CCSF 2012 Day 14: A Final Thanks & Survey

As we close out the Creatures Community Spirit Festival this year, I wanted to take a moment to thank everyone once again! It was a pleasure to have so much going on this year, and to see the community so active is always wonderful. Great job to everyone! We had a ton of submissions this year: It was difficult to live up to the CCSF 2011, but hopefully everyone enjoyed themselves! Here is a list of everyone who helped out or contributed in some way:

C-Rex | Don | Doringo | Generalflame | Ghosthande | GirlySatan | Grendel Man | Kitty Tikara
Laura | Lauren | Liam | Malkin | Marvolo323 | Mea | MK-Grendel | Moe
Nirax | Papriko | Pirate-Rob | Sam999 | SpringRain | Steve Grand | TAB | Terra | Ylukyun

If that doesn't show how strong our community still is, I don't know what does! Thanks again for voting me in as the coordinator this year. I hope I lived up to expectations and made the last two weeks exciting for all sorts of Creatures fans! And so ends another wonderful festival, though I hope the community spirit continues to live strongly until the next CCSF! See everyone next year at the CCSF 2013!

CCSF 2012 Day 14: Activity Winners

We had some great contest polls over the last few days, with some excellent entries to many of the activities! After many votes, it's time to announce the winners of each activity, as well as the prizes!

Caption Contest Winner: Sam999

Prize: Harlequin Norn Doll

Congratulations to Sam999, who won with 20/30 votes (66%)!

Logic Puzzle Winners

Prizes: Unique Norns Distributed After the CCSF

First Place: Ghosthande
Second Place: Silvak
Third Place: Steelfoot
Fourth Place: Malkin

Shee Design Contest Winner: Nirax

Prize: Bondi Norn Doll

Congratulations to Nirax, who won with 43/53 votes (81%)!

Space Travel Contest Winner: Nirax

Prize: CCSF Globe

Congratulations to Nirax, who won with 25/50 votes (50%)!
This special globe changes its appearance as it spins around, showing off all different sorts of worlds that will hopefully always remind one of the CCSF 2012!

Wolfing Run Challenge Winner: Silvak

Prize: Genie Lamp

First Place: Minnie (Silvak)
Second Place: Nirax (Youki)
Third Place: Sam999 (Zack)
Fourth Place: SpringRain (Silaeca)

Greatest Participation Winners: Nirax and Sam999

Prize: Rubriks Cheese

Congratulations to Nirax and Sam999, who entered and participated in the most activities during the CCSF 2012!

IMPORTANT: Winners are welcome to do whatever they like with their prizes! They may be hoarded, shared with a few, or made available for all. Just make sure to give Ghosthande credit for creating them!

CCSF 2012 Day 14: Prizes for All

As a special thanks to everyone who took part in the CCSF 2012 in some way, here are a couple of wonderful prizes to enjoy! Both are C3/DS agents created by the generous and talented Ghosthande. Enjoy!

Download the Norn Nip (5 KB RAR File) | Download the Purple Mountain Norn Doll (72 KB RAR File)

CCSF 2012 Day 14: Chione

Created by Mea for C3/DS (Metaroom)

What better way to celebrate a frozen world than to actually bring one to your game? Chione is a gigantic icy-themed metaroom that has been discussed at Creatures Caves for a long time, with the original idea coming from Sam999. Many have helped with this project, and this initial version should give those cold weather Creatures something to enjoy and claim as their brand new home, with plenty of space!

Download Chione (12.4 MB RAR File)

From Mea: "This is just the very basic version of the room without the teleporters and door. There will probably be an add-on pack later that will include the teleporters and door for getting around and into Chione."

CCSF 2012 Day 14: Coloring Contest Entries

SpringRain drew a wonderful image to be used for a coloring contest, and two artists brought the original black and white image to life! Have a look at these two entries from Nirax and Ylukyun. Perhaps SpringRain will be able to draw some custom art for both! Thanks again for an interesting contest during the CCSF 2012! Always nice to have a diverse basis of activities for fans to choose to take part in. Nice job!

Nirax's Entry

Ylukyun's Entry

CCSF 2012 Day 14: Writing Prompt Entry

One of the CCSF activities centered around a writing prompt. Only one entry was submitted, but enjoy reading through this wonderful piece of Creatures fan fiction! Can you imagine just what's going on on this Shee world?

Written by SpringRain

PROMPT: “The home world of the Shee, established thousands of years ago, has finally crumbled. The species has fled from the derelict world, leaving very few behind. At the last working space port, a pieced together mess of a ship lies in wait. Abandoned crates litter the area, left to crumble in the last places where they were dropped during the last mass exodus. Dust has already begun to creep into every crevice, but there is a newly marked trail of timid footprints from the entrance to the spaceport. The lonely sound of the wind rushing through the empty corridors sends an eerie emptiness hurtling through the air. Yet something stirs among the rubble..."

A pair of shimmering grey eyes peered out from behind the pile of rubble at the remains of the dilapidated ship lying in wait. Shards of broken eggshell of an unassuming dusty grey were all that remained of the owner’s former home. Perhaps that was why it had been overlooked and left behind when the mass exodus had occurred.

Tiny paw prints led from a broken crate near the entrance to the port, the only sign of life pressed into the thin film of dust which layered everything like old icing sugar in an abandoned bakery. From the moment it hatched, it was led by an urge…an instinct stronger than any other emotion; to seek out energy sources to absorb. That was the way it would feed. Delicate filaments like waving threads of spider silk fluttered either side of its translucent greyish skin, sending signals back to the brain, much like a bat’s sonar system, creating images. It could pinpoint faint energy sources, marked out by differing colours depending on their potency.

Pale, dragonfly styled wings rustled and flitted upon its back as it stumbled out from where it had been foraging, too weak to lift its own weight by hovering just yet. A long, tattered and distinctly leafy tail drew a wavering line in the dust between the footprints, undulating in the cold wind that whistled in ghostly howls through the empty corridors.

Falling upon an old piece of machinery, it clawed off the hatch concealing an ancient battery and pulled out the contents with a sigh as energy was drawn into its palm, glimmers of bluish light cascading through the veins networking its body and wings. Licking its lips hungrily, it gave a noise of disappointment when the scant supply all too quickly faded out.

Large batlike ears swivelled atop its head and the creature closed light silver optics to detect another food source, sensing hints of dormant energy in the mass of broken ship that had drawn it here. It wavered towards the structure on wobbling legs, scrambling, wings flitting weakly so that sometimes it half-hovered, half crawled, continuing in this way until it fell against the rickety door that led into the structure with a soft thwump that disturbed a cloud of dust. “T-chih!” A sharp sneeze ricocheted off the silence that lingered in the absences of the wind’s moanings. The creature shook its head, rubbing at the bluish grey pad with a paw and a sniffle.

Gnawing instinct drove it to perseverance. In the gloomy half-light, it lifted its spectral body and placed padded palms against the slightly rusting, warped door, leaning into it with desperation, willing itself to pass through into the empty space behind, to somehow get in.

