Project: Oratorio is a survivalistic, horror-based pet game, where you, the leader of your little family, must survive in a world actively trying to destroy you. Possess, mutate, and genetically enhance your creatures as you sift through the remnants of areas once populated with life, and learn that maybe, not everything is as it seems.
As they say, Home is where the heart is. Or would that be Hive is where the heart is? Or would a stomach be a closer comparison? Standard proverbs written by humanoids don't exactly fit the modern sapient virus' needs, but it's close enough for our purposes.
The Hive is both an extension of yourself and your sanctuary. Its presence lets other viruses know that you have your shit together enough that you might be worth dealing with.
So how do you get a Hive?
Flesh in itself isn’t a good building material; a framework is needed. Fortunately for new viruses there are plenty of abandoned buildings just waiting for new occupants. Growing one’s Hive is a strenuous process - first you have to find an acceptable building, then claim it, then feed it biomass so that your influence extends throughout the building. For this reason young viruses are often stuck with their pick of suburban houses, but in the future it may be possible to band together and evict older viruses from their prime locations.
What can you do with a Hive?
[Furnishing]
The Quarantine is full of plenty of left behind furnishings and decorations from the humans, and if you’re particularly skilled or cunning you can acquire quite the variety of trophies (enemy Brawler carcasses, Devourer racks, maybe even the remnants of an enemy Hive…). It’s a literal extension of yourself, why not decorate it?
[Storage]
Keep your stuff safe! Creatures are your pets, or they might as well be, but they’re fragile in their own rights. Mortal, subject to hunger, vulnerable to injuries and death (even occasionally inflicted on purpose), keeping them in a Hive lets you mitigate what damage the world inflicts on them—and damage you might do to them, if you are so inclined.
Thanks to the chaos of the evacuation of humans plenty of awesome things were left behind. Not everything still works, but sometimes it’s better to hold on to something for later rather than let it slip from your grasp.
[Defense]
For those that wish to be involved with PvP*! Invite others to come test your defense and test others’. It’s a good way to train your creatures and gain valuable resources.
Structures and functions
[Mutation Sacs]
Sometimes one's pets just aren't ideal. Just toss them (and anything else that catches your fancy) in to stew, and your creature will come out new and (possibly) improved in just a short time.
[Biomass Storage]
Meat is good, but dead meat is useless to you. Yes, creatures can eat it (and for some, the more rotten, the better), but that’s about it. However, converting creatures, animals, and other living beings into raw biomass and integrating it into your Hive will allow you to keep that biomass fresh and useful for whenever you need it.
[Creature Feeding]
Pets get hungry. When you don’t have time to directly feed them, they can graze on the biomass that makes up part of your hive. It will keep them Satisfied, but not much more - though sometimes that’s really all you need.
[Creature Healing]
Creatures can take damage out in the big wide world outside of your Hive, up to the point of dying! But while safe within your Hive, they will recover and heal up all damage done to them.
[Hibernation Storage]
Sometimes you just need to get away for a bit. Generally creatures’ hunger accumulates and their devotion wavers with the passage of time, but you can also force them to hibernate. They might be a bit stiff when they wake once more, but it will keep them in the same state as when you last left them.
[Mind Storage]
Let’s face it, losing a favorite sucks. With this upgrade you can connect that favorite to your Hive, recording their mind and body. If/when they die, you can build them a new body to play with them once more. The more this option is upgraded, the more favorites you can capture this way.
* Don't worry, PvP is opt-in and you can always change your status later.
And thanks to our new artist Punkocalypse for the lovely concept art!
Are you open for registration/beta/alpha tester yet? I can't find you on google
No, I apologize! As it stands, many of the people on our team struggle with severe health issues and limited free time. We work on it when we can, but the work will be slow-going, unfortunately, for now.
You've mentioned that you plan to add one new line each year. How does this work? If we viruses strive hard enough, could we split off into brand new animals? (EG a virus who owns a boa constrictor being able to mutate the Boidae family?)
Exactly like that, Anon! There are a few lines that are planned for later release tied to plot activities and independent of player actions, but for the most part it can be thought of as the user base buying new lines or new creature types via contributing earned XP. As XP can be used for improving your own virus, bettering your creatures, or as a form of currency with other viruses, it’ll take a lot of dedication to unlock new lines.
