Tasty Jelly

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em3
Vacuum Dragon
Posts: 630
Joined: Sun Sep 25, 2011 2:51 pm

Tasty Jelly

#1 Post by em3 »

Native organic species (could be made phototrophic).

Summary
Hive minded masochistic organic mass

Homeworld
Barren, a standard-sized rock, stripped of anything but basic minerals, covered with a sea of Tasty Jelly mass.

Reason for leaving the home planet
To increase the total mass of Tasty Jelly and find new sensations, hopefully unpleasant. While not sophisticated enough to create technology, let alone develop space flight, portions of Tasty Jelly mass can be transported to other worlds in secured containers.

Physical description
The entire mass of Tasty Jelly is one entity. In mineral-rich fluid-like substance float throngs of highly adaptable organic cells. The cells are capable of breaking down into elementary minerals any objects that are engulfed in the Jelly fluid. The minerals can be then transferred and accumulated in specific regions of the Jelly mass for later use, for building new cells or adapting Jelly substance to environment.

Social structure
No society per se. The Jelly cells are all linked telepathically into a single primitive mind. This mind operates on instinct and emotions, with a limited capacity to learn. Also, blissfully masochistic. Each dying cell seems to provide joyful ecstasy to the Jelly, and new methods of destruction (exposure to high or low temperature, chemicals, radiation) prove to be increasingly satisfying. While either unable, or unwilling to, harm itself directly, Tasty Jelly will telepathically reach out to and attract other life forms in hope they will extract and destroy portions of the Tasty Jelly mass. Tasty Jelly discovers the needs of the creatures it meets, and provides them with specialized Jelly fluid, containing just the right balance of minerals required for industry or consumption.

History
Not much is known about the origins of the Tasty Jelly. The mass itself is not communicative enough to provide such information. It is stipulated that the organism evolved on a Terran planet and gradually consumed every other life form present. It is unclear if the telepathic mind - and its bizarre tendencies - developed before or after the Tasty Jelly became the sole resident of its world. Some say that the mass feels guilty for destroying its ecosystem, or wants to abstain from ever swallowing a planet whole again.
There is no concrete evidence of precursor participation.

Race attributes
  • Broad environment tolerance (it can eat through almost anything, still irradiation and extreme temperatures can hinder its growth)
    Fast colonization (if transported to a new world, a small amount of substance will quickly multiply to increase the chance of being useful)
    Can colonize but can't build ships (I don't remember if it works with the new mechanics)
    Poor troops (it doesn't want to defend itself, it enjoys being conquered, actually; some token resistance is only there to be pleasingly destroyed but not to discourage the conqueror)
    No research (hard to say if the Jelly mind is intelligent at all)
    Telepathic (on some basic level)
    Poor industry (it can synthesize complex substances based on provided materials and mental description, but can't actually build anything on its own)
    Has growth focus (can be used for sustenance instead of industry, it will even try its best to taste good)
    Poor stealth (wants to be found, will try to telepathically lure potential tormentors)
https://github.com/mmoderau
[...] for Man has earned his right to hold this planet against all comers, by virtue of occasionally producing someone totally batshit insane. - Randall Munroe, title text to xkcd #556

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Vezzra
Release Manager, Design
Posts: 6095
Joined: Wed Nov 16, 2011 12:56 pm
Location: Sol III

Re: Tasty Jelly

#2 Post by Vezzra »

em3 wrote:Can colonize but can't build ships (I don't remember if it works with the new mechanics)
Is possible with the new mechanics.

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em3
Vacuum Dragon
Posts: 630
Joined: Sun Sep 25, 2011 2:51 pm

Re: Tasty Jelly

#3 Post by em3 »

Vezzra wrote:
em3 wrote:Can colonize but can't build ships (I don't remember if it works with the new mechanics)
Is possible with the new mechanics.
Good to know, thanks.
https://github.com/mmoderau
[...] for Man has earned his right to hold this planet against all comers, by virtue of occasionally producing someone totally batshit insane. - Randall Munroe, title text to xkcd #556

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labgnome
Juggernaut
Posts: 833
Joined: Mon Mar 02, 2015 5:57 pm

Re: Tasty Jelly

#4 Post by labgnome »

We have a bunch of organics and (currently) only one phototrophic native species, so I'd say phototrophic might be a better choice. Especially if it will be a phototrophic that can colonize, currently the only way to do that is to start as Lafena or Chato. Although I might take out references to temperature or radiation extremes as radiated and tundra planets are adjacent to barren on the wheel of habitability, and inferno will also be "adequate" if they have a broad environmental preference.

