36) Intelligent Aliens (Suggested rules for building intelligent beings)
Source: https://youtu.be/aK0Hp2yx8Uk
36.1) In fact, for life to exist in a complex and intelligent form, it takes a time of evolutionary stability and so many variables, precisely controlled, which is something rare. Furthermore, intelligence alone creates pitfalls for the development of a civilization. Of course, transgenic and artificial life forms have different mechanics.
36.2) Communication, anatomy and intelligence
36.2.1) In Elite Dangerous, the Thargoid ship design is very good, precisely because it is totally unusual. However, it is necessary to understand that intelligence is represented, in a pragmatic way, in the way in which a form of life reacts to stimuli from the outside. This reaction is based on the input (quantity, type and quality) of information that it receives from the senses and the responses are based on the individual's anatomy... That is, intelligence starts with the type of sense and is limited by the amount of information that the sense makes available and anatomy enables interaction with the environment... And this influences language, science and the entire way in which technology is developed by a species.
36.2.2) Birds can commonly be said to sing, dance, and use sound and sight like a human, as well as many other animals. But that's not true... See the drawing below about the frequencies captured by human vision:
https://scitechdaily.com/new-technology-gives-ai-human-like-eyes/
36.2.3) It is as if a human saw “reality” through a keyhole. There is a wide spectrum of frequencies that the eye simply cannot see. The same goes for hearing...
36.2.4) Comparing with other animals...
36.2.5) So even if a human knew the patterns and the animal had the same senses (sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch), with different band spectrums of senses communication is impossible. As much as a dolphin is notoriously intelligent and has the same senses, humans are only able to hear a fraction of the sounds it makes... That is, assuming that a dolphin utters a sentence, human hearing is only able to capture some sound syllables that are within your auditory spectrum. This imposes a condition... It is necessary to match the sensory communication protocol to initiate an interaction with alien intelligences.
36.2.6) It gets even worse if intelligence develops in different environments. Ants live in environments that have no light, and use sound and smell as their main references. Eels and other fish that live in murky waters use electrical pulses... In this case, the senses required for communication don't even exist between the parties.
36.2.7) In the movie “Arrival”, the Heptapods bring references of Cephalopods in their form of communication, as they release ink forming signs and use signs (the environment in which they live is very cloudy, which suppresses the function of vision). Cephalopods, in turn, can communicate by colors and body signals as well. In other words, having the neurological capacity to be “smart” is not enough. Language, cognition, senses and anatomy are functions that are intrinsically connected.
36.3) Time Sense (the sixth sense)
36.3.1) The Sixth Sense has nothing to do with esotericism. It is the amount of information that a sense is capable of absorbing in a unit of time. This makes all the difference to cognition and the way an organism perceives reality. Taking vision as an example, a human sees about 60 FPS (Frames per second), that is, at this speed, your vision will perceive the passage of a sequence of static images as a continuous movement.
36.3.2) A fly, in turn, can perceive 240 FPS, that is, its vision captures 4 times more information in the same unit of time. They can easily perceive frame by frame at 60 FPS... That's why it's hard to kill them! It's as if humans move in slow motion for them... In contrast, a turtle's view captures around 16 FPS. The sense of sight lets through a lot of information about the outside world and this shapes the way the organism reacts – its intelligence is affected.
36.3.3) The same happens in the other senses... Each species has a sense of time, for each sense (sight, hearing, touch, taste and smell)... Each of these has limitations and this creates a model of the world cognitive (the map that each individual uses to navigate reality). Something that passes very quickly in a video, almost invisible to a human, can be easily noticed by a fly. In hearing, it will be the ability to differentiate tones and notes... A smell easily perceived by a dog is imperceptible to a human (a dog's odor spectrum is much wider and its brain, faster to process this type of information) . The speed of information can make communication even between people difficult. Do you know someone who talks very fast?
36.3.4) The processing time and the amount of information captured by the organisms' senses is hardly explored in works of fiction, much less in games. Have you noticed that cybernetic alien organisms or beings are represented with keen sight and hearing, but without smell, taste and touch. Your communication does not use expression or movement. Human communication, in turn, involves not only the verbal part, but also facial expressions, body movements congruent with the message (if true). Having observed this, it is necessary to realize that the representation commonly used by science fiction says, between the lines, that humans pass more information/second than cybernetic organisms, therefore, they are more efficient in communication. EACH SENSE HAS A DIFFERENT PERCEPTION OF TIME.
36.4) Anatomy
36.4.1) As mentioned in 6.3.2, organic life forms have the chemical/energetic signature* of the environment (surface, ocean or subsurface) and the home planet - on which they arose. When this does not occur, they are classified as artificial life forms (chemical/energetic signature different from the planet of origin can only be of artificial origin).
*Energy signature refers to the energy balance of the natal/planetary environment of the life form. The planet, with its orbit, establishes an almost constant component of energy for all beings that live in that biome line and the local climate defines the variable component. Thus, a life form that lives on the surface needs much more light and heat energy than a life form that lives in abyssal depths or deep caves. For these biomes, beings will depend much more on food and body chemistry.
36.4.2) For example, animals that make little use of thermal/solar energy on Earth (they derive most of their energy from food) hibernate in winter, when they become scarcer and the planet's orbit is further from the Sun . Squirrels, bats, marmots, wild rats, hamsters and hedgehogs are some of the animals that hibernate. Otherwise, frogs and fish such as pyramóia even bury themselves in the mud when the rivers in which they live begin to dry up. In these cases, however, the phenomenon receives another name: estivation.
36.5) Size and strength (height and weight)
36.5.1) The size of the living being is directly proportional to the abundance of food and inversely proportional to the gravity of the home planet. That is, a lot of food and little gravity result in larger beings, with more mass, however, more fragile (lower density bones) and slower. Beings that appear on planets of greater gravity, with an abundance of food, tend to be smaller, faster and with denser skeletons. The absence of food or the poverty of diet makes organic beings smaller, with the passing of generations.
36.5.2) Size and physical strength are linked to the amount of energy consumed to maintain life. Another factor that influences size and strength is the environment in which the being develops. Surface beings, which have food, atmosphere, thermal and light energy at their disposal as sources of bodily energy, are, as a rule, larger and more active than oceanic beings, from abyssal depths, and these are larger than subterranean beings. One species or another escapes the rule.
36.6) Existence and position of the organs responsible for the senses
36.6.1) Nature designs beings according to their function. It only improves what is used, what is useless, disappears, and this occurs for energy savings – a principle of efficiency – Darwinian Theory.
36.7) Vision
36.7.1) The existence or not depends on the environment in which the intelligent life form develops. Vision can depend on a single organ, two, three, four, or composite organs (common in insects).
36.7.2) The organ can be inserted inside the body, with an external access cavity (chameleon - in this case, the eye view angle is sacrificed to enable camouflage), partially exposed (as in humans and most animals) , or be fully exposed (dragonfly – enables 360º vision with crossing visual fields – depth – at a wide angle). The type of position in relation to the body affects the breadth of the field of view and the identification of depth. Their functioning is normally dependent and synchronized, but there are animals with organs that function independently (chameleon).
36.7.3) Surface beings tend to have larger and more functional eyes, while cave beings, with nocturnal habits, have smaller eyes. Beings of abyssal and subterranean depths, without surface habits, tend to dispense with the organ.
36.7.4) As for position, there is a trade-off in terms of eye position. As the eyes advance along the face, two fields of vision overlap. It is this overlap that allows you to perceive the depth. Animals with sideways eyes may not have this well-developed depth perception, but they are able to see an extremely wide panorama instead...
36.7.5) Predators, aggressive, and arboreal beings have frontal eyes, as they need depth perception, distance from the target to move and strategize. Meanwhile, beings with organs of side vision tend to be herbivores, defensive and less aggressive, and insects.
36.7.6) The most important aspect of vision is the intensity limits and wavelengths that can be captured by the organ. Seeing the entire spectrum can be a waste of energy, depending on the environment the creature lives in, and nature doesn't accept that, so they see the most useful bands for the environments in which they live.
36.8) IMPROVEMENT OF GROUND - VISION
36.8.1) In the future of the game, the vision can make it possible to search for enemies/animals by the trail. There are games where tracks are highlighted, after the player identifies one of them (The player's AI would highlight the tracks in red in the environment). This is the case in “Days Gone” and “Horizons Zero Down”.
36.8.2) It is easier to track at dawn or dusk, because the luminosity creates shadows that facilitate the visualization of the marks. Muddy and sandy terrain is easier to track. Slowly crouch to identify the trail and then identify the target/animal type. Thus, as in the aforementioned games, it is recommended to implement a key that “expands the sense/puts the character in attention mode – it moves more slowly and expands the sense to search for details in the environment”.
36.8.3) Knowing the anatomy of the local fauna, it is possible to identify the type/species (if the fauna is known) and define, by the footprint on the ground, the approximate size of the animal (distance between steps), the weight (depth) , direction of displacement and whether the animal walks in flocks (presence of more nearby tracks). Following the trail of an animal, it is possible to find other signs, such as feces (which can indicate the proximity of the animal or how long it has been in that location), branches and broken vegetation (height) and the state of health (injuries leave marks of blood on the ground and vegetation). Wind and rain will degrade the tracks and cause the information to be lost over time.
36.8.4) Exploring the senses allows extrapolating the range of abilities to the game's life forms. That way, enemies can have “eagle vision” (high definition over long distances), or 360º vision, which prevents a surprise melee attack... See infrared or in the terahertz range.
36.8.5) The feeling of “cloudiness” or “fogging” can occur as a secondary symptom of illness, this can make it difficult for the character/enemies to focus and aim at enemies, delaying their response time. Elements (weapons, drugs or diseases) that act on this sense can also cause blurring, distortion (astigmatism), photophobia, myopia (difficulty seeing what is far away), hallucinogenic effects, eye pain (taking away the character/enemy of action by the pain response), temporary or permanent blindness. Such effects may or may not be associated with other senses such as loss of mobility/speed/balance/strength... Of course, blind beings are immune to this type of element.
36.9) Middle-range Senses - Hearing
36.9.1) There are life forms that can map the environment with sonar (ultrasound) or smell, however, in space or in environments where the density or composition of the atmosphere is different, the mapping will become useless or will need to be recalibrated. The emission of sound frequencies to map the environment “denounces” the location of the organism. Hearing is a sense of defense. It remains active even during sleep (a noise can wake up an NPC who has sense).
36.9.2) The auditory sense may or may not exist and this depends on the density of the environment in which life develops. Hearing is a system that depends on the propagation of energy, through waves, through a medium (There is no point in having hearing if the life form develops in space).
36.9.3) Low frequency sounds have a shorter range and require larger hearing aids, while beings with higher reception frequency ranges have smaller hearing aids or are able to capture the sound internally, without any external holes. The minimum intensity captured also influences the size of the hearing aid.
