Good points. I was trying to bring up the idea that direct combat isn’t necessarily the default in player interactions with AI, but I was too lazy in reinforcing it throughout this entire post. I was focusing heavily on combat however because I felt I could make the best argument for the system in that way. But these archetypes would make for interesting interactions as a whole with the AI I believe - pursuing, fleeing from, and coexisting with a shooter, heavy, or shielded organism would all entail different strategies.
And just so I make it clear to all reading, these archetypes wouldn’t really be “explicit”; in other words, we aren’t referencing certain cells as heavies, speedies, or whatever in gameplay. This is simply a convenient way to organize thought in regards to interaction with the AI.