The wind picked up again and shrieked around the puny form, rippling the short, downy fur and fluttering the scarf-like tail, making the thready whiskers dance. It let out a tinny sounding cry and began hammering upon the unyielding portal which barred access to the vital energy. The sounds of its pummeling were swallowed up by the thick metal and invisible gusts. An inexplicable panic set in.

It had to get through, it had to get to the source, it had to, it HAD to! – all at once it felt itself falling forwards, tumbling onto a hard surface with an unexpected jolt and a searing pain in one arm.

Sitting up with a whimper, the creature cradled one elbow in its free hand and slowly opened wide eyes to see itself within new surroundings, cast in a faint light from the eerie glow its own body gave off. It stuttered to its feet again, almost able to taste the hidden energy in the air. Following the signals tingling through its whiskers, it let its paws lead it through empty corridors, cluttered jumbles, giant rooms and hollow spaces, across bridges over unseen depths and strange terrains…

Finally, it stopped, deep into the bowels of the ancient vessel, a pea sized figure before a puzzling complexion of buttons and gadgets. Its fur frizzled out with the static electricity that clung to the cold atmosphere as it looked up at the panels, ears quivering expectantly. There was some way to get to the idle food source, but how?

Fluttering its wings, it stretched on tip-toe, reaching out one splayed hand for all it was worth and making sounds of effort as it hopped up and down, trying to reach the coloured bumps and switches. It tripped, falling back on its lengthy tail with a crackled squeak of dismay much like an out of tune radio. Hot liquid stung at its eyelids.

Rolling onto its belly, the creature took a couple of steps back until it was about in the middle of the room, just far enough for a running start. Its wings whirred with renewed passion as it started a shaky jog towards its target. With a spark of glee and a swoop in its stomach, it launched successfully off the ground at the last meter, wings whirring loudly, tail acting as a rudder. The searing ache that shot through the tender appendages could not have been expected. Crush! It lost momentum as the flimsy insectoid wings gave out, dropping it forcefully onto the slanted, knobbly panel where it rolled over them in a painful tumble and bounced off, spiraling across the floor before crashing into a machine in the middle of the room with an injured cry. Head ringing, blackness closed in on it for a moment, while scrambled messages were sent through its brain.

Eventually, it realized the ringing sounds were being joined by other noises, alien bleeps, boops and mechanical whining…a pale lilac grew in its image maps, blossoming steadily into an electrifying blue. Slowly, the creature cracked open its eyes, gasping in breaths of air. Its entire body felt the surges. Tingling, buzzing energy was circulating through the area, spreading outwards, filling the environment. Old parts creaked and bioengineered techno-organisms began to stir. Licking its lips in excitement, it turned and scratched frantically, almost madly at the covering panel of the machine that had smacked its head only moments ago. It had to get in…it had to get the energy…it HAD to – Pwoop! It’s paw phased through the hatch without warning, disappearing up to the elbow. Grasping the components and wires within as instinct told it, the creature felt an explosion of blissful joy at the flow of blue light pouring into its palm, fizzling throughout its body in sparking, glimmering blue networks. Wings outspread, it looked like it was in pure heaven.

Closing its eyes, it began to feel, to sense…other things outside its own body; the shape of the ship, every part, every wire, every tiny movement as the beast awakened and began to heal. It could feel the crunchy ground under its belly, the layers of dust powdering the windows and outer shell, the jammed doors. The energy lit up everything in its mind, showing where it was strongest, where it flowed to and from. Essentially, it now was the ship.

In the empty Shee spaceport, the sound of powerful engines roared to life.

CCSF 2012 Day 14: Ferret Ettins

Drawn and Written by Lauren

A frozen world would never be complete without some living beings in it. The Ferret Ettins are a new breed concept, and their lifestyle makes them perfect for living in cold, icy conditions!

From Lauren: "Anyone is free to make this into a real breed.

Living in the mountainous ranges of tundra and rock, the Ferret Ettins are an ancient breed that live deep underground in tunnels and only come above ground to search for their food.

Although mostly solitary, some Ferret Ettins have been found to live happily in tight knit family groups that help care for each other's young.

Their pale coats keep them warm in the frost and provide excellent cover from anything looking to eat these Ettins. Although technically predators themselves, that doesn't stop other critters looking at them like snacks.

Food: Their natural diet usually consists of critters, critter eggs, bugs and sometimes even fish if they are able to catch them, although upon capture we have found they will eat a normal diet but this is at the expense of them having less nutrition.

Movement: Movement is fairly easy for these Ettins, as they are lithe and quick and have no problem at all chasing down prey.

Reproduction: These Ettins are photo-receptive breeders, meaning that they come into season based on the amount of light that they absorb into their bodies just like plants do for photosynthisis. They are good breeders.

Aggression: Not much is known about their aggression, as they can be fairly solitary, but tests have shown that by waking them up from naps they do get pretty grumpy... Other then that they are pretty friendly, but have problems with overcrowdedness.

Evolutionary History: Blood tests have shown a distant link from the Ettins of the swamp in Albia but how they got here is a bit of a mystery. It is thought that their ancestors were brought here after a long journey and escaped off the Shee ship into the wilderness and became what we see today.

Immunity: They seem to suffer from a lot of sneezing.

Recovery: Recovery of this species on board the ship was relatively easy although they have a habit to play which kept the crew busy before we could set off again. They are settling in well and more tests will be carried out over the course of the journey."

CCSF 2012 Day 14: Frozen in Time

Written by Jessica as Part of the Shee Journey Series

Our only chance was a frozen planet in the same star system: The institute had always had a great deal of interest in one like this, since ancient life could have been perfectly preserved. I quickly jumped into action, and told the Shee of this possible discovery. Though they kept control of the spaceship, they were eager to not miss out on this world. I jumped to action, guiding everyone into the emergency vehicle. It was a tight squeeze, and some of the Grendels were ready to eat the nearest Norns. If this plan was to work, I had little time left. And one shot. One very long shot... I returned to brew my best cup of tea since the voyage had begun. I sipped it slowly, as a lone tear trickled to my lips and offered a salty note to the otherwise perfect cup of tea. I took a deep breath as we drew closer.

I passed by the group of Norns, Grendels, and Ettins jammed into the tiny ship. There was enough room for a good amount of food, and lots of seeds. My assistants looked at me with a mix of fear and anticipation. I gave them my usual stern look, but followed it up with a genuine smile. Again, we needed no words to communicate our thoughts and feelings. They knew what had to be done, whether or not I made it in time. As I boarded the exploratory vessel, I started my timer. Though this vessel was more of an enemy, I needed it for this final journey. The Shee Intergalactic Research Institute would be watching closely, but I was confident. I had to be.

