Hera For All

Does anyone remember Hera from like five years ago? Probably one of my more oddly specific worlds, Hera implemented a scenario script that forced an all-female world and scored creatures based on how well they cared for themselves. It promoted more self-sufficient creatures by selecting genomes from the creatures with the best scores to go into the next generation and attempted to spread creatures out in the world by impregnating the creature furthest from the group when the population dropped.

I have distributed a few copies of my Hera script over the years to people who requested them via email, but I have wanted to write a more user-friendly version for a long time. So I got around to doing that!

Here is what the Scenario Script for Hera does, in brief terms:

• Exports males and ensures all eggs are female
• Once creatures are old enough, assigns them a score based on their drives. Creatures with lower drives will have a lower score. You must have Creature Nametags installed to see the scores, but the script should function without them.
• Ensures the population continues by impregnating a norn with a mix of genetics from the lowest scoring creatures when the population drops below the limit.
• Alters the life chemical of creatures based on their score, so creatures who cannot take care of themselves age and die quickly while low-scoring creatures stick around longer.

Additionally, this for-release version includes several Magic Words commands so you can tweak certain settings to your liking!

Basic Commands

• Hera Favor: This will reduce the selected creature's score next time it is calculated, giving it a greater chance to survive and pass on its genes even if it isn't doing so well.
• Hera Score Reset: Resets all creature's scores to 50, giving them all a chance to start over. Useful if you've recently moved the population to a new metaroom or world. This will go into effect the next time score is calculated.
• Hera Difficulty # : Set a number from 1 (very easy) to 10 (very difficult). This affects how gently or harshly creatures are scored. Default is 5.

Advanced Commands

• Hera Score Rate # : Set a number from 1 to 100 that will affect how quickly score changes take place. Lower values will cause the score to reflect more current drive levels, while higher values will reflect a creature's drives over a longer period of time. Setting this to 100 will freeze scores in place. Default is 50.
• Hera Range #-# : Set a range of numbers such as 10-90 or 40-60 that defines the 'neutral zone' within which a creature will not see any changes to their lifespan. Creatures with a score lower than the first number will live longer lives, while creatures with a score above the last number will not live as long. Default is 20-90. 
• Hera Life #/# : Set two numbers such as 5/15 or 20/90 representing Reward and Penalty respectively. These numbers affect the amount of life a creature gains or loses if its score falls outside the values set in Hera Range. Suggested values are between 1 and 100 but higher values can be set with caution. Defaults are 50/50.

Download Scenario Script Hera here! (Updated 12/7/21*) A huge thank you to KittyTikara of The Mobula Ray for all the detailed testing and feedback on this script. 

I know this is kind of a weirdly specific scenario to run, but I always kind of hope it'll spark more interest in unique gameplay styles. I am particularly charmed by both SpaceShipRat's Creatures Scenario Generator and c1anddsaddict's C3/DS Game Generator. Do any of you take inspiration from things like these? Are there any scenarios you've come up with that could be made easier or fully automated with scripts?

*Note: Hera was updated on 12/7/21 to add a "Hera Pause" command. The update post is here, and the old version is here if you want it for some reason.