Darwinbots Forum
General => Off Topic => Topic started by: Griz on October 16, 2005, 11:52:18 AM
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do check this out!!!!
I've been racking my brain ever since finding DarwinBots ...
(it's tough getting old ... but it's better than the alternative) ;)
trying to recall an ALife sim that I used to play with back in 1998-2000 ...
and even used as a screen saver ... it was so cool! :D
I figured DB had to have evolved from this project ... that this was the seed ...
as I have been disappointed by every Alife sim I have come across in the
intervening years until I stumbled upon DB just a week or so ago ...
and the ideas behind DB reminded me so much of this.
but today I was able to hack into my old computer, which hasn't worked
correctly for a long time and find the links.
I found the site http://www.io.com/life/index.html (http://www.io.com/life/index.html)
but figured it was just an old url that hasn't been deleted.
however! upon checking out this link to their interactive internet server:
http://www.io.com/~spofford/server32.php (http://www.io.com/~spofford/server32.php)
I see folks doin' it even as we speak ... like right now!
so do check it out ...
as I have got to split for a week or so.
if nothing else ... we might get some ideas ...
PLife was/is very visually pleasing ... the bots evolving their shapes ...
which then affected how they defend and mate.
and ... being visually pleasing IS a factor ...
or there would be no point in even having a graphic interface ...
as the 'evolving' could be done purely with numbers ...
as a research project ... but we want folks to use/enjoy and get
hooked on it, eh? (you first simulation is free, kids!)
it made an excellent screensaver ... something I loved to start and just
watch evolve ... which may no longer be available ...
but I have my old files from the other computer so will check them out
and make them available should anyone want to play with them.
also have a version 4.0 beta ... which I don't see at the site ...
I got from them at an old yahoo forum which is apparently defunct now.
ta ta boyz and girlz ...
no matter what it is you do ...
have fun doin' it, eh?
~griz~
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I'll definately download it and give it a look.
Making DB into a screensaver is a good idea (I don't know if that's where you were aiming for, but it's still a good idea ;) ) I don't think it'll be too hard once its in C++, since all that windows stuff becomes really easy then.
It could basically load a sim once screensaver starts and save it when screensaver ends.
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I would like that very much! :D
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I might even be able to convince my school to let me install and run it on the university labs. They stay on all night when the labs close, totally wasting precious CPU cycles ;)
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would be pretty neat
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As smbot v1.2 for cannons will say: "I agree"
I don't know about you Num, but I am using the shape generators and cosnsepts from this program for my city structures and monsters in my space game.
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Cool, reminds me of DB's shapes.
I was thinking that it'd be neat if the shapes in DB could be set by the bots and could lead to different physical reactions. A triangle might be better for avoiding shots, etc. It would probably not be too difficult to have them identifable with something like refshape.
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I'd love to have more dynamic shapes. Problem is that they effect all sorts of things, so if I wanted to be realistic I'd have to decide how to handle things like drag, collision detection, etc.