Genesis in space.

Ok, another idea I had, was one where you took part in a large scale distributed network game. The concept was essentially to use internet like protocols for games (not use THE internet, but things like a version of DNS and ARP and IP etc), basically like the internet is scalable, so would the game world be.

The concept of the game was to conquer game space. You do this by a form of assimilation. Not merely killing etc, but more breeding with other races (allowing for specialisation in politics as well as warfare). The thing that made it possible was that each person started off with a unique number called their DNA. Each person would have thier own race, and could interact with other races to allow them to buy and sell parts of thier DNA. Effectively you were fighting and trading for specific DNA traits that allowed your race to conquer others.

Here is an example:

I am DNA type 1, which means I have strong traits of ESP, VIGOUR and VITALITY. I choose to concentrate on becoming powerful initially in building my race into a supreme espionage race, so I go for ESP (to allow me to detect the thoughts of others). I make it my task initially to only breed/trade with other ESP strong races. By doing this, I strengthen my ESP genes, but weaken my other traits.

As I build up resources, I find I dont need ESP much anymore, so I try and breed/trade that out of my DNA in favour of more useful traits (whatever they need to be).

The one defining thing about all this was that it was set in space, with an elite/homeworld style to it, and that each race's ships was generated parametrically from the DNA values. So each race would have ships that told the other races what thier strong points were! visibly! :))

Oh yes. I like this idea. Pity I dont have the time :))

Thoughts? comments?

Phil.