The further lines get from humanity and already accessible lines, the more expensive they will be so the Boidae family might be rather pricey, but there’s nothing stopping a player from pouring their points into that option. And if it turns out that only a small portion of user base is responsible for unlocking a new line there will be rewards for them - things like obtaining the new creatures first, or gaining a gene that increases the survivability/efficiency/ability to acquire of the new line.
Hey! I found this just the other night, and honestly, I can't wait! This game sounds so unique and interesting, I'm really excited for it! By any chance, do you have an idea of when this game is set to come out? No rush, I know that big things like this take a LOT of time to make.
Thank you! I can’t predict when the beta will available, we’ve got a lot of things to work on and an absolutely tiny team who all have day jobs. A very ambitious guess would be in a year. Meanwhile, we’re going to try to be better about keeping everyone here informed with updates and concept art!
To: [REDACTED]
From: Cpt. [REDACTED]
Nr: GXR 5513
Date: [REDACTED]
To [REDACTED],
This is a summary of mission report [REDACTED].
1. A brief history of the virus will follow. The virus began in [REDACTED] with reportings of infected in [REDACTED], [REDACTED], [REDACTED], and [REDACTED]. It was swiftly cured and was announced eliminated on [REDACTED]. Following this, more powerful strain, codenamed BETA, resulted in the complete eradication of [REDACTED], IN. Further infected were killed and their bodies contained so that it would not spread. GAMMA arrived shortly after and promptly disappeared without any military action needed. This is wave DELTA, and the containment zone is currently stretching from [REDACTED] to [REDACTED] and following the border of [REDACTED]. The virus appeared sentient and begged for sanctuary. Humanitarian activists protested for the containment of the infected instead of the elimination when scientists were able to establish sentience of DELTA.
2. Currently, there are [REDACTED] infected with [REDACTED] number of individual hives present in the zone. DELTA appears to be capable of creating and mutating to suit the needs of the inhabitants. These are the families that can currently be infected: Corvidae, Felidae, Canidae, Muridae, and the tribe Hominini. Currently we have counted [REDACTED] belonging to Corvidae, [REDACTED] to Felidae, [REDACTED] to Canidae, [REDACTED] to Muridae, and [REDACTED] to Hominini. There are currently three strains of adaptations that have emerged to assist the virus in defending itself and spreading, Oncopoiesis, which presents as [REDACTED], Lepidoplasia, which presents as [REDACTED], and Acanthorrhage, which presents as [REDACTED]. No current medication can kill the virus, and technology is currently unable to detect the virus until it has taken over the body. Scientists have collected samples and are currently studying them at four universities in the following locations: [REDACTED]. Furthermore, [REDACTED] has created an antidote to some of the viral symptoms that present themselves. Researchers are looking into the validity of such antidotes at the following universities: [REDACTED].
3. It is of my professional opinion that the following measures are implemented. A secondary full sweep of the surrounding area is strongly suggested. Current observations suggest that the virus has not been fully contained. There is plausible reason to suggest that the virus may have come in contact with outsiders or that the virus was not properly contained in the first sweep.
TOP SECRET
Page 2
To: [REDACTED]
From: Cpt. [REDACTED]
Nr: GXR 5513
Date: [REDACTED]
Scientists speculate that the virus is completely contained, but behavior observations would indicate there are more infected individuals outside of the zone. Hives are frequently seen watching the gates to the west toward the company [REDACTED]. A complete lockdown of [REDACTED] should be implemented immediately. There is reason to suspect that someone within the pharmacy has poisoned the antidotes sent to help suppress the virus as many hives have been seen to trade for them within what they have established as a bazaar. Currently, all potions have been confiscated from the barracks. To continue along these lines, extra military support and firepower is requested as the numbers of DELTA appear to be on the rise, despite insistence from scientists that the virus is unable to spread in the containment zone. Finally, reaching out to more virologists across the nation should be the final move in order to ensure that proper care is taken to keep the virus contained. An antidote to dump into the local water towers is the most efficient way to ensure that all humans and animals receive the cure.
Sincerely,
Cpt. [REDACTED]
P.S. [REDACTED], you and I have been friends for years. We served together. You said yourself that I have a one-in-a-billion gut instinct. The above are not recommendations. To ensure the survival of your nation and its allies, more care should be given to this matter. Should this matter escalate, I will not hesitate to burn the entire complex to the ground and move into the surrounding areas myself.
