As fun as debating the game is, we could sit there doing that -all day long- and end up with no game at all. So I cracked open Inform and started typing some stuff, at least starting to forge a template for species. It's kind of important we get this done right, since your species and all the other species you run into(humans included) will be based on it, and any fix we do later will mean going back and fixing all species made up to that point.
Phew, heavy responsibility.
The git archive now has a new folder with the new main code, small as it is.
I'll paste the relevant bit below:
A Species is a kind of thing.
A species has a number called Intelligence.
A species has a number called Might.
A species has a number called Stamina.
A species has a number called Perception.
A species has a number called Industrilization.
A species has a number called Hostile Infection Rate.
A species has a number called Friendly Infection Rate.
A species has a number called Charm.
A species has a number called Libido.
A species has a number called Self Fertility.
A species has a number called External Fertility.
A species has a list of text called Gender.
A species has a number called Military.
A species has a number called Science.
A species has a number called Manufactury.
A species has a number called Hunger.
A species has a number called Food.
A species has a number called Thirst.
A species has a number called Water.
A species has a list of text called Perks.
A species has a number called Population.
The player has a species called tribe.
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Ok, so a species has a bunch of stats, as you can see. Let me explain a few I didn't mention before. Hostile infection rate is how quickly prisoners of war or even enemy combatants on field may be converted.
Friendly infection rate is how quickly ambassadors, visitors, and other, entirely non hostile, people may be converted. Many species will have a 0 friendly infection rate, but some strains are really virulent, even around people you like, and you could end up converting people you have no enmity towards.
Self Fertility is how well your tribe breeds if simply left alone, amongst themselves. Some species may not breed at all with themselves. Some may be really good at it(Damn you rabbits!)
External Fertility is how well the tribe breeds with outside species. So you could have nymphs that cannot self breed but given a strapping male of some other species will start popping out babies(until the man becomes a nymph, damn it)
Food is currently stored food, hunger is how hungry the species tends to be. Same with thirst/water.
Perks is a list of awesome traits your species would have
Gender, you may notice, is a list. Rather than setting it to one specific string, I figured it would be easier if you could just list out all the genders present.
So one species could be Male, Female
another could be Male, Neuter
Another could be Female, Hermaphrodite
And yet another could be Male, Female, Hermaphrodite
Whatever works! Also means adding/removing sexes during play is theoretically possible if something causes that(likely unusual).
Thoughts? Obvious missing stuff?
