Conceptual biomes: floodplain

 One thing I experience when writing is that I try to be there, however odd the place is. What this gives me is that, one, i'm distracted and “away” from whatever current situation or frustration i'm in, and two, the place i'm writing about comes alive and I understand it better. 

The more I try to be there the more I think about an ecosystem. Creatures is about life, nature, the evolution of it. Perhaps critters and bugs aren't a great evolutionary factor ingame but they are in reality and they do greatly add to the game too.

How well a biotope from my stories would translate to the game remains to be seen, I simply enjoy writing them and I intend to write them out as conceptual articles, like I did with the 0-g environment.

What makes biomes interesting in creatures is that all evolution can be turned up to 11. Critters like the rocklice, or plant/animal hybrids like the snotrock for example are all reasonable.

One environment I thought about recently are tidal flood plains. Not too many exist anymore, the Netherlands used to be one, for example. But it would be interesting to bring saltwater animals and land life together, and imagine what could live on the edge of either. The tide would also mean creatures would either have to be amphibious, or act very fast upon a “going up” drive once the waves start rolling in. Swimming or floating like a manatee would work as well.

Much of the sea's bounty could survive here, shellfish and shelled animals like mussels and snails. Perhaps these would be classified as pests, inclining creatures towards hitting them and so opening them to eat. Wading birds would live on these animals as well, some perhaps having evolved into fat, flightless penguin-like animals.

Some plants too would require special adaptations. Glasswort can survive overly salty environments, and seagrapes float with the tide. Mangrove or willow-like trees would stand above the waves, providing higher ground.