A non-researching telepathic species is actually a really interesting idea to me.
All of my contributions should be considered released under creative commons attribution share-alike license, CC-BY-SA 3.0 for use in, by and with the Free Orion project.

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em3
Vacuum Dragon
Posts: 630
Joined: Sun Sep 25, 2011 2:51 pm

Re: Tasty Jelly

#5 Post by em3 »

I tried to update the initial post with some grammar fixes, but I got the following error when posting the edit:
General Error
SQL ERROR [ mysql4 ]

Incorrect key file for table './tzlaine_phpbb3/phpbb3_posts.MYI'; try to repair it [126]

An SQL error occurred while fetching this page. Please contact the Board Administrator if this problem persists.
The updated post should read:
Native organic species (could be made phototrophic).

Summary
Hive minded masochistic organic mass

Homeworld
Barren, a standard-sized rock, stripped of anything but basic minerals, covered with a sea of Tasty Jelly mass.

Reason for leaving the home planet
To increase the total mass of Tasty Jelly and find new sensations, hopefully unpleasant. While not sophisticated enough to create technology, let alone develop space flight, portions of Tasty Jelly mass can be transported to other worlds in secured containers.

Physical description
The entire mass of Tasty Jelly is one entity. In mineral-rich fluid-like substance float throngs of highly adaptable organic cells. The cells are capable of breaking down into elementary minerals any objects that are engulfed in the Jelly fluid. The minerals can be then transferred and accumulated in specific regions of the Jelly mass for later use, for building new cells or adapting Jelly substance to environment.

Social structure
No society per se. The Jelly cells are all linked telepathically into a single primitive mind. This mind operates on instinct and emotions, with a limited capacity to learn. Also, blissfully masochistic. Each dying cell seems to provide joyful ecstasy to the Jelly, and new methods of destruction (exposure to high or low temperature, chemicals, radiation) prove to be increasingly satisfying. While either unable, or unwilling to, harm itself directly, Tasty Jelly will telepathically reach out to and attract other life forms in hope they will extract and destroy portions of the Tasty Jelly mass. Tasty Jelly discovers the needs of the creatures it meets, and provides them with specialized Jelly fluid, containing just the right balance of minerals required for industry or consumption.

History
Not much is known about the origins of the Tasty Jelly. The mass itself is not communicative enough to provide such information. It is stipulated that the organism evolved on a Terran planet and gradually consumed every other life form present. It is unclear if the telepathic mind - and its bizarre tendencies - developed before or after the Tasty Jelly became the sole resident of its world. Some say that the mass feels guilty for destroying its ecosystem, or wants to abstain from ever swallowing a planet whole again.
There is no concrete evidence of precursor participation.

Race attributes
  • Broad environment tolerance (it can eat through almost anything, still irradiation and extreme temperatures can hinder its growth)
    Fast colonization (if transported to a new world, a small amount of substance will quickly multiply to increase the chance of being useful)
    Can colonize but can't build ships (I don't remember if it works with the new mechanics)
    Poor troops (it doesn't want to defend itself, it enjoys being conquered, actually; some token resistance is only there to be pleasingly destroyed but not to discourage the conqueror)
    No research (hard to say if the Jelly mind is intelligent at all)
    Telepathic (on some basic level)
    Poor industry (it can synthesize complex substances based on provided materials and mental description, but can't actually build anything on its own)
    Has growth focus (can be used for sustenance instead of industry, it will even try its best to taste good)
    Poor stealth (wants to be found, will try to telepathically lure potential tormentors)
https://github.com/mmoderau
[...] for Man has earned his right to hold this planet against all comers, by virtue of occasionally producing someone totally batshit insane. - Randall Munroe, title text to xkcd #556

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Geoff the Medio
Programming, Design, Admin
Posts: 13587
Joined: Wed Oct 08, 2003 1:33 am
Location: Munich

Re: Tasty Jelly

#6 Post by Geoff the Medio »

I get the same error trying to edit it. Editing other posts works fine though, including with the same contents.

Update: Somehow the post didn't exist in the thread or database... but I was able to copy the thread and edit the post then, and then delete the old thread (or most of the posts in it, except the first, after which it deleted the whole thread because it was apparently empty...) I dunno... seems fixed, effectively, though.

User avatar
em3
Vacuum Dragon
Posts: 630
Joined: Sun Sep 25, 2011 2:51 pm

Re: Tasty Jelly

#7 Post by em3 »

Thanks, Geoff.
https://github.com/mmoderau
[...] for Man has earned his right to hold this planet against all comers, by virtue of occasionally producing someone totally batshit insane. - Randall Munroe, title text to xkcd #556

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