Animals

* Animals refer to entities that are able to move freely (not via mechanics like floating or sinking), with their movements either controlled by an AI or a player. There are currently 118 animals in the game, each unique on their looks, mechanics, abilities, suitable habitats, diets, hiding places and skins.

## Playable Animals

**Playable Animals** can both be played as and spawned as an AI. They are a part of the evolutionary tree, meaning that they have the ability to evolve. The Evolutionary Tree is divided into ten tiers, each with increasing abilities and power.

## Unplayable Animals

**Unplayable Animals** are not a part of the Evolutionary Tree and can only spawned as NPC. They are sometimes called AI animals. They mostly exist as a food source, but some, like the remora are useful in their own way.

## Miscellaneous Animals

**Miscellaneous Animals** can be played by players but can also spawn as AI. Miscellaneous animals are not a part of the Evolutionary Tree. Currently, the Ghost is the only **miscellaneous animal** and is used to spectate.

## Spawning

* In FFA, TFFA and version 1 game modes, players can choose to spawn as one of the Tier 1 Animals (also known as first animals). Upon obtaining a certain amount of XP, a player will have the option to evolve (see Evolutionary Tree). If a player dies and respawns in the same server, the player will spawn as the Tier 1 Animal that they have chosen. They will also keep some of their XP, helping them to retain their progress easier.
	+ After Snow and Below however, players will have the option to choose their first animals after dying instead of spawning as the Tier 1 that they have chosen.
* In 1 vs 1, players will be able to choose and spawn as one of the Tier 10 Animals straight away.
* In Pearl Defense, players can choose to spawn as one of the Tier 1 Animals as well. They can evolve normally, but since food gives more XP in Pearl Defense, players are able to evolve quicker. If a player dies, they will respawn as the animal they died as.
	+ However, if a player joins a match that is started for some time, they will spawn as a random animal in a random tier (although there is proof stating that the tier of the spawned animal is determined by the progress of the match.)
* In Toxic Algae, the player will spawn as a random Tier 1 Animal.

## Mechanics

Here are the mechanics that apply to all the **Animals** in Deeeep.io. [Deeeep.io Snow and Below v4 Beta]

* **Animals** are entities. Therefore, they can be collided with, receive knockback or damage, and have health points.
* **Animals** can deal damage. They are also affected by status effects. Health points, damage, movement speed, boost bar count, size and base status effects (armour, armour penetration, bleed reduction and damage reflection) vary among different **animals**.
* All **animals** have their own special abilities, which are divided into active and passive. Active abilities needs a boost (left click or space bar or boost button, mostly consumes a boost bar) to trigger while passive abilities do not. They are active every time, anywhere.
* Different **animals** are used to different habitats. If an **animal** enters a wrong habitat, its status bars (either oxygen, pressure, salinity or temperature, depends on the animal) will slowly deplete and the **animal** will eventually take damage and die.
* **Animals** are able to eat food. Food helps them to regenerate their health and boost, essential for their survival.
* If an **animal** is in danger, they can choose to hide. Some of the props provide temporary shelter for certain types of **animals**. Getting close to the props will cause the **animal** to become transparent and can’t be collided with. The predator would then have to leave and find a new prey again.
* Skins are cosmetics used to change an **animal’s** appearance, or sometimes, its mechanics by a little. Skins can be bought in the Store, and are divided into seasonal and non-seasonal skins.
* **Animals** will display the nickname, team and the score of their controller.
* **Animals** controlled by AIs will always be unnamed and unable to eat food.
* Tier 1 and Tier 10 **Animals** are not able to hurt each other (with the exception of piranhas).
* Friendly Fire is turned off for animals in the same species, meaning that animals in the common species are not able to hurt each other.
	+ This is false for Tier 10 Animals, for obvious reasons.

## Trivia

* AI can spawn as any animal, whether playable or unplayable!
* The Giant Softshell Turtle’s in-shell form is actually considered a different animal. Look closely in 1 vs 1 matches, the top border shows the health points, the streaks and the image of the current animal. When the Giant Softshell Turtle goes into its shell, the image on the top border changes too. This applies to the Giant Isopod and the Pufferfish. Currently sprites for the in-shell Giant Softshell Turtle, rolled up Giant Isopod, and puffed up Pufferfish do not exist making skin implementation impossible.\*\*But ironically, the Giant Isopod actually has a skin, the Giftsopod.
* Tier 10 Animals were originally not able to hurt each other, this feature was later removed for obvious reasons. (Although it still exists in the first version game mode.)

TBA