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Collaborative Evolution Projects
Topic Started: Jan 12 2009, 07:03 PM (4,142 Views)
Viridian
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Being new to the site I havn't gotten to know anyone yet, but I was wondering if there are any artists here who would be interested in starting a collaborative-type evolution project.

I would like to begin a project in the same vein as sagan 4, although with a few differences in format.

A few years ago I ran a shortlived project of this kind on the Sporeum forums, unfortunately it failed due to time constraints suffered by some of the artists on the project.

However, over the last six months or so I have been working on a format that would be less reliant on regular artistic submissions by artists and would be able to continue to run regardless.

If there are any talented artists here at the Speculative Evolution forums who are interested in being a part of this kind of project, please reply here or PM me.

Thanks.
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Hey, I'm new here, I'm from Sporeum and was part of the old project. I'll join, but I can only do drawings on actual paper since I haven't got the tablet I used to have.
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Canis Lupis
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Dinosaurs eat man, woman inherits the Earth.

Welcome!

So viridian, can you give us the basal microbe? I can't wait to start.
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KayKay
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Viridian, I was just curious where did you find the map generator?
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zypher
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ooh, I would very much like to be an artist!

as long as I don't have to meat any deadlines, and I can sraw things that look very non terran. at the moment I am haveing scanner and uploading problems, but I will soon post some samples of my work. actualy, one sample can be seen in the 'snaiad concepts' thread.

I would also like to know where you found the map generator, it looks like it could be fun to play around with!

(interesting map by the way, I suspect the continents will shift as time goes on... Right? the current version is nice, lots of little isolated isles where evelution can go crazy! what's the general size and gravity of the planet?)
because there are an infinite number of alternate realities, withen them an infinite ammount of infinite things are possible... infinitly.

two samples of my artwork
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj74/zaraquexon/img016-1.jpg
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj74/zaraquexon/img018.jpg

<embed width="384" height="206" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" src="http://www.spore.com/flash/csa_widget.swf?userid=2263016807&username=zaraquex&host=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.spore.com%2Fview%2Fuser-thumbnail" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" scale="showall" name="latest-creatures" /></embed>
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Viridian
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Fractal Map Generator

Hey 32nd! It's good to have you onboard! There's nothing wrong with paper! Infact, that's what I'll be using for my submissions.
I assume, however, that you do have a scanner? :)

@Zypher: It'd be great to have you in the project, I had a look at one of the creatures you posted in the Snaiad thread and was suitably impressed.

I'd like to have accurate tectonic shift for the maps, but unfortunately my personal knowledge of the mechanics of those processes are somewhat limited. The map generator certianly doesn't support that kind of simulation. Anyone got any experience with drawing tectonically accurate maps?

To keep matters simple, size and gravity of the planet are similar to that of Earth.

Also, we need a name for the planet. I've been tossing around a few ideas and only a few have really jumped out at me:

"Aurora" and "Nimbus"

Anyone else got any suggestions? (I'm looking for names with a theme of light, freshness, colour etc.)

As for the basal microbe, I was originaly going to start the project with a simple foodchain of primitive macroscopic, sea-dwelling organisms, however, if you'd all rather start with a single-cellular eukaryote we could do that...

Project members so far...

Administrator:

Viridian

Advisors:

Canis Lupis

Artists:

Kaykay

The32ndPie

CarrionTrooper - Sometimes

Zypher - Sometimes

Viridian - Sometimes

Possible Artists:

Mnidjm

Dacmat22
Edited by Viridian, Jan 14 2009, 06:03 PM.
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PousazPower
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I'd be willing to be an advisor, but keep in mind I'm working on a project of my own, so I won't be continually fact-checking. Just ask me questions. :)
Was your nose discovered or invented?

PousazPower on DeviantART
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Canis Lupis
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Dinosaurs eat man, woman inherits the Earth.

Same here (actually, I've got two projects, but I don't work on them as much as I should).

BTW, what does an advisor actually do?

