fundamental concept in evolution is the fact that there are no adaptations that are inherently “superior” to other adaptations; what makes an adaptation better than another is not the adaptation itself, but how well the adaptation suites an organism’s ecological niche. And a more complex adaptation is not necessarily a better adaptation. For example, human beings are undoubtedly more complex than every single form of prokaryotic life on this planet – however, prokaryotes dramatically outnumber the eukaryotic kingdom as a whole.
Rather than representing evolution through flat upgrades enhancing the efficiency of parts, evolution is represented by the player changing the morphology of their cell to become better at what it is they want to do. As was put by Buckly, the game design lead...
My design philosophy for Thrive is to encourage specialization over direct enhancement. The player becomes an effective photosynthesizer not by enhancing their thylakoids to harness more sun, but by assembling their entire organism around doing so. Every change has tradeoffs, and the more they specialize the more they must abandon other abilities. Of course, I’m not against deviating from this philosophy if needed.
Progression instead works more broadly. Instead of being tasked with deriving complex parts from weaker, basal parts, players are given a decently broad selection of potential parts which are all roughly at the same level of “complexity”. Players then use these parts in pursuit of a goal, such as getting a nucleus, or becoming multicellular. Once a goal is reached, another broad list of parts that are relatively equal in terms of complexity is granted. However, this new batch of parts are generally more complex and powerful than the previous batch, offering a greater chance of reaching the next goal at a slightly increased metabolic cost. For example, players currently start out as a single tile of cytoplasm, and are granted access to a wide selection of basal prokaryotic parts. They use this selection of parts in the pursuit of a nucleus, which grants access to another batch of more complex and powerful parts when placed. Players must demonstrate mastery over prokaryotic parts before progression to the eukaryotic portion of the game – then, players must demonstrate mastery over their eukaryotic capabilities before progression to the Multicellular Stage.
It is important to note that players may not always have access to every single part in their current level of complexity. Unlocks are planned in the future, through endosymbiosis and simple unlock conditions. However, looking at progression in a broader sense, complexity is developed through iterative leaps rather than a more linear and rigid manner of progression. This approach can be seen as a "philosophical tenant" of how Thrive is designed, serving as a guiding ideal throughout all our concepts.
Progression in the Microbe Stage
The end goal of the Microbe Stage is for the player to become multicellular. In the way to this goal are multiple challenges the player must face, such as…
- Establishing a successful niche competing for a food source
- Unlocking the nucleus and becoming eukaryotic
- Successfully unlocking powerful organelles through means such as endosymbiosis
- Adapting to a fluctuating environment on a young, immature planet
- Competing against other evolving cells
Players will start from scratch and engineer a successful unicellular lifeform, carving out a niche on their planet.
Early Game
The early phase of the Microbe Stage will serve as the start of a playthrough in Thrive. Players will be focused on gaining familiarity with available resources and the conditions of their planet, which will vary slightly throughout each game. For new players, the tutorial will be most active in this segment of the Microbe Stage, introducing the main mechanics, goals, and some basic strategies.
The “early game” of the Microbe Stage probably covers the majority of prokaryotic gameplay, and can generally be understood to end around when the player begins their quest to unlock the nucleus and become eukaryotic. The overarching goal of the player will revolve around becoming familiar with their planet (exploring the patch map, discerning available resources, etc.) and establishing a stable niche and base population from which they can begin developing complexity.
Players start out as a single tile of cytoplasm, representing the last universal common ancestor of all life, on an empty planet. Provided are multiple internal metabolic parts generally serving as an introduction to various energy-gathering strategies; some of these basal parts will be locked at first, but will have relatively lenient unlocking conditions. A few external parts will also be available, though predation will likely be minimal at first due to the lack of size, intraspecific competition, and cellular abilities present in the early game.
Goals and Challenges
The challenges a player will encounter in the pursuit of this goal will revolve around overcoming barriers related to the information a player has on their planet. In the early phases of the game, the player likely will not phase a considerable threat from cellular competition – with how small organisms are and with limited cellular abilities/complexity, predation likely won’t be an incredibly viable strategy just yet. However, players will face a challenge in overcoming the unfamiliarity and volatility of their young planet. With biogeochemical processes yet to be established, and with natural events such as volcanic eruptions and asteroid bombardments being more frequent, the environment becomes a sizable threat to the player. Facing the player’s task in establishing an understanding of their planet and a sizable niche are various challenges…
- Unstable biogeochemical processes mean compounds are constantly in flux and out of balance. What might be a very prevalent resource one turn could become sparse in the next within a patch. For example, sunlight might dip with immense volcanic activity, or hydrogen sulfide could dry up in a specific patch. Players must be vigilant of trends in the environment and be ready to pivot metabolic strategies if unideal conditions are met. As the planet and its biogeochemical processes matures however, compounds will generally settle around an equilibrium, eventually providing continuity (this equilibrium can vary across different playthroughs). As such, a risky move to focus on a resource early in the game in the midst of chaos could be a rewarding strategy if said resource does not fluctuate dramatically, providing a head-start to the player in establishing a niche.
