Genetics/Basics
Creatures in Project Gorgon using the Genetics system have genes which control their physical appearance, stats, and abilities. These attributes can be modified by either one gene or a collection of genes. A single gene can also influence multiple attributes.
A creature’s genes are organized into ten chromosome rows, each with up to ten groups of four genes. All creatures of the same anatomy type share a map of possible genes and numbers of groups per chromosome.
Terminology
Notation Styles
In-Game Notation: How genes appear in-game. Uses <three symbols here>.
Text-File Notation: How genes appear in exported text files. Uses D, R, x.
Player Notation: A method developed by Animal Husbandry players. Uses X, o, t.
Genes
Genes are two-part genetic markers which influence the attributes of a creature. Every gene can be Dominant, Recessive, or Mixed based on its two halves.
Dominant genes: Dominant genes influence the attributes of a creature by <this>. Dominant genes can also be called Double-Dominant, because both parts of the gene are Dominant parts.
- Dominant genes are notated by a <solid circle symbol> in-game, a D in text-file notation, or an X when using player notation.
Recessive genes: Recessive genes influence the attributes of a creature by <this>. Recessive genes can also be called Double-Recessive, because both parts of the gene are Recessive parts.
- Recessive genes are notated by a <empty circle symbol> in-game, an R in text-file notation, or an o when using player notation.
Mixed genes: Mixed genes are genes which <do this>. Mixed genes have a Dominant and a Recessive half. Mixed genes usually behave like Dominant genes for purposes of influencing attributes of a creature.
- Mixed genes are notated by <target symbol> in-game, an x in text-file notation, or a t when using player notation.
Identification
To aid communication between Animal Husbandry players, a system of genetic notation is used which identifies a gene or group of genes through Chromosome (row) and Group (column) positions.
Chromosome: A term used to describe a row of genes. Arthropods have 10 Chromosome rows.
Group: A term used to describe a grouping of 4 genes in a Chromosome row. Arthropods have up to 10 Groups in a Chromosome row. While Groups are visible in-game, they are not labeled.
- The community of Animal Husbandry players label Groups as columns A through J.
- Half-Groups are possible, and Arthropods have 3 Half-Groups.
How to Read & Write a Genetic Map
The maximum number of genes a creature using the Genetics system may have is 400. These examples are all based on Arthropod Genetics, which only uses 238 genes.
Notation Meaning CR1A4 The identified gene is the 4th gene in Chromosome 1, Group A. CR6C2 The identified gene is the 2nd gene in Chromosome 6, Group C.
This system is expanded to identify multiple genes in the same Chromosome or in the same Chromosome Group.
Notation Meaning CR7A4B2D1 The 4th gene in Chromosome 7 Group A, The 2nd gene in group B, and the 1st gene in Group D. CR2C23 The 2nd and 3rd genes in Chromosome 2 Group C. CR5A1-4 All four genes in Chromosome 5 Group A.
Gene notation allows for genes to be marked as Dominant, Recessive, or Mixed. Animal Handlers tend to use their preferred notation style for this purpose.
Notation Meaning CR5A3R or CR5A3o The 3rd gene in Chromosome 5 Group A is recessive. CR5A3R4D or CR5A3o4X The 3rd gene in Chromosome 5 Group A is recessive and the 4th gene is Dominant.
Entire Chromosome rows can also be written using gene notation.
Notation Meaning CR1A1x2R34xxB1R2D3x4RC1D2R3x4R A list of Dominant, Mixed, and Recessive genes in Chromosome 1 using text-file style notation.
Listing a handful of genes in the same Chromosome row can quickly become complicated to read, so they are usually written in full using Dominant, Recessive, or Mixed symbols instead. This is generally written in either text-file notation or player notation.
Notation Meaning CR1xRxx RDxR DRxR DRRR RRxD RDRD RRDD RDDR DDDD Rxxx A complete Chromosome row written using text-file style notation.
Putting everything together, entire genomes can be written. Below is an example of a Wasp genome using player notation, then the same wasp in text-file notation.
01 tott oXto Xoto Xooo ootX oXoX ooXX oXXo XXXX ottt 02 toXo ooXo ttXo ooot tXXo 03 oooo Xooo ottt oooo ooot tXXo XoXX otto oXXX oXto 04 Xtoo ooXt XXot ooXt XXXX 05 toot oXto oo 06 XXoX XXXX Xt 07 XXXX XtXX oXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX 08 XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX 09 XXXX XXXX XXoo Xott oooo 10 oXto ooto Xooo XX
01= xRxx RDxR DRxR DRRR RRxD RDRD RRDD RDDR DDDD Rxxx 02= xRDR RRDR xxDR RRRx xDDR 03= RRRR DRRR Rxxx RRRR RRRx xDDR DRDD RxxR RDDD RDxR 04= DxRR RRDx DDRx RRDx DDDD 05= xRRx RDxR RR 06= DDRD DDDD Dx 07= DDDD DxDD RDDD DDDD DDDD DDDD DDDD DDDD DDDD DDDD 08= DDDD DDDD DDDD DDDD DDDD DDDD 09= DDDD DDDD DDRR DRxx RRRR 10= RDxR RRxR DRRR DD
