Me and @Rathalos recently discussed Multicellular mechanics, and one big takeaway was some discussion on parts. I don’t think Multicellular Parts should be our crux of adding new features to the stage - making sure that specialization and adjacency are engaging and well-balanced will be like 80% of making the Multicellular Stage unique - but they do represent unique opportunities.
Rathalos will likely have their own ideas regarding this parts, but I am proposing some baseline ideas and a general framework for how they can look.
Big Takeaways
- Multicellular Parts can represent the “roots” of larger organ system functions.
- Placing down a multicellular part can represent a watershed moment in the evolution of multicellular lifeforms, symbolizing transitions towards structures that are conducive to macroscopic life.
Digestive Complex
Serving as the root of a digestive system, such a part will be focused on unlocking extracellular digestion.
The part to be placed is a Digestive Complex.
- An agent is shot at other cells. If this agent hits another cell, it is a target for digestion.
- If within a certain proximity, the target cell takes damage, and the player absorbs phosphate, ammonia, and glucose.
- Must be placed in a cell type that has lysosomes in it.
This represents the roots of structures like internal cavities - as Rathalos pointed out, the stomach really is just a “pouch of external digestion”. It also allows organisms with a cell wall digestion capabilities.
Reproductive Complex
Placement unlocks sexual reproduction, and indicates the beginnings of more dedicated handling of genetic material that is often employed by larger, complex organisms.
- Generic discount to MP.
- -10% cell count cost.
“Circulatory” Complex
Put in quotation marks because a “circulatory system” isn’t really a thing in tiny multicellular organisms - atleast, as we know it in larger organisms. Rather, circulation in these smaller organisms is often focused on extremely simple transfer of fluids within a cell.
- All adjacent cells get boosts to adjacency bonus effect strength, regardless of type.
- Placing multiple of this cell type adjacent to each other boosts this effect.
Signalling Complex
This is a sort of stand-in for a “nervous system”, but it is a more neutral term to accommodate the fact that plants don’t really have a nervous system - just complex signalling/enzymatic capabilities.
- +30% cell count cost.
- All adjacency bonuses boosted by 20%.
- Massive ATP cost, likely requiring a highly-specialized cell.
Stage Progress Condition
Having these parts can be tied to win conditions for the stage. For example:
- Have a Reproductive Part
- Have a Signalling Part
- Reach 20(?) Cells.
I haven’t fully fleshed out the idea, but I atleast want to put it out there to generate some discussion on its feasibility, use, etc. More advanced capabilities might be cool with something like the signaling complex, but I’m not fully sure as of now what that could be.