Using DeepSeek gives us a way to create new races for our games

[Lssss]

Here are his words
The Mycelith - Fungal Symbiotes of the Storm
Expanded Design Document for Against the Storm

Origins & Lore
Background:
Born from the mutagenic fusion of human refugees and the Blightstorm’s toxic spores during the Scorched Queen’s experiments, the Mycelith are a symbiotic species of fungal-humanoids. Their bodies are biomechanical hybrids—part flesh, part bioluminescent mycelium—that thrive on decay. Once used as living tools to cleanse corrupted zones, they rebelled by weaponizing their connection to the Blight, now seeking to dominate the storm rather than succumb to it.

Key Narrative Hooks:

Their fungal networks "remember" the Queen’s cruelty, manifesting as hostility toward Royalist factions.

Mycelith leaders are called Spore Speakers, who commune with the storm itself through hallucinogenic rituals.

Their ultimate goal: Convert the Smoldering City into a gargantuan fungal hive, ending the cycle of expeditions.

Core Mechanics
1. Symbiotic Infestation System
Infesting Glades:

Mycelith workers can spend 10 Spore Solutions (see §2) to infest a glade over 2 minutes, transforming it into a Spore Haven.

Spore Havens provide unique resources:

Blightcap Mushrooms (food that reduces Hostility when consumed).

Mycelial Cores (replaces building materials, harvested at 1/30s).

Living Resin (used for advanced structures).

Cost: Each infested glade increases Passive Hostility Gain by +15% permanently.

Decay Mechanic:

Non-infested glades within 3 tiles of Spore Havens slowly accumulate Blightrot (+1/2 mins).

Mycelith units are immune to Blightrot penalties but cannot purge it—forcing strategic isolation of infested zones.

2. Toxin Conversion Economy
Spore Solutions:

Crafted at Spore Reactors (1 Blightrot + 1 Water = 3 Spore Solutions).

Functions as food, medicine, and fuel for Mycelith, but other races suffer -3 Sanity/minute when near it.

Depriving Mycelith of Spore Solutions triggers Sporification: Workers transform into immobile fungal mounds, requiring 5 Resin to restore.

Blightrot Dependency:

Mycelith buildings operate 30% faster during Blightrot Crises.

Every 10 Blightrot in storage grants +5% global production speed (capped at +50%).

3. Living Architecture
Construction Rules:

All buildings cost Mycelial Cores instead of planks/bricks/fabric:

Basic: 3 Cores

Advanced: 5 Cores + 2 Living Resin

Structures decay, losing 10% durability every storm cycle. At 0%, they spawn a Blight Slime enemy.

Repairing requires assigning Mycelith workers (1 worker = 1 durability/10s).

Unique Buildings:

Building Function Risk
Hypha Nexus Accelerates villager speed by 40% in connected glades. Spreads infestation to adjacent glades every 5 minutes.
Rotspire Tower Launches spores to delay Hostility events by 2 minutes. Next event gains +50% severity.
Veinroot Farm Grows Blightcap Mushrooms without infesting glades (slow rate). Drains 1 Spore Solution/minute.
4. Storm Synergy
Storm Phase Benefits:

Spore Activation: All production/build speeds +50%.

Blightrot Harvesting: Gain 1 Blightrot per 30 seconds in infested glades.

Post-Storm Penalties:

Each Spore Haven spawns 1 Blight Slime (scaling with Hostility level).

Blight Slimes prioritize attacking non-Mycelith units and non-infested glades.

Faction Interactions
Synergies
Lizard Clans:

Mycelith can convert lizard meat into Spore Solutions at 2x efficiency.

Lizards gain +2 Sanity when stationed near Spore Havens.

Frogfolk:

Infested glades boost Frogfolk’s Hydroponic Farms yield by 20%, but accelerate water pollution.

Antagonisms
Humans:

Human workers in infested glades suffer -20% speed and spread Spore Sickness to others.

Trading with Humans costs +50% Amber due to their distrust.

Beavers:

Beaver-built structures decay 50% faster in Mycelith settlements.

Beavers refuse to interact with Spore Solutions.

Meta Progression & Upgrades
Smoldering City Upgrades:

Fungal Dominion (Seal Cost: 8): Spore Havens no longer increase Passive Hostility.

Necrotic Symbiosis (Seal Cost: 12): Blight Slimes now defend your settlement during storms.

Queen’s Bane (Seal Cost: 15): Gain 1 Spore Solution every time Hostility increases.

Prestige Mode Adjustments:

P10+ Challenge: Spore Havens now spread infestation to all adjacent glades automatically.

