sub specis and hybrids

Im wondering what the stance is on subspecis and hybrid animals are e.g. mules, ligers etc

As I understand it, cards may be made for any legitimate species.

Should still work. The latin name would need to be shown as a cross (i.e. Panthera leo × Panthera tigris), and if sterility is a factor, it would probably make it a not so great card (i.e. card disappears after 3 turns regardless or something?)

I think only hybrid animals that would occur naturally should be made Wolf dog, kydog, ECT. But hybrids that would not occur naturally and be able survive with out human interaction should not be included, like Tigons/Ligers which often suffer from gigantism, dwarfism, depression, confusion, ECT. These animals also suffer severe and crippling health effects that would not allow them to live anywhere but a zoo.

In addition to the above any animal incapeable of reproducing (mule/Liger) is not a species.

Best is that we go with what happens in real life (whereby hybrids often compete poorly in terms of biodiversity for various reasons). Ideally, they should have cards (because they do exist), but that when played, their disadvantages are reflected.

Since sustainable populations of sterile creatures pretty much only arise from human intervention, perhaps we should say on these cards that they can only be played if each of their source species is in play and there's some sort of "Human" or "Breeder" or "Farm" card or somesuch nearby.

There would also need to be some gameplay reward/benefit to such a card. Since it requires three different cards to be played before it can come into play (using your example play which I think is reasonable), the difficulty of playing it has to be offset with some kind of reward, the simplist of course being an end game point bonus.

I can't imagine being able to throw hybrids in the game that can't compete with wildlife.

If we are putting hybrids in would we also put in color morphs? Like the white tiger which only survives in zoos, due to its white coat giving it away in the wild any cubs born never reach adulthood. And what about albinos?

davehwng wrote:Should still work.  The latin name would need to be shown as a cross (i.e. Panthera leo × Panthera tigris)

It might work. Animal Kaiser did this also.

Forbidding wrote:But hybrids that would not occur naturally and be able survive with out human interaction should not be included, like Tigons/Ligers which often suffer from gigantism, dwarfism, depression, confusion, ECT. These animals also suffer severe and crippling health effects that would not allow them to live anywhere but a zoo.

Just make all their habitats be Urban, maybe?