- Amplified environmental events, such as asteroid bombardments and volcanic activity, can dramatically affect localized conditions within a patch. Environmental events will occur throughout an entire playthrough; however, the scale and frequency of such events is dialed up on a young planet. Volcanic activity can dramatically alter the composition of an environment, introducing more minerals such as sulfur; however, they can dramatically hurt populations and introduce hazards, such as smog blocking out the sun and lava. Asteroid events function similarly, though are more localized to surface patches. Glaciation events can also occur, though these are more common on a slightly more mature environment.
- Patch map fog-of-war will obscure most of the world, though the patch map is most hidden during the early game. Players will take risks in expanding the reach of their population – perhaps a certain patch is surrounding by inhospitable areas, limiting the player’s mobility.
Success & Failure
It will likely be very difficult to outright lose in the early game of the Microbe Stage – populations will be relatively large considering the low-energy demands of the player, and there is little threat from other cells. However, a successful early game can make the rest of the Microbe Stage much easier, while a detrimental early game can make the stage much harder. If the player capitalizes on information provided, accurately gauging fluctuating resources in carving out an ideal niche for their desired playstyle, then the player will likely have a sizable population. Since a larger population provides more “lives” to the player before going extinct, the player will thus have more room for error in the rest of the Microbe Stage. An unfortunate early game experience by contrast will result in a smaller population, giving less room for error as the player approaches complexity.
Populations will naturally reduce as the player becomes more complex, and there will be chances for the player to gain population later in the Microbe Stage. However, it is much easier to gain population on an early and empty planet than on a crowded, competitive planet.
Middle Game
The middle game of the Microbe Stage can generally be understood as covering the transition to becoming eukaryotic and the unlocking of various powerful organelles, such as the mitochondria, through endosymbiosis. It will likely contain the most dramatic shifts of the Microbe Stage. Not only will the player have to unlock organelles through either endosymbiosis or demanding unlocking conditions more demanding than those found in the prokaryotic stage, dramatically tweaking the form of their prokaryotic organism – they will also have to grapple with various environmental events, such as oxygenation of the environment and glaciation events. Other cells will also likely have established their niches, providing greater intraspecific competition.
The middle game will also likely see various game mechanics mature from an introductory level in the early game to a more mature and intricate level of detail that will be seen for the rest of the Microbe Stage.
Goals and Challenges
In the pursuit of the nucleus and eukaryotic organelles, the challenges a player will face are largely of a strategic and morphological nature. Players are allowed to facilitate endosymbiosis before unlocking a nucleus, but are only allowed one complex organelle as a prokaryote – and with the high energy demands a nucleus creates, the player will have to make sure they commit to a viable complex organelle and overarching evolutionary strategy. Other desirable eukaryotic parts will also require unlocking, so players will continuously have to make definitive strategic decisions.
Complicating this transition to becoming eukaryotic is the oxygenation of the player’s planet as photosynthesis inevitably produces free, atmospheric oxygen. Oxygen will spread slowly and will largely be limited to the surface patches at first. However, the effects of oxygen will still have a massive influence on gameplay; oxygen is both toxic to unadjusted organisms and empowering to aerobic metabolisms, providing a high-risk high-reward metabolic option which will eventually lead to the arrival of complex life. Most players will likely rely on oxygen to become complex – as such, they must deal with the arrival of oxygen by either transitioning their metabolic strategies or generating tolerance through other means.
Oxygenation also has dramatic effects on the planet’s climate – with glaciation events seemingly following major oxygenation events, it is believed that a build up of oxygen pushes out greenhouse gases in the environment, resulting in a snowball Earth. With the environment becoming much colder and with photosynthesis dwindling due to a reduction of light levels, glaciation events will likely symbolize a make-it-break-it point in a playthrough – the last of the major shifts in an early planet’s maturation before the advent of more stable environmental conditions. If a player is able to successfully transition to becoming eukaryotic even amidst this chaos, then they are generally ready to begin plans for transitioning out of the Microbe Stage.
To be clear, glaciation events have occurred more than once in Earth’s history, so a playthrough might not have only a single snowball Earth event. However, the first will likely be among the most dramatic.
Success and Failure
With the dramatic shifts being experienced in the middle game, it is likely that the player’s chances of a successful Microbe Stage will be defined the most in this phase. Having to undergo a task as daunting as equipping the nucleus while struggling through oxygenation and glaciation events will require the player to keep on top of various challenges. It is important that these challenges are balanced to be punishing enough to force engagement and focus, but lenient enough to minimize frustration and unfairness.
End Game
The end phase of the Microbe Stage can generally be understood as covering the transition to becoming multicellular. Having unlocked various powerful organelles and cellular abilities, players must now compete against other eukaryotes as intricate food webs develop and predation becomes more prevalent. Eventually, the player will decide to transition towards multicellularity. Concepts are still to be fleshed out regarding the early multicellular stage, so this conceptual area of Thrive still has a few rough edges.