Everything was rather surreal as I approached this mysterious frozen world. Ice and snow swirled far into its atmosphere, and I was immediately blinded. Perfect. Fortunately, this was not a world with any life. No chance of the vessel collecting any samples, which was better than I expected. As the ground finally came into view, I spotted exactly what I was looking for: A small mountain range. I glanced at my timer: It was just about time. With a flick of my fingers, I input a complex sequence I had known by heart from the start of this journey. It was the manual override for a collision course. Only I had modified it, ever so slightly. The vessel would never know.

I transmitted a signal back to the institute warning of hostile enemies who were in full pursuit. With a wry smile, I set the course and headed to the back of the vessel. In a moment, the escape hatch opened, though it did so unwittingly. The Shee who were listening merely heard a recording of my voice, which would transmit until the crash. This had to work... I checked the timer just as it finished its countdown. Almost in slow motion, I jumped. The icy air was a muddle of bright pain, but I met it with excitement. I knew the emergency ship was on its way: There was no way the institute could turn it back from a rescue mission. Only they had no idea what it was rescuing...

In the distance, I watched the vessel turn into a glowing ball of fire for little more than a few seconds. Its demise was the end of its treachery. I could scarcely breath the freezing air, though, and I disappeared into the blackness of unconsciousness long before I could know if my assistants had located me. No matter what happened to me, these Creatures would forever be safe from the prying hands of the Shee from the institute. Research was what this journey was based upon, but I discovered something much more important than anything that could be found in a lab. I had found life: Not just new life, but my own life, as well. And that was worth it all.

From Jessica: "Can you believe it? Today marks the final day of the CCSF 2012! This has been an amazing two weeks, and we finish off with a frozen world. The main storyline has now come full circle... Or is it really finished? Check back throughout the day for the final releases, along with the announcement of the activity winners! Thank you again to everyone who has made this year's CCSF a wonderful one!"

CCSF 2012 Day 13: Activities Update

The CCSF 2012 is quickly drawing to a close, along with the activities. Many posts will be made tomorrow, on the final day of the festival, to announce the winners! Prizes will also be shown off, as one developer clearly put in a ton of effort! Many will be happy to know that since there weren't winners for all activities, extra prizes will be available for all! As a teaser, here are some of the names of the CCSF 2012 prizes:

• Bondi Norn Doll
• CCSF Globe
• Genie Lamp
• Harlequin Norn Doll

The wolfing run challenge results will also be revealed tomorrow! Unfortunately, it was not possible to do an in-depth video series, nor documentary, but hopefully the results will still be fun to read through. Perhaps another wolfing run challenge will be held after the CCSF, with tons of detail. This concludes today, but make sure to stop by for the exciting conclusion to the CCSF 2012 tomorrow! Thanks again to everyone who contributed!

CCSF 2012 Day 13: Dustdevil Grendels Pack

Created by Ghosthande for C3/DS (Grendel Breed)

We certainly couldn't finish our journey in the desert without a gigantic release! The Dustdevil Grendels are a new breed in and of themselves, but they also come with a ton of wonderful new agents!

Download the Dustdevil Grendels (5.2 MB RAR File)

From Ghosthande: "The Dustdevil Grendels are a new breed with genetics based on Vampess's CFE genomes, and they come with a variety of agents and a couple of fixes. They hail from the Ettin Desert, but overall have the same personality as your average Jungle Grendel. This breed is based on an original idea and concept art by Gobbo, with additional input from a lot of different people. Peer-reviewed Grendels, baby!"

Included with this download are the following:

Calendar Wheel (C3, C3/DS, or DS)
Crystal Skull (DS Only)
Desert Nursery (C3 or C3/DS)
Dustdevil Grendels (Grendel Breed)
New Gadget Dropper (C3 or C3/DS)
Succulent (C3, C3/DS, or DS)
Sunflower (C3, C3/DS, or DS)
Thorny Devil (C3, C3/DS, or DS)

IMPORTANT: Please note which type of world setup each agent will work in. The Dustdevil Grendels use Grendel breed slot X, often occupied by the Tiger Grendels. Make sure to uninstall any breeds in this breed slot before hatching a Dustdevil Grendel. More information is included in the Readme.

Calendar Wheel
Tells the date and time of day, and emits heat. Injects into the Ettin Desert in C3 or DS docked worlds, or the Norn Meso in undocked DS worlds.

How it Works: The calendar rings rotate so that the current season and cycle period are located at the top. The inner ring indicates which day it is within a season, as indicated by groups of circles; markers on this ring also indicate when it is early moring (rising sun) or late evening (crescent moon). The outer ring tells if it is spring (storm cloud), summer (sun), autumn (owl) or winter (bat).

Crystal Skull
May have strange effects on Creatures?

How it Works: The crystal skull is a gimmicky accessory for your Creatures to ponder over, but it also has some other properties. Will it infuse your Creatures with the knowledge of the ancients...?

Desert Nursery
Transform that dangerous pond into a friendly nursery for baby Creatures. The Desert Terrarium (Ettin Desert) metaroom must be present.

How it Works: The desert nursery transforms that pond on the right side of the Desert Terrarium into a warm, dry place that Ettins and other desert-loving breeds (like the Dustdevil Grendels) will consider home, essentially turning the room's death trap into a nursery. It also re-locates the Ettin egg layer, so that baby Ettins will hatch on a level that hopefully has some food, instead of in that barren lower corridor.

NOTE: If you were already using the Grettin Switch to disable the Ettin egg layer in your world, and you inject the desert nursery, you may need to turn the Grettin Switch on and then back off to reset it. Or just make sure the Ettin egg layer is active before you inject the desert nursery, and turn it off again after the injection is finished.

New Gadget Dropper
An update to an obscure but very necessary script in the Desert Terrarium.

How it Works: This agent updates a hidden script which normally forces Ettins to drop gadgets they're carrying once they enter the Desert Terrarium--preventing them from simply walking around with the same gadget in their hands forever. There was a drawback to the way this script originally worked, in that it targeted Ettins and only Ettins. Spliced hybrids which are classified as Norns or Grendels but still have the gadget hoarding instinct were not targeted by it. This update ensures that the script will target Norns, Ettins and Grendels equally. It will not target Geats, given that Gaius eats gadgets and it would not do for the script to constantly force him to drop his food. If you inject the desert nursery, creatures will release gadgets properly there, too.

NOTE: You MUST remove the New Gadget Dropper before you inject it, to clear out the old script version.

Succulent
A sweet treat young Creatures will enjoy.

How it Works: Designed to grow in the new desert nursery, it will also happily colonize the rest of the Ettin Desert or any other dry area to which it is introduced. This succulent is classified as fruit, and thus provides an extra food source for Creatures that are not naturally inclined to supplement their diet with bugs. Or those that just have a bit of a sweet tooth.

Sunflower
Turn any dry area into a field of sunflowers. Seeds are a good source of starch.

How it Works: The sunflower is a tall plant that needs to be pollinated by insects. Balloon bugs will perform this role nicely. The Albian Sunflower has the peculiar habit of "following" Albia's sun, despite the fact that they are many generations removed from the disc world.

