Creature Stage

Introduction
After a player's creature grows from the cell stage, they leave sea and enter Creature stage, the first 3D stage of the game. At the start of the Creature stage, players evolve their creature from an enlarged version of the player's final cell up to an intelligent species. There are many possible combinations of parts to create near-infinite varieties of creatures. The different creature parts give the creature different abilities. In addition to these abilities you creature has one consequence ability gained by it's behaviour in the cell stage.

During this stage the aim is to gain DNA to increase the size of your brain, with goal of evolving your creature to sapience. The main ways of earning DNA is either by befriending other creatures or by hunting them; your creature's consequence abilities for future stages depends on which you concentrate on, or if you choose a balance between them.

Each time you increase the size of your brain you gain one space in your pack, which you can add befriended creatures to. You can gain a maximum of three spaces to add creatures to. The creatures in your pack can help you befriend or attack other creatures.

Creature parts
Before beginning this phase the player has a chance to edit their cell into a proper creature, albeit with cell parts. The player can also optionally add legs or create a slug. The parts you choose for your creature will decide which base parts you unlock. Similarly, the base parts you use the most will increase your chances of unlocking an upgraded version of that part. If you're going for a particular look you'll need to choose carefully. See each Parts section below for tables listing all the different parts and their DNA cost. More general information on limbs, eyes, hands, weapons and accessory is given at their respective pages.

(Amphibious creatures or other such combinations are not possible, nor are subterranean or arboreal creatures possible. There will be no underwater portions of the game, except for building cities underwater).

The abilities of the creature depends on the parts added in the creature editor. There are 4 combat abilities, 4 social abilities and 5? movement abilities.

Types of attacks are:
 * Bite. Damages target.
 * Charge. Usable only from range. Stuns target.
 * Strike. Damages all nearby enemies.
 * Spit. Usable at range and in melee. Does damage over time to target.

Social Abilities
 * Sing. Granted by mouths.
 * Dance. Granted by feet.
 * Charm. Granted by miscellaneous parts.
 * Pose. Granted by hands.

Also creatures can gain ability to jump, spring or even fly but for a limited time only.

Different body parts are found in bone piles scattered around the world. They can also be gained by being friendly toward Alphas of different creature types.

Parts Available in the early creature creator
Parts in the early creature creator are the same parts that were available in the Cell stage. When constructing a creature in the creature stage these parts are only available at the very beginning of the stage; if you have evolved your creature from the cell stage then only the parts that you unlocked in the cell stage are available. The abilities the parts give in the creature stage are somewhat related to their function in the Cell stage.

Mouths

Filter Mouth Herbivore. 15 DNA Points. Mating Call. Bite Level 1. Sing level 1. Eats Fruit.

Jaw Carnivore. 15 DNA Points. Mating Call. Bite Level 1. Sing Level 1. Eats other creatures.

Proboscis Omnivore. 25 DNA Points. Mating Call. Bite Level 1. Sing Level 1. Eats fruit and other creatures.

Cilia 15 DNA Points. Lets you to jump. Jumping allows access into hard to reach areas.

Flagella 15 DNA Points. Lets you sneak. You can sneak up on creatures or hide from attackers.

Eyes

Beady Eye Lets you see what is going on. 5 DNA Points.

Stalk Eye Lets you see what is going on. 5 DNA Points.

Button Eye Lets you see what is going on. 5 DNA Points.

Jet 25 DNA Points. Lets you sprint. Sprinting increases your speed exponentially for a short time.

Spike 10 DNA Points. Charge level 1. Charge attacks a single target from a distance. You run up and stun them on impact.

Poison 15 DNA Points. Lets you spit at another creature from long range.

Electric 25 DNA Points. Charms creatures.

Legs

Brawnysaurus Speed Level 1. 50 DNA Points.

Phatella Speed Level 1. 50 DNA Points.

Thundercalf Speed Level 1. 50 DNA Points.

Limbs

 * Arms & Legs: The only real difference between the arms and legs are how they look. Each arm and leg segment has a complexity of 1.5 and a cost of 5 DNA. Thus any arm or leg with 2 segments has a complexity of 3 and DNA cost of 10; a limb with 3 segments will have a complexity of 4.5 and DNA cost of 15. The default graspers and feet have 0 complexity and cost 15 or 25 respectively.

Eyes & Senses
You can cover your creation with ears, antennae, eyeballs, pig snouts, and so on. The items that are placed in pairs are automatically arranged symmetrically. In fact, you can make a single pig nose split in half so that one nostril is on one side of your creature and the other nostril is on the other side. Just as with all the other items, you can adjust the angle and size of every eye, ear, nose, and mouth you place.

Weapons
The first column is available in the free creature creator demo.



Mouth

Gaining DNA
Creatures can deal with other species by befriending them or exterminating them. Some species are naturally hostile and cannot be befriended. Once a certain number of particular species are befriended, or killed your creature gains DNA. If you hunted those creatures they will become extinct and no longer appear in your game, if you befriended the creatures then if your brain is large enough you may recruit them for your pack. Either way you may rest at the creatures nest to restore health.

At some stage the player's species will migrate to another part of the continent; reuniting with them is another way to gain DNA points.

After gaining a certain amount of DNA your creature's brain will increase in size. After the first increase in size you can use social skills to persuade other creatures to join your pack. The maximum amount of creatures you can have in your pack increases by 1 each time your brain increases, near the end of the stage you can have 4 creatures in your pack (including yourself). After a creatures brain becomes big enough and they become sentient, the player can enter the Tribal stage.

Consequence abilities
The following table lists the consequence abilities given by the different types of victory in the Creature Stage.

Strategies for Hard Difficulty

 * 5 DNA points can be saved by keeping an eye from the cell stage and not trading in for an eye from this stage. All eyes have equal functionality.


 * The Cell's omnivore consequence ability is the best ability for this stage, as it helps with both attempts to charm creatures and also in combat.


 * When using spit, remember that it helps to be on the same terrain level as your target.


 * If your target is running away, use your spit ability to provoke them to attack.


 * When in the editor, try to remember when you can't afford a more advanced part to replace another, that you'll gain DNA points by selling the older part.


 * When meteors fall from the sky, don't run around in circles--watch for the shadows and avoid them.


 * Try evolving with another species in your pack. When you evolve into the Tribal Stage, those creatures will instantly become your domesticated animals.


 * The farther into the creature stage you go, the more you'll notice that when trying to socialize with another creature, they'll call their other members to socialize with them. An easy way to stop this is to just walk near the creature you want to socialize. Notice how they walk away if you get too close. Use this to "push" them away from their nest to socialize with them more easily.


 * Swimming too far out into the ocean results in an instant death. Look for when the water becomes darker to tell if you can or can't swim there.


 * When your creature is hungry and you can't find food, return to the nest and mate. Your offspring's hunger bar will be completely full.


 * If your creature has hands, they can pick food from tall trees, or pick up items and throw them. Sticks do nothing but annoy the creature you throw them at (even your own species), while shells will stun them for a little while. You can save some throwing items by placing them at your nest.


 * When fleeing from a battle, switch to "Social" stance, pause the game, and double click on your members. When you un-pause the game, your creature will beckon its pack members to follow it, and they will run away from the fight.