[Overheard at the local watering hole between two high-ranking military officers…]
“Do you believe it?”
“I believe that he’s the best officer to handle this.”
“But do you believe what he said?”
“I believe that no one but us should ever know what’s in this letter.”
“Not even the p—”
“Definitely not. He bends over backwards to accommodate this man.”
“And what do we do just in case?”
“We prepare. No one will think twice that we’re just mobilizing more troops to assist him.”
“And the media?”
“Is more concerned with the Activists and those idiot teenagers trying to swallow live goldfish on YouTube.”
[The rest was then lost to drunken giggles and tales of idiocy.]
The pull results are in! The starting four colorations for the canine creatures are: German Shepard, Golden Retriever, Burmese Mountain dog, and Rottweilers. Please note these are only the starting colors, there will be more to come.
Stay tuned to learn how coloration works in the project!
The cat had more or less been adopted as a neighborhood cat. Everyone fed it, but it always seemed to circle back to you. It slept in your garage, meowed for you at feeding time, and played in your yard all the time. It was probably because you've always had mild allergies. That was how cats worked, wasn't it? They always went to the one who was allergic. It was in the cat creed or something. You're sure of it. You had seen Simon's Cat a few times on social media.
But it hadn't come around much these last few weeks, and you're starting to get worried with the virus spreading. Had it caught the virus? You hoped not. Despite your best efforts, you got attached, and you looked forward to spending a little time each day outside with it. It sure beat hanging around with other people, and it was nice to find an animal that appreciated being an asshole as much as you. You had bonded gossiping about your neighbors, the way it would watch you as you spoke and meow with you as if to agree. There was so much to the dumb beast that you had fallen in love with it. Now it wasn't around and you wonder if it found a forever home without you. Damn your allergies.
One day you get home from work, bone-tired and waiting for the weekend as you dread the coming workday. You pull your car up and park, and a cat the size of a bobcat sits on your stoop, cleaning its paw and wearing familiar markings. You frown. Could it be your cat? It was much too big, and you're pretty sure after two years of caring for the animal that it would have stopped growing by then. Yet, when you step out of your car, its gaze snaps to you, and you find it quite familiar. It's eyes are the same, after all, and the tuxedo markings are too distinct. You hover for a few seconds by the car, unsure if it really is your little asshole. It meows, then gets up and paces over to you, brushing against your legs. When you offer your hand, so tentatively, it licks you, bites your hand in that friendly manner it did, and you smile.
"Hey there, asshole," you said, grinning when it meows at you.
You spend the rest of the day outside with it, showering it with treats and playing with the toys you had bought for it. It isn't until bedtime that you realize your eyes aren't watering for once.
The next day, there's a knock at your door. You debate not opening it when you hear them shouting that they're with US military. With dread, you wonder if that virus you heard about was finally here. Opening the door gives you such a shot of anxiety, your stomach dropping out, your blood pounding, everything screaming at you to run and you can't because they'll kill you, undoubtedly. You crack open the door, and the man introduces himself, saying that they caught your cat. How did they know it was yours? They had been tracking it, apparently, and that's why they were here. They needed your help to get it into detainment. You offer a tiny smile. At least they weren't going to kill it.
When you see it, however, cornered in a back alley, you gasp. It had another pair of legs now and had grown even bigger.
The virus, your mind whispers insidiously. You were face-to-face with the virus.
When you snapped out of your shock, you realized that the virus was rubbing against your legs. You jerk, surprised, looking into its eyes when it looks up at you and meows. It bites your hand all friendly-like again, standing up to wrap its paws around your neck and you realize that you're getting a bath by warm, wet, virus tongue all over your eyelids, your cheeks, your mouth, your forehead. When it drops back down and you crouch to pet it so that you can help lure it into detainment, you unthinkingly lick your lips.
Threat Level: Low, Medium when they can ambush
Rarity: Common
Temperament: Even
Intelligence: Cat
Whiskers: Delightful
Stalkers are a first stage metamorphosis of the Felidae line, and the most common. Just like the domestic house cat they are usually created from, stalkers are great (and occasionally excessive) hunters, and will happily bring live and mangled prey back to their masters.
Thanks to the commonness of house cats, stalkers are often a virus's second metamorphosis. Stalkers are slightly harder to keep than harriers, but viruses that favor them swear they are less needy while still being just as effective.