Thorny Devil
A prickly, heat-loving lizard that will help keep your desert nice and tidy.

How it Works: The thorny devil is poisonous if Creatures mess with it--but harmless as long as they leave it alone. It likes warm areas, and will occasionally eat stray raindrops and cacbana seeds so that you won't end up with so many of them littering the Desert Terrarium. (The C3/DS "collision script" that tells an agent when it has hit a surface such as the ground, is itself buggy and does not always activate when it ought to; this can lead to agents like the abovementioned raindrops and seeds to accumulate over time.)

Developer's Notes
All right, here's the deal. I could not get the adult/elder heads to work, but I am not going to scrap the entire breed because of it. So here they are. The Dustdevil Grendel sprite sets are complete for the Baby/Child and Adolescent/Youth life stages, but the sprite sets for the Adult and Elder life stages do not have heads of their own. This means that as adults and elders, they will continue to use the teen head sprites. The teen heads are slightly smaller in proportion to the body than the proper adult and elder head sprites would be, but this is the best compromise I can make for the time being. I'm hoping that the difference won't be too heinous in appearance, and hopefully the agent pack will make up the difference.

CCSF 2012 Day 13: Updated Bugs and Bank

Created by Malkin for C3 (COS File)

The Ballon Bugs from the Desert Terrarium were often just floating about with no way to interact with them initially, until a wonderful update came along! Now that update is available with a fix to the Ettin seed bank. No more autokill issues to deal with!

Download the Updated Bugs and Bank (5 KB RAR File)

From Malkin: "This is an edit to Creatures 3’s Balloon Bugs, making them more interactive for your Creatures. Creatures can now push, pull, eat and squish the bugs, making them much more entertaining overall, especially for Treehugger, Bondi and Draconian Norns, and Grendels of all kinds. Originally made for the CCSF 2009. C3 only. Now with a fixed Ettin seed bank!"

CCSF 2012 Day 13: A Way Home in the Desert

Written by Jessica as Part of the Shee Journey Series

Fuzzy outlines and blurred images made me wonder if I was stuck in a dream. Or perhaps I had crossed over to the other side... The pain across my head told me otherwise, and I let out a short cry of pain. I was alive: Possibly the luckiest Shee at the moment. I pulled myself into a sitting position, and found that the vessel was upside-down. Wonderful. The on-board communicator chattered, and I recognized the voices of my assistants. With a shaky hand, I touched the button to respond. The screen came alive not only with their familiar faces, but also with the concerned eyes of the Creatures. After a systems check, it appeared that the vessel had simply gone off course and crashed itself. I knew I couldn't trust the devious thing. Yet it had saved my life in the way it crashed into the sand.

Sand, indeed. There was nothing visible outside the window but a great expanse of sand. I was told to stay put and await the emergency rescue vehicle, but I couldn't risk another vehicle. This vessel merely needed to right itself with the push of a button... I failed to negotiate the barrel roll, and ended up in an untidy heap on the floor. My head still ached like it never had before, yet nothing was broken. It was a curious thing the vessel had done. Before I could guide it back to the spacecraft, it jetted off at a perilous speed to pick up something it had been vastly interested in collecting. This had to have a mind of its own. I was convinced of it all, and a little frightened.

Yet the desert world was soon a small marble behind us as we returned to the spacecraft. Though I had only been gone for about a day, it was the most heartwarming reunion I had ever experienced. There was even a cup of tea waiting for me, and I could honestly say that the Norn who brewed it had done a great job. Just as we started to go through the objects brought back by the vessel, an incoming transmission came in. It was the institute. The vessel's crash had initiated an emergency beacon that had traveled back home. It was simply assumed that our off-course position was due to a problem, and that our journey would have to come to an end.

They knew we had found the Creatures they so desperately wanted to study. The exploratory vessel had been sending information back to them covertly this entire time. I knew there was something traitorous about it. Under section 728 of the Shee Intergalactic Research Institute's code, the automatic guide was initiated from home. We had no way of controlling it, and I felt a nauseous wave fall over me. Our plan to keep these Norns, Grendels, and Ettins from the grasp of greedy researchers was doomed. I would be welcomed as a hero: The best of the Shee. It meant nothing to me. I could not abandon these Creatures as my ancestors had. My hands were tied. Unless...

From Jessica: "Amazingly, the Creatures Community Spirit Festival has almost reached its conclusion! However, the storyline still has a number of twists in it. The Shee survived the crash, but what will happen next? Today's theme continues with the desert world, though don't expect to be bored with the same monotonous sand! Expect some excellent releases today and tomorrow! Also, don't forget to read Ask Laura, and send in your questions!"

CCSF 2012 Day 12: Space Travel Contest Poll

One of the main features of the CCSF 2012 has been the use of a mysterious spacecraft during the story. An activity open to all was a contest to design some sort of Shee spacecraft. Have a look through the three awesome entries, and cast your vote to determine the winner! No matter who wins, these three entries are quite amazing, and a special thanks goes out to each creator for taking the time to enter and contribute more to the CCSF!

Who should win the Space Travel Contest?

Marvolo323's Entry

This ship was designed by a brilliant Shee, if a bit of an oddball one, and it is built for extreme speed. It is used by the race for long-range charting, scanning, and even high-priority cargo deployments.

• A) Cargo/equipment hatch with manual control wheel
• B) Main generator sphere
• C) Rotational flux generator for interstellar travel. "Flips" the ship across the tremendous distances between the stars by twisting spacetime using a combination of tremendous rotational speeds on the arm, xenological substances from Sphericus and Shee technology.
• D) Forward FTL guide wings. Used for course control during interstellar flights by interfering with the gravitational surge generated at such tremendous speeds.
• E) Pilot's quarters
• F) Rear FTL guide fins. Mainly for stabilization.
• G) Standard-space ion drive exhaust.
• H) Heat exchange unit.

Nirax's Entry

Sam999's Entry

Shee Starship Woodworking Model: A wooden model of a Shee exploration star ship of the sort used for the whole voyage between the new worlds.

CCSF 2012 Day 12: Desert Feral Run

Submitted by Kitty Tikara for C3/DS

Add some new Creatures to your world with these desert feral run survivors! The following are included:

Grendels (Four from Generations 21-22)
Plant Norns (Three from Generations 30-31)

Download the Desert Feral Creatures (406 KB RAR File)

From Kitty Tikara: "The Plant Norns require nothing but light and a little water to grow, so they were perfect for the desert. I'd never really used them for very much, but they turned out to be the most hardy of all the Creatures. The Metallophagus Grendels are there because the ones from the technological world were over populated and needed a new place to live."

IMPORTANT: The Plant Norns are required in order to view the sprites of these Norns correctly.