P15+ Bonus: Blightrot storage caps removed; global production bonus scales infinitely (1% per 5 Blightrot).

Balance Considerations
Early Game: Risk of infrastructure collapse from decay encourages aggressive glade infestation.

Late Game: High Hostility from infested glades offsets production bonuses, requiring careful crisis management.

Counterplay: Opponents (in multiplayer) can exploit Blightrot by forcing Mycelith into overproduction spirals.

Visual & Audio Design
Settlements: Buildings pulse with bioluminescent veins, with spore clouds drifting from rooftops. Roads appear as glowing mycelial networks.

Units: Mycelith workers leave temporary fungal trails while moving. Spore Speakers emit a low, resonant hum.

Storm Effects: Lightning strikes cause infested glades to burst with temporary spore geysers.

Playtest Scenario
Objective: Survive 3 years with 12+ Mycelith population.
Modifiers:

Blightstorm Brewing: Start with 3 Spore Havens and 20 Blightrot.

Hostile Mycelium: Non-Mycelith races decay 2x faster.
Win Condition: Erect a Spireheart (endgame structure requiring 20 Resin + 30 Cores).
Loss Condition: Let 3+ glades become fully infested by Hostility-triggered fungal growth.

This design leans into Against the Storm’s risk/reward philosophy by making environmental corruption a tool rather than purely a threat. Would you want to iterate on specific systems like the decay mechanic or Spore Solution economy next?



I personally find this idea interesting

[Lssss]

Unique Buildings:

Building Function Risk
Hypha Nexus Accelerates villager speed by 40% in connected glades. Spreads infestation to adjacent glades every 5 minutes.
Rotspire Tower Launches spores to delay Hostility events by 2 minutes. Next event gains +50% severity.
Veinroot Farm Grows Blightcap Mushrooms without infesting glades (slow rate). Drains 1 Spore Solution/minute.

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[The Renderer]

I doubt dreaming up ideas is a big problem, it's making them balanced and implementing them.

[arjensmit79]

The most interesting thing about it is how a word predictor can generate stuff that makes it seem like it actually understands how the game works. (at least to a degree, not enough to make well balanced suggestions).

I have experimented a little with chatgpt myself where i would ask it "to write a ♥♥♥♥ you answer from Tutanchamon to the author of Ozymandias". And i got myself some poems with the same structure as ozymandias where chatGPT seemed to understand the meaning of ozymandias and wrote a perfect ♥♥♥♥ you answer to it.

AI is so amazing. Its of course confirmation bias on my deeply atheist beliefs, but this sort of stuff makes me wonder if we aren't basically predictive AI's ourselves. And when those AI's are gonna show self awareness, if that is any less real than the awareness we tell ourselves we have ?

[Dracthor]

Originally posted by arjensmit79:

The most interesting thing about it is how a word predictor can generate stuff that makes it seem like it actually understands how the game works. (at least to a degree, not enough to make well balanced suggestions).

I have experimented a little with chatgpt myself where i would ask it "to write a ♥♥♥♥ you answer from Tutanchamon to the author of Ozymandias". And i got myself some poems with the same structure as ozymandias where chatGPT seemed to understand the meaning of ozymandias and wrote a perfect ♥♥♥♥ you answer to it.

AI is so amazing. Its of course confirmation bias on my deeply atheist beliefs, but this sort of stuff makes me wonder if we aren't basically predictive AI's ourselves. And when those AI's are gonna show self awareness, if that is any less real than the awareness we tell ourselves we have ?

This is why i'm always polite. Just in case. Lol

[Lssss]

Originally posted by arjensmit79:

The most interesting thing about it is how a word predictor can generate stuff that makes it seem like it actually understands how the game works. (at least to a degree, not enough to make well balanced suggestions).

I have experimented a little with chatgpt myself where i would ask it "to write a ♥♥♥♥ you answer from Tutanchamon to the author of Ozymandias". And i got myself some poems with the same structure as ozymandias where chatGPT seemed to understand the meaning of ozymandias and wrote a perfect ♥♥♥♥ you answer to it.

AI is so amazing. Its of course confirmation bias on my deeply atheist beliefs, but this sort of stuff makes me wonder if we aren't basically predictive AI's ourselves. And when those AI's are gonna show self awareness, if that is any less real than the awareness we tell ourselves we have ?

yeah, in recent years, the rise of ai is faster than the previous hundreds of years, I often joke with friends that war, the rise of ai, bacterial diseases, natural disasters, no matter what the future apocalypse will come, at least I have 10 cans of cans ready at present