These creatures are created from cats, both large and small. Even a house cat can become a serious threat, growing to approximately 3 feet tall at the shoulders. The most notable alteration is a doubled spinal column from the neck down, with each spinal column bearing a set of forelimbs. Depending on if the first set of forelimbs is on the left spinal column or the right, the stalker can be considered left or right handed, respectively.
Like harriers, stalkers get their name from their hunting methods. Stalkers are consummate ambush predators and will partner up with another stalker, preferably one of the opposite handedness. Stalkers began appearing after harriers, and are thought to have been designed to be a counter to the growing harrier packs.
Keeping stalkers isn't challenging. They are obligate carnivores, and while they will take biomass and stored meat, they prefer live prey. Keeping them happy requires keeping them well fed and with a partner to curl up with; like house cats, they prefer to sleep for most of the day. As for loyalty... stalkers' loyalty has to be won with patience, kindness, and food, but once won stalkers prove to be loving creatures to their masters.
He was still hungry. Always hungry. Always needing to eat. You met him a while back, when you had stumbled blearily into the containment zone. Your head was stuffed with cotton, and you could hear the pleasant hum of the other humans who have started to live with you. It's warm and humid inside of your hive, the term that you've given it, and every time you go to rest, you couldn't think of anything better than being surrounded by your fellow mates. Your memories of panic are long behind you. You're not sure why you fought the virus. It's such a wonderful thing to have.
You offer out your food to the poor rat. You can hear the sadness emanating from him even through your hive. He gives you a trinket that sends a fissure of pleasure down your spine, the virus pleased at what you've gotten. He seems worse than normal. You don't know him well, and rumor has it that he just goes by "Sadsack," courtesy of that asshole not too far away who always looks a little spooked when you mention the poor rat.
You press to see what's wrong. He shrinks into himself a little bit. You push a little harder and offer him your own meal to try to lure out the story. You had been hoping to take that meal with you next scavenging mission, but something tells you that he might want a little extra food today. As he rummages around his pile of scavenged items, he presses into your hand a chipped rat tooth. He turns to the food and devours it, stumbling over his words as he chews.
"Take care of that hive of yours," he whispers. "Don't lose'm. They deserve better." His words all slur together, vague memories of being drunk but wouldn't that be ridiculous for a rat to be drunk? "It's hard."
You consider inviting him back to the hive for a bath, immediately flinching as the virus within you protests the intruder. The thick clumps of dirt in what you can only guess was a white coat blend seamlessly in with the growths that he seems to have. He deserves better. He helped you out when you were just starting, gave you advice on how to make your hive grow and helped keep you fed when your stores were bare. He needs a new hive but he seems so reluctant. From what he told you, perhaps he lost a hive before. Or maybe he was kicked out? That was more plausible. You had watched other hives fight amongst one another. Maybe he had run from a starving hive. It would certainly explain why he was so sad all the time.
As you amble away, you ponder such things and hope that maybe one day he'll get his own hive.
Hello everyone! We’re currently looking for Freelance Illustrator(s).
Illustrators are needed for a wide range of assets including creatures, mutations, humanoids, objects, and environments. Applicants demonstrating 2D cel-shaded style similar to our current art style will be reviews with priority.
Responsibilities
create and deliver .psd files as specified
regularly demonstrate work in progress
actively participate in online team environment
Required Skills and Experience
must be familiar with Photoshop CC and experienced with masks, layers, and templates
understanding of proportion, anatomy
Application
To apply, please email [email protected] with the subject line “Freelance Illustrator”. Please include a link to an updated portfolio of your work, and please state your availability and rate.
Hello everyone! We're currently looking for Freelance Illustrator(s).
Illustrators are needed for a wide range of assets including creatures, mutations, humanoids, objects, and environments. Applicants demonstrating 2D cel-shaded style similar to our current art style will be reviews with priority.
Responsibilities
create and deliver .psd files as specified
regularly demonstrate work in progress
actively participate in online team environment
Required Skills and Experience
must be familiar with Photoshop CC and experienced with masks, layers, and templates
understanding of proportion, anatomy
Application
To apply, please email [email protected] with the subject line "Freelance Illustrator". Please include a link to an updated portfolio of your work, and please state your availability and rate.