CCSF 2012 Day 12: Shee Design Contest Poll

A mystery that has always surrounded the Creatures series is the exact appearance of the Shee! One CCSF 2012 activity centered around this question. Have a look at the three entries, and vote for the one who you believe should be declared the winner! Excellent work by those who took the time to enter this contest! It's certainly wonderful to see how fans interpret the Shee, which is a species always up for new designs.

Who should win the Shee Design Contest?

Nirax's Entry

Sam999's Entry

Ylukyun's Entry

Normal Shee nowadays make up the majority of Shee, spanning a variety of social classes and professions. Those of the upper class by birth or who have done well for themselves typically associate with the ruler Shee and sometimes marry into the ruling class but there is an undercurrent of both resentment and contempt towards them. They have a somewhat humanoid anatomy and physiology, standing average 6'0" for males and 6'2" for females who have longer limbs. They have a slender build with a little muscle and fat, strong bones and long fingers. Skin tones range in color from dark blues, greens and purples to pale gray or white. Hair is usually blue or yellow and lightens with age. Highly intelligent and very eccentric by human standards, Shee are stereotyped as being socially awkward, but this applies only to a minority, most of whom are scientists and inventors. Attitudes towards Norns and Ettins vary, with Grendels being seen as beasts.

Ruler Shee are essentially the same as the Normal Shee but are noticeably different in both appearance and personality, the former being due to millennia of inbreeding for coveted "beauty" traits - as a result of this, they stand on average 6'6", with extremely elongated head and neck, slender to the point of being frail (something they cover up by having extremely large robes) and pale skin. Due to this inbreeding many are prone to genetic disorders and they tend to have almost hollow, very weak bones. Conceited, narcissistic and nepotistic, the statues around Albia are created in the distorted "image" of various Ruler Shee and their mythological "ancestors". Most are idle or concerned with the problems they have created for themselves, though when a Ruler Shee decides to become a scientist, misery ensues for all involved. Norns and Ettins are both viewed by these Shee as different kinds of slaves, little more thought is given. Many keep Grendels as pets, but often kill them if they become difficult.

"Drone" Shee are a subspecies of Shee that evolved in Albia's deepest caverns. They have extremely large eyes with widely dilating pupils and striking purple irises. Completely hairless, stocky, and muscular, standing around 5'6" for both males and females. When other Shee began to explore deeper underground, they captured the Drones. Those that did not die of surface diseases became slaves and this continued for centuries. During this period any fraternizing with these Drones by other Shee was forbidden but nonetheless some interbreeding occurred especially by the lower classes who often mingled with slaves. Drone Shee on average are less intelligent and more docile than other Shee, as these traits were selected for slave breeding. The first Ettins were created with modified Drone Shee DNA - they are the children of Drones. After this most Drones were wiped out, considered to be unnecessary. Some (mostly half-castes) survived the targeted biological weapons and decades later their descendants gained full civil rights as well as reparations. However they are widely despised and scapegoated. Interbreeding is quietly frowned upon, and does not typically occur except among the very lowest classes. Drone Shee typically work in low skill, hazardous jobs that require more care and attention than an Ettin could (or would) provide. Drone Shee get along very well with Norns and often keep them as pets. The Norns don't mind the lower living standard as they are treated with more respect. They regard Ettins with great suspicion as well as disgust, and vice versa. Some have an affinity for Grendels.

CCSF 2012 Day 12: The Four Runes

Created by Doringo for C3/DS (Agent)

The ruins of a desert world hold many secrets, and this discovery is no different! The Four Runes are a collection of agents. Included in the download are the following:

Heart Rune (Teleportation)
Light Rune (Education)
Pestilence Rune (Infection)
Water Rune (Medication)

Download the Four Runes (298 KB RAR File)

From Doringo: "These four runes were excavated from one of the many ruins of the desert world. The runes are Water, Light, Pestilence, and Heart. Each does something related to its name."

CCSF 2012 Day 12: The Desert Sands

Written by Jessica as Part of the Shee Journey Series

Days of staring at star maps and endlessly hailing our home world had led to absolutely nothing. We were lost, and it was time to decide what to do. This journey had to continue, yet we had two paths before us. One was to try to return home with all of the Creatures and findings. My youngest assistant was certain he recognized a small star system, which might bring us home. The other option was the more extreme... I had grown attached to these Norns, Grendels, and Ettins. They were thousands, perhaps even millions, of miles from their homes. What would become of them if we brought them back? I had the distinct feeling that the institute would treat them more as research subjects than actual living beings. Fortunately, my assistants seemed to agree. We headed off into the unknown...

Naturally, my tea brewing had suffered from my stress. I spent the better part of one morning crafting a special cup of the delicious beverage for myself, and I even found a few Creatures who seemed to appreciate its warm flavor. My serious exterior had melted away, and I found myself less drawn to my research notes than to the simple activities of interacting with these Creatures. However, the ship alerted us all to the presence of a nearby planet. With no idea where we were, I knew we had to stop. I cringed, for this was a desert planet. I remembered the ordeal with the sand, and resigned myself to put up with it a second time.

The vessel easily could have reached the surface on its own, but I secretly enjoyed these planetary visits. I bid farewell to everyone aboard, and promised a quick return. There was very little I expected to find in such a dry, arid world. Indeed, the yellows and browns quickly blurred into one boring image outside the window. I actually spotted what looked like a colony of Creatures, which brought unexpected surprise to me. In such a bland place seemingly devoid of life, how could life exist? I let the vessel guide itself so I could get a closer look. I only had a split second to register the collision alert before the world went black...

From Jessica: "After the ordeal with the black hole, one may have assumed that the Shee would not endure any more problems. On this desert world, it seems that we may have lost our main character... Stay tuned for the last few chapters! The twelfth day of the CCSF is set on a desert world. What does a desert hold? Beneath all that sand, one never knows! Check back throughout the day for more!"

CCSF 2012 Day 11: Caption Contest Poll

Thanks to everyone who has participated in the activities! Several entry closing dates came the other day, and now is your chance to choose a winner for the caption contest! Entrants were given this image to come up with a caption for. Though there were not too many entries, it's up to you to decide who should win! Make sure to cast your vote within the next few days. Thank you, and farewell to day eleven!

Who should win the Caption Contest?

Sam999
"I used to be a scarecrow like you, then I took an arrow in the tail."

SpringRain
Scarecrow: "So, what are we going to do for Halloween this year?"
Norn: "Oh, well, the Hand said something about carving pumpkins, but it looks like you already are… So I was going to make sculptures out of carrots. I painted on a devil tail too! Okay, Hand helped but..."
Scarecrow: "Ah, that's nifty. Hey, if you wouldn't mind, could you make me some legs? Pointy ones, out of carrots. I'd like to be really scary this year"
Norn: "Sure, right after I finish cooking some Halloween treats. I'm definitely gonna be prepared if any little Norns come trick or treating this year"
Scarecrow: "Oh yes, and what are you making?"
Norn: "Just some pumpkin scones."

