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Biopunk Brainstorming
Topic Started: Aug 5 2016, 04:48 PM (1,335 Views)
Myxini
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Vermiform

Here is a thread for discussing the biopunk/apocalyptic genre setting that has come up in general discussion. If we get enough support for the idea and ideas that are liked, we could potentially turn this into a community cafe project, or (if people consent) one individual could take the ideas and develop them by themselves, posting the results in the cafe afterwards.

Below are the ideas I initially proposed; none are concrete.

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trex841
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At one point, scientists created a carnivorous locust species that was meant to eat pests and leave crops unharmed. This plan ended badly.

And yes, I borrowed that idea from a Scifi movie.
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Myxini
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trex841
Aug 5 2016, 05:02 PM
At one point, scientists created a carnivorous locust species that was meant to eat pests and leave crops unharmed. This plan ended badly.

And yes, I borrowed that idea from a Scifi movie.
Personally, I would be against implementing this idea. The sort of theme I was going for (which of course may not be the theme people here want to go for) is one of scientists generally doing things that make sense, but still go wrong due to unexpected factors. Creating a fast breeding swarm of carnivorous insects probably wouldn't seem like a smart idea to many scientists, due to the potential ecological ramifications.

Instead, I'd say that either new pesticides are made, Wolbachia bacteria/some other parasite is weaponised, or GM crops are made wih their own defenses. It'd be less interesting, but more reasonable to assume that it would be a potential approach that scientists would take it the technology was available. Save the more crazy stuff for non-funded genetic engineers and for after the apocalypse.
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trex841
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I suppose I was thinking more corporations with less then amicable intent, but yeah, you have a point.

Do you think any governments would try creating beasts of war, or would that be more after things go south? Cause there was also a movie with shark/dolphin hybrids.

And another one! A revamp in traveling freak-shows with monsters and mutants created by the ringmasters. Each show could have new and one-of-a-kind attractions!
F.I.N.D.R Field Incident Logs
A comprehensive list of all organisms, artifacts, and alternative worlds encountered by the foundation team.

At the present time, concepts within are inconsistent and ever shifting.

(And this is just the spec related stuff)
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Myxini
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trex841
Aug 5 2016, 05:22 PM
I suppose I was thinking more corporations with less then amicable intent, but yeah, you have a point.

Do you think any governments would try creating beasts of war, or would that be more after things go south? Cause there was also a movie with shark/dolphin hybrids.

And another one! A revamp in traveling freak-shows with monsters and mutants created by the ringmasters. Each show could have new and one-of-a-kind attractions!
I imagine the circus and beast of war things would appear after the apocalypse, but not before. You could have a hybrid of a lion, shark, and eagle, but it still wouldn't be a match for a manmade weapon. However once these weapons are hard to come by, there would definitely be a desire for war beasts.

I can imagine people paying for bodyguard creatures in the same way people get pit bulls and Alsatians, as well as a potential 'monster fighting' ring forming based on creating small combat monsters- basically a mix between Pokemon and cockfighting. It would likely be very illegal.
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trex841
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Though why would the circus thing only be after the fall? Were there laws controlling that kind of thing?

In fact, do we have a basic idea for the timeline of this world?
F.I.N.D.R Field Incident Logs
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Myxini
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No, we don't. I never really considered timelines when brainstorming, because I'm generally bad at them.

I'd say they wouldn't appear afterwards primarily due to how expensive I imagine GM monsters would be. I could easily imagine GM humans taking part beforehand though- people with bioluminescent tattoos or increased flexibility, for example, maybe even people with additional limbs grafted on.
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Myxini
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Apologies for double posting, but I found some images for inspiration and wanted to share what I came up with. The wyrm, meat, and winter links have more than one image per link, so scroll down to see all of them.

Wyrmsbane
 
The chill of winter affects everything in A.P. (Anno Plāga). Resources become scarce, wyrms slumber, and many of the beasts that plague the surviving humans go into hibernation. Because of this, winter is known as the season of slumber, as well as by the title of wyrmsbane. Wyrmsbane is a period of moderate peace from nature, but also one where humans come into more conflict with one another, as well as into conflict with any surviving ghouls that haven't moved to warmer climates. The pelts of creatures are brought out of storage and used as protection from the cold, as well as to ensure that the body is not left weak to lingering plagues.


Ghouls & Weremutts
 
With ethical limitations thrown out of the window, the process of creating some form of legacy gripped certain individuals. One individual took it upon themselves to be the mother of a new race that would take the place of mankind once they had departed this world. These experiments eventually led to the creation of the ghouls, which were ultimately rejected as being her magnum opus. This didn't stop the ghouls from thriving, learning how to use leftover human tools to their own advantage. Whilst nowhere near as smart of creative as humans, they had the instinctive drive to survive and a ruthlessness towards weakness that makes them very capable of enduring the A.P. world.

