As most of us know, babies come from two parents through what is referred to as sexual reproduction. This aspect of human biology has a massive impact upon the human experience. It is the significant factor that has forced humanity to be such highly social creatures, and thus a game about the human experience and society ought to include it as a mechanic in order to properly simulate society. While playing the game, I have felt the significant difference between how real people organize and how players organize. There is no true concept of property in the game and any sort of social interaction is insulated to a collective family commune that rarely contacts outsiders for there is no need to trade or socialize. In order to prove this, I would like to propose a step by step analysis of the evolution of human social structure.
In the beginning, when man was born into this world from our primate progenitors, we were a roaming and disorganized people. Much like any other beasts, we did not have social concepts of marriage or family. This higher social concept came as a result of sexual reproduction combined with our innate social disposition. Women were forced to live out a significant portion of their time carrying around a baby within them and then caring for said baby until it reached adulthood and could fend for itself. Because they were put into a position in which they could not spend sufficient amounts of time gathering resources, women negotiated with men. Men, who desire to pass on their genes, were able to gather resources without fear of pregnancy or child rearing. A male could easily pass on his genes through many females and abscond from any participation in raising them and thus have ample time to amass materials. Women in turn refused to mate with males that did not pledge some form of early marital vows. These couples, as a result, would then have children together and work in conjunction to care for children who in turn would replicate with behavior of a family unit. In short: man wants to make pass on his genes + woman needs man to provide for her and babies = the formation of the family unit.
Sexual reproduction's impact on humanity does not end with the family unit, however! Once families are formed over generations of socialization, men were forced to compete to bring home scarce resources. Because men and women desire to nurture their offspring, they guard their gathered resources which are thus referred to as their "property". Thus, the scarcity of resources and the need for said resources by men and their families forces men to establish the social concept of private property or "this is mine". Thus homes are built, fences made, and men compete to lay claim to what they desire to be made their own.
As a means to increase success and productivity, groups of people would band together along the lines of familial bonds (i.e. marriages and distant relatives), similar desires, and shared values. Thus, sexual reproduction indirectly causes men to form an association of people, a society. To put it mathematically: scarcity of resources + man's competitive nature and need for good = early social organization beyond the family unit.
As a result of this co-operation, certain men acquire more and more resources due to luck, birth, or personal ability. These individuals are in turn rewarded by access to more women and a longer life, thus having more children. Upon observing this phenomenon of wealth, other men will seek to gain resources through submission to these powerful men and their families. This creates the natural occurrence of social stratification and thus the formation of higher social concepts such as the state, class, the division of labor, culture, religion, and philosophy.
In conclusion, we must admit the shear importance of sexual reproduction upon the human experience. Without this biological function, the beautiful project of One Hour One Life is limited to being a simulation of asexual non-humans. It is as if one were playing as an alien race, something unfamiliar and untrue to our own societies.
Moving on to the actual implementation of sexual reproduction in the game, I would recommend a system in which a male and female player both right-click upon each other when there is nothing in their hands. Following this, the woman will have the chance of becoming pregnant and will have a minute or less until the baby is born. Afterward, the baby would be raised as usual, but would carry mixed traits of both parents. Furthermore, I offer that names should be more fluid in that people can change their last names to that of their spouse's name. This mechanic could apply to both men and women in order to simulate a patriarchal or matriarchal society. Because babies are born of both parent's, I reckon that, as with the real world, both parents would feel an immediate obligation to work together as well as an indirect sentimental desire to care for the baby. Beyond a simply respiratory hug mechanic, the entire concept would rely on the interactions of players to socialize and speak with one another thus adhering to the laissez-faire beauty of the game.
onehouronelifer7 karma
As most of us know, babies come from two parents through what is referred to as sexual reproduction. This aspect of human biology has a massive impact upon the human experience. It is the significant factor that has forced humanity to be such highly social creatures, and thus a game about the human experience and society ought to include it as a mechanic in order to properly simulate society. While playing the game, I have felt the significant difference between how real people organize and how players organize. There is no true concept of property in the game and any sort of social interaction is insulated to a collective family commune that rarely contacts outsiders for there is no need to trade or socialize. In order to prove this, I would like to propose a step by step analysis of the evolution of human social structure.
In the beginning, when man was born into this world from our primate progenitors, we were a roaming and disorganized people. Much like any other beasts, we did not have social concepts of marriage or family. This higher social concept came as a result of sexual reproduction combined with our innate social disposition. Women were forced to live out a significant portion of their time carrying around a baby within them and then caring for said baby until it reached adulthood and could fend for itself. Because they were put into a position in which they could not spend sufficient amounts of time gathering resources, women negotiated with men. Men, who desire to pass on their genes, were able to gather resources without fear of pregnancy or child rearing. A male could easily pass on his genes through many females and abscond from any participation in raising them and thus have ample time to amass materials. Women in turn refused to mate with males that did not pledge some form of early marital vows. These couples, as a result, would then have children together and work in conjunction to care for children who in turn would replicate with behavior of a family unit. In short: man wants to make pass on his genes + woman needs man to provide for her and babies = the formation of the family unit.
Sexual reproduction's impact on humanity does not end with the family unit, however! Once families are formed over generations of socialization, men were forced to compete to bring home scarce resources. Because men and women desire to nurture their offspring, they guard their gathered resources which are thus referred to as their "property". Thus, the scarcity of resources and the need for said resources by men and their families forces men to establish the social concept of private property or "this is mine". Thus homes are built, fences made, and men compete to lay claim to what they desire to be made their own.
As a means to increase success and productivity, groups of people would band together along the lines of familial bonds (i.e. marriages and distant relatives), similar desires, and shared values. Thus, sexual reproduction indirectly causes men to form an association of people, a society. To put it mathematically: scarcity of resources + man's competitive nature and need for good = early social organization beyond the family unit.
As a result of this co-operation, certain men acquire more and more resources due to luck, birth, or personal ability. These individuals are in turn rewarded by access to more women and a longer life, thus having more children. Upon observing this phenomenon of wealth, other men will seek to gain resources through submission to these powerful men and their families. This creates the natural occurrence of social stratification and thus the formation of higher social concepts such as the state, class, the division of labor, culture, religion, and philosophy.
In conclusion, we must admit the shear importance of sexual reproduction upon the human experience. Without this biological function, the beautiful project of One Hour One Life is limited to being a simulation of asexual non-humans. It is as if one were playing as an alien race, something unfamiliar and untrue to our own societies.
Moving on to the actual implementation of sexual reproduction in the game, I would recommend a system in which a male and female player both right-click upon each other when there is nothing in their hands. Following this, the woman will have the chance of becoming pregnant and will have a minute or less until the baby is born. Afterward, the baby would be raised as usual, but would carry mixed traits of both parents. Furthermore, I offer that names should be more fluid in that people can change their last names to that of their spouse's name. This mechanic could apply to both men and women in order to simulate a patriarchal or matriarchal society. Because babies are born of both parent's, I reckon that, as with the real world, both parents would feel an immediate obligation to work together as well as an indirect sentimental desire to care for the baby. Beyond a simply respiratory hug mechanic, the entire concept would rely on the interactions of players to socialize and speak with one another thus adhering to the laissez-faire beauty of the game.
So, is it ever coming to One hour One life?
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