Goals and Challenges
It can be generally understood that it is at this point of the Microbe Stage where the challenge to the player shifts from being wary of the environment first and foremost to becoming wary of other cells. Eukaryotic cells will have unique and powerful abilities present via complex external parts, and will have the advantage of size, hence making heterotrophy a very viable method of competition. Small scale arms-races could develop, with membranes providing durability against attack, conflict between immunology and toxins, and the utilization of unique cilia-derived appendages creating multiple plans of attack.
The player must generally be wary of other cells at this point of the stage, constantly keeping in mind their prey/food source and their predators. As such, the end game of the Microbe Stage will probably be reflective of macroscopic gameplay – arms races between predator and prey. For gameplay purposes, it is important that players are made to be wary of certain species of cells; if every other cell could be easily killed by the player, than there is not active threat in the end game.
Success and Failure
The end game will likely be less challenging than the middle game, but more challenging than the early game of the Microbe Stage. Players are much less likely to blunder their evolutionary strategies with the existential crises of the middle game dying out, but are more likely to die as a result of interactions with other AI. As such, it can be said that the end game is the most “dynamic” phase of the Microbe Stage.
It is likely that certain evolutionary strategies will find it to be much harder to successfully transition towards multicellularity – certain players might find that they must make adjustments before adapting a preferred playstyle. The majority of players will likely be an aerobic, heterotrophic organism, analogous to the ancestors of eumetazoans on Earth.
Tutorial
The tutorial serves to introduce the player to basic gameplay, and allow them an extra editor session before all other cells start evolving, effectively giving them a slight advantage to balance out their unfamiliarity.
On starting the game, the player is greeted with a text overlay welcoming them to the tidepool while the environment is paused. It explains the core concepts of the game (competing with other cells for evolutionary advantage) and gives a final chance to skip the tutorial (text guidance elsewhere will still be present though). If this option isn’t taken, when the overlay is closed, the game will still be paused and the player’s cell highlighted. Pictorial or animated representations of basic microbe movement (with controls) are shown next to the microbe. There is a ‘Continue’ option to click in the lower right of the screen, also mapped to the space bar, enter and escape.
Once ‘Continue’ is clicked, the game is unpaused. There are no other microbes, no fluid dynamics, and the player’s compound stores are fixed as the metabolic compound simulation has not yet started. Since water currents will not be exerting pressure on the player cell, it can move quickly without flagella or cilia, so the player can experiment with the movement controls freely. There is a glowing translucent green ring just outside the player’s initial vision, so that once they begin moving they can see it and move towards it.
On passing beyond the boundary, the next step of the tutorial begins. The game is paused again and another set of pictures depict how compounds can be gathered from compound clouds and processed in a cell’s organelles. This may be too complicated a concept to explain purely visually, so some text may be needed (especially when describing the function of specific organelles). When the player clicks ‘Continue’, the game is unpaused and they’ll see a compound cloud in a ring further out from the starting location. Since there is no fluid simulation, the cloud remains static until the player’s microbe travels through it.
At this point the metabolic simulation begins so the player can process the compounds. The compounds should be specifically chosen so that it’s nigh on impossible for the player to die at this early stage. For this section of the tutorial only, organelles will glow green when processing compounds, and the player can hover over each to see its associated input and output compounds. These tooltips can be accessed throughout the entire game if experience level is set to novice.
Once the player generates a certain amount of ATP, another overlay appears explaining how locked-up compounds are produced. When the overlay is closed, the player automatically receives enough locked-up compounds to reproduce, so the editor button activates and is highlighted.
When the player clicks the ‘Structure’ tab, they are given a quick visual guide to placing cytoplasm and organelles, possibly with animations (showing things like using left click and right click to add and remove cytoplasm hexes respectively). In this tutorial editor, every organelle is locked except for cytoplasm, mitochondria and predatory pili. Mutation Points are not yet displayed – instead, the player can only place a maximum of six cytoplasm hexes, one mitochondria, and two pili. The organelle icons are grayed out if the player is unable to place more. The player is instructed to attach at least one pili to their microbe through highlighted green arrows.
The ‘Appearance’ tab is unlocked and the player can freely change their microbe’s visuals without cost, as they are always able to do. The ‘Behavior’ tab allows the player to place as many blocks as they’d like, but only draw a maximum of two wires. All these editing limits are in place to ensure the player gets to grips with all game functions without creating a highly evolved microbe right away. As always, the player must save their new species before finishing, and the game provides visual help with this as well.
On returning to the environment, the nearby environment is replaced by randomly generated positioning of compound clouds, light and heat spots and some default AI microbes. There are still no fluid dynamics, but all other simulations now begin properly. The player is briefed on combat using predatory pili, and must kill another cell to complete the tutorial. Once they have done this, water currents appear and the game notifies the player that to move freely from now on they’ll need flagella, cilia or lamellipodia.
Whenever a new mechanic is introduced (agents, engulfing, bonding, etc.), the player is given text guidance and some visual cues (such as highlighted members of their own species if they’ve evolved bonding agents) but game mechanics remain the same from then on.