To combat these ghouls, weremutts were created by grafting fighting dog traits onto humans. These hybrids had enhanced metabolisms, great strength, and were able to dispatch ghouls as long as they were kept well fed and healed. Unfortunately, these weremutts aren't too smart, and their communication is more canine-oriented than human-oriented, so humans must treat them with caution or risk being perceived as a threat or rival.


Wyrms
 
In the warmer months, the wyrms emerge from their lairs and search for food. With no drive to reproduce, they are solely self-focused, desiring nothing but food and territory. These creatures often carry a mouthful of harmful bacteria, making their bites much worse than their bark- the 'bark' often being some kind of low hissing/heavy breathing noise. Wyrms range in size from being small ankle biters to being large enough to swallow a man whole, though the larger ones tend to be somewhat sluggish unless they were created with endothermy.


Disease
 
The term Anno Plāga is one that arose not without reason; many diseases and plagues were released as biological warfare, damaging crops, livestock, wildlife, and people. In this image we see a lion ravaged by uncontrollable cancerous growth, causing massive tumors underneath the skin, limiting body movement, vision, and respiration. The animal will likely die of either dehydration or asphyxiation.


The Meat
 
Gastroformes that are left to mutate and grow without being pruned regularly can lead to what is known as the Meat. In these images, the Meat has developed mouthparts and cavities to hold organic matter whilst it is digested. Meat is edible by humans, making a dead one a valuable source of food, building resources, and hides, but the risk of taking one on can be quite high. Meat is ungainly and clumsy in movement, but once it finds the most efficient way of moving and getting nutrients, it will continue to do so until it is stopped or it starves. Some Meat can take in proteins from other organisms to increase its own mass and form, meaning that a small Meat in a farm can come out as a hulking mass of mammal parts. Much like flesh golems, Meat is vulnerable to disease and parasites if it doesn't grow a hide of some form.


Transport
 
Transport is hard to find A.P. The most effective forms are by foot and bike, though a lack of active bike repair shops can lead to a lot of broken or mistreated bicycles being abandoned or trashed. Some people have been lucky enough to find usable fuel, and have made vehicles that can be used to transport themselves and resources. Others have taken steeds instead, which can vary in speed and endurance. Wetwarers may create custom steeds if given enough resources as payment, with typical A.P. custom steeds feeding on detritus and dead organic matter. This makes them rather smelly and slow metabolisers, but with little food available in the winter, it's all that can be done. Summer steeds, meanwhile, may be constructed to feed on fruits or small animals, making them faster but more needy.
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trex841
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I'm sorry, but I just found this, and...I kind of have to.

http://twixie-answers-mod.tumblr.com/post/148525069205/fatcakes-art
F.I.N.D.R Field Incident Logs
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At the present time, concepts within are inconsistent and ever shifting.

(And this is just the spec related stuff)
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Myxini
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Vermiform

I did a bit of research today into biohacking, wetlabs, and the Nuremberg Code. I can imagine some kind of Nuremberg movement occurring as a kind of anti-wetware thing, seeing as experiments would start to break the code as time progressed.


Just to check, are others interested in taking part in this?
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Corecin
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Have you ever been bitch slapped for lack of listening? lack of doing what your told? cuz i'm not far from slapping you
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I am interested in taking part of this. I have a few abandoned ideas that I think would fit.

Though I do have a few questions, what is the aesthetic of this world, what is the year, how long has it been since the apocalypse, and what is the state of the human population?
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Myxini
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In order of questions:

Aesthetic: not sure. I think this would depend mostly on where it takes place and what sort of time frame we are looking at, but in general I feel like it would be pretty overgrown yet twisted; a lot of life reclaiming the earth, but it would be life that's been mutated and diseased because of mankind trying to control it.

Year: No idea.

Date of Apocalypse: On a rough estimate, I'd say the timeframe should be 100-150 years since whatever event we decide represents the start of the apocalypse.

Human population: No idea.
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Corecin
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Have you ever been bitch slapped for lack of listening? lack of doing what your told? cuz i'm not far from slapping you
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Well, I'd say the first step to answering the unanswered questions should be to figure out what year it is. Then we can try and estimate the population, and how advanced certain things would be.

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GlarnBoudin
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I'd love to help out with this.

Also, have some more ideas

#1: Zoos
Basically, take the plot of Jurassic World and apply it to regular zoos: making bigger, louder, more impressive animals for people to see. Such creatures (and their stored genetics) would no doubt be incredibly valuable to the right people. Also, it could be possible for some of those neodinosaurs to have survived thanks to some messy splicing with Komodo dragon DNA on the parts of their creators...

#2: Invasive Species
As the threat of invasive species loomed larger and larger, scientists began to engineer creatures specifically designed to root them out. A spinosaur-like cross between an osprey, a heron, and a gavial would be bred to feed on snakeheads, for instance, while a mix of anteater and pitcher plant would be created to fight off red ant incursions.
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Myxini
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Ok, I'm gonna say that this setting occurs a minimum of 150 years after the apocalypse event. This gives enough time to form new cultures as well as potential survival tactics.

I found this video that people may find interesting/inspiring: link
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