It seems to me the amoebas have too much intelligence in the way that they mutate. After all, they can decide in which direction they want to adapt and this, while perhaps good as a game, seems distinctly ahistorical. Instead, let's view mutation as an essentially random event which the creatures can take advantage of when it happens. Evolution takes time so let's stretch out the number of game-turns, make environmental spasms a little less frequent and then see what happens and which adaptations triumph. I like to think of it as more of a simulation and less of game. I also think it makes Ursuppe an acceptable game for just two players, which the current game is not.

All of which is not to say that Ursuppe is not an already very fine and fun game; it is! Moreover, it speaks well of its subsystems that it is so amenable to a major variant like this.
 

SETUP Changes:

Shuffle together all the gene and directional cards (excepting the one placed on the board at start) to form a single deck. Each player starts with just one amoeba with no damage. Give each player $5. Each player is also considered to be holding the Movement card. (It may be that they should have Streamlining as well.)
 

PLAY Changes:

Each turn now starts with the turning up of the bottom card from the deck. (Draw from the bottom to keep players from knowing what is coming; you might put a blank card on top of the deck to hide the top as well).

If the card is a directional card, replace the current direction as normal and apply the new atmospheric conditions as usual, except that players are no longer allowed to "buy down" the condition with money. Players may choose to lose their intrinsic Movement gene if they wish. Genes which are lost are permanently out of the game. Players may lose amoebae instead of genes at the rate of 3 points per amoeba lost. In addition, each player receives $5.

If the card is a gene card, players bid for the right to own the card. Players may only bid from available cash and may not make loans. Bidding is open. Tied winning bids are resolved via die roll. The bid winner pays his money to the bank. Losing bidders keep their funds.

Movement order is decided at the start of the movement phase. The player with the fewest amoebae goes first. Ties are resolved first by Intelligence -- the player having Intelligence can decide when he wishes to go among all tied players -- and failing that, by die roll.

Each turn, each player may spawn one new amoeba completely free. Only additional amoebae cost cash, the usual cost.

Players who lose all their creatures must lose all their gene cards apart from movement. They may return in the next spawning phase.

A player buying a gene card need not play it immediately, but may hold it off to the side instead. A player may only hold to the side as many gene cards as he has amoebae.
 

VICTORY Changes:

The game ends at the end of the turn on which the last card has been turned up. The winner is the player with the most amoebae on the map at the end of the game. If there is a tie, the winner is the one whose amoebae are furthest from total extinction.

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Your comments are most appreciated.
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See also The Ursuppe Page at http://www.am.uni-erlangen.de/~nestel/Ursuppe.html
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Rick Heli
Home: http://www.best.com/~heli/wargame
heli@best.com