CCSF 2012 Day 11: Interview with Steve Grand

Written by Steve Grand

One of the most important people to Creatures is its original creator, Steve Grand. He was responsible for the beginning of our beloved series, and deserves a great deal of credit for all he has done! Before the CCSF 2012 began, members of the community were given an opportunity to send in questions to ask Steve. Thankfully, he took the time to answer every question with a good amount of details! Have a wonderful time reading through this interview with Steve on the 16th anniversary of the release of Creatures 1!

From Steve Grand: "Hi everybody! Happy CCSF! You have no idea how thrilled I am that people are still playing and talking about Creatures after all this time. It makes me feel really old, but it’s extremely heartwarming nonetheless! Thank you all for making the game a success."

- How does it feel to make one of the most successful artificial life games in existence?

Haha, that’s a very small category to be top of! The fact that Creatures is still close to the state of the art in scientific terms, more than a decade after it was written, is something to feel quite proud of, I guess, but at the time the whole thing was a rather surreal and stressful experience, from what I remember. I’d just been quietly tinkering away on much the same kinds of things I’d been working on since 1978 and nobody had shown the slightest bit of interest up to that point. Then suddenly... Pow! To be honest I didn’t really know how to deal with the “fame” side of things, because I’d never wanted to be a games programmer at all, never mind a successful one, And while some people would give their eye teeth to have someone make a TV documentary about them or whatever, I’m basically pretty shy and self-conscious. I kept thinking it was all a dreadful mistake and someone would find out eventually. The only times I remember being relaxed enough to feel a momentary sense of accomplishment were the day that I received my OBE from the Queen, and one other time when it suddenly hit me between the eyes that silly little uneducated me was standing chatting to a Nobel prizewinner on one side and an astronaut on the other, while casually sipping whisky with the royal family! But although it was all a bit unreal in that respect, Creatures gave me the chance to become friends with some truly amazing people who otherwise I would never have had the slightest hope of meeting. So when I’m very old and look back on my life, I think that will be the thing I remember most fondly.

- What is your favorite part of the Creatures universe?

Hmm. That’s tricky. I liked all of it. In my head I don’t so much see the world as it appeared in the game, but as it appeared in the model that was built to form the graphics. Although I built the first clay burrow myself, just to test out the feasibility of producing the graphics photographically (there was no such thing as 3D software in those days), I had nothing to do with creating the model itself, and so the first time I saw it I was amazed. It was like having your own giant doll’s house built! I still have the airship from it sitting on my bookshelf. I guess the coast in C1 probably appeals to me the most, because the idea of a journey was important in the original plotline, and the coast just beckons you to encourage your norns to travel (if you can ever get the stupid creatures in the boat). There are two reasons I love computers. One is that you can build living things in them and the other is that you can build places to explore. I’m a sucker for simulations – I particularly love flightsims but I also have a ship simulator, a train simulator and I even just bought a truck simulator. In all cases it’s the ability to travel through a virtual world that excites me. So I’d love to have been able to do more on the idea of a journey, with endless new places for you and your norns to discover, but computers were pretty limited in those days, so a little circular world was all we could manage.

- Do you still think of new ideas for the Creatures games?

Not so much for the game itself, but ever since I finished Creatures I’ve been working on a whole bunch of new ideas for how to build artificial lifeforms. Norns are complex beings by computer science standards but as you all know, they’re embarrassingly stupid. And they don’t really have thoughts, not in the sense that we do – no daydreams or plans or hopes for the future. So since the game was released I’ve been doing a lot of experimentation into the biology of consciousness and imagination. It’s been very hard, but I feel like I’m really onto something now. I tested out my early ideas using robots, but now I’m back in the virtual world again. I don’t think I’ve stopped thinking about these things for a single day since 1992! I’d love to spend time thinking up new ideas for the gameplay and the world, too, but to my mind everything revolves around the creatures and so although I do have a few ideas up my sleeve, I need to wait and see what the new creatures’ personalities are like before I decide what world they should live in.

- What was your favorite moment when developing Creatures?

I think it was probably the moment when Michael, our CEO, suddenly “got it”. Creatures was a follow-on from the previous game I’d written, called Rome AD92. Rome had been published by Maxis in the States, and so when they wanted to work with us again, Creatures was the idea we put forward. So as far as Michael was concerned, this was just another adventure game in a line of adventure games. It was just another business deal and that was that. In fact his first verdict on all my hard work was “the scrolling really sucks”. But then one of my first norns did something strange and Michael asked me, “why did it do that?” I answered “I don’t know” and Michael said “what do you mean you don’t know?” I think he felt a programmer really ought to know why their code was doing whatever it was doing. But when I explained that the Norn hadn’t done that thing because I’d programmed it to, but because the creature itself chose to do it, Michael’s eyes widened and his jaw dropped. Suddenly he got the point of what I was doing. From that moment on he was sold on the idea and worked hard to make it commercially possible. He took it out of the schedule and told me I had all the time I needed.

- Did you ever anticipate how successful Creatures would be, or how prominent it would still be over a decade after its release?

Heavens, no! If somebody had told me then that some of the kids who were going to play my game would one day grow up, have kids of their own and then introduce them to the very same game, I’d have sent for the men in white coats to take them away! If I’d had any idea that people’s entire careers might be influenced by playing Creatures and they’d end up becoming doctors or programmers or biologists in part because of something I’d made, or that one day I’d be standing up in front of scientists from, say, the Human Genome Project, to tell them about the genetics of a video game, I’d just have laughed. I guess I can claim some of the credit for sparking people’s interest, but in large part the longevity of the game is a testament to you guys and all the work you put into developing the community.

- What inspired the appearance of Norns?

They were a sore point, actually. My original Norns looked something like chickens, because I wanted them to be perky, curious and something of an “ugly duckling,” but nobody else in the company shared my feelings on that, so we explored all sorts of ideas. A lot of them came from Mark Rafter, our art director, but Mark’s tastes were about as unconventional as mine, so most of his suggestions were considered a bit delicate and “girly” (although I liked them). Back in those days, the idea that macho video games might ever be girly was a pretty dangerous one! At one point we had a group of people from Disney come in to make suggestions, if I remember right, and that was probably when the big eyes and general furriness started to take hold. My original proposal for the game was entitled “Small Furry Creatures” after a phrase in the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (funnily enough I didn’t know Douglas Adams until much later and I’m not sure if I ever did actually tell him that I stole his title), and in that proposal I described them as being rather like Ewoks, which perhaps isn’t too far from how they ended up. So there were various different concepts floating around and everybody had their own opinion on the subject. There was a lot of argument and I don’t really remember why they ended up looking the way they did.

- Were Grendels designed to be evil monsters, or were they more along the lines of misunderstood cousins of Norns?

