PROPAGANNIHILATE ================ INTRODUCTION ------------ Propagannihilate visits the asteroid Xirxoman, where the Game of Life (as written up in a cover story in Scientific American many years ago) is played out in real life. This game was written on the Apple //GS using Orca/C. It can be played by one or two players. It's not an action thriller, but it can be exciting in its own way -- kind of the way chess is. GETTING STARTED --------------- Click on the PROPANN application icon. Read the introduction. THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT STUFF! Click on "next page" to turn the page, or click on the "skip game" to skip directly to the game. PLAYING THE GAME ---------------- There are three ways of playing PROPAGANNIHILATE, corresponding to the three major models of the origin of life. They are: DARWIN CREATION DIVINE INTERVENTION In all these three, the playing area is populated by two species: "bluons" (represented by blue arrows), and "maruons" (represented by red arrows). They propagate, mutate, and compete for territory, with the inevitable con- clusion being that one species survives while the other is annihilated. Start the game by clicking on one of the three model options. DARWIN MODEL ------------ The Darwin model says that the origin of life was an accidental freak of nature. But once life was established, species propagate according to physical and natural laws, with the fittest surviving. In the game, four seed cells appear at random locations in the colony. They propagate until one species is annihilated. There is no input at all from the players. Sounds fascinating, doesn't it? CREATION MODEL -------------- The Creation model holds that there was in fact some kind of purpose to the origin of life, but life is still bound by laws of nature that we maybe can understand but certainly can't change. First, elect to have two players, or one player against the computer. The first player always plays red; the computer or second player play blue. In the game, the player or players are asked to place four seed cells, two of each species, by clicking on empty cells in the playing area. Then you sit back and watch to see how wisely you chose as they spread out over the colony until, again, one species is annihilated. The nice thing is that you can go check the turkey, take a shower, whatever, and not lose any play- ing time! DIVINE INTERVENTION ------------------- The Divine Intervention model maintains that God's will dictates not only the origin of life, but also every major event in our collective lifetimes. Presumably the two species are of different religious beliefs, because each one has its own Supreme Being. This is the version that you actually have to stick around and play along with your computer. There are several variations in how you can play Divine Intervention. You specify the number of generations which pass before an intervention can take place, and you also specify the level of intervention that can occur. The three possible levels are: KILL CREATE KILL + CREATE First, elect to have two players, or one player against the computer. The first player always plays red; the computer or second player play blue. You will be asked to place the seed cells, as in the Creation model. Then, after the specified number of generations have passed, one player and then the other will be asked to modify a cell. The KILL level allows you to kill any living cell in the colony by clicking on it. You can kill cells of either species, fertile or infertile. The CREATE level allows you to create a new individual of your species by clicking on an unoccupied cell. The KILL + CREATE level allows you to do either of these things -- but at this level it will take a very long time before one species is actually wiped out. You may need to change the criteria for winning the game -- for example, who has the most living cells after 200 generations have passed. To pass on your modification turn, click on the arrow in the dialog area above the playing board. NOTE: The computer has been programmed to play "smart" when the KILL level has been selected. In the CREATE or KILL + CREATE levels, the computer essentially reverts to a Darwinian or random player. INTERRUPTING THE GAME --------------------- At any time, you can interrupt the game with the following keyboard inputs: Apple-P -> Pause Apple-N -> New Game Apple-Q -> Quit PROPAGATION RULES ----------------- Here are the rules that govern the birth, death, reproduction, and mutation of both bluons and maruons. These rules may be different from the "Life" rules you are familiar with in other games. * Each individual is represented by an arrow pointing left or right. Fer- tile individuals are represented by colored arrows; infertile individuals are represented by white arrows in a colored background. A fertile indi- vidual can give birth to children in adjacent unoccupied cells in an upward, downward, and forward direction. No child can be born in a vacant cell that is behind the fertile cell. If two or more members of the same species are adjacent to a vacant cell, regardless of whether they are fertile or infer- tile, no child of that species can be born into that cell. * When a vacant cell is bordered by exactly one fertile cell of each spe- cies, and the cell is not behind either fertile cell, then the species with current _"priority" successfully reproduces into that cell. Priority alter- nates with each generation. * The two species are "invisible" to each other. Thus, if the species with priority was not able to reproduce into a vacant cell because it had two or more adjoining members, the other species can still reproduce into that cell if it has one and only one adjoining fertile cell. * The original individuals in the colony, and their children and immediate decendents, have a life span of two generations, with a fertility span of one generation. * When a child is born into the farthest column in its direction of propa- gation, it mutates. Its life span is increased by two generations, its fertility span is increased by one generation, and its direction of propa- gation reverses. No original individuals (or newly created individuals in the Divine Intervention model) can be placed into this column. * When a new individual is created in the Divine Intervention model, it assumes the same life span, fertility span, and direction of propagation as the highest level of mutation yet to have appeared for that species.