And according to the poll, there is a slight preference towards Friday night - Saturday time frame for updating times, so for now we’ll try that and see how it goes!
Viruses, in general, don't stray far from their host species. They may have a cycle where they go from host species* to carrier species** and back to host species, but for the most part they stay as they are.
This virus is different. Very, very different.
Originally, its creator designed this virus to target humans and animals they stay in close contact with to ensure survival; the rats and crows that scavenge from them, and the cats and dogs that share their homes. However, while these are the main source of infected creatures, there's nothing preventing the virus from evolving to take on new creatures. Maybe it goes rural so that livestock are on the menu. After all, who doesn't want to see Dolly the sheep taking on even more clones of itself? It's possible that it takes an aquatic turn and plunders the bayous and swamps for new hosts so that those alligators in the sewers suddenly take on a whole new level of dangerous and you find yourself fearing them instead of Pennywise. Though even that sounds silly. Maybe it follows humans as they try to escape into the polar caps and penguins and polar bears are no longer the cute, cuddly critters of soda pop commercials, and instead the terrors of nightmares you never dreamed possible. Again, the virus seriously loves humans.
In the end, it will come down to the players and how they choose to play. Ideally, at least one new line will be added a year, provided the players invest in researching and paying for it with the treasures they earn from the scavenging their minions, I mean pets, do. If you choose to hole yourself up in your nest and never venture forth except for food, well, the virus will adapt to stay there. Feeling more adventurous? Send your crow into the forest and let the nervous deer carry your strain away to new lands.
Creature lines aren't just based on household pets, if you don't let them be. They might encompass the entire Taxonomic Family rank:
Canidae - the family of canines, of wolves and dogs and foxes. Harriers are created from this line
Corvidae - the family of crows, ravens, and jays. Flyers are created from this line
Felidae - the family of felines. While most found are former house cats, there are the rare reports of lions and tigers in the hives of wealthy viruses. Wouldn't that just be cool to have Hobbes waiting at your cave entrance to lovingly destroy whoever comes too close? Stalkers are created from this line.
Hominina - Yes, us. In fact, the virus loves us so much that the only examples of the tribe Hominina have been seen infected. It's left our monkey relatives behind at this point to target what should be the smarter and more predatory of the various lines. Walkers, runners, crawlers, and devourers are created from this line.
Muridae - the family of rats, mice, and rodents. You'd be surprised at how many of the rare but powerful hive rulers have come from this line. Of course, when there's so many of you bound together... and they do say that two heads are better than one...
While it is possible to keep your creatures as the base animal that is infected (ie, keeping your rat as a rat, or your dog as a dog), many viruses choose to metamorphose their new pets into stronger and more powerful forms. Not many things survive without changing! All animals adapt, and bacteria and viruses are no exception. However, for now, there are two paths that can be followed: a default and a form that can be unlocked via special actions. A map of the starting lines and metamorphic paths is shown above.
While metamorphosing is not required, it must be remembered that there is no going back, and that the process is not without its risks. Pick your poison.
* Where the virus wants to be
** How the virus gets from one preferred host to another
Make sure you remember to vote in the harrier poll if you haven't yet! Voting closes at Dec 16th, 11:59 EST.
You loved Fido. This was the dog that greeted you every day that you came home from your daily tasks, licking your face and making you feel like the king of the world. This is the dog that would rest his head in your lap when you were watching TV or would let you cry into its coat while you sobbed your feelings out to it. It was the dog that would snuffle under the table begging for the scraps that you would sneak when you were sure Mother wasn't watching. You loved to spend your time cuddling, or playing, or feeding, or talking to it. This animal had been your saving grace, your best friend, your love for life, and you couldn't imagine life without it. It had fallen ill not too long ago, and you had been worried about it for a long time. The vet's bills were piling up as you tried various pills and cures, but it never seemed to get any better. Recently, even its usually joyous reunion with you when you come home from work was less-than-eager, trudging up to you and placing its snout in your hand.
Today, however, it hadn't even barked weakly when you came home. Fearing the worst, you start running about the house, praying that your dog isn't dead. Sick or no, you need that dog. It's been your best friend for years. there was no way something as silly as a sickness would take it from you. As you ran into the bedroom where it slept usually, you came to a screeching halt.
Sickening horror settled in your gut, crawling up your spine and leaving you with a chilly, crawling sensation in you when you walked in and saw your dog growling at you. It's eyes were glazed, and it didn't seem to respond to your presence.