36.9.4) The “ears” can be static, with dependent or independent mobility. The size of the ears varies depending on the frequency, intensity captured by the organ and the density of the medium. For surface animals, large ears for smaller frequencies and the size of the ears decreases as the frequency increases/density of the medium increases. In high density environments (aquatic and subterranean), there is a tendency that there are no exposed ears and the auditory organ is hidden in the mouth or in parts of the body. The dolphin has the "hearing device" inside its mouth... Like the mole, the Elephant hears low frequency sounds. It so happens that on the ground, low-frequency sounds propagate over much greater distances, which implies a proportionately smaller size of the hearing aid.
*** The use of sonar-based systems modifies the behavior of creatures that locate themselves by sound. Today, the disorientation of whales and other animals is attributed to the use of this type of equipment. Likewise, humans can be subjected to extremely painful sound experiences.
36.9.5) The sound frequencies emitted by the vocal function (sounds emitted) always have a lower range than that audible by the organism. For example, while hearing picks up frequencies between 20 and 20,000 Hz, the human voice is found between 50 and 3,400 hertz. That is, the voice is a minor function of hearing, as is roaring for feline hearing or barking for a dog. “Deaf” beings do not emit sounds.
36. 10) IMPROVEMENT OF GROUND - HEARING
36.10.1) In the game, a good sound system can indicate the position of enemies through footsteps, noises, dialogues... (for players who have stereo sound). The intensity of the sound, indicating the distance and the frequency of the steps indicate the speed of the enemy/target. It's impossible not to feel the anguish and fear when you hear a large animal or an alien nearby, hunting you.
36.10.2) Another point, as in other games, is that a radar (a system of the suit) can indicate, "inaccurately" the location, direction and distance in which the enemy is... (System of “Days Gone”). The enemy will not have its presence reported on the radar (or on the audio system, if it does not make noise during the approach). Some predators, such as cats, are excellent attackers because they master the art of camouflage, approaching without making noise and acting in a coordinated manner in a group.
36.10.3) Likewise, the character walking through vegetation, in wet areas or bumping into objects can make noises that draw the attention of enemies. This can be indicated by a “noise symbol”. A benchmark of this kind of sense is the game “Days gone”. The character can walk crouching and slower to reduce the noise level, but animals and enemies with very keen hearing, or that are guided by sonar, will hardly be surprised.
36.10.4) The sensation of "buzzing" or reduced sensitivity to certain frequency bands - deafness, can occur as a secondary symptom of diseases, this can make it difficult for the character/enemies to dialogue or detect threats, delaying their response time. Elements (weapons, drugs or diseases) that act on this sense can also cause pain in the ears (taking the character/enemy out of action by the pain response), distortion, misophonia, hyperacusis, phonophobia, hearing loss (difficulty in perceiving low intensity/frequency sounds), hallucinogenic effects (hearing things that are not there), temporary or permanent deafness. Such effects may or may not be associated with other senses such as loss of mobility/speed/balance/strength... (Vertigo). Of course, being deaf is immune to these elements.
36.11) Middle-range Senses - Smell
36.11.1) In this sense, the presence of a breathable atmosphere in the environment is of great importance. If it doesn't exist, meaning becomes useless. Smell translates the chemical composition of the environment into nerve impulses. It is a direct function of the number of olfactory cells in the receptor apparatus, the intensity of the smell and, inversely, the wind speed. Necessarily, the agency must have access to the environment, it cannot be internal.
36.11.2) It is poorly developed in humans, but can still be used for tracking indoors or in low wind. The odor propagates from the source following the flow of air. The distance at which it can be detected is inversely proportional to the intensity of the wind (it spreads slowly in the breeze and remains, while in the wind it dissipates and disappears). This sense appears in “Horizon Zero Dawn”, but, once detected, the trail remains fixed to make tracking possible... This can be improved to give more similarity to reality in Elite.
36.11.3) IMPROVEMENT OF GROUND - SMELL
36.11.3.1) In this case, the position in relation to the target is also important (the detector must be upwind). Once the odor is detected, the AI can mark a “moving gaseous trail” that can be followed. This trail (visual) would become stronger, according to the enemy's distance and position (Horizon Zero Down implements this type of feature in a more simplified way).
36.11.3.2) Likewise, a prey will alter its course and behavior upon sniffing a predator. The predator will speed up the hunt by identifying the target by scent, as it indicates proximity. If you're hunting, stay upwind, if you're hunted, stay with. Enemies and animals can exploit this!
36.11.3.3) Smell is also used to estimate whether a food is in a condition of consumption, how long ago something died, how long ago faeces in a trail were deposited...
36.11.3.4) The feeling of constant "bad smell" or reduced sensitivity can occur as a secondary symptom of diseases, this can make it difficult for the character/enemies to talk to others or make it difficult to detect threats, delaying their response time. Elements (weapons, drugs or diseases) that act on this sense can also cause burning in the nose (taking the character/enemy out of action by the pain response), distortion, repulsion to certain odors (preventing the individual from approaching the source transmitter), olfactory reduction (difficulty perceiving odors, gas, smoke), hallucinogenic effects (chemical element interferes with the sense of sight, hearing and touch/smells smells that do not exist), temporary or permanent absence of smell. Such effects may or may not be associated with other senses such as loss of mobility/speed/balance/strength... (Vertigo). Of course, beings that do not have a sense of smell are immune to these elements.
36.12) Short-range Sense - Touch
36.12.1) Touch is the sense of the skin or the area most external to the body (skin/hair, bark, crust, scales, feathers...) and detects thermal and kinetic stimuli. The mechanical and thermal intensity detected by the sense is inversely proportional to the hardness and resistance of the organ that detects it. Its function is to detect risk or violation of the integrity of the body. Small hairs can be added to increase sensitivity/ Large hairs reduce sensitivity.
36.12.2) Touch, like all other senses, has detection ranges. Eventually, enemies and animals can sense the presence of others by the vibration of the ground, water or even the air and estimate their location... Standing still or climbing on something would be the only solution to avoid an attack (just like the worms of the sand in Dune). They can also be sensitive to heat sources, so that a body that has a thermal signature cannot catch them by surprise.
36.12.3) As with elephants' feet, the keen sense of touch can capture low-frequency waves that propagate through the ground and be able to anticipate landslides, earthquakes, tsunamis and even atmospheric events such as rains, tornadoes and hurricanes. They may also be able to track water sources (rivers and even sources hidden a few meters underground, for example, by the sound signature of the water body). At this level, it almost becomes a sense of premunition.
36.12.4) The skin can give special characteristics to the being, such as interfering with detection by other senses - visual camouflage (chameleon), thermal (against infrared), sound (does not emit sound when moving). In the same way that it works as a shield, moving parts will naturally be more vulnerable to penetration (For example, the skin covering the eyes is always thinner, due to the need for movement/articulation).
36.12.5) IMPROVEMENT OF GROUND - TOUCH
36.12.5.1) In the future of the game, by touch, one can perceive the presence of an intense source of heat (potential risk in the vicinity such as engines, for example...), or the direction of origin of blows and impacts of weapons. .. You can identify the origin of shots that hit the body, by touch. In the game, this sense must be demonstrated visually (e.g. a circle/square around the player's vision, which gets stronger in the damage sense, and when the player is dealing damage, the drawing of the body with the result damage – similar to what happens in Call of Duty).
36.12.5.2) Tactile perception of impacts should reduce accuracy and ability to fire (temporarily modify the character's damping curve). It can cause reflex displacement movements, impairing the aim, for example. On the other hand, this prevents the player from having to turn around and look for where the shot came from or the enemy's position and allows for a faster reaction to seek shelter/protection, moving away, camouflaging or placing obstacles between the player and the enemy. damage source. Call of Duty has an interesting tactile visualization system at this point. When being shot, a signal appears in red that indicates the direction (by the direction) and the force (by the intensity of the red color) of the shot. In this game, there is no loss of accuracy in shooting or reflex movements when taking damage... As there is also no perception of fatigue, this allows for true western challenges during matches (one player faces the other, shoots and wins whoever is the fastest). This ruins the game because players can abandon tactics and strategies and configure the character to be "the flash"...
36.12.5.3) The feeling of constant “tingling” or reduced sensitivity can occur as a secondary symptom of illness, this can make it difficult for the character/enemies to deal with damage, cause louder movement or threat detection, delaying your response time. Elements (weapons, drugs or diseases) that act on this sense can also cause changes in the weight of limbs (reducing the mobility, speed or accuracy of the character/action enemy by the pain response), distortion (the damage input appears tactile on screen with no real source), tactile reduction (difficulty perceiving damage, movement becomes more noisy and clumsy), hallucinogenic effects (chemical element interferes with the sense of sight, hearing and touch), temporary or permanent absence of tactile (character not perceives the damage and the severity of the injuries increases obeying an exponential curve in time – as he does not perceive the damage, he cannot treat it). Such effects may or may not be associated with other senses such as loss of mobility/speed/balance/strength... (Vertigo). Of course, beings that have no tact are immune to these elements (older robot and android models, for example).
36.13) Personal sense of balance
36.13.1) In humans, the “Vestibular Device” works in association with the “Proprioceptive System” and may or may not be associated with Vision - it is the sensory system that allows the individual to perceive the location, position, orientation and inertia ( rotation of the head or limbs) of the body in space, recognizing the force exerted by the muscles and the movement of the joints without using vision. The sensitivity of this system is proportional to the creature's movement speed.
36.13.2) Creatures and enemies that have this well-developed sense are capable of quick movements and acrobatics, as the body takes less time to reach stability after movement or lifting weapons and tools. The lifting of objects, equipment and weapons must obey damping curves and, depending on the state of the character, the weight of the equipment, the distance of target, they may not even achieve stability on the target.
36.13.3) IMPROVEMENT OF GROUND - Balance
36.13.3.1) The implementation of the simulation in this sense would prevent players who "stay" jumping in low gravity, who "move too fast" or who change direction abruptly from being able to have a lot of precision in their shots, a fact that today creates extremely fast combats and anomalous in several games. What is being suggested is that there is a damping time depending on the weight of the equipment and the state of the character (health, stamina, displacement speed, movement speed (inertia), weight of load and of the moved equipment)
36.13.3.2) Another anomalous fact arising from the absence of any simulation in this sense is the “sniper” who pulls the rifle straight into the sights and shoots the target in the head in a fraction of a second. The movement of weapons and tools alters the body's balance patterns and, no matter how good the shooter is, a long-distance shot needs time, concentration, assessment of the conditions of the projectile's path (weather, wind...) and control of the breathing. It takes time for the body to stabilize in position with the tool/weapon and allow for accurate shooting.
36.13.3.3) The feeling of constant “alcoholic imbalance”, the reduction of balance or the delay in the “damping curve” can occur as a secondary symptom of diseases, this can make it difficult for the character/enemies to move, cause more movement noisy or make it difficult to use weapons and elements, delaying your response time. Elements (weapons, drugs, diseases, very sudden movements (being thrown away by a shock wave)) that act on this sense can also cause dizziness (reducing the stability of mobility, speed or accuracy of the character/enemy), excessive noise generation (character loses the standard way of walking, making noise and leaving more tracks), need to reduce the height of the body's center of balance – crouching or crawling (it is impossible to stand up), hallucinogenic effects (feeling of falling, not falling, difficulty with balance...), resulting paralysis from the temporary or permanent lack of balance (character cannot move or stabilize his senses – he needs to sit or lie down). Such effects may or may not be associated with other senses to elements in other senses. Creeping beings are immune to these elements.
