DNA

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Sentient Races

The physical make-up of an avatar or citizen's body is determined by its DNA. Factors such as speed, agility, hit points, innate weapons and defenses, and locomotion are all determined by its DNA. The DNA describes all of the physical aspects of creature's body.

A sentient race's DNA is synthesized using the same DNA as the animals.

 In addition to animal species, each planet stores the DNA of one sentient race. When a planet is created, no sentient race is established yet. The first avatar to create a town square on a planet establishes its sentient race to be their DNA.

 When you join the game for the first time, an empire is selected for you. Your homeworld is the capital city of your first empire, if it has a capital when you join, otherwise it will be any city in that empire. While creating a new avatar, the default DNA of your body is set to match the citizen race of your empire's home city. That way you can be just like them, slightly different, or entirely different, your choice.

 When you start the game by creating a new empire, you must configure the DNA of your race. Your DNA establishes the sentient race of your homeworld immediately, before you create a town square. That way you can take your time to find a good location for your first city.

 It is rumored that hospitals are developing methods for manipulating the DNA of player characters. The Shores of Hazeron medical community is hopeful but the prospect of DNA altering weapons presents a bleak misuse of that technology.

DNA Combination

When DNA from two creatures is combined, the result is random based on both DNA. Size values are selected within the range created by the two DNA traits, e.g. hand size 2 combined with hand size 5 results in a hand size from 2 to 5 inclusive. Type values are selected from one of the two DNA traits, e.g. hand type will be one or the other, not something else.

Mutations do not occur. Values do not stray outside the range or types of the DNA that is combined. There is no mutation when identical DNA are combined; that way identical parents will always produce identical offspring.