"Hey there, buddy..." you tried tentatively, "what's wrong?"
It watched you carefully, drool falling from its lips. Again, you're drawn to its eyes: hazy, cloudy, and in half a second you expected it to start foaming. That was all you could think of, really, that the dog had contracted rabies and somehow you never noticed. How had Cujo become your life?
In all fairness for not noticing, however, the virus had taken up most of your attention with the worldwide media going ballistic over it.
Fido raised his head, his mouth opening to growl a little wider, and you gasped when you saw his lower jaw splitting, thinking vaguely of The Thing as it split the dog open. Oh, god, what if you are dealing with the thing? Was that even possible? It was just a bad movie! There was no way that you could have a monster growing in your house. Nausea rolls through your gut as you watch the teeth appear, drool dripping onto the carpet as the mouth splits wider, and wider, and wider, and it just keeps going well into the chest. This is not your Fido, the dog that loved, loves, and will love you forever. This... this is...
The virus. The monster. The destroyer. The twisted atrocities that you've seen on the news are no longer just in the back of your mind: they're in your town, on your doorstep, in your house, and it has come to take you to Hell and bring you into those hives to sacrifice you to the queen in order to keep the thing alive.
The moment it leaped at you, mouth gaping wide splitting down its chest, you vaguely think that maybe Cujo would have been better to handle...
Threat Level: Low
Rarity: Common
Temperament: Eager to Please
Intelligence: Dog
Tail: Waggy
Harriers are a first stage metamorphosis of the Canidae line and the most common of all the species that the virus infects. Just like the domestic dog that they are usually created from, harriers posses a fierce devotion to their masters and family--to the hive that they belong.
In fact, harriers are often a virus's first metamorphosis. Between the wide availability of domestic dogs and harriers' temperaments, many viruses consider it near impossible to go wrong with harriers. They often serve as scouts and hunters for a hive; although comparatively, few virus' choose harriers as their avatars because of their commonality and basic build.
They are approximately 3 feet tall at the shoulders, no matter the breed or species from which they came. Signs of their original form are hinted at via their coat and eye colors as well as tail and ear shapes, but otherwise their bodies are altered to better fit their new purpose to serve the hive. The most notable alterations are bifurcated lower jaws that extend down their chests yet remain totally function for hunting.
Harriers get their name from their hunting/feeding methods. If left to their own devices, harriers will hunt in large packs of up to twenty individuals with one or two at the lead as many packs of wolves do. Once they find a target, they will ceaselessly chase it, taking turns to sprint in close to rip off a bite before backing off, as piranhas are often (falsely) portrayed. To harriers, the chase is just as important as the kill.
Keeping harriers is relatively easy. They don't have special diets and will take biomass, stored meat, and live prey. Keeping them happy is as easy as giving them a bit of exercise and maintaining a hive size of +4 individual creatures (harriers get lonely without a pack). As for loyalty, harriers start off loyal, and it takes long-term poor treatment in order to break that trust.
Above pictured are a black and tan German Shepard harrier, and a dark Golden Retriever. As harriers can be made from animals from the Caninae family, future coat colors may include wolves, any dog breed, foxes, coyotes, and jackals. Our goal is to start with 3 common colorations, and one uncommon coloration. That said, please take the poll below and chose the 3rd common coloration!
Harrier Coloration Poll
We're experiencing some technical difficulties. Currently, my laptop is in the process of giving up, and so Photoshop does not always choose to work. I apologize in advance for this irritant and every one that follows. Please enjoy this Teaser instead of your previously scheduled Creature Feature.
[Gameplay Teaser: Permanency]
Most people are driven by a desire to make a difference in the world in their own way--whether through the manipulation of data or manipulation of people. The mark, however small, is a permanent effect upon the world to show that you were here. Here in Project: Oratorio, we're striving to make sure the world reacts to what you do.
As many midlife crises focus on, everything dies eventually whether or not you've left your mark. Though as a virus... perhaps... there are certain ways around that. So long as there is a single creature infected, you are alive. So long as you have at least a single reservoir*, you are alive. So long as you tend your hive, you are alive. Failure to keep these simple requirements results in the eventual degradation and eventual death of your hive -- leaving it free for others to plunder for what riches you have collected. You may live forever. Your creatures... well...