I can’t remember much about where Grendels came from either. I’d always had it in mind to produce several species, and thanks to one of my earliest design documents I’d gone off on a Scandinavian mythology kick, which is where the name Norn came from. They were named after the Nornir, the three old women who sat beside three wells, under the great World Tree Yggdrasil, to weave men’s fates. Coincidentally, I believe there is an echo of those three wells and the tree in the coat of arms for the tiny city of Wells, where I grew up, so it was kind of an homage. So, given the context I guess I thought of the Grendel from the Beowulf epic as being another potentially useful name and that in turn suggested something pretty nasty. A big inspiration for the game in the first place was a novel called The Planiverse, by A.K.Dewdney, which was about a computer simulation that had somehow got connected up with a real two-dimensional universe. The main character was called Yndrd, and he went on a journey, during which he came across various nasty creatures. I guess I had that in mind when thinking of a second species, but I honestly can’t remember my thought processes any more. I expect I intended them to be somewhat nasty, but I do tend to assume that people who are nasty are really just misunderstood, so I think the answer might be a bit of both! The Shee, incidentally, were named after the Side (where the “d” is really an old letter called eth, and is hardly pronounced). These were people from ancient Irish sagas, sometimes thought to be the late Neolithic or early Bronze Age people who built the megalithic tombs in Ireland. As you can see I like mythology, but it was a bit of an eclectic mixture!

- What made you decide on the Creatures design in general?

There’s a sense in which I didn’t so much design it as discover it, I think. Sometimes people say that the job of a sculptor is to carve away the bits that aren’t needed, to reveal the sculpture that was inside the wood or stone all along, and I had that sense with Creatures. Things just kind of fell into place. I’ll answer about the look-and-feel in another question, but from the point of view of the science and technology behind it, Creatures was just a step in a long sequence of events. When I first discovered computers I was training to be a teacher, and so my interest in how children’s minds develop led me naturally into artificial intelligence. I read all the books on the subject in the college library and decided everybody was doing it all wrong (in the way that 19 year-olds tend to do!) There wasn’t enough notice being taken of biology. It was all hard-nosed mathematics and not nearly emergent and self-organized enough. So I started experimenting with very simple artificial plants that could evolve through natural selection, and strange neural networks that had a lot more in common with biological ones than any others that existed at the time. This was just a hobby, but at the same time I started a small business writing educational software. It was very important to me that children should not be taught things – they should be helped to discover them for themselves. So as part of this philosophy I started writing an unusual kind of adventure game. The games had no plot – they just consisted of some people, a place and a time, and the children would hold a conversation with one of the people in the virtual world, asking them to travel around, interact with objects and describe what they could see. The programs were extremely open-ended – there was nothing you had to do, only things you could decide for yourself to do and learn about. You can probably see how that desire for open-endedness found its way into Creatures! But so did some of the technology, too. Conventional adventure games are very structured and controlled, but to create a world in which children could do more or less anything they wanted, I had to develop some unique ideas (based on watching how a fly washed its face, as it happens, but that’s too long a story!) So Creatures grew out of several years of experiments in writing software from the bottom up, instead of the more conventional top down. There are some pretty interesting ideas underlying Creatures, and I guess they must have worked well enough!

- What is your general opinion on the third party content that has been created for the Creatures series? Are you pleased by what's been developed or do you feel user created content is detrimental to the game(s)?

Detrimental? Definitely not! I think it’s truly amazing what people have done! I had absolutely no idea that people would take the idea and run with it like that. The fact that people could add stuff to the game at all was actually something of an accident. When I started writing it the game was for MS-DOS, but about that time, Windows 3.1 became a feasible platform for writing games, and then Windows 95 went into beta. Windows had a technology called DDE, which was later replaced by OLE Automation, and I decided to use this new API to make it possible for me to write the difficult biology and game code in C++, while most of the user interface – what eventually became the genetics kit, etc. – could be written in Visual BASIC, as separate little applications. VB was much quicker for producing rich user interfaces, so it seemed like a good idea, and OLE allowed one program to interact with another in just the right way. When people realized Creatures was going to be a major title instead of the fairly average game they’d originally anticipated, Toby decided to get other programmers to rebuild all of my little VB kits in C++ anyway, so all the work I’d put in to open up the API turned out to have been a waste of time. But it was there, and some of you guys figured out how to use it! And of course biology is very much a construction set by its own nature, so that also made it a very open-ended system. If I’d had any idea that people would go to such lengths to write add-ons for the game I’d have put more effort into making it easier and more powerful, but originally the API and the building-block nature of the code was just for my own benefit. If it hadn’t been for that, you wouldn’t have been able to extend the game, but, more importantly, if you guys hadn’t extended the game it would never have lasted for a decade. I’m extremely grateful to everyone who has written COBs and tools and manipulated the genome. That’s what made it all such a success.

- What gave you the idea to make Creatures the way it is?

In terms of look and feel and the storyline, it all began with the geology. I reasoned that rocks make landscapes, landscapes make history, and history makes for self-consistent reasons why the world is the way it is. So I started with the plan to make the game a side-scroller (it was either that or top-down, and I felt the latter would have left people too unconnected with their creatures). This meant the world was effectively forced to be a disk, and this in turn had consequences for the structure of the planet, how the weather worked and suchlike. Very little of this actually made it into the game but the important thing when you’re creating a new universe is to make it self-consistent, so it was a valuable process to go through. One consequence of living on a disk, for instance, is that you’re likely to form a strong psychological distinction between east and west (just like we do with “sunwise” being good and “widdershins” being bad, but even more so when there is no north or south), and this would have an influence on the creatures’ mythology. It also suggested the idea of a journey as a rite of passage, and so on. Like I say, I didn’t manage to get all of this into the game but it did help inform the way things should look and fit together. So it all started with the rocks. It’s interesting to look at human society and see how powerfully that has depended on geology, too.

- What are your favorite breeds in the games and why?

I don’t really know much about them, because by the time the game came out I was sucked into a media frenzy, followed by promotion to company director and all the challenges that this entailed. I lost contact with the game very quickly and the most I could do in terms of watching how the breeding efforts were going was to grab a few Norns off the Web now and again to use as examples when giving talks. But my heart would definitely have been with the underdogs; the Norns with the most embarrassingly quirky behavior. I don’t think I’m alone in that, either. People talk about Norns evolving but really they DE-volved, because the weird ones with serious problems were much more interesting than the normal ones and so people were more likely to share and breed the freaks than the well-adapted ones. I think that’s great, actually, and I loved the way people did feral runs and studied the mutations and suchlike. I remember seeing a full-blown “scientific” paper about a genetic disease, written by a couple of German guys, I think. I hope someone thanked them, because all that stuff was and is fantastic.

- If there was one thing you could change about Creatures, what would it be?

