Morb evolution

[bobucles]

Most critter types have evolution variants, but the morb does not. So how about giving them a trait that is pretty unique? When many morbs are clustered in an area, they start merging together.

- Two morbs merge into a medium morb. It's mostly harmless except it's larger and has more output.

- Two medium morbs merge into a large morb. It's tougher and its metabolism includes breaking down larger organic materials like algae or wood. They'll start licking objects and critters, covering them in a gross germy slime.

- When morb density reaches a critical point, two large morbs will meld into a monstrous morb. A gigantic pile of eyes and teeth, it breaks down all organic materials, including dupes! Very hostile and dangerous.

[metallichydra]

well, we need more evolutions, but this wasn't what I thought of.

 

but its a good idea.

maybe add a condition for melding.

also, would be a great way to dispose of useless dupes.

[bobucles]

38 minutes ago, metallichydra said:

maybe add a condition for melding.

The best condition I can think of is "too many morbs". So when they get cramped, they start sticking together and merging into bigger morbs.

[Haze33E]

That seems like a bad idea.

[alexkuzmov]

I dont like the idea of having a 100% hostile morb. Better to have it hostile only if it gets hungry or something.

I do like having more critter evolutions though.

How about:

1. Slimy Drecko: Evolves from normal Drecko by eating Dusk Cap, prefers eating Dusk Cap. Poops slime and can be sheered for algae.

2. Sour Slickster: Evolves from Molten Slickster, eats sour gas and poops ethanol (or something)

3. Steam Puft. Evolves from normal Puft when exposed to high temp. Eats steam, poops water. It would be a fun cooling option.

[Sasza22]

I like morbs acting like visceroids from the C&C series. Merging together and getting agressive. But what i want more is them having some sort of lifecycle and be able to reporduce whithout the need of a full toilet (no srsly that`s a fun mechanic but not something we should be building our bases around).

Morbs were supposed to be a walking compost "breaking dwon organic waste" but apparently Gravitas didn`t fix the germ problem and instead focused on pokeshells. Yet morbs prevailed somehow so i think they should have some sort of reproduction mechanic and be able to interact with polluted dirt or composts to help clean up the base (while producing more germs). Maybe they should split in 2 when they eat enough polluted dirt or something like that.

[metallichydra]

depending on which type of germ was on the consumed items, it could maybe transform into another type of morb?

[bobucles]

23 hours ago, alexkuzmov said:

I dont like the idea of having a 100% hostile morb.

You'd also have to go FAR out of your way to deliberately create one. But it's all lore friendly stuff. The simple morb breaks down tiny organics, so it's only natural and horrifying that bigger morbs eat bigger organics such as food, cats and dupes. It also presses home the issue that morbs can't be tamed or wrangled, since bigger morbs make bigger problems.

If morbs can reproduce, then they'd quickly 2cat the map as they currently don't suffer population penalties. Another option is to have morbs evolve with age, so that older morbs transform into larger or more exotic forms. It's currently very difficult to sort creatures by age, though.