Your creatures won't. If they take too much damage, if they aren't fed enough, if they feel too overcrowded, then they die. With the world as your oyster, however, you might force them into dormancy as they linger in the back of your hive, waiting hopefully to eventually be pulled from suspended animation for revival. Some creative viruses have even managed to automate the process if they need to tend to other matters far away. Perhaps they eat you out of home and hive. You could cultivate a slow metabolism mutation to force them to slow down.
Nevermind that a slow metabolism means healing is not nearly as fast, but there are ways around that too. All you care about is having that many creatures, right? What good would their health be to you as you pack them into your hive like sardines? Surely there's nothing too bad that can come of that.
Perhaps you're one of those people that forget that your creatures will remember how you treat them. Forget that your creatures hold grudges. Forget that your creatures might rise up against you. It doesn't matter that to you that if you abuse them, they may wither in your care, weakening physically. If you starve them, they may become ravenous beasts, always hungry and fearing they will never get a bite to eat again. Just keep in the back of your mind that they will share information with newcomers, giving them expectations that can be hard to overcome, leaving them unsettled that you are not the one that will bring them into a flourishing future. If they're still alive to give that information, that is.
Not only do the creatures remember, but the others that already populate the world remember your actions, aware of both positive and negative interactions. Imagine then, if you will, pissing off the Black Market Merchant -- he might refuse to sell anything to you. Everyone knows, though, that humans are stupid creatures, and as humans have a hard time telling viruses apart you may only have to change your avatar to be able to buy objects once more. Be careful; getting your avatar's appearance blacklisted might affect other players who have similar looking avatars, and an inter-player war is something that will leave you brutally devastated when the others' creatures start to come for you.
On the other hand, creatures that are treated well will flourish under your care.You might have creatures that love you so fiercely that they willingly go to their deaths. You might be able to persuade them to do things they wouldn't others want to tend to -- after all, you've proven yourself a worthy leader. Letting them build experience with you will make them stronger, smarter, more skilled. It will make them better. It will make them the best. You have the opportunity to train them to be better fighters, better defenders, better hunters. Isn't that what you want, too? To be able to overcome whatever this harsh, cruel world will throw at you to take your creatures from you? To take over the world and kill everything that stands in your way?
This is your chance.
The mark you leave is entirely up to you.
(*an asymptomatic carrier that is not counted as part of your hive, essentially a living backup for your virus)
Hi there! Welcome to Project: Oratorio. I'm the lead developer, Chimeric. In continuing with lore from last week I wanted to talk to you a bit about the virus. Seems appropriate to discuss what the game is actually about, doesn't it? It's worthwhile to note that this blog will be developed with large input from you, so please make sure that you vote down below to give me a direction for the blog post next week!
As the player, you are the virus. Well, that's partially correct. Technically, you control a viral super-organism that acts as an individual outside of its "pets." However, you are just as crucial to your creatures' survival as they are to yours. Consider it like a termite mound: within this mound there are thousands and thousands of individual termites, always working and always building. Without their mound, however, what are they? They're food, is what they are. Prey for hungry critters always lurking on the outskirts and ready to strike. Without that mound, they are nothing but a bunch of bugs waiting to be squashed. You are that mound. You are the queen. You are the one that keeps your colony going.
As the virus, genetics are your toy. You can swap your own traits to enhance gameplay or mutate your creatures again and again to improve their abilities... or just because you feel like it. Survival is your only goal, but there's nothing restricting the how. Your creatures might be your life, but it's up to you what you do with them. Some choose to pamper them, spoil them with their favorite foods, dress them in pretty outfits, decorate them until claw and fang are hard to see. Others use them as fodder, throwing them in fights again and again until they're used up and then feeding them to the freshest batch of creatures to repeat the cycle all over again. But just like the termites, these creatures may fight back--although, there are ways around that.
As the mound, you are a part of a colony. Around you, other people with the same lineage and strains will build up around you, ready to fight, ready to defend. That's not to say that you are friends. Oh, no, that could yet be quite the opposite, but there are others for you to fall back on, to help you build up, to help ensure that your viral strain is the one that comes out on top. For some, this will be a survival game. For others, this will be a game to dominate. After all, nothing really wants to die, does it? This virus? This virus wants to thrive.
Visit the poll and let us know what you want to hear about next!
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