Simulation Parameters (v0.932)

See also: Interface, External Parameters
This file: Simulation rules , Selection criterion , Creation probabilities , Energy flow , Files , World , Genetics

Simulation rules

Model: this switch affects physical simulation. There are two models available: "Limited motion" - compatible with older (before 0.932) simulators and "Low damping" which allows creatures to move/jump faster and more naturally. NOTE: This new model is experimental for now, some modifications may be introduced in near future.
Simulator capacity - maximal population on the species list
Delete species - you can choose which species will be deleted when capacity limit is reached.
Destructive collisions - when a creature hits another one, sticks can be destroyed (simulation of fights)
Internal debugger - it's for developers mainly. In each step of simulation, structures are thoroughly checked and errors are reported.
Death - creature dies when it's energy reaches 0

Selection criterion

These parameters describe how the species' fitness is calculated. Fitness is the weighted sum of life span, velocity, distance, and structure size (with a constant added)

Velocity and Distance are calculated from creature's center of gravity position measured during its lifetime. Velocity precision parameter changes 'sampling period'. Low values cause vibrations/little moves to be counted as velocity. High values let only smooth, straight moves to be counted.

Scale fitness - modifies fitness linearly according to the following rules:

Enable statistics - statistics calculation for a new born creature can be delayed. It's useful when the criterion is speed or distance. Creature could gain additional ("unfair") fitness bonus because of its initial position (eg. creature falls on the ground and earns the speed). Possible values are:
"At start" - velocity/distance is calculated from the beginning
"When goes up" - simple delay for 'falling down' creatures. Statistics are calculated after the creature moves its center of gravity upwards (we assume this as its first real move). NOTE: in water environment this is incorect.
"After freeze" - most restrictive, statistics are started when the creature completely stops (all initial vibrations stop). This is probably the best solution, but concurrent living creatures can cause problems (when simulating >1 creature).

Creation probabilities

Simulated creatures - the set number of creatures will be automatically inserted into the simulator world
Other parameters decide how the new organisms will be created

Energy flow

Starting energy - it's new creature's starting energy (per one stick)
Growing energy (EXPERIMENTAL) - Enter a small fraction of "starting energy" here to enable this (eg. 5, when starting energy=100). Now every new creature have to collect its initial energy while it grows. Growing process is an attempt to solve the problem of initial position (see 'enable stats') and it gives a handicap to smaller creatures - they grow faster.
Automatic feeding - a given number of energy balls will be placed randomly in the world all the time
Ball's energy - an amount of energy in one ball
Eatable corpse - after creature's death, its corpse stays in the world and can be used as energy source (each dead stick has the given amount of energy)
Sun activity (NOT YET IMPLEMENTED) - sunlight causes assimilation; specialized sticks gain additional energy

Files

Save backup - if set to >0, the simulator writes a species file each N*100000 steps (where you set N)
Overwrite - if not set, the simulator will change filenames if needed so that it will not overwrite old files

World

Type - world can be a 'Flat surface' or 'Blocks'
Size - Side length of the (square) world
Map - description of blocks layout (in 'Blocks' mode), it can be:
Water level - the main surface is at 0.0 height and you set the water level here
Boundaries - what's happening when a creature comes to the boundary of the world?

Genetics

With these parameters you can change the detailed mutation probabilities The most important are:
With these parameters you influence the relative intensity of "structure" and "brain" random changes