And if you need a name:
Ora
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Janis
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zypher
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names -

acronan

seraphore

nebicax

handeo

zeranere

and... you still haven't said what the name of the map generator is...
because there are an infinite number of alternate realities, withen them an infinite ammount of infinite things are possible... infinitly.

two samples of my artwork
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj74/zaraquexon/img016-1.jpg
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj74/zaraquexon/img018.jpg

<embed width="384" height="206" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" src="http://www.spore.com/flash/csa_widget.swf?userid=2263016807&username=zaraquex&host=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.spore.com%2Fview%2Fuser-thumbnail" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" scale="showall" name="latest-creatures" /></embed>
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dacmat22
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lokorm is one of my personel faves that I have done do the pics. have to be colored.
Posted Image Posted Image
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help them or else they might die.
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dacmat22
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Edit: sorry for this extra post but for some reason about post time limit it caused this second one.
Edited by dacmat22, Jan 14 2009, 09:30 PM.
Posted Image Posted Image
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help them or else they might die.
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ChumZar
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I'll join. As many of you know I've tried to start one of these myself but those didn't go too well :p
I think we should know the specs of the planet before we name it, for example if it was a mostly water world we could call it poseidon, if it was full of lush nutrients (for forests) we could call it artemis etc. And I was thinking for the simple original food chain we could each submit a creature, that way it adds a lot of variety from the very beginning.

P.S. What types of physical restrictions will the life forms have?
"Hard-wired to conceive so much we had to stow it. Even needs have needs; tiny giants made of tinier giants. Don't wear eyelids so we don't miss the last laugh of this show."
-Modest Mouse
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Viridian
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Hey there ChumZar! Would you be joining the projectt as an artist or advisor? If you intend to be an artist on the project what kind of artwork do you specialize in? Do you have any examples?

I like Artemis, (Greek moon goddess?) Poseidon could work too. I had envisioned the planet as having 78% of it's surface covered in oceans and that it would have thicker clouds in the atmosphere due to the added water content of the biosphere.
That's one of the reasons I liked "Nimbus".

As to physical restrictions, I hadn't given this much thought. I was thinking Earth-like carbon based chemistry and planetary conditions similar to those of Earth to keep things somewhat simple.

@Zypher: There is a link to the "Fractal Map Generator" at the top of my previous post.

@Dacmat22: It would be preferable that the pictures were coloured, yes.

@Canis Lupis: An advisor is meant to be able to answer queries that artists might have as to the scientific accuracy of their submissions.

@PousazPower: It'd be great to have you as another advisor. You wouldn't have to be heavily involved, you'd just need to be availiable to answer queries and to offer suggestions to artists.
Edited by Viridian, Jan 14 2009, 11:16 PM.
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KayKay
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I know this might sound like a pretty far-fetched idea for a map generator but have you ever heard of an old PC game titled Evolution? It generates random maps for the game, and the way the continents float around over time looks quite realistic. You can't customise it very well, just choose land coverage (30%, 40%, 50%, 60%).

The only problem would be that it's a very rough image, since its an old game. But it could be used as a template. Too bad nobody's used the technology to make a more modern map generator - the game's so old I'd imagine it would be relatively easy to achieve the same result nowadays.

Anyway, it's just one option. Last night I thought I'd found a good map generator but the original site was gone and it was just one of those advertising domains now.
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Viridian
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I'd been thinking along the same lines actually. There is a game by Maxis from the 90's that had a really good simulation of tectonics. It was called SimEarth. Does anyone here still own a copy of it by any chance?

Do you have "Evolution" Kay?
Out of nowhere, you are attacked by a snarling, biting mass of felt shaped like a raccoon! This is the single angriest puppet you’ve ever seen, and it’s not cookies that it wants to eat…
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ChumZar
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I was going to be an artist. And I might be able to cook up a random map generator with game maker, but don't count on it, because I'm a procrastinator and it probably wouldn't end up with graphics much better than evolution anyway.
"Hard-wired to conceive so much we had to stow it. Even needs have needs; tiny giants made of tinier giants. Don't wear eyelids so we don't miss the last laugh of this show."
-Modest Mouse
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