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Newbie starting a complex simulation

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pieflavor:
So basically, I'm new to Darwinbots and want to start a simulation for a project in my biology class (high school).

My goal is to run a coevolution simulation, with a predator and prey species evolving over time in different ways. Ideally, this would actually take quite a long time, and would be as a result of certain random mutations resulting and being selected for, therefore allowing the organisms with those mutations to survive and reproduce.

Also, it would be nice if there was a way to alter variables like size, speed, etc. manually for the starting population so that I would be able to show selection towards a specific trait, though from what I have seen of the program it relies on genes and not specific traits.

Anyway, my question is: do you have any advice for me in terms of what bots to use (I'm using a slightly altered Algae Minimalis bot that runs away and is still an "autotroph" as my prey species, and just the Animal Minimalis) and what type of general settings I should have? Thanks so much, any advice is greatly appreciated.

Shadowgod2:
bad idea for the vegi being able to move with an animal minimal because they have such a basic targeting system moving vegis would through it off and the population crashes and dies out or at least that's happen to me. if you can get it to work then thums up to you. if not then i suggest using a different bot than animal minimal. if you want i could give you 3 bots (vegi prey predator) this week end i will be pulling an allnighter any way making a bot.

Peter:
If you want to evolve both predator and prey. I would pick a alge that produces chloroplasts. If not it would likely just continually die out and repop.

What do you mean with alter size, speed?
If you put a huge bot in a sim, but with dna belonging to a small bot, it'll reproduce till it gets to smaller bots. Traits are what follows from the genes. So to alter how big or fast a bot will become before a sim starts, you have to alter the genes manually.

As for bots you're picking, you should pick one that's simple enough to be understood without too much trouble. So you understand beforehand how the bot behaves. (And it may help to look at the dna afterwards and determine what has changed, but far evolved dna can be a pain to understand)

pieflavor:
Thanks for the advice Shadowgod! (Sorry I feel a little stupid but I'm not sure how to reply to you specifically, hopefully you'll see this). Those three bots sound awesome! And you're right, that is what has happened to me. But yes, it would be a huge help to me if you were to send me those bots, as I really have only just started and have only been able to slightly alter animal minimalis as of yet.

Thanks!

pieflavor:
Peter: Thanks for the advice, and you are absolutely right I see the error in what I was saying now; unless they were all different species they would eventually just revert to what is outlined for them in their DNA. The idea I was trying to accomplish was somehow simulating the natural genetic variation in populations that exists in the real world, and how that can result in selecting for certain robots to survive. Having looked into it further, though, this might be impossible or far too difficult with Darwinbots, but that is ok because of Darwinbots' potential for interesting coevolution simulations that just rely on the DNA.

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