36.14) Variable range sense - Perception of electric/magnetic fields
36.14.1) The perception of electric/magnetic fields works in a similar way to hearing (frequency and intensity are directly proportional to distance) and allows enemies and animals to have extremely precise spatial and geographic orientation (migration of birds) in environments with magnetic fields. stable. The absence or the strong variation can cause, in these beings, disorientation or the erratic change of behavioral patterns.
36.14.2) Enemies and animals with this type of perception will not be taken by surprise by beings and systems that have a magnetic or electrical signature (those that have electrical currents passing through wires or neurons, depending on the sensitivity of the sense). One can see (if associated with vision), hear (hear if associated with vision) or feel (if associated with touch) elements that emit magnetic/electrical fields.
36.14.3) Machines, androids and computers can communicate using this kind of sense, perceiving magnetic wave frequencies and transmitting large amounts of information in a fraction of a second.
36.14.4) Organics also use it, but associated with stimuli from other senses (sight, hearing, smell, smaller, touch) and transmitting amounts of information. Cybernetic implants in organic beings can make them able to fully use this sense.
36.14.5) IMPROVEMENT OF GROUND COMBAT – Perception of electric/magnetic fields.
36.14.6) Humans do not have this sense, but an electronic device installed in the brain can be used. Through this, it may be able to listen and interact in a conversation between AIs, interact and estimate the “emotional” state or position of emitting systems and organisms, hack or interfere with electronic devices (open doors, change the image of cameras, modify behaviors of androids, surveillance routines, using deep fakes in communications...).
36.14.7) The inclusion of this sense in humans makes interference and biological hacking possible, both for attacking electronic devices (one can hack things with the mind), and creating the need for defense.
36.14.7.1) The hacking of the device inserted in a human, from an emitting source, may cause, while the individual is within range, the appearance of any of the anomalies already mentioned in the senses (dizziness, blindness, deafness, hallucination, distortion of vision/hearing, reduce mobility...), as well as the appearance of visual, auditory advertisements... Remote monitoring, behavior induction, changes in health and energy readings... Every advantage brings a disadvantage of the same proportion.
*Taking advantage of this feature depends on implementing the cyber warfare suggestions in combat. (See 2.6.1.7) ... The suggestion here is to give the character the option to connect the mind to the network formed by the AI of the Ships, Vehicles and crew so that it can have its functions attacked and defended, in the style "Deus Ex ". So, while one player is fighting ships in the "real" world, another (a Matrix-style operator) can support ground teams and can attack other networks or defend the network to which it is connected.
36.15) Direction of course range - Taste and feeding
36.15.1) Taste is the sense responsible for making the physical/chemical analysis of food and is linked to the physical/chemical interaction of the organism with the environment. Its function is to prevent inappropriate intake of substances.
In the nature of the Earth, what is easy to process (spends little energy to generate more energy) for the human body has a “neutral” or “attractive” taste and smell, while what is not suitable produces an unpleasant taste and smell, in in order to instinctively alienate individuals, even if they have no degree of education.
36.15.2) In humans, taste works in association with smell, sight and memory... Colors or smell can represent bad food. It can be used for description in "scenes" in restaurants/bars and explored in the ability to make medicine for character healing or granting or temporary deprivation of senses and abilities. In this case, “Skyrim” is one of the best benchmarks, with the character being able to recognize elements of flora, collect and make potions in order to recover from diseases, attributes, energy... Or even confer temporary abilities/traits.
Body biochemistry follows, in a simplified way, the system: Mind <> Blood <> Cells.
36.16) Food (The decision of what to eat and in what quantity, on a strange planet)
Can I poison myself or poison a prey/enemy?
36.16.1) In general, it follows that: proteins are used for recovery and regeneration (slow process); carbohydrates as consumption fuel (immediate process); vegetables and fruits, along with hydration, for support (they change the speed of organic processing cycles and can affect the processing of sensory information).
36.16.2) In the process of energy conversion, the human body uses metabolic functions, which can be divided into two main processes: catabolism and anabolism. “No Mans Sky” makes an exaggerated simplification of the process of obtaining energy in other biomes... What no game dares to explore is what a being from another planet would be like interacting with the fauna and flora of our planet, for example. What would be the conditions for him to feed, if he needs to? In the same way, can a human feed on the fauna and flora of another planet? Here's a suggested approach to the topic...
36.16.3) Catabolism is the process of breaking down food into useful molecules and energy (ATP) for later use. Food is not broken down to the basic atomic level, as that would waste energy, but down to a fundamental molecular level, where it can be used in the process to build new useful shapes for the body... Anabolism, which is the process used to body construction. The human anabolic function uses different sources of input, not only food, but also sunlight, essential for the formation of vitamin D, for example, or water, oxygen... This is used to form and reform the body and keep it running. Taking advantage of different sources of energy makes the body more efficient and reduces the amount of food needed to function (freeing up time for activities other than searching for food).
36.16.4) Proteins are an anabolic level of food, and are made up of amino acids. Amino acids are the most basic anabolic level of food. And how does this influence the constitution of organisms?
36.16.5) Every living organism has a library of its cellular functions written in chemical form - DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid), which is a double strip, wound in the form of a helix (a form of information compression), stored in the nucleus of each cell (functional unit of the body). DNA is formed by a phosphate group, a pentose (a sugar with 5 carbon atoms) linked to a “nitrogenous base” (facing the inner part of this “genetic strand”), with the following structure:
36.16.6) DNA is a general guide, a library of cellular functions similar to programming libraries. When a cell needs to perform a function, the section equivalent to that function detaches from the main strand (DNA), creating Ribonucleic Acid (RNA), which represents a fraction of one side of the DNA strand. This single strand (RNA) can travel in search of a complement to create an amino acid.
36.16.7) Monosaccharides are formed by structures that have equal proportions of carbon and water. Ribose has C5H10O5... 5 carbons and 10 “waters” and, in turn, Deoxyribose has one less oxygen atom, a fact that gives DNA (C5H10O4) much more molecular stability. RNA can move around, but it degrades very easily.
36.16.8) All the functions of an organism (skin color, eyes, hair structure, cellular transport processes, cognitive or muscular functions...) are determined by proteins... And human proteins are created with based on genetic information (DNA). DNA is an index of cellular functions (a cellular library) or, an index of proteins that are copied, by a process called "transcription", in the form of RNA... This RNA is used to make the protein by a process called “translation” within the cell's ribosome.
36.16.9) The digestive system breaks down food into nutrients and minerals, which are gradually passed to the blood in the course of digestion. All cells are immersed in the blood medium, a chemical environment administered by brain functions through hormones (endocrine glands are “command centers”, extensions of the brain that command the chemical environment: organs <> tissues <> cells). Hormones control both long-term (body shape) and short-term (behavioral responses) mechanisms:
36.16.9.1) Regarding the form, we have: male/female (testosterone/progesterone); growth (somatotropin); use of calcium - use for bone formation or its reabsorption in the blood (parathormium);
36.16.9.2) And the “behavior”: metabolism (thyroxine and triiodothyronine); chemical energy availability – glucose (Glucagon/ Insulin); hydration level/thermal control (antidiuretic); mood (oxytocin...) and response to dangerous situations (adrenaline)...
36.16.10) Elements ingested, with chains similar to hormones, can deceive the functioning of organs, tissues and cells, however, the DNA of the food does not influence the DNA of the body... Genetic degradation is linked to the lifespan of the RNA ( highly unstable) and the number of times a particular piece of DNA is requested... Viruses can cause changes in RNA and DNA itself. Bacteria only act by modifying the environment in which the cell is, requiring the execution of functions that would not normally be performed (eventually, this causes the cell to die).
36.16.11) What matters are the substances and molecular chains of the food. These basic molecular chains will be associated with DNA, via RNA, to form proteins and perform macro cellular functions (macro functions cellular groups result in tissue behavior). Therefore, transgenic foods are not harmful to health, the problem is associated substances.
36.17) Effects of 2nd and 3rd Order of Feeding
36.17.1) For example, a genetic manipulation was carried out on soybeans to make it immune to a toxic substance, a herbicide called glyphosate, that is, the plant can perform all its cellular functions even with high doses of the herbicide inside. (do not die). The transgenic plant “functions” normally, but accumulates high doses of “glyphosate”, which is potentially carcinogenic and increases oxidative stress (a secondary/tertiary effect) for humans, bees and other organisms... Considering the phenomenon of “bioaccumulation” , the substance makes the plant poisonous and more concentrated at each trophic level of the food chain, significantly altering the ecosystem.
36.17.2) Thus, for the game, it can be said that there will be no problem for the immediate subsistence of consumption of alien or transgenic flora or fauna, if these have a biochemical signature similar to the human and are not associated with harmful chemical additives (we are talking that a human would only consider feeding on a foreign element if he grows up on an Earth-like planet). The digestive system will decompose the food and form the “legos pieces” necessary to use and function from the DNA.
36.17.3) However, second, third, fourth... order effects of feeding must be observed. For example, soy has “phytoestrogen/isoflavone”, which is a plant substance very similar to “estrogen”, the female hormone. Excessive consumption, for some period, by men, is already related to the appearance of gynecomastia, reduction of aggression, infertility, but, on the other hand, protects against heart disease (women are less prone to heart attacks). Likewise, the consumption of bisphenol (bisphenol (from using plastics in the kitchen) or fructose (the correct one would be glucose) is associated with chronic inflammation - obesity, type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance, hypertension, dyslipidemia, heart disease, elevation of triglycerides and hepatic steatosis. They are hidden effects in immediate consumption and appear over time or through chemical concentration (2nd, 3rd or 4th order...).
36.17.4) Such thinking is reflected in a Biblical text, a recipe for what a human can eat, so as to avoid any secondary or tertiary effects (Leviticus 11). It is observed there that the human being must avoid contact with any organism that feeds on beings in a state of putrefaction, even if eventually, garbage or that “reside” in regions that can accumulate toxic substances (mercury, lead...). Today, the process of “bioaccumulation” is already known, by which living beings subjected to a small regional contamination can affect different species of animals, because, once they have entered the food chain, the concentration of poisoning will increase at each trophic level, may result in death, wasting or disease at higher trophic levels in the food chain.
36.18) Diseases
36.18.1) The game “Skyrim”, for example, explores a long-term disease called “vampirism”, when the character is bitten and slowly becomes a vampire, with advantages and disadvantages. No game explores the situation that a substance that does not cause an "immediate" effect, can cause second and third order effects, that is, changes in the character's abilities through consumption, in the long term (changes in physical characteristics such as life, strength, perception (visual and auditory), disposition, speed, reflex, or even the rejuvenation / aging / illness of the character, the development of diseases, cancer, premature aging, reduction of life, strength, perception, disposition, speed, precision or reflex). Likewise, chemicals, drugs, that alter the senses can cause temporary or permanent effects, with or without a known cure. A character's abilities and traits are always static, when in reality they should fluctuate based on decisions and behavior.
