Lately I have been thinking about ways we could implement thermosynthesis while making it a unique and interesting method of gameplay.
As you might assume, thermosynthesis seems to be slightly similar to photosynthesis in concept and function. The nature of this relation is most obviously reflected in how thermotrophs in Thrive will more than likely produce scaling amounts of energy based on the ambient temperature of the inhabited patch. I do not want thermoplasts to strictly be a chloroplast that uses heat however, and so the rudamentary proposed stats below will reflect these desires.
Thermoplast:
75C --> 20 ATP, or 0.8 glucose
This is a rather simple exchange, where the cell produces a small amount of energy at optimal temperature. My idea here is that the further your cell is away from this temperature, the less efficient the organelle becomes. Too little heat means not enough energy to work with, too much and it overwhelms and denatures the necessary proteins. Note that these provided numbers are not final, they are intended as a starting point that we can work with to find the optimal values.
I am rather conflicted about what kind of product should be produced by this part. My first choice was ATP as it would create a dynamically different playstyle than photosynthesis, but I fear that it might be unsuitable since unlike iron you wont have any means of storing the energy at all. On the other hand; Glucose is an excellent choice as it will allow the player to survive in cooler areas thanks to their ability to store the excess energy. Glucose would likely require more than just heat to produces however. My only complaint here, and it is rather silly, is that it makes thermosynthesis much too similar to photosynthesis. My instinct is to attempt to make each playstyle as varied as possible, but I shouldn’t let that get in the way so ultimately I will leave this choice to the theorists to decide. I dont believe it is determined what exact products would arise from this process, but I feel they aught to have the final say.
Thermosynthase(?):
75C --> 8 ATP or 0.02 glucose
From what little literature I found in my brief skimming online, a few referenced that thermosynthesis could have potentially been one of the earliest methods of sustenance for early cells. From that I can deduce that prokaryotes would potentially be able to utilize heat much in the same way as eukaryotes, and so I am proposing this prokaryotic variant as a result.
Not much else to say about it really, other that I am rather poor at naming things.
A common idea that has been brought up alongside thermoplasts has been the concept of “hotspots”. Localized zones of higher temperature that could prove suitable for thermosynthesis.
The long standing problem with these however is the difficulty of properly visualizing heat.
My proposal here is that we create models for hydrothermal vents that emerge from the background of the map. These spires would serve as a billowing visual indicator for heated regions, acting as both a hazard, and an energy source depending on your adaptations. These vents would naturally be found in decent quantity within the vents patch, but I believe allowing them to spawn (albeit less often) within the seafloor and abyssopelagic biomes as well would provide for suitable variety. Each vent would radiate a gradient increase in temperature that rises the closer you get to the center, where it would likely be too dangerous for anything to survive. I’m not sure how realistic it would be for there to be vents so tiny, but I feel it would make for an appealing and viable visual.
I would like to hear what others would like to add to these concepts!