Oh, that’s easy. All of it. In some ways I’m fairly proud of the way I did things but mostly all I see are the mistakes, the compromises and the shortcuts. If I’m forced to narrow it down to one thing that I’d change then I’d say the brains. I had to make a working commercial product and that meant I had to play relatively safe when it came to the AI in order to be reasonably sure it would work (to the extent that it ever did work!). Norn brains are quite innovative in a number of ways (most of which I don’t suppose most people even know about) but they’re not like our brains in ways I regret. In particular the fact that they react to things instead of thinking about them or anticipating them. Ever since C1 I’ve been trying to develop better brains and now I think I have a really good theory, which I’m building into my new game. But boy is it complex! C1 was a very high-risk project but still much tamer than I would have liked. This time I don’t have an employer or milestones, so I can take even bigger risks. It’s pretty scary, actually, but I feel I have to do it. I’ve been driven by these questions since I was a child. I’ve kind of messed up my life in most respects, thanks to my little obsession, but even so, it’s something I just have to do.

- Do you still play Creatures today?

Um, I don’t think I’ve EVER played Creatures, not really. I never had the chance. During development, every time I got something working I’d have to move straight on to the next problem on my list. And after it was released there were too many other things to worry about. I suppose the closest I’ve come to playing it is when I’ve given talks to the public or other scientists and used the game to illustrate one point or another. To me, Creatures was just a step in a long story. I don’t mean to sound dismissive of it; I just mean that as soon as I’d got it working well enough to burn onto CD I lost the ability to develop it any further and had to move on (and anyway it was out of my hands – I had very little to do with C2 and C3). I didn’t stop playing with artificial life in general; I just had to work with other kinds of creature instead. So not long after I left Cyberlife I built Lucy, my scruffy little orang-utan robot, and played with her. Then came Lucy 2 and Grace, although in both cases the projects ended before I’d got beyond the hardware stage. Now I’m working on Grandroids. So I’ve spent a decade playing with the descendants of Norns, just not the Norns themselves!

- If Norns, Grendels and Ettins were real, would you keep them as pets in real life?

Wouldn’t it be great if they could just climb out of the screen into our world? I started to get a sense of how that might feel with Lucy the Robot. She would really freak me out sometimes. But ironically I’m not much of a pet lover at all. I used to keep tropical fish because they were soothing, and as a child we had cats, rabbits and birds, but I was never really very interested in them for some reason. I think life in the abstract interests me more than individual creatures, and to be honest I sometimes prefer people in the abstract too! So if Norns were pets then I’d probably be the type who would forget to feed them. I don’t know how you guys manage to have enough patience with them but I’m glad for their sakes that it was you who looked after them and not me.

- When will Grandroids be available?

Ask me again in another year! ;-) I honestly don’t know. The whole thing is a balancing act between the need to produce something before the money finally runs out, and the drive to follow my destiny, as it were. When I started my Kickstarter project I was pretty desperate – for complicated reasons I won’t go into I’d exhausted pretty much all my own resources, so I hoped to throw something together in the space of about a year that could use some of the ideas I’d had since Creatures and yet wasn’t so ambitious that it required massive levels of innovation. But when I managed to raise more money than I’d expected, and especially when I found out what a lovely, patient and encouraging bunch of people my 600 backers are, I confess I got sucked into attempting something far more ambitious than any sane person would dare to undertake! I could just have used ordinary keyframe animation instead of physics, tarted up technology I already understood instead of inventing everything again from scratch, and focused on making something commercial and entertaining. Creatures 4, basically. But writing C1 set me on a lifelong quest to understand some really important things about where consciousness comes from and what it really means to be alive, and I do think I have something quite interesting and unique to say on the subject, so I got a bit carried away! I have a really exciting theory but putting it into practice is very demanding. Anyone can write a book about their theory of the brain or whatever but when you try to explain something to a computer every tiny detail really matters, and sometimes the devil is in the detail. So I’m working every hour I can but it’s taking a lot longer than I’d originally planned. It’s sort of like when you urgently need to go to the bathroom but you’re watching a really good thing on TV that you’ll miss if you leave now, so you have to catch the moment just right! In my case I’m torn between doing what I feel driven to do, and being able to keep a roof over my head. Sooner or later the latter will overtake the former in importance and shortly after that you’ll have a new game! :-)

- What do you think of Creatures 4?

It’s hard to say, because I haven’t really paid much attention. I’ve been kinda busy! I admit to feeling a bit hurt or sheepish or disappointed or something vaguely depressing about people still making money out of something I created all that time ago, when I’ve really struggled to do my research on a shoestring budget in the meantime. But that’s my stupid fault for being naive. I do wish Fishing Cactus well – they seem like nice people, although I’ve not had any direct contact with them. I think they’re being fairly honest about what it is they’re doing – it’s a game, using existing technology, and I’m sure it will be a lot of fun. For me, though, it’s not about the entertainment; it’s about earnestly trying to create life and trying to make things you can genuinely care for and about. Maybe Fishing Cactus can bring some of that to a new generation of people by updating something that certainly seemed to catch people’s imagination at the time. Meanwhile, for those who are more interested in the hardcore end of artificial life, where looks aren’t as important as underlying substance, I’m working on something new and possibly even startling. There’s plenty of room for all of us, I think! With Creatures I was able to make something for which the question “Are they really alive?” was respectable enough even for scientists and philosophers to ask, not just the rest of us, and I guess C4 will continue to make people ask similar questions for a while longer. With Grandroids I would like people to feel no less justified in asking themselves, “Are they conscious? Do they know they exist?” If Norns are alive then they certainly aren’t very alive by biological standards, and if my new creatures are conscious then they certainly aren’t very conscious, but in both cases they’re at least an honest attempt and not fake. I reckon if I can continue to make people feel it’s legitimate to cry because their creature is sick, or be genuinely delighted when it figures something out for itself that makes it happy, then my work is done!

A huge thank you to Steve Grand for replying to me and taking the time and effort to be a part of the CCSF 2012! He's always been a part of Creatures, but hopefully both new and old fans know more about the mind behind the Creatures series now. Make sure to keep an eye out for more news about Steve's latest project, Grandroids! If we enjoyed Creatures this much, Grandroids should prove to be an even more advanced form of artificial life!

CCSF 2012 Day 11: Creatures 1 Grorns

Created by Jessica for C1 (Norn Breed)

It's a Norn! It's a Grendel! No: It's a Grorn! These Creatures 1 Grorns, originally thought up by Lis Morris, introduce Grendel body data and sprite files to Norn breed slot 9. In essence, this is the closest to inter-species breeding in C1! Grorns may be brought into a C1 world via the Genetics Kit. They include all of the updated Grendel files, available at Discover Albia.

Download the C1 Grorns (200 KB RAR File)

From Jessica: "There were several requests to bring my Grendel updates to a Grorn breed, so I am happy to release these! Please note that some body parts may not line up exactly, due to differences in Grendels and Norns. I'm working on some Norn updates, though..."

IMPORTANT: These body data and sprite files will overwrite any other breed currently in use in Norn breed slot 9. Please make sure to backup any files before installing. Grorns may look exactly like Grendels, but they will sound and act like Norns, in order for players to be able to breed Grorns with other Norns. Grorns will not be able to breed with Grendels. Body parts that do not line up perfectly should still function properly.