36.18.2) On a “strange planet” with even a minimal ecosystem, regardless of the existence of a breathable atmosphere, the protocol should be that a human should always wear a suit, with a helmet, to isolate it. It will communicate via "radios" or "speakers" of the suit and can only feed on elements of the environment after an analysis and sterilization procedure, under penalty of being contaminated with unknown viruses and bacteria. Hence the importance of the ship having a sterilization area. Removing the helmet in an environment means contaminating it and contaminating yourself.
36.18.3) Nothing prevents “organic” elements that contain harmful alien genetic bases from contaminating visitors (viruses, bacteria or parasites), hence the need for what is described in “21.1.32) Decontamination and pressurization room”. Nobody wants to be caught by a virus, bacteria or alien parasite, Thargoid or Guardian, nor be poisoned by elements of the alien flora or flora.
36.18.4) 2nd, 3rd, 4th order effects of diseases
36.18.4.1) When testing a drug, researchers observe its effectiveness in fighting a specific disease, and also look at the occurrence of possible damage to the body. Then they record whether they are moderate or intense, how long they last, and the pattern in which they manifest. These damages are called side effects. The same occurs with some types of diseases that, when contracted, can create the need for amputations, modify the metabolic form, reduce mobility, speed, mental/ senses capacity, breathing capacity, availability of time (given the need for treatments - cancer, hemodialysis... .)... There are also those that require patients to take medicines for life, leaving patients tied to the availability of medicines. This type of problem is not exploited in games, but it should...
*** Today, all research and direction in the game leads to treating aliens as enemies. The Thargoids are enemies and the Guardians are extinct... Is a good alien a dead alien? It doesn't have to be that way...
36.18.4.2) Quests can be created by exploring diseases that have jumped between species; It may be necessary to adapt human technology and study alien biochemistry and anatomy, to treat a human patient or save the life of an alien organism... The danger of inter-species interaction is a vast topic that, if explored, could go far beyond of inter-species combat.
36.18.4.3) A human can land on a planet and contaminate it with a virus that, even harmless to humans, is deadly to native species... This occurred when European societies came into contact with the Indians, in America! Thousands died in direct or indirect contact with Europeans and the diseases brought by them, as they had no immunity. Natural. Influenza, measles, whooping cough, tuberculosis, smallpox and syphilis are some of the evils that have victimized entire indigenous societies. Factions or Superpowers can declare quarantines to planets, to save the native population of organisms/creatures...
36.19) Language, Culture, Society, Science and Technology
Communication is a social element that derives from the anatomy and senses of the way of life. Language is the standardization of communication for a social group of individuals. In the case of humans, vocal and hearing aids are the main means of transmitting information – communication in all peoples works like music, with facial micro-expressions and body movements serving as secondary means of information.
When considering anatomically different life forms, these elements based on sound transmission can be converted/transduced (a type of translation that refers to the process of moving/transposing meanings created in one modality to another modality – from speech to image; from written for the film; from a sound signal to an olfactory sensation...) considering the anatomical elements of the species and the social patterns of signals of the group to which the recipient individual is more familiar. A species with more advanced technology will be able to induce communication elements directly in the neurological system of another species (messages, sounds, dreams, illusions, sensations, odors...), as well as translate the communication to its native patterns, eliminating the barrier anatomical completely.
36.19.1) Culture, Society, Science and Technology vary according to anatomy, as these elements are representations of social responses given to the environment in which a group of beings develops. “Aliens” that only have 3 fingers on each hand will possibly have a base 6 math system (total fingers). Possibly, the philosophy of such a race would consider extreme solutions and only an intermediate alternative to problems. Aliens with 12 fingers, will have a base 12 system and develop numerous solutions for each situation... Science and models of how the Universe works for a species are built, initially, based on its own anatomy. This is because “consciousness” creates a subjective “reality” from the information obtained by the senses (Consciousness creates a “map - simplified drawing”, to navigate through reality).
36.19.1.1) Anatomy influences the development of culture, society, science and technology and, therefore, intelligence (how the organism responds to the environment). Aliens with an "eagle" sense of sight will possibly have very accurate long-distance targeting systems, given that their natural sense is already very advanced.
36.19.2) Egocentrism of human creation - In most works of fiction, aliens enjoy the same senses, at the same level and frequency bands, and practically have the same anatomy as humans... It is not an exaggeration to suppose that they come from similar environments (There is a lot of egocentrism in the culture). As can be seen from the Earth's ecosystems, in fact, this is not the case. What has been demonstrated in the “Thargoids project” is a great success! Congratulations to the development team!!!
36.19.3) Shapes of ships, buildings and their interiors - The first point is that the interior of the ship/suit, in civilizations with less advanced technologies, replicates the structure of the homeworld of the species, that is, humans will create a breathable atmosphere , totally adapted to their needs, in the same way that aquatic beings create a liquid environment, totally comfortable and adapted to the species. In this, a micro ecosystem of viruses and associated bacteria is replicated. In more advanced civilizations, ships can exist without an internal environment, in which the owners enter and their consciousness passes to the control of the ship, the bodies can be absorbed and recreated when necessary, or left in a state of hibernation, prepared for external missions... In the most advanced, the body itself works like a spaceship... It would be something similar to what we see in "Superman".
Source: https://youtu.be/IYdg1Y8S0N0
36.19.4) Technological parity with senses - There is no logic in the existence of visual signals and lighting on an alien spacecraft belonging to a species that does not have the sense of sight, which uses sound, touch or otherwise to locate itself. The ship's communication and signaling systems will be either "music" or fully tactile, and its interior will be completely dark. The external structure is a consequence of technological evolution (a way of understanding the Universe) and the internal structure is a consequence of the senses.
36.19.5) Technological Parity with Anatomy - Likewise, joysticks and control levers must consider creature size, anatomy of hands, arms and legs (if any). The piloting position is constituted by the creature's anatomy and may not be the "sitting in an armchair" as used for humans. It must be considered that the creature can be “standing”, lying on its front, on its stomach, in a fetal position...
36.19.6) In the same way as in human technology, alien spacecraft and vehicle systems may have “artificial or natural consciousnesses”, capable of assisting in piloting and recognizing authorized hosts, enemies, aliens, viruses, bacteria... The ship can even function only with the owner's consciousness "connected" and the control system being totally inaccessible to a human. Thus, it is impossible for a human to pilot a vehicle or spaceship of another species without reverse engineering work, to understand the mechanisms and systems, and reengineering, to adapt the command and control systems.
Source: https://youtu.be/GeQ7lBUZIo0
*** Camouflage is an important adaptation that allows some animals to be imperceptible in the middle and, consequently, to be difficult to prey on... Perhaps this concept evolves technologically, in other intelligent species, to create camouflaged ships like "asteroids, interestelar dust" or... What we see in movie "Moon Fall" or ... In real life "Oumuamua"...
36.20) Behavior
36.20.1) The behavior observes the same premises set out in 22.2.8, modifying the emotional spectrum (some creatures may demonstrate a greater or lesser range - tones - of emotions than those listed) and the anatomical reactions will be differentiated (for example, a A scared octopus, in addition to the flight/paralysis/attack pattern, changes color - it can go from red to blue; a scared lion lowers its head and walks with its tail between its flexed legs, reducing its height...) .
36.20.2) Something that fails in the “totality” of the games is still pending. Enemies/prey and predators do not have tactical attack/defense behavior. Defensives are limited to moving away and aggressives attack individually, without tactics or more sophisticated group patterns. There are no group vigil behaviors, reaction to surprise, ambush, sound, visual or chemical communication emitted to other members... The games still put the attacker in the extreme advantage scenario, with element of surprise, relief, weather conditions, strength , agility, weaponry... When the advantage, in real combat situations, is almost always the one who defends himself.
(continue)
36.20.3) Group Behavior (Tactical importance of the group)
36.20.3.1) Can we notice these types of behavior in an Elite Dangerous combat zone? Ships NPCs fight in groups or act completely individually, appearing to behave in a group...
a) Are they able to identify weaker and more vulnerable targets to coordinate the attack (concentrate firepower)? (By the way, the radio is muted during combat, limiting itself to messages at the beginning and end of each battle)
b) Do they use larger ships or obstacles in the scenario (space stations, asteroids...) as a shield against the attack of smaller ones (or that smaller ships maneuver around the larger ones to seek protection)?
c) make maneuvers to isolate or attract an individual to a certain area in the combat zone (one ship can serve as a distraction while another/or a squadron positions itself to shoot it down)?
d) coordinate physical impacts to a large ship, in order to make it impossible for it to be able to focus weapons on a target or damage externally exposed elements?
e) There are situations that require escort of specialized ships (in analogy to what is seen in war, for example, a heavy bomber type ship is escorted by fast air defense ships / a ship capable of causing electronic interference in the sensors enemy devices accompanied by air defense ships)?
*** Why not allow ships to use their cargo capacity to load ammunition (torpedoes, bombs or missiles for example... In fact, the existing torpedo and missile systems in Elite Dangerous make them very useless weapons in PVP or long duration – missiles without a guide must have a much higher explosive capacity, capable of destroying a target with 2 hits, at most, almost a bomb... The vast majority of missiles must be guided... Otherwise, the functionality Flare and Chaff would be expanded... Defense/attack drones created to attack very close ships/ to destroy objects that attach to or before direct impact with the hull)?
*** The shock wave resulting from the explosion of a missile close to the hull should cause inertial reflexes (shakes and deviation of trajectory), especially when the shield of the hit ship has already fallen
f) Do NPCs group together to defend a megaship that enters combat as reinforcement, attacking targets closest to it?
g) Do larger ships, in difficulties, coordinate movements or request reinforcements from others?
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===== Suggestions for improving space combats and for designing Earth-like planets =====
Some of these behaviors only occur in PVP combat. Considering that... What would be the expectation of combats taking place on planets with atmosphere (humidity, wind, weather, clouds, lightning and others atmospheric events...)?
Source: https://youtu.be/fRzuSd9VnOE
The duality radar ship / Sthealth (enlarged sensors and long-range weapons) / jammer ship (capable of reducing the efficiency of sensors) is not being well explored in Elite Dangerous because:
1) The range of weapons and sensors is too short, with only 6 km range, and weapons with very low damage.
2) There is no way to interfere with an enemy ship's sensors. There are specialized interference aircraft, see aircraft “F18 - EA18G Growler”, aimed at interference and electronic warfare”.
Source: https://youtu.be/E_N2adCleI4
It's no use having long-range weapons and being sthealth if there's a ship capable of interfering with your sensors and making it impossible to lock targets at a distance. It is necessary to make possible the interference in sensors and equipment of the enemy ship... Ships manned by telepresence or piloted by AIs become useless, defense systems, guided missiles lose efficiency...
In a one-on-one combat, with pilots of the same level, it is natural for the most technologically advanced ship to win or have a lot of advantage. When there is more than one ship in each team, a squadron, strategy becomes important!
