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[Bluerobin]

So.. ATP decoupling from a molecular biologist:

Spoiler: Science! (click to show/hide)

As people pointed out, ATP's the main "energy" used in the cell. ATP is primarily produced by machinery in the cell membrane powered by a gradient of charged atoms across the membrane... it works a lot like a hydroelectric dam, with the water as the gradient and the generators as the ATP synthesizing enzyme. A decoupler removes the direct interaction between the gradient and the enzyme. Unfortunately this is where the metaphor breaks down a bit because the enzyme can go forward (gradient -> ATP) or reverse (ATP -> gradient). Once you decouple the gradient and the enzyme, the enzyme does whatever's easiest. Because there's WAY more ATP (energy stored) than ADP (energy depleted), it's easier for the enzyme to make ATP into ADP. It does this very, very, very quickly, draining the stored up energy in the cell and bringing everything to a grinding halt, effectively killing the cell. I guess a decoupler's more easily explained with a spinning wheel metaphor really, with the spinning force as the gradient and the spindle as the enzyme. You remove link between the spinning and the spindle and it just goes out of control backwards, unraveling the whole thread.

Fun facts: Controlled forms of decoupling are used in hibernating animals and brown fat (mainly in infants) to directly convert ATP to heat, keeping them warm!

Huh. Turns out there is some mild practical use to a PhD.

In other news, I haven't actually played this myself. Are the grendels/ettins limited in population (I think someone said they're sterile?) and therefore a limited-time-only challenge?

[Neonivek]

Specifically there can only be two Grendels and Two Ettins in the world at anytime.

There are egg spawners in the desert and Jungle that create Ettin and Grendel eggs respectively.

However the eggs also count towards this limit and if you were to place their eggs into water they would never hatch.

The Ettins are rather harmless and actually quite nice. Their problem is that they like snatching machinery and bring it to the Desert. They have bodies similar to Norns.

the Grendels are rather strong to disease but fight them off very very slowly meaning they are disease ridden and will make your norns ill. They also like beating Norns and Ettins to death and are nearly immune to such treatment themselves (you can slap them forever and not do anything to them). All beings hunt by scent so you can even trick Grendels into killing themselves. They are also resiliant.

For the most part Grendels arn't too too much of a threat if you know what your doing. afterall there is
-A device that lets you drag grendels
-a device that lets you pick them up
-The Mud cannon kills grendels if fired enough (I am not sure why... I think it may be because the mud cannon adds water to a creature's lungs)
-The space ship is a freeken death trap!

Though while I feel for the Grendels... It is really the Ettins that have my compassion.

You CAN have more Grendels and Ettins then 2 each... however to do that you need to save them (or export them). Actually if you combine two Grendels together it is possible to even get a female one.

Also they won't spawn in the world hits its very very small limit (8 creatures...) or rather their eggs won't hatch.

[Korbac]

Thanks Bluerobin  . I'll have to look into the ATP generation process a bit more (given that biology plays a large part in my degree)

[Demonic Spoon]

Okay guys, let's start this up again! (Now with more pictures!)
Here is our first batch of eggs:

I bet you can't wait to figure out what breed are in there!

Well wait no more. Here we go! 1 male Harley, 1 male fallow, 1 male magma, 1 female fallow, 1 female astro, 1 male siamese, 1 female magma, and 1 female zebra

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

After a few minutes we have our first birth! He's a crossbreed between a fallow norn and an astro norn! Not to special but every birth helps our goal of creating the GREATEST NORN EVAR!


Sadly, we also get our first death. Seems the female magma norn was unable to workout how some ship gizmo's worked and starved to death at the bottom level of the ship


That minor setback is soon made up for by another birth! This time it's a cross between a fallow norn and a zebra norn. With all this crossbreeding going on who know what we might eventually end up with?


Amazingly, we have three more births in a short period of time (we must be really lucky)
first off is a fallow/siamese cross:

Sadly she's hiding behind a pillar.
Second is a Astro/fallow crossbreed!

Fourth, is a magma/zebra cross. Sadly I lost the picture.

Things are going well. Cross your fingers.

Pics broken. 

[moghopper]

Oh god dammit. Not AGAIN!

[Hugehead]

imgur won't delete them.

[moghopper]

Update time!

We start this round with a birth! one of the third generation specifically. Nothing special, but every extra body helps


Soon afterwords we get a birth from the aging remains of our first generation. Its a magma/fallow cross


Later in the Jungle a Zebra/Magma cross is born. Hopefully he won't suffer too much from the environment as the jungle can be a deadly place


Quickly following the magma/zebra is an Astro/fallow mix. At least they can be playmates.


Now, remeber way back when I said the garbage dump could be a potential disater waiting to happen? This is why. See that ettin? It's dead from a massive buildup of toxins and bacteria in its system. You can't see them here, but coating its body a "macrobacteria" which latched onto it when it wandered into the dump. we got lucky here because nothing wandered by and picked them up. If it had happened the whole ship could have been infected.


A nice little fallow norn mix is born. Score another for the third generation.


Our young Magma/Zebra norn has died in the jungle, likely due to a mix of starvation and disease.


Okay, this child here is the result of a norn and HIS MOTHER breeding. His father is also his brother


We have more births. I can't even tell you the species anymore because of all this crossbreeding.


And even more. You may have noticed that this is an area that you have not seen before. This is a room called "The lost cave". Its pretty mellow and full of food. I've moved these newborns here to avoid a huge overpopulation in the main sections of the ship.


NOW WE'RE TALKIN! Ladies and gents we have our first mutation. This magma/zebra mix was born to our first genners, however, you may notice his color is off. He has mostly zebra bodyparts, but you may recall that zebra norns are white. This guy is darker and GREENER. This is what we call a pigment mutation. He's going into the lost cave.


Not pictured is a young male zebra norn murdered by grendels.

[Shadowgandor]

Keep on going! I love reading this

[breadbocks]

Oh noes! Is the Harley dead?

[moghopper]

Oh noes! Is the Harley dead?

Long dead

[Wysthric]

Just picked this gem up again and I must say it's great. Would anyone be interested in an LP of it?

[EuchreJack]

Just picked this gem up again and I must say it's great. Would anyone be interested in an LP of it?

Yup

[Atian the Elephantman God]

Just picked this gem up again and I must say it's great. Would anyone be interested in an LP of it?

I am!

[Wysthric]

Alright, I'm trying to get back into the game but all my norns keep dying and the food supply runs out. Now I know I can get agents which supply unlimited food, but that results in norns just sitting in one place eating food all day (like some humans.) Anyone have any other ideas?

Btw, this is only $5.00 on GOG - worth it if you enjoyed genetics, or teaching the creature from black or white. We can also share norns!

[Bacos666]

Just picked this gem up again and I must say it's great. Would anyone be interested in an LP of it?

Yes (ptw).