There will be planets and situations in which the pilot will be forced to navigate, fight and mine by instruments, without visuals... very intense electric/magnetic field variations cause equipment malfunction)... The scenario changes the way you pilot, the behavior of the ship, the weapons and, finally, the group's response! The same is true for combat on land.
36.1) In fact, for life to exist in a complex and intelligent form, it takes a time of evolutionary stability and so many variables, precisely controlled, which is something rare. Furthermore, intelligence alone creates pitfalls for the development of a civilization. Of course, transgenic and artificial life forms have different mechanics.
36.2) Communication, anatomy and intelligence
36.2.1) In Elite Dangerous, the Thargoid ship design is very good, precisely because it is totally unusual. However, it is necessary to understand that intelligence is represented, in a pragmatic way, in the way in which a form of life reacts to stimuli from the outside. This reaction is based on the input (quantity, type and quality) of information that it receives from the senses and the responses are based on the individual's anatomy... That is, intelligence starts with the type of sense and is limited by the amount of information that the sense makes available and anatomy enables interaction with the environment... And this influences language, science and the entire way in which technology is developed by a species.
36.2.2) Birds can commonly be said to sing, dance, and use sound and sight like a human, as well as many other animals. But that's not true... See the drawing below about the frequencies captured by human vision:
https://scitechdaily.com/new-technology-gives-ai-human-like-eyes/
36.2.3) It is as if a human saw “reality” through a keyhole. There is a wide spectrum of frequencies that the eye simply cannot see. The same goes for hearing...
36.2.4) Comparing with other animals...
36.2.5) So even if a human knew the patterns and the animal had the same senses (sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch), with different band spectrums of senses communication is impossible. As much as a dolphin is notoriously intelligent and has the same senses, humans are only able to hear a fraction of the sounds it makes... That is, assuming that a dolphin utters a sentence, human hearing is only able to capture some sound syllables that are within your auditory spectrum. This imposes a condition... It is necessary to match the sensory communication protocol to initiate an interaction with alien intelligences.
36.2.6) It gets even worse if intelligence develops in different environments. Ants live in environments that have no light, and use sound and smell as their main references. Eels and other fish that live in murky waters use electrical pulses... In this case, the senses required for communication don't even exist between the parties.
36.2.7) In the movie “Arrival”, the Heptapods bring references of Cephalopods in their form of communication, as they release ink forming signs and use signs (the environment in which they live is very cloudy, which suppresses the function of vision). Cephalopods, in turn, can communicate by colors and body signals as well. In other words, having the neurological capacity to be “smart” is not enough. Language, cognition, senses and anatomy are functions that are intrinsically connected.
36.3) Time Sense (the sixth sense)
36.3.1) The Sixth Sense has nothing to do with esotericism. It is the amount of information that a sense is capable of absorbing in a unit of time. This makes all the difference to cognition and the way an organism perceives reality. Taking vision as an example, a human sees about 60 FPS (Frames per second), that is, at this speed, your vision will perceive the passage of a sequence of static images as a continuous movement.
36.3.2) A fly, in turn, can perceive 240 FPS, that is, its vision captures 4 times more information in the same unit of time. They can easily perceive frame by frame at 60 FPS... That's why it's hard to kill them! It's as if humans move in slow motion for them... In contrast, a turtle's view captures around 16 FPS. The sense of sight lets through a lot of information about the outside world and this shapes the way the organism reacts – its intelligence is affected.
36.3.3) The same happens in the other senses... Each species has a sense of time, for each sense (sight, hearing, touch, taste and smell)... Each of these has limitations and this creates a model of the world cognitive (the map that each individual uses to navigate reality). Something that passes very quickly in a video, almost invisible to a human, can be easily noticed by a fly. In hearing, it will be the ability to differentiate tones and notes... A smell easily perceived by a dog is imperceptible to a human (a dog's odor spectrum is much wider and its brain, faster to process this type of information) . The speed of information can make communication even between people difficult. Do you know someone who talks very fast?
36.3.4) The processing time and the amount of information captured by the organisms' senses is hardly explored in works of fiction, much less in games. Have you noticed that cybernetic alien organisms or beings are represented with keen sight and hearing, but without smell, taste and touch. Your communication does not use expression or movement. Human communication, in turn, involves not only the verbal part, but also facial expressions, body movements congruent with the message (if true). Having observed this, it is necessary to realize that the representation commonly used by science fiction says, between the lines, that humans pass more information/second than cybernetic organisms, therefore, they are more efficient in communication. EACH SENSE HAS A DIFFERENT PERCEPTION OF TIME.
36.4) Anatomy
36.4.1) As mentioned in 6.3.2, organic life forms have the chemical/energetic signature* of the environment (surface, ocean or subsurface) and the home planet - on which they arose. When this does not occur, they are classified as artificial life forms (chemical/energetic signature different from the planet of origin can only be of artificial origin).
*Energy signature refers to the energy balance of the natal/planetary environment of the life form. The planet, with its orbit, establishes an almost constant component of energy for all beings that live in that biome line and the local climate defines the variable component. Thus, a life form that lives on the surface needs much more light and heat energy than a life form that lives in abyssal depths or deep caves. For these biomes, beings will depend much more on food and body chemistry.
36.4.2) For example, animals that make little use of thermal/solar energy on Earth (they derive most of their energy from food) hibernate in winter, when they become scarcer and the planet's orbit is further from the Sun . Squirrels, bats, marmots, wild rats, hamsters and hedgehogs are some of the animals that hibernate. Otherwise, frogs and fish such as pyramóia even bury themselves in the mud when the rivers in which they live begin to dry up. In these cases, however, the phenomenon receives another name: estivation.
36.5) Size and strength (height and weight)
36.5.1) The size of the living being is directly proportional to the abundance of food and inversely proportional to the gravity of the home planet. That is, a lot of food and little gravity result in larger beings, with more mass, however, more fragile (lower density bones) and slower. Beings that appear on planets of greater gravity, with an abundance of food, tend to be smaller, faster and with denser skeletons. The absence of food or the poverty of diet makes organic beings smaller, with the passing of generations.
36.5.2) Size and physical strength are linked to the amount of energy consumed to maintain life. Another factor that influences size and strength is the environment in which the being develops. Surface beings, which have food, atmosphere, thermal and light energy at their disposal as sources of bodily energy, are, as a rule, larger and more active than oceanic beings, from abyssal depths, and these are larger than subterranean beings. One species or another escapes the rule.
36.6) Existence and position of the organs responsible for the senses
36.6.1) Nature designs beings according to their function. It only improves what is used, what is useless, disappears, and this occurs for energy savings – a principle of efficiency – Darwinian Theory.
36.7) Vision
36.7.1) The existence or not depends on the environment in which the intelligent life form develops. Vision can depend on a single organ, two, three, four, or composite organs (common in insects).
36.7.2) The organ can be inserted inside the body, with an external access cavity (chameleon - in this case, the eye view angle is sacrificed to enable camouflage), partially exposed (as in humans and most animals) , or be fully exposed (dragonfly – enables 360º vision with crossing visual fields – depth – at a wide angle). The type of position in relation to the body affects the breadth of the field of view and the identification of depth. Their functioning is normally dependent and synchronized, but there are animals with organs that function independently (chameleon).
36.7.3) Surface beings tend to have larger and more functional eyes, while cave beings, with nocturnal habits, have smaller eyes. Beings of abyssal and subterranean depths, without surface habits, tend to dispense with the organ.
36.7.4) As for position, there is a trade-off in terms of eye position. As the eyes advance along the face, two fields of vision overlap. It is this overlap that allows you to perceive the depth. Animals with sideways eyes may not have this well-developed depth perception, but they are able to see an extremely wide panorama instead...
36.7.5) Predators, aggressive, and arboreal beings have frontal eyes, as they need depth perception, distance from the target to move and strategize. Meanwhile, beings with organs of side vision tend to be herbivores, defensive and less aggressive, and insects.
36.7.6) The most important aspect of vision is the intensity limits and wavelengths that can be captured by the organ. Seeing the entire spectrum can be a waste of energy, depending on the environment the creature lives in, and nature doesn't accept that, so they see the most useful bands for the environments in which they live.
36.8) IMPROVEMENT OF GROUND - VISION
36.8.1) In the future of the game, the vision can make it possible to search for enemies/animals by the trail. There are games where tracks are highlighted, after the player identifies one of them (The player's AI would highlight the tracks in red in the environment). This is the case in “Days Gone” and “Horizons Zero Down”.
36.8.2) It is easier to track at dawn or dusk, because the luminosity creates shadows that facilitate the visualization of the marks. Muddy and sandy terrain is easier to track. Slowly crouch to identify the trail and then identify the target/animal type. Thus, as in the aforementioned games, it is recommended to implement a key that “expands the sense/puts the character in attention mode – it moves more slowly and expands the sense to search for details in the environment”.
36.8.3) Knowing the anatomy of the local fauna, it is possible to identify the type/species (if the fauna is known) and define, by the footprint on the ground, the approximate size of the animal (distance between steps), the weight (depth) , direction of displacement and whether the animal walks in flocks (presence of more nearby tracks). Following the trail of an animal, it is possible to find other signs, such as feces (which can indicate the proximity of the animal or how long it has been in that location), branches and broken vegetation (height) and the state of health (injuries leave marks of blood on the ground and vegetation). Wind and rain will degrade the tracks and cause the information to be lost over time.
36.8.4) Exploring the senses allows extrapolating the range of abilities to the game's life forms. That way, enemies can have “eagle vision” (high definition over long distances), or 360º vision, which prevents a surprise melee attack... See infrared or in the terahertz range.
36.8.5) The feeling of “cloudiness” or “fogging” can occur as a secondary symptom of illness, this can make it difficult for the character/enemies to focus and aim at enemies, delaying their response time. Elements (weapons, drugs or diseases) that act on this sense can also cause blurring, distortion (astigmatism), photophobia, myopia (difficulty seeing what is far away), hallucinogenic effects, eye pain (taking away the character/enemy of action by the pain response), temporary or permanent blindness. Such effects may or may not be associated with other senses such as loss of mobility/speed/balance/strength... Of course, blind beings are immune to this type of element.
36.9) Middle-range Senses - Hearing
36.9.1) There are life forms that can map the environment with sonar (ultrasound) or smell, however, in space or in environments where the density or composition of the atmosphere is different, the mapping will become useless or will need to be recalibrated. The emission of sound frequencies to map the environment “denounces” the location of the organism. Hearing is a sense of defense. It remains active even during sleep (a noise can wake up an NPC who has sense).
36.9.2) The auditory sense may or may not exist and this depends on the density of the environment in which life develops. Hearing is a system that depends on the propagation of energy, through waves, through a medium (There is no point in having hearing if the life form develops in space).
36.9.3) Low frequency sounds have a shorter range and require larger hearing aids, while beings with higher reception frequency ranges have smaller hearing aids or are able to capture the sound internally, without any external holes. The minimum intensity captured also influences the size of the hearing aid.
36.9.4) The “ears” can be static, with dependent or independent mobility. The size of the ears varies depending on the frequency, intensity captured by the organ and the density of the medium. For surface animals, large ears for smaller frequencies and the size of the ears decreases as the frequency increases/density of the medium increases. In high density environments (aquatic and subterranean), there is a tendency that there are no exposed ears and the auditory organ is hidden in the mouth or in parts of the body. The dolphin has the "hearing device" inside its mouth... Like the mole, the Elephant hears low frequency sounds. It so happens that on the ground, low-frequency sounds propagate over much greater distances, which implies a proportionately smaller size of the hearing aid.
*** The use of sonar-based systems modifies the behavior of creatures that locate themselves by sound. Today, the disorientation of whales and other animals is attributed to the use of this type of equipment. Likewise, humans can be subjected to extremely painful sound experiences.
36.9.5) The sound frequencies emitted by the vocal function (sounds emitted) always have a lower range than that audible by the organism. For example, while hearing picks up frequencies between 20 and 20,000 Hz, the human voice is found between 50 and 3,400 hertz. That is, the voice is a minor function of hearing, as is roaring for feline hearing or barking for a dog. “Deaf” beings do not emit sounds.
36. 10) IMPROVEMENT OF GROUND - HEARING
36.10.1) In the game, a good sound system can indicate the position of enemies through footsteps, noises, dialogues... (for players who have stereo sound). The intensity of the sound, indicating the distance and the frequency of the steps indicate the speed of the enemy/target. It's impossible not to feel the anguish and fear when you hear a large animal or an alien nearby, hunting you.
36.10.2) Another point, as in other games, is that a radar (a system of the suit) can indicate, "inaccurately" the location, direction and distance in which the enemy is... (System of “Days Gone”). The enemy will not have its presence reported on the radar (or on the audio system, if it does not make noise during the approach). Some predators, such as cats, are excellent attackers because they master the art of camouflage, approaching without making noise and acting in a coordinated manner in a group.
36.10.3) Likewise, the character walking through vegetation, in wet areas or bumping into objects can make noises that draw the attention of enemies. This can be indicated by a “noise symbol”. A benchmark of this kind of sense is the game “Days gone”. The character can walk crouching and slower to reduce the noise level, but animals and enemies with very keen hearing, or that are guided by sonar, will hardly be surprised.
36.10.4) The sensation of "buzzing" or reduced sensitivity to certain frequency bands - deafness, can occur as a secondary symptom of diseases, this can make it difficult for the character/enemies to dialogue or detect threats, delaying their response time. Elements (weapons, drugs or diseases) that act on this sense can also cause pain in the ears (taking the character/enemy out of action by the pain response), distortion, misophonia, hyperacusis, phonophobia, hearing loss (difficulty in perceiving low intensity/frequency sounds), hallucinogenic effects (hearing things that are not there), temporary or permanent deafness. Such effects may or may not be associated with other senses such as loss of mobility/speed/balance/strength... (Vertigo). Of course, being deaf is immune to these elements.
36.11) Middle-range Senses - Smell
36.11.1) In this sense, the presence of a breathable atmosphere in the environment is of great importance. If it doesn't exist, meaning becomes useless. Smell translates the chemical composition of the environment into nerve impulses. It is a direct function of the number of olfactory cells in the receptor apparatus, the intensity of the smell and, inversely, the wind speed. Necessarily, the agency must have access to the environment, it cannot be internal.
36.11.2) It is poorly developed in humans, but can still be used for tracking indoors or in low wind. The odor propagates from the source following the flow of air. The distance at which it can be detected is inversely proportional to the intensity of the wind (it spreads slowly in the breeze and remains, while in the wind it dissipates and disappears). This sense appears in “Horizon Zero Dawn”, but, once detected, the trail remains fixed to make tracking possible... This can be improved to give more similarity to reality in Elite.
36.11.3) IMPROVEMENT OF GROUND - SMELL
36.11.3.1) In this case, the position in relation to the target is also important (the detector must be upwind). Once the odor is detected, the AI can mark a “moving gaseous trail” that can be followed. This trail (visual) would become stronger, according to the enemy's distance and position (Horizon Zero Down implements this type of feature in a more simplified way).
36.11.3.2) Likewise, a prey will alter its course and behavior upon sniffing a predator. The predator will speed up the hunt by identifying the target by scent, as it indicates proximity. If you're hunting, stay upwind, if you're hunted, stay with. Enemies and animals can exploit this!
36.11.3.3) Smell is also used to estimate whether a food is in a condition of consumption, how long ago something died, how long ago faeces in a trail were deposited...
36.11.3.4) The feeling of constant "bad smell" or reduced sensitivity can occur as a secondary symptom of diseases, this can make it difficult for the character/enemies to talk to others or make it difficult to detect threats, delaying their response time. Elements (weapons, drugs or diseases) that act on this sense can also cause burning in the nose (taking the character/enemy out of action by the pain response), distortion, repulsion to certain odors (preventing the individual from approaching the source transmitter), olfactory reduction (difficulty perceiving odors, gas, smoke), hallucinogenic effects (chemical element interferes with the sense of sight, hearing and touch/smells smells that do not exist), temporary or permanent absence of smell. Such effects may or may not be associated with other senses such as loss of mobility/speed/balance/strength... (Vertigo). Of course, beings that do not have a sense of smell are immune to these elements.
36.12) Short-range Sense - Touch
36.12.1) Touch is the sense of the skin or the area most external to the body (skin/hair, bark, crust, scales, feathers...) and detects thermal and kinetic stimuli. The mechanical and thermal intensity detected by the sense is inversely proportional to the hardness and resistance of the organ that detects it. Its function is to detect risk or violation of the integrity of the body. Small hairs can be added to increase sensitivity/ Large hairs reduce sensitivity.
36.12.2) Touch, like all other senses, has detection ranges. Eventually, enemies and animals can sense the presence of others by the vibration of the ground, water or even the air and estimate their location... Standing still or climbing on something would be the only solution to avoid an attack (just like the worms of the sand in Dune). They can also be sensitive to heat sources, so that a body that has a thermal signature cannot catch them by surprise.
36.12.3) As with elephants' feet, the keen sense of touch can capture low-frequency waves that propagate through the ground and be able to anticipate landslides, earthquakes, tsunamis and even atmospheric events such as rains, tornadoes and hurricanes. They may also be able to track water sources (rivers and even sources hidden a few meters underground, for example, by the sound signature of the water body). At this level, it almost becomes a sense of premunition.
36.12.4) The skin can give special characteristics to the being, such as interfering with detection by other senses - visual camouflage (chameleon), thermal (against infrared), sound (does not emit sound when moving). In the same way that it works as a shield, moving parts will naturally be more vulnerable to penetration (For example, the skin covering the eyes is always thinner, due to the need for movement/articulation).
36.12.5) IMPROVEMENT OF GROUND - TOUCH
36.12.5.1) In the future of the game, by touch, one can perceive the presence of an intense source of heat (potential risk in the vicinity such as engines, for example...), or the direction of origin of blows and impacts of weapons. .. You can identify the origin of shots that hit the body, by touch. In the game, this sense must be demonstrated visually (e.g. a circle/square around the player's vision, which gets stronger in the damage sense, and when the player is dealing damage, the drawing of the body with the result damage – similar to what happens in Call of Duty).
36.12.5.2) Tactile perception of impacts should reduce accuracy and ability to fire (temporarily modify the character's damping curve). It can cause reflex displacement movements, impairing the aim, for example. On the other hand, this prevents the player from having to turn around and look for where the shot came from or the enemy's position and allows for a faster reaction to seek shelter/protection, moving away, camouflaging or placing obstacles between the player and the enemy. damage source. Call of Duty has an interesting tactile visualization system at this point. When being shot, a signal appears in red that indicates the direction (by the direction) and the force (by the intensity of the red color) of the shot. In this game, there is no loss of accuracy in shooting or reflex movements when taking damage... As there is also no perception of fatigue, this allows for true western challenges during matches (one player faces the other, shoots and wins whoever is the fastest). This ruins the game because players can abandon tactics and strategies and configure the character to be "the flash"...
36.12.5.3) The feeling of constant “tingling” or reduced sensitivity can occur as a secondary symptom of illness, this can make it difficult for the character/enemies to deal with damage, cause louder movement or threat detection, delaying your response time. Elements (weapons, drugs or diseases) that act on this sense can also cause changes in the weight of limbs (reducing the mobility, speed or accuracy of the character/action enemy by the pain response), distortion (the damage input appears tactile on screen with no real source), tactile reduction (difficulty perceiving damage, movement becomes more noisy and clumsy), hallucinogenic effects (chemical element interferes with the sense of sight, hearing and touch), temporary or permanent absence of tactile (character not perceives the damage and the severity of the injuries increases obeying an exponential curve in time – as he does not perceive the damage, he cannot treat it). Such effects may or may not be associated with other senses such as loss of mobility/speed/balance/strength... (Vertigo). Of course, beings that have no tact are immune to these elements (older robot and android models, for example).
36.13) Personal sense of balance
36.13.1) In humans, the “Vestibular Device” works in association with the “Proprioceptive System” and may or may not be associated with Vision - it is the sensory system that allows the individual to perceive the location, position, orientation and inertia ( rotation of the head or limbs) of the body in space, recognizing the force exerted by the muscles and the movement of the joints without using vision. The sensitivity of this system is proportional to the creature's movement speed.
36.13.2) Creatures and enemies that have this well-developed sense are capable of quick movements and acrobatics, as the body takes less time to reach stability after movement or lifting weapons and tools. The lifting of objects, equipment and weapons must obey damping curves and, depending on the state of the character, the weight of the equipment, the distance of target, they may not even achieve stability on the target.
36.13.3) IMPROVEMENT OF GROUND - Balance
36.13.3.1) The implementation of the simulation in this sense would prevent players who "stay" jumping in low gravity, who "move too fast" or who change direction abruptly from being able to have a lot of precision in their shots, a fact that today creates extremely fast combats and anomalous in several games. What is being suggested is that there is a damping time depending on the weight of the equipment and the state of the character (health, stamina, displacement speed, movement speed (inertia), weight of load and of the moved equipment)
36.13.3.2) Another anomalous fact arising from the absence of any simulation in this sense is the “sniper” who pulls the rifle straight into the sights and shoots the target in the head in a fraction of a second. The movement of weapons and tools alters the body's balance patterns and, no matter how good the shooter is, a long-distance shot needs time, concentration, assessment of the conditions of the projectile's path (weather, wind...) and control of the breathing. It takes time for the body to stabilize in position with the tool/weapon and allow for accurate shooting.
36.13.3.3) The feeling of constant “alcoholic imbalance”, the reduction of balance or the delay in the “damping curve” can occur as a secondary symptom of diseases, this can make it difficult for the character/enemies to move, cause more movement noisy or make it difficult to use weapons and elements, delaying your response time. Elements (weapons, drugs, diseases, very sudden movements (being thrown away by a shock wave)) that act on this sense can also cause dizziness (reducing the stability of mobility, speed or accuracy of the character/enemy), excessive noise generation (character loses the standard way of walking, making noise and leaving more tracks), need to reduce the height of the body's center of balance – crouching or crawling (it is impossible to stand up), hallucinogenic effects (feeling of falling, not falling, difficulty with balance...), resulting paralysis from the temporary or permanent lack of balance (character cannot move or stabilize his senses – he needs to sit or lie down). Such effects may or may not be associated with other senses to elements in other senses. Creeping beings are immune to these elements.
36.14) Variable range sense - Perception of electric/magnetic fields
36.14.1) The perception of electric/magnetic fields works in a similar way to hearing (frequency and intensity are directly proportional to distance) and allows enemies and animals to have extremely precise spatial and geographic orientation (migration of birds) in environments with magnetic fields. stable. The absence or the strong variation can cause, in these beings, disorientation or the erratic change of behavioral patterns.
36.14.2) Enemies and animals with this type of perception will not be taken by surprise by beings and systems that have a magnetic or electrical signature (those that have electrical currents passing through wires or neurons, depending on the sensitivity of the sense). One can see (if associated with vision), hear (hear if associated with vision) or feel (if associated with touch) elements that emit magnetic/electrical fields.
36.14.3) Machines, androids and computers can communicate using this kind of sense, perceiving magnetic wave frequencies and transmitting large amounts of information in a fraction of a second.
36.14.4) Organics also use it, but associated with stimuli from other senses (sight, hearing, smell, smaller, touch) and transmitting amounts of information. Cybernetic implants in organic beings can make them able to fully use this sense.
36.14.5) IMPROVEMENT OF GROUND COMBAT – Perception of electric/magnetic fields.
36.14.6) Humans do not have this sense, but an electronic device installed in the brain can be used. Through this, it may be able to listen and interact in a conversation between AIs, interact and estimate the “emotional” state or position of emitting systems and organisms, hack or interfere with electronic devices (open doors, change the image of cameras, modify behaviors of androids, surveillance routines, using deep fakes in communications...).
36.14.7) The inclusion of this sense in humans makes interference and biological hacking possible, both for attacking electronic devices (one can hack things with the mind), and creating the need for defense.
36.14.7.1) The hacking of the device inserted in a human, from an emitting source, may cause, while the individual is within range, the appearance of any of the anomalies already mentioned in the senses (dizziness, blindness, deafness, hallucination, distortion of vision/hearing, reduce mobility...), as well as the appearance of visual, auditory advertisements... Remote monitoring, behavior induction, changes in health and energy readings... Every advantage brings a disadvantage of the same proportion.
*Taking advantage of this feature depends on implementing the cyber warfare suggestions in combat. (See 2.6.1.7) ... The suggestion here is to give the character the option to connect the mind to the network formed by the AI of the Ships, Vehicles and crew so that it can have its functions attacked and defended, in the style "Deus Ex ". So, while one player is fighting ships in the "real" world, another (a Matrix-style operator) can support ground teams and can attack other networks or defend the network to which it is connected.
36.15) Direction of course range - Taste and feeding
36.15.1) Taste is the sense responsible for making the physical/chemical analysis of food and is linked to the physical/chemical interaction of the organism with the environment. Its function is to prevent inappropriate intake of substances.
In the nature of the Earth, what is easy to process (spends little energy to generate more energy) for the human body has a “neutral” or “attractive” taste and smell, while what is not suitable produces an unpleasant taste and smell, in in order to instinctively alienate individuals, even if they have no degree of education.
36.15.2) In humans, taste works in association with smell, sight and memory... Colors or smell can represent bad food. It can be used for description in "scenes" in restaurants/bars and explored in the ability to make medicine for character healing or granting or temporary deprivation of senses and abilities. In this case, “Skyrim” is one of the best benchmarks, with the character being able to recognize elements of flora, collect and make potions in order to recover from diseases, attributes, energy... Or even confer temporary abilities/traits.
Body biochemistry follows, in a simplified way, the system: Mind <> Blood <> Cells.
36.16) Food (The decision of what to eat and in what quantity, on a strange planet)
Can I poison myself or poison a prey/enemy?
36.16.1) In general, it follows that: proteins are used for recovery and regeneration (slow process); carbohydrates as consumption fuel (immediate process); vegetables and fruits, along with hydration, for support (they change the speed of organic processing cycles and can affect the processing of sensory information).
36.16.2) In the process of energy conversion, the human body uses metabolic functions, which can be divided into two main processes: catabolism and anabolism. “No Mans Sky” makes an exaggerated simplification of the process of obtaining energy in other biomes... What no game dares to explore is what a being from another planet would be like interacting with the fauna and flora of our planet, for example. What would be the conditions for him to feed, if he needs to? In the same way, can a human feed on the fauna and flora of another planet? Here's a suggested approach to the topic...
36.16.3) Catabolism is the process of breaking down food into useful molecules and energy (ATP) for later use. Food is not broken down to the basic atomic level, as that would waste energy, but down to a fundamental molecular level, where it can be used in the process to build new useful shapes for the body... Anabolism, which is the process used to body construction. The human anabolic function uses different sources of input, not only food, but also sunlight, essential for the formation of vitamin D, for example, or water, oxygen... This is used to form and reform the body and keep it running. Taking advantage of different sources of energy makes the body more efficient and reduces the amount of food needed to function (freeing up time for activities other than searching for food).
36.16.4) Proteins are an anabolic level of food, and are made up of amino acids. Amino acids are the most basic anabolic level of food. And how does this influence the constitution of organisms?
36.16.5) Every living organism has a library of its cellular functions written in chemical form - DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid), which is a double strip, wound in the form of a helix (a form of information compression), stored in the nucleus of each cell (functional unit of the body). DNA is formed by a phosphate group, a pentose (a sugar with 5 carbon atoms) linked to a “nitrogenous base” (facing the inner part of this “genetic strand”), with the following structure:
36.16.6) DNA is a general guide, a library of cellular functions similar to programming libraries. When a cell needs to perform a function, the section equivalent to that function detaches from the main strand (DNA), creating Ribonucleic Acid (RNA), which represents a fraction of one side of the DNA strand. This single strand (RNA) can travel in search of a complement to create an amino acid.
36.16.7) Monosaccharides are formed by structures that have equal proportions of carbon and water. Ribose has C5H10O5... 5 carbons and 10 “waters” and, in turn, Deoxyribose has one less oxygen atom, a fact that gives DNA (C5H10O4) much more molecular stability. RNA can move around, but it degrades very easily.
36.16.8) All the functions of an organism (skin color, eyes, hair structure, cellular transport processes, cognitive or muscular functions...) are determined by proteins... And human proteins are created with based on genetic information (DNA). DNA is an index of cellular functions (a cellular library) or, an index of proteins that are copied, by a process called "transcription", in the form of RNA... This RNA is used to make the protein by a process called “translation” within the cell's ribosome.
36.16.9) The digestive system breaks down food into nutrients and minerals, which are gradually passed to the blood in the course of digestion. All cells are immersed in the blood medium, a chemical environment administered by brain functions through hormones (endocrine glands are “command centers”, extensions of the brain that command the chemical environment: organs <> tissues <> cells). Hormones control both long-term (body shape) and short-term (behavioral responses) mechanisms:
36.16.9.1) Regarding the form, we have: male/female (testosterone/progesterone); growth (somatotropin); use of calcium - use for bone formation or its reabsorption in the blood (parathormium);
36.16.9.2) And the “behavior”: metabolism (thyroxine and triiodothyronine); chemical energy availability – glucose (Glucagon/ Insulin); hydration level/thermal control (antidiuretic); mood (oxytocin...) and response to dangerous situations (adrenaline)...
36.16.10) Elements ingested, with chains similar to hormones, can deceive the functioning of organs, tissues and cells, however, the DNA of the food does not influence the DNA of the body... Genetic degradation is linked to the lifespan of the RNA ( highly unstable) and the number of times a particular piece of DNA is requested... Viruses can cause changes in RNA and DNA itself. Bacteria only act by modifying the environment in which the cell is, requiring the execution of functions that would not normally be performed (eventually, this causes the cell to die).
36.16.11) What matters are the substances and molecular chains of the food. These basic molecular chains will be associated with DNA, via RNA, to form proteins and perform macro cellular functions (macro functions cellular groups result in tissue behavior). Therefore, transgenic foods are not harmful to health, the problem is associated substances.
36.17) Effects of 2nd and 3rd Order of Feeding
36.17.1) For example, a genetic manipulation was carried out on soybeans to make it immune to a toxic substance, a herbicide called glyphosate, that is, the plant can perform all its cellular functions even with high doses of the herbicide inside. (do not die). The transgenic plant “functions” normally, but accumulates high doses of “glyphosate”, which is potentially carcinogenic and increases oxidative stress (a secondary/tertiary effect) for humans, bees and other organisms... Considering the phenomenon of “bioaccumulation” , the substance makes the plant poisonous and more concentrated at each trophic level of the food chain, significantly altering the ecosystem.
36.17.2) Thus, for the game, it can be said that there will be no problem for the immediate subsistence of consumption of alien or transgenic flora or fauna, if these have a biochemical signature similar to the human and are not associated with harmful chemical additives (we are talking that a human would only consider feeding on a foreign element if he grows up on an Earth-like planet). The digestive system will decompose the food and form the “legos pieces” necessary to use and function from the DNA.
36.17.3) However, second, third, fourth... order effects of feeding must be observed. For example, soy has “phytoestrogen/isoflavone”, which is a plant substance very similar to “estrogen”, the female hormone. Excessive consumption, for some period, by men, is already related to the appearance of gynecomastia, reduction of aggression, infertility, but, on the other hand, protects against heart disease (women are less prone to heart attacks). Likewise, the consumption of bisphenol (bisphenol (from using plastics in the kitchen) or fructose (the correct one would be glucose) is associated with chronic inflammation - obesity, type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance, hypertension, dyslipidemia, heart disease, elevation of triglycerides and hepatic steatosis. They are hidden effects in immediate consumption and appear over time or through chemical concentration (2nd, 3rd or 4th order...).
36.17.4) Such thinking is reflected in a Biblical text, a recipe for what a human can eat, so as to avoid any secondary or tertiary effects (Leviticus 11). It is observed there that the human being must avoid contact with any organism that feeds on beings in a state of putrefaction, even if eventually, garbage or that “reside” in regions that can accumulate toxic substances (mercury, lead...). Today, the process of “bioaccumulation” is already known, by which living beings subjected to a small regional contamination can affect different species of animals, because, once they have entered the food chain, the concentration of poisoning will increase at each trophic level, may result in death, wasting or disease at higher trophic levels in the food chain.
36.18) Diseases
36.18.1) The game “Skyrim”, for example, explores a long-term disease called “vampirism”, when the character is bitten and slowly becomes a vampire, with advantages and disadvantages. No game explores the situation that a substance that does not cause an "immediate" effect, can cause second and third order effects, that is, changes in the character's abilities through consumption, in the long term (changes in physical characteristics such as life, strength, perception (visual and auditory), disposition, speed, reflex, or even the rejuvenation / aging / illness of the character, the development of diseases, cancer, premature aging, reduction of life, strength, perception, disposition, speed, precision or reflex). Likewise, chemicals, drugs, that alter the senses can cause temporary or permanent effects, with or without a known cure. A character's abilities and traits are always static, when in reality they should fluctuate based on decisions and behavior.
36.18.2) On a “strange planet” with even a minimal ecosystem, regardless of the existence of a breathable atmosphere, the protocol should be that a human should always wear a suit, with a helmet, to isolate it. It will communicate via "radios" or "speakers" of the suit and can only feed on elements of the environment after an analysis and sterilization procedure, under penalty of being contaminated with unknown viruses and bacteria. Hence the importance of the ship having a sterilization area. Removing the helmet in an environment means contaminating it and contaminating yourself.
36.18.3) Nothing prevents “organic” elements that contain harmful alien genetic bases from contaminating visitors (viruses, bacteria or parasites), hence the need for what is described in “21.1.32) Decontamination and pressurization room”. Nobody wants to be caught by a virus, bacteria or alien parasite, Thargoid or Guardian, nor be poisoned by elements of the alien flora or flora.
36.18.4) 2nd, 3rd, 4th order effects of diseases
36.18.4.1) When testing a drug, researchers observe its effectiveness in fighting a specific disease, and also look at the occurrence of possible damage to the body. Then they record whether they are moderate or intense, how long they last, and the pattern in which they manifest. These damages are called side effects. The same occurs with some types of diseases that, when contracted, can create the need for amputations, modify the metabolic form, reduce mobility, speed, mental/ senses capacity, breathing capacity, availability of time (given the need for treatments - cancer, hemodialysis... .)... There are also those that require patients to take medicines for life, leaving patients tied to the availability of medicines. This type of problem is not exploited in games, but it should...
*** Today, all research and direction in the game leads to treating aliens as enemies. The Thargoids are enemies and the Guardians are extinct... Is a good alien a dead alien? It doesn't have to be that way...
36.18.4.2) Quests can be created by exploring diseases that have jumped between species; It may be necessary to adapt human technology and study alien biochemistry and anatomy, to treat a human patient or save the life of an alien organism... The danger of inter-species interaction is a vast topic that, if explored, could go far beyond of inter-species combat.
36.18.4.3) A human can land on a planet and contaminate it with a virus that, even harmless to humans, is deadly to native species... This occurred when European societies came into contact with the Indians, in America! Thousands died in direct or indirect contact with Europeans and the diseases brought by them, as they had no immunity. Natural. Influenza, measles, whooping cough, tuberculosis, smallpox and syphilis are some of the evils that have victimized entire indigenous societies. Factions or Superpowers can declare quarantines to planets, to save the native population of organisms/creatures...
36.19) Language, Culture, Society, Science and Technology
Communication is a social element that derives from the anatomy and senses of the way of life. Language is the standardization of communication for a social group of individuals. In the case of humans, vocal and hearing aids are the main means of transmitting information – communication in all peoples works like music, with facial micro-expressions and body movements serving as secondary means of information.
When considering anatomically different life forms, these elements based on sound transmission can be converted/transduced (a type of translation that refers to the process of moving/transposing meanings created in one modality to another modality – from speech to image; from written for the film; from a sound signal to an olfactory sensation...) considering the anatomical elements of the species and the social patterns of signals of the group to which the recipient individual is more familiar. A species with more advanced technology will be able to induce communication elements directly in the neurological system of another species (messages, sounds, dreams, illusions, sensations, odors...), as well as translate the communication to its native patterns, eliminating the barrier anatomical completely.
36.19.1) Culture, Society, Science and Technology vary according to anatomy, as these elements are representations of social responses given to the environment in which a group of beings develops. “Aliens” that only have 3 fingers on each hand will possibly have a base 6 math system (total fingers). Possibly, the philosophy of such a race would consider extreme solutions and only an intermediate alternative to problems. Aliens with 12 fingers, will have a base 12 system and develop numerous solutions for each situation... Science and models of how the Universe works for a species are built, initially, based on its own anatomy. This is because “consciousness” creates a subjective “reality” from the information obtained by the senses (Consciousness creates a “map - simplified drawing”, to navigate through reality).
36.19.1.1) Anatomy influences the development of culture, society, science and technology and, therefore, intelligence (how the organism responds to the environment). Aliens with an "eagle" sense of sight will possibly have very accurate long-distance targeting systems, given that their natural sense is already very advanced.
36.19.2) Egocentrism of human creation - In most works of fiction, aliens enjoy the same senses, at the same level and frequency bands, and practically have the same anatomy as humans... It is not an exaggeration to suppose that they come from similar environments (There is a lot of egocentrism in the culture). As can be seen from the Earth's ecosystems, in fact, this is not the case. What has been demonstrated in the “Thargoids project” is a great success! Congratulations to the development team!!!
36.19.3) Shapes of ships, buildings and their interiors - The first point is that the interior of the ship/suit, in civilizations with less advanced technologies, replicates the structure of the homeworld of the species, that is, humans will create a breathable atmosphere , totally adapted to their needs, in the same way that aquatic beings create a liquid environment, totally comfortable and adapted to the species. In this, a micro ecosystem of viruses and associated bacteria is replicated. In more advanced civilizations, ships can exist without an internal environment, in which the owners enter and their consciousness passes to the control of the ship, the bodies can be absorbed and recreated when necessary, or left in a state of hibernation, prepared for external missions... In the most advanced, the body itself works like a spaceship... It would be something similar to what we see in "Superman".
36.19.4) Technological parity with senses - There is no logic in the existence of visual signals and lighting on an alien spacecraft belonging to a species that does not have the sense of sight, which uses sound, touch or otherwise to locate itself. The ship's communication and signaling systems will be either "music" or fully tactile, and its interior will be completely dark. The external structure is a consequence of technological evolution (a way of understanding the Universe) and the internal structure is a consequence of the senses.
36.19.5) Technological Parity with Anatomy - Likewise, joysticks and control levers must consider creature size, anatomy of hands, arms and legs (if any). The piloting position is constituted by the creature's anatomy and may not be the "sitting in an armchair" as used for humans. It must be considered that the creature can be “standing”, lying on its front, on its stomach, in a fetal position...
36.19.6) In the same way as in human technology, alien spacecraft and vehicle systems may have “artificial or natural consciousnesses”, capable of assisting in piloting and recognizing authorized hosts, enemies, aliens, viruses, bacteria... The ship can even function only with the owner's consciousness "connected" and the control system being totally inaccessible to a human. Thus, it is impossible for a human to pilot a vehicle or spaceship of another species without reverse engineering work, to understand the mechanisms and systems, and reengineering, to adapt the command and control systems.
*** Camouflage is an important adaptation that allows some animals to be imperceptible in the middle and, consequently, to be difficult to prey on... Perhaps this concept evolves technologically, in other intelligent species, to create camouflaged ships like "asteroids, interestelar dust" or... What we see in movie "Moon Fall" or ... In real life "Oumuamua"...
Source: https://youtu.be/sef4YT2s6i4
36.20) Behavior
36.20.1) The behavior observes the same premises set out in 22.2.8, modifying the emotional spectrum (some creatures may demonstrate a greater or lesser range - tones - of emotions than those listed) and the anatomical reactions will be differentiated (for example, a A scared octopus, in addition to the flight/paralysis/attack pattern, changes color - it can go from red to blue; a scared lion lowers its head and walks with its tail between its flexed legs, reducing its height...) .
36.20.2) Something that fails in the “totality” of the games is still pending. Enemies/prey and predators do not have tactical attack/defense behavior. Defensives are limited to moving away and aggressives attack individually, without tactics or more sophisticated group patterns. There are no group vigil behaviors, reaction to surprise, ambush, sound, visual or chemical communication emitted to other members... The games still put the attacker in the extreme advantage scenario, with element of surprise, relief, weather conditions, strength , agility, weaponry... When the advantage, in real combat situations, is almost always the one who defends himself.
(continue)
36.20.3) Group Behavior (Tactical importance of the group)
36.20.3.1) Can we notice these types of behavior in an Elite Dangerous combat zone? Ships NPCs fight in groups or act completely individually, appearing to behave in a group...
a) Are they able to identify weaker and more vulnerable targets to coordinate the attack (concentrate firepower)? (By the way, the radio is muted during combat, limiting itself to messages at the beginning and end of each battle)
b) Do they use larger ships or obstacles in the scenario (space stations, asteroids...) as a shield against the attack of smaller ones (or that smaller ships maneuver around the larger ones to seek protection)?
c) make maneuvers to isolate or attract an individual to a certain area in the combat zone (one ship can serve as a distraction while another/or a squadron positions itself to shoot it down)?
d) coordinate physical impacts to a large ship, in order to make it impossible for it to be able to focus weapons on a target or damage externally exposed elements?
e) There are situations that require escort of specialized ships (in analogy to what is seen in war, for example, a heavy bomber type ship is escorted by fast air defense ships / a ship capable of causing electronic interference in the sensors enemy devices accompanied by air defense ships)?
*** Why not allow ships to use their cargo capacity to load ammunition (torpedoes, bombs or missiles for example... In fact, the existing torpedo and missile systems in Elite Dangerous make them very useless weapons in PVP or long duration – missiles without a guide must have a much higher explosive capacity, capable of destroying a target with 2 hits, at most, almost a bomb... The vast majority of missiles must be guided... Otherwise, the functionality Flare and Chaff would be expanded... Defense/attack drones created to attack very close ships/ to destroy objects that attach to or before direct impact with the hull)?
*** The shock wave resulting from the explosion of a missile close to the hull should cause inertial reflexes (shakes and deviation of trajectory), especially when the shield of the hit ship has already fallen
f) Do NPCs group together to defend a megaship that enters combat as reinforcement, attacking targets closest to it?
g) Do larger ships, in difficulties, coordinate movements or request reinforcements from others?
(continue)
===== Suggestions for improving space combats and for designing Earth-like planets =====
Some of these behaviors only occur in PVP combat. Considering that... What would be the expectation of combats taking place on planets with atmosphere (humidity, wind, weather, clouds, lightning and others atmospheric events...)?
The duality radar ship / Sthealth (enlarged sensors and long-range weapons) / jammer ship (capable of reducing the efficiency of sensors) is not being well explored in Elite Dangerous because:
1) The range of weapons and sensors is too short, with only 6 km range, and weapons with very low damage.
2) There is no way to interfere with an enemy ship's sensors. There are specialized interference aircraft, see aircraft “F18 - EA18G Growler”, aimed at interference and electronic warfare”.
It's no use having long-range weapons and being sthealth if there's a ship capable of interfering with your sensors and making it impossible to lock targets at a distance. It is necessary to make possible the interference in sensors and equipment of the enemy ship... Ships manned by telepresence or piloted by AIs become useless, defense systems, guided missiles lose efficiency...
In a one-on-one combat, with pilots of the same level, it is natural for the most technologically advanced ship to win or have a lot of advantage. When there is more than one ship in each team, a squadron, strategy becomes important!
There will be planets and situations in which the pilot will be forced to navigate, fight and mine by instruments, without visuals... very intense electric/magnetic field variations cause equipment malfunction)... The scenario changes the way you pilot, the behavior of the ship, the weapons and, finally, the group's response! The same is true for combat on land.
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